Feb. 9: Reflections on ten years

Today makes ten years since I first became a mom. Katie’s tha-rilled to be an entire decade old, and I’m kinda wondering how the time flew by because it seems like not very long ago we brought that little baby home. Seriously, how could that have been ten years ago?

As Katie’s first birthday approached, I knew I wanted to have a big party but I also knew it was probably a bad idea, because one-year-olds never remember their birthdays, don’t know most of the people there, and are often freaked out by crowds. And then I thought WAIT A SECOND. Who should be celebrating? Me and Victor! We’re the ones who can’t believe we’ve lasted an entire year with this high-maintenance baby! We’re the ones who were pretty confident we WOULDN’T make it this far! So we decided to have a birthday party to celebrate OUR accomplishment—we survived the first year of being parents.

February 2001

We had about 60 people over to eat, drink and be merry. It was complete chaos, but Katie held it together. Victor and I had a fabulous time visiting with friends we hadn’t seen enough in the previous year. It was great fun because we totally earned it.

(I look at that picture above and think MY GOODNESS, LOOK HOW YOUNG WE WERE. Life changes a lot in ten years, sure, but I think we’ve both aged tremendously—in the past year especially. Gah!)

Birthday parties since that very first one haven’t been quite the celebratory occasion for Mom and Dad, but still an awful lot of party party party. I get into all the planning, carrying out the theme, etc., and will settle for nothing less than my absolute best, even if Katie insists it’s all good enough. She should’ve been born to a mom less obsessed with perfection if she didn’t like that kind of party planning. (Fortunately, she does—she’s going to be as obsessed as I am, or possibly worse, and I’d like to apologize to her future husband and children right now. Fancy Lori™, if everything goes as we have so carefully planned, your grandchildren will be complaining to you about their mom’s and OTHER grandma’s psychotic party-planning “skills”—so I’m sorry to you, too!)

One of my favorites of Katie’s birthday parties was her fourth, which was at a time in which she was fascinated with all things Paris because cousins Julianne and Jacob lived there at the time. She decided on a Parisian theme for her party, and because Darlene had recently visited and cleaned out nearly every souvenir shop in the city, we had lots of accessories and party favors that came directly from France. The food was not from France, however.

 February 2004

On Katie’s sixth birthday, we took a trip to Disneyland and went to the Princess Luncheon at Ariel’s Grotto in California Adventure. Seeing Katie’s face light up as each princess visited with her was worth that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad drive all the way from Portland and back. I’d do it again and again to witness that magic. Incredible.

 February 2006

Last year marked the end of the big blow-out parties, at least until Sweet Sixteen. Katie’s inviting just three friends over for the slumber party bash Friday. There’s not much of a theme, so although she assures me my ideas are still needed, I’m letting Katie pretty much run the show. Who’s grown as a mom? Who? Me, that’s who!

Some favorite snaps from non-birthday occasions over the years…

 About 3 months old, “The Many Expressions of Katie, But Mostly Happy”

 9 months old, our princess girl

 

 14 months old, Katie’s first trip to Disneyland

 

 About 18 months. Just playin’.

 

 Two years old

 

These next three photos were taken in Sunriver. Uncle Daryl and Auntie Sally were hanging out on the deck and Katie was playing shy. When she finally started to pay attention to them, Daryl picked up the camera and snapped these. They’re some of my favorites of all the kids’ pictures.

 

 Katie was seven here, I think. Auntie Loveliest Lori took this picture at the High School Musical stage show.
It was a pretty big deal for Katie to see this show, and she was thrilled to dress up for it.

Nine years old. My mom’s dog Gilly L-O-V-E-S  his Katie.

 

Happy birthday, Katie! Thank you for the past ten years, for teaching me and Dad so much new and important stuff, things we never realized we’d need to learn. Thank you for being a child of which we can be proud. And thank you for being a tender-hearted, sweet, sensitive, beautiful girl who cares whether her clothes match. We think you’re a great kid!

P.S. We love you more than the dogs.