Happy Birthday Kitty

Dear Kitty,

You have been with us now for an entire year and what a year it has been! You've been nothing but a joy and delight since the day you've arrived.

Now that you are one, while we still revel in your delicious babyness its so much fun to see you becoming yourself. You've mastered walking and have been talking a blue streak for months, though we don't speak your language yet you KNOW what you are trying to say. We big people are just a little slow on the uptake.

At one year old, everyone comments on how dainty and petite you are. At 27.5 inches and 19 pounds you might be a bit smaller than some (I prefer to think of you as travel sized) but you more than make up for it in personality. People are taken aback to see this tiny, wee girl with such a huge personality. You know how to work a room.

You have an intensity about you when trying to figure out how something works. I think you get that from your dad. You will not lose focus until you are satisfied that you have a good understanding of how things work and boy oh boy do you love tools, wires and light switches.

You love to sing and do so- loudly whenever your sister Maura is practicing. If someone is singing you just have to sing along. You can not listen to music without either singing along or throwing yourself into the music and swaying and shaking your tiny body until the music stops. Its as if the music overtakes you and you can not resist.

Sleeping will never be your favorite activity. There is too much to do and see and sleeping means you might miss something. You still wake up every 4 hours, I like to think of it as you being born to keep a watch schedule. Your favorite thing to do is to go anywhere so long as there are people to speak to and things to look at. You are fearless and take any bumps and tumbles that occur in stride. You are made of some strong stuff my fiery little one and I am so delighted that we belong to each other.

Happy birthday. You are so very, very loved.