Monday, March 04, 2013

10


O knees upon knees! O elbows upon elbows! Birdy is 10: diminished, but beloved still. This March light! The light of her downy-headed emergence. She is the girl of my dreams.

Happy birthday to all those new ten-year-olds out there. So glad we're not still on babycenter together, weeping about the nighttime and the daytime and our nipples tugged out past neighboring zip codes. Unless you're back on babycenter because you have a new baby. And then I am too envious for words.

Yours, gratefully.
xo

53 comments:

  1. tracey8:33 AM

    HAPPY DOUBLE-DIGIT DAY, BIRDY!

    Catherine, (whom, yes, I've followed since you were waiting for precious Birdy) what a delicious photo! My sweet girl turned ten on Jan 10th. Wow.

    Thanks always for sharing with us your genius gift of understanding how we feel.

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  2. Happy birthday Birdie. I am so glad you were born. I too have been reading since you were not yet here. What a decade it has been. And to imagine the changes in the next decade.

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  3. Michelle9:18 AM

    My Grace turns 10 in May. She had those squishy thighs and drooly chin! Sigh. Grace loves reading about what Birdy is up to. Thanks for sharing your beautiful family with us. It has brought me much needed perspective at times. 10 is a magical age. Time is going way too fast around here. All the best to Birdy!

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  4. Oh, my baby girl will be 9 next week; my son will be 11 in May. I know what you mean about glad those days are over/missing them terribly. I miss my babies so much. But, keeping my 5 month old niece for a weekend completely exhausts me.

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  5. Happy Birthday Birdie!

    I can't believe I've been following you for over a decade. Feels like our kids were just babies, but now they're teens and preteens.

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  6. Anonymous9:55 AM

    My little girl turned 6 yesterday, and her brother has recently turned 8. Thanks for the years worth of good reading and sneak previews of what is ahead. And the recipes--just made the granola last week. It is almost gone already.

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  7. Happy birthday, Birdie!!

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  8. Happy birthday a day late, Birdy!! Hope you had as fun a birthday as I did! This 10 thing is so big -- my guy catches up in 10 more days, and he's looking forward to two digits because he's sure it will make him the boss of everything :)

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  9. Allyson10:37 AM

    Good lord-- have I really been reading your amazing work for over a decade? My son turned ten last month, and I find it mind-boggling. I wish I could go back in time now and then and revisit my kids' early months and years for a little while, and then come back to now so I can sleep. Tell Birdy happy birthday for me.

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  10. I can't believe she's 10. I lost track of you after you left Babycenter, but recently went back and read some entries (my newest is 16 days old) and found this blog, and I was astounded to see that they hadn't stayed little like in the pictures...

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  11. How can this be? I clearly remember Michael's post about The Birdy Has Landed. My oldest is only 2 years older (almost exactly) so it's not like I'm completely past the "how did this happen" phase but still.

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  12. I was pregnant with my oldest when I started devouring everything you wrote. He, too, will be 10 in a few months. I know we all say this but seriously, WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?!?!

    Happiest birthday Birdy!!

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  13. This is a big fat lie, she cannot be ten.

    *sobs*

    My oldest will be nine in a couple of weeks, I remember reading what Birdy was doing in anticipation of what Mark would be doing next.

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  14. Anonymous12:37 PM

    On Turning Ten, by Billy Collins
    http://www.smith.edu/poetrycenter/poets/onturningten.html

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  15. Happy Birthday, Birdy!

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  16. Tracy1:20 PM

    What a gorgeous, squishy baby she was--Happy Birthday! My youngest turns 10 in two weeks as well. Here's to another amazing decade together!

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  17. Holy crap, I started reading you before you were even pregnant with Birdie. That's long than almost anything else in my life.

    Happiest of birthdays to Miss A.

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  18. longER. Longer. oy.

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  19. heather1:33 PM

    I've been reading your posts since before birdy ....
    I worry sometimes, ever so slightly, like I can't think about it too too much, that you will stop writing , and we won't carry each other through the next ten years.

    That BC poem posted above, oy. he's just so good.

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  20. Robin1:57 PM

    Happy Birthday to Birdy! I just sent her namesake book to a friend having her first (she of course loved it), so those times remain alive and vivid to new readers all the time!

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  21. dale in denver5:49 PM

    Happy bday, Birdy. My second son will be 10 in July, so I always appreciated the Birdy-preview over the years of what to expect next because I didn't always remember from my first son. And Catherine, this just made me realize that you are my longest internet BFF.

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  22. My oldest "baby" turned 29 yesterday. How did that happen?! Happy tenth birthday to Birdy!

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  23. christina9:00 PM

    Birdy is 10?! How can it be! Wait, that means I am 10 years older than I was when I first started reading your work. Oh Happy Birthday to sweet Abigail!

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  24. I always seem to forget that my son shares her birthday, he's 11 this year. I'm as amazed by Birdy being 10 as I am by putting to bed an 11-year-old tonight. Happy 10 to Birdy, may you keep your song always!

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  25. Jamie9:33 PM

    Happy birthday Birdy! My own big girl is eight already. I am totally one of thos old ladies wringing her hands about the passage of time.

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  26. Happy Birthday Birdie! I was their when you were born, well sort of! Hope you have a smashing birthday.

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  27. Ahhh...that would be THERE not THEIR...yeesh.

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  28. What beautiful chub! At what age is chub no longer appreciated? Happy birthday to the lovely Abigail! I, as all the others, have so immensely enjoyed your work for so many years. I hope we are here celebrating 20 and 30 and all of Birdy's other birthdays (and yours and Ben's and Michael's, of course).

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  29. Anonymous11:12 AM

    I was there! and my baby turns ten next month. Birdy is beautiful.

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  30. Happy birthday, Birdy!

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  31. Oh the deliciousness! Happy, happy birthday to Birdy and her mama. What a privilege it's been to watch her become the beautiful 10-year-old she is today. Many happy returns!

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  32. My own baby girl Em, turns ten this Monday. Your writing got me through my new mommy panic attacks, post baby OCD thoughts, and all of my pre-second pregnancy ups and downs. So fun watching our girls grow up and turn into such awesome people. Bittersweet that it's going by so quickly. I share your feelings about friends with new babies right now, glad to be done with it but also sad I don't get to anymore if that makes any sense. xoxo Happy 10 times around the Sun sweet Birdy!

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  33. Kelly1:27 PM

    Waiting for Birdy was just what I needed, just when I needed it all those years ago. Happy Birthday and many thanks to Birdy for inspiring such a wonderful, wonderful book. Thank you for sharing your family and your thoughts, Catherine. Waiting for Birdy will always be the book I recommend to moms who find themselves expecting again. :)

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  34. I have a 13 and 11 year old and was (probably? who really remembers those sleepless night-days!) not pregnant yet with my 9 year old when you started writing "Brining up Ben"....hard to believe it's been more than 10 years! It's funny how I don't miss those days and yet miss them so dearly at the very same time. :)

    Happy Birthday, dear Birdy!!

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  35. Oh my heart, if wee sweet Birdy is 10 then my own baby is only weeks away from double digits, say it isn't so!

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  36. My youngest turned 10 in January... heartbreaking...

    Happy birthday your your sweet Birdy.

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  37. Julie7:09 AM

    I still lurk around baby center even though my boy will be 10 in May and my daughter is in kindergarten. It's kinda fun to see what all the new moms are fretting about these days. Plus I still love to read Betsy and Joyce.

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  38. shari3:58 PM

    Happy Birthday to Birdy! My only turned 10 in February and I can't believe it either. This age is magical too but I do miss the squishy legs and chubby cheeks.

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  39. Happy 10th to your Birdy and (in a few days) Happy 10th to my Maggie! I can't begin to tell you how much I did weep and LAUGH with you during those Baby Center days. It really doesn't feel like it was 10 years ago!

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  40. Cheryl6:26 AM

    Happy Birthday Birdy!!! And congratulations Mom (and Dad) - you're raising some good ones. :)

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  41. Anonymous11:54 AM

    Happy Birthday, Darling Birdy. Mine will be 10 soon too, sniff.

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  42. Have we really been together for 10 years?! My girl turns 10 in a few short days. What a decade it has been -- thanks for being part of it!

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  43. Danabee10:54 PM

    Happy Birthday Birdy! What a beautiful bday tribute. I am 46 and get pangs of yearning when I see those 12-18 month olds... Alas I am 46 and this bakery is decidedly closed!

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  44. Anonymous1:29 PM

    Wow- I have a 10 year old too (January Birthday) and I AM one of those people who have been reading since Babycenter. I have a 13 year old too - my own Ben -which means that I have been reading your posts for more than a decade!

    Congratulations on getting two to double digits!

    Monica

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  45. Anonymous6:09 PM

    My girl turned 10 in December. I've followed you ever since those babycenter days. Can't believe how fast time flies. Happy Birthday Birdy!

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  46. My son turned 12 last week, my daughter is 9 and I AM back on Babycenter with an 8 month old son. It feels weird to not have you on there with this baby.

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  47. I too have been following you since the Babycenter days - My boy just turned 13 last week and my girl will be 10 in June. I do have another son, but he's 7 already, and almost too big to haul onto my lap for a snuggle. The toddler years seem sooo long when you're in the midst of them, then time seems to just take off - right about the time the kids can all wipe themselves :)

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  48. Anonymous7:38 AM

    My first son is 12 almost 13, the second just turned 10 a few days ago... there is a third who is 6. I am constantly sad that I no longer have babies or toddlers in the house. I remember reading when it was only Ben. Your words were so beautiful and true and I remember thinking that I could just go back and read them again when I wanted to remember all those moments that I knew I would forget because you always seemed to capture what I was feeling so perfectly. So thank you for that. And Happy birthday Birdy!! :)

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  49. Oh Birthday blessings to dear Birdy- I didn't realize her actual birthday was 3/4! That was the date my Quail was due- but she came early on 2/22. I loved your early birdy days sigh....Still on bbc- but just not so much- those folks are so painfully....young....makes me feel like a Gma pushing my 11 month old along with my walker...

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  50. Happy Birthday sweet girl-have loved seeing you grow up. Thanks for sharing your family, Catherine. xo.

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  51. Anonymous11:22 PM

    ahhhh. . Babycenter. :-)

    And 10.

    NO! My daughter turns 10 in June, and I think I'm going to be a mess.

    I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old... and life is crazy... but I would so love another baby!

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  52. Oh - to think it's been 10 years of reading/following/stalking you and your darling family. My ten year old emerged in 2012 and Babycenter was my beloved online resource. What a blessing you and Birdy and Ben and Michael were there. Thank you, Catherine and Happy Birthday, Birdy!

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    Replies
    1. That would be an 2002 emergence... ages ago...

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