*This is going to be really long but its really just for me and documentation so I don't blame you if you don't read all the way through *
Dear E,
You are one year old (on Tuesday)! How did that happen?! I can't believe it. It feels like yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital - scared and excited to start this parenting journey with the most precious beautiful baby. This year has flown by, and I have treasured each and every day with you. Although some days are rough and aren't always roses, you are a joy and I thank God every day that he gave you to us. E, your name means "My God has answered me" and God answered us in ways beyond what we could ask or imagine with you. God knew the right time and place to bless us with a baby, and we can't imagine our lives without you. You were meant to be in this family. You have stretched me and made me grow in so many ways this year. I have this urgent and strong desire to show you the ways of the Lord, and I pray every day that you will come to know him at an early age and never know a time of rebellion. I know that I'm not perfect but always remember that God never fails AND that my love for you is so strong. It is a fierce love that only a mother or father can have for their child. You are a precious gift and you are so so so loved. Today is such a bittersweet day for me. While I'm excited that you are one and know that this next year is going to bring so many more fun and exciting things for you, I am sad because it means you aren't my little baby anymore. I know the years will continue to go by so fast and I just want to freeze time and hold you tight. Words cannot express my love for you.
You still love to walk everywhere and do a little "running" which usually results in you falling but you don't seem bothered by it. You just don't ever stop moving =) Although you will sit still for a few minutes to play with a toy, you are off again very quickly! You are still trying to climb on things but thankfully right now that your legs are just too short to climb up on anything besides your rocking chair without help from one of us. You are my little explorer. I have taken you outside in the front yard and you just take off down the sidewalk and point at everything. You still love to dance and do it all day long. I just love watching your personality grow. You are full of life and spunk and are so full of energy. You get excited over the smallest of things and are interested in everything. I hope that you will always keep your zeal for life. You have the sweetest little spirit.
You continue to love books and now will turn the pages in them. Board books you are really good at and with the paper ones, we have to be a little more careful with them =). I've been putting books in your crib when you wake up too early to get up but refuse to go back to sleep, and you will sit in your crib and flip the pages. Favorite books this month: Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre board books and this snowflake book that has raised snowflakes on it. You also like the Charlie and the Christmas Kitty book because you like to point at Charlie and give him kisses. Favorite toys: your popper (that looks like a vacuum), balls, and your ride on bike. You still love the laundry basket and loved to be pushed in it. You love to take things in and out of containers and do it ALL THE TIME. In and out. In and out. All day long =). You still love to give hugs and kisses to us and to Lucye and we love to receive them! You will hug your stuffed animals and snuggle with blankets - it is the most adorable thing. You love to sit in your rocking chair in your room. You will rock back and forth but lately you have decided that standing up in it is more fun which promptly ends our time in the chair. You LOVE balloons. We go to a grocery store that has balloons everywhere and you get so excited and point to them the whole time we are there. You also got your very own balloon when we went to Party City the other day and you carried that balloon around for days.
Not a lot of new foods that we tried this month. You tried cantaloupe, tortillas, and a cupcake at your birthday party. You really didn't care for cupcake and didn't really want to put it in your mouth! Maybe you won't be a sweets person but I'm sure you will try them again at some point =). You still love to feed yourself and you have become really really interested in whatever mom or dad is eating and want to have whatever we are having and sometimes you can't. You have 2 teeth now!!! They broke through within days of each other. Your little two teeth smile is the cutest thing! You are talking up a storm this month. Imitating sounds and wanting to know what everything is in the room. You said "Bow" this month! You pointed to all your bows on your wall and said it. I was so proud. Now you say it all the time. You love your bows. You don't always like to wear them though. You also can say balloon or "baba" when you point to it and you can point to a dog in a picture and say something that sounds like dog. You understand SO MUCH. You can sign "please" now and use it all the time. You will point to the fan and do a spin with your finger to show me that it's spinning and will also wave your arm around when you see a fly because you've seen me do it. You know where your ear and belly are and can point to them pretty consistently, and we are working on nose, eyes, and head.
You LOVE to be outside. You bring me your shoes often during the day and will sit in my lap so I can put them on. You have ventured out on the grass and don't seem to mind it. I think its just a little uneven at times which makes it harder to walk. You still love bath time but lately have wanted to try to stand up in the tub. You love it when I run the vacuum. You will just watch me vacuum and get so upset when I turn it off.
Cute things you are doing:
-you love for me to chase you with your ball popper. You will bring it to me and then walk off and look back to see if I am chasing you with it. So funny!
- Love to look at the pictures on the refrigerator. I pick you up and then you just point at all the pictures so that I can tell you who is in them
-Like to mimic yawns - if you see one of us yawn you will stop and open your mouth really wide and then it usually turns into a real yawn for you
- know where the puffs are in the pantry and will point to the door during meal times because you want them
- love to drag around big blankets and towels around the house
- you love to turn the light switches on and off
- if you see something you don't like on your tray you will just throw it off on the floor and continue on like nothing happened
- can mimic this dance that you have seen on Teen Beach Movie (yep it was on once and you saw it and thought it was the coolest thing - don't judge me one day)
-you love steam when I'm cooking and think it is really cool to watch
- hand me food off your tray while you are eating
- love to stick out your tongue and wait for us to stick ours out and then try to touch it
- love for me to take all your bows off the bow holder and hand them to you one by one. You play with each one for a minute and then drop it and ask for another one.
Firsts this month:
First cupcake
First time at the splash park
You are still doing 2 naps a day and go to bed between 7-7:30. You wake around 6:30 in the morning. You nurse 3- 3 1/2 hours and eat 3 meals a day. I'm sure we will be weaning you soon (which makes me sad). You are wearing 12 month clothing but can still fit into some 9 month onesies. You are 29 inches and 22 pounds. You wear size 3 diapers when you wear disposables but have switched to size 4s at night time. You are wearing a size 4 shoe but I think you are outgrowing them and need to move up soon.
Oh E what a joy you have been this past year. Your dad and I have loved watching you grow and love to see who you are becoming. We pray that you will always know that we love you but most importantly that God loves you and sent his Son to die for you. Know and believe that truth. We love you our sweet precious beautiful girl. Thank you for the most wonderful year. We look forward to more!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
