Month 12

Dear Emily,

You are 1 year old! This past year has been the best, but also the hardest year of my life. You have brought so much joy to my life, and because of you, I finally know what real, unconditional love feels like. I am so proud of you for all that you have accomplished in these 12 short months. I am also proud of myself for keeping you (and myself) alive, proving that I can do this. We have both grown so much and not a day goes by that you don't amaze me with something new that you have learned. Slow down, baby girl, slow down.

In February, you learned how to get down from the couch all by yourself. Now only if you could learn to get up there all by yourself, we would all be much happier. You LOVE being on the couch, but that's probably because you love to get my cup which is usually on the table beside the couch. You think it is so neat to drink out of mommy's "big" cup, and it's a good thing there is always water in it because it always gets spilled.

You can now say say ball, all done/all gone (you say the same thing for both and you use your hands), cow, and either no-no or Nana - I can't tell which it is. If you want to go somewhere you will get your jacket from your room and bring it to me or daddy. You are aware of when you wet your diaper too - you will look down at it and try to pull it off. When I am changing your diaper you sometimes get away from me and you have peed on the floor a few times. You know when you are peeing because you will squat and look down at it and then run away as soon as you are done. I have had to shampoo the carpet a lot lately, but I am glad that you know what is going on down there. Hopefully it will help when you start learning to use the potty!

Right now, your eating habits are not the best. You hate to sit still for anything and you just will not sit in your highchair to eat a meal. You eat a little bit and then you want to get down. Usually you just eat a little bit of everything all day long, plus you still nurse 4 or 5 times every day. You love to do it still and it is the first thing that you want to do when you wake up in the morning. I am proud of us that we breastfed for a whole year, and although I am not looking forward to you weaning (whenever you are ready), I can't wait to not be tied down by it anymore.

And plus, there are the 6 teeth that you have now. You got your sixth tooth on February fourth (I think!) and even though you rarely ever bite me, when you do, you bite hard. You look so funny with teeth in your mouth. They almost look like they don't belong in there because teeth are for big girls, and when I look at you I don't always see you as a big girl. You're still just a little baby to me! When you first got your teeth, you didn't mind me brushing them, but now you won't let me anywhere near them. You are extremely independent and you want to brush them yourself, so I let you hold the toothbrush in your mouth and I hold your hand and brush as quickly as I can. You can really be difficult sometimes!

But sometimes you are the easiest baby in the world. You can play by yourself while I do things around the house and you are fine with that. You still go to sleep on your own at night and at nap time (even though last week you would NOT go to sleep without being rocked. I don't know what was up with that, but I kind of miss it now) and you sleep for about 10 straight hours at night. Some days you take two hour-long naps, and some days you take one long, two - three hour nap. And some days, we take naps together.

One of your favorite things to do now is go riding - on the golf cart, in daddy's truck when we go look at the cows, and in your wagon and car that you got for your birthday. We keep your car inside and you will just go sit in it and look at me and daddy, asking us with your eyes if we will push you around the house. We do this a lot. You also love to listen to music on You tube. Daddy started this around Christmastime when you wanted to hear Jingle Bells over and over and over. Your favorite songs are Five Little Monkeys, Rain Rain Go Away and If You're Happy And You Know It. When those songs are on you clap your hands and swing your arms and bounce up and down - you just get so excited!

What else happened in February? You got sick (and so did Daddy & I) with a stomach virus. You didn't let it slow you down, though! Then....

We went to Grandmama's house......

 

....and you found a paci to suck on, even though you haven't had one in months!

 

You played tug-of-war with Daddy. 

I finally started learning how to properly use my camera and I took tons of pictures of you. 

You celebrated your first Valentine's Day. 

We went to the park. 

You finally let me get a picture of your teeth. 

You drove the golf cart. 

You wore the dress that I made you. 

You got into everything.  

Then you got into everything at Nana's house.

You stuck out your tongue.....

...and made me smile.

You had your very first birthday party. 

You were beautiful.....

 

.....and mischievous.....

.....and unsure.

 

You smelled the flowers.

 

And you were loved. Oh, how much you were loved.

My baby girl, you will always, always be my baby girl. I hope that we have many more years together, you and I. I love you more than you can ever know. 

Love, Mommy