Apparently, when a child turns 1 they are no longer a baby and are officially a toddler. I refuse to believe this. As I am sure many parents have said, you will ALWAYS be my baby! Becoming a parent is harder than I ever thought it would but more rewarding than I ever thought it would. I still look at you in awe thinking, "I can't believe you are mine. I can't believe I made this perfect little person. I can't believe how smart you are." It is amazing how your definition of "brilliance" changes after having a baby. After working with you to learn a new skill such as putting toys away and when you finally grasp it I can't help but feel overwhelmed with pride. It is almost ridiculous but I don't care.
So, in the last month you started talking more. You now say "Mama" and you actually say it in reference to getting my attention. You say "Arf" when you see a dog or you hear us say the name Marley or the word doggy. You know more process. For example, if I say "Let's change your diaper" you will start walking to your room. If I say, "Let's go upstairs" you start walking to the stairs. Such a smarty!
Just a few (ok a lot) of my favorite pictures of you over the last year!
Struggles:
-Right before your birthday you cut your first two molars! This would explain your terrible diapers, your crankiness, and lack of appetite at night. Hopefully, you will start feeling better soon!
Successes
-You are learning new skills and processes all the time and I am trying to include you in things. For example, the other night I was filling the dishwasher and I had you help me put the silverware away.
-We started teaching you how to feed yourself with a fork and spoon. It goes as well as I could have hoped :)
What we couldn't live without
-Aden and Anais diaper rash cream. You have never really had bad diaper rashes until the past week with your bad diapers. This stuff is amazing!!!!
-Pampers overnight diapers. You have been drinking more water during the day and your regular diapers just weren't cutting it in the middle of the night. Some mornings you would soak through your jams and onto your sheet so we upgraded to nighttime diapers and haven't had many problems since!
Favorite Foods
-Watermelon, grapes, bananas, peaches, pineapple (see a trend?). Pretty much all fruits!
-You also like yogurt, applesauce, animal crackers, and waffles
-You used to eat vegetables but now you are showing some stubbornness and turning your nose to pretty much all vegetables.
What makes you, you!
-Sometimes you "read" books on your own. You will sit by your toys, flipping through pages, and make noise as if you were reading them
-You are becoming strong-willed and have developed a bit of an attitude. I have NO IDEA who you got that from :)
-You like to "explore." You are fascinated by every cabinet, drawer, door, nook, and cranny.
