One Year

Dear Baby Girl,

Have you really been with us for an entire year now?  I feel like it was just a few months ago that I met you for the first time.  But, then again, I can't imagine our lives without you now.

You have been a ray of sunshine in our home.  Your smiles, your laughter, your ridiculous stubbornness--you make us laugh every day.

We started calling you "Princess" when you were just tiny.  We had no idea that the name clearly came from divine inspiration.  You pretty much get whatever you want, whenever you want it, just by pointing.  You have us all wrapped around your tiny little finger.

But you can also melt our hearts with your hugs-you snuggle up to our shoulders and then wriggle up and down to show how happy you are.  You also show your affection by chewing on our shoulders.  I have to wash my shirts after a single wear because the shoulders are covered in whatever you had for lunch that day.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Little Bug, we love you so.  We love how teeny-tiny you are; how your hair curls around your neck after a bath; how you attach yourself to our legs while we're trying to clean up after dinner.  I am so excited to watch you grow--to see who you will become.  Happy first birthday, my baby.

And now for Catherine's accomplishments at one year old:

*loves playing with Seth on our bed--they'll take everything off and then jump around together.  She also loves flopping around on the couches.

*can go up the stairs and down, except for the initial approach position.

*she dances to music, which is SO fun since Seth never did anything like that.

*she's finally letting us read to her, slthough she still insists on turning the pages herself (and usually before we're done with the page).  Her favorite book is pat the bunny--specifically the peek-a-boo page.  Pretty much we can't read any page besides the peek-a-boo page.

*Which leads to her first (and currently, only) word: boo.  As in "peek-a-boo."  She'll put her hands up to her head and say, "Boo!"  So, so cute.

*Generally she gets what she wants by pointing and saying "buh!"  Which is probably why she isn't talking too much yet.

*She's taken her first steps, but prefers to just fall straight to the ground and hope you'll catch her.

*Teeth...I don't even want to talk about how awful she's been about her teeth.  Let's just say there was one night that involved a late-night run to the pharmacy to spend $15 on a single bottle of infant ibuprofen and two miniscule tubes of Baby Orajel, which is apparently distilled from gold, based on the price.  Totally worth the price when she stopped screaming literally instants after I plopped it in her mouth.  Total: four on top center, three on bottom center, potentially a molar (she won't let us look).

*She stopped nursing a few days after her birthday, but she certainly isn't making life easy on us.  She hates milk in basically every form--chocolate, strawberry, mixed with OJ, warm, hot, cold...  Lately we've had some success with ultra-concentrated Instant Breakfast, but she'll still only take a sip or two at a time.  And to top it off, she refuses more that a little taste of cheese or yogurt.  Who needs calcium or vitamin D, anyway?

*16 lbs. 14 oz. (less than 3%) 28.5 inches (13%).  Still 6-9 month clothes.  But she is growing, so her doctor is fine with it.  Her only concern is that she's this tiny already--just wait until we add all the burned calories when she starts walking.  Her advice: feed her a lot, and often. Check.

*she's still taking two naps.  The first is generally 40 minutes, the second is (usually) longer.  I should probably push her toward a single nap, but I'm just not up for it yet.

*apparently we have a daredevil on our hands.  I've had to start putting things (like the yellow chair featured below) out of her reach, because she is just bound and determined to kill herself.  You can't tell in this picture, but she is actually trying to STAND on the chair.  Great.

Happy Birthday, Little Boo.

Love you so.

(pictures by Tara Long--there were so many adorable ones that I had a hard time picking which to post!)