12 Months Old

Sweet fancy moses...we officially have a one-year old!

these 12 month pics were a doozie

she's waving here, but of course it's blurry since i don't really know how to use my camera ;)

Aunt Cathy and Cousin Lacy sent her this super cute birthday hat with a crown on it...also notice her little number one finger she's sort of holding up!

Dear Camilla,
Our sweet baby girl is a year old...how is that possible?!  You were only 6.8 lbs when we took you home from the hospital, and now you seem like such a big girl compared to those days.

This month we've stayed home a lot...momma has been planning a special birthday party, and it is just too hot to do much outside.  So we're inside a lot; it's been great though...you are so happy to play on your own as long as either dad or I am close by.  Sometimes I feel like most of our day is spent with you cleaning out the kitchen cabinets...and me replacing it all.  I'm here to serve. :)

I've decided you aren't much of a water baby, at this point.  You don't really enjoy time in either the kiddie pool or the big pool.  You don't act scared, just meh (picture me shrugging).  You'd much rather walk around the outside of the pool picking up leaves and other finds (and then putting them in your mouth).  Pretty much anything to do with water, you are just indifferent about, except the dog water bowl.  We can't keep you outta that thing.  We have swim lessons in two weeks, so let's hope you don't have a meltdown when you're forced to be in the pool for an hour a day for an entire week.  Yeesh.
You've started jabbering more and sometimes it is full sentences, which is hilarious.  You are big into imitation, so if I make a noise, you try to make the same noise...sometimes we have a whole string of them going.  Recently, I was putting you to bed and dad said "night, night" and then you said it too!  Mostly you just scream and make different sounds rather than trying out words.

This month you've had 4 more teeth emerge!  The top two front teeth poked through right at 11 months, then last week I noticed two more bottom teeth are barely poking through.  You now have a total of 6 teeth!
Since you're now in the Birds class at gym, things are a little more advanced.  When Miss Lyssa has us introduce ourselves, the kids are supposed to go up and give her a high five.  We are making progress on this at home, but I'm pretty sure it'll be awhile before you are doing it with others.  You are still very shy, and it takes you quite awhile to warm up to people other than mom and dad.  You will happily smile at them from our arms but usually letting someone else hold you is out of the question.  Although it seems to be getting better...you are warming up much quicker, the older you get.

I'm fairly sure you're right-handed.  We won't know for sure until you're 2 or 3, but your left arm might as well be a dead fish when you are eating finger foods.  You give high fives and do buzzer finger with your right hand...you do a lot with the right hand, so I think we can call it tentatively confirmed.

Your favorite things this month include: clapping along to "If You're Happy and You Know It", playing chase, following Buddy around the house, your pacifier, playing outside, bananas, waving bye-bye, eating puffs, playing the buzzer finger game, pulling your pajamas out of the cubby, nighttime naked time, wagon rides.

Your not-so-favorite things this month include: naps for longer than 30 minutes, having your face wiped after dinner, being tired without a pacifier in your mouth (& your tired a lot since you aren't napping very long), riding in the car, having stuff taken away from you, being redirected from the dog water bowl.

This past year has been the most fulfilling, amazing, wonderful journey.  It's been a year full of singing Baby Beluga and You Are My Sunshine...a year full of desperately searching for "binks" when you are crazy crying...a year full of mom and dad grinning ear-to-ear every time you do something cute or new or funny or pretty much anything at all...a year full of such bliss we have never known.  I'd like to give a big thank you to Google for helping me through this year (I bet I googled a baby question at least once a day)...I'm also thankful for lanolin...and the sound machine...and Netflix...there's too much to list here.  It truly is amazing to have a baby in this day and age; we have enjoyed so many cool gadgets and such helpful baby gear.  Ahhhh...such a good year...I feel so happy and blessed for our little family of 5.

Camilla Marie, we love you so very very much...and we're so glad you're ours.  Love at first sight.  It was just meant to be...