12 months old

Sweet Eliza Kate...you are now 12 months old. Lots has changed in your little life since my last development post.
So, here is what's going on in your little one year old life...

When I greet you after a nap or in the morning you say "Hi"! with the cutest voice inflection. You've added "doggy" this week to your reperoire. You try to say ducky when you pick it up in the bath, but it sounds just like doggy. My favorite new word you've mastered is "baby"-it's long and drawn out and sound like baaaay-be. It's really just too precious for words. Baby Stella has captured your heart and you love to put her magnetic paci on her mouth. If we tell you to go get your baby, you crawl to Stella and bring her to us. With the words "uh-oh" "mama" , "daddy", "t-t" which has finally evolved to kitty & "bu-bye" that you already were babbling, you're really starting to verbalize little honey. You surely know how to shake your head back and forth and tell us no. At 12 months, the switch flipped and you've become a lot more vocal if you dislike something. Just like brother at this age, you have an ear piercing shrill that you can sound at any time to warm up your vocal chords. It's precious to hear you say "ni ni" when you are tired.

Peek a boo while you say "peet a boo" with your chubby hands covering your eyes. "SO big" with your hands behind your head and elbows out. You love to hold your pointer finger up and say "wan" which translated means "one". You love to wave with your palm facing yourself to passing neighbor's cars on our walks. Grandmama noticed that while you move big brother's cars, you make the pbbbbb, shhhhh noises that he makes when he's cruising his cars around. Sure enough, I observed your car noises the next day!

You still love to dance and sway to music. Your musical puppy dog Violet is your new favorite toy. Pink lovey is your favorite comfort blanky in the crib. You snuggle it close and suck your thumb. Yes, your thumb is your very favorite.

Stats:

Height 31"-95%

Weight 24 lbs. 90%

Head 18 3/4 95%

You've made the transition to whole milk in your Nuby sippy cup. We're down to your morning bottle, naptime and bedtime bottle only. It's not that you're protesting the sippy cup, but this is mommy's last sign of your babyhood..sniff sniff! You've taken to whole milk beautifully. Your new food favorites are noodles with marinara sauce, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter bread, and veggie burgers.

You are hanging out on your knees a lot and standing up in the middle of the room on your own with your hands braced for a fall. With a large grin you bend your knees up and down and then fall on your tushy. You love to walk with your V-tech musical table on wheels. Each step is thought out and calculated. Squeaker shoes have given you incentive to take each step!

Pearly poppers are a poppin'! You are constantly gumming your hands and the late afternoons can be somewhat fussy as you are uncomfortable. You have four teeth on top and three on the bottom. Some molars have erupted through and your back gums are so swollen. Poor baby!

You are napping in the morning for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 9:30- 11:00. On some mornings I wake you up from your nap early just so we can finally start our day. That's been our challenge with big brother chomping at the bit to go...nap jail is no fun! Your afternoon nap is from 1:30- 3:30. You go down to sleep so very easily. We never hear a peep! Thanks to sleep training from the beginning, you follow the rules down pat. I usually have to crack your door to peek in on you as we never hear when you're awake. You happily play in your crib. You have been a dream baby in the sleep department.

Holding on to every ounce of baby we've got left in you. This stage is flying by sweet love! Pause please.