Lilly Belle: One Year!

Happy Birthday, Lilly Belle! 

Stop it. This happened way too soon. I am so excited that our sweet girl gets to celebrate her first birthday today and at the same time I am so sad that her first year went so fast. We took her birthday pictures and I just couldn't stop thinking about what were doing just one year ago...

Lillian Belle: One Year Old!

Weight:  You will have your one year check-up on the 7th so I really am not sure how much you weigh. What I do know is that you are perfectly healthy in your weight and height. You have the cutest little rolls everywhere and you're constantly growing out of all of your clothes. I will be curious to see how much you weigh since we haven't checked in a while :)

Health: We are so blessed that you have been so healthy your whole first year. We had one "almost" ear infection a few months ago that you took medicine for to make sure you didn't get one as the doctor said you were on the verge. When you were really teeny tiny still you had some problems with reflux that you took medicine for and it made you all better. And you've had maybe 2 minor colds. I'd call that a great year with your health. We try hard to make sure that you are eating well, drinking lots of water & of course, Mommy's milk. 

Sleep: We still struggle in the sleep department. You still wake up once every night between 4 & 5:30am and then go back down until 6:45/7am. You go to bed every night by 7pm but no earlier than 6:45pm. You usually take 3 shorter naps/day but recently have been taking 2 longer ones. It just started happening maybe a week ago though so I'm not sure if that will stick. 

Social: You are our little social butterfly, Miss Lillian. You love to talk to everyone and give big smiles. You are happiest when you are surrounded by people who will talk to you or smile back at you. You don't mind when other people hold you, especially if Mommy isn't around. You are a total Mommy's Girl so once you see me you lunge for my arms, but most of the time love to be independent and socializing with everyone.  

Schedule: We don't have much of a set schedule strict to times but we do have an order to our day. You wake up around 7am, nurse & then eat breakfast around 7:30am. You usually take a morning nap around 8am and it is usually just about 45 min. to an hour long. Then we go out for the morning or play at home. You eat lunch around noon and then go down for your second nap of the day. Then we play some more or go on another adventure and then after about 3 hours you are ready for your last nap. Then when you get up we play. You eat dinner at 6pm every night and then it is time to get ready for bed :)

Diet: You still nurse around 5-6 times/day. When you wake up, before every nap and before bed. If you are having a hard time going down for a nap, I will go in and nurse you again before you fall asleep. Some nights you wake up two times to nurse, but most of the time lately, just once. You also eat two snacks/day - one around 10am and another around 3 or 4pm. You eat baby cereal/oatmeal and a fruit pouch, fruit or pancakes for breakfast. For lunch and dinner you are now eating mostly what we can eat, but cut up really small yet as you still only have 4 teeth. Your favorite foods are bananas, string cheese & baby food pouches (favorite one is a combo of peach, pear & banana)! You see a banana and immediately start calling "nananananana!" 

Clothes:  You wear some 9 month clothes yet but mostly size 12 months. Once it starts to get warmer out, I will pull out some of you 12-18 month outfits but while it's hot, you can use what you have. 

Baby Gear Love:  We use your stroller almost daily & the Ergo as well. You eat in your high chair & still get swaddled at night. We don't really use much of our "baby gear" anymore because you're getting so big...you mostly just play :)

Crying:  You cry when you are overtired or when you don't want to take a nap. Other than that, you are a really chill little girl. We were so lucky that you were such a good baby! Your demeanor is very relaxed and you can go with the flow. Not very much crying from you!

Likes:  Where do I begin. Lilly Belle, you love to be around people! You love music, talking & dancing. You love Minnie Mouse, your Mr. Smee & Pluto stuffies - especially giving them hugs and kisses. Anytime you see anything with Mickey or Minnie on it, you get so excited. You love Cogsy, "Dog Dog" is what you call him. You really like all dogs. You like to point at things and say, "dat". You like playing outside & with kids. You like going to your music class. Your favorite thing to play with is your books. You are such a happy girl.

Milestones: This month was big. You changed from baby to a sweet little girl right before our eyes. Everything about you changed so much, physically and in how you act. You are so close to being able to walk. Now you like to bear crawl everywhere on your hands and feet with your bottom up in the air. You can stand up from a squat or bear crawl position without holding onto anything. You are talking up a storm! You can say so many words now (in your own Lilly way of course): Mama, Dada, Dog Dog, Night Night, That, Wow, All Done, Down, Dance, Pluto, Nana/Banana (sound the same), Papa & you are great at using the sign for "more" which you also use when I ask you to say, "please" (because I have always told you to say, "more please"). 

My Sweet Girl,

You have changed me so much for the better in this one year you have been my daughter and made me a mommy. You have taught me so much about life. You have shown me to take everything in and to notice the small things in life, and to be excited about small things in life. You are always looking up - I mean that figuratively and literally. I can't even begin to tell you how many more things I have noticed in the world because of you and your extreme curiosity and your ability to be so observant; two things that have never been great qualities of mine. You have taught me to be selfless and more than ever how important you and your Daddy are to me. 

This past year has been the best year of my entire life thanks to you. This life is better because you are in it and you are ours. We are a family and nothing can every change that. We will always be here for you sweet Lilly Belle. We will always be here to pick you up when you are down, or to at times show you that you are stronger than you think. Your Daddy & I will love you for all eternity and will spend the rest of our lives as your parents showing you how much we love and care about you. 

I cannot believe that it has been one year since we have met you and yet the love I feel for you is one that is so strong that I feel I've known you my whole life. I literally cannot imagine my life without you in it, my Lilly Belle. I have so many hopes and dreams for you in this life. I hope you grow to stay true to yourself and strong in who you are and what you believe in. I hope you are always smiling as much as you are now and that you continue to see the good in everything. I hope you always know that that as your Mommy, I am here for you whenever you need me but will also always do my best to give you your space when you need it. I hope you explore! I hope you see the world (and I don't mean just at Epcot) ;) Try new things, it is how you will come to know who you really are. 

I could write to you all day, but for today, I will end my letter here. 

I am writing this to you on the eve of your first birthday. In just a bit (as you are napping now), Daddy & I are going to take you out to lunch at the restaurant that we went to just one year ago today talking about how "eventually you would come out" and I needed to just go with the flow and let it happen. Less than 12 hours after we had that lunch, you were in our arms. 

Happy 1st Birthday! I love you, Lillian Belle! 

Big Kisses!
Mommy 

We had a really fun month, LB. Lots of time spent at the beach house! A whole straight week in fact! 

We took you to the children's museum and we ate dinner outside together almost every night on the deck. You got to spend lots of time this month playing at the mall's play land in both Bellevue & Olympia & of course, we spent lots of time at home playing with your toys, books & your favorite...Cogsy!