So Many Firsts

With the first birthday has come so many, many firsts for my beautiful little daughter!  There was the first ride in the forward-facing carseat (for which she ooooed and ahhhhed and clapped her hands).  There was the first taste of many new foods like peanut butter, strawberries, blondies, etc. (most of which were promptly spit back out).  There was the first time she didn't throw up from regular milk (which we have now switched to 100%)!  And, there was the first temper tantrum (and the second and third and fourth...).  It seems like my infant turned toddler overnight.  I'm sure there are many of you that will tell me she is still a baby until she's walking full time or until she's 18 months or 2 years or some other particular milestone, but I'm just going to call her a toddler.  She has decided to let out blood-curdling screams when she doesn't get what she wants, which I ignore.  She has decided she will no longer sit/lay still for a diaper change or for changing her clothes.  And, she has decided that she must be attached to my legs a lot.  A little recurrence of separation anxiety I think.  Overall, as frustrating as the attachment and screams can get, it is so much fun to watch her develop in leaps and bounds.  Here are some newer things she can do:

• put the circle and square into the shape sorter (the triangle and star are still hard)
• walk about 15-20 steps
• eat off a plate/bowl without throwing it on the floor!
• label many body parts
• go up and down the stairs by herself!
• sign please when she wants something
• take off her mittens, hat, and coat (if mommy takes one arm out) by herself
• give kisses and hugs
• point to some animals and objects in books (especially balls and penguins)
• brush her hair or mommy's hair or daddy's hair
• go find objects that mommy tells her to look for so she doesn't stay attached to mommy's leg

The list could go on and on.  It amazes me the things she understands these days.  Her verbal vocabulary is still limited to Ma (which is pretty much everything I think and occasionally mama), Da (definitely dada), and Ba (definitely ball).  If I ask her to say a word she will usually say something, but it doesn't always seem much like the word.  She is more confident with her walking and sometimes will just take off across the room.  Yet other times she just wants to crawl.

At her one year check up she weighed 22 lbs. 2 oz. or at least that is what they wrote down because the scale was all over the place as she wiggled.  That is only the 69%ile, so she is still slimming down from the 95%ile at birth.  They measured her at 30 inches, but I think she is taller.  She wouldn't hold still for that, either.  That is the 80%ile.  She only briefly cried for the shots, but the finger prick and squeezing blood out of the finger for 2 minutes was awful screaming.  But, the band-aid on the finger afterwards was pretty cool! 

Even though I already mentioned it, I must stay again that Aria is drinking 1% milk just like us!  No barfing!  No buying special stuff just for her!  It is such a relief to me that she has grown out of her sensitivity!  Naps are still quite interesting.  We are trying to get rid of the morning nap, but she just isn't letting it go.  I'm only letting her sleep 30 minutes and her afternoon naps are getting longer and are at a more normal time now, but she still zonks out for that 30 minutes.  So, we'll just go with this routine for awhile. 

I must say I am enjoying my life with a one-year-old!  I'm often pretty busy, but I'll take it!  Parenting is quite the learning experience, with something changing every day, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!