Words cannot express how deeply you have touched our lives this past year. I have felt emotions that I didn't know were there. You have brought an unbelievable amount of joy to our home and we are thoroughly enjoying having you as a part of our lives.
You are so much fun to interact with these days, and I find myself almost giddy with anticipation as I get closer and closer to daycare at the end of the day, or as I approach your room to get you up from a nap. I just can't wait to walk in the room and watch your smile appear as you find me.
At one year old, you are walking all over the place. We love to watch you discover the world and "tell" us about your experiences. About a month ago we put up your walker to see what would happen, and within a week you were walking on your own. Walking around the house carrying an object in each hand seems to be a form of entertainment to you. You also enjoy being chased and typically provide a giggle for the lucky chaser.
At a year you are somewhat limited in what you can eat by the fact that you still only have two lower front teeth. You eat most anything we put in front of you and enjoy feeding yourself. You are still nursing, although we are going through a transition now as I back off on pumping. So far you are still interested in nursing several times a day, and I hope that continues for a while longer.
One of your first words, besides mama and dada, is "off." I have made a point recently of telling you whenever I turn a light on or off. Now, every morning when we walk past the switch in the hallway you point and say, "ohh," which we have discovered is "off." We let you turn the light out and you are very proud of yourself each and every time. Whenever you see lights around the house you point and say, "ohh."
You know the sign for "all done", but sometimes you also repeat the words. We wouldn't have a clue what it is out of context (and thought it was coincidence at first), but you have said it enough times now that we're sure that's what it is.
At a year you are sleeping between 12 to 13 hours a night pretty regularly - from 6/6:30PM to 6:30/7AM. Your naps, however, are more irregular. Typically you sleep between 45 minutes and one hour twice per day at daycare. Oftentimes your naps are longer at home on the weekends, but then some days you decide you don't want to nap at all. The time you go down is fairly regular, but the duration is unpredictable.
One of the biggest challenges for your dad and me this year has been finding a good balance between our jobs and home. Your dad leaves work almost every day right at 5PM just to get home in time to see you for a few minutes before you go to bed. While we both want to continue to progress in our careers you became our priority as soon as you entered this world. I know finding the balance will be a constant battle for us but we will continue to make the best decisions we can with you at the forefront of our minds.
By the age of one you have developed quite the little personality. You don't seem to be shy and handle groups and new situations with ease. You are able to entertain yourself for quite a while by sifting through your toy box, walking around the house with puzzle pieces, or looking at your books. You definitely know what you want, and work hard to communicate your desires.
The first year wasn't always easy, Peanut, but every challenge and hard day was worth having you in our lives. Your dad and I love you very much!
Love, Mommy
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