16.7.13

Ellie: ONE YEAR OLD

My Dear Sweet Ellie Girl:

You are a year old today . . . it just doesn't seem possible.  I still remember this day one year ago so very clearly.  I remember every moment in that delivery room, especially when we found out you were ELIZABETH and not ELIJAH.  I remember touching your cheek for the very first time.  I remember holding you in my arms for the very first time.  I have relived all of our first moments together over and over during the past year.  I remember the first night . . . you slept so peacefully.  I held you.  All night.  And you slept.  The nurse came in to check on me every few hours.  At 4:00am she came in again.  You were still sleeping in my arms, and I had dozed off, too.  She put her hands on her hips, smiled at me and said, "You're still holding that baby?!?"  My answer?  "Yes, I am.  Because I know that all too soon she'll be all grown up."

All too soon is here now.  

You've filled our home with such joy!  Mason and Hannah Kate were smitten with you from the very first moment they saw you.  We brought you home, and you fit right in.  It's almost like you've always been here with us.

Your first grins were so sweet.  I always said I love a baby's gummy smile. 

You started laughing and giggling and talking to us.  You were the best little baby.  You slept so good, nursed so good.  You were always so patient with us.

I loved going through all of Hannah Kate's and Abbie's smocked clothes for you to wear.  I love dressing you up!

It seems like you've grown up so quickly!

Your little (or I guess I should say BIG) personality really began to shine.  You are a funny little girl sometimes, and you make me laugh.  I love all of your expressions, especially when you raise your eyebrows and make a circle with your lips.

 You are such a curious child.  You don't miss a thing!  You are always paying attention, and you are always busy.

 You love to play with your toys, and you always want to have something in your hand.

 You aren't much for bows and headbands these days.  You snatch them out of your hair immediately.  Your hair is really growing now.  But it's cotton top blonde so you really can't tell.

You have been on the move for quite some time now.  I love the Ellie scoot.  You've never crawled.  You slide on your bottom, using your hand and foot to propel you forward.  And you can scoot!

The past couple of months have been adventures in eating.  We nursed until you were 11 1/2 months old!  I am so proud of us for that!  It wasn't easy weaning you.  You didn't like it, and it took a couple of weeks before you'd really take your sippy cup or drink milk.  At first I thought you were going to eat anything and everything just like your sister.  But then you started getting really picky.  Just like your brother.  Right now you are in between.  Your favorite veggie is corn.  You love it!  You love French fries, but you do not like mashed potatoes.  I've tried several times, and I frankly do not understand why you do not like them!  Your favorite fruit is grapes.  You don't care for bananas at all.  You'll eat chicken sometimes.  You'll eat my homemade mac n cheese as long as it's straight out of the oven.  But if I try to give it to you as leftovers, I'm wasting my time.  I think your most favorite thing ever is a grilled cheese sandwich!  And you eat the whole thing!  If that's not on your plate at lunch time, you let me know.  You love oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast.  You don't care for grits or eggs.  And you won't eat spaghetti.  You've had a hamburger patty cut up, and you seemed to like that.  You aren't big on rice and gravy.  You've also enjoyed crowder peas and purple hull peas.  And you LOVE ice cream.  You have a sweet tooth, and you get it honest. 

You can say dada, mama, bub (that's what you call Mason), ball and no.  But it's more like NOOOOOOOO. 

You love bath time and playing in the water.  You love love LOVE music!  Every time you hear music, you start bouncing or swaying back and forth.  Maybe one day you'll want to play the piano!  Your favorite toys are baby dolls and your doll house.  You also like to play with Mason's cars and anything that has wheels on it.

You are sleeping so good now!  At 11 months, you finally started sleeping through the night.  You go to bed around 9:00, and you wake up anywhere between 7:00 and 8:00.  You also take a really long afternoon nap.  I'm so thankful that we've finally figured out and established your sleeping routine.

You love to cuddle and be held.  When you are tired, you will take your hand and just rub up and down, up and down on my arm.  You'll also pull my shirt up and lay on my tummy.  You are just the sweetest, most loving little thing.

You finally have a tooth!  You actually have three teeth now (two on bottom and one on top), and all of them came in since last Thursday!  You still can't see them though, but you can feel them.

And . . . I didn't think you would . . . but you did walk before your first birthday.  You aren't walking all the time yet, and you are still a bit uncertain of yourself.  But you will stand up and take 6-7 steps at a time before sitting down and scooting because you want to get to where you're going faster.  We have three baby gates up in the house now so you can't get to the stairs.  You tried to climb them the other day when I wasn't here.  But I doubt that will happen again.  You don't like it if Mason and Hannah Kate are upstairs and you aren't.  You always want to be where they are.

This has been the very best year of my life!  And I look forward to spending the rest of them with you and your brother and sister.  You are my pride and joy.  I look forward to everyday with you.  I always wondered why we had to wait so long for you, but now I know.  God sent you to us at the perfect time and in the perfect way.

You, my dear girl, are loved so much more than you'll ever be able to know or understand!

Happy ONE YEAR OLD!

I love you,

Momma