twelve months

Our sweet L turned a year old while we were in California. I'm posting this pretty late . . .

 

I had bought the dress before First Girl turned one, and since it was kind of expensive I'm glad we get to use it for another daughter. Shboogoo didn't actually wear it ON her first birthday, but I wanted L to. (I told the child care workers she was dressed up because it was her birthday. They loved her.) After lunch I had to clean part of the dress before putting it back on her.

My husband said when our first kid turned one he thought that was pretty old, like, "I can't believe she's this old already." With L, we think of her as a baby. She's young; she's still a baby.

Probably one reason she seems more babyish is that she doesn't want to walk yet (even now at almost 13 months old). Shboogoo took her first steps at 11 months and one week. L feels she must be holding on to something whenever she stands or walks. A couple of times she has gotten herself from sitting to standing, didn't know what to do, and fussed (this day was a few days after her birthday):

Back to her birthday . . .

  

When she was about 11.5 months old, a top tooth came in. It was her second one, and within 10 days she had two more teeth. I'm not sure when the fifth appeared; it might have been after her birthday. We don't have pictures yet that show the top teeth.

   

Her hair seems to be getting lighter. She could end up with the blond hair and blue eyes that my mom and sister have. I think her eyes will stay blue.

 

I love how easily she lies down for a nap (right now it's two naps a day, sleeping for at least an hour each) or bedtime (about eleven hours). Whether it's her crib or the car seat, you know she's tired when she puts her left thumb in her mouth and rubs her hair with her right hand.

 

I love how she smiles with her mouth open and she completely lights up. Saying "yay" usually makes her start clapping. If someone says "give me five," she does. She can only say mama/mom-mom-mom and dad. But I also love her little voice calling out a non-word like "nah!" when she needs attention. I love how beautiful and loved I feel when this beautiful girl stares at me, her favorite person.

 

At L's 12 month check-up (on July 14, because the pediatrician was out of town and then we were), these were her stats:

• weight: 16 lbs 15 oz (1%)
• height: 28.5 inches (22%)
• head: 17.9 inches (57%)

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Here is First Girl wearing the fancy dress at my sister's wedding reception, at age 13.5 months. She met this boy and grabbed his cookie right out of his hands. She must have taken off the matching headband (which L did, and I didn't want to search for it before going outside).