Daph Stats: 12 Months - 1 Year!
My Dearest Daphne Marie,
I cannot believe I am writing your last letter for your baby book. How is it possible that you are a year old already?! I feel like we just brought you home from the hospital, a sleepy little bundle in my arms and now you are a tornado of energy cruising around the house and bouncing off the walls as you laugh and play. I know this is just a preview for how the next 17 years of your life will be - I will blink and you will be grown and gone. I have to remind myself not to mourn for an event years away, but the thought alone leaves me melancholy. Slow down little one.
At birth you weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and were 20 inches long. One year later you now weigh 18 pounds 8 ounces and measure 28.75 inches long. Wow! (You are 12% for weight, 30% for height and 79% for head) Can you believe you have gone from this to THIS?
I'm sure your eating habits have a big part to play in all this growing business. You are a great eater, for which I am grateful. You insist on holding your own spoon at most meals and alternate bites from mine to your own, although most of the contents end up on your tray or bib. You love to eat whatever Daddy and I have on our plates and prefer finger food to anything else. You love messy foods like black beans, strawberries and bananas, but insist on feeding yourself. I'm sick of scrubbing your clothes with stain sticks at the end of the day, so I've started stripping you down when I know you're going to get food all over yourself and try to plan it before bath time so we can hose you down after. You're pretty happy about the arrangement!
In the past month you have developed a very definite mischievous streak. You are most attracted to the things you know you're not supposed to play with. You have learned how to open drawers and cupboards and think it is hilarious to try and empty the contents before I can remove you from the scene of the crime. You pull all the books off the shelf and look over your shoulder with a grin, making sure I see you, before amping it up to turbo speed - again trying to cause as much chaos as possible before I can get to you. See what can happen when I turn my back for 10 seconds?
You love to accompany your naughty rampages with a string of "no-no-no's" which tells me you understand exactly what you're doing. I have to try so hard not to laugh sometimes when I shake my head and explain why you do A, B or C and you in turn furrow your eyebrows and yell, "NO NO NO!" At first it made me feel bad when I would see you scolding your reflection in the mirror wondering if that is all we seem to say to you, but I've decided it's primarily just the fact that it's a word you can say and understand! I hope.
For the past several weeks you have practiced letting go of whatever object you've pulled yourself up onto and are quite good at standing on your own for several seconds at a time. You are super proud of yourself and are anxious to be walking. It is hilarious to watch you cruise around pushing the stroller Grandma Bush got you for your birthday. We've had a couple of spills, but you get right back up and want to plow it across the carpet and tile all over again. You've taken a few wobbling steps between Daddy and I, but have yet to gain your sea legs. I'm in no hurry, but wouldn't be surprised to have you running around any day here.
Daphne, you are a funny little girl. You know exactly what makes us laugh and can pull it out at the most perfect time. Like this face for example. I caught the tail end of it, but usually you scrunch up your lips to your nose like this and puff air in and out of your nose in quick succession in a kind of panting sound. You always break into a grin afterwards, probably because Daddy and I are laughing so hard.
You are also a very smart little thing. You copy the things Dad and I do and are learning all sorts of new tricks like blowing kisses, high fives, tickling and playing chase. You imitate the sounds we make and are saying a few simple sounds for words (Muhmuh (Mama), Dad, Dah (for Daphne), buh (bubbles, bath, book...multiple uses for this one) and will often babble at me for long periods of time as though we are having a full on conversation. I wish I could understand the thoughts you are trying to communicate!
I feel like I could go on and on about your development and the things we do all day together, but suffice it to say you are a happy child. You still turn heads and evoke smiles and comments everywhere we go. You are quick to return the grins and brighten the world around you. Although most of the time you prefer to be moving and busy, my cherished moments with you are in the early morning or directly proceeding your naps when you snuggle into my neck and let me hold you tightly in a bear hug. There is something so deliciously peaceful about the brief stillness of a wriggling baby full of life, love and laughter.
At the close of these "Daph Stats" please know what a delight it has been for me to keep track of your daily, weekly and monthly growth. I feel so privileged to have witnessed it all, to have been cocooned in a world of bottles and tubbies, bum-changes and story time, lullabies and morning walks, slobbery kisses and crocodile tears, first steps and late night sillies. I will forever adore your little hand wrapped around my pointer finger, your nose Eskimo kissing mine, your inquisitive eyes and your pure love. We adore you baby girl and can't wait to see the wonderful woman you will grow up to be. Grow on little one.
Love you forever and always,
Your Mama
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