Darcie Catherine - 1 Year Old

All photos on this post taken by the lovely: Lauren Baker Photography

My Dear Darcie Catherine,

That was, hands down, the fastest year of my life!  I cannot believe you are already one year old!  I can't tell you the number of nights Daddy and I held you as a newborn late at night, pouring over your features and marveling in your perfection.  But somehow, in the midst of our adoring study, we blinked and here you are - on the brink of toddlerhood!

I have been waiting to write this birthday letter until after we took you to the doctor for your one year checkup.  Today, you weighed in at 18 lbs 10 oz (27th percentile), 28.25 inches tall (12th percentile) and 48 cm head circumference (75th percentile).  It cracks me up that you aren't even 3 feet tall yet, but you are still our little firecracker, sparkling with personality and spunk in that tiny frame!  As always, the huge melon is an Adams Family trait that will even out over time...just more room for that bright brain of yours to expand. ;)

Two weeks before your first birthday, you began taking your first teetering steps.  We would get one or two little lurches and then you would fall into our arms with a grin.  By your first birthday on October 7, we were still holding steady at two or three steps at a time, but you seemed nervous to go farther, and I was in no rush to hurry the walking process along.  I love when you take two steps, look back at us with a grin and break into applause at your own accomplishment.  We are always eager to join the celebration.  Last Friday, you and Daphne spent just one day away from us with Grandma and Grandpa Adams while Daddy and I hiked The Subway and by the time we got home - boom! - you were a walking fiend!  Every day you gain a little more confidence, cruising along the furniture and venturing further and further without assistance of any kind.  You are still a bit of a drunken sailor, however, and make me nervous with your new found independence as you could come crashing down unexpectedly at any second, keeping Mama keenly attentive any time you're on the prowl.

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In the last couple of weeks you have developed an urgency for communicating, yet somehow in the process we must have got our lines crossed.  I swear I have been speaking English to you and not Pterodactyl.  You are officially our shrieking eel and it is driving Mama a little bit cuckoo!  If I can give you my undivided attention, that helps decrease the screeching dramatically, but unfortunately when I am prepping meals and unable to stare unblinkingly into those gorgeous crystal blue eyes, I am the target of instant squawking.  I have been trying to teach you a few basic sign language signs such as "all done" and "more please" for a couple of months, but my consistency (and urgency!) has dramatically improved over the past week as I try to find ways to address your needs and wants with a little less noise.

I love the reality of this moment!

Speaking of those beautiful blues, you have officially captured the heart of our entire ward with your twinkling eyes and flirtatious smile.  We tend to sit up front at church and have had numerous people tell us that they can't stop staring at you during the meeting.  They love to see your expressive face and your interactions with those around us.  Ray and Lisa Nielsen in particular mention nearly every week how they adore you!  You manage to spread your sunshine no matter where we go and it is a delight to see the kind of friends you make out of the most unlikely candidates.  I remember Auntie Amy once saying that about your cousin Zakia when he was just a baby.  She said that babies topple walls and barriers in the wake of their innocent purity.  She was absolutely right, and you, little sweetheart, melt ice faster than any warmth I've ever seen extended.

How could you not?  Besides the recent screeching, you have been a near-perfect little babe your entire first year of life.  You are quick to smile, soaking in our love and turning around to shower us with your own rays of tender adoration.  It has been amazing to me to see how much more cuddly you are than Daphne ever was.  You love to be rocked and snuggled, a trait that I absolutely adore as I too love to be held close.  You love to give kisses and hugs, often crawling over to your sister and flopping down on her in an all encompassing body hug/smash.  This is often accompanied with a special kind of drawn out, "awwwwww" sound that seems to say, "Aw Sis, I love you oh so much and hope I can get a giggle out of you right now!"

It's amazing how much can be communicated without the ability to say words.  Your only official word right now is, "Dada" and an occasional, "Mum", although I'm quite certain that a well timed "Dahhh" means Daphne.  However, with a vocabulary of less than 3 words, we often know what you want and can see your fun personality shining through!  I love that we can tell when you are trying to get a rise out of us.  You will cock your head to the side with a teasing smile and make a little "uh?" sound with a lilting question mark at the end, as if you're telling a joke that we're all in on.  You especially love to get us laughing around the dinner table or when we're dog piled after an evening wrestle match.  You love to wrestle and will throw out these fake little "ahhs!" to pretend like you're scared and to mimic your sister who is squealing and shrieking with delight.

As for Daphne, no sister was ever so loved.  You follow her around from room to room, usually wanting whatever she is holding, anxious for her to play with you.  I suppose that is the life-long quest of little sisters, to be noticed by their idolized big sis and her role is to be eternally annoyed by that adoration!  No, that's not accurate.  She is your biggest fan and is usually quick to share and accommodate you.  Some days when I am tired of your screaming and trying to get you to cork it, she will remind me, "Mom, Darcie is just a baby!"  I love that she defends you and looks out for you, often bringing you toys or sharing snacks to make you happy.  However, she tires of a constant shadow from time to time, which is understandable and will sometimes run into a room and close the door to keep you from crawling after her.  On the other hand, if she wakes up before you do in the morning, she is always anxious to see you and runs to your crib as soon as she hears the slightest stirring.  Often, she has climbed up into the crib and is snuggling "My Baby Darce" before I have even reached the door.  The bigger you get, the more you two interact and it is such fun to see your relationship growing.  I love to see you two actually playing together now and look forward to much more of that in the future.  It warms my mother heart to see my little ladies being tender and sweet with one another.

However, you are not all sugar and sweetness.  We have known you have a streak of red hot temper since you were an infant less than 5 days old.  From time to time it manifests itself when you get mad at your sister, defy a bum change or refuse to get into your car seat.  I tell Daddy all the time that I think in the future when you feel strongly about something, we are going to have our work cut out for us.

Here are a few other things that we have observed about you at this age:

1) You are a HUGE music lover.  If you have any kind of beat at all (even a spoon on a bowl), you instantly start shimmying your shoulders, bobbing your head or shaking your whole body to the sound.  You "lead" the music in church along with Sister Bergner and "oooo" through most of the hymns.

2) You are an aggressive eater.  If I am trying to feed you anything that requires a spoon, I must have 3 on hand.  Two for each of your hands and one for me.  I will scoop up a bite, only to have you forcefully throw one of your two spoons down with a clatter and snatch mine from me to thrust the food into your mouth on your own.  I then pick up the abandoned spoon and scoop the next bite for you. Repeat.

3) You love love love your whole milk.  Although you drink water from a sippy cup, you won't take milk in that form, but have to drink from a bottle still.  The doc put me at ease today when he said you can drink from a bottle for up to 18 months with no problem.  Buys me a little time to ween you.

4) You are a great mimicker.  Daphne loves to make faces and sounds at you and see you duplicate them perfectly.  Our favorite face is the same scrunched up nose, puckered lips and quick snorting breathes that Daphne used to do as a baby.  Too cute.

5) For your birthday we got two wiggle cars after seeing how you loved to ride in front of Daddy or I on the cars at Grandma Marie's house.  Nearly every day since we got them we have been out in the driveway racing with Daphne.  You have so much fun on them and never want to get off.

6) Whenever we are out in the garden, you are constantly trying to eat dirt/twigs/rocks/you name it!  We always hand you cherry tomatoes to keep you out of the bad stuff, but invariably you will take one bit and throw it down in favor of a dirt clot.

7) You love animals and always want to touch them.

8) You love to climb the stairs and try to scurry up as high as you can before we bring you back down.

9) For some reason, babies always love other babies/children and you are no exception.  I wonder if you are thinking that you are not a baby when you see them.

10) Like Daphne, you love your "guys" as she used to call them (the little blankies with animal heads on them), but thankfully you have never adopted her habit of sucking on the corners to soothe yourself.  But just like sis, if you are resisting a nap you will throw them overboard and cry and wail until I come in and put them back in the crib to keep you company.  It's a good tactic to buy you some time before dreamland.

I could clearly go on and on my darling, but it is late and you will be up at the crack of dawn ready to love and be loved.  Thank you for being your precious little self and bringing another dimension of happiness and fulfillment into our family.  Thank you for giving us such a happy year with your spirit to brighten our home.  Thank you for loving me so completely and allowing me to care for you with all the tenderness in my heart.  How I love you my little Darcie Catherine.  Happy Birthday sweet dolly baby!

Grow on little one.

Love you forever and always,

Your Mama