12 Months

Here is the "official" 12 month/one year post. I cannot believe how much my life has changed over the past year. I know everyone says that, but when I go back and look at that little bitty baby in my arms last March, it's just so surreal. As I mentioned in a previous post, Kacie wanted NOTHING to do with taking her 12 month pictures. She would not sit still, kept pulling off her bow, was trying to crawl off the chair, and would not smile. Sigh. I guess this one is considered the "best" one, although I was disappointed we didn't get a smile.

I got this cute picture a little later as she was enjoying her new birthday chair.

Here are some things about Kacie this month:

• She still gives lots of hugs & kisses to everyone and everything (including her dolls and animals)
• Her laugh just makes my heart melt.
• She loves to tickle her dolls, stuffed animals, toys, us, and people in books. She tickles with her little fingers and says "tickle tickle." (It sounds like "ta-kul")
• She has been eating fruit and bits of food from our plates, but also stage 3 baby food.
• She can stand by herself for a few seconds when we let go of her hands, but no steps yet.
• I stopped pumping during Spring Break, and the past few weeks she only nurses for a few minutes before bedtime. She will be completely weaned in the next week or so. It's kind of bittersweet for me! I'm SO ready to be done, but it was also SO easy once I got past the first few months.
• She has been blowing kisses.
• She says "Hi Doggy" when she looks at Earl through the window. (Although it sounds like "Aaaaaahh Didi")
• She has started pointing to herself when we say, "Where's Kacie?"
• She babbles ALL the time. I love to listen to her.
• She also repeats everything, and we can actually understand what she's saying. If you just heard the sounds out of context, it would just be babble, but because she's repeating it after we say it, we know what she's trying to say. Some examples: love you, thank you, night night.
• She understands and remembers so many things. She is able to point to the many of the correct animals/people/objects when we're looking at books or pictures.
• She started saying "no no" when she's near something she's not supposed to touch. Example: She'll crawl up to the tv and point to it and look at Jason or me and say, "no no."
• She's still hesitant and a little shy around new people. It takes her a while to warm up most of the time. She cries when we hand her over to the church nursery, but she's fine when we come to get her.
• She loves music, dancing, and clapping. If she hears music of any kind (radio, tv, computer, a toy) she squeals and starts "dancing." She also starts clapping when she hears clapping on tv. Here she is dancing to the music of her new car.

• She does the signs for more, eat, milk, and all done.
• She has started doing a kind of fake whine, but we just ignore it or try to distract her, and she stops.
• She still is VERY content entertaining herself.
•  It's so easy to take her to the store or go out to eat, because we don't have to worry about how she'll behave. I know the 2 & 3 year old tantrums are right around the corner, but for now we're thankful for her easy-going personality.
• She is learning where things go. For example, she holds up her foot and tries to put her shoes on. She picks up a bow and tries to set it on her head. She picks up our phones and holds them to her ears. She tries to put Jason's hats on her head. She brushes her hair. She takes our forehead thermometer and puts it on her face. I know those are small things, but it just shows how much she's soaking up and learning.
• This girl LOVES books. She hands them to me and then crawls in my lap. I love it!
• She also loves to go outside, especially when it's windy. When the wind blows in her face, she squeals and kicks her legs. We go out to get the mail every day and she always has to hold something on the way back up the driveway.

That's all I can think of for now. Seriously, I could talk about how sweet and smart she is all day! We just fall more in love with our little Kacie every day. She really brings so much joy to our lives. She is such a blessing to us, and she is such a blessed little girl to have so many people who love her. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring. Happy birthday sweet girl! We love you so much!

Here are a few of the attempts for the 12 month picture...