twelve months

Size: E is in size 4 diapers and 12-18 month clothes. Some of her 6-12 month clothes still fit (or fit for the first time!) as she's starting to thin out and get taller, though I'm incredibly sad to see those thighs slim down! - A week after turning one, I took Ezra into her 12 month well check appointment. 20 pounds, in the 73%ile for weight and 28 inches, in the 31%ile for height. (Her head circumference was somewhere in the 90th percentile) While in weight, she is still above average, she had actually lost weight from her previous check up and hadn't grown in height - her growth charts took a dive. The only explanation we could think of was that she had previously been sick - wanting to eat less solids, nurse more and had more poopy diapers than normal. But to lose weight? To not grow in height? The doctor recommended that we adjust her diet and bring her back in a few weeks to be weighed and measured again. So that's where we are now - the waiting phase.

Eat: Ezra is nursing 4-5 times a day and eating solids 3-4 times. I have loved my nursing experience with her and am no where near ready to see it end, but I do see us weaning down to 2-3 feedings in the next month or so. She loves Cheerios (and probably eats too many), oatmeal, all fruit, cottage cheese, applesauce, lunch meat, sweet potatoes, beans, carrots... Basically, she likes everything but avocado and scrambled eggs, both, I think, due to texture. She's always been a champ eater and I have so appreciated that about her!

Teeth: There are 5 and a half teeth in that big smile of hers! Her fourth top tooth has broken skin and made its appearance and then disappeared again. There are a couple teeth on the bottom that are at the surface, too (a bottom right premolar is making its debut!) but thankfully, they don't seem to be bothering her.

Sleep: Miss Ezra is still sleeping through the night! I was worried that all our traveling this last month would throw off her schedule - we were home for only 6 days between 11 months and 12! Thankfully, though, she has remained a great sleeper despite the time, schedule and location changes. She goes down for bed around 7 and is up for the day around 6:30. She is taking 2 naps a day - a morning nap around 8 and an afternoon nap around, well, noon! Occasionally she'll take just one nap, if she sleeps in in the morning or we're forced out the door before she gets a chance to go down, and she usually does alright with that - she doesn't mind snoozing a little on the go - and maybe we'll make the transition to just one nap soon, but for now we're all ok with two ;)

Milestones: This girl is walking all over the place! She'd tell you there's a learning curve to walking in hard soled shoes outside, but she is constantly just trying to keep up with her brother. I'm not used to how fast she is and am always surprised to see her when I turn around to leave a room - how did she get there so quickly?! There's no where she can't get, climb up on or get stuck in! She's back to talking a little - dada, momma, doll - and signing - more, all done, eat, nurse - and is starting to shake her head 'yes' or 'no' in response to something we ask or say. She understands so much and it is such a joy to watch her learn every day! "Show me!", "can I have it?", "will you bring it to me?", "go get your ____" ...she is always responding appropriately to our little commands and requests! She claps, hides, gives "loves" and kisses, shows us 1 on her fingers when we ask her how old she is, shows us her arm span when we ask her how big she is and sings "The More We Get Together" in sign language (I have no idea how she came to start doing this other than she's seen Uriah and I do it at story time. She just started doing it one day in her high chair in Alaska and sings it all the time now!)

Likes: Our little GIRL loves just that - all things girly! Her baby dolls are her favorite toys and she spends most of her time giving them loves, rocking them, singing to them, toting them around... It is such a fun and interesting thing to watch the inmate differences between a boy and a girl! She loves Uriah's superheroes, most specifically Ultron and Iron Man (just yesterday she was hugging him and rocking him!). She loves her walker, though she uses it as a doll stroller, now. She's always pulling books from the bookshelf, filliping through their pages and dragging one into my lap. She loves being outside - loves it! I am so excited for the warmer weather we've been having as it is such a treat to watch her walk the paths, play in the grass and giggle as she tries to keep up with Uriah on the playground. She loves playing chase and peek-a-boo. She's attached to her "blankey" and loves to be rocked and hummed to. She loves to eat, nurse and play dress up (she's always trying on everyone's shoes!) She loves bath time, getting tickled and her daddy - all day she walks around the house pointing at his pictures, smiling, declaring "dada!" and waving at them! She assumes every sound outside is him coming home and she lights up when he walks through the door at the end of the day!

Dislikes: Ezra likes to show you her toys but protests when they're taken out of her hand ;) She doesn't like getting laid down for her diaper change, but handles like a champ once you get going. She (recently) doesn't like to share momma's lap with Uriah, specifically when extra tired, but I understand that one.

Things I want to remember: Her soft, fuzzy hair. The way she beams at her daddy. The way she sings "la la la" with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. The way she backs up into my lap with a toy or a book she wants to share with me. Her squawk of a laugh! Her constant giggle as she's walking outside. Her contentment. The way she plays peek-a-boo behind every door. The way she comes "running" at the sound of the FaceTime ring. The few times she's recently fallen back asleep in bed with me. Her most perfect, softest skin. The way she looks at her brother when he's playing with her hair. More than anything, I want to remember her constant and contagious joy.

Happy, happy twelve months, baby girl. You have made us more complete, more tired, more happy, more blessed and we are truly grateful. You are a beautiful, undeniable ray of sunshine and you are loved.