One Year Old!

Our beautiful Julia Grace is one!  One year old!  Wow!!!

 

 

I really can't believe it.  This year has flown!  It's true what you always hear: babies grow fast!  I've gotten weekly development emails ever since I was pregnant with Julia, and this week's email was from "My Toddler This Week" instead of "My Baby This Week."  The email went on to explain that some view one year as the turning point, while other view a baby's ability to walk, or toddle, as the turning point.  I'm not quite ready for the new distinction, so I'll wait for it until Julia is walking well ;-)

• Julia is so verbal!  Her new words include: light, more, neigh (for horses), baa (for sheep), grrrr (for lion), turtle, book, milk, cheese, hello, bye bye, bird, bottle, bath, nose, hair, and teeth.  A couple old ones I'd forgotten to mention previously include uh oh, woof, and ball.  I added it up and she can say about 35 words!  Her pronunciation is still developing, but she gets her point across well!  We're biased, of course ;-), but we think she is pretty impressive for a one-year-old!  She adds on new words all the time - it's exciting!
• Julia has taken some unassisted steps - up to five at a time!  Honestly, it takes bribery to make her do it because she'd still rather crawl.  But, hold out some yummy food or something she really wants and she can do it!
• Julia's interest in her baby dolls keeps increasing.  She hugs them and "rocks" them by holding them over her shoulder.  She sleeps with one every night.  Some nights, when she's tired, she'll even point toward her room and say, "Baby!"  We take her into her room, she reaches toward her crib, and we set her in there with her doll.  She curls up with her baby and goes right to sleep.  What a blessing to have such a good sleeper! 
• Julia is a good eater these days!  If she likes something, she crams as much of it into her mouth as she can.  Sometimes, her mouth is so full, she literally can't fit more in, but she still tries to jam more in.  It's pretty hilarious.  Julia, our funny little piggie :-)  If she doesn't like something, though, she refuses to open her mouth to it, and throws it piece by piece onto the floor.  When she recently tried cow's milk for the first time, she gagged and began crying in disappointment that the white substance she thought she knew and loved no longer tasted the same.  For the most part, though, Julia really enjoys new foods.  She especially LOVES meat - baby carnivore!
• Our little lady has started having some temper tantrums! She arches her back and collapses to the ground, crying angrily if she doesn't get what she wants. Isn't it too early for these?! ;-)  We're becoming experts at redirecting!
• Julia really enjoys being chased and tickled. 
• She's a great dancer - she bobs up and down with music or waves her hands wildly up and down in time with the music.  She loves it!
• Julia can smile on command, which she will do for pictures, but only if she's in the mood.  It's so cute :-)
• Julia is our love!  What a beautiful baby, body and soul!

More proud gushing and photos forthcoming.... ;-)