Annabeth at 12 Months

Dear Annabeth,
The craziness of your birthday week has passed and now I am left with a one-year-old. I can hardly believe it every time I have to write "12 mos" on the check-in sheet in the church nursery. My heart is severely conflicted, as part of me would like to keep you tiny and dependent and another part of me is thrilled to see you learning and growing.

When I lay you down in your crib, you suck your thumb for a few seconds but then pop right back up and stand at the rail. A couple of weeks ago you loved sleeping but right now you do everything you can to resist. In the event that I do catch you laying down, like when you're having your bottle, it astounds me how long your sweet legs are getting. But then when I see you standing at the edge of the bathtub in your birthday suit, you still look so tiny!

Mommy is so happy that you finally like your dolls. A couple of weeks ago you learned to say "love you." It started out as "muh myoo" but this week you're saying "I love you" pretty clearly. You love to say it to your dolls and to your Baby Minnie Mouse and give them big, open-mouth kisses. You like to hand me your baby doll and watch me love it, then take it back and do the same. You also bang their heads on the floor but I can see the love growing. You got a stroller push toy for Christmas and you love it. It's hilarious how you haul buns down the hall with that thing.



This is a glorious time for feeding you. You're at a wonderful stage where you will eat anything I put in front of you and you eat a ton of it. I remember Jackson doing the same thing until he got his first stomach virus, after which he developed some opinions about food. I know you're done eating when you start dropping pieces on the floor and leaning over the high chair to see how they landed. I switched you over to whole milk about 5 days before your birthday. Your formula had run out and I didn't really want to buy another can. Thank God we're done with that! Except to get rid of what I have in the pantry, you're done with baby food and completely on table food. You have oatmeal mixed with yogurt for breakfast, and things like ravioli, carrots, peas, green beans, bananas, strawberries, grapes, and cheese for lunch or dinner. You love chicken - especially fajita meat. I'll be glad when you can be trusted with a plate because I have no idea how to feed you in a restaurant without those sticky placemats.

Your sleep schedule is currently in flux, but you have been waking up at 7:30 and going down for your first nap from 9-11. Then you sleep from about 1-2:30 in the afternoon. You've just started waking up closer to 8 and I can't figure out your ideal naptimes. You've been crying a lot more before you go to sleep, which I hate. You are very schedule dependent right now. If something gets thrown off, it's not pretty. That makes our church days a bit difficult.



Your developing speech continues to blow my mind. I love it! You say uh oh, bye bye, love you, dada, and hi. What really gets me is how you try to mimic things I say and it's always so close! You're very eager to learn words and that's so thrilling. Mama was your first word but you've put that one in storage for some reason. You also used to blow kisses. We need Nana to come down here and remind you how to do it! When I say "Where's Annabeth?" you point to yourself and when I say "Where's Mommy?" you point to me. You love to clap and wave. When you stand at your toy table and the music comes on, you bend your knees up and down. You look like a little deejay and it makes me laugh so hard.

You still think your brother hung the moon. He makes you laugh and you're very interested in what he's doing. I love seeing you two play in the same vicinity. I know you're not really playing together, but it's still sweet. I'll never forget when we were sitting at the breakfast table and he looked over at you and yelled, "She's growing! SHE'S GROWING! What's she gonna be, Mommy? A doctor?" It was so adorable. I said, "I don't know buddy. Maybe so! What are you going to be?" He said, "A Daddy!" You have a great daddy, Annabeth. He loves you so much.

Your nicknames at 12 months are Beauty, Beaut (only Daddy says that), Princess, Annabee, Annabear, and AB. For some reason I cannot stop calling you Punky Dewhurst. Please do not ask me why! It probably stems from my great love for Punky Brewster.

We are going through an interesting phase with your hair. It can go in tiny pigtails in the back, but the rubber bands don't really stay in. I also try to sweep your bangs to the side with a bow but it gets ripped out as soon as you realize it's there. You hand it to me like you're doing me a favor. I have retired some of the bows you used to wear simply because I would be so sad if they got lost. When your hair is wet or newly washed it curls a little at the bottom. But as time passes it straightens out and gets the mullet effect. We are persevering for the greater hair glory. If it never comes, we'll have it cut in a bob and you'll be precious! Your hair is light brown and fairly fine and straight. Jackson's started this way and ended up fairly wavy. We'll see if yours does that, too.



You have four little teeth in your mouth and you enjoy grinding them. Mommy cannot stand that, sweet precious angel, and I beg you not to do it.

You took about four steps in the last month or so. We had been working on fingertip walking, and then Mommy and Daddy pretty much coerced you into taking these steps. We counted the first one since we were both there to see it. You started standing independently four days ago. We are so proud! Now I know that your real first step will probably be from that position. So far you're content to just stand there. I've caught you bear crawling a few times, so I know walking isn't too far off.



You just figured out how to climb into your little blue rocking chair. When we're in your room, you crawl to it as fast as you can, throw the teddy bear on the ground, and climb up. Then you try to rock yourself, which is hilarious to watch. Another thing you love to do in your room is open up the dresser drawers and pull out all your clothes.

Baby girl, I love you so much. You are just the sweetest and happiest little thing I've ever seen. The sound of your babbling is the best music I know. I feel incredibly blessed to be your mommy. I'm still scratching my head and wondering why God would want to bless me with the two cutest, neatest kids He ever made. Daddy and I can't imagine our lives without either one of you.