Look How Far You’ve Come

It is completely and utterly amazing what takes place during the first year of a child’s life.  They grow, they change, they learn, and they most certainly carve out a very special and specific spot in your heart.

I love this old picture of my sweet, tiny Eliza sleeping on my lap in the little white outfit Nana Joni had to go out and buy her since nothing we owned fit her petite, five pound frame.  On the day it was taken, thanks to my amazing mother, my house was clean, my toddler was sleeping, and we were just relaxing on the couch eating lunch, watching The American President, and snuggling my newest blessing from Heaven.  It was a perfect few moments that I still remember and cherish.

And now look at that little lady, all grown up and thinking she is a big girl.  Physically a lot has changed, but emotionally I am still in awe at how much I love her.  Instead of swaddling all 5 pounds, 9 ounces of her I am wrestling with 20 pounds, 6 ounces of energy and personality.  She is longer and stronger and knows what she wants (and in turn, what she doesn't) in every situation.

Girlfriend loves to move, although the closest she gets to walking is pushing her doll in the stroller.  I know she will be off to the races soon so I am happy to let her take her time.  The mobility she does have; however, has not come without problems as she fell down our stairs a couple of weeks ago.  I tell you what, this girl!  Somehow she came away unscathed and we are doing our best to keep her out of harms way- she just always seems to find it anyway.

Unfortunately this month Miss Eliza has been forced to relinquish her title as Best Baby Around.  It was bound to happen, but it has rocked our world none the less.  The fact is it is hard to be the best baby on the block when you are cutting teeth, fighting a cold, and enduring an ear infection; and in the end I really can’t blame her for being miserable.  But boy oh boy, am I ready for all to be well in her world again.  The teeth now seem to be through (she now has 10) and after a horrible visit to the doctor for her one year check, she is happily taking the antibiotic for her ear troubles.  Here is to hoping happiness and sleep will return to our home shortly.  But man, she is still the cutest thing ever!  I must add, that since I began writing this post this morning the girl is moving in the right direction and back to setting standards high for babies everywhere.  Thank you, modern medicine! 

I am pretty sure she is telling you “hi” in this picture.  All day long we hear it.  You enter her room in the morning, “hi!”.  You come around the corner and greet her, “hi!”.  She picks up a phone or remote control, “hi!”.  It is the cutest thing.  She also says “bye”, “mama”, “dada”, and “baby”.  I can’t believe it is already time for her to learn to talk.  Babies don’t talk!

Just like her big sister, princess loves to eat.  I am not sure how I am getting so lucky as to have two children in a row that are great eaters, but I will take it for as long as it lasts.  About 2 weeks prior to her birthday we were out of formula so we switched over to whole milk in a Sippy cup and she is now completely off the bottle.  The girl will eat anything you put in front of her, but she particularly loves bananas, applesauce (of the feed-yourself variety), peas, yogurt, black beans, and she completely devoured her pumpkin pancakes tonight for dinner.  We also learned that she really likes cupcakes thanks to her birthday.

We had fun celebrating our big one-year old on the weekend of her birthday.  It was a small gathering, but we ate, we opened presents, we sang, and we blew out a sparkly pink candle shaped like the number one.  It was a perfect couple of hours celebrating this little girl we love so much.

I am so grateful for the last year we have had to get to know our sweet Eliza Bug.  She is such a special little girl and we are so lucky to be her parents.  I am excited for many more years of growing and changing, learning and loving.  There is so much more life ahead for her, and I cannot wait to see what she will do with it.  Those perfect baby legs of hers are going to go far.