12 Months!

What.. you thought I’d write her 1 year post on time? Ha! I’m the Queen of late now.

By The Numbers
25 & 6 ….. pounds & ounces, which makes her total gain of 17+ pounds since she was born.
33 ….. inches in length, 14 inches of growth for the year
8 9 ….. number of sharp teeth she has
2 ….. number of oh so chunky thighs she still has

Abby’s growth was fast and furious for awhile and though she’s barely on the charts for all of these dimensions, she’s proportionate. Her rolls make me feel more at ease when she goes through bouts of not wanting food. As we say, “she’s got reserves”.

Talks Constantly.
Abby’s first word was “uh-oh”, but also says “Da-Da”, “Ma-Ma”, “Dat?” (That? as in, What is that?), “Khru-Khru” (cracker), “Hi” and “Yah”. She signs milk, more, all done and water. We haven’t taught her other signs yet, but we need to as I find myself frustrated more and more not knowing what she’s wanting. She’s generally good at pointing at things, but perhaps she’s wanting things she cannot see.

She’s walking!
In the past 2 weeks, Abby has been taking more and more steps on her own. She can’t stand up without using something (or someone) to pull herself up, but once she’s up, she willingly walks across a room. She is a bit of a perfectionist and takes her time and makes a cognitive effort to maintain balance.

Drinks from a glass.
Abby absolutely loves to drink from a regular glass and is getting very good at keeping the water in her mouth. I found that a baby food jar also makes a great cup for her and she’s getting better at learning how to regulate the flow of liquid herself. Her pincer grasp is quite good and just recently started using a spoon to dip in her food and bring it to her mouth. Though the spoon often ends up in sound experiments on the table (food everywhere), she is enjoying her new found independence at the dinner table.

She is a flirt!
Abby is known to be a very affectionate baby and gives kisses to everyone. Perhaps this is why we’ve all suffered through so many colds and illnesses in the past 6 weeks. How can you say no? She attracts audiences everywhere we go. I catch her trying to make eye contact with strangers at the grocery store so she can flirt and laugh with them. Usually she succeeds in making complete strangers laugh. I absolutely love this about her and she clearly gets this trait from her father.

Adores her stuffed animals.
She is also very affectionate with her Cat in the Hat, Monkey, and Puppy dog, hugging and kissing them whenever she reunites with the gang. She’s warming up to a new addition of a Dolly, but Dolly has not earned top spot yet. Did I mention what happened to puppy? Puppy has a barking mechanism, but Puppy somehow found its way into the washing machine. Though cleaner, he came out sans bark. Until one day, Puppy found his bark again, but this time at will. He barks randomly during the day and without warning. It’s quite hilarious and we love him for it.

Mommy Monster.
The mommy monster comes out to play every night. Mommy monster plays hide & seek, peek-a-boo, raspberries on the belly and other general ruckus. She recognizes the Mommy Monster just by a glance and maybe a grunt but that’s all it takes to send this kid crawling with fervor and belly laughing for more.

I’m in Love.
I cannot believe how much all of us have changed in just 12 months. How helpless and utterly dependent she was of us just a year ago and how mostly (and still) clueless I am. She’s becoming a little person and quite a sweet, charming and funny one at that. She still loves to snuggle with me and as long as I can get in my daily hugs, kisses, tickles, and laughs – I’ll be one happy mommy.

Happy Birthday, Abigail!