12 Months Old - Agh!

And of course, 12 months of our baby girl:

A week ago, when those pics were taken (I didn't bring the stickers on the trip), our baby girl turned a year old and this weekend we are celebrating with all of our friends and family at her pink lemonade themed birthday party! This post is late because we got home Friday and were immediately immersed in party prep but I wanted to write it before all of the party posts!

We had such an amazing time on our family birthday trip, if you read my nightly posts you already know, and then we arrived back home to hurry and get ready to host around 50 people (including 10 kids) at our fairly small 1700 square foot house in 110 degrees! We wanted to have a backyard BBQ with swimming, hot dogs and hamburgers but will have some tables inside in case it's too hot for some guests. All of my Aunts and Uncles are coming (from WI and TN!) and i al SO excited to celebrate with everyone! I plan on being in the pool the whole time, oh and drinking a lot of spiked lemonade! So stay tuned for some party posts, but for now here's Lemon at 12 months!

The big news this month is that Lemon took a couple of steps on her own and stands by herself, briefly. She can walk and stand, she's just nervous about it, so full steps where she ventures out on her own haven't happened yet, although I did see one or two at my dad's on Sunday. (Did I mention that my dad hurt his foot so he had to stop his cross country trip and come home? So happy he's here to party with us too!)

Some other things of note:

6.2.13          You stood by yourself when we lifted you out of the pool, just for a second.

6.4.13          You started saying dog.  You also can point to your head when we ask you to.

 

6.6.13          You love dancing with your play house.  When a certain song comes on (and you will press the button over and over to get this particular song) you just sit and dance or sometimes you stand and dance.  I love it when I catch you dancing by yourself.  It's so much fun that babies are so uninhibited, it makes you think what happened to us to make so guarded in our old age.

We tried to teach you the sign for "please" today but you just said it instead.

6.7.13            You started shuddering when something scares you or something confuses you.  It is the cutest thing and you shuddered the most when you saw the hamsters moving around as I cleaned their cages.

6.13.13          You walked today for the first time.  You also did "itsy bitsy spider" with your hands after seeing us do it only a couple of times.

6.21.13          You will dance to anything, today you danced while we shook a container of puffs.  You also dance when we chant "dog, dog, dog, dog" over and over again, you have awesome rhythm.

6.22.13          You stuck your foot out of the top of your high chair today.  You thought it was the weirdest thing and kept kicking it out and then when we put it back in you would stick it out again.  You get mad when you can't get it out and then get mad when you can't get it back in.

You mimicked me this morning when I said, "awwww" and we did it back and forth a few times together.

You love when your daddy says, "I'm gonna get you!"  But instead of crawling away from him you crawl towards him, screaming.  I get out of the bathroom in the morning and all I hear is you screaming while you crawl towards your daddy, it is truly your favorite game and the hardest I've ever heard you laugh.

You play peekaboo now and think it's the funniest.  You try to pull the blanket over your own head and love when we do it for you and then you pull it down.

I swear you say "hi" when we do and today you saw a picture of your dad and said, "dada" at the picture.  It was so cool.

6.23.13          Today I put a ponytail in your hair, right in the front, for the very first time.  It was so cute and you looked like a big girl to me, not a baby anymore.

 

6.24.13          You started talking today, non stop, and haven't stopped since.  Your favorite thing to say is "booshie, booshie, booshie" and we have no idea what that means.  You also started crawling all over the house and are exploring all of the new things/places you've never been before.  You love crawling into our bathroom and playing with my necklaces.

6.25.13          Today you laid on the dog bed like a dog.  You thought it was hilarious and now it's one of your favorite spots.  Zoe is still your favorite dog even though she never stays next to you long enough for you to catch her!

 

6.26.13          Today you pointed for your water when you saw the cup, that was the first time we'd ever seen you point for something that you wanted.

6.29.13          You tore a pea in half and examined it the whole time you ate dinner.  Now you realize that food comes apart.  You also started taking small bites, with your two bottom teeth, of chips/crackers so we don't worry as much about you choking.  You still shove quarters of banana and slices of watermelon in your mouth though.

7.1.13             Today you said "hi dogs," your first sentence.  Now you say it all the time, to everyone and everything.  It is too funny and you wave like a little princess when you say it.

7.3.13             You started pointing today and now point at everything.  You also started to put that little finger out and wiggle it to music like we've been trying to teach you!

7.7.13              When something makes you mad or frustrated you grumble and when you are hungry, tired or want me you say, "mmmmm."

7.8.13               You said "moo" for the first time and "duck."  You turned one and all of a sudden you mimic sounds and hand gestures like crazy.  We also pretended your foot was a phone today and now every time we say, "hello" you reach for your foot and hold it to your ear like a phone.

This girl has been doing pretty good with sleep. She won't fall asleep on her own, she still wants us to hold her until she falls asleep, but once she's out she doesn't wake up, usually. We have a few rough nights every week or so and before we left she got Ian to come in and lay with her a couple of nights in a row, but she's been doing pretty good. Last night was the worst we've had in awhile, she was up at 1 and wouldn't go back to sleep, kept kicking and wiggling no matter who went in to get her and snuggle her (if we don't go in she cries for hours, seriously hours). After 4 hours she went back to bed so everyone was tired today. For the past two weeks Lemon has been going to bed an hour later, at 8:30, and getting up at 7 instead of 6. It has been awesome and I hope it continues when we go back to school. Although it does throw off the schedule we are pretty used to (up at 6, nap at 9, nap at 2, bed at 7:30) but we will adapt. Putting her to bed has gotten harder because it takes longer for her to fall asleep. I have had to hand her over to Iak a couple of times because she nurses and then climbs all over me until she passes out, but sometimes it takes an hour and the climbing kills me. But. Like I said, if I just plop her in bed after nursing, she screams for HOURS. We've tried it all, this girl doesn't give up (just like her mama). So to put her to sleep we hold her and after she climbs all over she lays in one spot on you, like she's doing on me right now, and caresses you until she's out. Me, it's my nipples usually that she pulls on and plays with, but I rub her leg or side while she rubs my chest. Right now she's being super nice and lovey with soft pets, wonder what's up. Ha!

By the way, I turn the flash on and take these when she falls asleep on me.  I can't wait to show these to her as a teenager!

 

Lemon has become kind of a picky eater and the same fruits/veggies are still her favorite. She doesn't really like anything new and any meat beside hamburger is out, except for sliced turkey, and I think it's because she's only got those two teeth and maybe it's hard to gum. She does bite things in little chunks now and only recently has she been able to eat gf crackers/cookies/chips. We sent worried she's going to shove the whole thing in her mouth anymore because she has learned to use those teeth, it's pretty awesome. She has a newfound love of watermelon lately and still adores pasta. We have her ice cream on her birthday and she loved that too but then threw up after so we think it may have been too much sugar.

Eating a tiny plum!

I stated giving Lemon organic while milk with dinner and she seemed to do ok with it so once I finished up our formula a couple of days ago she now gets a couple of ounces of milk, instead, before bed. I did mix it with formula for a few nights but once I was out I told Ian I'm not buying anymore. (Remember that we give Lemon 2-3 ounces of formula at night, not because she needs it but because it has become part of our bedtime ritual before nursing. I started it at 4 months when she stopped sleeping, because I read that it could help, but it didn't.) She didn't seem to mind the transition to whole milk and our doc actually told us yesterday that organic milk is sweeter so babies like it better, who knew?! I actually have 60+ ounces of breast milk in the freezer still and found a new mama who needs it so away it goes! I can't believe I hoarded it, actually thought I would run out before school ended, but ended up with so much extra - amazing!

We went for Lemon's one year checkup and shots yesterday. She got 3 shots- chickenpox (who knew there was even a vaccine now?!), Hepatitis A and measles. (We are teachers and believe in vaccinating, it's ok if you don't buy we do, and yes we have done all of the research.) Since two of the three shots are live viruses ( and some mini symptoms could show up now to 3 weeks), this babe was feeling pretty crappy yesterday and probably last night. 

Lemon weights 20 pounds, 4 ounces (56%) and is 28.75 inches tall (31%). Her head is still in the 70th percentile but that's to be expected, at least she's grown into it a bit! She still only has 2 teeth and neither I nor our pediatrician think anymore are coming any time soon, wooo. With our luck we will go back to school on July 30th (ugh!) and she will get all her teeth then!

We have decided to do daycare in August to see how Lemon (and us!) does. It is so close and shuffling her from place to place or driving all the way to my mom's before/after school just takes time away from hanging with our babe (even though we so appreciate the free help and Lemon loves her Nani and grandpa!).  I would love someone to come to our house to take care of her every day, and even put an ad on Care.com but you have to pay to email people back and I've already paid for a month of daycare.  As I mentioned before, our daycare is part of the school district near us so the people who work there have to have certification and credits.  I like that part of it and like that it is regulated by the school district, and that the director sends his own kids there; but I don't like the fact that she will be in a room all day with 20 1-2 year olds.  There is a big difference between a one year old and two year old, and she has never gone there full time (she went 1-2 days a week back in January/February when she was an infant).  I am worried about her getting hurt, getting sick or just being sad without us and know that August will be a tough month.  I lay in bed at night and think about it while everyone sleeps and I just wish we had another option.  My mom can watch her 2-3 days a week so it would be great if we could find someone just 2-3 days that would come to our house but most people need a full week's income to make it work for them.  Maybe something will work out, we shall see.  I wish I could stay home, I do, but 12 years of teaching means that if I stopped and then started again I would start all over, and if I moved to the district close to us I'd be out about $10,000.  An $850 a month daycare situation just doesn't warrant quitting altogether, for either of us.  I'm hoping something works out so she doesn't have to go all year, but like that she will be close and we can get her right away after school.  I am also teaching an 8th hour this year, instead of a 1st, so I will get to spend the mornings with her too.

Lemon got sick this month, again, and it just seems like for an almost exclusively breast fed baby she's gotten every sickness under the sun.  This time it was a strep throat scare, although she didn't have it, and she got her first round of amoxicillin.  It was sad to see her sick again and we had to hold her down to get her to relax because, again, she never acts sick when she is!  She got over it pretty quickly and although I hate stuffy noses I will take a stuffy nose over throwing up and poop any day.  Smiling even when feeling sick:

Lemon walks all over with her walker (see our trip posts, we even took it to the beach!) but has only taken a few steps on her own, when she wasn't paying attention, or between furniture.  I signed her up for the toddler room at daycare so she has to be walking by August 7th or I better hope there's still room in the infant room.  We'll see!

 

Shopping at JoAnn's!

Some evenings, after second nap, we have a stage 4 clinger on our hands.  I haven't packed this girl in awhile (it's 110 here!) but I've had to pack her a couple of times this month because she just won't leave me alone!

 

Someone got a new kitchen from her Nani and plays with it all the time!

When it started to get hot we tried to play outside, but now it's just TOO hot.  And, we haven't used our pool as much as we'd like because we've been busy and have had a bee problem this year.  Ugh.

 

This girl still loves her makeup time with mommy!

 

Grocery shopping with these two . . .

I woke up at 6am on a Saturday (I usually get to sleep until 7) to get our car seat checked by some lady firewomen (so bummed it wasn't guys).  I saw a lot of butts looking in our car and they took about 20 minutes to adjust it.  Well, it took only a couple of days for it to fall off of the noodle (yes, a pool noodle) that they put it on so Ian had to readjust it anyway before our trip.  So dumb.

Went to Lemon's cousin, Cyrus', birthday at my Uncle's house and played on the slide and in the pool!

Bath time with Daddy . . .

And mommy!

Mornings are my absolute favorite.  Ian wakes up super early to work on the stuff he likes to do and whenever the baby gets up he brings her in to me.  She crawls up from the bottom of the bed, smiling the biggest smile, and then nurses.  I am going to miss this when school starts.  We are still going strong at over 12 months, I can't believe it.  (Read this.)

Lemon is still loving the Gymboree Play & Music, Music I class!

And the Gym classes too!

Tired out!

My mom went on a trip to over 20 states this summer, but had to come back in between to see her baby.

We celebrated Ian's first Father's Day over at his parent's house.

Uncle Leith

Lemon definitely loves Zoe the most but Linus is the only dog that will let her get near enough to pet him, he's such a good boy.

I got to have some "me time" this month, wahoo!  I signed up to clean the hot yoga studio that I go to and I spend about 2 hours there on Friday nights cleaning.  At first I didn't really like it, it's a lot of work and I don't get to go enough to take advantage of the unlimited free yoga for doing it, but now I like it.  It's nice being there alone and working it, cleaning is a work out for sure, especially in the heat!

Ian and I also got to go to yoga together a couple of times and then to a movie after one day because my mom had the babe!  I also got a pedicure, it was the best.

I spent my first night away from home, by myself, since Lemon was born to celebrate our friend Nicole's birthday at the Hotel Valley Ho.  It was SO MUCH FUN and I hope to do this more often with my ladies!

Have you downloaded the HeadsUp app yet?  Do it!

Saying Happy Birthday to our Australian friends whose baby, Maggie, turned one before Lemon!

Babies make a HUGE mess.

I bought a Groupon for the water park near us, Big Surf, so we took Lemon for the day.  It was SO MUCH FUN (we went with my bestie and her son) and we can't wait to get season passes next year when she's older.

After nursing fun before we went in.

Lemon is still our little fish and since we switched swimming days/time we now see Ian's band mate, Derek and his fam there!

 Dads dressing their girls.

Random but cute:

First pony tail out and about!

Daddy smiles!

This baby crawled over to the ottoman and sat right in this TV tray and thought it was so funny.  And it was!

Not impressed with sparklers.

My dad hurt his foot on a cross country trip and had to come home.  We loved seeing him and now he gets to be here for Lemon's birthday party!  And, Lemon got to meet Nikki, the cat, as a one year old and LOVED it.

Tonight at yoga we did Warrior II pose.  They say that having your arms going in the two directions, forward and back, you have one in the past and one in the future and you are standing in the present.  Tonight my yoga teacher told us to look at our back hand, instead of the normal way of looking at the front, because it's good to look back on the past sometimes.  It has made us who we are today and it's good to remember, all the good and the even the bad.

I believe this and have written about it before.  Everything that happens in our lives make us who we are today and all of the experiences we've been through we add to our "backpack" and carry with us.  This year has been a whirlwind of emotion - full of laughs and tears.  I still am in shock that my little baby is one years old and wonder when it will settle in.  It has been hard, being a mom is the hardest job I've ever had, but looking back it all seems so easy, and so fast.

Enjoy every moment with your babies, mamas, because it goes by in a blink of an eye.  I am drafting a letter to myself that I wish I had read before embarking on this journey and will post it when I'm done, it will be worth the read if you're a new mama.

Happy birthday baby girl, can't wait to celebrate with you on Saturday!!!