Little Lermas!: 12 Months! One year!!

Dear Isabella-

How you are already one year old I will never know! It has been amazing to see you grow from a teeny tiny 5 lb 4 oz peanut to a petite, cute little lady. Every day you get more and more fun. Every day your personality shines though more and more. And every day your Daddy and I just learn new things to love about you. While I am so sad that your first year has just flown by, I look forward to the many, many more ahead. Bella Boo, you are our answered prayer, our first born, and we couldn't be more grateful that you are the one that made us Mama and Daddy. We love you with all our hearts!

Happy 12 Months Isabella Rae!

Getting a rocking chair picture is near impossible these days...you are CONSTANTLY on the move!!!

Exactly! : )

12 Month Highlights:

-Every month I keep meaning to comment on this but I then promptly forget when it comes time to posting. I don't know when you started this, but you were pretty little. Frequently, especially when you are excited, hungry, or any range of emotion, your hands are in constant movement. You turn your wrists and wiggle those little fingers. It's funny and cute all at the same time.

-This month we made the most of the gorgeous May/June weather in GA had a bunch of pool days. While Mama loves going to the big pool at friends or family houses, you are just as content in your tiny little pool on the deck.

-You still only have 2 tiny little teeth on the bottom center, and yet you think you can eat absolutely anything if it is on an adult's plate. Your appetite has grown tremendously this month! You even have been known to scream/cry when we excitedly say "All Done"...and you clearly are not!

-We had a play date with the Lefler girls, spending time at the pool, and then play time back at home. You love being around girls older than you!

-We have truly loved Buford Dam and all the parks, lake and beach, and woods that it holds. We drive there after church quite a bit while you nap(since you conk out as soon as we pull out of the parking lot), and love taking picnics and just hiking.

You've been giving more and more kisses this month...and we can't get enough!

-Putting you to bed at night has become one of my most favorite things to do with you. You are super cuddly, and just love to "sing" along with some of the songs. Lately, you have started to play with my hair or tickle my neck and then giggle, which makes me giggle, which makes you giggle harder...and it is a downward giggling spiral after that! You go down so easily- 3 songs and a prayer while rocking- and it still amazes me there is no crying at all anymore!

-We went to Savannah with Mimi and Pops for 4 days. We stayed super busy which meant you got one nap at best each day, and despite being exhausted, you were such a trooper! You loved talking a lot of walks, going on a trolley tour, going to Tybee Island for the day, and just taking in all the sights.

SO sleepy on the trolley tour yet you refused to nap! This girl doesn't want to miss a moment...wonder where she gets that from!?

-We had a small family birthday party for you the day before your birthday since Tia and Dani were leaving for Costa Rica on your birthday. We had a great time enjoying good food, singing to you, and watching you smash your healthy cake! I will do a separate post for your party bc there were just too many cute pictures...but here are a few.

-On your actual birthday, we went to Amicalola Falls for a fun but really strenuous hike. Then we went out to dinner at Ryan's and you just loved having a buffet of choices! We love that you are now the age where we can take you out and feed you from our plates (but we are still only sticking to healthy fruit, veggie and lean grilled protein options). Plus you are so well behaved and just love sitting at a big people table, always trying to get the waitresses or people at different table's attention by laughing and flirting : )

Sleeping: You continue to be a great sleeper. Bedtime is still around 5:30 or 6 pm and you wake up anywhere from 6:30 am til 9am...it's our best guessing game! Sometimes I think you wake up at 6 or 7 but just play in your crib for an hour, and then go back to sleep. When you wake up before 8, you eat, and then go right back to bed til about 8 or 8:30.

You nap twice a day, usually from 10-11:30 or 12, and then 1:30 or 2 for about an hour or so.

Breastfeeding: I have to say that I am so grateful and so proud of us to have made it to the one year mark! It was definitely not easy, but I am so glad that we made it. Right after you hit 11 months, you weaned yourself down to 3 feeds a day, mostly b/c you had so many mornings where you were waking up at 8 or 9 am! So you get a morning feed, one around noon or 1pm, and then one right before bed. At the beginning of the month, you were still taking a 1-2 ounce bottle of formula right before bed (since I ran out of my freezer stash and decided to stop pumping...hallelujah!). However, the last 2 weeks you have not been interested in that whatsoever. Apparently your big appetite for food at dinner, and the milk you get from me is enough to tide you over for the next 15 hours or so!

Isabella Loves:

-Eating food off our plates!

-Swimming and baths...definitely a water baby!

-Swinging in her baby swing in the yard

-Being outside

-Being around other kids

-Cell phone toy and musical toys
-Activity table and wooden activity block

-The TV remote control or our cell phones!

Isabella Hates:
-Shoes...they literally last about 3 seconds on your feet!
-Not getting enough to eat...she will scream harder than we've ever seen if you say "All done" and she's not ready!

12 Month Stats:

Height: 18 lbs

Weight: 29 in

*You are in size 3 costco diapers which we love how big and absorbent they are!

*You are wearing mostly 9 month clothes, although there are plenty of 6 mo stuff that still fits great. Some 12 mo things fit ok, others are just swimming on you!

Isabella's Firsts this Month:
-Crawling...finally!
-Pulling up and standing for prolonged periods of time
-Cruising around your play table or in the play room holding onto various toys
-Taking several steps using a shopping cart to hold onto and push
-Clapping (you've done this for a couple months but really mastered getting the hands together this month)
-Waving bye-bye

This Month in Pictures: