Isabelle is ONE!

My baby is ONE!  With tears in my eyes and smile on my face, I am finding it hard to believe.  My tears of sadness are for the baby that is melting away, but my tears of joy are for the blessing of a happy, healthy, amazing little girl.  This year has been full of so much excitement, love, laughter, learning, and enjoyment.  In surviving another year of 'firsts' with our second child, we definitely did less worrying and more simply enjoying our baby.  We have been much more laid back with Izzy when it comes to pretty much everything.  Who knows whether the chicken or the egg came first, but this fact is probably partly because she's our second, but also it must be partly because she was such a different baby than Cooper was.  Weird how a family can have such differences in children! 

Here's what Izzy's last month has brought:

 

Izzy is a WALKER!!  She is getting much more confident about it, so much so that she doesn't need coaxing to take her own steps.  She's figuring out that walking is a way to get places, not just a fun thing to do.  However, crawling is still much faster at the moment. 

 

 

Don't mind my crazy mom-voice in the background!!!!  These little steps are too cute not to share!

 

 

Sleeping very well as compared to the rest of her first year ;)  We regularly get 10 hours of straight sleep.  We would love 12 out of her, but we will happily take 10 over what we had been getting!!

 

She is starting to do lots of imitating--she rubs her hands together when we go into the bathroom to wash hands, puts her shoes toward her feet when it's time to leave the house, and always wants to drink from a real cup.  She even is starting to joke around in her own little way.  She'll 'hide' her fork only to pull it out with a big smile when we ask for it.  She likes to crawl away and look back to see if we call for her--of course giggling like crazy if we 'make' her come back.  And she loves to chase around the house.

 

Here's a peek at Hide & Seek, Izzy style

 

 

She's also getting the hang of letting us know what she wants.  She'll point or reach toward things--we're curious what her next words will be past mama, dada, and wawa (for water...if that even 'counts' as a word)

 

Izzy is loving learning to use a spoon and fork.  If we load the food for her, she loves to feed herself.  She'll even hold the utensil back out toward us when she's ready for more.

 

LOVES reading stories.  She'll grab a book she likes and come over to sit in one of our laps.  And she loves to read the same stories again, and again, and again.  Her current favorites include B is for Bear, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Panda in the Park, and any book that has buttons to push

 

She has just two teeth on the bottom, but we can see the faint white on the right bottom... I'm sure her mouth with explode with teeth all in one short stretch.  We can hardly wait....

 

Our morning routine still usually includes giving Izzy a bottle around 5:30 and getting her to fall back asleep until about 6:15 or 6:30.  She's soooo happy after that little half hour extra chunk of sleep, that she wakes up babbling and giggling.  We'll see what next weekend's time change brings!!!

 

The girl is such a happy baby.  She smiles with her entire face, she likes to goof around, and her giggles are so cute and girly! 

 

She is in size 3 diapers, size 12 mo. clothes, size 2 or 3 shoes, weighs 19 lb. 12 oz., is 29.5 inches tall (both at the 50%ile), and has a head size at the 97%ile.  (Lots of space for growing brains!!)

 

Loves:

Her Nuk to sleep

Her bottle when she's tired, otherwise is proud to use a sippy cup

Meat.  Seriously--all meat.

Also loves all noodles, most fruit, and the cream in Oreos

Her big brother

Playing Hide & Seek

Mommy

Using a snack cup with the plastic 'trap' cover on top (just like Cooper, imagine that!!)

Bathtime

Animals

 

 

Dislikes:

Strangers

Being away from mommy

Loud noises

 

 

To My Sweet Little Izzy,

You are my little sunshine.  I have loved every minute of watching you grow and learn about your world.  You are so stinkin cute, and I love squishing and squeezing you.  You are so curious and want to be a part of whatever action is happening in the house.  I love that you love being mommy's girl so much.  I have been relishing our snuggles, and I hope you'll always want them!!  You make me smile every single day.  Your open-mouthed kisses are the best, and the way you nuzzle your head into my neck warms my heart.  I love being your mom, and I can't wait to see the little girl you grow to be. 

 

Love, Mom