We have a ONE year old!

Our sweet little Grace Scarlett is a whole year old now! My how time has flown.

(moccs | teepee and banner made by me!)

...I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying!

I studied these photos so much when putting this post together. You can really tell the months she grew by leaps and bounds!

I remember each month so fondly! I remember the set of WV onesies she got at 2 months, and how quickly she outgrew them. I remember the pants she wore at 7 months, how I had to fold them because they were sooo long, and now they fit perfectly. I remember when her hair looked like a mohawk for the longest, but has finally grown in. She's had such a personality since she was 2 weeks old, and has always shown so much expression!

We threw a Peter Rabbit themed birthday party for her this past Sunday. Super bowl Sunday. A day I remember so clearly last year. I missed Lady Gaga's performance because my contractions were getting so painful I had to bury my face in the couch. I'd already been sent home once from the hospital because I wasn't dilated enough. We ended up leaving the house that night before the game was over, around 11pm when the pain became unbearable. 24 hours into labor already, and I still would have another 12 to go before meeting Grace.

From a tiny, 6lb 7oz thing that couldn't even control her body temperature to a big, smart girl in just 12 months! Now, she can walk (Oh yea! If you missed the video, she started walking January 19th, about 2 weeks before her first birthday), she can feed herself, pour her own milk (jk, but she will take her sippy cup when it's handed to her, take a drink, then politely hand it back to you), give kisses, "love" her babies, she can brush her teeth and show you her feet (which honestly smell like a locker room!), she can sign: milk, finished, and eat, wave hi/bye, nod yes/no and CLIMB! She loves to dance and I don't know where she gets it ;-)

I'm not sure when it happened, but I feel like it was before she was 11mo, she just stopped using her paci. We limited use in the first place, but she pretty much only used it at night going to bed. But one day she just stopped wanting/needing it. And now she couldn't care less...so that transition was easy! We also slowly introduced cow's milk over the last few weeks, where she eventually stopped wanting her afternoon bottle of formula. Eventually, she stopped wanting her morning bottle too and now she drinks only out of her straw cup! She still likes her bedtime bottle though, so we'll keep that until she weans herself off that too.

Grace, you've brought more joy to your daddy and me than we ever imagined possible. My favorite part of every day is the quiet minutes we snuggle together before I put you to bed. When it's just us. This is when I get to stare in your eyes, and I see Mathias. This is when I get to rub your feet, which used to be so narrow and tiny. This is when I get to brush the hair out of your eyes...it's getting so long! Your Uncle CJ is going to give you your first haircut one day. And then when you're fast asleep, I miss you being around! You bring so much joy to the people around you and you're loved by so so many. You light up a room when you smile and when you laugh. I love being your mommy and I can't wait to keep watching you learn and grow, my sweet girl!