Adelyn is 1 !

I know this sounds so typical...but I am going to say it anyways. I can't believe she is one. We had to most wonderful birthday with our little pumpkin head. She woke up happy on her birthday...at 8:45am I might add. She always wakes up right at 7! It's like she knew it was her special day and she was going to sleep in. Daniel and I didn't complain either! He took off work Tuesday for her bday and we started the day off with her gymnastics class. She had fun showing her Dada all of the bouncy things and how she hangs on the bars. From there we came home and did nap time. Then we headed to the mall. I needed to get some things there and wanted to look at some outfits to wear to her 1st bday party; plus she LOVES going to the mall. That night, Mom, Dad and David came over and we had a good homemade dinner that Daniel helped me with and cupcakes also. Addie had her first cupcake and it was so precious. She kinda put her finger in it for a couple tastes and then dug in. She grabbed the whole top of the cupcake off and was loving it. We need to work on her candle blowing skills though. I didn't think about the fact that she would not have any idea what to do with it. She looked at it for a second and then just tried to grab it!! Yikes. That would been a great first memory. She would be scared of candles for the rest of her childhood. haha. We gave her a couple of presents that night. Mom and Dad gave her a precious skirt and pair of shoes. Daniel and I gave her a baby stroller that is her size with a small baby to put inside. SHE WAS SO EXCITED. She immediately started whipping that thing around the living room. She stayed at it for about 30 minutes until she was sooo tired and ready for bed. I gave her a bath to get all of the stickiness off and put her down for the night. When I came back down stairs I was so emotional just thinking about the fact that her first birthday was over. It just means so much to me to celebrate one year of her life... I just think about all of the blessings of the days and hours that have past that we have been fortunate enough to call her our daughter.

I can't imagine life without her. Like I have said before I feel so unworthy to have been blessed with her. I know some parents struggle with infertility or the health of their children and I do not take for granted the fact that He placed her in our home for a short time. We both pray that for eternity Adelyn will come to know the Lord... and one day she will know Him personally. He has such a bigger plan for her life than I can even imagine. The first few weeks of her life were rough for me. There were times that I didn't know if I was capable of being a mom (not that I have it ALL figured out now). But the reason I get so emotional is just thinking of the strength that the Lord has given us already and the joy she has brought to us. It challenges Daniel and me all of the time. We don't always make it through those challenges without fighting :) but we make it through and are stronger for it.

So Happy 1st Birthday to Adelyn Elizabeth. You are a beautiful gift of God.

Okay...so finally for her update.

Weight: 22lbs (65%)

Length: 31.75 (97%+)

Head: 18.75 (97%+)

Sleep: 8pm-7am, Nap 10am-11:30am, Nap 2:30-4:30 These nap times are approximate. She just switched to 2 naps a day.

Food: WHOLE MILK! No more nursing or Bpump. While I do miss nursing her, I do not miss pumping! I feel free :) haha. All kinds of finger foods. She can pretty much eat anything we eat as long as we cut it up. She is beginning to feed herself. The easiest thing right now is applesauce. I can put some in a bowl and hand her a spoon and she does really well. I didn't say it doesn't make a huge mess, but she is learning :).

Learning: Words (easy (I tell her this when she is trying to bite me), so (or some form of Zoe), oh, uhoh, up, go, ninnie (minnie mouse), bk (book), rock (rocking chair), gar (car), mooo. She looooves ball and anything that rolls (hmmm sounds like a boy). Sippy cup: she started doing really well with that this month. She could push her baby stroller or shopping cart all day long. Still getting used to strangers, family members that she doesn't see often and nursery at church. Last Sunday was really rough. She cried off and on the whole time. I HATE it when it's like that, but I know that she will only get adapted to it if we continue letting her stay. She can climb up the stairs really well and is starting to learn to turn around and come down backwards on the two small steps in our living room. She will open any drawer or cabinet and pull things out and rearrange. She loves watching whatever is going on in the kitchen. If you ask tell her "one" and hold up your pointer finger she will very happily hold her finger up too.

Teeth: She had 6 up until yesterday... 2 more are breaking through on the bottom. 8 teeth scare me because right now she thinks its okay to bite when she gets frustrated. I won't get started on this topic... all I can say is I am trying to do everything in my power to stop this immediately.

Favorite Things: balloons, blocks, pushing things (doesn't necessarily have to have wheels), looking out of the window at the cars and dogs, when Daniel gets home from work, playing on the playground across the street from our house, Zoe.

Words I would use to describe her: Determined, Joyful, Loving, Feisty, Fast Paced, Serious (eyebrows tell it all), Musical.

(I may have forgotten some things and will come back to update).