Blair Melisse turns ONE!

Well, the inevitable has happened... my baby girl has turned one. This has brought on so many emotions, which I will spare you the weepy details (I wrote it in Blair's one year letter). Alas, here is what my little Bug is like at ONE year old!

Height - 30 inches

Weight - 24 pounds
Teeth - 4 on top, 2 on bottom (still waiting for more)

Eating

• Food tastes / likes are getting better… B likes sandwiches, goldfish, crackers / cookies, any kind of bread, recently tried a chorizo, egg and bean breakfast taco (and ate nearly ½ of it!!), pureed veggies and fruits (I have begun including one package of pureed fruits / veggies to ensure she is getting them somehow since she still wont pick them up to eat them!). Blair even recently begun eating bananas. Not so much at our house, but at Gammy and Grandpa’s house. We’ll start sending her more often – haha!
• Recently switched to whole milk with no problems – yay!
• Her favorite thing to eat is the Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon bread (or brown sugar / cinnamon). She even likes it when I make little strawberry cream cheese sandwiches out of the bread. I recently purchased some flower and heart cookie cutters (Wilton) to make her lunches more fun.
• Blair still gets a bottle at night. I think we’ll wean her from it in the next month or two. I am not in a huge hurry, but know it will be time soon. I am kind of holding out for an improvement in her appetite before I lose the “ba!”

Words

Blair is very verbal and always has lots to say. I love it. The doctor says not to be surprised if her speech really improves once she gets the tubes (the lack of fluid will allow for better clarity). So far, Blair “says” words like:

• Ba – Bottle
• NiNi – Night night (bedtime)
• Mama –Momma
• Dada –Daddy
• Ball – Ball
• Bye
• Hi
• Nack – snack

The other day she said, “Hi Dada!” It was THE cutest thing and I called it her first sentence. She understands much of what we say, whether it is instructing her to bring us something, to sit-down (esp during bath time or while I am trying to change her diaper).

Clothes / Diapers

Baby Diva (kidding) is now wearing 24 month clothes. I didn’t even realize that they fit her until we received some clothes from her grandparents and they fit great! I am sad to now have to put away all of her adorable, cooler weather clothes. We hung her fur coat on the coat rack in her room and the other day she pointed to it (we are big into pointing now) and hugged it. So that led to Daddy putting it on her and she wore it around until I took it off because she looked HOT. She loved it though… it was really cute!

She has now mastered the art of walking with shoes . Come to find out, she can play on the baby playground at school if she wears socks and shoes. Well, that took no time. Her feet are approx. a size 6, but that varies on the brand. She loves to wear her “big girl” shoes. Trav bought her some rainbow flip flops the other day and I have to say… I am ready for some pool time!

B is in Size 4 diapers, though truth be told, we are on our way to size 5’s. I think they will be a little more comfortable.

Social / Academic

• Blair is still very much enjoying school. She loves her classmates and teachers. In the next month or two, we think she will transition into the Toddler classroom. Her two buddies Noah and KJ just moved up, so I know she will be happy when they are all together. Lately Blair has bitten a couple of her friends. We are working with her at home and school to teach her about not biting. Ha, explain that to a 12 month old. I honestly think that she will quit once her ears are better… but we shall see.
• Travis and I are working to teach Blair how to share better. As with all behavior, this will take some time, but we’ll get there.

Sleeping

• Another aspect I am hoping that improves once her ears are better. Right now I am very much obliging her since I know her ears are still bothering her. Plus I don’t want her screaming her head off in her crib if she has a fever (have I mentioned how much I hate fevers? Is that an irrational fear?) and is not feeling well. After this weekend, homegirly is on her own. Well, not completely, but we are going to work to phase out the 9 or 10pm wake up, then we will work on the 2am wake up. I never thought that my one year old would not be sleeping through the night – but then again, I never thought she would have this many ear infections. It is what it is.
• She now takes one nap during the day at school and it usually lasts about an hour and a half. On the weekends, we insist she catch up (trust me, it is needed) and takes two.
• Bedtime is still around 6pm. Not much I can do about that – unless of course I want her to go to bed with both of us in tears. No thanks.

Personality

Boy oh boy… does this little one have some personality! Naturally it comes out best in front of Mommy and Daddy, but she gives a pretty good show for others too! The other day we had Zoey over to play. When we got home and I set Zoey down in the play room, Blair came over to us and was smiling and hugging her and looking at Mimi and Ligia like, “see what a good girl (see: ham) I am?” Then she proceeded to pose for pictures and give a little hand wave like she was shooting a magazine. It was hysterical.

Blair has been in the business of throwing fits (hello Karma!) when she doesn’t get her way. Trav and I are still working on ignoring this… because sometimes it is so funny, you have to walk away to keep from laughing. Other times – not so funny.

Blair shines her brightest in the mornings – and thank goodness too. I have to wake her up by 6:15am every morning to head to school. Always full of smiles and sweetness. Lately Blair loves to cover her head with blankets, clothes, or any kind of fabric and waits for someone to say, “Where’s Blair?” before she reveals herself. She is SO silly and I am so loving it.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes… hmmm… there are a lot. She likes her puppy and kitty and anything they do; clapping; watching Sesame Street or Chica; going for walks; playing outside – especially with flowers; playing with balls; giving kisses; waving; any kind of music; painting; riding in her Cozy Coupe; bath time!; reading books (like they are going out of style); comforting her friends at school; doing anything we label “big girl;” walking and squawking; splashing in water; helping Mommy with laundry; watching me / Gammy cook; wearing hats; watching birds; the color green;

Dislikes…

taking medicine; going to bed when she is “not tired;” wet or slimy fruits / veggies; any kind of new food; getting buckled into her car seat; and long car rides.

I decided, being that B's birthday is right in the middle of the time when bluebonnets bloom, that we take her yearly birthday pictures in bluebonnets. I thought it was a cute idea. Little did I know that my little model would look so darn cute. She loved, loved, loved the flowers. At first she just kind of stood there, so I told her to wave to the flowers. Travis and I easily took 100 pictures. Here are just a few of them. Such a big girl!

It is hard to believe that my little angel baby is a year old. I have so much enjoyed her first year and showing and teaching her all new things. She is always studying and thinking. You can just tell the little wheels are always turning. I have joked in the past that having a baby is a bit like watching a science experiment. I liken the raising a child to a science project because you are literally watching this little human evolve, imitate, learn, succeed, fail and exhibit emotions and needs that you are constantly adapting yourself to. I have found (in all my wisdom of parenting for one year) that “going with the flow” works best for our family. I try to remember that no one knows what they are doing and that all parents are doing the best they can (well, most).

I have loved every second of being her Mommy. She has made me a better person. Blair has taught me a lot about patience and a lot about myself. It has been the most wonderful year and I am excited for year two of Little Miss Blair’s adventures.

To celebrate "surviving" the first year of parenthood (which I think should be a true celebration and milestone for an adult), Travis and I have decided to take a trip. Sans Bug. We are taking a babymoon (my version of a babymoon), a reward trip for getting through the first year. We are heading back to Anguilla, where we spent our honeymoon this time three years ago. I guess it is sort of a babymoon / 30th birthday / 3 year wedding anniversary trip. 8 days on one of the most beautiful beaches (Shoal Bay East) is the perfect way to celebrate. B will be visiting all of her grandparents. Travis and I are very grateful. :)