13 Months

I can hardly believe that I have a one year old. When people ask me how old she is, it is still hard to actually have the words come out of my mouth. This time last year my life looked so different. Trying to adjust to life with a newborn, no sleep, figuring out the breastfeeding thing, and wondering if I was cut out for this. Over a year later, I cannot imagine my life any differently. Celebrating the holiday season is so much sweeter with my sweet little one. As I often say, each day is better than the one before with her. She is so sweet and so easy. I love learning new things about her BIG personality. She is so much fun.
Currently:
~ Has mastered her waving. Nicole, just today, said her wave looks like that of a beauty queen. It does have a soft flow back and forth.
~ Loves playing peek-a-boo.
~ Loves climbing on furniture. If it is low enough, like our ottoman or her little chairs she can do it herself. If it is the couch, she needs a little boost. She loves climbing on and off and is so proud of herself. When she gets on the ottoman, she will stand on her head and wait for me to look at her face between her legs. She just laughs and laughs.
~ She L.O.V.E.S playing with the table and chairs that her PawPaw made her for her birthday. It is in her room by her kitchen set. She will first show me which chair is for me to sit in and then she will go to the other chair and get on it. She likes to set the table and she is getting very good at "making" food for us and pretending to eat it. Her imagination grows everyday. I love watching her and seeing her imagination in her eyes.
~ Loves books.
~ She has just recently starting "organizing". She likes to take everything out, like out of the toy basket, her grocery cart, her snack bowl, and she strategically places it on the ground where she wants it. A lot of thought goes into this, I can see her brain working. Then, she will put everything back. Just the way she wants it.
~ Still being a pick-ier eater. Don't get me wrong, this girl can eat, but only what she deems worthy. FRUIT is it right now. She loves her fruit. If she does not like what she puts in her mouth, she will spit it out or drop the next piece on the floor....very discreetly. We are working on this.
~ Always wants to be outside.
~ Says: Dada, Mama, jue (juice), no (can also shake her head "no"), go, more, gog (dog). Most of the time she does not use the words appropriately, but it is fun hearing her try more words. She talks all the time and is always making noise.
~ Will mostly walk when we are home, but still not confident to do it consistently when we are out.
~ Points at everything and is so friendly to others.
~ For the most part still takes two naps, sometimes can get away with one though. Still sleeps 12-13 hours at night.

I love this girl and am so thankful for her. I have learned so much through her about myself. I never thought about the legacy that parents pass on to their children. I am suddenly so aware of it. There are things about myself and character (my SIN, hello) that I do not want to pass on to her. I am so much more aware how much more I need, HAVE, to rely on Christ and how I need to pass that on to her. She is helping me grow and change my character, so that I can be a good role model for her. I know that I will not always be the perfect example and that I will lose my temper and she will hear me complain and see me not love others well. But that's where Christ can help me teach her forgiveness and compassion. I know that I will not always be the perfect mother and that I will not always love Lyla well, exactly how she needs to be loved, but through the work on the Cross, I know that I will get to try again. She is so forgiving and so loving. I pray daily that Christ would call her heart to Him and that she will know His love at an early age.

Here are a few fun pictures to end with. Her hair is really growing in now, so I decided to try some pig-tails. She surprisingly left them alone, and she looked so cute. She is such a little person now!! I love being able to do all the girly things with her that I loved to do as a little girl.

Getting on her chair

Sitting on her chair

Pig Tails

Finding things to put in her grocery cart