Paige: One Year Old!!! And Walking

RICHLAND, WASH. -- My sweet baby girl is ONE! It makes me emotional just thinking about it! How on earth does time go by so fast? It seems like such a cruel punishment of some sort. I remember so vividly everything from a year ago, like it was just last week... waking up in the middle of the night when my contractions started, sitting through Sunday School breathing through strong ones and telling myself they weren't that bad, crying while I made dinner for Marin because they hurt so bad and Isaac was at work, and feeling a rush of relief as soon as he came home and we made it to the hospital and they admitted me without doing all the "checking" they needed to because those pesky contractions were so intensely painful my toes were curling up in pain. And then just a few hours later... that beautiful baby girl was in our arms. 

Oh what a delight she has been! She is so happy, giggly, sweet, sharing, such a tease, and the prettiest thing.  She is the definition of beauty to me... always happy (unless she's being tormented by her big sister) with smiles for anyone who look her way. 

It's such an emotional thing raising children. Its the greatest thing on earth watching them learn new skills and develop such delightful personalities. But time can be such a cruel thing. It goes by so fast I feel like I barely have time to soak up all these precious moments before my baby is no longer a baby. She's a walking toddler.   

ONE YEAR STATS: 

• 22.7 lbs. (85%)  
• 30.5 inches tall (91%) 
• 18.31 HC (88%) 

EATING: The girl loves food.What she doesn't love though is cow's milk. This has made weaning her slightly frustrating.  

SLEEPING: Still naps twice a day.  Once in the mornings and again around 1ish. She's in bed by 7 usually and sleeps until 7 or so the next morning. 

WEARING: Wears anything from nine months to 18 months. 

INTERESTING TIDBITS:  

• A few weeks ago she decided that she was done crawling and just started walking. She rarely crawls at all anymore and does her cute little wobbly walk with her hands up while she walks. It's my favorite thing to watch. She'll walk one way, lose balance and head in a new direction when she gains back her balance and walk whatever new way with purpose. 
• When I hold her at night next to her crib, I usually sing a few songs to her before I lay her down. She has started "singing" with me. It's so cute. She just kind of babbles and hums/moans in a sing-songy kind of way.
• She's happy 90% of the time, unless her big sister is harassing her or she's really tired. 
• She LOVES being outside. She squeals when we go to the pool or outside to do anything. 
• If she sees water, she will drink it. This goes for swimming pool water or water in the water table. She just dives her head right in and starts slurping. When the faucet is running in the tub, she goes over and starts drinking it like a drinking fountain.   
• She is starting to learn how to defend herself a bit from pesky older siblings. If Paige has something Marin wants, Paige will hurry and thrust it to her side as if to guard it. 
• She also takes great notice in what people (particularly Marin) are interested in. She likes to hurry and crawl/walk to grab whatever it is and then run away with it with a huge smile on her face.  
• She has gotten more cuddly the older she's gotten. She will often lay her head on mine or Isaac's shoulders when we pick her up... it makes us melt. 
• She likes to shake her finger at me when I say "no." And when she's doing something she knows she shouldn't, she turns around to look at me with her finger shaking. It's pretty cute.