Elsie Turns One

This past Friday my baby turned one (insert sobbing emoji here)!  It really isn't fair how fast the time goes.  The first year is this crazy whirlwind of emotions and by the time you start feeling like yourself again and that you can actually enjoy your baby, it is over (insert sobbing emoji here too).

I took the pictures below on the big day itself and, despite having gotten three shots that day and getting five teeth, she was still her sweet, happy self as long as she had her binkie and lovey.  I was waiting to post them until after we had her party (yesterday) so I could share all birthday related events together, but after the party it was clear that it was just too much for one post so the details of the big party will just have to wait until next week.

For today, here is a rundown of our Elsie girl at 12 months.

Elsie is a champ at walking.  Once she decided to take her first steps it was literally only days before she was practically running.  She rarely crawls these days except when she is crawling up the stairs, which she does constantly.

Elsie says lots of words.  I can't really give an exact count because it seems to change by the second.  She says Mama (constantly), Dada, Nana, bye, more, baba (bottle), occasionally bubba (brother), occasionally te-te (C.C.), papa, Lollie (once).  It seems like we have turned a corner where she is trying to say a lot more words although she doesn't say them consistently.

Elsie is Miss Independent.  Not only does she have to walk everywhere, she almost always insists on feeding herself.  If she can't feed it to herself, she usually doesn't want it.  This has also translated to her being really picky about what she will eat.  It is night and day from where we were when she would eat just about everything.

This girl is seriously smart as a whip.  You tell her it is time for bath or time for bed and she heads right in to the bath or her bedroom.  She understands all kinds of simple directions.  She talks on the phone.  She makes friends everywhere she goes.

Our Elsie girl is such a joy!  I don't know how I got so lucky to be her mom, but I am so grateful that I am.  This year was just the beginning and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.