Wow . . . Vanessa is now one . . . If each year flies by as quickly as this last, then we’ll be sending her off to college before we know it. Enough of that, though! We need to enjoy this time with her while we can!
We’re so incredibly thankful for Vanessa and feel so blessed to be her parents. We’re lucky to have such a “joyous character,” as one friend put it a couple weeks ago. She can be so quiet and sweet and other times so boisterous. We thank God for her wonderful disposition.
Vanessa likes to share food, drink and toys at times. She’s still a talker and loves to hold conversations with others and her stuffed animals. (She’ll peek every once in a while to see if you’re watching, and if she catches you, she turns her back to you and continues on.) Her favorite words right now are “yes” and “up.” Sometimes she still repeats other random words. Just last week we were pretending to talk on the phone and she clearly said “hello.” Of course I tried to get her to repeat it so I could video it, but no such luck.
She has taken a couple independent steps here and there, but still holds on to things most of the time. She likes to move just about anything. She’s very good with her walker toy. When she gets it stuck, she changes into her mechanical mode and knows to either back it up or move it to the side, or it’s caught on something. If it’s caught on something, she gets down to the floor like she’s working on a car and takes care of the problem. Her new thing, when she gets a chance, is to move empty diaper boxes around rooms. She climbs on both the inside and outside of her crib, so we’re waiting for the time when we have to put a tent cap on her crib to keep her from climbing out and hurting herself.
Vanessa is learning to share. The other baby her mother watches recently became mobile, so both go after the same toy sometimes, and both like to go up to the other to take away a toy. Vanessa voices her opinion loudly and sometimes grits her teeth while her face turns red and the vein in her forehead pops out. (Adam calls it the Mollohan vein.) There have been a few occasions when she’ll get so mad that she just throws herself down on her belly and hammers the floor with her hands and feet. (Yes, it’s kind of cute . . .)
She’s decided she doesn’t like veggies right now, except for sweet potatoes. Sometimes we can trick her and slip in a little, and she seems to eat more when others try to feed her – almost like she’s distracted by the fact that someone else is feeding her rather than thinking about what she’s eating. We’ll continue to try different things to see if we can find something she likes. Mixing them with cheese worked for a day or so. But Vanessa loves fruit, grains and dairy products a whole lot!
I almost hate to say this, for fear of jinxing, but Vanessa has had an incredibly healthy year. She had a small cold once and a few sniffles another time, but that’s it. Of course we’re very grateful for a very healthy first year and hope every year after is just as healthy.
The Birthday Fairies came over last evening so Vanessa will have a surprise of balloons and ribbon in the morning. We’re excited to celebrate one year since her blessed arrival!
