Currently, Bean is... {1 Year}

 Goodness, I can't believe it's been a whole year since our little Bean first shouted for the world to hear.  Honestly- she hasn't really stopped shouting!  But she has to be loud to be heard over her big siblings, who are so excited to celebrate her first birthday.  Here's a look at the last three months.

Growing so tall!  She might end up the tallest kid when they're all bigger, who knows?  With each growth spurt, she she gains height quickly and weight more slowly, so her pants are way too short before the waistbands are too tight.  It's so fun to see her wear the big kids' hand-me-downs- it's such a stark reminder of how much bigger they are, now, too.

Eating when she's in the mood for it.  She doesn't seem to dislike any particular food, but if she's not in the right mood, she'll just throw everything on the floor.  If she starts swiping her hands in the air when you offer her something, it's best not to even put it on her tray- whatever it is won't be getting near her mouth.  We recently took her to an allergist to confirm some suspicions about food sensitivities, so we're avoiding eggs and dairy in her diet (and, by extension, mine, since she's still breast feeding).  I've found a few different vegan muffin recipes to whip up for breakfast that please everyone, but I think she likes steamed vegetables even more than muffins.  Still, if given the choice, she would nurse for every meal- unlike her older siblings, she's not showing any interest in giving that up any time soon.  I'm going to try and wean her from day time feeding but continue to let her nurse when she wakes up and when she goes to sleep (and any time she wakes up in the middle of the night) and hopefully she'll accept the fact that there won't be bottles at daycare anymore in a few weeks...

Talking in her own little language, all the time.  She makes sounds like "Daddy" and "Mama" and even some that sound like "happy" and "baby" but I'm pretty sure she's just babbling sounds that feel good in her mouth, not attempting to use words with real meanings.  She will have long conversations with us, or her toys, with no intelligible words, but boy does she know what she's talking about!  And like I said above, she does shout an awful lot (particularly in church, or in the middle of the night) but it's a happy sound, so I don't like to shush her.

Making facial expressions exactly like her brother, it's uncanny.  Although, after hanging out with her cousins at Christmas, she started making a mischievous face, where she scrunches up her nose and shows you her teeth behind her little grin, and it looks exactly like the way her older cousin grins when he's proud of himself, so we like to think she learned that from him!

 Listening to every word her siblings say (and then babbling right back at them).  And she loves to dance to music, even if it's just the theme song to whatever cartoon the big kids are watching on a weekend morning.  

Sleeping when Mommy is not around, apparently?  Because she certainly doesn't sleep at night, and she certainly doesn't sleep in her own bed.  Our daycare provider assures me she takes long naps in a bed on her own without being held, but I don't know, I'll believe it when I see it.  Mr. Geek keeps saying, "Don't worry, she'll start sleeping through the night soon...any day now..." but I think he's jinxing us.

Loving being held; nursing; loud music; grabbing Mommy's glasses off her face; walking; climbing the stairs; chasing the big kids at the playground; broccoli; carrots; hearing her voice echo.

Hating shoes; having her diaper changed; getting undressed; getting dressed; sitting in the car seat.

So here we are!  I can't wait to see what she thinks about cupcakes at her birthday party this weekend...

Much love,

The Geeks