I cannot believe that this is going to be my last monthly update! Our sweet Addie girl is now officially ONE and this year has truly flown by. I feel like it was just yesterday that your dad and I were anxiously awaiting your arrival and now in the blink of an eye you are an active, happy toddler who is so sweet and so full of energy. This year has been the best year of my life and I cannot even imagine my life without you in it. Addie girl, your smiles are the highlight of my day, you melt my heart every time you lay your head on my shoulder or look at me and say mama, and your dance moves and facial expressions constantly make me laugh. I cannot wait to continue to watch you learn and grow about the world around you and the people in it, but in the meantime here are some highlights of your 12th month...
Clothes: Some 12 month clothes still fit, but we are mainly switching over to 18 months
Diapers: size 4
Health:
This month has been a whirlwind in our house! First, I got a stomach bug when your dad was out of town. It was rough to say the least, but you were an angel and played like a good girl while mommy laid on the couch. A few days after Daddy got back from his winter sales meeting in Minnesota, he got the same stomach bug just days before your first birthday party. Luckily, he got better with a day or two left to spare to get ready (and Grandma and Pap came in to help too!) We were so happy that our little girl did not catch our nasty stomach bug (or so we thought!)
The day after your birthday party, you were not yourself. You were fussy, didn't nap well, and weren't that interested in eating. We didn't think too much of it though because it was a busy weekend and you shoved your face with cake at your party. We thought you were recovering from the party and sugar and you would be better in the morning. WRONG! On Monday morning, I woke you up to get you ready for daycare and you were burning up with a temperature of 102. You were not very happy at all and I don't blame you. Your dad stayed home with you and ended up taking you to the doctor. We thought for sure that you had an earache. It turns out your ears were fine, your throat looked irritated, but it wasn't strep, and everything else was eliminated, so the doctor said you must just have a virus. Our orders were to give you Tylenol and cough medicine every 4 hours and lots to liquids and it should pass in a few days. Monday came and went, then Tuesday, then Wednesday and you were still so miserable. Tuesday was your official birthday and we felt so bad for you. When you were awake you just wanted to be held and sit on the couch. You didn't play, wanted nothing to do with food, and were not yourself at all. I stayed home with you on Thursday and took you back to the doctor hoping for some answers to get you some relief. There was still not earaches, still not strep, and we were assured we should be towards the end of this nasty virus. The doctor wanted your fever to break in the next 2 days or she wanted to test for a urinary tract infection. Luckily, Friday morning you woke up and were fever free! We were so happy! You still were not eating, but your mood was improving and we were making baby steps. We left for Pittsburgh on Friday evening and luckily by your Pittsburgh party on Saturday you were back to normal, happy self. Your dad and I were so relieved because we were starting to get worried about you! We are so ready for some warm weather because it has been a rough winter of sickness in the Harvell household.
On top of all of our sick visits to the doctors this month, we also went for your 12 month well check. It seems like the doctor's office was our second home! Dr. Fink was very happy with your progress, you are growing and developing right on schedule. He said it looked like you would be walking very, very soon so for us to keep a close eye on you at all times. He gave us the go-ahead to transition you to whole milk and said you can eat whatever your little heart desires. We need to work on weaning you from your bottle and start giving you milk in your sippy cup. We will see how that goes, I'm a little worried because you love your bottle. Before we left, you got 1 shot and 1 finger prick, neither of which you were a fan of! Not only did it hurt, but you were also overdo for your afternoon nap so that didn't help either. You were a trooper though and we all survived!
Diet:
This month you have started becoming a little bit of a picky eater, plus you have learned to shake your head no when you don't want something (usually without even giving it a shot!) You continue to love fruit, pastas/breads, and some meats, but you want nothing to do with veggies! Luckily, I've started sneaking them in at least once a day in a pouch. You love them and are able to eat them yourself so it's a win win! Another big change this month is we made the switch to formula and will start with whole milk as soon as we get the okay. I loved that we reached our goal of nursing you for the first (almost) year of your life and I will actually kind of miss it, but it was just the right choice for us to make the switch at this time. When you wake up in the morning, you drink about 4 oz. of formula, followed by breakfast, sometimes you get a quick snack and juice before you go down for your morning nap. When you wake up, it's time for lunch and around 3 you get another bottle before your afternoon nap. We eat dinner as a family around 6, followed by playing, a bath, and another bottle before you go to bed.
Sleep:
This month (sickness and all) you have still been an excellent sleeper. Your dad and I feel so lucky that you love to sleep. On a typical day, you wake up around 6:30 for daycare, but will sleep until 8-9ish on the weekends. Your naps at daycare are still hit or miss, but when you are at home you are still napping twice a day, which your dad and I love. We like to be able to get things around the house done while you are sleeping so that we can play and give you our full attention when you are awake. Your morning nap is from about 10-12 and your afternoon nap is from 3-5. Most nights, you are ready for bed around 7:30 and then sleep like an angel all night long. Keep it up Addie girl!
Likes:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, cruising, climbing, playing "so big", drawing on your chalkboard in your playroom, being tickled, your alphabet train, singing, dancing, and music, mommy and daddy, Cooper, your new baby iPhone from Aunt Kristen
Dislikes:
Having your face or nose wiped, getting your diaper changed or getting dressed - pretty much anything that requires you to sit still, getting dropped off at daycare
Milestones:
-You turned ONE and are officially a toddler!
-You can stand all by yourself without holding on to anything or anyone.
-Your first words - you can say Mama and Dada and you know what it means.
-Cruising around constantly, I have a feeling you will be walking any day now
-At dinner, you have learned how to tell us "no" by shaking your head and closing your mouth.
-We bought your first pair of shoes this month and they are adorable!
-Pointing - you love to point at everything you want, mommy/daddy, food, toys, you name it.
It has been so much fun to watch your personality shine through over these past couple of months. You are so happy and silly and you love to play. You babble, make funny noises, and have the most hilarious dance moves. You love to be the center of attention and we like it that way (well Coop is a little jealous at times!) You are also very sweet and have a caring side. You love to give your baby dolls hugs and lay your head on our shoulders. At daycare, you are even interested in trying to help with the younger babies and get concerned when they are upset. You are very curious and on the move! Everything around you becomes a toy, from a pot and pan, to the remote control, to your play table and chairs. You don't sit still for very long, you crawl and cruise all around the room and explore any and everything you can get your hands on. These days when we are out and about, you are extremely observant. Whether we are at a restaurant or the doctor's office or at a store, you love to watch people and things around you, especially if there are kids. I would love to know what you are thinking, because it looks like there are a lot of thoughts going on in that little head of yours while you are taking it all in. Overall, you are the most perfect blend of silly and sweet and your dad and I are completely obsessed with you and we can't see what the future holds for us.
Visitors:
We had a blast celebrating your birthday at BOTH of your birthday parties this month with our closest friends and family, one at our house and one at Grandma and Pap's house in Pittsburgh.
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