Arwen Mae - 12 Months

My beautiful baby girl, you have been outside of my body for one whole year and as everyone says, the year has flown by but at the same time, I can't believe you haven't been in our lives for years. 

You had watermelon for the first time and loved it. You started refusing to be fed, so now you are just eating what we eat and it is pretty convenient. Your favorite food is cheese hands down. If anything has cheese on it, you will gobble it right up. 

Your hair is growing so fast and can actually be put into pigtails now!! 

My first official mother's day and you were just so fun to hang out with. I absolutely love watching you grow and learn and come back to snuggle me. :)

The past three months

A whole year of Arwen

I can't put into words just how grateful and blessed we are to have you as our first child. You are the perfect meld of your daddy and I and we love you so so very much. You make me laugh on a daily basis and certainly test your limits whenever you can. We love you sweet girl. Continue being silly and playful and independent. <3

Arwen Mae - 11 Months

What a big month! You have gotten even more comfortable pulling yourself up and you are now letting go and standing for a while. You can also bend down and pick something up while still holding on to furniture. You also can get down from standing much more gracefully. 

This is the first toy you really snuggled. I'm pretty convinced you only snuggle toys because I make such a big deal out of it, but it is just so cute! This little seahorse's belly lights up and plays soothing music. 

You love being silly. If anyone laughs, you laugh right along too. We were eating at a restaurant and someone sitting next to us started laughing and so did you! 

A typical day - you in your high chair, smiling at us, food all over your face. You have gotten a lot better at eating and you loooove string cheese (in small bits of course). For everything else, when you are tired of it, you will drop it on the floor for Moose to eat. With string cheese, if you lose a piece, you will search for it! 

Snippets from our Washington DC trip. It was your first plane ride and you did well considering we were stuck in the plane waiting to take off for an hour. On the flight back home, we tried to get in an earlier flight, but that early flight was cancelled, so we ended up on a 9pm flight. You were super good for that as you took a bottle and fell asleep. I got cuddles, you got sleep. Win.Win :)

I can't believe how big you are getting. You are truly turning into a toddler and I'm not going to lie, I do miss my squishy baby. I so wish I could go back in time (but with less hormones, please) and hold you, sleeping, on my chest. Those first few months are just so rough, but full of so many incredible moments/memories. This age, though, this age is so fun and amazing and all the things I thought about being a mother. I hope you know, Arwen Mae, you are always loved. 

And a GIF for your viewing pleasure: 

Arwen Mae - Ten Months

Last month, it was a little difficult to come up with some developments and new things that you did, but apparently you were just going through a growth spurt because you learned SO many new things this month! In fact, one day, I looked down and you were just crawling! I called to daddy and we just watched in amazement as you just made your way across the room. I wonder if you knew how to crawl this whole time, but was just waiting for the right moment. 

We'll start with the sad news of the month. You had your first ear infection. You had a cold and that morning, you woke up from a nap and just wouldn't stop screaming. We called urgent care, but the next available appointment wasn't for another 1.5 hours, so we walked around the house for that 1.5 hour timeframe. Note, you are about 25 pounds. This picture was right before we left. 

As mentioned, you pull up on everything! You constantly go between Moose's chair, to the window, to the couch, to Moose's crate. We are certainly chasing you around now and once you start walking, we will really be chasing you! Also, you have enough hair for the cutest ponytail/spout on the top of your head! 

It was your first Easter! We went to Church, then Gram W., then Uncle G & Aunt M's house. You did really well and loved showing off your dress. I mean... I loved showing off your beautiful dress. 

I also celebrated my first birthday as a mother! Is that a milestone? We celebrated by going to The Butterfly Place with Aunt K & Uncle B and your cousin. It was really warm, but very cool! You loved watching the butterflies zoom about. I loved trying to take pictures of the butterflies zooming about ;) It was really wonderful to spend the day with you and I hope to make that a tradition - Mommy and Arwen day. 

Arwen, this stage is amazing. You learn new things every day and you are developing SUCH a little personality. One day you came home and all of a sudden you would scrunch your nose and blow out/in through your nose and smile (I should get a video!) and although I probably shouldn't encourage it, I joined in. It was just too cute! You are getting into that stage where if we laugh, you laugh and if you do something that makes us laugh, you will do it over and over. 

This stage is also terrifying because you fall all the time! Even if I am right there, you sometimes just fall right over and I feel so bad! I know, you'll get bumps and bruises and I can't keep you in bubble wrap, but just know that when you get that bump or bruise, I'll be here to wipe away the tears and distract you. Usually with food. 

A little behind the scenes for you! Now that you move all over the place, I can't do these alone! Also, we got new couches. 

Arwen Mae - Nine Months

It was nearly impossible to get you to look at me and make sure you weren't going to fall off the couch, so this picture was the best I was going to get this month. Photographer mommy will just have to deal with it.

Many fun and exciting firsts this month! You went sledding and absolutely loooooved it. We got a video, but I just haven't been able to find time to edit it. I will post it when I can, but here is an action shot in your sled. Daddy was a trooper pulling you all around the yard!

It was your first Valentine's Day and we had a mini photo shoot! We actually had two - one with your cousin as it was around her first birthday. You two are going to have so much fun growing up together. I am so glad you will have a cousin friend. 

When trying to remember all the things you did, I forgot to mention in your little picture update that we found you love balloons. You will hold them, look at them, bounce them, let go and watch them. We'll have to make sure you have some for your birthday, which is coming up entirely TOO SOON. 

You also love to read books. It quiets you down most of the time and you are now fully invested in flipping pages for us. Sometimes too much excitement and you just want to turn all of the pages! As I mentioned in your photo update, you love to go into carts. You just kick your legs and look around. 

 Arwen, I love these moments and I am trying to treasure them and soak them in as much as I can. I know I won't always be able to say or do things that will make you laugh. In fact, I'm sure I'll get an "Oh Mom, stop embarrassing me" one of these days, so for now, I will tickle your cute, round belly and say things like "Are you eating your sock?!" with an incredulous tone and dance around singing the I've-got-a-naked-baby song just because these little things won't last. I'll always be your Momma and I'll always be there for you and I really hope that I will at least be able to lessen the pain of future heartaches. I live for your smiles and giggles baby girl. 

Arwen Mae - Eight Months

Yes, it is true. You say Dadada much much more than anything else. Here is proof. (Note that I stopped to film this, no car accidents here!) 

As for movement, you get up on your hands and knees and move forward mostly. You like to 'crawl' on the couch and your crib, not so much on the floor. When you are 'crawling', you put your face into the ground, push your butt in the air and move forward. One day I put you down in front of the stove to make you a bottle and I looked down and you were closer to the stove! You got so excited to see your reflection, you butt scooted your way towards the "baby in the stove". More proof.

The most exciting thing that has happened this month is your first real snow! You weren't too pleased, but you liked it better when we took you out later this month. You didn't mind the snow falling on your head and daddy took you sledding (but that's for next month's recap ;) ).

The least exciting part of this month was your first fever!! Daddy and mama were sick first and we knew you were getting the same thing as you were super cuddly. As it got later, your cheeks turned bright red like a clown and you started to get super fussy. We checked your temp and it was 101.7 and called the doctor. Just FYI - babies start getting fussy and uncomfortable once they hit 101/101.5. At least, that is what our pediatrician said. It was, as others have told me, so cute, but so sad at the same time. 

Daddy and I look at each other pretty much every day in disbelief of how big you are. You, my munchkin, my chickadee, my chicken, my baby girl are so incredibly special and so SO loved. 

Arwen Mae - Seven Months

One of your most exciting achievements this month is how much you bounce! Now, when you get excited you bounce up and down, whether you are standing or sitting. It is absolutely adorable. You are almost ready to crawl. We put you in bed on your back towards the end of the crib and when we find you in the morning, you are at the top of your crib on your belly. So, you may be crawling, but we haven't seen it officially.  

This month was super busy as it was your first Christmas! It was a wonderful, busy, overwhelming day for everyone! Both sides of the family came over (in shifts) to our house and we enjoyed so much family time. Uncle Jon was able to come out and was greatly surprised by how big you had gotten! I can hardly believe it either. 

Your hair is growing so much, so fast! The back of your head is starting to grow even more now that you can sit up by yourself. In some lights it is strawberry blonde. I'm excited to see whether it is curly or straight and what color it ends up being. 

You also love to pat things. You learned how to hit your piano on your bouncer. You also love to pat your high chair tray when you have food all over your hands. It splashes everywhere, but makes you so happy. You are getting much better at eating and chewing. You sometimes open your mouth and just chew and swallow, but most times you reach for the spoon and put it in your mouth with a little help from mom. We just found that you loooove pumpkin. You finished those jars of baby food fast! 

I love these faces you made. You are so silly and funny and such a perfect fit for our family. You love to be tickled, turned upside down, and tossed into the air. You know mommy and daddy are silly already and love when we are super silly. Oh sweet girl, you are growing so fast. 

Arwen Mae - Six Months

You can now roll from back to belly and belly to back quite easily and we often find if we lay you down somewhere, you are nowhere near where we put you down. You can sit by yourself and only fall over if you get bored/tired. You also just learned (like within the past week) how to blow raspberries. We went Christmas shopping tonight and you were in the backseat just spitting everywhere!

This month we dedicated you in church. Grandma (my mom) made you your dress and it came out stunning. You were definitely the most dressed up, but I love that the dress can be passed down and around for many generations to come. 

Your favorite word is 'plop'. I'm not sure why, but it makes you laugh every. single. time. Another guaranteed laugh is to toss you into the air or bounce fast. You love when mama and daddy get up in your face or when we sing and dance with you. You have the cutest laugh and I absolutely love it when you scrunch your nose and giggle. Once I start tickling you, you really start laughing and smiling. 

 

You have two new teeth! One came in (bottom, to your right), then the next week the other front, bottom tooth came in. You had your first solid food - banana! You looooved it and continue to love it. You have also had avocado, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, red bell pepper, and carrots. You did not enjoy avocado at first, but now I think it is your favorite. 

First Thanksgiving!

You still sleep really well and for that, we are so so grateful. Our routine is to put a night diaper on you, then we go upstairs and change into your jammies. Once in your PJs, we read a book or two, say our prayers, turn on the sound machine, then shut off the light. We kiss you goodnight and lay you down. Sometimes you don't make a peep and just go down and fall asleep. However, if we waited too long and you are super tired, you cry for a minute or two, then fall right asleep. 

All that blonde hair!!

You are growing up so fast. This past week your dad and I keep mentioning just how independent you are getting! You are starting to hold your bottle even. I'm trying to soak it all in and take as many short video clips as I can to remember all the small things we do in our day-to-day lives. I don't ever want to forget your little fingers wrapped around mine while you drink your bottle, or the way you lay your head on my chest, or the way you look at me when you haven't seen me in a while. Though, I hope through all your changes and growing up, you still hold my hand, lay your head on my chest, and light up when I walk into the room. You will forever be my little girl and I can't believe you are half of a year old already! 

Arwen Mae - Five Months

I know, I know. I said last month was my favorite age, but this one is my new favorite. You are learning so much and SO much more interactive. Having a newborn is tough, but this age, this age is wonderful. 

You started daycare this month! And you love it. You absolutely love watching all the kids. Your teacher says if you are fussy, she can put you in a seat near all the other kids and you will be happy. The other kids adore you as well. Apparently they try to make you laugh and bring you toys. The other day, I went to pick you up and I just hear "Arwen's mommy is here!". It was so sweet to hear those words. I love being Arwen's mommy! 

Sleeping is going so much better this month. 4 month regression is real you guys. You go to sleep between 7pm-8pm and wake up between 6am-7am. You sleep in your crib and usually when we check on you before going to sleep ourselves, your arms are straight up over your head. Last night you were on your side with your arms laid out. 

In the past week you have rolled over from back to belly, found your feet, and you are almost rolling from belly to back. You'll probably do it for us this weekend. You can sit on your own for a bit, but after a while you get tired and topple. 

Always have to have something in your mouth. Allllmost rolling over.

You did it!! And were so excited since mommy and daddy were so excited!

You still love baths (though you are getting too big for your baby bathtub), being outside, and especially Moose. Moose comes over to smell you and lick your slimy hands, but if you try to grab her she runs away. I still hope that someday you two will be best buds. 

You had some other exciting firsts this month: you went to the beach for the first time and we dipped your toes in the Atlantic! It was a girls beach day where we went to visit Amma and Great Gram while they had a spot on the beach. 

We went to the zoo with Auntie Brandi, Auntie/Cousin Kaylee, Uncle/Cousin Ben, and Ariel. You weren't too interested in anything, but it was great to get out of the house and have fun with family. 

Had to take a picture with the anteater for daddy

You sat in your high chair for the first time! We'll be starting solid foods soon as you are very interested in anything we eat. You don't particularly like it, at least with me in the evenings, but I'm sure that will change once you start real food. 

And finally, you had your first Halloween!! You were technically a bear, but I also made you be little red riding hood with Moose being the big bad wolf. 

So many pictures, but I just want to remember this special time in our lives. You are truly such a happy baby and your smile is contagious. This fall and winter are going to be so fun!!