Dear Alta Graclyn.Wow, I can’t believe a year has already passed. You have made our family complete. I am amazed that in one year you learned how to hold your head up, smile, roll over, laugh, sit up, talk, crawl, stand, and then walk. You have had a big year. You have become quite the yeller. I don’t say screamer because you are yelling. You will yell Mom, Mom and then wait for me to come and either rescue you from a high place that you should not have climbed up too, or you see something up high and you can’t seem to reach yourself, and you feel I should give it to you. I can also be right next to you and you yell as if I am in the other room. You love anything soft. You love to have soft things by your face. You give the best hugs for a baby your age, you wrap your little arms around my neck and really squeeze. You are so loving and sweet. You love your doll, and your favorite stuffed dog. You show them so much affection; the hugs they get make me envious. You love to put things on you arm and walk with them. Everything in your purse. I love it. I don't even carry a purse so you are a natural. You are talking so well now and you seem to understand things that we tell you.
You will say
NO NO NO NO and shake your head while you are saying this
Momma and Mom, Mom, Mom over and over until I look at you. (You get this from your brothers trying to get my attention.)
Hi
What is that?
Thanks
Dad Dad Dad (same idea)
Nose
Dog
Mine
Not now
Go
You climb up and on everything. We were downstairs and I ran upstairs really fast and left you down there. I heard you yelling mom, mom, mom and I rushed down there to find you had climbed up onto the toy school bus and needed help down. When you saw me you said,”HI MOM” and reached for me to get you down. You are fascinated with garbage cans. We have to now hide all the trash cans because you like to empty them. It is like a big toy box to you. You love to be outside and will do anything to get outside. Now that you are walking it is much easier to have you out there. You would live outside if I would let you.
Your favorite things to do outside
Slide
Swing
Swim
Play with your dogs
You hate to be tossed in the air, and you hate when other people yell around you. We learned this at Wyatt’s football game when we tried to cheer for the team with you in our arms.
You love your brothers, but you especially love Gunner. You follow him everywhere. He had his first day of school and you cried when he got out of the car. It was like you knew he was leaving you.
You can open any drawer or cupboard and when we finally put locks on most of them you screamed and pulled on them trying to free them from the lock. You only needed to try them once. Now you try to catch them open so you can empty them. Lucky for you the boys forget to close them often and you still get your chance to rearrange the cupboards for mommy.
You are so fun and I am so grateful every day that I get to spend with you. You make me laugh and you have helped me find my feminine side. I love that you are so girly and that you already love purses and babies. The other day the phone was ringing and you went and got the phone handed it to me. Then you said Hello and put your hand to your ear as if you were trying to show me how to answer it.
You have also started throwing yourself on the ground when we don’t give you what you want. Luckily you are starting to do it in slow motion. I think you realized that it hurts. You will lie down, roll to your tummy and then look up to see if we saw that you were so upset. If we still do not noticed then you will kick your legs on the floor. I think some days that you are actually a three year old, trapped in a one year old body.
You remind me to remember the simplicity in life and I love that. You are by far my most demanding child thus far and you keep me on my toes. I love that about you and I love that you are a leader. (Yes, I can tell that already) You are so strong willed and hot headed these days that I know you will do fine in this world.
Happy Birthday!!!
I love you!!
