My Big ONE Year Old!

On Monday Caroline had her official 1-year check-up. The Doctor gave her an A+, said she is healthy and growing right on track, and was especially impressed with her communication skills (Caroline was quite chatty that morning and even showed off some of her sign-language she's been learning). I thought I'd share with you her official stats, as well as a few of my own notes on what my big one-year-old is up to these days:

• 28 1/8 inches tall, 25th percentile (she started at 20 1/4")
• 19 lbs. 5 oz., 25th percentile (she started at 8lbs even)
• I didn't write down her head circumference, but it is in the 75th percentile...and still perfectly round :-)
• She currently only has 3 teeth and is working on a 4th - 2 bottom, and 2 top, but not in the middle. She might look a little like a vampire, just in time for halloween. Perhaps there is a Twighlight character she could dress up as?
• She knows sign-language for about 7-8 words now, including more, all done, please, milk, drink, eat, bye-bye, and almost has thank-you.
• She is so close to walking. I feel like I've been saying this for awhile now, but it's been true for awhile it seems! She has taken about 8 steps clear across our living room and often takes 3-4 steps between furniture to get to where she wants to be. She just hasn't quite figured out how to "take off."
• Her favorite toys are containers that can be emptied and filled over and over and over again. She has a couple of purses she got for her birthday (complete with a real wallet and fake credit cards - her favorite thing to take apart) that she plays with a lot. She also loves music and "dances" quite often when it's on.
• She's happiest when she is with her Daddy, and especially when they are outside. She'll sit quite still and listen for birds (her Papa even taught her about crows) and airplanes (a very frequent sound at our house), pointing excitedly when she hears or spots one.
• She is a great sleeper (do I dare say that out loud?). She goes to bed around 7:30-8:00 and typically sleeps until about 7am. She still takes a nice, long morning nap (between 2-3 hours!), and then another afternoon nap of about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. It's going to be a sad day for me when she drops down to 1 nap!
• She's becoming a better eater. Some of her favorite foods include yogurt, oatmeal, cheese, sweet potatoes, any type of fruit, and yogurt melts.
• She is officially weaned, as of this week. I could probably write a whole post on this as there are a lot of mixed feelings for me, but mostly it's been a smooth transition and I'm (mostly) relieved to be done. She has been a little hesititant to drink whole milk, but with a little encouragement and formula mixed in, we're making progress. As previously noted, her love for cheese & yogurt helps me not worry too much about her getting an adequate amount in this department!

I could go on and on, but you all are probably bored by this point. I realize that I am totally biased, but Caroline really has such a sweet spirit and loveable little personality. It didn't even take close to 12 months, but at this point I can say with full confidence that she has totally and completely stolen our hearts this past year. It is one of the greatest joys of my life to watch her grow each day.