Not a baby anymore

Chris is golfing, Camryn and sleeping, and I don't feel like cleaning (which I should be doing). So, why not write a little about why my baby isn't too much of a baby anymore?

If you haven't seen her in a while, she has changed so much in just a short time. She officially has 4 teeth (with more coming in soon) and is enjoying eating lots of finger foods. She is not a picky eater at all, so that is good for us! She really enjoys fresh fruits and will eat as many Gerber fruit or veggie puffs as I will let her have!! She made a very smooth transition to whole milk from formula, but doesn't like it cold!!! She also loves her water in her sippy cup and drinks from it all day long. She weighed in at 24 lbs 12 oz at her year checkup, so eating is not a problem!!!

Being a speech therapist, I am very proud of her communication skills! She has between 15-20 words/phrases that she uses consistently and appropriately. No, I am not exaggerating! The doctor told us that she is above average for language skills - I already knew that!!! She loves waving and saying "hi" to our dog, Jordan, all day long - yes, ALL day long and telling her "no" when she barks. I think Camryn thinks that something is wrong with Jordan because she isn't saying "hi" back. She calls Jordan "ada" and is absolutely in love with her! She loves to say "woof" when she sees a dog (or any animal for that matter). She also says: all done, hello, love you, uh-oh, wow (another favorite of hers), ow, daddy, mama, do, no, and bath. Those are the ones off the top of my head. Of course, her productions of them aren't perfect and not everyone would know what she is saying, but we do. I have also done sign language with her for a few months now. She consistently uses the signs for "all done", "more", and "eat". When she is hungry, she will crawl into the kitchen and do the sign for eat. It is entirely too cute. It also cuts down on fussiness and frustration. Some people think that doing sign hinders a child's verbal skills, but it just gives them a broader range of ways to communicate. They use sign at her daycare as well, so that is a good reinforcement away from home.

She LOVES to play with her toys and is enjoying all of her new birthday toys. She is content playing by herself, with other children, or with us. She is very good with her hands and is able to sort shapes and put a puzzle together. She will dance to any music and I sometimes think she has music in her head. She is also very affectionate and will give hugs and kisses to her dolls and stuffed animals. She is also very fond of books. We have read to her every night since before she was born - it is a part of our bedtime routine. She is constantly looking at her board books and we are asked to "do" (read) her "itsy bitsy spider" book about 52 times a day. Of course we do - how could we say no? Reading is very important to both Chris and I, so we are always willing to read a story. She loves being outside, going for walks, people watching in public (she takes after us), bath time, nap time, bedtime, and sleeping with her bunny bear. And, being a girl, she has already shown an interest in shoes, clothes, and purses. All in all, she is not our baby anymore.

We are very lucky to have such a wonderful little girl. Now that we are both home for the summer, we have the privilege to watch her grow and learn each and every day. I have struggled with being a working mother during the school year, but I feel very fortunate to have this valuable time with her now. This is a time for milestones and I am eagerly waiting to witness them. We have a feeling that she will be walking soon - she walks along furniture and with her walking toys, so it is just a matter of time. And, we will be here to see it.