Twelve months!

Well, I did it!  I successfully did a mini photo shoot for every month milestone.   Big props to my sister-in-law, Kristen, for getting me the sticky bellies to help encourage me to capture the months.   It's been fun to document the past year so well.   I feel like I should have all kinds of deep thoughts and reflections for this one year blog post.  All I can really say is you have rocked our world baby G...in the very best way possible.  I really cannot imagine our world without you in it.  We are so excited to see what the next day, month, year holds for you.   Here's a run down of where you're at:

• 12 month doctor's visit - 21 pounds 14 ounces (75% percentile), 29 1/2 inches (75%) 46 cm for head (75%) ---- very consistent!
• If I had written this post right on your birthday, i would be reporting that you are VERY close to walking, but not yet.   However, in the past few weeks, you have totally and completely started walking.   You will go 10 to 15 feet before plopping down and resting or deciding to crawl.  
• You are turning into a bit of picky eater --- early on, we went through a phase where you would put anything in your mouth (even those things that you weren't supposed to!); however, now you seem to know what you like and don't like without even tasting things.   We joke that you are on the white food diet --- you love cheerios, chicken, turkey, bananas, crackers, wheat bread......you aren't very good about vegetables and even many fruits.   However, you will eat the pureed fruits and veggies that come in the pouches you can squeeze.  The pediatrician has told mommy that you should just eat whatever we eat, I haven't gotten there yet, but know i need to start.   
• We transitioned from formula to whole milk and bottles to cups.   The doctor told us, just do it, cold turkey, both at the same time.  Formula from bottles and milk from cups!   Mom is nothing if not a direction follower; however, this one was a MAJOR fail.   You rebelled, you screamed, you cried, you made our life and your poor teachers at school life miserable!   We quickly, decided we needed to do one at a time so we could figure out what was really bothering you, the cups or the milk.  Turns out it was the cups.....you didn't want to drink formula out of them either.  Mommy bought at least a dozen different sippy cups trying to find the magic bullet.   I finally found a set from tommee tippee that seemed to help with the transition --- or by that point you were just so worn down.    Looking back now, it seems like it wasn't that big of a deal, but man oh man, it was a rough go!  Full disclosure, you are still taking a bottle at night ---- it will go away in the next couple weeks.   With our trip to michigan, i didn't want to disrupt your routine too much!   
• First word --- I am embarrassed to admit that your first word is "no".....how did this happen?!  I read the articles that said, only say no when it is really serious, don't over use it.  And I didn't, I swear!  However, clear as day, you use that word at least several times a day.  You know what you want and don't want, recently telling me that you weren't ready to get out of the bathtub, you didn't want me to change your diaper at the airport, you didn't want any more apple sauce, you didn't want Herbie to sniff your puzzle!  Boy oh boy little girl, we are in for it!   

Ok, here are the pics!