She's One!

Yep, she's one.  And these little photo shoots are getting harder than ever to finagle by myself.  Cal has never been a still, quiet sort of girl, but these days - ever since the crawling break through happened - she is go! Go! GO! all the time!  And I wouldn't have her any other way.  (Even if it means the photo shoot is trickier to manage.)  Here she is, in all her one-year-old glory:

And what are her latest tricks, you ask?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  As I said earlier, she's a crawling maniac and has the cutest little waddle-crawl (where her legs are set a little bit wide and her bum wiggles back and forth) you ever did see.  She also does this crazy-cute slow-mo crawl where she lifts her hands up slowly and sets them down in a very exaggerated motion for a few steps and then . . . . zoom! she takes off.  She's started to pull herself up to standing against the couch (and us, if we're laying on the floor) but hasn't quite figured out the sitting back down part and it makes her rather mad.  

Cal has discovered the joy of the tupperware cupboard (a great place to play while mom is making dinner) and has recently learned that she can open the door herself.  Thank heavens she hasn't figured out that all the other cupboards in the kitchen open the same way (but we have latches to install for when that day comes!). 

She absolutely loves to read - by herself with her board books and with anyone who will sit down with her to read either of her two current favorites: Go Dog, Go! (you know she wants this one by the G sound she makes in the back of her throat - that means "dog") or Dr. Seuss's ABC.  She's a great pointer, pointing at all the pictures on the page in a specific order (which isn't necessarily the order that they are read), especially the ones where the dogs have the conversations about the hats.  If we're reading these books, it's the only time she'll sit (somewhat) still.

Speaking of pointing, she's learning to communicate her wants via this gesture.  Lately she doesn't always want what we've got prepared for her dinner.  Instead she points at our plates and signs "more".  "I'll have what she's having, please."  And then she gobbles it right up.  Today she snarfed a whole tray-full of leftover stroganoff for lunch because that's what mom was having.  I don't know how such a tiny person can have such a big appetite (in addition to the stroganoff, today she ate a fried egg, a half (plus) of a peach, a container of baby prunes, a whole banana, some applesauce and cottage cheese, plus a smattering of cheerios, strawberries sweet potato fries, peas, corn, and a few bites of grilled chicken)!

Oh!  And huge news!  She's sleeping through the night these days.  Yeah.  For two long months she was sleeping in our arms all night long because she wouldn't go in her crib at night (naps were fine, but don't put her down at night! - so weird to me).  Then one day and 12 minutes of intermittent crying-it-out later, she's sleeping all night with only an occasional wake up with a poopy diaper (where did that come from?).  No more night feeds, almost no more comforting back to sleep in the middle of the night, and a whole lot of free time for the parents in the evenings.  It's epic.  And wonderful.

What a year it has been!  To think of how much she has changed (physically, mentally, and emotionally) in such a short time is truly amazing.  Holy cow, she's our favorite little human.

Watch Callie grow:  11 months | 10 months | 9 months | 8 months | 7 months | 
6 months | 5 months | 4 months | 3 months | 2 months | birth