Maddie's {belated} One Year Post

(before we begin, I need everyone to repeat after me- today is May 28th. Ok, now you may read) :)

Dear Maddie,

I'm not sure I can get this out through the tears...you. are. one. year. old! *sniff*sniff* I simply cannot fathom how time has flown by so fast. I see newborns and can hardly even remember you being as tiny as they are and it was only 12 months ago. How is that even possible?! I also can't wrap my mind around how much fun we have had with you in just a single year and how much we love you. I simply look at you and my heart melts!

You have the most contagious smile, the most heavenly laugh and the happiest personality. People love being around you because you just shine! Your beautiful blue eyes catch people's attention, and then you flash that adorable toothy (6 to be exact) grin. People can't help but smile when they see you. (Yes, mommy and daddy are already planning how we are going to keep the boys away!!)

At your 12 month check up you rang in at 19.8 pounds (just shy of being able to be forward facing in the car- sad day) and 28 3/4 inches long. The doctor said you will probably be hitting a growth spurt soon, which would match up with your current eating habits! Speaking of eating, in case one day you decide to try out being picky, I need to document some of the foods you can't get enough of- tomatoes, avocado, asparagus, spinach artichoke dip, peas, broccoli rice casserole, strawberries, etc. What don't you like, you ask? I have no idea- we haven't found it yet!

As you can tell in these pictures (which I took in my very first "photo shoot,") you are very photogenic. You are so easy to make smile!! I guess you must love us almost as much as we love you! So, some things you are up to...you are really trying to get better at walking. You walk along furniture and while holding our hands, but haven't quite ventured out on your own (I sense it coming very soon!) You love to "wrestle" and by that I mean you basically just crawl all over whoever's face is on the floor with you- I won't lie, we are all very scared of having your diaper literally ON our face, so you win every time!

To say that you are curious would be an understatement. You are such an observer of people and things. Once you've taken it all in, you go into ultra hands-on and in-mouth discovery mode. Notice above you decided to find out what a flower tasted like. Maddie- 1 Flower- 0. You also love "unloading" just about any basket, drawer, or organization of any kind. If it's put away, you see to it that it is taken apart! I literally pick up one area while you are destroying another (welcome to toddlerhood, mama!)

You have gradually gotten more and more vocal. You can say mama, doggie, cracker (which is your favorite food of all time,) ba-ba (bottle), ball-ball (which sounds very much like ba-ba and leads to a few breakdowns every now and then,) and we've caught a dada in there a couple times. You understand so so much, it's hard for us to keep from turning you into a circus show. "Show us your toes! Yay, good girl! Ok, where's your head? Yay, Maddie!" You aren't nearly as amused as we are sometimes, sorry baby girl!

Thank you for the best year of our lives, sweet girl! You are loved by so many people, but loved the most by your mommy and daddy! We can't imagine life without you and can hardly remember days before you joined our family. God truly blessed us beyond measure!

xoxo

Mommy