BlurbBlog1: 12 Months Old

We made it. Miss Penny has hit the big 0-1. It's hard to believe a year has past but when you look at this little person, and how she has grown and blossomed, it's amazing to think that all of it has only been a year.

Penny is a hugger now and it is the best feeling ever. She knows what hugs and kisses are and gives them quite readily, but always to Boo, who has become her buddy now, not just her monthly chair partner in pics. She sees him and will either pull him towards her and put her head down or, if Boo is on the floor she will lean over and lay on him:

Its "aww" worthy.

Penny knows where Mommy's nose is:

It's amazing to teach her new things and see how she absorbs so quickly now. Blow kisses and waving hi are getting better (waving bye has been mastered for some time now).

She is pulling herself up a lot now and has started to cruise, where she takes little steps while holding on to something. In our case it's the ottoman in our living room, and I hadn't realized she was doing it until I looked at her and she was at one end, and then looked at her again and she was at the other :).

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My view while putting on my makeup in the morning.[/caption]

Penny is a FAST crawler...she in another room before you know it, especially now that she can get up the stairs.
We play a game where I crawl behind her (preferably on the carpet, my old knees don't agree with granite floors) and say "I'm gonna get you!" and she squeals and tries to crawl faster away from me (*I eventually do 'get her').

Penelope loves to dance. She hears music and she will rock back and forth if sitting. She does this funny little shimmy thing in her car seat. And if she's standing, she jumps and bounces. Its pure joy:

New foods have included small tastes of red meat and turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's (a favorite in our house) and she had lentils for the first time! We've also added peas, corn and asparagus.

She also eat from a fork now:

She will eat from her snack cup now. Although she quickly figured out that if she holds one of the flaps down with her thumb she can shake the cup and get the snacks out much easier. So much for it being no-mess :)

She still loves her books and will sit and flip through pages for quite a while:

Penny has definitely entered into the separation anxiety phase. She's clingy to both me and Gabe and doesn't really like to be away from us unless she's at daycare. We are OK with this though because we get that many more full-body, with-all-her-might hugs. They are wonderful. She is wonderful. This year has been the hardest, most challenging year but also the most rewarding and undeniably the most joy filled year because of our amazing Penelope Sue. We can't imagine our family without her and know how so very blessed we are. Penny, thank you for letting us be your parents. We love you so.