Happy (belated) Birthday Peanut!

I have been working on this post for awhile. So forgive the discrepancies in the time table.

Yesterday was my daughters first birthday. I have been a mom for a whole year! What the heck. My sister Jill would tell you I celebrated by looking the part. I got all my hair chopped off and wore pearls. Between those two piece, the protruding belly and the cardigan sweater I did kind of scream Mommy, but hey with a one year old and one due in September, what are you going to do but rock the part of mom? I do drive a station wagon after all.

I feel so very blessed to have this sweet, sweet child in my life. She woke up smiling and was a joy during her entire party....even if it was Sunday which means the first nap gets skipped. One of my friends says her children came into this world in the same way that they interact with the world. In this case that seems to be true.

Except for the minor (ha! It doesn't feel the fourth night in a row you are waking up for the fifth time) sleep issues the peanut is a dream. She is the happiest little girl. At church I have been asked if she ever cries! She is friendly and curious and when you pick her up to cuddle her and put her on your hip she likes to pat your back. It is one of my very favorite things.

I also lover her sense of humor. It is so amazing to me that it is already evident. I mean a year ago all she could do was eat, sleep, and poop. She likes to mimic faces and Brooke, (who blogs here) has taught her some cute ones. When she discovers that somethings she does is charming she laughs and claps and remembers so she can pull her new trick out later to charm the pants off of someone else. My current favorite is covering her ears when you say peek-a-boo. Hilarious. Second place is counting. The words are all wrong but the inflection is perfect! I love that she screams in glee and starts crawling faster when she realizes you are following her to thwart her current plans (which usually include either playing in the dog food, the open dishwasher, or crawling to the bathroom and trying to climb into the tub.)

I love how social she is. She loves to interact with the people at the grocery store or her dad's work. She absolutely adores other children. Watching her cousin and her interact was the most hilarious thing. They clearly were ready to be besties. I have no idea what they were telling each other, but they seemed to understand each other perfectly. Her other favorite kiddo is the two year old at Elizabeth's. When they watch Baby Einstein together they always laugh at the same parts. What is up with that? She flaps her hands when she sees Elizabeth's clan make their way to church. And please do not think of coming into a room without acknowledging her directly. OF-FEN-DED.

And though I know it may burn me in the future, I love that she knows what she wants and lets you know that she wants it. Currently this is usually whatever you are eating or drinking at the time (50th percentile in height 90th in weight ahem.) or the remote control. Peanut lets you know that she would like that. Now please. But she is still distractable enough that the remote with the dead batteries works just as well as the one that lights up. I am not good at asking for what I want. I sit back and am sometimes resent other people's abilities to say "this is what I want or need" without saying "if that is okay" or feeling guilty about being too demanding. It is something I want to make sure I don't pass on to my daughters (daughters, I am going to have daughters, plural!). And it is a little weird I have this issue as neither of my sisters seem to.

Mostly I love how she is her own creation; she is already the person God has created her to be. He knows her path and I am excited to continue to help her along it.