One Year

What felt like a couple months has actually been 12. That infant that was so tiny and slept longer at night is now a year old! I know I sound like a broken record but I just can't get over how fast it all goes...

• She now gives wide-open mouthed kisses on request and they are my favorite; even with the drool, if it's a sign of affection, I'll take it. 
• Eliza tries to put hats, headbands and sunglasses on and thinks she's pretty cool when we put them on her. And then she pulls them off. 

 Chet took this picture. She was so tickled with the goggles. 

• As long as she isn't hungry, Tanner is the favorite. She gets so offended if Tanner gets home from work and doesn't immediately give her attention. 
• She is really fascinated with dogs but once we get her close enough to pet them she doesn't know what to do and just waves her hands around while shrieking or giggling. 
• She has started pointing at things and saying "this". 

• The day before her birthday she had her first tumble down the stairs which is always really sad, especially when it's mom's fault... 
• Tanner and I went to Iowa to look at houses at the beginning of the month and Eliza spent her first night and two days away from me. She refused to take a bottle and barely drank any water so she was pretty happy when we got back. The next morning she snuggled Tanner like this for a good long time. It was pretty precious. Poor Austin was a little too close to the flash. And within a day or two Eliza was drinking water out of a straw just fine...guess she learned her lesson. 

• Her swaddle blanket makes her happy. If she finds one laying on the floor she lays her face in it and just has a moment. 
• She waves her hands and bobs her head when she hears music or someone singing. 
• Still only has two teeth but if the number of times she wakes up in the night is any indication then I think she will be getting some more in the next little while. 

• She is becoming jealous when others sit on my lap, unless it's another baby, then she gets really excited and tries to grab on to them while making high pitched little sounds. 
• The girl can definitely stand up for herself. She has an awful shriek that she does to let us know when she isn't happy about something. 

 We had a little celebration as a family with cupcakes. Mariah was so cute and made her own decorations and a gift for Eliza (beads on a string). 

 Eliza was a little afraid of her cupcake, she's always wary of new food; but she finally decided the frosting was ok and sucked it all off. She wasn't a fan of the cupcake though. Everyone else was though; who knew chocolate beet cupcakes with whole wheat flour could be so good? 

Austin helped her eat the frosting.

With every child it doesn't take long to know that they are just perfect for our family. They seem to fill a hole that we didn't know was there but needed filling all the same. We are so grateful for the joy and light that our sweet Eliza brings to this family.