My Not So Pinterest Perfect Life: 12 Months/ 1 Year Old!

We survived a whole year! I know it sounds silly, but there were a few times in the begining that I just wasn't sure we were gonna make it. Emmy survived living with us, and Bradley and I survived being new parents. We are now ready to go forth and conquer the world.

Emmy is getting really good at walking by herself. This is bringing about a whole new set of problems that we didn't have before. Like now when we are at church, we have to pick a pew that we can guard at both ends. Our little "angel" likes to slowly make her way toward the open end of the pew and then sprint away as if hell hounds are at her heels. Usually she heads toward the back of the church, but one night she made it all the way to the front where Mike was. That was ~~mortifying~~ embarrassing. She really isn't that bad. It has been really sweet to watch her learn how to balance and move forward at the same time. For the first while, she would only take a step or two and then she was ready to either sit down or grab the nearest chair. One Wednesday night, we were sitting in the back so that we could slip out to the nursery if we needed to, and Emmy saw Andy across the aisle working on the sound board. She had been playing in the side aisle where no one could see her, and she was doing a really good job of being quiet. All of a sudden she just started taking steps toward him, one right after the other. I was happy/excited that she was doing so well and anxious because I needed to run and get her before she ran away and caused a scene. All ended well.

Another thing that Emmy is into this month is playing with the pots and pans. She hasn't invaded the cabinets yet, but my mom has started giving her pots and spoons to beat on in the kitchen at her house. She LOVES it. She will sit there content for at least ten minutes beating the pots or chewing on the spoon.

We had a little brush with danger this month. While taking the pictures for Emmy's birthday invitations, I may have been a little too zealous in what I wanted from my little model. I went to the store and spent 40 minutes in line to get 12 balloons, so by the time I got back to Mom's house to pick up Emmy and Britt (photo assistant extraordinaire), I was a little agitated. I took Emmy to this distressed wall that I like to shoot photos at, and things were not going too well. She did not want to sit on the box that I brought. She kept trying to get off the box so that she could stand and try to get the balloons. We thought we had this under control. I would snap pictures like crazy, and Britt would stand close enough to her to spot her without being in the shot and she would try to make her smile. Have I mentioned that I definitely don't pay Britt enough? Well sure enough, Britt picked up a can of puffs to try to get Ems to smile and before either of us could react, BAM she dove head first off the box and face planted on the cement. If you have ever cut your face or head, you know that it bleeds really badly. Brittany was FREAKING out. After I assessed the situation and figured out that Emmy was okay (she stopped crying after I handed her some puffs), I told Britt that the show must go on. At this point, I thought she was going to punch me in the face. She was like "REALLY?!?" I told her that the invitations needed to be in the mail within the week, and I WAS NOT going to buy more balloons for pictures so we finished the pictures. After a bit of Photoshop to take away the skinned up nose, I think the pictures turned out pretty cute.

Teeth: We have two bottom teeth now! She is so adorable, and I am so glad that they came in before her party. I was a little worried that she was going to be a toothless wonder at her party!

We finished up prom, and we made it through graduation. By the time she turned one, we were footloose and fancy free because (enter rock beat) SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

Vocabulary update: She says Ma, DaDa, Uh Oh, and other one syllable sounds. There are several things that we know she is trying to say, but we aren't calling them official yet.

She likes: WALKING!, Pushing her walking toy all around the house, being outside (if it's not too hot), climbing, trying to run away or escape her Mommy, singing songs, reading books, playing with the markers at Nana's house (with the cap on of course), smiling, sitting on the floor and playing with toys, daycare, her teachers, snuggling (if it is her idea), music, being the center of attention, banging on pots and pans, playing peek a boo, and dancing around the house.

She dislikes: Being told no, waking up by herself, being put in her baby bed (still cries for 5-10 minutes when she has to go to sleep), the dark, drinking from a sippy cup, being forced to eat her vegetables if she wants fruit or Mum Mums, not having your complete attention (please do not try to check your phone if she is around), and being ignored/not picked up when she is ready for you to pick her up.

She eats: Mashed Potatoes, refried beans, Carrots, Peas, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetable Chicken Dinner, Turkey and Mixed Vegetables, Turkey, Chicken, Beef, Applesauce, Bananas, Mixed fruit, Chicken and Apples, Puffs, Mum-Mums, Apple Wagon Wheels, and baby Milk. After our doctor's visit this month, we are going to start trying all kinds of new stuff.