Happy Birthday Natalie

Stats:

Weight: 18lbs 14oz (25%)

Height: 29inches (50%)

Head: 18.25inches (85%)

My baby is one year old today! It's funny to think that this time last year my at the time "baby" had just turned one and little Natalie had just arrived. I am happy that we aren't doing it again this year. This year has gone by so quickly and Natalie has grown tremendously. Natalie has been a great blessing in our family. Her sweet disposition keeps us smiling all day long. She LOVES to cuddle which is fun to enjoy. It's funny to watch her "lounge" around with us. She loves to play on our bed in the morning and rolls around on us and lays her head in our laps. She is such a doll!

Natalie has become quite the crawling expert. She knows how to get places - and quickly! Afterall, she does have to keep up with her mommy when heaven forbid she should leave the room. She also has to keep up with her brother who runs everywhere, so she has had lots of practice. When she was first learning to crawl she perfected the yoga "downward dog." I would look over and she would always be doing a perfect downward dog. I am not really sure what she was trying to do. She is very much a social observer. She doesn't necessarily have to be involved in whatever is taking place, but she most certainly must be within observing distance. She loves to just sit back and watch everything that is going on around her.

Natalie recently developed a fascination with exploring. At her Aunt Callie's house, there is an entertainment unit with a shelving unit at the bottom that she loves to crawl in and through. She has gotten her feet stuck between the wooden slats several times but this has not stopped her. She is just so intrigued by it.

No luck in walking yet. Natalie is very content using crawling as her mode of transportation. I am okay with this for now as it makes it much easier to not have a determined toddler that MUST walk rather than sit in the stroller. So, I am happy for now. She does pull up on everything though and does occassionally work up the courage to only hold on with one hand. I know, quite the accomplishment. :) I try to coerce her to let go and step over to me, but she usually just reaches as far as she can, then just drops to her knees. We will get there eventually. She is apparently in no big hurry, so I won't rush her.

We were afraid of an out-turned right foot which may be the source of her not wanting to walk. She has a hard time keeping balance which is why I think she is not venturing into the walking world yet. It is funny to hold her hands and watch her try to steady herself. Her hips start wobbling like she is doing a hula dance and her knees eventually buckle. It makes me smile. I did take her to an orthopedic specialist and he told me that anatomically she is fine. He said there is a slight bowing of her calf which is why it is turning out, but as she grows that should straighten out just fine and bring that foot in. So, we shall see how this goes.

Natalie loves to eat. It seems as if I am feeding her constantly - all day long. I am surprised she is not a very large baby with how much she eats. She must be blessed with the Summerhays hyper-metabolism. She loves yogurt and oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, her favorites are hot dogs and macaroni and cheese (healthy - I know). She will eat just about anything I give her - especially meat. I am not really sure why she likes meat so much since most babies don't care for it, but she seems to love it. Natalie also enjoys peas, green beans, yams, rice, apples, bread, and pretzels. Oh, and cupcakes are definitely at the top of that list after her birthday party!

Unfortunately, even with all of that eating, she is still not at her required 20 pounds to turn her carseat around. So, for the time being Natalie is still a rear-facing child. Fortunately, she hasn't really put up a stink yet about being rear-facing so we will just hope for that to continue. Plus, I think she enjoys facing that way so she can watch Weston a little better. Weston loves looking over at her and making her laugh. Occassionally he will just start saying "Na-o-wee, Na-o-wee" and they both start giggling uncontrollably. It is really cute.

Another milestone for a year will be to give up the breastmilk. Luckily we have already cut down to just a morning feeding and a bedtime feeding but I am not so sure how this is going to go. Natalie has come to expect her morning feeding and if we don't do it within so many minutes of her awake, she starts to get really concerned. Also, her bedtime feeding usually winds her down for the night and settles her in bed. It's almost like we are trying to give up the binky (luckily we have never had to deal with that). I am not so sure I am ready for that. I really don't mind these two feedings. It is not like it is inconvenient or troublesome and if it makes her happy, that is fine with me. Plus, it gives me an excuse to eat like a horse still! So, I have still not decided what I want to do about that. She is getting very distracted lately while she eats, so maybe she will just self-wean. That will be ideal. Maybe when she tries cow milk today, she will decide that is the way to go. Hmmm....

Natalie has her top four teeth and her bottom four teeth. She is currently working on her bottom left fang and also a molar or two. She has been quite uncomfortable the past week or so. You can tell her gums are very swollen. Hopefully she passes these through quickly!

Natalie's vocabulary is very limited. She will say "Da da" and she will say "mom" but that is it. She will coo, mumble, and babble while she plays but no definite words as of now. She does giggle and laugh a lot though. She is just a little darling.

Natalie loves when we play and sing songs which usually involves renditions of "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Tiny Turtle," "Monkeys," and more. She loves these! I think "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is her favorite and loves when I help her with the motions. She laughs the whole way through. One of her favorite games is peek-a-boo. She squeals with laughter each time she sees me. She will even peek around things to look at me and play along - with a big cheesy grin. She is also incredibly ticklish. It is fun to tickle her under the chin and across her arms, legs, and belly. Natalie loves playing with cars and will often sneak a car away from Weston when he is not paying attention. She also loves playing with and chewing on blocks. She got three dolls for her birthday party and loves playing with her little dolls. I think she still enjoys the "boy" toys more though. She likes playing with all of the older boys. She especially loves "Cars" the movie. She will stand in front of the television during the opening scene and bounce her bottom up and down to the song. One time she stood in front of that television for about a half hour just staring up into the screen. She makes me laugh.

Natalie's first crush is Leo from Little Einsteins. Natalie LOVES watching Little Einsteins (she enjoys Word World too). Natalie squeals everytime she sees Leo. She even claps her hands together in excitement. It is just so entertaining to watch. Natalie also now pats and claps when Rocket takes off along with the Little Einsteins. It is really cute. She really enjoys that show. I think it makes her day.

Natalie is definitely a little momma's girl. Her attachment to me is verging on unhealthy. I thought it was cute at first, but it gets to be a bit overwhelming when I can't walk out of the room without her breaking into full tears and wails. She sees me walk in the door after being gone and her happy mood quickly deteriorates until I pick her up. Everyone tells me she is a perfect angel until I walk in the room or if she catches a glimpse of me. Then she is upset unless I am holding her. Hopefully this remedies itself soon. She is so cute though so I enjoy the attention. She is a very good listener though becuase she is always paying attention to what mommy is doing. I call her name and she instantly turns around to see what I want. I love it!

Natalie is so sweet, gentle, and such a ham. Her laugh is infectious and so adorable. She loves being cooed over and hams up the smile for anyone that is willing to give her attention. Everyone at church loves holding her and playing with her. They always ask if she is ever upset. I just tell them that she is putting on a show for them. :) In all reality though, Natalie is a very happy little girl and is very easy to take care of. She loves just sitting and relaxing and doesn't demand a whole lot. What else could I ask for? I love this little girl!