12 Months!

Well here we are...12 months, 1 year, a toddler....
Let me start by saying this little girl is loved, and not just by her mom and dad either. Just check out the posts below! We had a ton of friends come to her birthday party on Sunday and even though we told people not to do so a lot of people brought her gifts. We also got a ton of gifts for her in the mail from our family members who couldn't be here to help us celebrate. We are all so lucky to have such caring friends and family.
Ellasen is pure joy! She is funny, I mean really funny! She makes funny faces and does funny things. She makes us laugh several times a day. She is cuddly, really cuddly. She lays her head down on our shoulders when we pick her up, and she loves to take a few minutes when she wakes up in the mornings and from naps and just cuddle. She is smart, really smart. She says a ton of words, she knows exactly what she wants and doesn't, she loves to put things inside other things and take them out again, she loves to be read to and listen to music. She is everything we could have hoped for in  a daughter and more. We feel really lucky to be her parents and very fortunate that God chose her for us!
Having a 1 year old feels a little bittersweet, sort of like all the other milestones have felt. She amazes us  and makes us joyful and thankful, but every day she gets a little more independent and a little more curious about the world around her. I find myself having a little trouble letting go. I find myself want to hang on to her just a little longer than she wants to hang onto me. I guess that is the story of motherhood....and I bet it gets harder and harder. And here we go, jumping into toddlerhood with both feet. Lucky us...

At 12 months Ellasen
*Wears size three diapers
* Wears size 9-12 month clothes
* Wears 12 month sleepers
* Drinks 3 bottles a day (14 oz total)
* Eats breakfast, lunch and dinner with mom and dad
* Plays independently with her toys
* Pulls up on everything
* Walks around all of the furniture
* Is super curious
* Gets nervous with a lot of attention on her
* Takes a while to warm up to people
* Never stops talking when it is just mom and dad around
*Says at least 20 words! Some even at the right times!
* Weighs 18.5 lbs (12th percentile)
* Is 27 inches long (6th percentile)

Loves
* Strawberries
* Yogurt
* Pasta
* To laugh
* To dance
* To flip (do gymnastics)
* Books

Dislikes
* New people
* Being held when she wants to get down
* Peaches
* Oranges
* Nectarines