12 Months of Kinley

I really wish I could've prolonged this day, but alas, it has arrived.  Way too soon for me!  Our sweet little girl is a year old.  I can hardly believe it.  On one hand, it seems like just yesterday that I was laying in a hospital bed, waiting to see her sweet face for the first time.  On the other, I have tried to savor every little moment between then and now, because they are gone way too quickly.

This little girl brings so much joy to our lives, I can't even put it into words.  John and I talk all the time, before we fall asleep, about how much we just love having her here.  We had a great life together before, and I didn't feel like we were missing anything.  Of course, we wanted to have kids, but we both came to realize that if it wasn't meant to be, we would be happy with our life together.  Now that we have Kinley, we just can't imagine going back to life before her.

She's not quite walking yet, which probably bothers me a little more than it should.  All of the kids at her babysitter have been walking for a while (including the little boy who is only 10 days older than Kinley).  I know there isn't anything wrong with her.  She pulls up, and walks along the furniture and walls.  She just hasn't quite found her confidence to take those steps on her own.  Kinley has always been pretty laid back, and is just content to sit back and watch what is going on.  I know that once she gets the hang of it, she'll take off.  She's just not ready.

Other than that, she is doing great, and developing just how she should.  I didn't want to do her doctor appointment before her party, because she will be getting 4 shots.  We scheduled it for next Monday, but our Dr. office called and said Dr. Flanagan would be going on vacation that week, so we had to reschedule for April 23.  That will only be one week before our ENT appointment.  We're hoping for clear ears!

Here is a snapshot of Kinley at 1 year:

**She is wearing 9 month clothes.  There are a few 6-9 month things that still fit, but I'm trying to get them all put away

**We are still in size 3 diapers, and I imagine we will be for a while.  We are still doing Huggies overnights, and haven't had any leaking problems at all.

**We are still doing a small bottle in the morning and at bedtime, but we only have a little bit of formula left, and then that's it.  Most of the bottles have already been washed and put away.

**She is accepting milk just fine.  She doesn't drink from a cup as well as a bottle, but I don't think it will take long for her to get the hang of it.

**She is trying new foods all the time, and is a pretty good eater.  Even if she doesn't take to something right away, sometimes if I keep trying, she will accept it.  Sometimes.

**She has all 8 teeth in front, and molars are on their way.  I don't think they're going to be fun.  We've already had some nights where she has woken up crying, and that's the only thing I can think of that might be wrong.

**She is starting to recognize more people.  Of course mommy and daddy are most recognizable, but she LOVES Gran and it doesn't take her any time at all to warm up to her.  She has started recognizing Uncle Todd pretty quickly, too.

**She is still a great sleeper, when molars aren't making their way in.  She sleeps between 10 and 12 hours at night, and takes 2 naps during the day.  If she goes to bed later than normal, she almost always sleeps late the next morning.  That makes for nice weekends for us!

I'm sure there are more things that I'm forgetting, but those are the highlights.  She is an amazing baby, and we are so blessed that she is ours!

We love you, Kinley Grace!  Your first year has been so incredible, and I can't wait for all the years to follow!!