Emerson's 12 Month Update!

There's no time to do a 12 month update like when your child is already 13 months (and counting), am I right?! Ya'll, life has been crazy busy and just a whirlwind since Emerson turned a year old and I just haven't had the time to sit down and write this thing. But I refuse to not finish something I started, so I'm going to write her 12 month update even if it's a little late! I still can't believe my baby girl is a year old, but we've loved every minute of having her as a part of our family. She adds a whole new dynamic now that she's talking and taking steps. Her little personality is just exploding. While saying goodbye to the baby stage is sad, I am loving the beginning of the toddler stage with Emerson.

Height and Weight: Unfortunately, Emerson has been sick for a good bit of the time she's been a year old. The past few weeks have been rough for her -- croup, ear infection, upset tummy, cutting teeth -- you name it! Due to not feeling great, she wasn't eating much at the time of her 12 month check and was having diarrhea every day for almost 2 weeks. She lost weight and really hadn't gained much at all since her 9 month appointment. She also started crawling right at 9 months, so that didn't help anything in the weight gain department. Emerson definitely seems to be on the mend now and is finally eating normally again. All that to say, her weight is on the low side, but it's not too surprising when you factor all that in. Emerson weighed 17 lbs. 3 oz. (20th percentile) at her 12 month check and was 29 and 1/4 inches tall (50th percentile). She had only gained half a pound since her 9 month check, but had grown 3 inches, so we were happy about that! Emerson was weighed again two weeks later and was up to 17 lbs. 9 oz., so it was good to see she had already gained almost half a pound back in two weeks. Our girl is still petite and she always has been. While I can worry about her weight sometimes, I know that she is a happy and healthy little girl. Considering she was born at 5 lbs. 8 oz. and 18.5 inches tall, I am thrilled to see the progress she has made this year!

                                  Her swing face!

Sleeping: Again, Emerson has been sick, so her sleeping has been a little off. Overall, she's a good sleeper and almost always sleeps through the night. Once in a while, she will wake up once during the night. She typically takes 2 naps, but there are days where she has only taken one recently. I am not ready for her to give up that second nap yet! You can tell that Emerson enjoys her sleep much more than Grayson ever did. She is definitely a sleeper and enjoys her naps and bedtime. Once in a while, she will put up a fight, but she usually hardly makes a peep and puts herself right to sleep once we lay her down. She knows the word "night night", so we tell her she's about to go "night night" and sometimes she will fuss, but she is definitely understanding what that means at this point! She went through a phase a few weeks back where she was fighting sleep more especially at bedtime and that was tough. Thankfully, it seems like it was just a phase because she is back to sleeping well! Emerson loves to sleep with stuffed animals and blankets. She sleeps with her life size Mickey Mouse every night! 

Eating: Like I've mentioned, Emerson's eating has been all over the board lately due to sickness and just not feeling great. I had planned for her to be fully weaned at this point, but it actually kind of came in handy that she wasn't. She really wasn't eating much at all, but was still wanting to nurse, so I was able to get something in her and keep her hydrated. I am still nursing as of right now. I am nursing her in the morning when she wakes up and right before bed. Just in the past week, we've cut out any daytime feedings and she's doing pretty well with it. Unfortunately, she's not the biggest fan of whole milk. She likes it, but after a few sips, she's moved on. I've just been trying to feed her more solids and keep her full, so that she isn't wanting to nurse at all during the day. It's funny how each child is different and how weaning Emerson is such a different experience than it was with Grayson. She will tug on my shirt when she wants to nurse and knows exactly what "milk" means. If she's crying and I offer her "milk", she immediately stops! Of course, this was right around the 12 month mark. Now we aren't mentioning mama's milk to her. ;) She likes to drink watered down juice out of a sippy cup. While Emerson has always been a pretty good eater, she is definitely getting more selective about what she wants and she knows exactly what the "good stuff" or I should say the "junk food" is. Emerson still likes fruit (strawberries, apples, mandarin oranges, and blueberries are her favs) and any type of cracker or puff. She likes lunch meat like turkey & ham, hot dogs with ketchup, chicken, and meatballs. She also likes anything with bread and carbs like pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pancakes, beans and rice. Emerson loves to eat whatever Grayson is eating! That's how I can get her to eat a lot of things. Once she realizes that Grayson is eating it too, she all about it! Although that also means she's eaten things that a 12 month old doesn't typically have because big brother is eating it and she's upset she's left out. Emerson eats a lot more "kid food" than Grayson did at this age. Grayson still ate purees sometimes, but Emerson has been eating regular food for a while now. Emerson is getting more independent with eating and really likes to feed herself. Sometimes she won't take something from me, but will eat it if she can pick it up herself. She loves to hold a fork with food already on it and "feed" herself. She lights up when I tell her to "do it herself" and I can get a few more bites in her that way. I have to remind myself that she's tiny because while she does eat fairly often, she eats very small portions.

              Emerson is a grump when she wakes up! 

Milestones: Emerson has started taking steps! That's definitely the biggest milestone of the month. She was about 12.5 months when she started and now she's taking steps every day. The difference between Emerson and Grayson when it comes to mobility is so funny to me. Grayson walked really early (10 months) and once he got a taste of it, he was off! Emerson has taken steps randomly for weeks now, but still prefers to crawl. She will take a few steps then immediately sit down or crawl off. I assumed she would be walking closer to full time after she stated taking steps, but it's definitely more of a process for her! Grayson just went for it, so he did fall a lot more, but he walked much sooner. Emerson is much more cautious and less confident. You can tell she prefers not to fall and doesn't really want to do it unless she feels confident about it. She is much more reserved in that way. Emerson is also much more chatty this month and says a lot of words! I can tell she is understanding so much! She says, "Mama", "Dada", and "Gray Gray" when she first sees us or when she wants us to pick her up. She gets so excited when I tell her we are going to get "Gray Gray" from school and says his name the whole drive. She will say "Thank you" when you give her an object or when she hands you something. She says "ball" or something more like "Ba!" every time she sees a ball. She says "bye bye" and waves when we are leaving somewhere or when someone else is leaving. Every time Josh picks up his work bag, she immediately tells him "bye bye" because she knows he's about to leave. She also says "bye bye" when she crawls away and it's the cutest thing. In a lot of ways, she much less verbal and interactive than Grayson was at this age, but when she does stuff like that, I know she's picking up on things and that she's smart! She isn't always super clear when speaking, but she copies sounds and syllables well. Her favorite word is "baby". She says it non-stop about any type of stuffed animal. She also recognizes Mickey Mouse and puppies and tries to say those words. In the end, it sounds similar to "baby", but I know she knows the difference because she says it anytime she sees Mickey Mouse (stuffed animal, on tv, on the wipes box, in a store) and a puppy (on tv, Cedric, outside on a walk). You can tell she gets so excited when she knows what something is called! One of her favorite words is "all done". She says it when she's done with her meal and wants to get out of her high chair and pretty much says it all day long when she doesn't want to do something anymore! Ha. She doesn't like having her diaper changed, but at the end, she smiles so big when I say "all" and she says "done!". She is really starting to understand what it means. Emerson is starting to learn different body parts and will point to her "head" and her "feet". She also gives me her feet when it's time to put on her shoes. We are working on "nose" and "belly" and she occasionally gets those right. Emerson understands questions and will shake her head "no" or tell us "yeah!" in response to what we ask. She is really starting to understand what we are asking her.

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She loves to play with big brother's toys while he's at school! 

Teeth: Emerson has 2 new teeth this month! They came through in the last few weeks, so technically she got them at 13 months. I was kind of shocked to see them only because she was so miserable with croup and the ear infection that I couldn't believe she cut two teeth that same week. It definitely explains why she was so miserable! I'm glad that's all over and she's now up to 8 teeth!

She climbed to the top of the Chick-Fil-A playground by herself! And then just sat there! Ha. 

Clothes: Emerson is in a lot of 12 month clothing! She wears 12 month pants and I'll put her in smaller pants if I want her to have more of a shorter legging look. Her waist is tiny, so she can still fit in 6-9 or 9-12 month pants, but of course they are short on her because her legs are longer and slimmer. Emerson can wear 12 month tops, but she definitely has growing room. She can wear 9-12 month tops and they still fit well. And of course, she can wear like a 6 month onesie! Ha. I try not to put her in those often, but she can fit in most onesie's no matter how small! Emerson wears a size 3 shoe which is funny to me since she's so petite.

                           Drinking milk together!

Mood: Our sweet little Emerson has been quite the fire cracker this month! The sassy, feisty, and moody levels have definitely been high! Emerson can be very emotional and sensitive. She gets her feelings hurt easily and isn't the most tough when she falls or if Grayson (or another child) messes with her. She will burst into tears even if that child isn't doing anything to actually hurt her and is only touching her. I only say that because Grayson would fall, get right back up, and keep going. Emerson will just sit and cry till mommy comes and comforts her! Haha. It's fun to see the differences though and honestly, I love that she's a mama's girl who loves to snuggle and has such a sweet nature (most of the time). Emerson is especially sassy towards Grayson, but even mommy and daddy lately. If she doesn't get her way, she will show her frustration with all of us! She will still smack Grayson if he messes with her (which we are getting on to her about), but she also loves him to death. She thinks he's the funniest person and while they fight over the same toy, she always gravitates towards her big brother and wants to do exactly what he's doing with him. They are constantly giggling together! She has been wanting daddy more which is a nice break for me, but ultimately, she wants mama for most things. Emerson does get super excited and screams "Dada!" when he comes home from work and she immediately goes to him to get her hug. She loves to cuddle with daddy and especially sit in his lap while he works on the computer. She is much more friendly, independent, curious, and adventurous these days. She will let me put her down more and she wants to explore and get into everything. She is extremely mobile and quick. She crawls crazy fast, climbs up everything, and is constantly standing by herself without holding on to anything. Her favorite thing is to climb on top of tables and chairs and then stand up by herself! You would never think it, but she's actually much more of a daredevil than Grayson was at this age. She will climb anything and do it well! Emerson has started waving at strangers and being more outgoing. She loves to tell everyone "bye bye!" while waving and grinning. But she also has a shy side and will burrow into mommy if someone comes too close. She doesn't like being left by mama, but she is getting over it much quicker and has been having a great time in the nursery on Sunday's. Overall, she's still a little sweetheart who loves to snuggle and be held. She smiles all the time and her little personality is ever-growing right now!

                Climbing anything and everything! 

Loves: Emerson loves anything sweet and is very good at spotting the goodies in our house and whining until we share with her. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and lights up when it comes on. She loves to dance and clap, loves music, and loves to be outside. She loves to be with her big brother and wants to be a big girl too and do whatever he does! She loves to play peek-a-boo and has started hiding behind her hands and loves to open and close the closet door playing peek-a-boo with Grayson. She is liking Cedric a lot more these days! She loves when I chase her and she just giggles and giggles and she tries to crawl away from me at lightening speed. Emerson absolutely loves any blanket or stuffed animal or lovey. She is constantly carrying one around. She doesn't have a specific one, but will carry as many as she can hold. She calls them all her "babies". She loves to climb the fireplace (and play inside it) and climb into and on top of her little chairs, as well as, the side tables next to the couch. If you aren't looking, she will climb right on top of the side tables and stand up! Emerson loves to play the piano and splash in the tub (making a monsoon with Grayson is a highlight of her evening). She loves to play with Grayson's toys and especially his little race cars. She also loves to ride his 4 wheeler outside toy and all of his other big outside toys. She can go backwards in them all on her own until she hits a wall! Ha. She hasn't figured out how to go forwards yet. Emerson always wants what Grayson has or what we have. She is definitely in that "gimme" stage and gets upset if we don't comply. Ha. She loves remotes and is constantly playing with ours. She knows which ones actually work and gets mad if we give her the ones that don't. She wants the real thing! Emerson has recently started to really enjoy reading books and the touch and feel kind are her favorite. She loves to turn the pages and even reads (flips the pages and looks at the pictures) in the car while riding. Emerson loves to swing at the park and play in the dirt. She wants to be right there with big brother getting dirty on the ground. She is not phased by the concrete and will crawl as far as you will let her on her knees. Her legs are already covered with bumps and scrapes because she refuses to walk...even on the concrete! Emerson is such a little helper these days! She loves to help me unload the dishwasher by handing me every piece of silver wear individually. I tell her "thank you" when she hands everything to me and she says "thank you" right back. It's so sweet to see her light up while helping! She also loves to hand me clothes while folding laundry. Emerson can climb stairs like a champ, but her favorite thing to do is hang out at the bottom of the stair case and play with the baby gate!

                     Grayson feeding his baby sister!

Emerson's First Birthday & Reflections: Emerson had a wonderful first birthday! We had a really fun day celebrating the birthday girl at a local park and lake area with friends and family. Her birthday party theme was "One in a Melon" and we had slices of watermelon and watermelon themed cupcakes to go along with that. It was a fun time even though she cried during her smash cake! Both my kids have burst into tears during the singing and cake time at their 1st birthday parties. I have no idea why that is, but she wasn't having it! It does make for funny memories though. Emerson also got her ears pierced for her first birthday. I've always wanted to get them done and am really glad that it worked out so well to do it for her first birthday. The timing was perfect (she doesn't mess with them or even know they are there) and they look adorable. I felt so emotional leading up to Emerson turning 1, but now that we are here, I'm loving this new phase of life! Emerson has changed so much even just recently and she looks like such a big girl now instead of a baby. Two toddlers definitely has it's challenges, but it's also really fun! They are really starting to play together and have that sibling bond and it's such a satisfying thing to see after working so hard to get to this point. I am proud to say that I've survived the first year with two kids only 19.5 months apart. It was such an emotional year -- so many highs while also being one of the most challenging and exhausting years of my life. These kids may have driven me to the brink of insanity at times, but they have given me more joy, fulfillment, and gratitude than ever before. I am so thankful I get to be their mom and that I get the privilege of spending my days with them. I have grown so much in who I am as a person by being their mom and I can 100% say that they make me better and happier than ever before. I am looking forward to all that life has to bring in the next few months as we enter the holiday season with our two toddlers! I plan on writing a 15 month update on Emerson and a 3 year (sniff sniff) update on Grayson in the next few months, so stay tuned!

Grayson's 12 Month Update!

Grayson is officially a year old! What an amazing year it's been. I can't believe we are entering into toddlerhood! I can say that this month was completely different than previous months and I could really see Grayson changing and coming into a whole new phase of life. Every age is fun, but he is at an especially fun age right now! And I am getting my workout in chasing after him, as he is into everything. This is the last monthly update I plan on doing until he is 18 months old. Sad, but I'm so happy to have documented these last 12 months in such detail. I already love looking back on them! We survived the first year -- and our child is happy, healthy, and extremely loved -- we did it!

Height & Weight: Grayson went to the pediatrician recently, so we have some up-to-date measurements! Grayson is 30 inches tall (57th percentile) and 21 lbs. 11.7 oz. (33rd percentile). He has gained weight (2 lbs.) and grown (1 inch) since his last appointment, so that's always encouraging to see! Since Grayson can be a fussy eater, I sometimes I worry about this weight, but he is a healthy and growing child! :)

Breastfeeding: The biggest adjustment with feeding this month is that Grayson is no longer breastfed and is strictly a whole milk drinker. At the beginning of the month, we were going to try out whole milk and slowly transition him. Well, the boy loves whole milk. He took to it immediately and would literally chug it out of his straw sippy cup. We went from 3 breast milk feedings a day to 1 nighttime feeding very quickly. He really had no interest in me (as far as breastfeeding) during the day and was completely content with his whole milk. Luckily, he also really loves his straw sippy cups, so I believe that has helped a lot. The only breast milk feeding left was the 1 during the night. I felt like I had tried everything and we just couldn't cut it. At that point, I was only feeding him once every 24 hours though, so my supply had really dropped. We went out of town for Christmas and Grayson slept through the night (hallelujah!), so I decided that was the night to end it. He didn't breastfeed that night and I wasn't going to start up again after 48 hours without breast milk (assuming he would want to feed the next night). I will say the transition hasn't been nearly as rough as I thought it would be! There have been a few nights that were tough, but now he will take a sippy cup of milk or water during the night. He's also slept through the night more often recently, so that definitely helps! For more details on ending my breastfeeding journey, click on the link below!
http://brittanyhgale.blogspot.com/2015/12/i-make-milk-whats-your-superpower.html

Feeding: As far as regular food goes, he cut back on eating as many solids this month. Not exactly sure why (I do think he's getting his molars), but he just hasn't been eating as much and has been a little more picky. Grayson has never been the best eater and while that can be frustrating, I always tell myself that he is growing and healthy, so that's all that matters. He still prefers to be spoon-fed purees and isn't the biggest fan of texture. He will typically just spit it out if there's much texture! This makes me laugh because for months Grayson wouldn't open his mouth for a spoon. He wanted to be independent and do it himself, but he was a little too young at the time. Now that he finally spoon- feeds well, he won't do anything else! Oh sweet child of mine ;) He does okay with finger foods and generally does like being spoon-fed table food. He usually wants and is really interested in what mom and dad are eating! As far as self-feeding and finger food goes, I don't think it's that he doesn't know how to pick things up and feed himself as much as he just doesn't want to. If you give him something sweet and put it on his plate, he will pick it up and feed himself with no problem. If you give him anything else, he plays with it and then throws it on the floor. We are still working on self-feeding and eating more regular food by himself, but I'm trying not to stress over it. He always gets around to doing everything eventually -- just in his own time and his own way! The few finger foods he enjoys are shredded cheese, puffs, eggs, yogurt melts, and crackers. He has begun feeding himself with a spoon on his own. This process is very messy and he doesn't always get a lot in his mouth, but he's doing really well with it. He always says "mmmm!" after every bite :) His current favorite foods are yogurt, peanut butter, bananas, cheese, chicken, pasta, hummus, avocado, and whole milk! Grayson eats 3 meals a day and maybe a small snack. He seems to do well when you offer him something small every few hours as opposed to 3 large meals...his tummy is still tiny!

Sleeping: Sleep has been a game changer this month! Grayson was still getting up once a night for the most part after I stopped breastfeeding (something that he has done consistently for months). We were offering him water or whole milk, rocking him, and then putting him back to sleep. Within a week or two, he started sleeping through the night!!! I've waited a whole year to be able to say that! He started off sleeping from like 830pm-630am without waking and recently has been sleeping from 9p-8a without waking, which is just about perfect. We've also had a few very busy weeks, so I know he's exhausted! He is also walking full-time now which I know wears him out. He is literally moving every second of the day that he is awake. I can barely pin him down for a diaper change or a meal. I'm sure this is contributing to him being exhausted at the end of each day and sleeping much harder. His nap schedule is all over the place which is one of the new changes I was referring to. Our schedule has been so out of whack because of the holidays, but he also just hasn't been napping as much. If it means that he sleeps better at night, I'm all for it! He rarely takes 2 naps a day and is down to 1 nap a day at this point. And this nap isn't terribly long. Maybe 2 hours max. Grayson recently learned how to stand up in his crib, so that's been somewhat of a challenge. We immediately lowered his mattress, but he can still stand and wants to play instead of sleep. He is so very distracted at this age, so nap time is a lot more challenging. He rarely even sleeps in the car which used to always put him out. Some days, I just put him down in his crib and he has "quiet time" for a while instead of napping. He loves his sippy cup and will just lay there drinking his water and relaxing for like 30 minutes. I'll think he's asleep and go in there and he's wide awake with his cup, but he is still getting some down time in. I'll be interested to see what his new schedule will look like, but I have a feeling we are in the process of transitioning to 1 afternoon nap a day! 

Clothes: Grayson is now in a size 5 diaper and size 12 month clothing. He is right on target with clothes and can even wear some 9 month pants -- the poor thing has short legs! I love dressing him up in little boy clothes though. The clothes are getting cuter and cuter as he gets older.

Mood: Grayson is just so silly these days...I absolutely love it! Josh and I were talking about how fun it is that he is starting to understand when things are funny or silly. We can joke around with him and play with him more which I love! He is so sweet -- gives lots of kisses and hugs, has started to willingly cuddle with you, loves to constantly babble and talk, enjoys exploring and is always into something -- curious about everything and anything (washing machine, vacuum cleaner, toilets, trash cans, dog food and water bowls, and plungers included), super smart, and very determined and stubborn. He still belly laughs like crazy and is full of so much personality and life! I think this has been one of my favorite parts of this year -- I love seeing his personality develop! I see certain parts of Josh and me, but he's also his own little person! Overall, he's a wonderful little boy and we are so thankful for all that he adds to our lives!

Teeth: Grayson still has 8 teeth, but he's been drooling a lot lately which is very unlike him, so I think he's working on those one year molars!

Milestones: Grayson is now pulling up and walking like a pro! He is extremely quick and is across a room in seconds. He is walking full-time now and rarely "crawls". As of a month ago, he could walk and army crawl, but he couldn't really pull up and transition well. Backwards order, I know. Now, he pulls up on everything quickly, goes from laying down to standing, and laying down to sitting. Once he discovered that using his knees was helpful, he began pulling up really well. He doesn't sit still anymore and I have to watch him like a hawk. Mobility has taken on a whole new meaning! I have literally lost him in our house. He walks away and I can't figure out what room he is in. We are entering a whole new world (one that may include baby gates very soon)! But it's also very fun to see him reach this milestone and it also gives my arms a break! He walks in public a lot now instead of being carried.

Loves: giving high 5's, dancing, anything musical, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Patty cake songs, animals, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, playing catch with a ball, being outside, playing the drums, anything do to with technology -- phones, remotes, and keys. Grayson isn't very interested in toys at this point and is much more interested in things he shouldn't be playing with. It's like he just knows what's dangerous -- the joys of having a little boy! He's rough, tough, likes to get dirty, and doesn't understand the concept of "gentle". He's not one to sit still and focus on something. He's always on the go! Grayson has recently being more interested in books which is really exciting! He has so many books, but never had enough patience to read them with me until recently. Grayson continues to love other kids! He especially gravitates toward older children and has a blast with our youth group. If he sees a child in public, he squeals with excitement! 

Things I want to remember:

-Meeting Santa -- Grayson absolutely hated meeting Santa which I completely expected! I felt terrible putting him into this random man's arms when he was clutching on to me for dear life, but it sure made for a funny photo! He was very interested in Santa from afar, but once we got close, he wanted no part of it! We also went to a really great Christmas lights display (which was where the Santa was) and he really liked that. Grayson loved all the lights, children, and activities. It was a really fun evening minus the scarring Santa experience! ;) 

-First Christmas -- Grayson's first Christmas was a lot of fun! Although he was almost a year old, he still had no idea what was going on, but it was exciting to start new traditions as a family of 3 this year. His favorite gift was probably his Ninja Turtle sippy cup with a straw -- it's also the "milk cup" and he's obsessed with it. We enjoyed days of celebrating with family, cousins, and church family during the Christmas Eve services. 

-First birthday -- Grayson's first birthday went really well! Of course, it was an emotional day for me, but he had a blast at his party! We had a Winter Onederland themed day for him and I felt accomplished after all the planning and preparation that went into it. I wanted his day to be perfect! We had close friends and family come to celebrate our little 1 year old and it was tons of fun! Although he didn't want anything to do with the cake smash which surprised to me! The ball pit was probably the highlight for most of the kids. Grayson is slowly becoming just one of the kids, as opposed to, the baby being held by mama in the corner. At one point, I looked over and all the kids were having this big battle with all the plastic balls and Grayson was right in there with everyone! He was running around and throwing balls and just grinning from ear to ear! I'm probably going to do a more detailed post on his birthday festivities sometime this month! 

Our lives have changed so much this year! We went from having a tiny, helpless baby to now having an independent toddler with his own personality and a completely different set of needs and wants. I love Grayson more than I could ever put into words and his first year of life has been amazing! Thank you for coming on this journey with me as I've navigated being a first-time mom! I've learned and grown so much this year and I have enjoyed sharing my journey and Grayson's first year with everyone!