What A Year...

After all of the celebrating, Kallie had one more thing on her calendar upon reaching her first birthday - a 12 month checkup. She channeled her inner Jackie O & donned a chic dress & shoes, grabbed her pink purse & sunnies & we headed to the doctor's office.

Everything checked out well at the doc...she weighs 20 lbs 3 oz & measures 29 1/4 in long. All of the dietary restrictions are gone - she can eat any & everything! We can change over to a convertible carseat, give Tylenol for those swollen, irritating gums, & continue my weaning plan. My poor baby had to get 4 shots, which she took worse than any previous ones. She cried pretty hard & it took longer to calm her down. We sat in the room & nursed until she was calm & drifting off to sleep...mean ole shots. :(  We go back to the doctor in January for her 15 month checkup.

I know most parents think their child(ren) is/are smart, but Kallie really is super smart!! I'd say it even if she didn't belong to me! It truly is amazing to watch the things she can do & hear the things she says! She has a very extensive vocab -- "sssuesss" (shoes), "eeeee" (eat), Da, Ma-Ma, hi, bye, yes, plus names she pops out here & there (like Bubba, NeNe, Coco, & parts of her brothers' names). Not only does she know the words, she knows EXACTLY what they mean & when to use them. For example, if we pass her armoire or she crawls to her Daddy's closet or we pass the shoe section in a store, she points & says "sssuesss!" Her poor Daddy better get himself ready, because she is quite the shoe fanatic & already building quite an extensive collection!

Kallie nods (while making faces, which is HILARIOUS!), waves, points, claps, sings, screams, plays games (like peek-a-bo & patty cake), dances, & blows kisses. She speed crawls, cruises around furniture, can stand alone for a few seconds, enjoys rides inside the laundry basket, & thinks her Daddy is a rockstar (he gets quite the greeting upon arrival at home each evening). She also enjoys anything involving her brothers - slapping them on the head, letting them carry her around, crawling in their rooms, playing with/destroying their stuff, letting them (crawl) chase her around, sitting beside them or on their backs - just plain being with them.  So funny watching her interact with them collectively & individually.

And, like the rest of this Bunch, this child can EAT!! She eats just about anything, but her faves are fruit & meat. Strawberries, watermelon, & grapes are a big hit. She also loves chicken, ground beef, fish, & smoked sausage. Goldfish, pretzels, popcorn, & water cups are also high on the list. She still LOVES to nurse (did I mention my weaning plan yet?!...did I beg you to pray for that success??), but she enjoys meals & snacks in her high chair. If she doesn't like or want something, she promptly drops it over the side to the floor. There's always a nice mess after we eat.

There is NEVER a dull (or quiet) moment with this little ball of energy around. It's still hard to believe we have a girl. It's even harder to believe that she's already a year old. Here's a little trip down memory lane...Kallie's first year in review!

 

What a year. What a girl.