Happy 1st Birthday, Evelyn!

Today you are one.  I am in disbelief as I write that, because I can't believe that an entire year has passed since you were born.  All day today, I remembered back to what we were doing a year ago...all the way up to 3:52pm, when you made your grand entrance into this scary world!  Your twelfth month of life was another filled with many firsts.  It seems like every day you are trying new things and making us laugh at how cute you are.  This month you have really started cruising around the furniture and getting places you want to be.  You can be a little sneaky when you crawl around, as you sometimes wait for us to stop paying attention then head towards the things you are figuring out you are not supposed to be into!  Your favorite "off limits" places include the fireplace, the two end tables in the living room (they have fun handles and cords, and Daddy's iPad), the china hutch, and the wine rack.  Mommy took the handles off of the cabinets on the china hutch to keep you from getting into them, but you figured out if you open the drawers you can still get into them.  You get a little dramatic when you get thumped for doing something you aren't supposed to be doing, but you are definitely starting to understand what "no" means, even when you don't always respond!  You also finally got your first teeth this month!  You got your two central incisors on the bottom within a couple of days of each other.  You really don't like us putting our fingers in your mouth to look, but if we get you laughing you will show us!  You are playing with your jumparoo and exersaucer less and less these days, which reminds us of how big you are getting.  You don't have time for these contraptions that keep you in one place - you want to move!  You have started climbing the stairs from bottom to top all by yourself.  Mommy and Daddy will stay behind you because you haven't figured out that you can't turn around and look back without falling yet.  You are getting good at sliding back down on your belly, too!  You still love bath time and splashing Daddy.  You pretty much weaned yourself from bottles in the last few weeks, and we are starting to try milk in the sippy cup.  You aren't a huge fan of milk, yet.  You would rather drink water.  You will refuse to drink when you know it's milk in the cup, then as soon as we give you water you will drink so fast that you make yourself choke.  We started putting just a little bit of milk in your cup with the rest water, and that seems to be working.  You are starting to eat more and more table food, and love to try new things.  You had to go see the urologist again this month, and now you have to take antibiotics every day to keep the infections from coming back into your urinary system.  Hopefully these will work!  You are definitely starting to talk more.  You aren't saying any words clearly, yet, but you are definitely communicating with us.  You can tell us when you want your pluggie, when you are done eating, and when you are thirsty.  You also wave "bye-bye" every time you are done with something.  You are babbling like crazy, Mommy's favorite is when you say "wow".  You also say "nana" every morning when you are waiting for your banana.  It's so much fun to watch you grow and become a little person.  We love you so much and wish you many more years of fun and learning.  May you sense that there is a Lover of your soul who deeply cares for you and desires for you to know Him.  Happy Birthday, sweet girl!