Layla: 12 Months Old!

You GUYS.  I have a one year old!  Seriously, where did the time go?  This will be my last "official" monthly update, so I thought I'd throw in some photos from Layla's first birthday party.  We decided on a small gathering, and I am glad we did.  It was such a perfect little day, and I still cannot get over how big my baby is:)

(My little Layla.  She clocked in at 8 lbs., 7 oz. and 20.5 inches.  She came into this world with a crazy set of lungs, and she melted my heart instantly.  I cannot believe how much she's changed!  And everytime I look at this photo, I get a little weepy…)

Layla is: 12 months and 9 days old!

Weight: As of 11/10, Layla is 23 lbs. on the nose.  This still puts her in the 75th percentile.

Height: As of 11/10, she is 31 inches.  

Clothing:  All 18-24 month clothing / size 5 diapers

(Had to share this DELICIOUS cake - a gluten free chocolate strawberry ganache cake.  Worth.Every.Penny.)

Nicknames: (Same as last time!) I have NO idea how this started, but we call her our "little bean", which has also carried over into calling her "Layla Bean".  Honestly, this should have just been her middle name all along.

Health/Diet:  This continues to be such a blast. 

("You want me to wear a bow in my hair?  And tights?  And shoes?  I don't think so, mama…")

* Liquids: Where do I begin?  Well, I am no longer breastfeeding, which has been bittersweet.  Layla was only nursing in the mornings anyway, so I slowly began substituing a bottle at that early feeding just to see what would happen, and we made the transition without any problems.  I do miss it, but at the same time, it's nice to be finished.  We had a successful relationship, and I am proud to say that I nursed for over 11 months.

(I love this close-up.  She's my beautiful little bean!)

Speaking of weaning, Layla is also making the transition to milk.  And right after her birthday, I absolutely lost it when I was unloading the dishwasher and cleaning bottles, because this kid has taken to the "milk in a sippy cup" like a champ.  So, the thought of no more bottles just broke my heart:(  She's just growing up so fast.    So yeah - she's pretty much down to milk, water and a little formula.  

* Solids: If you couldn't already tell, this kid is super flexible, and she will honestly eat anything you put in front of her.  She has 3 solid meals/day and 2 snacks, and right now, she LOVES the quiona/kale/black bean/avocado dish that Mike created.  She also loves going out to eat at restaurants - especially breakfast joints.  She seriously claps whenever a server walks by, because she's THAT excited for her food:)

(Special thanks to my friend Lisa for this adorable sign!  

Sleep:  (Same as last time) Layla takes one long nap during the day (usually 2.5 - 3 hours).  She goes to bed around 7:30 p.m., and usually wakes around 6:00 a.m.  She'll take a quick bottle and go back to sleep for another hour or so.  She's really always been a good sleeper, so I think we're pretty lucky.

(SO EXCITED!)

Milestones:  While I'm not pushing it, she's pretty close to walking and seems a lot more steady on her feet as she cruises around the furniture.  She's also a little parakeet and repeats everything she hears!  It's super cute - current favorite words include "Hi", "Good girl", "Up" when she wants to climb up the stairs, "baby" when she sees her reflection, and "Tickle, tickle" when she tries to tickle our feet:)  However, I have also heard things like, "Patsy" (her friend!), "book", "out" when looking out the window, "sit" (when I tell her to sit down in the tub - she loves to stand.  Her current tooth count is 10!  And she LOVES to give kisses - she even says "MUAH" when she does it.  

(Yep.  We had a wardrobe change.  I just had to get Layla this cute little birthday outfit.  Mike didn't understand why "Layla needed to wear a costume" on her birthday.  Men…)

(CAKE!)

Likes:  Crawling all over, walking along the furniture, sitting in mama's lap and "reading" her books out loud, EATING, face-timing with her grandparents and Aunt Molly, climbing up the stairs, bath time - the list goes on!

Dislikes:  (Same as last time) Sitting still.  This kid needs to move! 

Whew!  It's honestly been the most rewarding, exhilirating, exhausting and terrifying year of my life.  But, I cannot imagine my world without this little lady in it.  We love you, Layla!