Pearls and Perfection Problems: 12 Months Old

How Old: Twelve Months
Weight: 18lbs 6oz (around the 10th percentile)
Length: 29 1/4 in (around the 50th percentile)
Head: 18 in (around the 70th percentile)
Clothes: She is in all 12 month clothes, but pushing to 18 months!! We are buying 18 months for Christmas. She also got her first pair of true walking shoes where she was fitted. She is in a size 4 shoe, but she is wearing one pair that are 4 1/2 size. She is in size 3 diapers, but the next box I am buying a 4.
Sleep: Sleep has been heavenly this past month!!! We decided after our last "summer/early fall trip" that we would try sleep training her again. I still rock her before bed and naps, and she is out within 2 to 3 songs typically. The hard part was her waking in the middle of the night. So this anti-cry it out mama decided at 11 months to let her cry it out during her middle of the night wakes. The first night was HARD!! I watched her on the monitor and prayed for her constantly those first 10 minutes or so. Then I finally told Daniel we had to pray together for her to relax, feel comfort, and know that we love her. We also prayed seeking advice to make sure we were doing the right thing. That made it so much better and after 34 LONG minutes, she was asleep on her own. (Just a side note... she was not hysterically crying or I would have been in there after 3 minutes. She was crying a few minutes, and then playing around with blankie/paci/bear a few minutes. It was off and on crying.) The next night when she woke it took 14 minutes for her to soothe herself back to sleep. We prayed again during that wake time. The third night... she slept all the way through!!! Hallelujah, Praise Jesus! (And I am not saying that lightly... we really were praising Jesus because we had prayed so hard for this transition to be easy on her.) Since the last week in September she has been sleeping through the night without waking 90% of the time and when she does wake she is back asleep within minutes on her own!! Naps have been great lately too. We did have one rocky week right after she started sleeping through the night where she wanted to shorten her naps. She was not used to that much sleep I guess. But this only lasted for a short time. She typically takes 2 naps a day each 1 and 1/2 hours.
Food: This was a big month! She is currently fully weaned off of nursing. I started at the beginning of October replacing one nursing a week with whole milk. I first weaned the 3:30pm time, then the 11am. The week before her birthday I replaced the one before bed with whole milk, and her very last time nursing was the day after her birthday. She now takes 4 bottles a day with 5 oz of whole milk. We are hoping to transition to only sippy cups within the next month. She eats 3 meals a day and a few snacks a day. She is really eating any food we eat now. The only foods we haven't tried are shell fish, nut products, and honey. Her favorites right now are grapes, cheese, bread, spaghetti, chicken, applesauce, salmon, and peas. She will not touch eggs or turkey right now. She also drinks water throughout the day whenever she wants it.
Here is her schedule give or take 30 minutes.

6:30 Wake/Bottle

7:30 Oatmeal/Fruit

9:00 - 10:30 Nap

11:00 Bottle

12:00 Table Food

2:00 - 3:30 Nap

3:30 Bottle/Snack

5:30 Table Food

7:00 Bath/Stories/Bottle/Bedtime by 7:30ish

Emersyn's Firsts:

- New Words: Lilly (her friend), Gran Gran (doesn't say it exact but makes the "g" sound when we see her), MiMi (again doesn't say it exact... it almost sounds like mama)
- Drinking only whole milk
- Sleeping through the night consistently
- Walking
- Drinking from a straw sippy cup
- Got her first pair of "walking shoes"
- Shakes head "yes" or "no" to let us know what she wants
- She basically understands most of all we are saying to her now... even when we think she is not listening :)
- Some new commands she has learned to follow:
    "crank the lawnmower" on her toy one and she knows "give it some gas"
pick up or put up (she can remember where lots of things belong)
   "comb your hair" and she will get my big brush and put on her head
   "chew it up" she will make a chewing sound
   "let's have a tea party" and she will use her play tea pot to pretend to pour tea in a cup
     Anything we ask her to get for us, she will bring it to us
- Teeth: 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom
Emersyn Loves: Cuddles and kisses in the morning, reading books, her bottles, Minnie Mouse, her baby dolls, carrying bags on her arm like pocket books, pushing her lawnmower, playing with her kitchen, riding in her Little Tikes car, children and her friends, going places, being held when she first wakes from naps, TV, remotes, cell phones, visiting family, pretending to ride the rocky horse, her rocking chair, playing peek a boo, playing with her tea set, bath time, going to the library, her cousins
Emersyn Dislikes: getting in her car seat (this is very new) but once she is buckled she is happy to ride, laying on the changing table for diaper change (again this is new), getting her teeth brushed, having her face washed
Emersyn is Learning to: Walk steadily, follow one step directions, pick out objects that we ask for, help take her shirt off, help by getting her arms in and out of the car seat straps, drink from a straw, identify lots of objects, understand right from wrong... she will shake her head no when she goes up to things she knows are off limits (ex. fireplace)
Mommy's Favorite Thing: My favorite thing this month was watching your understanding and comprehension of what people are saying to you explode!! You are picking up so many new things everyday and it is a joy to watch you learn. I also had a blast celebrating your first birthday with you, and although it saddens me that your first year has come and gone, I am thrilled that you are a happy, healthy, friendly, and thriving little one year old now. (Pictures to come of her birthday).
Daddy's Favorite Thing: Daddy says, "I love making coffee together in the mornings, even though Mommy won't let you drink any. I love watching you play with your friends and cousins. I also love how you light up when I get home and how you give me the sweetest smiles, hugs, and waves while blowing kisses. It's also fun going to check the mail together and seeing your face light up when there is mail inside the box."

Twelve Month Sticker Shots