Annaliese at 1

Annaliese loves taking a bath!

Annaliese is getting a lot better at walking and she just loves to walk around the house, picking up things and carrying them to another location. She knows a few signs: more, all done, water, I love you (blows kisses) and waves for hi and bye-bye. She can identify all of the following body parts: head, hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, cheeks, shoulders, arms, elbow, tummy, feet, toes (I guess we're just missing legs & knees - those just happen to not be in her "Your Baby Can Read Books & DVD's... can you tell that I'm a proud mama??) Although she babbles constantly throughout the day, the words that we can definitely understand so far are Ma-ma, Da-da, and Ball, but she's also working on Na-na (for Nannie Pie or could be Banana and Ji-ji for Ji Hae - her Korean big sister who lives with us). She is also gradually learning what "No!" means and how to test those limits!

She is no longer the chunky baby that she used to be - kinda sad :( because she is growing longer and losing her baby rolls. She is now in the 20th percentile for weight at 19 lb and 4 oz and 75th percentile for height at 29.75 inches. She still takes 2 naps a day and sleeps for about 11 1/2 hours a night. She drinks 4 bottles of whole milk a day (4-6 oz each) and eats most of what we eat (in little chunks). One of her favorite foods that is funny is frozen peas - she doesn't like them when they are thawed out or warm!

Like most kids these days, she loves screens, buttons and lights, although we try to limit her watching videos and save Sesame Street as a treat when visiting at Nannie Pie's house. She adores our cats, even though she doesn't always know how to pet them gently or make them come back to her. Being outside is another favorite activity as well. She loves to read books... fast!... and lets you know by turning the pages quickly or pushing a particular book away if it is not the one she wants.

Her little personality is coming through more and more each day. She is not a big fan of crowds, but loves to be the center of attention and slowly warms up to people, especially those who have Cheerios or a set of keys in their hands. She loves to breathe fast when she's excited (which is often) and wave both of her hands in the air. She is sometimes a little jealous of others, but we're working on that too. It is so funny to me that she has opinions about so many things already - where she wants to go, what she wants to do and eat! As you can tell, we are having a ball with her and being a parent is one of the most amazing God-given gifts on earth. I can't believe it has already been 1 year.