12-14 months

Here are just a few of the things Jackie has started doing in the last 2 months:

• Crawling backwards (her version of the crawl, or scoot, I guess)
• Going from lying on her back to sitting (yes, you read that correctly - most kids can figure it out months sooner, but our little one has taken her time!)
• Pulling up on couches and other objects
• Bending down and picking things up while holding onto something
• Cruising (walking while holding onto furniture)
• Climbing steps

And some things she's "working on" at the moment:

• Brushing her teeth (mommy still has to do a double-check!)
• Putting on shoes and socks
• Using a fork (looks like we may have a lefty on our hands?)
• Combing her hair
• Coloring
• Turning on the TV using the remote control
• Doing puzzles
• Identifying body parts (she's figured out "nose" and "belly" so far)
• Sorting shapes (she can fit them into the holes but has to be shown which hole to use)
• Building Mega Block towers (she tears them down just fine)
• Turning light switches off and on

Mega Blocks

New toys from my birthday!

Jackie has been reveling in her new abilities.  Her idea of the perfect day is to be placed on the couch where the grown-ups are sitting (can't figure out how to climb up yet, unless we put her little toy steps next to it), where she can spend more than an hour crawling back and forth over mommy and daddy's laps, throwing herself onto pillows in hopes that we'll tickle her, standing up against the back cushions, rolling around, lying down and sitting up again, leaning over the arms, and generally grabbing anything she can reach from her perch.  She hardly ever stops moving, but when she does, she loves to pull Mega Blocks apart and put them back together...open the tin holding the coasters, dump them out, and put them back in...rifle through a book...pull tissues out of the box and proceed to tear them into pieces, put a piece in her mouth, then remember she's not supposed to do that and hand it to mommy.....forget that....she's on the move again, back to the other side of the couch!  Are you exhausted yet?  It's not surprising she's thinned out...and she's also getting taller.

My couch!

Jackie decided this month that she was done taking two naps a day, so it's proving to be a little more challenging to fill the time around her one afternoon nap.  Mommy and Jackie have been making good use of the park, the gym, the library, the grocery store, visits with friends, our music class, and whatever other activities we can find.  She is going to bed extra early at the moment (6:30!) to make up for the lost sleep.

I'm jealous

Trying out Mommy's glasses at the park

Lots of falling asleep in the car at the moment

There is a significant amount of whining going on at our house these days.  I think Jackie is starting to realize how much she CAN'T do and is starting to assert some of that toddler independence.  Plus, it kind of stinks when you can't talk....YOU try it for a day (I know Josh couldn't)!  She'll surprise us sometimes with some words she's been saving up: "Hi Da!" (Hi Dad)  "Bye bye Gah!" (Bye bye Uncle Graham) "All done!" (Get me out of this high chair!) "Uh oh!" (You knocked my cup over, Mom!) "Mama no!" (Stop wiping my face off!) and a whole bunch of words we can't figure out yet.  Our new favorite: she has taken to calling Daddy "Josh!"

Snacking with Daddy

Mommy and me

Sneaking a sip of coffee!

All in all, it's a sweet time of life.  We're enjoying seeing more of our girl's personality come out and her awareness of the world.  It's still easy to make her laugh, and we know it won't be this way forever.  Everything she learns is exciting, and we're looking forward to seeing what's next!

My dirndl from Aunt Amanda!

Goodbye, 2012!!

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!  We are ringing in the new year in the comfort of our home, but it's no reason we can't look fantastic!

Happy Birthday, Jackie!

Year one, check!  We are so excited to be celebrating Jackie's first birthday today and thankful for all the friends and family who helped us make it through a very interesting and challenging time in our lives!  It's been humbling to receive so much love from other people.

Jackie's not really a baby anymore, but not quite a toddler...  She has become much more mobile these past two months, and although she doesn't exactly crawl in the traditional sense...she gets around quite quickly these days by scooting herself with her left leg and dragging the right behind her - it requires no tummy time action whatsoever. :)  Dora the Explorer loves to investigate cupboards in the kitchen, doorstops in every room, and the books at the bottom of the bookshelf.  She will occasionally pull herself up on something, but isn't too interested in walking lately.  We acquired a little play mat recently, as you can see from the picture above, and she has been busying herself attempting to climb the stairs - going down is a bit harder, but she can manage to bump her way down from time to time if we sit her up on the stairs.

Dora the Explorer checking out the kitchen

Tearing up tissue - is that a Daddy look or what??

A little climbing

Peeking into the backyard

A new shyness has been emerging - she will often bury her head in mom's neck if a stranger approaches.  Once she gets used to you, however, she can be very sweet and vocal!  She started saying words at 10 months, starting with "mama" (whiny voice), then "dada" (excited voice!), then "bye bye", then "na" (grandma came to visit!), and "ba" (ball), "ba" (book), and "uck" (truck).  It's exciting to hear the beginnings of what I'm sure will be a LOT of chattering.

Bath time!

What?

My favorite perch!

Peekaboo at the airport

Excited face!

Visiting with Grandma Hays

Can't not love this picture :)

Balloon fun

Some fun things about these two months include:

• Finally figured out she can move from room to room - separation anxiety immediately became SO much better!
• After a period of biting when she was giving us kisses, she's figured out what it means to kiss sweetly, and will usually give kisses out when prompted.
• Starting to like stuffed animals - her two teddy bears get LOTS of hugs and attention.
• Pointing at things to get our attention and looking where we're pointing.
• Increased interest in all of her toys - filling her dump truck with blocks and transporting them, looking through books on her own, trying to use her shape sorter (I still have line the piece up for her and she pushes it in).
• Starting to use objects correctly - like "combing" her hair with the comb.
• Playing sweetly with little friends - she enjoys church nursery so much more now and will play and give hugs to our neighbor friend.
• Enjoying music more than ever - whenever I put her CD on, she claps and waves her hands, bounces on her bottom, and smiles big.

Clapping

Peekaboo!

Love my Grandma!

After mauling her bear

My friend Aaron

We had fun celebrating Jackie's birthday today by going out to lunch with friends after church.  She shares her birthday with our friend Donald.

Birthday pic with mommy

Having fun as a family 

Yummy Mediterranean food for lunch

Donald blowing out the candles for the two of them

Birthday kids! (somebody smeared food everywhere and had to strip...thankfully it wasn't Donald!)

We are so grateful for all the support we've received from each one of you this year!  Thanks for being involved in our lives!  Enjoy these pictures from Jackie's cake smash. :)

Birthday girl!

Feeling shy

Ready to eat!

The prize!

This looks good!

My work here is done...

Happy birthday, sweet girl!