It is so bittersweet to see your youngest turn a year. You know that sad feeling you get when on one day your little baby needs you no longer and the next you are beaming with pride because she met like 3 milestones just in that day. That's how watching Baby Cara turn one has been for me. Every time I look at her she has grown a little more. She is doing really well walking and has even started to run some, she still climbs on everything and never stops getting into stuff. She is learning fast how to step up steps, she has been climbing steps on her hands and knees very well for a while now but this week she has been actually picking her feet up and stepping up sometime not even holding on!
At 1 yr she has a pretty good list of words that she says, I would say somewhat comparable to what her sister was saying at a year. Year to date on our word list is kitty, mama, dada, Addie, ball, balloon, Minnie, milk, cheese, boo(for playing peek-a-boo), boo(in reference to Booskers, but mainly she sticks with kitty), bubble, sissy, more, baby, doll, tickle, belly, bye bye, uh oh, star and turtle. Since this list is YTD, I would say that there were about 6 less words that she was saying at her year mark. She will do the sounds for monkey (of course, bc that's what she is), kitty, doggie and pretty much whatever sound we make at her (she copies everything)! She is right on when it comes to mocking us, any sound that we make she will try her best to copy it, even whistling. She adores her big sister and now that she can keep up with her she does! Addie has been into cooking a lot lately and being mommy so Cara does as well. She will take a spoon and a bowl and stir just like Addie! She likes putting things in holes, buckets, Booskers’ water bowl, toilets…. I have always had a feeling that she was going to be the one that put things in the toilet and then she confirmed it…the other day we were at one of our friend’s houses and Cara was following the other girls around (all the while eating a breadstick) when Emily said “the bathroom door is open” as I run in there, to find both little girls in the bathroom and Cara looking in the toilet where she had just dropped her breadstick. Wait, that’s not all did I mention how good of a colorer she is?..... Yep, you guessed it she is ALSO the child that will color on my walls(mark my words.)
Ok so back to the art, really though, Addie didn’t actually start picking up a crayon to color with it until way later, but I was watching Cara color(on paper of course) the other day and what she did with the crayons(each and every one that she picked up) just amazed me. [ A little history- We never taught Addie how to do most things (e.g.- how to hold a writing utensil or eating utensil correctly, how to open the cover to her straw cup) she just did them and did them right] Cara would pick up a crayon in one hand upside down, take her other hand, turn it around and color with the point end of the crayon. Without any prompting, it is just amazing to me that she would know that she is supposed to color with the point end vs the flat end.
She sings whenever we sing or she hears music of any sort, she will sing along, *so sweet* she will also twist and dance along. She loves balls and anything soft, Addie never really cared to much for stuffed animals except Lovey of course(but we all know that Lovey isn’t just a stuffed animal), Cara LOVES all of her stuffed animals! She has Hootie that reigns supreme, but Pearl, Dottie, her heart pillow and pretty much anything else that is soft and lovable will get a little snuggle time with her. Now although she is a SUPER lovable Caraboo, she is not a snuggler I would say she categorizes more as a wiggler. She has the most amazing personality, she is so funny with the way she will cut her eyes and then sneakily do something that she knows she isn’t supposed to do, or if you tell her something she will bend over like you can't see her. She’s my pay back, hands down…but let me clarify that I am in no way shape or form unhappy about that! I love her more than any other Caraboo that has ever crossed my path. She brings me so much joy and I am thrilled that I have a little girl that is so full of fire and spunk!
Both girls are loving the weather lately, being able to go outside and pay on the deck every afternoon with each other has been wonderful for their relationship. It is so awesome to see their bond starting to form so soon! They are so in love with being sisters with each other. It makes a mama happy.
As far as her well visit is concerned, Dr. Wiley's words were "looks like her sister has got a run for her money." So true, Dr. Wiley, so true. Cara weighed 20 lbs .2oz (Addie 20 lbs .6 oz), she was 30 1/4 in tall(Addie 29), with a head circumference of 44.5cm (Addie 45 3/4). Not bad for comparing, huh?
What a wonderful year, Happy Birthday Baby Cara!
