Adria is 1 today!

Happy 1st Birthday Adria! Today you have been with our family for one whole year. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. The day you were born was a wonderful day. You were perfect then just like you are now. You were completely helpless and dependant on me. I have done my best to be a good mother to you. In this last year you have grown so fast and learned so many things. You already want to be independent of me in many ways. Just yesterday you learned how to climb into your highchair without my help. You love to sing songs and dance, even if you don’t know the song. Your favorite song is “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and you will clap your hands and shout “hooray!” and put your arms in the air. I love singing that song with you. You are quite the little explorer. If you aren’t pulling out all of the pots and pans, you’re either unrolling another roll of toilet paper (we just can’t seem to keep you out of the bathroom despite our best efforts) or pulling all the books off the shelf until you find one that looks fun. You love reading! It’s so fun to watch you read books, especially because you kiss all the pictures that you like. You also make the doggy sound for every animal except bears (which you growl at – even Winnie the Pooh). You also enjoy coloring. I have to buy a new blank notebook once a month for you because you and Julia fill them up very quickly. It is a very common thing for me to look up and see you sitting at the little Pooh table coloring and babbling to yourself. I think you spend more time at the Pooh table than anywhere else. You also l-o-v-e to eat! And you aren’t very picky. You especially love bananas, peas and pasta. You will never turn those down. Your other favorite food is whatever Daddy is eating. Even things I’m sure you will hate, you will eat from Daddy’s plate. You also have a soft spot for babies. All babies – dolls, kids your age, baby animals, and especially baby Zach. The first word you said consistently was “baby.” You can also say “Zach,” “diaper,” “ba-ba” (for your sippy cup), “Mama,” “bye-bye,” “bubble” and “off.” Have I mentioned your insatiable need to turn lights on and off? You could do that all day long. I have to add though that it’s not all fun. You have only slept through the night 6 times in your entire life. Most of the time now you wake up around 4am and want me to tuck your blankie around you again. (I love walking into your room before I go to bed and just watching you sleep. It looks so peaceful.) You also have a serious fetish for pulling hair. I cannot begin to describe the piles of hair that you have pulled in your life. Mostly from Julia’s poor head. She has bald spots from you, my love! But you also pull hair from me, Daddy, Zach, Tori, Grandma, your aunts, random little girls at church/Sea World/the store, people sitting in front of or behind us in church, any doll that has hair (you try on the ones that don’t have hair), all children at the park, dogs, cats and other places I cannot remember or haven’t seen. Some day you have got to grow out of this! I also should mention your uncanny ability to know when I am taking a shower. You just can’t let a chance to take a bath pass you by. I have given up on showering during your naps because you will wake up. I would also like to mention the uncountable times that I have had to pick up the food that you dump on the floor. You have figured out how to use your feet to take off the tray of your highchair and so as soon as you are done eating, everything goes on the floor. I am very grateful to have you in our lives though, little Adria. I know the day will come quickly that you grow up and leave home, so I will treasure every day with you. I love watching your quick mind learn new things. You want to do everything that Julia does. Your complete adoration for Julia is so sweet. I’m sure that is why you talk so well already and learned to climb and walk at a young age. You can also go up and down slides and stairs without help. You even try to blow bubbles and tickle all of us. You are so smart. I don’t doubt that you have great potential to do good in the world and to go far in life. You bring the Spirit into our home every day with your sweetness. The love I have for you grows constantly. Someday you will understand just how much you mean to me. Happy Birthday Adria. We love you!