Summer fun!

I don't think I ever posted her 12 month pic, so here it is!
It was taken first thing in the morning, so as Christian says,
"She still has sleep on her face."

Cecilia has definitely been enjoying her first summer as a "big girl" since pretty much slept through last summer. Since vacation, we have spent a couple weekends at my parents' house on the river. While we are there we boat, swim, relax, and just enjoy some family time. It is kind of like taking mini-vacations! She is definitely a boat baby; she falls asleep on it all the time! And she is a child that has had to be in her crib (or sometimes car seat) to sleep since she was a very young infant, which has had its pros and cons. On the boat, she just gets real relaxed and drifts off to wonderland. However, we have determined she does best on the boat when it isn't too hot, is overcast, and when the boat is moving. She continues to enjoy the pool as well; this trip last weekend, she started kicking her little legs like she is trying to swim.

Cecilia also had her 12 month well baby check-up and got a great report. She weighed 19.9 lbs and was 29 inches long. Both kept her in the same percentiles, 25th for weight and 50th for length.

Walking should be just around the corner. Cecilia has taken a few steps here and there and is getting braver and braver at standing alone. We have a hard time practicing the walking because she likes to make a game of it. She thinks it is very funny to just fall into your arms; sometimes she won't even try to take a step, she'll just start laughing and fall. She is also starting to talk a little; she has been saying, "Zeeee" for Mazie for a while and "shhhh" for shoe. I think she is saying other things, but it is kind of hard to tell. She can also point to your eye if you ask her where it is and to buttons. I know buttons are a weird thing to learn right off the bat, but I have them on several of my pj's and in the morning after I would nurse her, she would sit on my lap and always point to them. She has known this word for probably a couple of months. Today she had a button on her shirt for the first time, and she got so excited! I still had my pj's on when I got her dressed; she noticed her button right away and then pointed to mine. It was very cute.

It is amazing to see what her little mind can do now. She has always been very observant, and I think we are starting to see that come into play. She knows whose stuff is whose and will try to give them back to people. For example, my mom had been playing with Cecilia on the floor and her cell phone fell out of her pocket. My mom got up, left the room, and came back a couple minutes later. Myself and a couple other people were sitting in the room with Cecilia, and as soon as my mom started coming back, Cecilia picked up the phone and reached with all of her might to give it back to my mom. Mazie has tons of toys, and Cecilia knows which ones are hers. Cecilia will pick one up and get so excited and crawl to Mazie to give them to her. Sadly, Mazie is usually not interested and just walks away. I feel so bad for Cecilia when that happens because she is so excited, but it doesn't seem to bother her one bit. Most of Mazie's toys are stuffed animals, but Cecilia knows which ones are hers.

And of course, Cecilia is all over the place, but she is surprisingly obedient, so far. She usually listens when I tell her to leave something alone. She really doesn't get into too much mischief, but I am sure that will change as she gets older.

I leave old coupons, ads, catalogs on the coffee table
for her to "find." She loves them!

Playing with Brendan

Reading a book with Alexandra and Elijah while cooped
up inside at the river house on the cold and rainy 4th of July!

For some reason, she has gotten big on carrying around
bottles lately, any kind of bottle - baby bottles
(this is Elise's empty one here - the little girl I watch), sunscreen bottles,
lotion bottles, empty water bottles, etc... She'll find one, and then
take it everywhere with her until you take it away.

This is another favorite past time of Cecilia's; one of the first things
she does when she goes in the kitchen is pull off the towel hanging
over the cabinet and drag it around with her. Unlike, the bottles though
the towel does not keep her attention for long before it just gets
left on the floor.

Playing in her room
Another bottle to carry around!

This is Cecilia's "discard" pile. Frequently, when she doesn't care
to eat something, it goes in the cup holder. She doesn't miss
a beat while doing it either. She'll be shoving her face with one hand and
dropping pieces in her discard pile in the other!