ONE Year Old!

We made it!  I can't keep a basil plant alive to save my life, but we turned a 4 pound preemie into a 21 pound happy healthy little girl!

We had her 1 year well visit this morning, and once again, the doctor was very happy with her progress.  He said she is very advanced on gross motor skills, but we need to work on her talking a bit more by reading to her and telling her what everything is.  He said he is happy that she is very social and has excellent eye contact.  He noted that toe walking is VERY common at this age, and they consider it normal, BUT if she's still doing it at her next appointment (15 months), we have to make an appointment with an ortho.

She got 4 shots today. :(  Hep A, Hep B, MMR and Varivax (chickpox).  She also got pricked in both big toes because our ped does a full CBC screening.  The toe pricking didn't bother her in the least.  She screamed during the vaccines, but once we got home, she was in the BEST mood...maybe I need to stick needles in her thighs more often. ;)

She weighs 21.12 pounds (about 50th percentile)
She is 30 inches (about 65th percentile, but 85th percentile if you go by her adjusted age, which the doctor does...we think she's even taller- we're going to try and measure her again tonight a different way)
I never remember her head circumference, but it's 44th percentile I think.

She has made amazing strides in the last month.  The more she accomplishes, the happier she gets.  One year old Ella facts:

• She crawls at lightening speed, cruises everywhere, pulls herself up on anything and walks 5 or 6 steps at time...sometimes she even walks across the room (yet STILL cannot get herself up to a standing position on her own without pulling up on something);
• She waves hi and bye all the time, shakes her head "no", claps less frequently and recently started pointing...she'll touch fingers with you, and we say, "Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!" which she thinks is really funny;
• She loves having babbling conversations and says "dada" and "mom" for more (we think);
• She is so happy and doesn't really have meltdowns (our photographers said she is the first baby they've ever photographed that didn't cry at all or have a major meltdown during the whole photo session!), but she does get upset when she doesn't get her way;
• She is still very independent and will go to anyone...she will cry when we leave sometimes, but she gets over it in about 3 seconds;
• She has become much more affectionate and loves to crawl all over us, jump on us, run to us and even sit in our laps;
• She still loves Rylee, and we are trying to teach her "gentle", but there has been a lot of hair pulling in the process;
• She loves balls, puzzles and baby sized chairs;
• She still is not very into tv;
• She still naps about 9:30am-11am and 3pm-430pm;
• She gets three 8 oz. bottles a day (7am, 2pm, 730pm);
• She eats table food at 8:30am, 12pm and 5pm- she loves meat and vegetables...she's not huge on carbs and fruit...I wish I had her diet;
• She wears a size 3 diaper and 12 month or 12-18 month in clothes.

This will probably be the last monthly update, but I can't wait for what the next year will bring!