Twelve Months

Claire is one. 1. Uno. 12 months. Any way that I say it, it still seems unreal. I just can't believe that it has been a year since she joined our family. I can hardly remember a time without her. Anyway...

At 12 months, Claire :

::is so stinking wiggly. It was hard for Brent to get any good pictures of her because she just won't sit still. His stay-at-home-dad-job is getting harder and harder because she is so active.

::will take steps on her own. She is continuously getting better and better. Recently, Brent went into the other room to grab her jacket and he turned around to see her walking across the kitchen floor coming to see him. Go, Claire!

::uses a sippy with a straw and eats lots of people food. When Brent took Claire to the doctor for her 12 month appointment, the doctor recommended that we start getting rid of the bottle. Claire still has a bottle before bed but eats people food and drinks from her sippy all throughout the day. Her new favorite people foods are hot dogs, gold fish crackers, honey nut cheerios, and anything that we are eating. haha

::talks on the phone. She will take one of our phones and hold it up to her head and start chatting away. She holds it way behind her ear with her elbow straight up in the air. It is hilarious.

::says "hi," "uh-oh," "dadadadada," and "mamamama." She has recently started saying "owie" but we think she says that when she is hungry, silly kid. For the last few days she will also say "thank you" if Brent says it first. She is trying to copy the sounds we make and does a really good job of it.

::has a happy personality. She is generally smiling and in a good mood. She enjoys laughing and smiling. Along with that, she doesn't usually cry.

::has lots of bumps and bruises. She thinks she is a better walker than she actually is and she is quite daring. She has taken a few falls into things (like the dresser or chairs) and she ends up with a bruise or two.

::is growing a mullet. It is all business in front and party in back. I was able to put her hair in piggy tails and it was soooo stinking cute. I sometimes will put it in a pony on the top of her head with a hair clippy and that is also darling.

::weighs 23 pounds and is in the 89%.

::30.5 inches tall in the 90%.

::18.25 inch head circumference in the 86%.

Dear Claire,

I love you. I can't believe you are a year old. Where has the time gone? I did a lot of thinking about the past year on your birthday. I have had a wonderful year with you. You have brought me so much joy I never knew possible. It is so much fun to watch you learn new things every day. Right now, you are sitting on your Daddy's lap and he is trying to teaching you colors. He just said, "Okay. It is time to learn some colors." It is tender to watch you interact with your dad. I can't believe how grown up you are and how independent you are already. It makes me so proud of you but also a little sad. Stay my baby forever? Please? I love you, Goose.

Love,
Mamamama

Claire also had a 1st birthday party! Even though she didn't really get that we were celebrating her, she had a good time. Brent made hot dogs and we just hung out here at out place. It wasn't anything big or fancy but we enjoyed it just the same. We had some of our friends over (Chris & Chelsea, Garett and Presley, Ellyne & Jordan, Becky & Noah, Morgan & Hunter) and Claire got lots of cute gifts. Thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate a year with Claire! She also got to dive into a cupcake! (Although, it wasn't her first. She did get to have one on her actual birthday with the kids at school.)

Playing in the Snow

Claire likes to eat snow! 

So I thought I would eat some with her.

Claire Tried A Lemon

We decided to give Claire a lemon. The results were hilarious. She kept making a super sour face but would continuously go back for more!

Bathtime

Claire has been loving bath time lately. She is a little fishy!

a door, some x-rays, and a bright pink wrap

The end of November (2012) we were going out to eat with Hilary (she came for a visit!!), Garett, and Presley. It was taking a little while so I was walking around with Claire so she wouldn't get grouchy. We were standing in front of the door and she was making friends with people outside. She was waving like crazy and giving huge smiles. Well, a rude person pushed past me and opened the door. I knew it was closing and so I stepped forward so her hand wouldn't get caught in the door. Apparently Claire has longer arms than I thought and she reached toward the closing door. I turned back just in time to see it close slowly on her finger. I was trying to open the door while turned the wrong way and Claire was screaming. Once I looked at her finger I knew that she needed to go to the clinic. Thankfully Gare and Pres led the way and knew where we were going. Claire had to get 3 x-rays and they told us that her finger had cracked. I felt like the worst mom ever. My poor little baby was broken! After they wrapped her up she was doing great and played like normal. Whew. Claire kept her wrap on for only a couple of days before she bit it off and refused to keep it on. She didn't seem like it was bothering her at all. Claire was a champ the whole time! I was so proud of her for being so good while she was getting her x-rays and getting all wrapped up. She is the best!

Halloween 2012

(Yes, I am just now blogging about Halloween. I know, it's already 2013 but I have been busy!)

This year was Claire's first Halloween! Grandma and Grandpa Jackson bought Claire the most adorable Halloween costume at Costco and she looked stinking cute. Claire and Brent came to my school's Halloween parade and she loved all of the attention. The class "oohed" and "ahhed" over how cute she was as an elephant. We also went trick-or-treating at our building's truck-or-treat and we hit up a couple of friends houses too. We just wanted to show off how adorable Claire was to everyone we know. Halloween was pretty low key but it was so much fun. I love my little elephant.

Christmas letter 2012

It's a little late, but better than never...