Noelle is ONE

Our precious girl is a one-year-old today! Of course it is hard to believe how fast the time has gone and how much our family has been enriched by her presence in it. At one, our sweet Noelle is a delight! She is getting more and more interactive - she blows kisses with one hand on the side of her head, one hand on her mouth, and a loud mmmmwah!, waves bye-bye, signs 'please' and 'more', laughs when others laugh, and will repeat sounds and gestures. She's becoming more and more physically able - cruising along all the furniture, walking a few steps (only with help), and climbing stairs. Her recent additions to her diet have included beets (she loves them!), whole milk, and strawberries. She's a busy bee and laughs out loud when she touches something she's not supposed to and looks over her shoulder to see my reaction. She has a great Miss Piggy-esque frustrated grunt when she's mad. She's able to lead me through the house to 'find Isaiah' after his nap by crawling, stopping, and pointing to his door. She's comforted by putting her little soft hands in and out of my shirt cuffs, and she throws her little stuffed dog out of her bed if I put her down with the dog in it. She's not very interested in tv/movies at all, she'll look at books for a short time, but she really responds to music. Our hearts are full of love for her, and although I'm already missing the infant stage, there is nothing like watching our daughter grow, discover, and develop!

Here she is this morning, climbing the stairs -

Here are Isaiah, Pooh, and Noelle this morning. Pooh has slept with Isaiah for every nap and every night this past year. I can't believe how big our 17 pound baby looks next to Pooh Bear!

Isaiah, Pooh, and Noelle a year ago. Noelle was just under 6 pounds at this point and Isaiah was thrilled that he got this bear from his baby sis.