Say "Dees"

Dear Baby,

You're 15 months old and as smart as a whip. We've been really working on crawling and walking still but one thing is for sure: You can TALK! Your mind is a human sponge and you are developing at a pace that astounds me. For Christmas, we gave you a princess camera. You now crawl around the house holding it up to your face and saying "Dees" (Cheese).

You can copy just about any word you hear, but here are a few things you are saying and actually know the meaning for. "More" when you're thirsty, "Baby" when you're talking about yourself, "Nigh Nigh" when you go to bed. You also play with your dolls in your dollhouse and put them to bed telling them "Nigh Nigh". You can say "Noah" as clear as day and "Wa-Wa" is what you use for Elijah. You still favor "Uh Oh" and "Oh wow" and "bye bye" as you wave. Every morning when we come in to greet you, you wave and say "Hi Mama!". When your daddy comes into the house from work you say "Hi Dada" with such enthusiasm, he has to run to you and give you a kiss. You can point to your nose and say it, and your mouth and say "mouth" and eyes as well. You also point them out on your baby doll. And just the other day when you were playing with your dolls you learned how to say "What are you doing?" I kid you not, I almost fell over. An entire sentence?

You LOVE to sing and make up songs and frequently do. And when we're alltogether in the room you babble like a crazy person to keep up with us. While all the other babies your age are totting around down a hallway, you are just suited to sit on the floor, or crawl to where you want to go. But make no mistake: you are no lazy bum, no you're just lightyears ahead of them when it comes to communication. I LOVE that about you and I have this sneaking suspicion that you are going to be one of those girls that talks incessantly. I love this new phase in your development girly and am so proud of how smart you are and how fast you pick up on things!

First Ponytail

You are 14 months old now and your hair has gotten so long on the top that I got a chance to experiment with ponytail holders. I have to admit, you were quite patient with me while i struggled to get it tight. I just felt the need to document this moment in history: Olivia's first ponytail. It was actually much easier to put your hair up then it was to take a picture of it!

My sweet girl, this is just the first of many many hours, days, weeks and years that I will fiddle with your hair, I'm glad you're at least STARTING off patient!

Love, your mama

One Year Celebration

Dear Baby,

You turned one! I thought about what this moment would be like for a long time, and it's finally arrived, my last baby turned a year old. We threw you a very pink Parisean themed celebration where you munched on croissants most of the day and absolute chowed down on your pink cake. You looked gorgeous all decked out in the puffiest pink dress and tutu and you were such a good girl and wore your party hat most of the day!

We had a little scare with you and gaining weight a few weeks before your birthday, but we fed you lots of whipped cream and cheese and milk and you were happy to eat it. We loved watching your cheeks get chubbier and your personality start to really come out.

My dear sweet sweet baby girl, we are so blessed to have had you in our lives this past year. And as I pack up all the tiny baby clothes and blankets, I am so looking forward to what this next year will bring with it. Playing with dolls, and doing your hair, learning to walk and having conversations with you. You are becoming a toddler and saying goodbye to babyhood. But it's not the baby part I loved, it's been you I've loved. So I celebrate this special time when you grow a year older and I look forward to all the possibility this year brings for you and the world around you. You are the joy of my heart, the final piece that was missing in it, and I feel so complete and contended watching you grow. Your smile Olivia, brightens up my life, it's absolutely amazing. I loved watching you get your first 2 bottom teeth and look forward to watching you get all the rest.

Olivia Violet Cosette Warkentin.... your mommy loves you, and I wish you the happiest of birthdays!