Letters to Lily: Twelve Months

Dear Lily,


You actually turned thirteen months yesterday, but we're going to pretend that I got this letter done weeks ago! You've been sick for over a month with various things and the rest of the family has all had bouts of illnesses too. This week it has been a stomach flu for all of us. So it's been hard to be productive. But I wanted to make sure your final letter for your first year got finished, even if it is late!

Surprisingly, you are still primarily crawling to get around. Occasionally you will walk across the room but most of the time you take a few steps and then lower yourself to your knees to crawl around. You're so fast at crawling that you must think walking is too inefficient. I'm ready for you to walk, though. Now that the weather is warming up, we've been in our backyard a lot more and you insist on crawling around on the concrete rather than on the grass. So you are quickly wearing through the knees of your pants. If you don't decide to walk soon I guess I'll have to make/buy baby knee pads!

You have such a sweet little voice. You love to talk and always babble away. You can now say "ball," "moo," and "meow."  You can also say "Mama" and "Dada" but you say those words very rarely. I guess balls and animals are just more important to you ;)

You love to cuddle anything soft. Especially the plush cat that you got in your Easter basket this year. As soon as I hold it up to you, you grab it, give it a big cuddle, and say "meow." Your other favorite toy is a zebra pillow pet that your Aunt Rachel gave you for your birthday. It was the first toy you've ever cuddled and I almost died from a cuteness overload when you started doing it.

You like to be independent. You want to feed yourself and read to yourself. When I try to read to you, you immediately steal the book from me and turn the pages at your own pace. If I try to make you turn the page before your ready, you respond with an outraged shriek. So story time is tricky. You just like looking at the pictures, not hearing me read, I guess!

When you're not sick you are such a happy, sweet little girl! I can't wait until you're completely healthy again so you get back to your usual happy self! Even though you've been a little crankier than usual this month, you still bring so much happiness into our lives. I can't help but give you kisses all day long!

I love you so much, my little Lily Bug!

Love,
Mom