Mooshapedia – 1st birthday entry

Happy first birthday, my dear Ashley. Thank you for being my daughter. This has been the best year of my life, and every year coming will be just as amazing because they will have a you in them.

I love the way you smile, and I get a glimpse of your top two teeth that only just poke through.

I love the way you play peekaboo, hiding behind the bed or the ottoman and then bouncing up and laughing at me.

I love the way you want a lap buddy when you sit on me. You so often hand me a toy before I lift you up on my lap. Either a toy, or a book or two. You love to have me read you stories.

I love the way you demand eye and arm contact when you feed from me in an upright position.

I love the way you fall asleep quicker with my hand on your thigh. It doesn’t work with a hand on your back, just your thigh.

I love the way you don’t fuss at a diaper change you initiate (I love the way I can ask you if you need a diaper change and you will reach up for me to carry you to the change table, or you will just walk there yourself)

I love the way you look so very proud of yourself after you climb off the couch or bed.

I love the way your hair sticks up all over the place.

I love the way you are happy to eat real food if it is what I’m eating. I love the way you sometimes take food out of my mouth to eat. (I put your rice cake or something between my lips when you are done eating it, and you snatch it back and continue to eat!)

I love the way you are so happy when you are naked. I think that bit of time before bed known as ‘naked time’ is possibly your favourite time of day.

I love the way you stand up and try and get out of the tub when you are done. It’s not safe, but man is it cute!

I love the way you walked around with excited arms when you were just learning to walk, every step was like this amazing thing and you looked so thrilled by it all!

I love the way you run around the apartment holding a towel or a piece of clothing. Something you just found laying about.

I love the way you dance. You have so many different dances. Shaking that butt, standing on your toes swaying side to side, just bouncing…. so much variety.

I love the way you will dive across the couch/bed/room to get to your paci when it’s twin is already in your mouth.

I love the way you climb on my lap whenever you possibly can.

I love the way you laugh at smiling baby photos (and you know how to flip through and enlarge photos on my touch screen phone)

I love the way you blow kisses. You spread your fingers over your mouth and blow air through them.

I love the way you chase after me. Sometimes we play chasey ("uh oh, the baby is going to catch me!" or "I’m gonna get the baby!") and sometimes you just have to follow me into another room.

I love the way you kiss me. It’s like a gentle little bite covered in saliva, but it is so very cute.

I love the way you say so many words. You are brilliant.

I love the way you love me and your daddy and everyone else in our life.

Words Ashley can say at age 1 (12 months)

Mama (Mum, Mummy)
Dada (Dad)
Bye
Hi
Up
Please
Bird
Magpie
Bee
Mine
Nanna
Grandpa
Grandma
Pete
Who’s that
Mum
Bang (sometimes ‘big bang’)
thh (thank you)
pooh-beh (pooh bear)
bue (blue)
woof (means dog)
boo (meaning boob or milk) (sometimes booboo)

I’m sure there’s more. this is what happens when you don’t keep good records.

A little note I wrote to myself that I like to read when I’m stressed/exhausted.

I forget sometimes, when I am stretched thin, over-touched, low on me time and needing a break… how incredibly lucky I am. I get to be Ashley’s mother. She loves me as much as I love her, that’s why she cries when I walk away, she wants to be with me. It’s why she wants me to hold her, nothing is better than a mummy hug. It’s why she wants to be able to touch me while she sleeps, I am her ultimate source of comfort. I am possibly her favourite person in the world. She is without a doubt my favourite.