nella: 12 months

Height: 29 inches (39%)
Weight: 17 pounds 12 ounces (18%)
Head Circumference: 17.5 inches (35%)
Clothing size: Still wearing 9-12 month items, but I tried a few 18-month things on her, and they aren’t overly big! I guess I’ll be switching her wardrobe out soon.
Eye color: Blue.
Hair: Blonde! And she now has enough of it for a little tiny ponytail right on top of her head. She wore it that way for the first time at her birthday party!
Teeth: SIX! Just barely though, because the new one is hardly poking through, but it’s there!Eating: EVERYTHING! Really though! I keep joking that she’s my favorite because she never complains about what’s for dinner, she just eats it. She eats rice and beans, pasta, olives, cucumbers, mac and cheese, yogurt (although she still doesn’t really love us putting the spoon in her mouth), shredded cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Cheerios, and Goldfish crackers, which are her favorite (and she can recognize the package from a mile away).

We’re also super silly some mornings and play “Material Girl” by Madonna, but we change the words to “Cheerio Girl” while she eats her breakfast. She thinks it’s one of the funniest things ever.

She’s still nursing when she wants, which is probably about 5 or 6 times a day. That sounds like a lot to me at this age, but she seems to nurse twice as fast as she used to. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she cuts back on her own here in the next couple of months, although I really love our cuddle time.

Sleep: She’s still a great sleeper, although with that new tooth popping through, she’s been waking up once at night to nurse. She goes down for bed around 7:30 pm, typically nurses around 6 am, and then goes back to sleep until anytime between 7 and 8 am. She naps for three hours in the afternoon, usually around 1 pm.Words: She is babbling a TON! However, still no real words, and she doesn’t seem to say “ma-ma-ma” as much as she used to. If you make up some babyish sounds to try and “talk” to her, she will “talk” right back, imitating you. It’s pretty fun!Favorite things: Her SISTERS! She adores any stuffed animal and absolutely loves balloons. She also loves going upside down, dancing, listening to music, going for walks, swinging, taking baths, and playing with Daddy! She especially loves it when he takes her around the house “looking for Mommy”, and when they find me, they rush toward me just like this, laughing the entire time.Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, and sometimes being buckled into the car seat. She also screams when we have to take something out of her mouth, like a piece of fuzz she found on the floor and tried to eat.
Nicknames: Nellbells, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine, and “Rolly Polie Olie”, because she rolls all over the place!Milestones, etc.: -She is CRAWLING! Although she mostly uses her arms in an army-type crawl, she can get where she wants to go. She’s great at turning herself around, and she still rolls everywhere, too.

-She can pull herself up, but not all the way, just to her knees. I’m just waiting for her to be climbing all over the place though!

-Her legs are getting stronger when she’s standing, but we pretty much have to make her exercise/practice putting weight on them.

-She shakes her head for “yes” or “no”, depending on what question you ask her. It’s funny though, because 90% of the time, her answer is no, no matter what you ask!

-She’s crazy and loves to try to grab the camera during our photoshoots! This might be my favorite picture of her, ever! It’s just so her.

-She still doesn’t really have typical “separation anxiety”, and will let almost anyone hold her. She does keep a close eye on her mommy the entire time, though.

-She gets crazy-excited when she sees or hears her mommy, even if I’ve only been out of the room for 30 seconds. I love how much she loves me.