Well, the dreaded day arrived. My last baby turned a year old. This is always heartbreaking, but especially when it's my last baby. I love babies so much. So does John. We would have 100 more babies if we could. Thankfully (or rather not) Darcy's pregnancy and newborn days were hard enough that we don't have to wonder if we should have another baby. Our family is now complete and has been for a whole year. We love our angel baby. Even though it was so difficult to get her here, she has been a huge blessing to our family. We adore her.
We were up in Utah for her birthday and I had to take photos in my parents' beautiful yard. I kept the tutu that I made for Holland's first birthday and tried to do a little photo shoot with Darcy. She was not having it at first.
We got a couple of good ones eventually. Such a precious baby. I told myself again and again in the weeks leading up to her birthday that her age is just a number and she'd still be my baby. And she is. I'll keep telling myself that. Here's hoping she doesn't mind that when she's 15.
While we were up there we had to do a little photo shoot with this chair my from grandparents' house. My grandma saved this chair when the church she attended as a child was torn down. These were the primary chairs. It was the perfect prop for our little 1st birthday photos.
Honestly, the thumb, teeth, light, smile, dress, toes sticking up, and twinkle in her eyes. She melts me.
I don't even have words for most of these. They are too precious.
How many times have I kissed those chubby cheeks? 10,000? I love them so much. That's probably why she likes to ignore us when we ask for kisses. She gets kissed way too much.
Don't fall off little one!
Okay, I am so mesmerized by her enchanting baby smiles that I am forgetting to talk about what she was like when she turned 12 months. Well, at her 13 month old checkup (with all the traveling this summer it was hard to get her to the doctor on time, she was closer to 14 months!), we found out that she was 18 lbs 12 oz, which is the 21.45%. She was 29.75 in tall which is the 49.64%. She is relatively shorter than she used to be. None of our girls have ever been particularly tall, so this seems more normal to us. Her head circumference is 17.5 in which is the 24.57%.
At 12 months old you had an adorable new trick of waving. This started with opening and closing your hand with your arm outstretched, but has since progressed to waving your hand side to side. It is the cutest thing. You love seeing people and waving. One of my favorite memories of you waving was when just a week or two ago (so at 15 months) I loaded you up in the van to go pick up the girls from the bus stop. You looked at me with your big, intelligent eyes, pointed to the door, and waved at the other sliding van door and gave a little coo. I knew that you knew that we were going to go get your sisters. You don't actually go with me very often to do that with Ellie and Daddy home, you only come with me if you're awake and both of them are in a meeting for work or school.
So speaking of that story, another cute trick you have acquired is pointing at things--things you want, things that caught your eye, people, animals, everything in books. It's adorable.
I love how you have started waving. Your wave has kind of evolved over the months. At first it was an open and close hand wave. Now it is more of a tilting your hand side to side wave. I really only see it at bedtime, and it is so sweet!
You don't really have a first word yet (I am writing this when you are almost 16 months old) but I want you to grow up nice and slow, so we're in no rush! Not that you don't make noise. You make so many noises. We call you our little monkey because you constantly make little monkey "oo, oo" sounds at everything. Every once in a blue moon I think you say the "Mmm" sound on purpose in regards to me, but whether it means mama, or milk, or is just random is anyone's guess.
You did go through a bit of a patch where I swore you were saying "yay" at happy things, but it didn't last that long, so who knows? One thing is for sure though, those monkey sounds have gone the distance, and we love them!
How is the grumpy face adorable too??
In addition to communicating with the monkey sounds you also communicate a little bit with sign language. You'll sign "all done" pretty regularly by waving both hands. You also will occasionally sign more by putting your fingertips together and touching your hands together. The sign you absolutely do the most though isn't a real sign language sign, but it sure communicates what you want is when you hold your hands out to something and open and close your hand at it. "I want that Mommy" is what it means loud and clear!
Although sometimes when you are doing your "I want it" sign, you pair that a lot with yelling at me. You let your will be known whether it is because you want a bite, or a diaper change, or to be picked up or because you want to nurse. It is readily apparent that you want something now.
We don't just call you our little monkey, you also get compared to other animals. When you crawl around while holding something in your teeth, you are our little puppy. And when you open your mouth up wide for a bite of something I have been eating, you are our little baby bird. Ahh, it's all SO cute!!!
So when you turned a year we were mainly concerned with you and the stairs. Thankfully you never fell down the stairs, knock on wood. You wanted to go up them so bad though! We had to install the retractable baby gate at the bottom of the stairs so that we could keep you from going up so you wouldn't come down in a tumble. Eventually you got the hang of going down the stairs now so you pretty much have free rein of the place, except where the toilets are, and the stairs that go up to the top of the bunk bed. The bunk bed rail is just a little too low. We can easily see you tumbling off the top of that--I feel cold just thinking about that.
Besides conquering stairs you've definitely been exploring other kinds of mobility. You love sitting up on your knees, and eventually you started crawling on your knees so you could carry things in your hands. You definitely get into more trouble as you are getting more mobile, but it fun too!
One time you got in trouble with being too mobile was after we moved, I was cleaning the toilets and accidentally left the toilet scrubbing brush on top of the girls' bathroom toilet. You had better believe that after I left, you had found that brush in about 10 seconds flat. When I saw you, you were waving around the brush with the water from the drip cup all over you. Ugh, I feel a little sick just remembering it. Thankfully, you didn't seem to suffer any ill effects from it.
A different (happy) memory of you getting more mobile is being able to play the "get you, get you" game. We just can't get enough of your sweet giggle and delighted squeals.
Honestly those teeth!
One of my favorites!
Look at those flexible legs!
Always on the move!
Still don't love stuffed animals, but don't worry, you'll like them soon enough!
Same basket as your newborn photos. You've grown so much in a year!
Immediately sad when we put the bunny in with you.
I don't like it at all, mama!!
What we look like taking your photos.
We were up in Utah visiting friends and family for the first time in over a year when you turned one.
Nope, that's a definite no on the bike trailer.
Oh, you and Brielle! I wonder who it actually going to end up being taller.
This is one of our favorites: your new trick "Hands up!" And honestly, those teeth!
Loved being snuggled in the towel after a bath.
You really love being in the bath!
Uh oh, getting more and more mobile. Normally there isn't as interesting places to crawl as in the foosball lid at the vacation rental in Spanish Fork.
These next few photos are in backwards order.
Cute baby with party hat.
Loving her Cheerios and almond butter (her 'cake'). This is the first birthday 'cake' my turning one year old hasn't cried at.
Her favorite: Cheerios!
Just a little adored by her sisters.
Dollar store toys from your sisters. You still loved them.
Ellie made you a photo album of photos of you and your family. You still love this present.
"Heavy, heavy hang over on you head."
This is a lot of attention for one baby. I think Mama needs to hold me.
One party hat to wear. One party hat to play with.
The way you nurse sometimes! Let's see. Sitting up, foot up, cuddled close, nursing, and playing with your foot.
Sweaty girl!
Selfies with mama!
Sleeping after nursing. You melt my heart.
Even though your a year old now, you are still so little. I love you baby girl.
The biggest and the littlest!
She's such a good big sister to you. She will change you, read to you, play with you, swing you in the hammock chair. She's a rock star.
Mama's hat might be a little on the big side. It's like an umbrella to you.
I still love carrying you in the carrier.
Two best things, you in huge sunglasses and Ellie's reflected happy face.
Just sitting in the boxes.
Well, hello teeth.
Going to church for the first time. We stayed home for that first year to hopefully let your immune system develop more. I hope you'll be safe.
You like the mirror in the mother's room.
Playing in the bathtub we're going to put in the remodeled bathroom.
All dressed up. Two teeth on top peeking out.
Two feet peeking up from the hanging chair.
Maybe the last time sleeping in the swing. You got to the point where you hated getting put in there, so we sold it.
Watching Daddy work on the bathroom.
Sweet, sleepy baby.
I adore your smile.
You like seeing yourself too.
One of the best toys. A twangy door stop with a removable rubber cap. I now have a basket of those caps sitting on top of my dresser to be returned to the door stop for when we can trust you a little more not to choke on them.
Momma's back started to hurt when sleeping on the memory foam mattress pad. We took it off for a while to see if it would help (it did!). You liked using it as a seat and started picking off little bits of foam. Hopefully you didn't eat any.
No feet where we eat, Darcy. :)
"But look how cute I am, Mama"
Headed for your left overs on the floor. Ugh.
You don't like the swing, but sometimes you just need it for a little nap.
Something else we got rid of. You don't like being stuck somewhere.
Definitely mixed feelings about the pool. But the upside down goggles sure are cute on you.
We sure love you, darling baby. You make us smile everyday. You love seeing pictures of people, especially our family. So much so that Ellie made you a little photo album for your birthday. You love making noises into the toy microphone. You love throwing all the pillows off the bed when your done nursing. I love all of these little things about you and so much more. You are such a sweet ray of sunshine in our lives, and we feel so lucky to have you.
We were up in Utah visiting friends and family for the first time in over a year when you turned one. 
