Our 1 year old!

We have gone from this

To this

I can't believe my baby girl turned one today. I have to admit as I rocked her to sleep tonight I shed a few tears. While we cuddled, she nursed, and she fell asleep on my chest. I usually put her in her crib before she falls asleep but instead tonight I just snuggled her and rocked her. I played the memories of her first year through my head. The delivery... the first time we brought her home... how tired but elated we were those first few days... the way she slept on me all passed out, learning to nurse, meeting milestones month after month (her first smile, laugh, hug, starting solids, first words, trips we took, and all the giggles we've shared together, her first steps), and it's all gone so quickly. This past year has been one of the best years of my life. It's changed our lives drastically but for the better. I always heard that parenting was one of the hardest but most rewarding things you'll ever do and I couldn't agree more.

We celebrated today by taking her out to breakfast this morning to our favorite breakfast place Apple Villa. Our friends Sara and Jim & Julie and Chizila and their boys spent the night last night after her party and joined us for breakfast. It was too cute watching the kids interact!

Fun blowing bubbles

The 3 musketeers

Playing nicely with Lukas

After her nap we took her to a nearby splash park where we met up with some more friends and had a blast! Lauren just loves the water so much. She also had a lot of fun playing in the sand. We came home, let her play with a few of her new toys, had some dinner and just relaxed (which was much needed after such a busy weekend). She was in her crib fast asleep by 6pm!

Fun at the splashpark!

Our water lovin girl!

My baby girl isn't a baby anymore... but she'll ALWAYS be my baby.

Some milestones and updates:
Lauren is really starting to communicate with us lately! She points to things she wants, signs more and all done consistently, claps when we're doing something she likes, dances to music, gives high fives, says "bye bye" to me on the phone, and definitely let's us know when she doesn't like something (such as getting her face wiped, getting changed and dressed, and when she's walking holding our hands and we stop before she's done) with a little tantrum. Lauren shakes her head no when we tell her not to do something and I can tell she is able to understand some of what we're saying to her now.
She is still not yet walking on her own but takes several steps between us and loves walking behind a toy or holding onto our hands. Lauren is quite quick at crawling now and has demonstrated standing on her own. One of her favorite things to do is climb up and down the stairs with help and she actually prefers to climb up like an adult would holding our hands.
Lauren LOVES books and turning the pages. She points to everything and especially loves animals. Cat's meows, a dogs bark, and chick peeping are her favorites. Taking things out of something like laundry out of the basket (even when we've just folded it up), toys out of her toy bin, and picture frames down from the table are new favorite things to do.
She is in the process of transitioning to one nap (some days it's 2 and some only 1) and still sleeps between 12-13 hours at night. I nurse her in the morning and at bedtime but otherwise she's on 2% milk. She still prefers pureed veggies over the whole ones but otherwise likes most food. One day she loves something but the next she may spit it out with dislike. We don't have a big eater on our hands for sure but I'm okay with that.
What a blessing she has been to us over the past year. I thank our Lord for a healthy daughter and my prayer for the future is that she fills her heart with a love for Jesus. Being her mother is an honor and she makes me wonder how I can love more than I already do. I love you Lauren Isabel; thank you for already bringing so much joy to my life every day.