The First Year

This has been, by far, the fastest year of my life.  I cannot believe that the year has already come and gone.  I have looked at some of the photos and it really amazes me how much you have changed.  You have gone from this fresh, new, helpless darling into a mobile, whirling dervish of destruction and activity.

This was my beautiful little girl when we got her home.  Round, wrinkly but with bright eyes and a desire to be moving from the get-go.  You had trouble eating at first.  And when we got you home we had to run to the drug store to get you something for the gas that very night.  But you were already pushing off our chests and lifting your head, as much as you could.  I really have a hard time believing that this was ever you.

This was the next phase of my baby.  Very baby faced, wide-eyed and so stinkin' cute!  This was the age of experimenting.  Learning how to roll over, crawl and walk.  Adventurous for you and for us as parents.

That face became this face.  Still adventuring, exploring and learning.  Not yet a whirlwind of destruction.  Not quire fully steady on two feet.  Still a sweetie.  Toothless.  Your face is thinning a bit because you are so mobile.  Never sitting still.  But totally our little angel-girl.

This is my little girl now.  Mischievous. Fully mobile.  A Climber.  And growing cuddler.  Every day is different.  Highs and lows.  Like a little person, but still very much a child.  And oh how we love you!

Brooklynn, I am so glad you have come into my life.  I am pleased with the girl you are growing into.  You are clever and capable, both traits that will serve you well later in life.  Although you could use a little more of the clever and apply it to listening to your parents.  From the very first day you were here it has been quite a new experience for me.  When you were born your mom was confined to her hospital bed and could only feed you.  Everything else was my job.  And I was no where near prepared.  But how can you be?  I have learned a lot about you, your mom and myself in the last year.  And that learning will keep on going until the day I die. I can only hope that you keep your energetic, spirited attitude for the rest of your life.

As I proof read this, I can't help but use the oft stated "words can't describe" moniker for how I feel about you.  There are times when your mobility frustrates me to wanting to chain you to a chair.  There are times when you are cuddling with me that I couldn't be happier.  I really do love you so much, little girl and I can't wait until you are a little older and you can begin to understand that, too.

52 Weeks - Birthday Week

We did an awful lot to celebrate your first birthday.  It pretty much encapsulates the coolest elements of my childhood into two good weeks for you.  So I guess that means we are off the hook for the rest of your youth!  OK, maybe not.  But you did get to do a lot of fun things you will never remember.

To start with we had a large gathering of family and friends the weekend before your birthday.  This barbecue friend fest culminated in the moment of your unwrapping presents and eating cake.  Although the cake eating was a bit anti-climactic.  You would only swipe your finger across the frosting.  You didn't seem too interested in breaking into the cake.

Playing on your new toy that mom and dad got you!

Sharing your new toy with cousins!

This was your cake.
Your mom made individual cupcake monkeys for everyone else.

The party was as much as for your mom as it was for you. =D

Yes, you were that happy.

A balloon!!!!

Princess, not just for today.

Dig in!

Notice how the cake is largely left alone. Shame.

Since your birthday party was before your actual birthday, we had to do something for your actual birthday.  So we went to Red Robin!  They gave you your own ice cream and balloon!  You have loved balloons ever since we went to Red Robin for my birthday and I gave you my balloon.  We also tried to give you some food from Red Robin, but you were only interested in the fries.  Typical.

The real fun started two days after your birthday.  I took the Wednesday through Friday off that week and we started by going to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.  You really loved the animals.  I was surprised that you even loved the fish!

Heading into the Zoo.  What do we see?

Leaping Lemurs!  Or... Sleeping Lemurs.  Shhh.

I honestly don't know how your mom caught me looking so apathetic.
We were both super excited about the elephant.

What is that weird looking thing? It's a Tapir!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!  Or just Tigers.

Fish!

This guy came out from under his rock just to see us.

These Walruses were as big as a boat!

Walking between exhibits.

This was the only Polar Bear seen that day.  Much to my dismay.

All that sight seeing really wears a girl out!

But we have lots of energy after nap time!!

Down the slide you go!

You must have spun about 30 times in this thing.

Caught in daddy's web!  Ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!

The festivities that followed the Zoo weren't really about your birthday.  They were more of a Perkins family get together (reunion).  But we sure did have a lot of fun down in Seaside, OR.

Wishing to play X-Box Kinect with the big kids.

Touring Tillamook with Gramma.  Look at all that cheese!

Investigating the local wildlife with P-Pa.

Finding someone to share lunch with.

At Haystack Rock.

The most amazing part of this picture - P-Pa smiling.

So... much... fun!!!

"Helping" Aunt Ali and Uncle Kyle build a sand castle.

Helping of course means eating sometimes.

Playing Fooz-ball with Aunt Ali and Uncle Kyle.
I'm sure you won.

Downtown Seaside, OR on a beautiful day.

If only all your other birthdays could start out this amazing.  No pressure.

51 Weeks - Happy Dance, Angry Dance

There has been mention on this blog before about your dancing.  While this post is related in part to your physical outbursts of joy in the form of rhythmic movement, it is primarily focused on the opposite end of the spectrum.  The angry dance.  Seen below:

Thanks to Gramma Perkins for shooting the video while at Seaside.

This is your go to move for showing your disapproval of something, be it big or small.  Something as trivial as being put down, or something as monumental as being put down when you are tired.  While it is true that this dance was mostly seen during times of parental units looking for relief to their tired arms, it has also been spotted when you were being told to stop, come here or while getting you undressed (for bed time or because of extreme messiness.

This is one of those things where if it weren't something I had to take action on (i.e. - someone else's kid) I would be laughing aloud at the cuteness of it all.  But, since I and your mother are the ones who have to deal with the unhappiness associated with this dance, I cannot afford the luxury of laughing out loud at your outbursts.

50 Weeks - That FACE!

I suppose it is all right that we didn't get a photo for week 50.  Because this week I want to talk about something your mom has talked about since you were a few months old.  Your face and its many expressions!

You are so very expressive!  There really is never a moment that goes by when we can't see some kind of emotion on your face.  Whether it is happy, or sad or quizzical or comical, there is always an expression on your face.  It even carries over to your sleep sometimes.

We were back home visiting my parents a week or two ago and a friend stopped by and said she thought you looked like your mom, until you made your go-to scrunchy-smile face.  Then she said she knew you were my daughter.

It just shows what a unique individual you are.  Even at the young age of 11 months (almost one year).

49 Weeks - Head Banging & Da-da, Ma-ma pt 2

It's funny because you are so close to being one year old, and yet you act like you are four years old sometimes. But then there are times when you act like a 11 month old.  Case and point - when you put your back to things and bang your butt and head against them.  Let me elaborate a bit.  You frequently (read: daily) in your playing will put your back against a wall or the couch or anything you can back up to and then start bumping your butt against it repeatedly.  Then you tip your head back and start banging your head against the object as well.  It is cute and funny for the most part, except when you do it to the TV.  Now if we lived back when I was a kid this wouldn't be a problem because TVs were tube style.  They front was hard glass and fairly indestructible.  But now with the proliferation of LCD and Plasma TVs there is no telling what kind of damage you can do.  So we try to get you to come away from the TV.  This is when you act like a one year old and just smile knowing you are getting into trouble but nothing is going to happen and just laugh at your parents as you continue your evil behavior.  OK. Not evil.  But not listening to your parents is not cool.

Look at that face!  It just scream
"I know I am not supposed to do this
but I am going to do it anyways!"

The other thing to mention this week is your pronounced use of "da-da" and "ma-ma."  You have been able to make the sounds for a few weeks now, but it wasn't until this week that I think the light bulb really went off and you knew that saying "da-da" meant me and saying "ma-ma" meant your mom.  It was pretty awesome that you could identify us with verbalizations.  It is one of those hard to explain parent things where after taking care of something for so long and then suddenly being recognized on an individual level... it just feels amazing.  No other words to describe it.

And since I am posting this after your first birthday I can report that you are also dangerously close to saying "doggy," "cracker," and even (according to your mom) "cupcake."  Your speaking seems to be the last thing you want to work on.  I think that is because of a few factors.  First - you are always moving and doing things way more fun.  Which leads to factor two - you don't talk much.  And when you do, factor three, you babble in a clear enough way to get what you want and have no need to really learn to speak.  So your mom and I will need to be better about making you speak.  Much like with the sign language.  Make you speak.  And use manners.

That's all for now!