Happy birthday, Emilia

Emilia turns one today. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone; I'm sad to see her growing older. When I held a friend's newborn last week, I realized Emilia has lost her baby smell, which really made me sad, but I'm also looking forward to a time when I won't constantly have a 25 pound tumor attached to my hip.

Here's what Emilia is up to these days....

She's walking all over the place, and she's so proud of herself. She loves to go up and down stairs, too. She would spend all day on the stairs if we would let her.

She loves to be outside.

She wants to be where the big kids are.

She loves to clap. She claps like a proper lady, holding one hand still, palm up, and tapping the fingers of the other hand on top.

She loves to be tickled and scared. She has the cutest laugh.

She can blow kisses and wave hello and goodbye, but you have to be pretty special to see any of these actions.

She can say several words (ducky, apple, mama, that), but her favorite catch-all word is dada, which seems to mean just about anything.

She loves drinks. She's obsessed with straws. She loves snack foods. She's not always in love with real food (table food or baby food), but she's always up for crackers. (We have discovered that she loves Stonyfield's Yo Baby 3 in 1 meals. They combine yogurt with a fruit and vegetable, like apples and sweet potatoes or pears and green beans. They're a good way to sneak in foods she doesn't like on their own.)

She has junk food radar. Let anyone drop a chip or cookie on the floor and she's there.

She gets her feelings hurt whenever anyone tells her "no." She cries and cries and cries.

She is the cuddliest baby in the world. She likes to get as close to people as she can, especially when she's sleepy. Pick her up, and she'll put her head on your shoulder and snuggle right in.

Happy birthday, Emilia!