1 Year Old!

Happy 1st Birthday to Riley!!!!

It is so amazing how quickly the past 12 months have gone by. We have so loved being a family of three over the past year and watching our tiny baby grow into a little girl.

Riley likes to talk to us a lot and although it is mostly her own little baby babble still she keeps adding new words to her vocabulary. Her favorite words are still "dada" and "dog dog" but she can also say hi, mama, ball and hot. She really studies our mouth when we talk and now that pretty soon she is going to have a lot to say. For now she has employed pointing and also her signs to communicate with us when her need falls outside of her current vocabulary. She loves to sign for dog whenever she sees, hears or is asked about one and as of this month she has also started regularly signing for milk when she wants to nurse.

She definitely has started to show that she understands words that we use and will also respond to things that we say like waving when we say bye-bye and throwing a ball when asked to. She also understands the word "no"...but has already shown us that she can be selective in when she wants to hear it. Riley will also now give kisses when we ask for them. This just absolutely melts my heart every time she does it.

Constantly on the move Riley has added a new skill this month to help her get around....going down stairs. This has been a great relief to Kris and I as we watch her turn around backwards to go down a step or some stairs instead of her previous head first approach. She is still not walking on her own yet but she does still love to practice by holding on to our hands or her walker and she has recently started trying to stand up without help so I have a feeling it won't be long.

Our little Miss loves her books and is very, very good at turning all of the pages for us as we read to her. Among her favorite books is "Five Little Monkeys" and each time we get to the verse "the mama called the doctor and the doctor said....no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" she shakes her pointer finger in reprimand. Cutest thing ever!

There is nothing better than getting to spend each day with our smiley little Riley and we are so thankful for the blessing that she is in our lives. I cannot wait for the 2nd year of her life and all of the exciting changes that will surely bring, we love her so much. Happy 1st Birthday Riley!!!!!!