One year older...er, one year old

Happy birthday, Julie! This post is all about you.

(click on the collages to see them bigger)

One year ago today, you were born. I don't remember much about it, because I was a little drugged up. C-section meds will do that to do. I didn't get to hold you until you were already several hours old, but Daddy did, and it was enough for me to know that you were safe and healthy. I needed to sleep before I could hold you without dropping you first.

Some of our favorite pictures from your first month (the top right is Daddy's favorite, the bottom left is mine):
In your second month, you started smiling and your cheeks got super chubby. The rest of your body was still pretty skinny though:
By the third month, you had at least two chins, and your face looked pretty funny. We blessed you in Sacrament meeting at church, and G'ma made you a beautiful dress with a matching bonnet and booties:In your fourth month, you enjoyed sitting propped up in the corner of the couch, though if you got excited, you sometimes did what Daddy and I called "the topple effect" (top right). You thought it was funny to hang upside down, and started helping out around the house:
By five months, you were filling out everywhere and just so cute. You started getting to wear lots of fancy pretty dresses that Grammy got for you. You also had fun being silly:
At six months old, you were rolling around enough to get into trouble (and get stuck) with your toys. That month, we took a trip to visit G'ma and Grumpa, where you got to sit with Grumpa on his Harley:
In your seventh month, you had a perfect check-up with the doctor, had fun playing around with Gramps when he came to visit one evening, started thinking about scooting (but still knocked your play gym over with your rolling), backed yourself under the couch (on more than one occasion), and started eating solid foods:
At eight months old, you were about as happy as any baby could get. That made Daddy and me very happy too:
You met your cousin Sam for the first time (and promptly took his fire truck away), continued your adventures in solid foods, learned to put yourself to sleep wherever you were (you get that from Daddy), and made a new friend:
In your ninth month, we celebrated your first Christmas. Of course, you were the best present under the tree. Just a few days before Christmas, you started sitting up on your own (I had been waiting for this for months...I was more excited about it than about scooting). We drove all the way to Connecticut to visit Grammy and Gramps, and you were such a good sport in the car. While we were there, you enjoyed baths in Grammy's kitchen sink, and were just as sweet and happy as could be (I especially like the top right picture because it looks a lot like I did at that age):
By 10 months, I started taking "self-portrait" pictures with you, because I'm always the one behind the camera. We decided it was about time you had some Red Sox gear, so I picked out a bib for you at the mall in Providence during Christmas vacation. It looks perfect on you. You began crawling on your hands and knees, with your tummy off the floor, and if there was something in your path, you put it in your mouth and kept on going! You got into all sorts of mischief, and continued posing for pictures every day:
In your eleventh month, Daddy bought you a dump truck push-sit toy. You'd start pulling yourself up on things (couch, coffee table, dinner table chairs), so he thought it would be a good idea to get you something you could move and play with. You like it a lot. You liked being able to put your stuffed lamb in the truck and move it around with you. You missed Daddy when he had to go to work, and even followed him to the door one morning. Around 4:30 every day, you start asking for him. You show off your teeth with your megawatt smile all day long, and like to shake the gate doors because they make funny noises. You also have a really funny and super cute expression that you sometimes make with your mouth (top left) that I just absolutely love:
This past month you've had such fun personality. You terrorized kitties in two different states, and like to get into whatever mischief you can find. The weather has warmed up, and you love being outside again. You don't like the grass in our front yard though, so you stay safely on the blanket. You started climbing the stairs this month, and love doing it every opportunity you can sneak when I'm not watching. Good thing we have gates! You've only fallen off the stairs and hit your head once. In the last two days, you have started climbing up onto things, like the storage bucket in the hallway. You take pride in your accomplishment, but have yet to realize that you have no clue how to get down:

We love you so much Jules.
Thanks for a wonderful year!