Lina is 1!

Happy Birthday sweet little girl

26th of August 2012

I´m definitely teary and happy as well today. I still have the wonderful picture in my mind they handed you to my chest... powerful, cute, warm and best-smelling.... now you are hurdling straight to toddlerhood.

 
Your sweet and cheeky personality comes out and is continously developing. I so love spending time with you... it´s the greatest fun and biggest joy! Everything about you is so astonishing at present... I have difficulties to come along.

 
Your urge to move is particular. You are running and strolling around tirelessly. At the age of 8 to 9 months your sitting ability was perfected. Then you turned on all fours, began rocking on hands and knees and crawling followed at once. It was a good possibilty then to get around easily. But you learned very quickly that it was far too slow for you. Another... quicker version was that you loved to run on your feet with the hands still on the floor... looked like you were making baby-yoga! Too funny! Like this you learned how to get up to the standing position.

 
So you decided to straigten yourself up to reach everything better. This was the day we had to put the cot and the playpen down to the lowest position for your security.

Precisely when you turned 11 months you made your first step and started to walk. You were doing your first steps between mama and papa and were diving into our arms with such a big grin... giggling because you were proud of yourself. It was so amazing because I thought you would need time to improve and it would last some time more before you ran around assertively. Now you are moving like a big girl and a world of possibilities is ready for you. Everything you do looks so grown up... especially when you sit down and rest on your knees... or when you are squatting. Then you love to take a book, browse through it for a while and then you move on.

You LOVE books. On the one hand you are so energetic and you don´t want to keep still for long... but on the other hand you often take books out and sit by yourself flicking the pages and calling "dada", pointing everything you like and kissing different people or animals inside. And you especially love to sit on mama´s or papa´s knees and browse through the books together with us. 

When we are en route you love to be carried. For the first few months of your life we used a wrap but then I bought a ringsling for us and we love it.  Being close to me, nursing while walking and being able to see everything from above makes the sling to your favorite.

You are waving and telling "bye-bye" every time you or someone else is leaving, you clap your hands and say "please, please" to get things you want, you are pointing at everything and everyone calling "dada", you are able to pick things up very easily... now with two fingers, you are calling for mama the very whole day, you show what you like to eat and what is definitely not your taste at all, you show when you want to play, you give signs when you need a hug and a kiss, you love putting every cloth over your head and playing peekaboo, you are so cheeky with every gesture you make ... all these things are such a bittersweet evidence that you are becoming a big girl... now!

 
I'm amazed how aware you are of what we say and do around you. I've also started to point things out to you. You know when we talk about you or Max, the cat or the dog.... you know their names and will search for them in the same moment. When I call your name and tell you to have something for you, you will pause at once and come over to check it out. You are pointing things you need and are not able to reach. Then your voice raises and we know you are demanding. 

  
Our pets are going through a hard time again. Max is grown up enough now to know not to hurt them with hard strokes. But you little girl are torturing the cat sometimes. Xenia is a very calm cat and hates fast moves. So you are in the position to hit her, pull her fur, play with the tail and the paws. She once hit back with her paw but you were not impressed at all. One short wail, a little scratch on your hand and torture went on. 

 
You are kind of breast addict. When you were born you were really exhausted by the quick birth. You were whining and had no pink skin at all. The pediatrician was worried but not so me. I squeezed you close to my chest and kept you warm. The doctor even didn´t want me to breastfeed at once because of your struggle with breathing. But I refused the advice and you latched on and from this moment on... you are a perfect nurser. And by the way: you were recovering in no time.
From this time on we never ever had any difficulties or struggles with breastfeeding and our nursing relationship is going on.

When you turned 6 months we started with "real" food. Much to your displeasure. The first attempts were really frustrating... I thought you would never ever be interested in eating. But due to the fact that Max was the same bad eater (and still is) I stayed cool and knew you would eat... somewhen.

 
The best way to get you to eat is to put food pieces right in front of you and let you take what and how much you want. Your favorites are peas, corn, a whole apple, banana, watermelon, stewed carrots...

The time you came to more and more independence and better movement brought struggles as well. You are more complaining and I know it has to do with the fact that you want more than you are already able to do and you cannot voice what you want.
But I´m sure you will be able to tell us very soon... most of your demands we understand pretty well because you are a master of gesturing ;-)

Lina... you are indeed such a funny girl... it´s incredible how someone who is still called a baby can be able to make us so laugh. But you can... and you do!

... and you are such an affectionate little girl. Kissing is another favorite for you. You come to our faces with your wide opened mouth and kiss and hug with such a joy and delight, that my heart is jumping every time. You do this unexpected while strolling around or just when you see us or when we sit by your side to play with you. In the evening, when we sit in your dark room and you nurse for falling asleep you need these caresses most. You kiss me so very often then and you love to be hugged and held... the only time of the day you don´t push away to move on. 

You love to hug and cuddle and for over a month now you are giving kisses on demand. You kiss your dolls, you kiss the children in your books, you kiss your toy animals... but most of all you love to kiss us!
You often come over to put your hands around our neck and put your head on our shoulders... holding still for moments, enjoying the snuggles before heading off again.

You did sleep through the night without interruptions for your first 4 to 5 months. I could not believe how lucky we were. But unfortunately this changed quickly. You are waking up several times at night now to get some milk but I think mainly to get some cuddles.

In the morning we make different activities. Going for walks, shopping or just staying at home to play. Then nap time is no problem at all. Around midday, before lunch, you are nursing and fall asleep at once. One nap a day is enough for you to have best mood. 

When you wake up you have the most beautiful facial expression... with your marks from the blankets and sleeping bag all over your face and body. You look to my eyes, you give me you most adorable smile and stretch your arms out to me. This lets my heart melt!

 

The present age is definitely my favorite. You learn so much within no time, you make us laugh so much, you make us love you every second more. You are so easy to handle, are hardly whining, not defiant yet and balanced.

I'm so excited for the next year and all the hilarity and surprises it will bring. You have made our lives so much better, I can't imagine what I would be doing without you in it.

I love you Lina