Happy 1st Birthday Salem!

Today is Salem's 1st birthday!

My friend Patrice took these pictures for us at a wedding we were both at this weekend. They are wonderful and really show her personality and how much she has grown up from a little baby into a beautiful little girl.

It is amazing to think that this time last year I was woken up by the first of many contractions and less than ten hours later, I was holding my beautiful baby girl!

She has so many opinions and preferences now and is definitely a toddler. Today she all but ran down the hallway chasing after me!

Her one year checkup is next week, so we'll find out her height/weight stats then, but I can defintely tell she's getting taller, since her footed PJs are now too short. Compared to her cousin Brecken, she's much lighter - just 17lbs the last time we were at the doctor's office. She's a petite little thing!

Here's some things about her development at this stage:

• She enjoys playing with her friend Addison, who is going to be a big sister soon! Check out this post for cute pictures of them playing together a few weeks ago.
• She has learned to point at things she wants or is fascinated by
• She learned to "duck and cover" to avoid doggie kisses by Sadie and Keely, my sister's two dogs who we kept for a week recently
• She follows us around the house, occasionally carrying something with her
• She likes to hand people things, as if trying to share, but then takes it back
• Her favorite foods are "mommy's milk", yogurt, cheese and hummus, but she also likes puffs, Cherrios, fruit with cereal, squash, peas and green beans, bananas, apples, eggs, pasta, homemade waffles, chicken, wheat bread, strawberries, and BBQ (yes, she's a southern NC girl!).
• She does not like avocado, no matter how many times I offer it. We'll keep trying.
• We recently made the mistake of letting her try a chocolate milkshake to see if she could figure out the concept of a straw...apparently she's a quick learner and LOVED it...so much that she screamed and cried and had a total meltdown in Babies R Us, complete with a red face and tears streaming down her face when we took it away. Looks like that'll have to be ones of those "special treats" in the future!
• She's finally figured out the sippy cup and drinks water like a champ.
• She says "mama", "dada", "go" and "tweet, tweet" when we look at the birds
• She gets super excited when she's at Noni's house and realizes that Poppy has pulled in the driveway in his big truck. She goes to the back door to wait for him to come in. So sweet!
• She loves to swing, both at the park and in "Poppy's swing" (his arms)
• She loves to be in the kitchen with her Noni, "helping" to cook by playing with her own little stash of cooking utensils or unloading the dishwasher and handing Noni the clean spoons.
• She is facinated by faces, pointing out eyes and mouths in particular.
• She loves books - holding them, flipping the pages, feeling the touch n feel ones, 'eating' them, looking at the pictures, and being read to (in short doses - her attention span is very short)
• My mom says she is my sister made over - very strong willed and determined.

She is so much fun! Her laugh is contagious and she gives great hugs. I can't wait to see what is in store for us with her this next year!! Happy birthday doodle bug!