She's getting so big!

It seems like every day Raegan demonstrates a new skill. It's crazy how fast she's growing and changing these days!

She's loved playing with the balls in the helicopter ever since my Mom got it for her in May, but she just figured out in the last week how to push them through the hole. Now it's one of her favorite things to do!

I walked into the kitchen Friday evening to find Raegan standing on one of the chairs! She discovered that she could stand on the bumbo on the floor and crawl up onto the chair that way. This video is the recreation of that - I let her do it again this morning just so that I could catch it on video. :)

And a video....

Once she figured out that the cake was for eating, Raegan had a pretty good time with it.

Raegan's birthday party

Blogger is uploading pictures soooooo slowly, but at least they're uploading now. So here are some of the pictures from Raegan's party yesterday. We took a TON of pictures, so I narrowed it down a little to save myself the time of uploading them all.

Already she knows to grab the money!

My mother-in-law brought Zane's old sippy cup for Raegan to have. Raegan popped it right in her mouth, then was like, "Hey!" since there wasn't anything in it.

Okay, enough of this. I'm outta here!

Yaaaay for presents!

Sitting on the push toy that Luke and I got her

Raegan's cake. The woman from church who made my wedding cake also made this cake. Doesn't she do a fantastic job?!

She wasn't really sure why everyone was singing :)

What do I do with it? (As Zane said, it's the only thing she's come across that she didn't automatically stick in her mouth. Very true!)

I had to shove a little in her mouth to get her to realize it was okay to eat. :)
See her pissy look?

Sneak kiss from Zane

Hmmmm, do I like this?

Grandpa! This is awesome!

Bathing in the cakey goodness

Newest cousin Jacy (she was born May 16th)

12 month appointment

Raegan's 12 month well check was yesterday. She's starting to change - last visit she was 50% for height and 55% for weight. This visit she was 70% for height and 40% for weight. She's only gained a pound and 5 ounces since her last visit 3 months ago. I think it's because she doesn't put up with jarred baby food for long before she wants to start feeding herself, and I know she doesn't get as much in that way. I'm not actually concerned about it, because she's developing well and she is eating a wide variety of food, so all is good.

I opted for only one vaccination this time (HepA), and we'll go back in a month or so for the MMR. I was pleased to hear that our pediatrician won't allow children to get the MMR and the varicella at the same time since they are both live viruses. That had been one of my concerns looking at the AAP vaccination schedule, and it was nice to know that our office thinks about those things too. I'm not completely convinced that I'm going to get Raegan a varicella until closer to kindergarten, because you build a much better immunity from getting chickenpox than you do from the vaccination, but we'll see. Raegan did run a low fever (100.4) last night and was terribly crabby and fussy yesterday, which I attribute to a combination of the vaccine and her cold. However, I do feel better getting them spaced out a little.

Raegan had to have her blood lead level and her iron level checked, so we had to go to the lab and have her thumb pricked. She didn't cry at the actual prick, but after a minute of having her arm held down to get blood she was less than pleased.

So Raegan is developing beautifully and we'll go back in 3 months for her 15 month appointment.

Change of plans :(

Well, my plan was to upload pictures from Raegan's birthday party this afternoon, but Blogger's picture uploader is not cooperating with me beyond the first couple pictures that I uploaded. So I have 3 to give you tonight, and hopefully tomorrow I can get the rest of them up.

Sweet kiss!

Best family picture we could manage. The only one where Raegan

is facing the camera at least.

Now that Zane's hair is so long, Raegan loooooves to pull on it.

I rather like this picture, actually. :)

Birthday Letter

Dear Raegan,

You turn one today! I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by. More and more of the pictures I take of you these days make you look more like a little girl and less like a baby. While I'm excited for all of the milestones and fun of being one, I'm sad that you're not as much my little baby as you were even a month ago. Last night you laid your head against my chest while we read a book before bed, and I remembered when you were just new born and you that's how you laid against me all the time. You are so very busy these days that sometimes that snuggle with a book before bed is all the cuddling I get. I'm surprised that I'm not as eager to give up nursing as I thought I would be, because it's our time together. I remember when you were only a week old and your acid reflux was causing you to spit up on me so much that I didn't know how we could possibly make it nursing for a year. But here we are!

You are so bright and funny and full of life. I remember when you were just four weeks old and you were looking up at the toys at the top of your swing, and I thought how advanced you were. You have continued to amaze me with the things that you do so early. Except for all of the physical milestones. I suspect that you are going to be like me in that department - just a tad bit uncoordinated.

Your Uncle Devin told your dad and I last weekend that we are so blessed to have such a happy baby. I love your smile, and the way you clap when we're on our way home from child care each day, like you're so happy that your family is back together. I love that sometimes when you laugh it sounds like a wheeze, and the way you sing in the car in the mornings before I drop you off. I love how happy you are to see your brother, and how special the bond between the two of you is. You couldn't ask for a better big brother than the one you have, and I am so fortunate to have you both.

You are so much more than I ever could have hoped for or prayed for or imagined. I'm excited for this next year and everything it will bring. I love you so much little Mamo. Happy birthday Raegan Marie.

Love, Mommy

Just a minute old.

One day old.

3 weeks old.

Four weeks old.

2 months

4 months

4 months

6 months

9 months

One year old!

Raegan and Mommy

Ouch!

Another milestone today, although not as great as other new things....


Raegan had her first accident at child care. :( Really her first accident that left much of a mark. The kids were using the tumbling mat because they couldn't got outside this morning, and a little boy flipped Raegan off of it when he tried to crawl underneath it. She's got a little rug burn, but it keeps looking better as the night goes on. I really hope it's gone by Sunday or we're going to have to reschedule her one year pictures.