12 Months

Gretchen is 12 months old now. Although we were excited for her first birthday, it ended up being a pretty lousy week in our house. Gretchen and I both had the flu for an entire week, which was terrible. Nate was not able to get any time off to help take care of Gretchen, so it was a miserable week for Gretchen and I. I have never been that sick in my life. Gretchen also got another ear infection, so you can only imagine how much fun that was.

She had her 12 month wellness checkup and here are her stats from that appointment:

Weight: 26 pounds = 97.32% 
Height: 30.25" = 83.57% 
Head Circumference: 18.5" = 92.88% 

She has gained  16.6 pounds, 10 inches in height, and her head has grown 4.48 inches since she was born in May of 2011.

Gretchen can now walk and run all over the place. She started walking on April 8th and hasn't stopped since. She walks well in sneakers and sandals, too, so she's really grasped the concept.

She has also started potty training. Today was the first day she has gone pee on the potty, but we are determined to help her potty train at an early age since we know she is capable and very smart. 

Gretchen is in the process of switching from formula to whole (Lactaid) milk, because she is lactose intolerant. Children often outgrow lactose intolerance by the time they are three years old. I am lactose intolerant, too, so it might come back later in her life.

Gretchen can repeat many words that you say and her most recent word was "park" when we asked her if she wanted to go to the park. She is incredibly smart and surprises us every day. We are so proud of all of her accomplishments - big and small. 


She had some 12 month photos done by Jenn from Darling Photography and here are just a few (the photos were taken last night, so there are more to come):

Here's one of Gretchen (12 months) and her best friend Grayson (15 months):

 Beautiful Gretchen:

 Beautiful Gretchen in black and white:

 So adorable:

This summer we are hoping to do many family outings. Our favorite as of lately is taking trips to the park. Gretchen enjoys people watching and riding in her wagon while her dad flies kites. We also plan to go to the Gray Animal Park this coming weekend and to York Animal Kingdom in the upcoming months. Beach trips are a must and we'll be visiting the playgrounds often. We are excited to do things as a family now that Gretchen is a bit older and understands what is going on around her.