My sweet one year old

Happy Birthday Annika! I can't believe you were born a year ago. (doesn't every mother say that?) Your Daddy says you keep getting cuter and cuter every day. Lately your personality has really started to shine through and its so fun noticing all the little ways you are different from how your brother was. Here are snippets of what you are like at one years old:

• You walk everywhere, no more crawling for you! We've gone to Boulevard park a few times lately and you will walk and walk and walk along the path. You still fall down some, but you really like the independence. Sometimes you like to hold our hand when you are tired of falling, but most of the time you want to go wherever the heck you please.

• You love to play this game where you hold out an object to someone and then pull it away when we reach for it. You laugh your head off when you trick us like that and you especially like to do it to Roxxy. She reaches for the food in your hand and just as she licks it, you jerk it away and giggle. Over and over until she finally gives up.

• Another favorite thing to do is play with Daddy & Saben on the couch. (and mommy too sometimes) Daddy throws you & saben up in the air and lets you fall bouncing onto the couch. You also love being pushed over while you are standing on the couch and then being tickled on your back. And you still LOVE being hung upside down.

• You love playing in the water and often try to crawl right into puget sound when we are at the beach. But for some reason the pool & swimming lessons scare you. I think it is because you are nervous about the teacher and mommy not being in the pool with you. But the last couple of days you've gotten a lot braver.

• You really like to feed yourself with a spoon and suck the food off of it & your fingers. You've gotten pickier about what you eat lately and if you don't like it you start yelling, shove food onto the floor and throw your spoon. But you can eat a banana in about 1/3 the time it takes saben.

• It is very obvious that you have quite the independent streak. You really like to do things on your own and have them done your way. You often get frustrated if we try to "interfere" by helping you. But you do play well with Saben, he is the one always taking your toys and you never seem to get that angry about it.

• You do get angry whenever mommy holds or hugs Saben.

• You don't really say anything yet, but it seems like you are getting close....Lately if you are hungry you come grab my hand and take me over to the drawer where we keep your cups, spoons, etc.

We love you Annika! Happy Birthday!