Twelve Months Old.

Mio is one year old today! I can’t believe a year has passed already and I feel like I need a whole separate post dedicated to a reflection of the past twelve months with you… but for now, here’s the last of your monthly photos. It’s bittersweet to see this series coming to an end, but you can bet I’ll still keep detailed records of your growth — just no longer with you in your monthly onesie! (You are getting kind of old for onesies anyway!)

(I’ve been taking photos of Mio sitting in my white desk chair and wearing her monthly onesie every month until she’s one year old.)

Previous Photos:
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • Nine Months Old • Ten Months Old • Eleven Months Old

The Rundown at Twelve Months…

Stats: You weigh 2l lbs 7 oz according to our home scale (which is not the most accurate machine in the world), and you have stayed relatively the same in weight for the past couple months. A lot of people comment on how tall you are, though, and of course what an enormous head you have! You are in between 18 month clothes and 24 month clothes sizes now, and are wearing items from both sizes now.

Things You’re Doing Now: We can really tell that you are understanding what we are saying lately, as you’ve become a lot more responsive! When we say, “more?” you make the sign for the word “more” with your little hands. It seems that you have “bye bye” and “pai pai” (your way of saying “oppai”, or Japanese for breastmilk) confused, as when people say “bye bye” to you, you often wave and then sign “milk.” (lol) As always, you love your baths, and when we say, “ofuro” or “bathtime,” and sign “bath” to you, you sign it back and speedily make your way to the bathroom. When I say, “taberu?” and make the sign for “eat,” you immediately know it’s time to eat and cling to me so that I can take you to the kitchen to be fed — a food lover, just like your parents! While your verbal language is still limited to a couple words, using sign language has really opened up a fun new world of communication with you! You also nod a lot in agreement with us, and occasionally shake your head in disagreement at other times. You love going outside and will jump at every opportunity to step out the door when it’s open. You understand that you need your shoes to go outside, so you’ll sometimes pick them up and bring them over to show that you want to go out and play. Your appetite is also quite fierce these days, and you seem to always want more! I feel like your stomach is a bottomless pit sometimes and worry about overfeeding you, but it’s a great sign that you are healthy and growing. You’re an expert at walking now and hardly ever stumble. Lately, when I pucker my lips to kiss you, you lean your cheek over to help me plant my smooch! You often wrap your little arms around my neck when I hold you, and squeeze back with all your strength — they are the first hugs you’ve given me, and they are the sweetest! I could receive a hundred million of them and still never tire of them.