One

Mia-rrific is O-N-E! Today!

Mia,

I can't believe it's been a year since you were born. At the same time, I can't believe I've only been holding you in my arms for one year. You are such an important and huge part of our lives, that I can't imagine what Mama and Papa ever did to keep busy before you were around. You have come so far from the little bundle we brought home from the hospital to the little personality-filled girl that you are today. You are so lively, friendly and sweet that you are a hit everywhere you go. You have fans all over the world, from Lola and Papy in China to your to your GrandLola in France, and the whole clan of C--s in Chicago! They love you and think about you everyday, but nobody loves you as much as your Mama and Papa do.

Last weekend, while we were at Costco preparing for your upcoming birthday party, you made tons of friends walking up and down the aisles. You thought Mama and Papa were taking too long shopping, so you demanded to be let out of the cart so that you could stretch your legs and walk around. You pointed at cans of tomato sauce, and cracked up at so many other things that Mama and Papa just didn't get. You play, all day long, sometimes wanting a bit of participation, but mostly, you're happy playing on your own. You are always very busy putting things in and out of your toy box, laughing and cuddling your stuffed animals, and feeding your snacks to Swarley.

You started walking a few days after your turned 11 months, and you have gotten very steady and strong on your legs. You are starting to become consistent with your words, but so far, the only discernible ones are "Mamam", "DaDa" and our very favorite "Hiiii". You like to say "Hiii" to everyone around us, and it especially cracks me up when you greet me "Hiii!" when I come to take you out of your carseat. You've been clapping for a few months now, and you clap everytime someone says "YAY!". You've just started pointing a few weeks ago, and you love to point at everything you find interesting. We're finally starting to get consistent with some baby sign language, and you know how to say "milk", but you do it everytime you want something in our hands, so I think you may be misunderstanding the point a bit. You're starting to do more, but it looks more like clapping than anything else. We'll keep at it, and we know you'll get it soon!

At One, you love: stuffed animals, fruit of all kinds, walking, Swarley & Chloe, pretending to drink out of cups and glasses, Mama's jewelry, sitting in your toy box, skyping with your grandparents, and Papa's Derek Lee bobble-head doll that you are not allowed to play with, and many many more things.

You do not like: vegetables, sippy cups, shoes, hair clips, hats, and sitting still!

We love you so much, Mia. Happy Birthday! Here's to so many more.