Friday, April 17, 2009

Reflections on Radha's First Year


(from Ro)

I can't believe our little one has been with us for a year!  One of the first things I've discovered about being a parent is how time moves differently. Sometimes it seems like it has sped by, but other times the individual moments and the amount of changes we have been through make it seem like a lifetime.  For Radha, it has been a lifetime! There have been lots of good times and some challenging times. The good thing is that Terri and I have learned a lot about being parents, and about ourselves in the process.  No child or parent is the same, so all three of us are figuring out how we operate in our new family.

We've had so many great memories of the last year: all of our visitors, our trip to the coast, visiting the pumpkin patch, Halloween and Christmas. One big moment was the first night we put her in the crib to sleep on her own. It was one of the first of many bittersweet moments we're going to have as Radha starts gaining independence.  

Of course, the biggest joy has been watching her change and develop into her own person. Another lesson I am still learning is letting her develop at her own pace, and not to worry too much about what books say or what other kids are doing.  I'll post some stats after her one year appointment next week, but in the meantime, here's a rundown of some of her latest and greatest accomplishments:

- standing on her own while leaning on something
- rolling around the living room
- feeding herself finger foods and bottles
- saying "mama" and "dada", but not always to the right person
- patting herself on the stomach when we ask "Where's your tum-tum?"
- imitating us when we raise our hands above our head, or "dance"
- doing her "big girl laugh" like in the video posted earlier
- being generally hilarious at dinner time, so that Mom and Dad have to try and keep straight faces to try and get some food in her

Coming up next week - birthday posts!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a huge fan of the sock monkey bib.

pdx elizabeth said...

Great update. I didn't know she was standing up. Watch out, you guys!!!!

Tomorrow is her birthday, right? I cannot believe she's one already.

Love the little Mohawk "do" she's sporting in the bath photo!