Musings From Inside the Hobbit Door: Zita's First Year

I have been supremely bad about getting monthly pictures out for this little peanut. I love looking through these pictures and remembering each and every month. She started out looking so much like her sister and then developed her own little features. She still has phases where I think they look so much a like but are still there own little people. Please, my family, except my sincerest apologies and enjoy them now.

Zita is much more subtle than her sister. She is our cuddler. She is our squawker. I am convinced she knows the signs we are trying to teach her and chooses not to use them. She will use "eat" and "night-night" while saying a version of both ("EEEEE!" and "ni-ni"). Otherwise, when she squawks and we then ask if she wants "more" or is "all done" she will bow deeply and say "yes" to the desired outcome. In my book, if you can tell me "yes" you can use the sign. *sigh*

She walks everywhere. Climbs stairs well. After coming down hard a few times, she now stands at the top and squawks when ready to come down. *grin* She is constantly pointing and asking "dat? dat?" Often she is rather vague about the whole thing and I make up an answer to whatever I think she is asking.

She still out eats Nugget--3 pancakes to 1 plus fruit at breakfast; still eats green food; can put away an entire 24.5 oz jar of mandarin oranges in one sitting; etc. She is the lighter sleeper. She already knows that she should not let Mommy get all the way to "3" when counting (mostly by observing Sister). I am convinced that at times she cries so that Mommy and Daddy will get after Sister and she can then get her way. There is no one who can put a smile on her face faster than her big sister. She adores her and vice versa.

She decides who is her friend and who will hold her and when. I have yet to determine the method to the madness but she has her own little rating system. I'm sure growth and teething patterns play a part.

She is such a blessing and a joy. She just warms my heart. I love coming home from work to her. She must be picked up immediately and then showers me with hugs and kisses. She is such a sweet little girl. Enjoy her many faces over the last year.