Last night I had the thought, a year ago I went to sleep for the first time with a brand new sweet little baby named Genève beside me. How she has filled our hearts and home with joy from the first moment we saw her until now is hard to express! What an angel and sweetheart and joy she is! How grateful I am that despite my wishes, I was granted the blessing of having a third child when we did. I am glad I did not get what "I wanted" which was to remain third-child-less until we were back in the States. Oh how I love her! And how she is loved by every one who knows her.
I would like to tell you all about Geneve at 1 year. I recently gave a bit of an update about Geneve, here: http://roundeo.com/harmony/albums/view/2f37d6c66e2a31e7ccf674f2aebedd02/4aae2fe5-439c-4d34-83a3-1789d861e4a8/photoLayout:filmstrip, (also go here for her year week by week in photos). And Spencer put this on his site: http://roundeo.com/spencer/microblogs/view/4ab620e4-6e0c-450c-b56c-78b8d861e4a8. On my last update I forgot to say that she began to push things over recently. She discovered that she could push over little chairs, the kid table. She actually turned the table all the way upside down and then stood on it and danced it it with triumphant glee! Then she went for a larger object, the kid's art easel, knocked it down, and it broke! she had probably her first time out after that, a short break in her crib. Since this desire to knock down and turn over has subsided! But before she would also turn the little green stools over and then get inside the legs somehow and inevitably get stuck. It was quite funny.
So Geneve loves shoes, water bottles (she is obsessed! she loves to pour out the water on the floor), phones, baby dolls, stairs, walking/climbing/dancing, fake laughing, scrunching up her adorable face with a really exaggerated "aren't I cute?" smile, teasing and being chased by daddy, playing with Cado and Paisley, books, pens (removing and replacing the cap), brushing her teeth (with a tiny bit of toothpaste which she insists be put on), breastfeeding, drinking in general out of any type of cup (she recently figured out how to drink out of a sippy cup by tipping her head back and holding it up), bathtime, talking on skype to her grandparents (she is so cute with it and will be very attentive and interactive), saying bye-bye with an open and closed fist, shaking and nodding her head (and she uses them correctly, when you say no she shakes, and when she really wants something she often throws in a nod), waking up every day at exactly 6 a.m. and being AWAKE, wandering the house all alone at 6 a.m., going out in her stroller, riding in the bucket bike...
Things she doesn't love, when things are taken from her or she is being bothered by siblings, or doesn't get what she wants whether from refusal or not being understood. She has gotten somewhat better (it seems to go in phases) about going down for sleep times. She doesn't like when doors are closed. For example if she gets into the bathroom with me before I get a chance to close the door, she will not let me close it, if i do she will freak out, and if i just close it partially she will deliberately make a very obvious statement of her disapproval by opening it as much as she possibly can!
Foods she likes: peas, kiwi, pasta, cheese, juice, eggs, yogurt. She likes feeding herself and not being fed. She likes to try and use utensils also. She doesn't like lots of things, or at least she doesn't think she does, in which case most of the time you have to force, as in stuff it in, food into her mouth upon which she will often realize, hey that actually is good and then eat it. Much of her food ends up all over her and the floor. I can't say that I love feeding a baby this age!
She really is a sweetie. I wouldn't necessarily call her super snuggly or cuddly, but when she is in the mood, and it can be quite often, she will readily give "bisous" (kisses) on command. And often gives them wihout command. right now sitting on my lap, I nuzzled her head and she turned her face up toward me very sweetly and slightly opened her mouth and waited for kisses, which she was obviously more than willingly given. In fact she has given me lots and lots of kisses right now sitting here without the slightest urging on my part! She keeps turning and kssing me!
She says "Da" in reference to Dadda, and I think I can be fairly sure in saying that she now says "mama". She says "na na" and "ninih" a lot, I would say that is her most repetetive sound. She also dances when the mood takes her. And she has a very set way of asking for what she wants with an outstretched arm and open and closed fist with noises and grunts.
So we celebrated yesterday with a crepe lunch party (Becky&Brian and Tara&kids joined us) and then dinner with the Hiatt's. We always have crepes on Sunday for lunch, and she loves them. We had crepes, opened gifts, had cake, and blew up a party bomb! And she got to talk to her grandparents on both sides and be sung to. She got a fun toy and her favorite thing about it is that it plays a little song and she dances to it. She also really enjoyed putting her fingers in the frosting on her cupcake and licking them off.
She enjoyed her party yesterday, though of course it took her awhile to even have any sense at all that it was about and for her. I think her comprehension was eventually, this is a special day and I think it has something to do with me!
Nevie, tu est TROP chou, adorable, et tu nous emmene la joie chaque jour! Je t'aime beaucoup ma petite moq*!
*(my little monster, moq is actually the way Cado said the french word "monstre" for monster when he was little, and for awhile Geneve was growling and roaring like a monster)
Joyeux Anniversaire Genève!
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. I can see that you put Picasa to work too on your collage. Awesome! It's fun to see your happy family.
) and my Uncle John! Now, we have also had the pleasure of hosting Spencer's parents who came to Europe in June/July. They arrived in London, spent a few days there, then came to us, spent a week here, and then went to Paris for a few days. Yeah, they did the speed tour! They wanted to watch the kids while they were here and give Spencer and I a break, so we went to Venice for three days, (which I wrote about previously). Basically that meant that Spencer and I were with them for only 3 full days (and part of two other days). But we wanted to show them some of our favorite Swiss places anyway, so we had a very tiring, busy and fun week! 
Happy Birthday Geneve!!