We weighed L tonight and she weighed in at 18 pounds 10.5 ounces.  I remember when we used to weigh her every day, and my mood for the day would rise or fall based on half an ounce.  After a while, we dropped down to three times a week, but for a very long time I still agonized over every weigh-in.  She gained only one pound between 9 and 12 months, but this kept her on the 20th percentile weight curve.  However, so far she’s already gained nearly a pound and a half since 12 months, so I don’t know if she’s going through a growth spurt or what.  She has an adorable pot belly.

We have a bedtime routine these days that I love.  We start with “book choosing.”  I pick four books, and L chooses her favorite, and we repeat this twice, for a total of three bedtime stories.  Then we add a fourth, “parent’s choice.”  For some reason, I derive enormous enjoyment out of picking the four books she chooses from, and then watching her make her decision.  Sometimes she loves all four, but every so often, she rejects all of them, which is always amusing.  It’s impossible to predict what she’ll choose.  She really does have a mind of her own.

We have been enjoying an early spring here in Seattle, and it’s been great to get out in the yard with L.  I really love our backyard.  I just put in another lilac bush as well as a camellia and a forsythia.  My hydrangeas are starting to grow their leaves, and the hostas are poking their noses out from the ground.  I love it when plants bloom in spring.  I also put in a few annuals, mostly primroses.  I’ve never tried primroses before, so we’ll see how it goes.

We’ve been letting L feed herself yogurt with the spoon lately, and it’s made for extremely messy mealtimes.  At least she’s having fun!