Who knew having a one year old would completely change my life? I can't believe it seems like the very day after her Birthday she was scribbling on the wall, climbing up everything, protesting that she can walk whenever she is being carried, not to mention figuring out how to reach and turn the knobs on the stove (I think they are a little low in Korea, or at least our house). So between Lucy figuring out how to unscrew water bottle caps (I thought I had screwed it on pretty tightly) and wanting to feed herself with a big girl spoon (she really won't eat with a little baby one anymore), there are a few more messes to clean up at the Pendergrass home, but it is truly a small burden compared to what a joyous stage this is. Really, I can't go on enough about how much I love it! I love love love having a one year old! Life seems to have magically jumped from ho-hum to thrilling in what seems like just overnight!
I love walking with her little hand in mine. I love the way she points and says "ohhhhhhh." I love watching her read herself stories (as I wonder if that is what I sound like to her). I love taking her to the playground and letting her make up her mind if we go on the swing or go down the slide. I love traveling with her and showing her the world. I love how she waves to people (and says something that resembles "hello") as she walks around, bringing a smile to the gloomiest of faces. I love how she laughs, her fake one and her real one. I love how she goes to the door, picks up her shoes, holds them out to me and says "Ticko, Ticko" as in "to go, to go" (I always ask her if she wants "to go," hence "ticko"). I love dancing with her to our favorite tunes (which is currently the "Enchanted" soundtrack). I love how she tries to sing "lalala," but comes out more like "lener, lener." I love when I say "come here, Lucy" and she walks into my arms with a big smile on her face. Of course, I can't resist laughing when I say "come here, Lucy" and she says "nah" and shakes her head. I love watching her put my shoes on. I love how every time I try to do the dishes she grabs on to my legs and follows me around. I love how she tries to help me make the bed by smoothing it out like mommy does. I love how she always wants to sing "head shoulders knees and toes" even though she only really does the head and toes part. I love her three little teeth, and her snaggle tooth grin. I love her curls. I love her monkey noises. I love having pillow fights. I love pretending to be asleep in the morning while listening to Lucy wake up as she begins to babble to the ceiling and then suddenly sits up and looks at me (probably because she hears me snicker a little). I love how she puts her big beady necklaces on. I love how she cuddles and kisses her stuffed animals as if each one needed a little love. I love how her hair blows in the wind as we bike around the town and how she begs to honk the horn every time we stop. I love when she is tired and puts her head on my shoulder (even though it only ever lasts 5 seconds). I love how she always wants to go up...up steps, up hills, up boxes, up anything that goes up (just up for a challenge, I guess). I love her funny waterspout ponytail that keeps her bangs out of her eyes. I love how she cuddles up to me when she is sleepy. I love how she slurps spaghetti. I love how she blows kisses to me. Okay, so I LOVE LUCY, you get the picture, but really it seems like I love her more and more everyday. I never pictured how much I would enjoy being the mother of a 1 year old! I liked having a baby and all, but I think this type of go go go life with Lucy suits me a little better.
Two days ago Lucy did her first jump. I was holding her hand of course, so I don't think it counts as a real jump, but she honestly did get off the ground, all of her own doing. But then she is Dave's daughter so what can I say? Anyway, it really caught me off guard and made me a little teary thinking about how fast this is all going by. Time seemed to go so slowly as a kid, but now it races by before you know it. Last night I knew my little baby was really becoming a toddler as I watched her walk all around the house without any coaxing from me or Dave (up until this point she could actually walk pretty far by herself, but only if I went out in front of her and said walk to me. Now, she needs no destination for the occasion). Her growing little personality seems very outgoing, but cautious at the same time (if that is possible). I guess that sounds about right for a mix between me and Dave. She seems to be a very deep thinker as well. I often catch her just watching something with such a deep look on her face, like she is wondering.
More about Lucy: she is pretty much trilingual, if you count all the English she understands, Korean Baby games she plays, and about 20 signs she knows (half of which she made up herself). So I guess that makes her a genius... like mother like daughter! Just kidding! Actually, she is really enjoying learning sign language and I think I am holding back her progress a little because she just makes up signs for stuff if I don't give her one (I don't know very many signs and she wants one for everything). She is very eager to communicate and really very good at showing me what she wants. She understands a few Korean words, such as how she bows when we say Annyeong hasayo (Hello) or Camsamnida (thank you), shakes her head when you say "dori dori," opens and closes her fists when you say "jam jam jam" and claps her hands when you say "jak jak oom", so this only adds to her Korean fame. She is a sweet girl and rarely loses her cool, although she does get awfully squirmy if you try to hold her for too long. She is very fond of animals (especially birds, dogs, and fish), her favorite food is a specific Korean soup (she slurps it from the spoon and I love watching her do it) that is served with many meals, and I think her favorite activity bounces back and forth from coloring (mostly missing the paper I give her and ending up on the floor, fridge and wall, don't worry they are washable), going to the park and reading books (she brings me books to read her, how can I refuse?). Hope this little Lucy update,-slash-Mom googling over child, filled your Lucy cravings for now!
Here is a few pics of Lucy hard at play:
Shoe Obsession...
Book Worm Lucy...on our first trip to the library in Korea
Snaggle Tooth Lucy...so happy I got a good picture of her 3 little pearls
One of Lucy's "Chingu"s as they call "Friend" in Korean. His mom is from Vietnam and we have become good friends through meeting at the park, even though neither of us speak very much Korean.
Lucy learning to play with her stacking toy
Not always a perfect stack, but always having fun! 
One cute girl at church made this puppet for Lucy. After a lot of tinkering and figuring on Lucy's part, she finally figured out how it worked before ripping it to shreds.
Well, that's the end...until next time!
