11 Months Brought Us...

• faster crawling. By faster I mean scary speed crawling. Our girl has the eyes of a tiger when she's crawling. Girl friend keeps her eye on the prize.
• Cruising any and all furniture...FAST.
• Eating tons of new foods: pizza, tortillas, grapes, pasta (spaghetti, penne, pesto fettucine Alfredo), goldfish, graham crackers, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, turkey slices, pea salad, stuffing, and the list goes on I'm sure.
• great napping
• 2 new teeth! Top front and top right next to front
• waking up once a night-sleep regression at it's finest.
• an appreciation for all things new! This girl LOVES to look around at new places.
• vocabulary: says banana as "ba-na-na or na-na," da da ALL THE TIME, ba, and shrieking and bubble sound blowing
• so much fun!

In 11 Months I've Learned...

(this post is late, but better late than never!)

• that being a parent forces you to make choices that are best for your little one. These can be painful and very decisive.
• the fastest route to Dell Children's Hospital.
• sucking on a straw is a huge feat that deserves praise!
• babies take a while to get used to new textures and foods.
• we will do anything for the sake of an educational moment with our child. This includes crawling on all fours, making random animal sounds, stopping to point out the name of whatever random object she points to in the middle of a store, and any other ridiculous appearing act you see us do.
• that she is the most gorgeous example of the miracle of love.

In 10 Months I've Learned...

how fragile life is

how to play chase like a champ!

when crawling like a 10 month old, you realize all the places you missed while dusting

that my daughter has the BEST laugh

that the holidays with a little one are extraordinary

that when you spend your entire life stationary and dependent on others, you just want to move around when you finally learn to

that T and I make the absolute best team

that family is all you need

that God is molding T and I into the parents we've prayed to be

10 Months Brought Us...

• One trip to the ER, 3 doctor visits, 1 x-ray
• the flu...which brought the above and below
• Tamiflu and the horror of night terrors and hallucinations
• a week long fever that wouldn't break
• the realization that my daughter inherited febrile seizures from me
• real, official, speed crawling
• pulling up on EVERYTHING and cruising furniture
• eating spaghetti! messy, messy eating!
• the ability to eat bananas like a monkey!
• the discovery that we're not so fond of raspberries
• sitting up and pulling up on our crib which led to daddy lowering it
• the desire to walk EVERYWHERE
• the first taste of a hamburger
• a love for mommy and daddy's cinnamon toast crunch cereal
• sweet potato puffs
• extra clinginess
• longer hair with the tiniest hint of a wave
• bath times in the big kid tub!
• crawling to the bathroom for bath time
• our first trip to a pumpkin patch!
• our first Halloween!

I'm sure I'm missing so much, but it was a HUGE month development wise!

Our 9th Month Brought Us...

faster army crawling

clapping

waving

ability to eat Cheerios

our first stomach bug-wow, what a weekend that was for all of us

introduction to Yo Baby yogurt-HUGE hit!

purchase of our first Halloween costume

trip to daddy's new office on sixth street and a sampling of lunch at Whole Foods and dessert at Yogurt Planet

LOTS of talking-lots of da da, ga ga

huge desire to walk

curiosity of things-looking under couches, behind toys, grabbing things, finding intended purpose for toys that had previously just been teethers

dinner at Jason's Deli-and a slurp of momma's ice cream! :)

lots of last minute #2's in the car RIGHT before getting to our destination. Sweet thing got shopping nerves!

Just a lot of plain old fun!

In 9 Month's I've Learned...

(9 Month Stats: 19lbs, 11 ounces [50-75%]; Length: 28 1/4 [75%]; 46cm [90-95%])

That army crawling gets faster and cuter everyday!

That the ability to grasp for and get a Cheerio in your mouth is a huge skill that is tougher than it looks!

That Gymboree at this age is so much fun!

That mommy was not comfortable giving you the flu shot this year. We'll wait until you're bigger and stronger for that one.

That stomach bugs are no fun at all.

A lot of big changes can happen in a short amount of time.

That in a pinch at a restaurant with a dirty table-hand sanitizer and a baby wipe will work to disinfect your eating space.

That you'll look back at that infant car seat that your child has outgrown and marvel at how you thought your little one was once so tiny in it.

A well packed diaper bag can keep a little one entertained and prepared for any situation.

That our life is so deeply blessed and rich. As each day passes I wonder what I did right to deserve all of this love and blessings.

That her one year birthday is coming faster than I can believe.

In 8 Months I've Learned...

That our stationary days are numbered.

How to entertain a little one in a car seat with any ordinary object.

That life in fast-ish restaurants with a little one is possible...yay!

That babies grow out of clothes way too fast. Inexpensive is the way to go.

That a child who is able to sit upright in a shopping cart opens doors to so many fun outings!

How to play peek-a-boo all around our house!

To always, always, ALWAYS pack an extra outfit, diaper, and wipes.

That holidays with a baby make the season so much more exciting!

That our hearts will forever be hers.