11 months

Yikes! I’m overwhelmed at how incredibly fast my little girl has grown up in the past two months (yes indeed I missed that 10 month update completely). For starters, she is a bona fide walker. No more toddling and taking a step and sitting down – now we walk across rooms and climb steps, at times before I can even get there myself. Her personality has begun to solidify seemingly before my eyes. She is quite opinionated and with the recent advent into the walking world does not like to be slowed down, for anything.

She is however such a joy and her smile remains as infectious as ever. In conjunction with her personality taking off, she has developed definite likes and dislikes. Her love list includes taking items and putting them in something and then taking them out.  She seeks out our dog Bubba (Donovan) whom she will call for and go over and lay her head on his. She adores hugging – it’s a gender thing I’m sold on – she will hug and squeeze any stuffed animal and cling to it as if it were her own child, nature yes indeed. Music is a favorite as is dancing. Her playlist includes the standard toddler fare of Patty Cake, Skinnamarink, and Ring around the Rosy, mixed in with a healthy dose of mainstream Christian rock for good measure. 

Her list of utter disdain is topped by spoon fed food. She is extremely independent and will usually only feed herself so I’ve progressed her eating habits a little more quickly than I would have otherwise. She also has a strong distaste for being flung into the air or zoomed around as an airplane – both discovered the hard way.

I am amazed at the development that has occurred in her little life on all levels in these short eleven months; socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The first year of life is an incredible marvel that I continue to be astounded by. The many, many changes that bring you from the parent of a newborn to a parent of a toddler are innumerable to count. It’s no wonder I can hardly wait to celebrate next month all that her first year has meant to not only me, but her father and brother and family and friends. 

Party details forthcoming I assure you.

Scout at 11 months old you are:

-          Walking! Took your first steps on January 2nd

-          Waving bye-bye

-          Calling out to the dogs excitedly, “da!” “da!”

-          Calling for Cutter, “da-der”

-          Eagerly, EAGERLY awaits “da-da” to come home from work

-          Getting more teeth, thankfully faster this time around – up to 7 or 8

-          Still waking 1-2 times a night to eat (bleh)

-          Down for bed by 7 pm and I wake you up at 7 am

-          2 naps; one early morning and the other early afternoon with Cutter

-          Eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, 4 bottles a day

-          Food menu: expanded rapidly this month. Pretty much eating anything that we eat (rice, pork, beef, chicken, pasta, berries, toast, hummus, peaches, cheese, oatmeal…)

-          Loving to verbalize, sounds for everything

-          Still a gem to travel in the car with, no complaints ever and you just sit and watch the world go by

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