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What I love about you - 2 months

It feels like just yesterday I was writing your 1 month What I love about you, and here it is a month later already. You girls have changed so much in a month and yet sometimes it still feels like we just came home from the hospital. Here's what I love about you at 2 months....

  • You have completely stolen Sadie's heart... she loves to give you kisses and has never once been jealous over you.
  • And how curious she is of you two... "wet diaper?"... "wipes"..."one diaper?"..."baby paci"..."baby blanket"..."asleep"..."awake"..."no cry baby"..."can I hold baby?"..."all done"... the list goes on and on.
  • You have started sleeping longer stretches at night, sometimes going 6 or 7 hours between feedings.
  • You're still messy eaters but I think we've just gotten used to it and but a bib on you at every feeding.
  • When I put you up on my shoulder and listening to you sigh, breathe, and coo.
  • Feedings go much faster now too. If both of us are feeding you it takes about 15-20 minutes. If one of us is feeding you back to back, it takes about 30-45 minutes.
  • You have started smiling in this last month, and I love when you're in a happy and alert state and give me little grins.
  • You have spit up more in this last month, but I'm thankful it isn't anything close to how much Sadie used to spit up.
  • You actually like when Daddy gives you baths. You usually don't start to cry until after the bath and I have to dry you off and clothe you.
  • When I walk into the living room and seeing one of you and Daddy asleep on the couch together.
  • I love that we don't have to rock you to sleep. We generally feed you and swaddle you and lay you down awake - you put yourselves to sleep which is so nice.
  • You've gotten used to being swaddled, sometimes even putting your arms down at your side as if to say "I'm ready."
  • You use pacis more and more, which I guess is ok for now. Since there is two of you, sometimes it's necessary to use the paci to quiet one of you down while we are feeding or holding the other.
  • You're drinking about 3.5 - 4.5oz at each feeding, and sometimes is varies a lot from one feeding to the next. I'd love if it was a little more consistent.
  • You're awake more during the day which is fine because most of the time you're happy and will just look around the room from your bouncy seat.
  • You're "routine" usually consists of an eat, play, sleep cycle. This really worked with Sadie and I can already see you getting into the habit of "playing" after you eat instead of going directly to sleep.
  • How fast I've gotten at feeding you, changing you, swaddling you, putting you in car seats, getting you in and out of cars, packing the diaper bag, dressing you, and preparing the formula and bottles... Daddy and I have become machines.
  • You like to make contact with people and can follow objects with your eyes when they are close enough to you.
  • You don't go back to the doctor for your 2 month checkup until next week, but I think you weigh around 9 or 10 pounds... we'll see.
  • You are still sleeping in the packnplay in our bedroom, but I have a feeling you'll move to your cribs soon since you are sleeping for longer periods of time at night.
  • You still like being next to each other, but sometimes you'll flail your arms around so much that you actually hit each other!
  • We've put you in your bumbo seats some and while you're still a bit unsteady, you've gotten so good at holding your head up.
  • You also like to be put at our shoulders and hold your head up... I can't believe how good you've gotten at it.
  • You're just starting to grow out of some of your newborn onesies and filling out your 0-3 month ones. Some of the newborn pants are definitely too short.
  • How Sophie has "charlie brown hairs" on her head like Sadie did.
  • How confident I've gotten in being able to tell you two apart.
  • The rythemic sounds you make when you're drinking a bottle at the same time... I love that sound.
  • It's still so warm outside that most of the time you just wear a tshirt or onesie and have only had to wear socks one or two times.
  • I love the new expressions that I'm starting to see on your faces... from smiling or even laughing (pretty sure it was gas) you continue to light up my life every single day.
I can't wait to see what this next month has in store for us!

Love,
Mom


What I love about you - 2 years old.

I actually had this ready in time, I just forgot to post it.
I love you Sadiebug! ~Mommy

NIGHT-NIGHT
  • You go to bed around 8:00, or a little later if you're playing and being a good girl.
  • You've gotten attached to one particular blanket. It's pink, green and white striped and so soft. Sometimes when you wake up in the morning or from your nap you even like to get it out and carry it around with you.
  • Most nights you don't pitch a fit at bedtime... you might whine a little, but you don't protest too much.
  • Here's what you usually sleep with in your crib: seahorse, Violet, Ladybug and Bumble Bee Pillow pets and two blankets, and since you turned one you've added several baby dolls, Mickey Mouse and a couple of other random things.
  • You usually wake up somewhere between 7 and 8 in the morning, and once you do wake up you start calling "Daddy... Daddy...."
  • You don't ever sleep in later than 7:30 anymore. :(
  • You've gotten used to laying down immediately, with your head on the ladybug, snuggling with a baby, and covered up with your favorite blanket.
  • You still nap somewhere between 12 and 1, for between 1 and 3 hours. At daycare you nap at noon for usually no more than 2 hours.
  • When you wake up from your nap we ask you if you had any dreams. You say "yeah" and we say "about who?" and you say "Barney"

EAT!
  • When a meal is prepared we say "Can you get in your chair?" and you walk over to your high chair, crawl up the front, turn and sit down in your booster seat and start clipping the lap belt together. 
  • Your eating schedule consists of breakfast and milk when you wake up. Your morning favorites are adult oatmeal, poptarts, fruit, applesauce, and cereal.
  • You have gotten really good at feeding yourself with a fork or a spoon.
  • If you finish your morning milk, you come to us with your cup and "All gone." We tell you to put it in the sink and you go drop it in.
  • If you find an old sippy cup sitting around you come up to use and say "Old." And again we tell you to put it in the sink and you do.
  • Lunch happens somewhere between 11 and noon. You always want "Big Bready" which is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which we usually fix for you. You also get another sippy cup of milk.
  • You usually take your nap after lunch, but when you wake up you get some juice diluted with water and a snack... usually fruit or snack crackers.
  • You love juice, so if you finish it before dinner then you get water.
  • With the exception of when you are teething, you usually eat pretty good.  
  • Your dinner is usually whatever we eat. Sometimes you don't like whatever you put in your mouth and you'll say "I don't want that" and spit it out.
  • When you're done eating you to say "done" or "down". If you haven't eaten a lot,  we encourage you to eat "two or three more bites" but we don't force you, but you also can't get "snacks" later on.
  • You love applesauce. I think you would eat it for every meal if you could. You also love oranges, pb&j sandwiches, crackers, chips, sauce, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, string cheese, grapes, raisins, poptarts, and goldfish.
  • Daddy had to put childproof locks on the pantry because you kept trying to open it and get out snacks for yourself.

SAY WHAT?
  • You've gotten to the point where you don't ever stop talking. When you turned one, I think you're vocabulary was about 5-10 words. At 18 months it was probably around 50-100+ words at least. And now, you are constantly amazing me with the things you say and words you put together.
  • I've been working with you on putting words together, not just repeating sounds like bye bye. "Aw man" "want this" and "want to watch" are all relatively new terms for you and it took a little while to figure out what you were saying.
  • At 18 months you weren't saying your own name yet. Now you say it all the time. "Sadie going?" "Sadie did that? I did that?"
  • You still get shy when people to speak to you first, but you warm up to new people pretty quickly.
  • A lot the time I'm amazed at the actual conversations that I have with you.
  • You speak pretty clearly for a 2 year old, but there are still words and things you say that I have to get you to repeat several times to understand it. 
  • Here are some words and phrases I love hearing you say:
    Nose or I need another tissue.
    Where we going?
    I don't want that. (while shaking head and scrunching up your face)
    Help me peas.
    Mommy's turn. (Sadie's turn... etc.)
    No. No way. (unless you're defying us)
    Uh-oh.
    I lu you
    Got it.
    All gone
    Yep
    Yeah! (You say it so enthusiastically)
    Nope
    hold babies
    Who dat?
    What dat?
    Tookie (cookie)
    Kisses (then you make kissy noise)
    Toffee (coffee)
    Oh no. happened?
    Who going?

AROUND THE HOUSE
  • You are a huge help around the house. And you've gotten so independent that most of the time you don't even want our help to do them.
  • You help us empty the dishwasher by handing us bowls and utensils that are on the lower racks.
  • If something needs to be thrown away, you say "away" or "trash" and take it to put it in the trash.
  • You're also very good at taking stuff to people. If I have something for daddy, I can give it to you and say "take it to daddy" and you take it to him.
  • You like to help let Rascal in and out and get excited when he comes back in from being outside.
  • If I put dog food in Rascal's bowl and a couple of pieces spill out, you like to put them back in the bowl. You've even started helping me by filling Rascal's bowl with food on your own.
  • Yes, you are STILL slightly OCD about cleaning up. :) 
  • When it comes to manners, you still say please and thank you most of the time. You say bless you when someone sneezes or coughs. And you're learning how to say yes/no ma'am/sir.

LET'S HAVE FUN!
  • You have so many toys!!! There is an entire area in our living room where you have a train table, kitchen, horse, bookcase full of books, two beanbags, a replica firetuck, baby stroller, shopping cart... and tons of little toys to fill in the gaps like jewelry case, school house, balls, tea set, groceries and food, shape sorter, stacking rings, bowling pins, stuffed animals, dolls, coloring books, cameras, microphones, musical instruments.
  • You just had a birthday party and you got a cash register that you love. You also got some more musical instruments, a table and chair set, a minnie mouse dressup set, alphabet puzzles, singamagigs, and lots of other great toys!
  • Speaking of musical instruments you love to make noise with your kazoos, harmonica, drum sticks, and noisemakers. Me and daddy even got you a guitar for your birthday gift.
  • We have a piano and you love to sit on the stool and play it. You usually pat the seat next to you which means you want one of us to sit down and play with you.
  • For the most part, you do pretty much play with everything, sometimes bringing it all out at once to play with. :)
  • You are so good with shapes! There is an iphone app that says a shape and you have to pick the correct shape out of a group of shapes. You get it right almost every time (and then get a sticker!)
  • You also have an alphabet puzzle that you picked up really quickly. You don't know the letter by the name but if you pick up the "H" and I say "H is for House" you put it in the right spot.
  • You LOVE to be outside and will beg us to go "outside" over and over again. You mainly want to go outside so you can blow bubbles.
  • You love books. Your favorite book is "The Gingerbread Man" and you even know some of the words and say them when I read the book to you.
  • You have a kitchen and you really only make one thing in the kitchen and that is coffee for me and daddy... not tea, but coffee.
  • You have a couple of toy cameras that you link to take pictures with, but I think it's especially funny when I have my camera or phone and you automatically say "cheese!" and smile at me. Does that mean I take too many pictures of you?
  • You love to look at photos and videos of yourself on my phone.
  • You love singalong songs... especially ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (which you interchange the words while singing since it's to the same tune)
  • Somewhere, somehow you learned how to do the Hokey Pokey... I have no idea.
  • Hands down your favorite show is Barney. We've tried to ween you off Barney with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and now you ask for Barney and Minnie Mouse equally. 
  • We get really tired of Barney so we don't always let you watch it. If you say "Barney?" and we say "no" then you say "Baby Bop?" "BJ?" "Riff?" :)
  • You love playing with your older cousins and their friends, and all the kids at school and the church nursery.
  • You love going to daycare. When I ask you who you played with you say "Olivia." I say "who else?" and you say "Grace." I say "who else?" and you say "Thomas." It's always those three in that order.
  • I can't think of the last time you were in a stroller. Most of the time you're good and hold our hands. Other times you refuse, meltdown, throw yourself of the ground and we end up having to pull or drag you.
STATS
  • Teething has still been a big hurdle for you the past couple of months. You were late cutting your upper incisors and your upper and lower canines, and then they all decided to come in at one time... 6 teeth! June was just an awesome month!
  • I haven't been real good at keeping up which teeth came in when but you now have all your teeth with the exception of the two year molars.
  • The last time you visited the doctor was for your 15 month well checkup. You were 32.75 inches tall, 25 lbs and 10.5 oz, and your head was 18.25".
  • You haven't been to the doctor since 15 months, but based on our home scale, you are around 33 pounds and 36 inches.
  • You wear a size 5 diaper and couple probably wear a bigger size... do they even make a 6?
  • You remind us every day for a "vity" (gummy vitamin) and usually get your teeth brushed everyday as long as we don't forget.
  • You get to take a bath or shower every other day. Daddy usually handles baths and showers, and it sounds like you guys have a lot of fun in there splashing around and getting "soapy." When you're done and it's time to dry off, he makes you "shake it like a Rascal" :)
  • You still only have the one mole on your back.
  • You still have your white blonde hair and blue eyes.
  • Your hair is getting so long. The bangs finally grew out and are long enough to tuck behind your ears. We took you for your first haircut on August 3rd to Spoiled Rockin Kids salon. You were sich a big girl. We only got a little amount trimmed but it made your hair look less wild. 
  • You've gotten so big the last 6 months and are wearing some 2T clothes, but 3T is a more comfortable size for you, in shirts, shorts, pants and dresses.
  • You are in between size 7 and size 8 shoe size.

OTHER RANDOM THINGS TO REMEMBER
  • Walking backwards saying "beep beep"
  • Being in the bathroom when I'm putting my makeup on and wanting to put it on too - I give you makeup sponges and brushes of your own too.
  • Helping with babies - get us diapers and wipes, throw dirty diapers away, put empty bottles in sink, help daddy give babies a bath, hold bottles when we feed them
  • Reading books (birks) and putting them back on the shelf
  • Swimming, jumping in the pool... 1, 2, 3 jump!
  • "Ride to town"
  • Turning light switches on and off
  • Painting in the bath with colored shaving cream
  • Learning to put her clothes on
  • Likes the idea of the potty, toilet paper and flushing but you haven't used the potty yet
  • Transitioning from Barney to Mickey/Minnie mouse
  • Praying at mealtimes (you remind us when we forget!) and the way you say "Amen"
  • Enunciating words and repeating what we say
  • You're starting to form sentences
  • Eating and loving salad - for a week
  • Calling me mom and Lauren
  • Learning to pretend play
  • You know names of all immediate and some extended family
  • Knows shapes - even hexagon!
  • Learning colors - pink and yellow are your favorites to say
  • Knows 1-10 (but occasionally will skip numbers like six and seven)
  • You love all things outside - chalk, bubbles, pool time, swinging, sliding, going to the park, riding in the wagon (waggy)
  • Being tickled by the tickle monster
  • You hate it and even have meltdowns when family and friends have to go "bye-bye"
  • You love putting coins in your bank - "money"
  • You call for "Daddy" when you wake up
  • Napkins (napins) - everyone has to have one
  • You call the perfume bottle in your jewelry box "viti" (vitamin)
  • You LOVE your cousins... all 6 of them!
  • "I'll do it, I'll get it, I got it"... independence and learning to do things on your own, your way
  • no real separation anxiety but you always want to know who is going or coming... Sadie going? Mommy going? Puppy going? Babies going?

18 months old

Sadie, during your first year, I wrote to you every month to let you know about things you were doing and saying. When you turned one I thought "ok, well I'll do it every year now since she's not really changing as much as the first year" but boy was I wrong! I can't believe how much you have grown in the last 6 months, so I wanted to take a little time to jot down some things that I want to always remember about you at 18 months. I love you.

 

NIGHT-NIGHT

  • Shortly after your birthday, your bedtime moved from 7 o'clock to 8 o'clock and you still sleep all the way through the night.
  • Most of the time you make it to 8, but other times when you've had a busy day, you get tired earlier and need to go down around 7.
  • Some nights when you are definitely ready for bed, we say "are you ready to go night-night?" and you grab our hand and lead us back to your room for a diaper change and bedtime.
  • Other times when you are kind of cranky we say "are you ready to go night-night?" and you say (usually with tears in your eyes) "noooo" in your sweet and pitiful voice.
  • Here's what you usually sleep with in your crib: seahorse, Violet (that you got for Christmas), Ladybug and Bumble Bee Pillow pets and two blankets.
  • You usually wake up somewhere between 7 and 8 in the morning, and once you do wake up, you love to play and babble in your crib.
  • Sometimes you are really tired because you don't wake up until 8:30 or 9:00... we usually just let you sleep unless it's a school day.
  • You love to sleep on your stomach, sometimes on top of a pillow pet, with you arms wrapped around it, and your head down on the mattress... it sure leaves you with a serious rats nest in the morning!
  • Around 14 months old, you dropped the morning nap. I know daddy was a little nervous about having just one nap, but you transitioned like a trooper! You now nap somewhere between 12 and 1, for between 2 and 4 hours. At daycare you nap at noon for usually no more than 2 hours.

 

EAT!

  • When a meal is prepared we say "are you ready to eat?" and you say enthusiastically "EAT!". We say "Can you get in your chair?" and you walk over to your high chair and wait for one of us to put you in it.
  • Your eating schedule consists of breakfast and milk when you wake up. Your morning favorites are adult oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, applesauce, and cereal. You are really good at feeding yourself with a spoon, espcially with things that aren't too runny.
  • If you finish your morning milk, you come to us with your cup and say "juice" or "water"... if it's in the morning you get water until lunch.
  • Lunch happens somewhere between 11 and noon. Anything goes for lunch: sandwiches, veggies, crackers, etc along with another cup of milk.
  • You love to eat with your hands but are doing so good with eating with forks and spoons too.
  • You usually take your nap after lunch, but when you wake up you get some juice diluted with water and a snack... usually fruit or snack crackers.
  • You love juice, so if you finish it before dinner then you get water.
  • Your dinner is usually whatever we eat. You love pasta, veggies, chicken, and just about anything! 
  • Around 15 months you were in a weird phase where you didn't really want much and would spit it out immediately. Everything I read said not to force you to eat, so we didn't. Thankfully you got over it quick and are now eating most everything we give you.
  • You give us lots of clues when you are done eating... the worst is spitting out food, throwing it, or feeding it to Rascal. We've been working with you to say "done" or "down" whenever you have finished. Again, if you haven't eaten a lot, we don't force you, but you also can't get "snacks" later on.
  • You are obsessed with bananas and call them "nanis". At first you loved them and would eat a whole one by yourself. Now you just love the idea of them or saying "nani" because when we give you one, you eat a couple of bites and leave it laying around somewhere. When we try to get you to finish it, you say "no."
  • You know where certain things are in the kitchen like oatmeal, milk and juice, snack crackers, grapes, bananas, etc. If we ask you what you want for breakfast and say "oatmeal" you point to or walk to the cabinet where it's at.
  • You've learned how to wash your hands after we eat, even rubbing the soap on your hands and washing it off. We still have to hold you up to the sink, but for the most part you do it all on your own.

 

SAY WHAT?

  • You can say so many things now. When you turned one, I think you're vocabulary was about 5-10 words. Now I would say it's 50-100+ at least. I've tried to create a running list of them each month, but there are so many new words a day it's hard to keep up with you.
  • Here's what I have so far on my list, but there are so many more I haven't kept up with. They kind of go in chronological order:
    First Words: Ball, Dada, Mama, Uh-oh, Ducky, No, Boo, Boom, Puppy, Baby, Hi, Bye, Mine, More, Mommy, Daddy, Bubble, Please, Night night, Yeah, December, Woah, Water, Eat, Pee pee, Poo, Cheese, Two, Beep beep, Wow, Yucky, Thank you, Bye bye, Nani (banana), Juice
    January: Down, Ty Ty, Pops, Walker, Yoey (Zoe), Poo poo, I, you, Grapes, Back, Stuck, Trash, Away, Cat, Outside, Color, Mimi, Pawpaw, Candace, Nan, Nate, Book, bath, Stop, Catch,
    February: Watch, Keys, Up, Car, chair, bag, Aw man, Want this, turtle, want to watch, yes
  • You are great at saying new words. We will say to you "Can you say _____?" and you will try. Sometimes it sounds nothing like it, and other times you're right on. It's amazing!
  • I've been working with you on putting words together, not just repeating sounds like bye bye. "Aw man" "want this" and "want to watch" are all relatively new terms for you and it took a little while to figure out what you were saying.
  • I haven't heard you say your own name yet. We will look at a picture of the 3 of us and you'll point and say "daddy", point and say "mommy" and then I point to you and say "Sadie" and you'll say "daddy" or "mommy."
  • As long as you're the first one to say "hi" then you're usually ok, but sometimes you get shy when people to speak to you first.
  • You know how to use words and know what they mean. For example if the channel gets changed off of something you were watching you say "uh-oh"... if you drop something you say "aw man"... if you want something you say "mine" and if you don't want something you say "no".
  • You are definitely a daddy's girl. He has you brainwashed, you trained, taught you to say "Daddy" anytime you hear a question start with "who"
  • You love to talk on the phone... your pretend phones and adult phones. On nights that daddy works we call him and you get to hold the phone all by yourself. The conversation usually goes something like this:
    "Hi Sadie." "Hi."
    "Who loves you?" "Daddy!"
    "That's Right! Who do you love?" "Daddy!"
    "I Love..." "You!"
    "That's right! Bye." "Bye!"
    "Bye-Bye."

 

AROUND THE HOUSE

  • You love to help us around the house. I think it's because you are trying to grow up a little too fast and be like an adult, which I don't like at all!
  • You help us empty the dishwasher by handing us bowls and utensils that are on the lower racks.
  • If something needs to be thrown away, you say "away" or "trash" and take it to put it in the trash.
  • You are very good at picking up your toys before your nap or at the end of they day when we say "let's pick it up".
  • You're also very good at taking stuff to people. If I have something for daddy, I can give it to you and say "take it to daddy" and you take it to him.
  • You like to help let Rascal in and out and get excited when he comes back in from being outside.
  • If I put dog food in Rascal's bowl and a couple of pieces spill out, you like to put them back in the bowl.
  • If your milk spills on the floor we say "can you clean it up" and you get a paper towel and clean it up all by yourself.
  • Yes, you are slightly OCD about cleaning up. :) 
  • You have the best manners of any 18 month old I've ever seen. You say "peas" (please) when you want something and "tank you" when we give it to you. At first it was hard teaching you when to you each of them, but after being very consistant and repetitive you're figured it out for the most part and say one and then the other.

 

LET'S HAVE FUN!

  • You have so many toys!!! There is an entire area in our living room where you have a house tent, train table, kitchen, horse, bookcase full of books, two beanbags, a replica firetuck, baby stroller, shopping cart... and tons of little toys to fill in the gaps like jewelry case, school house, balls, tea set, groceries and food, shape sorter, stacking rings, bowling pins, stuffed animals, dolls, coloring books, cameras, microphones, musical instruments.
  • Speaking of musical instruments you love to make noise with your kazoos, harmonica, drum sticks, and noisemakers.
  • And you love to dance! If you hear music on the TV or in the car you'll start bouncing up and down with the beat.
  • We have a piano and you love to sit on the stool and play it. You usually pat the seat next to you which means you want one of us to sit down and play with you.
  • For the most part, you do pretty much play with everything, sometimes bringing it all out at once to play with. :)
  • The shape sorter has always been a favorite of yours. We used to turn the ball to the correct shape you had in your hand and you would put it in. But this week, you started turning the ball yourself to find the right shape! If you try it out and it's the wrong one you say "no" and keep turning it. If you find the right one you say "yes" and rotate the piece until it fits.
  • You have a Melissa and Doug wooden animal puzzle that you are great at.
  • Just recently it's been warmer outside and you love to blow bubbles and play with sidewalk chalk. 
  • You love books. You'll go grab a book and bring it to us to look at. You're great at find the objects on the page, especially shapes, food, animals, and lots of other things. You have one Baby Einstein book that I think you can point out 50-100 things in on the first try.
  • You also have a puppy book that you love. You like to make the puppies scratch, shake like a Rascal and pee on the tree. Then we have to find that cat that keeps hiding!
  • You already know how to pretend play... you'll get the tea set out, set the cups on the saucers, pour the tea in the cups and "drink" the tea, and you expect us to drink it too.
  • You have a couple of toy cameras that you link to take pictures with, but I think it's especially funny when I have my camera or phone and you automatically say "cheese!" and smile at me. Does that mean I take too many pictures of you?
  • You have also learned that mommy's camera shows the picture on the back after I take it and now you insist on seeing each picture.
  • And you love seeing pictures and videos of yourself. Sometimes we will just sit at the computer and watch videos from your first year... you get so engrossed and don't want to stop watching.
  • Daddy set up a web cam on the home computer and now you guys call me at work on it. I love being able to see your smiling face when I'm busy at work. It makes my day so much better.
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider is your favorite and you even act it out with your hands and mouth some of the words as we sing it. You always want to do it when you're on your changing table, but I'm not real sure what the connection is with that.
  • Some of your favorite TV shows to watch (on occasion) are The Backyardigans, Pound Puppies, Fresh Beat Band, Yo Gabba Gabba and Wonder Pets. Your face lights up when you hear the theme songs for these shows come on. 
  • You love playing with your older cousins and their friends, and all the kids at school.
  • This morning when I dropped you off at school, you started telling me "bye" at the gate outside. Are you already embarrassed of your mom? :)
  • You also like stuffed animals that make noise and/or move. In particular there were Christmas penguins that sang "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," a Christmas dog that barks "Jingle Bells" and rolls around with his tale, and a dog that flaps his ears and sings "Do your ears hang low."
  • You don't love to be in a stroller. You would much rather be walking around on your own... you're very independent like you mommy.

STATS

  • Teething has been a big hurdle for you the past 6 months. There are times where you're just really cranky and I know it's your teeth that are hurting you. We've gotten a good break from it the last few weeks, but I imagine it's just a matter of time before more start poking through.
  • I haven't been real good at keeping up which teeth came in when but here's where you stand now: You have the two top front teeth, the four front bottom teeth, and you have your four first molars. The upper lateral incisors, upper and lower canine and second molars have not started erupting yet. 
  • The last time you visited the doctor was for your 15 month well checkup. You were 32.75 inches tall, 25 lbs and 10.5 oz, and your head was 18.25".
  • Now you are 28 lbs (based on our home scale), 33 inches tall (based on the height chart at home).
  • Between November and January you grew 2 whole inches!
  • You've been wearing a size 4 diaper for many many months now. We use the Pampers Dry Max and they work really well for you, even overnight.
  • You take a gummy vitamin everyday and usually get your teeth brushed everyday as long as we don't forget.
  • You get to take a bath or shower every other day. Daddy usually handles baths and showers, and it sounds like you guys have a lot of fun in there splashing around and getting "soapy." When you're done and it's time to dry off, he makes you "shake it like a Rascal" :)
  • Daddy discovered your first mole... it's on your mid-back near your spine. It's so tiny and cute.
  • You still have your white blonde hair and blue eyes... those dominant Hall genes strike again.
  • Your hair is getting so long. The bangs are tough because you don't keep bows and clips in your hair but you can't see unless we keep them out of your eyes some how. One morning daddy suggested a braid... genius! I was able to do a french braid with your bangs that looks so cute and keeps your hair out of your eyes.
  • For the most part you are true to size, wearing 18 month old clothing. Although in pants you can pull off 24 months because you are so tall.
  • You are wearing a sice 5 shoe right now, but I think most of the size 5 shoes are about to be too small. I just bought you the cutest pair of pink Chucks that are a size 6 and they fit really well.

 

MEMORIES

  • The last 6 months have been filled with so many good times and memories.
  • For Labor Day weekend we headed to the beach to enjoy the beautiful weather and water. You weren't too sure about the sand, but loved playing with shells in your pool and lounging around in your float in te ocean. You even learned how to do Patty Cake.
  • Before Halloween we went to Tate Farms where you played in the corn, hugged pumpkins, swang, got to go through the hay maze, and ran around and had fun. I love seeing your smiling face when you're having fun.
  • For Halloween you dressed up like Snow White and we took a Halloween hayride to go trick-or-treating with all your friends. It was so much fun and you were great at holding your candy pail out to get candy.
  • For Thanksgiving we had a pretty low key day at Grami and Grandpa's house. Daddy had to work (boo!) so we just had a nice lunch and took some family pictures.
  • Christmas is always crazy with lots going on. We celebrated Daddy's family Christmas the second weekend of December. You love getting to see cousins Jamey and Lizzie, who you don't get to see very often and even Cousin Bryce was able to stay the night with us one night - you two shared a bath together! You got some great gifts like a ladybug pillow pet, bath toys, books, clothes, and money! 
  • Christmas for my side of the family is much more quiet and calm. Christmas even we had dinner at Outback with Brandon, Betsy, Grandpa and Grami. Then Christmas morning we woke up early to see what Santa brough before Daddy had to go to work... and lo and behold he brough snow, and lots of it! He also brought you a kitchen, a baby doll and stoller, and lots of other wonderful gifts! Mommy was not feeling well on Christmas so G&G came by and got you and took you to Pat and Jim's house. I met you over there a little later where we had a wonderful lunch and opened gifts together. You and cousin Zoe had a great time together and she even taught you how to do Ring Around the Rosy.
  • We took at trip to the beach for New Year's weekend. The water was too cold to get in, but we had a great time relaxing, shopping, eating, and just havig a great time. None of us stayed awake to see the ball drop at midnight. 
  • For Valentine's Day, you had a big party at school where you took valentine bookmarks that mommy made for you to share with your friends. You had a great time and came home with lots of Valentines. We also shared the bookmarks with family too and they loved them. 

 

I feel like I've forgotten a ton of stuff, so I may add to this list as I think of things. But just know how much we love you and love watching you grow everyday. And we can't wait for you to become a big sister this summer... you're going to be a great one!

 

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pictures are in random order.

What I love about you at 12 months... one year... oh my.

Where did the year go? I can't believe you turned one today. I thought that I would be more emotional, but I wasn't. I was just really really happy. You have completely changed my life, my priorities, and my future. You make everyday interesting, new and different. You find ways to make me smile when I don't feel like it and you can make me cry when you cry (Mom, I finally get it now.) I know exactly what you want when you fuss and know exactly what to do to make you happy. You are adventurous, loving, adaptive, funny, smart, and a million other adjectives. You love your routines and I do too. I miss you when I'm not with you. You're the closest thing to a perfect baby I've ever seen.

Here's what else I love about you at 12 months...

  • Shortly after you learned to walk, it was almost like you are running at times... slow down little girl!
  • Although I miss you, I love when other people babysit you - you are so good for them and they love spending time with you!
  • You can make me laugh without even doing anything.
  • And I love it when you laugh at me laughing at you.
  • I love when you sit in the floor and spin yourself around only using your feet.
  • Not only can you now do an indian call, but you can use your finger/hand to go up and down on your mouth while humming.
  • Uncle Brandon also taught you have to make a pop sound - you can't make the sound but you sure try!
  • At one of our dinner nights at Red Robin, I blew on your spaghetti to cool it. When I put it up to your mouth, you blew on it! Too funny!
  • You will try just about anything - food, new toy, anything.
  • You love water - pools, baths, fountains. You even cried one night because I just put your feet in the pool and didn't let you swim. I'm sorry!
  • One day you pulled out an old roll of christmas wrapping paper. I rolled it out on the floor and you loved walking on it - i think it had to do with how the paper kind of stuck to the bottom of your feet when you walked.
  • I brought a big cardboard box home from work and you loved playing in it, and putting balls through the holes.
  • Last month you could say "ball". This month we can say "where's the ball?" and you stop what you're doing to find a ball. It's so cute.
  • Mamaw really lights up when we go visit her... she always says that you have the cutest little face. :)
  • Dad chases you around the house saying "I'm gonna' get you!" - you squeal and take off running!
  • I love taking you out shopping because you're a great distraction from boring old grocery shopping.
  • You playing in a specific kitchen cabinet - it has small salsa bowls, really small tupperware containers and lids, and small bundt pans that you love to drop and let clang when hitting the ground. You also have a small drawer that has some kid-friendly utensils in it.
  • You were not happy when I baby proofed the kitchen cabinets, but I love the peace of mind it gave me.
  • You like to put stuff inside containers. You can sit there forever putting a tupperware lid inside of another bowl, dumping it out and doing it all over again. You are so smart.
  • You are still a great sleeper, sleeping 7-7 most nights!
  • The look on your face and small giggle you give us when we get you out of your crib in the morning is priceless - it really gets my day started off right.
  • You love waving and saying "bye-bye".... when people say it, and even when the talking toys say it. You've even started saying it when we put you in your car seat because you know we're leaving somewhere.
  • At feeding times, when we say "more?" or "bite?" you open your mouth.
  • You've also gotten really good at feeding yourself with your hands.
  • I love that the ladies at daycare still comment on how sweet and easy you are - this makes me feel so good about going to work everyday.
  • You've started playing on the couch. You love to put all the pillows on, then throw them off. You also love to fall into a pile of pillows. You're also learning how to get on your stomach and get down off the couch.
  • You went to church for the first time this month - the daycare teachers said you were great!
  • You like to walk around in big open spaces - and don't like to hold our hands when you want to just roam around.
  • You also like to look at people from behind glass - when they put their hand on the window you like to follow their hand/fingers with yours.
  • You started sleeping with the glow seahorse and even know how to turn it off and on on your own.
  • You have the cutest, chubbiest, healthies legs - I love squeezing and tickling them
  • You have very specific ticklish spots and I know exactly how to make you laugh.
  • You love musical instruments toys like drums, kazoos, flutes, maraccas, and the xylaphone.
  • Your first birthday party was amazing. Over 50 people came to wish you a happy birthday, swim, and have fun. Some of your favorite presents are the shopping cart, board books, camera, fire truck, jewelry box, and pot. You loved the cupcakes but didn't really want to get messy in your smash cake... oh well.
  • On your birthday, we had a great day. We got attacked by fed the ducks at Big Spring Park, you loved playing in the fountains behind Earlyworks, and had your first kids meal dinner at Red Robin (spaghetti and mandarin oranges). 

What a great, wonderful, terrific, magical, special, amazing, and awesome year it's been. I love everything about you and can't wait to see what year two has in store for us!

What I love about you at 11 months...

Ok, I know this is a month late... my bad. It's been a busy couple of months!

Here's what I love about you at 11 months:

  • You've been sucking you thumb a lot lately, but I guess it's better than a paci.
  • Our dinners at Red Robin - you are so good in the high chair!
  • You learned how to stand up all on your own, without support. Then you just stand there, not knowing what to do next (before you learned how to walk.)
  • You love making waves in the bath by bopping up and down - I just wish you'd stay seated
  • We had a great first Father's Day with dada - we swam a lot and loved on him all day long.
  • You love pushing your car around - you walk good on your own, but you really take off when you have support. You haven't quite learned how to turn it around when you bump into something though.
  • Unfortunately, you love it when Rascal licks you in your mouth - gross!
  • You love holding on and carrying around the "0" from a number puzzle you have. Dad and I say "where's the zero?"
  • You really seem to understand who "mama" and "dada" are - when we say it, you look at us.
  • You went through a really bad stomach bug this month, but you didn't let it slow you down. You almost wouldn't have known you were even sick had it not been for the OBVIOUS signs. :)
  • Even though you can walk on your own, you love to hold our hands and walk, especially around the house.
  • You absolutely love the pool!
  • You started taking 3 out of 4 bottles from a sippy cup - you transitioned really well! You don't drink it all in one sitting like a bottle, but you like to drink some, then play, then drink some more, etc.
  • You are saying "ball" and love to roll it around and play with it.
  • You are so smart - you are actually attempting to put the shape blocks in the holes of the shape sorter - AMAZING!
  • Dad taught you how to make an indian call - you hum and he pats your mouth! So cute.
  • I guess the biggest thing that happened this last month was you learned how to walk. On July 9th, 11th and 14th, you took a couple of small baby steps going in between me and dad. But on the 15th, you did it all on your own and once you started, you didn't stop! And by the next day, it was like you were a pro - you were walking around everywhere!

Besides for turning one, what other amazing things are in store for us next month?

What I love about you at 10 months...

It's so hard to believe that you are 10 months old... only 2 months shy of a year! My little girl is growing up so fast.

Here's what I love about you at 10 months:

  • You're still taking 2 naps a day, which is a blessing. It lets us to get stuff down around the house like cleaning bottles, laundry, and taking our own naps.
  • That your initials are the same as your Aunt Joann that passed away this month - before she passed, she gave you her monogram broach and you wore it to her funeral.
  • Your two bottom teeth came in this month and they are so cute. You use them to bite of bites of crackers and puffs.
  • You play really well with other kids, like the kids at daycare, your cousins Zoe, Elisabeth, and Olivia, and friends Bella and Shelley.
  • We went to the beach again and you LOVED it! You loved sitting in your "recliner in the ocean",  splashing around in your pool on the beach, and playing with shells that Grandpa and Dad found for you.
  • The "ooh" sound you make when you get excited or see something you like.
  • While we were at the beach you started saying "ducky" and "uh-oh" after I said them. This blew me away - you are so smart!
  • You mastered how to pick up food between your thumb and finger and then put it in your mouth.
  • You're getting lots of table food, and when we sit down to eat, you're worse than Rascal at begging for food. :)
  • You love to wave, clap, and flail your arms around when you're excited.
  • Hearing you babble in your crib after you wake up from your nap.
  • You get so excited when you see us making your bottle or bringing your plate of food to you. You are such a good eater and usually drink all your bottle and eat all your solid food.
  • The look on your face when I pick you up from daycare - it makes it all worth it.
  • When you snuggle up with me and watch cartoons (this is very rare so I soak it up when it happens)
  • When you bottle makes a gurgling noise and it makes you laugh.
  • You are so good for babysitters - this comforts us on the off chance we decide to have a date night.
  • When I'm not in the same room as you and I call your name - you crawl and come find me.
  • I love when you come visit me at work - all my coworkers just fawn all over you!
  • We've had to start telling you "no" when you do something that might hurt you (tugging on power cords or unstable furniture) and you've started mocking us... "nah-nah-nah"
  • You babble all the time: dadada, mama, uh-oh, baba, nah-nah, bop, bob, and papa
  • You love being in the swimming pool. You like the balls, rings, shell, and the turtle themometer. Sometimes you lean back in your float and you look so relaxed!
  • You've gotten brave enough to let go when you stand up - and sometimes you stand up on your own for 10-15 seconds.
  • You made a card for dad for Father's Day. It had your handprint, footprint, and a picture of you on it.
  • You have your own little toy and play area in our living room and you like to take every toy out of the drawers.
  • You still love bathtime but sometimes it tough getting you to stay seated. :)
  • That everyday I'm more and more amazed by your love, your beauty, and thinking about the next month to come.

What I love about you at 9 months...

What an exciting month it's been. You've gone from being a bump on a log, to being mobile! It seems like you learn something new everyday – one day you can't do something, and then all of a sudden you can do it the next day. It's like you learned it in your sleep overnight. It has been so great watching grow and learning all these new things!

What I love about you at 9 months:

  • You started pulling up on low pieces of furniture or our pants leg
  • That as soon as you learned how to pull up, you learned how to crawl. Aunt Candace helped you learn one day, and the next day you were doing it all on your own
  • And that a week or two after you pulled up, you started walking along those same low pieces of furniture – we watched in disbelief
  • The look on your face when you see me, when I'm picking you up from daycare – you are so happy to see me!
  • How you learned how to wave overnight – one morning dad waved at you, and you waived right back
  • The way you toss (or throw) things up into the air with no regard for what it is or where it lands
  • How you always want to bounce
  • That you still take two solid naps a day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon
  • Watching you crawl from room to room, following us through the house
  • Trying to find all your ticklish spots, and listening to you laugh
  • How you said "mama" and reached out for me when Aunt Kate was holding you 
  • When you roar like a lion, or mock people when they make the "ah" noise
  • Seeing you interact with the other kids at daycare
  • You started clapping, and love clapping when you're happy
  • In addition to your bottles, you're eating a plate of food for breakfast and a plate of food for dinner – and you're eating all sorts of things now – yogurt, chicken, cheese, ham, turkey, cottage cheese, bread, egg, and lots of fruits and veggies
  • How daycare wears you out and you usually fall asleep on the way home
  • How you smaile when we smile, and laugh when we laugh
  • That I was able to spend my first Mother's Day with you
  • You had the biggest belly laugh one night playing with your toys.. the hard I laughed, the harder you laughed
  • You've started making kissy noises when we do it to you first
  • Your crooked smile
  • How there's still no sign of teeth
  • Our great night at Bridgestreet where you road a Zebra on the carousel, tried ice cream, and took pictures with me in the photo booth
  • Watching you learn how to do things, like taking the rings off the stacker one-by-one. 
  • That you have your own little area in the living room that has all your toys in it. 
  • Getting you out of your crib in the morning when you are still a little snuggly
  • The way you smell after a bath.
  • How musically inclined you are - you love to play the maraccas, the tamborine, and can really go to town on the kazoo.
  • Watching you watch backyardigans - you become glued to it and love the intro song. 
  • Seeing everyone love on you. 
  • That I'm so excited to find out how you'll amaze me even more this month. 

What I love about you at 8 months...

Where do I even start? I can't believe how much you changed this last month – sadly, sometimes I feel like you're not my little baby anymore. You are this little girl that has personality and spunk. You literally make me smile and laugh ALL the time and when I'm not with you, I can't wait to be. When you were first born I would say to Drew "can you believe she ours?" or "can you believe we get to keep her?" and I said those things because our life was so different than any life we'd known before. But now 8 months later, I still catch myself saying those things (most of the time to myself) because I just can't believe that we've been blessed with something so special and amazing in our life. I feel like someone needs to pinch me and wake me up from this to-good-to-be-true dream I'm in. But the best part is this isn't a dream – this is our life and can't even express how blessed I feel. So yes, part of me is sad that you are growing up and becoming a big girl, but at the same time I'm so excited about what lies ahead and just thinking about the memories we'll make together.

So before we get to the what I love about you list, here's just a small list of things that show just how big you're getting:

  • You're now sitting in a convertible car seat instead of the infant seat that came with the travel system, but still rear-facing
  • You're riding in the front seat of shopping carts
  • You can swing in a big girl swing at the playground
  • You can go from laying on your stomach to sitting 
  • You are so close to pulling up on the ottoman/toybox

Here are some things I love about you this month:
  • Watching family love on you, especially ones that live out of town and don't get to see you very often
  • Seeing your face light up when you're swinging or bouncing
  • The ladies at daycare called you "the perfect baby" – wow, that's a bold statement!
  • You're so smart and you catch on to things really quickly, like playing the kazoo
  • Even when you aren't feeling great, you're still a great baby
  • You don't throw tantrums - you fuss when you're hungry and tired, which makes it easy on us
  • You're slowly getting the hang of finger foods, even though it still makes your gag reflex kick in
  • When you sit contently in my lap and watch cartoons like Mickey Mouse club and Yo Gabba Gabba (dad says you won't do that with him)
  • It's weird how sometimes you look completely different from one day to the next
  • How you greet us in the morning – I wish I was that smiley when I woke up
  • You have gotten in a great routine of taking your naps in your crib – I knew that would eventually fall into place
  • You are so content in your pack-n-play with all your toys – it's like a portable room within a room
  • Even though you don't really like being on your changing table lately, we make it fun with zerberting and gurgling
  • We found some mega absorbent diapers so you don't leak out overnight anymore
  • I can't tell you how much I love coming home early in the afternoons
  • You still love watching your cousins play sports like baseball and soccer
  • Seeing all the guys at the firehall fawn all over you
  • With each passing day it seems like you spit up less and less (yes!!)
  • You aren't scared of anything, even really big Easter bunnies
  • When you wake up in the morning and I'm carrying you down the hallway, you are so alert and look around at everything
  • I feel like you want to tell me things sometimes, if you could only talk
  • The weather is getting warm and you're so cute in your spring and summer outfits
  • We brush your hair, but it doesn't matter – most of time you are rocking a faux-hawk.
  • Since it's getting warm outside, we swing on the porch swing in the afternoons - it reminds me of when we first brought you home
  • How excited you get when you're bouncing - I don't know which you like better, the jenny jumper or exersaucer
  • I'll never forget the afternoon I went to get you up from your nap and you were sitting up in your crib, playing with the mobile
  • Playing "boo" with you is so much fun, especially when you don't know I'm home and I hide behind a wall and say it
  • Just listening to all the noises and grunts you make
  • Watching you play in the bathtub – I have no doubt that you're going to love being in the pool this summer
  • I could go on and on and on, but just know that I love everything about you.
Love,
Your Mommy

What I love about you at 7 months...

You turned 7 months old while we were at the beach for spring break. We had such a wonderful trip. We took you to the zoo where you got to see lots of different animals like lions, tigers, monkeys, donkeys, a peacock, an alligator, and so many more. We headed to beach a couple of times and while it was windy and chilly at times, you were a trooper. You started sleeping on your stomach while we were there, something you had never done before, but you seem to really like it. You've also learned how to roll over really fast - you swing your leg over and before we know it, you've on your belly! We're definitely going to have to be very careful when we put you on the changing table from now on! :) A fun bring spring break trip is just one of the highllights of the last month... we're making so many memories together and everyday I'm even more grateful to have such a wonderful daughter as you.

Dear Sadie, my sweet girl, you are 7 months old today, and here's what I love about you...

  • I can look at you, smile and you smile right back at me
  • You imitate us - if we groan, smile, and make gurgle noises, you do it too
  • You have the biggest, happiest smiles. They light up my life.
  • You're eating so good - cereal and bottle for breakfast, veggies and bottle for lunch, a bottle in the afternoon as a snack, and cereal and a bottle for dinner.
  • You've moved up to the creeper room at daycare - bittersweet because you're getting so big, but you're also not considered an infant anymore
  • Sometimes you sleep in, as late as 9:00, which makes mommy very happy when it happens on the weekend
  • You've been sick a lot this last month - stomach bug, bad diaper rash, eye infection, ear infection, bad nighttime cough - but you've bounced back from each of them really fast.
  • You reach out for people when you want to be picked up or held - so sweet!
  • When you wake up in the morning, you babble for a while and are happy laying in your crib until we come get you out
  • Your hair is so blonde and is starting to grow so fast
  • When you stretch out stiff as a board on your changing table
  • You laugh when we hide and say "boo!"
  • When we feed you a bottle, you grab the bottom of it and try and to hold it yourself
  • When you're sitting in your high chair, you like to hit your foot against the center divider
  • You LOVE your exersaucer and playing with all the toys on it - you also bounce up and down in it really fast.
  • We set your pack-and-play up and put a bunch of toys in it for you - you love sitting in it and playing, its like your own little mini room
  • When you stroke my hand and arm when I'm feeding you a bottle
  • We opened a musical instrument set that was a baby shower gift and you really like the maraccas, tambourine, and the rain noisemaker
  • Dad has tried to teach you to whistle, and you've learned to put your lips together and blow
  • You love it when someone blows on your face and hair
  • When we are in public everyone comments on how cute you are
  • You are pretty patient with me when I want to have photo sessions with you
  • Your favorite word right now is "baba" - you say it over and over and over again - still waiting for "mama"
  • You are so smart - when something has to spin to make noise, you know how to spin it
  • You love rattles and sometimes get so carried away that you hit yourself in the head and face
  • It's always a surprise to see what position you're in in the mornings - it's never how I put you down
  • Hearing you cousins call you "baby Sadie" and give you kisses
  • You are so great in the car - you usually "talk" to me which is nice when it's just me and you
  • You are such a smiley and happy baby - we are so blessed
  • You sit up all the time and rarely fall over
  • You've started taking naps in your crib, with only a few minutes of fussing

I wish I could remember everything that you did that made me smile over the last month, but it's impossible. Just know that you make me so happy and I can't wait to see and experience the next month with you.

Love,
Your Mommy

What I love about you at 6 months...

Wow, I can't believe you're already 6 months old, and changed so much right before my eyes. Everyone told me how fast it would go by, and I knew that it would, I just didn't know it would go by THIS fast.

You have such a sweet, funny personality. You light up when you see us, yet you're so good with other people, even complete strangers.

You just recently started sitting up and rolling over even more, which probably means crawling is just around the corner. You love playing on your activity mat, and I just recently put it inside your pack-n-play and you love it! It was like your own baby-sized playroom. You love bouncing up and down in your Jenny Jumper too - I think a lot of it is because it puts you down on Rascal's level, and you really love petting, playing, and even just looking at him.

We take you lots of places like basketball games, parties, and the grocery store and you're always so good. You really only cry when you're hungry or tired, and that makes it so easy on dad and me to comfort you. You love daycare - you smile when I drop you off and you're still smiling when I pick you up. Your smiles give me reassurance that I can be a working mom, that we can do this. Don't get me wrong though... I miss you terribly during the day, and wonder what you're doing all the time. But I know you're in good hands, whether it be with Daddy, Nan, or the wonderful ladies at daycare.

You're eating about 4 times a day now and growing at a great pace - at your most recent doctor visit you weighed 15 lbs 1oz and were 25.75" long. We have just started introducing more solids during the day. You've been getting 4 tbsp of cereal every night, and now we're giving it to you in the morning too. You're also getting some veggies at lunch - but they are definitely an acquired taste!

I can't get over how you seem to do something new everyday - make a new face, babble a new babble, make me laugh in a whole new way. There are so many things to love about you, and here's just a few:  

  • Your legs are so strong and you can stand up for long periods of time with just holding on to our hands
  • You're sitting unassisted for short periods of time - but each day those periods of time get longer and longer
  • You are so content being passed around, even by complete strangers
  • That you fought RSV like a trooper and bounced back so fast!
  • You love watching your cousins play basketball - you follow them up and down the court
  • That you like to drag your fingernails across things to hear the sound it makes
  • That you are so intrigued by people's hair - although sometimes it hurts when you grab it!
  • You love playing with your feet without your socks on, and they usually go straight into your mouth
  • How aware you are of your surroundings - you are always looking around to see who's in the room
  • Your cute girly outfits
  • How you like grabbing people's noses and bottom lips
  • You love anything with a tag on it - and it usually goes straight into your mouth
  • How well you transitioned from nursing to getting 100% formula.
  • When the daycare ladies say you've had a "good day"
  • When you're in the same outfit when I pick you up from daycare as when I dropped you off (this means you didn't spit up a lot)
  • That you hold your sleep sac with one hand at night
  • Our lazy days at home when we don't even get out of our PJs
  • How I didn't think I'd buy you a lot of pink stuff, but when I open the dryer door pink is all I see :)
  • How you twist your neck around to look at the person who's holding you
  • That your hand-eye coordination is amazing
  • Listening to Mamaw talk to you and tell us about your "sweet face"
  • You love lady bug and when we flap her wings in your face
  • That Grami and Grandpa always have a little something for you after a trip - even though they don't have to
  • When we get you out of your crib in the morning, and you giggle a little because you're so happy to see us
  • That your wide awake for your morning bottle and so tired for your night bottle.
  • That instead of crying in the morning when you wake up, you talk, sometimes for an hour
  • Your laughs and giggles... they never get old.
  • When we get to have a lunch date, thanks to daddy
  • That sometimes we can make you laugh by simple making a funny noise - no tickling required
  • When you half way stick out your tongue and have a happy look on your face, all at the same time
  • That I'm almost positive you recognize your own name
  • That you sleep 11-12 hours straight EVERY night
  • Seeing how much you LOVE taking a bottle
  • Your stretching routine in the morning when we have to wake you up
  • The way you rub your eyes, face and head when you're tired, just waking up or drinking a bottle
  • How you stare into my eyes during your morning bottle
  • How you reach for my lips and want to put your hand in my mouth
  • Formulas burps (ok, so I don't LOVE these, but they make me laugh, which I DO love)
  • That your favorite toys are the soft crinkle books, ladybug, small rattles, giggles, and the softblocks
  • That one day you can't sit on your own and in the very same day you can
  • That you are so happy at daycare and smiley when I pick you up.
  • The look on your face when you see a prepared bottle
  • Playing with and petting Rascal
  • Finding your ticklish spots (your upper thighs, zerberting your stomach, and kissing your neck)
  • When you hold your bottle on your own
  • How each month this list keeps getting longer and longer