Seventeen Months...

Our Sweet Annabelle,

You are 17 months old now! Everytime I look at you lately, I wonder where my little baby girl went. You are 100% toddler these days.

You are non-stop action! You run more often than you walk. You love to climb to the highest parts of the playground equipment. You go up and down our stairs perfectly.

When I come into your room in the morning or afternaps, you say "hi" in the sweetest voice. You have been sleeping really well lately! You are an early bird in the morning, but that's okay because you get to see your daddy before work that way. After that you usually request pancakes or toast, and then we go on a walk.

You are amazing us with all of the words you are learning! It is just incredible to watch you learn and grow. You love saying animal sounds, and you are starting to recognize colors. This week you started saying your name! You seem to understand everything we say to you. Sometimes we will be in a store, and you will make a horse, pig, dog, elephant or chicken sound. You will have spotted an animal picture somewhere that we would have never even noticed.

When we say "Can I have some hugs and kisses?", you run at us full-speed for some love!

You have started doing some "fake" crying. It is absolutely hilarious (of course, we don't let you see us laughing). You look at us to see if we are watching you and then you scrunch up your nose and have a little fake meltdown.

Lately you have wanted to do EVERYTHING by yourself. You remove our hands when we are helping you. You feed yourself almost all of the time, and you have started wanting to help me do chores too!

A couple of nights ago I sat down in the rocking chair in your room to read to you since Jesse had to do some work for class. He came to tell you good-night, and as he was leaving you followed him down the hall, grabbed his hand and pulled him back to your room. Then, you grabbed my hand to pull me out of the chair so that your daddy would read to you. I do like a girl who knows what she wants!

You are the light of our life, little girl! We love you!

On my mind...

I have had a hard time coming up with posts lately that would be interesting to anyone but the grandparents. We have been having a great month - lots of family time and a great period of settling into being at home. I feel extraordinarily blessed. However, I am not sure that our days are super interesting! We spend a lot of time at the park, going on walks, wagon rides, playing on the floor, watching mickey mouse clubhouse, and reading.

Here are a few pictures from our last couple of weeks and some things that have been on my mind lately...

We joined a church (finally!) last weekend. We have been going there for a while, but haven't been as frequently since we had Annabelle. It was a sweet moment, and Annabelle was a complete ham being in the limelight.

Jesse has been out of town the past couple of nights, so I have been rewatching season one of "Friday Night Lights" while I do laundry. Best show on TV. I was extremely doubtful at first too, but trust me...you won't be sorry!

Annabelle is loving to sit at her little table and play. But even better... we now have a playroom! It is a room off our kitchen that was originally designed to be a den before the addition was made to the house. Jesse has added a laundry closet to the room as well. I LOVE it now!!! It has been fantastic to have a place for Annabelle to play where she can still see me. She has been extremely hesitant to let me out of her sight lately, so this has helped a lot.

I am feeling like I am in exactly the place I should be in at this stage in my life. I have a counselor friend that calls her years that she spent at home with babies her "southern living" years. She says she spent her days playing with her babies, cooking and making her house a home. While this isn't a path that appeals to everyone, I am finding a lot of joy in it right now.

Wouldn't it be so fun if adults could wear clothes like this! I adore her little polka dot leggings. My boring black pants and jeans are very jealous! Isn't this girl just the most precious thing?!?

Sixteen Months...

Annabelle,

You are 16 months old now! This month has been so much fun, and you are changing/learning so much everyday! We have had a wonderful time at home together - we seem to be getting a great routine lately!

Here are some things about you this month...

- August has been brutally hot, but we have tried to spend as much time as playing outdoors! We go to the park almost daily since our backyard is not really toddler friendly...you love to swing, climb stairs and slide. You also love to hand me piece after piece of mulch. We take bubbles with us most days which you adore. You call them "bubas".

- We have been going on some picnics, and you love your 1/2 of a turkey & cheddar sandwich. It delights me and breaks my heart a little to watch you eat a sandwich like a little girl. Where did my baby go?

- You are obsessed with a number of things and yell the name of the item very loudly over and over if we see them anywhere...dogs, balloons, babies ("mamies" you say), crackers, bananas, and bows.

- Everytime that someone speaks to you in a store or says the word "pretty", you reach up and touch your bow. I don't know where the sudden fascination with bows came from but I am grateful! Your hair is growing so fast, and it is getting long in random places. I think I am going to have to attempt to trim your baby mullet soon!

- Your Nana taught you how to sit and watch for hummingbirds to come to the feeder at her house. We have a feeder at our house too now, and you will sit for ages and wait for the hummingbirds. When one comes you say "thereitis" (one word), and when it leaves you say "right back". That might be the only time you are still...you are one BUSY girl!!! You spend lots of time each day pushing around your doll stroller and your grocery cart at the same time.

- Other new things you say these days: good girl, juice, cheese, stuck, snap (in the carseat and stroller), mail, cupcake (we shared one the other day and you are hooked), bird, lasagna, green bean, teeth, toes, nose, go-go, green. You say water, watermelon, and yogurt the same way - "lider lider"...like the noise you make with your tongue.


We love you more than words!!!