ten and eleven

My big girl.

Although, I tried my hardest to slow time down, here we are, just over two weeks before her very first birthday. I have so many feelings about that, but for now, I will just share who my girl is today. She is so close to walking, and took her very first steps on July 12th! Though, she still prefers to crawl everywhere. She has 2 and a half teeth, and is slowly growing her fourth. She sleeps eleven hours a night and takes two two hour naps, most days. She still loves blueberries, bananas, avocados, and watermelon. She has a new love for chicken and Babybel cheese too. She nurses 4-5 times a day still, and will point down my shirt and sign "please" when she wants to eat. Which should be interesting as we continue to nurse past her first birthday. She's obsessed with sticking her tongue out and blowing raspberries on our bellies. She talks and signs a lot, which always amazes me. Most is untranslatable, but she will sign "more," "yes," "please," & "all done." She knows the words "yes!" "yup!" "purple," "brown bear" (for her favorite book), "tata" (turtle), and "yay!" when she claps. She yells "opa" when she blows kisses. She finally says "mama" which is the sweetest music to my ears. She makes an elephant sound when we tell her to "be an elephant!" She raises her hand when we say "who's cute!?" or "who's my girl!?" And she finds her belly button when we ask where it's at (still unsure where she learned that one.) She's also gotten reeeeally aware of her bodily functions, going as far as saying "burp" when she burps and "poop" when she needs to go. Because of this we bought her her own tiny toilet seat & she goes (at least #2) on the toilet nearly every time she has to go (at eleven months old!). I am aware that is abnormal, and early, but it makes me (the least potty mouthed person) want to shout from a mountaintop about poop. I am just so dang proud of her for making that connection and figuring that out. Plus, the less dirty diapers we have to change, the better!

She is still morphing into the most darling cuddle bug. She is constantly coming up to us (and her pal Mickey Mouse, of course) to give hugs, and kisses, and because this affection is so new to us, it's the greatest thing on Earth. She hates wearing things on her head and loves to blow out candles. She still dances like a goof to terrible music, but thinks The National Anthem that plays daily is the best song of them all.

She is forever my little bookworm, choosing to sift through her pile of books over her basket of toys. Her new favorite to read is "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" She had a blast on her first ever camping trip this month, and first ever trip to the water park too. I've got a sunshine baby on my hands and it makes me so excited for this summer.

She is rowdy. She hoots and hollers nonstop, and I love it. She loves to be alive, and her spirit is everything to me. I just cannot believe how much love, and light, and pure joy this girl contains. I am so lucky I get to watch her grow up.