11 Months!

11 Months Old??? HOW???

Wow!  Everyone told me to enjoy every minute because time with babies just FLIES by, but what they didn't tell me was that it flies by at jet-type, super-sonic speed!  Maybe it's because you're so busy learning, doing, cleaning, wiping, and feeding.  Or maybe it's just because you're having so much stinkin' fun that it breezes by like the weekends.  Either way, I all of a sudden wish there was just a pause button in life.  If there were, I would push it...now!  This is SUCH a fun stage with my sweet angel.  I feel like she honestly just likes me by the random slobbery kisses that I get quite often or the way she laughs so hard at me/with me non-stop.  She's very independent and will easily play by herself, but not too independent that mommy's begging her to come and play.  Here's what's happened in this past month:

• Walking has begun!  Not on her own just yet, but if pushing her favorite cart, you better get out of the way!
• Today she actually moved my hand off her bottle; apparently she now wants to hold it herself
• Signing "more please" and "all done" are now perfected...time to move on to bigger and better things
• Sharing!  They joy Norah has on her face when she's trying her best to get you to take (and EAT!) the half-chewed apple she's pulled from her mouth is priceless.  I can tell it brings her such joy to be able to share something with me.  Every morning the first thing she does when I go in to get her from her crib is to hand me her monkey (her monkey blanket to clarify:)  She literally will not let me pick her up unless I first receive my token of love!  Ahhh, no wonder I never want to leave in the mornings!  If only we were all so giving??? Anyways, let's move on...
• Foods-After I recently spent half a Sunday pureeing all of her veggies for the next month, Norah decided that she no longer will eat pureed food.  It's a thing of having to feed herself, so only solids will do.  Can I interest you in any liquid peas or sweet potatoes?
• Favorite word? "ut-oh!"  Non-stop!

As we draw close to Thanksgiving, I am so thankful that the times of sleepless nights and unexplained crying hours flew by, but would be ever so grateful if now time would just stand still.

"Happy 11-Month Birthday to my littlest friend!  You bring me more joy than I thought my heart was made for!" - Mommy

Copy Cat

My Little Shadow

Wow! The coolest, simplest thing happened today!  I was on the phone with mom, working out my legs, and having play-time with Norah (I used to think this was the definition of multi-tasking, but now feel like I could have easily been folding laundry at the same time..what was I thinking???)..anywho...so as I was holding on to the side of my lingerie chest doing my back-leg-kicks with my stretchy-leg-kicking band, I see Norah crawl over to the bureau and pull her little self up.  No big deal right?  She has been pulling up for a while now.  BUT THEN!  She begins kicking her little leg back mimicking me just perfectly.  Ok, so maybe it seems as though I've completely over-hyped this situation (me? no way:)  but to me, this was majorly monumental.  I know she's comprehending the Copy Cat Concept by repeating sounds that I make and dancing on-que, but I realized that she truly watches mommy, even when I don't intend for her to.  Immediately, reality sank in that for the next 18 + years, I will be this sweet little princess's closest example for much more that how to tone her thighs.  Right then and there I prayed that I would not let her or God down, but to try my very best to be an example for her to become the girl, friend, daughter, sister, future wife, and one day mother herself that I dream and am confident she will be.