11 Months

My little girl is almost a year old!  And she is developing a personality for sure.  I took her 11-month birthday crown picture but I like this smile better so this is the one you get.  This is her "cheese face".  I think she learned it from her brother.  Whenever I get the camera out, she makes this face!

 

 

I found Alaina and Travis playing with legos and when I went to take the picture,

 

she turned around and gave me this grin!

She likes to be the center of everything, much to Justin's frustration.  "No Lana!" is his favorite phrase for her.  She just flashes him the grin.

Other fun developments:

• She is standing unsupported but she won't take a step.  She can cruise everywhere she can hold on to something, even little boys legs or heads.  Whatever is closest.  Poor Justin!
• She can say "mama" and "dada" and her new favorite "uh-oh!"
• She can go up stairs very quickly.  And she thinks it's funny if you go up after her and try to catch her.  It makes her go even faster.  She hasn't mastered down just yet...
• Alaina's favorite way to sit is just like her brother's (check out the picture of the two of them playing with legos).  She is a master "w-sitter".  I try to move her leg around front and she just keeps in moving back around to the back.  You see how successful I have been at discouraging Travis from the position.
• She is eating all kinds of yummy table food.  She likes the soups and casseroles I have mashed and pureed for her.  Apparently not oatmeal though.  She spit it all out.  I guess she is waiting for me to add brown sugar.
• She slept through the night last night, although this is the exception rather than the rule.  Justin still wakes up so it's not like one or two more wakings really make a big difference.  That's what I keep telling myself anyway...
• The boys both love her to pieces.  Justin loves telling her she is "so big" and working on getting her arms up high.  He is such a good teacher!  And Travis can make her smile and kick her legs all around with glee.  She adores them both right back.
• She is exploring the lower portion of her vocal range which has caused quite a few very un-ladylike noises to erupt from the back in her throat.  One might even call them growls.  She thinks it's funny and laughs.
• She likes playing peek-a-boo with her bib while she's eating.  It was cute the first couple of time, but when her bib gets filled with bits of food that subsequently get dumped on her head, not so cute.  She pretty much needs a bath after every meal.  I found food plastered to her scalp this afternoon.  Kind of gross.
• She has seven teeth and lots of hair (one might even call it long).  She won't let me put anything in her hair to keep it back, but she spends all day pushing it out of her face.  With her food-covered hands especially.  See what I mean about the bath?
• She is very attached to her lovey we affectionately call Bear.  (Because it kind of looks like, well, a bear.  We're very creative at our house.)  It goes with Justin's Bee.  She is a thumb-sucker too.  We're already saving for orthodontic care.
• She is still in her mommy phase.  Desperately, passionately, completely, over-the-top a mommy's girl.  We're coming up on 5 months of only mommy soothing and comforting.  I am going back to work next month.  We could use a few prayers on this one.

I think that's all that's new around here.  Our last big first birthday is coming up quickly!  I had better start planning that soon...