One spot left on the "First Year" photo frame

11 months old!

Our baby girl turned eleven months old on Sunday. I didn't have this post ready to go, and I took the weekend off blogging...then we all got a stomach bug yesterday (still trying to recover). So a few days late, but here it is.

Home measurements:

Weight: 18.1 lbs

Height: 28.5"
Tooth Count: 5 (and one on the way)

Night Weaning:
We've started night weaning. Some nights are great (she sleeps all night), and some nights aren't so great (she cries several times). The highlight of this post was going to be that Momma's midnight milk stand had been officially closed since last Tuesday (yay!)....but then she was sick Sunday night. She vomited (again!) in the middle of the night. We cleaned her up and tried to calm her down. Then I nursed her (because who wants to vomit and have that taste in their mouth all night??), but it also ended up being thrown-up projectile style while I was still holding her. Ugh. (then we all got the tummy bug)

Gross Motor Skills:
G has taken 2 little steps and is also looking like she might stand up at any moment! She's pretty cautious; but has gotten up on her knees and tried to move one leg up to stand, before toppling over. So close! I'm half dreading having a walker, though, she's so mischievous already! G's also the fastest crawler I've ever seen. She also loves pulling up and hanging onto my pant legs at the most inopportune times (like when I'm in the bathroom cleaning a dirty diaper).
Baby G loves pushing the clothes basket around like a walking toy, and still loves pushing Winnie the Pooh rocking horse while crawling.
Meal Times:
Month 11 didn't really bring many new food adventures. Baby G seems to be a picky eater. I've tried to introduce her to a wide variety of foods, but she often rejects them after taking a few bites. Her favorite foods this month: sweet potato, kiwi, yogurt, puffs, waffles, and cheese. She got to try Happy Baby Munchies (like organic/healthy baby cheetoes) and enjoys those. I am excited that she is able to eat larger foods...I can't wait for the day I don't have to cut her food into itsy bitsy pieces (it takes forever).

Fine Motor Skills:
I've been waiting for G to start pointing (because apparently that's a big milestone), and she just recently started trying. She still doesn't point to specific things when asked about them, but has made her index finger into a pointer finger.
She's great at picking up even the tiniest thing. She's turned it into a game, by 'pretending' to pick food off the floor and eat it. At first I thought she was just finding food everywhere, but then noticed she was just playing. Hilarious! I didn't think kids had an imagination so young....my girl does!

Personality:

Likes	Dislikes
Looking out the window / glass door	Eating any kind of meat
Figuring out which room we walked into, then coming to find us	Sitting still, ever. Even when she snuggles up to us, her head pops up every few seconds
Pulling all the books off her shelves	Finding the remote & "asking" us to turn on the TV, then being told Super Why! isn't on (this is funny to see)
Trying to pull Ms. Bear out of her crib through the slats	Peering into the kitchen from the gate while I get lunch ready, or do dishes during independent play time
Reading books while we read to her / flipping pages / opening flaps	Watching me eat something she can't have
Watching Super Why! & doing the Hip Hip Hurray song	95% of diaper changes
Taking an early nap and staying up all afternoon	Seeing my phone, but not being able to get to it
Smiling & waving at strangers	Anything during teething :-(

watching Super Why! (usually we snuggle in bed together
while watching it, but today we watched it in the living room)

Temperament:
G has started throwing tantrums--arching back and throwing her head to the ground. She kicks her legs in frustration. I know this age is a time of testing boundaries / figuring out that boundaries exist; but she goes above and beyond what I think is normal. If you knew me as a kid...I think I'm getting my pay back for being so hard on my mom. Baby G may end up being more of a defiant child than I was....oh boy! Church is the hardest place to reign her in, and one of us usually has to take her to the back. She can be a lover, though, and is getting better at snuggling. She LOVES her pink teddy bear and snuggles her all the time. It's her "lovey." She gave me a few open mouth kisses, on the lips this month! LOL
G also loves her Daddy, and gives him hugs and snuggles often. She brightens up right away when he comes home.

---

Dear G,
I am trying to be the best mom for you, but I'm not perfect. I hope that you grow up to be smart, independent, and adventurous. You are showing signs of those things already, so I just want to nurture them as a mother should. Please try to sleep through the night more often, because it helps me be a better momma. I love you so much, and look forward to celebrating your first birthday next month :-)
Love,
Momma