Life in La La's Land: 10 Months

Uh oh folks. We are in double digits which means we're getting super close to that all important first birthday. I'm beginning to realize why people make such a big fuss about a child's first birthday - it actually has NOTHING to do with the baby but more about the parents surviving their first year as a mother or father! At least, that's what Craig and I will be doing on March 8th.

Alright. So ten months. What is the little monkey up to these days?

Weight: Over 21 pounds - we've officially reached the point where Natalie is heavier than Angie. (80th percentile)

Height: At least 30 inches - just last night as she was standing naked at the side of the tub while waiting for bathtime, I looked at her body and my goodness, she is so LONG. I mean, I know that she comes by it pretty naturally but it's still a little strange to see what my own body probably looked like as a baby.

Temperament: Most of the time she is still or happy, smiling, curious baby girl but she is definitely figuring out that there are things in this world that she will want to get or do.......and Momma and Daddy will say NO. Oh Lawdy. We have pitched a few fits lately whether it just comes with the age or it's because she isn't feeling well (allergies/sinuses + teething), but whatever the case, our child most definitely has an opinion that she likes to share. She is always on the move and crawling or cruising to do something - she got lots of fun toys to play with for Christmas and she has been enjoying switching from one activity to the next. Right now her favorite game is: take everything out of the toy bucket and put it back in. We're starting to get some distinct words coming out of her mouth which mostly consist of: ma-ma, da-da, something that sounds like dog-dog (and she specifically uses it only when Angie is near) and the beginnings of "no-na" which is what my mother is called (Nonna - Italian for grandmother).

Schedule and Eating: She has transitioned herself to a twice a day napper and she is usually asleep in bed by 8:00. As far as big people food goes, we just kind of give her different things to try off our plates and most of the time she enjoys any type of food that is in front of her. Favorites include peaches and mandarin oranges, zucchini and potatoes, cheerios and goldfish.....but definitely NOT apple juice. I've tried to give it to her a couple of times just to see if she likes it and she will push away the sippy cup but then when you give her water? She chugs it down like a champ. Go figure.

This month was mostly full of Christmastime celebrations....

Playing with our Little People nativity set. The favorite pieces were the angel, the camel and the donkey.

Our crawler was cruising around the whole house trying to figure out what exactly she was allowed to get into. The diaper box?! Go for it!

Natalie and Craig right before visiting Santa.

She did surprisingly well - no tears but instead careful concentration on who exactly this man was and what was on his face!

Examining the Christmas tree and all her presents.

Her special, super girly Christmas outfit complete with homemade tutu.

The Thursday before Christmas I was invited to go to the Dallas Zoo with my good friend Beri and her two children. It was a wonderfully warm day outside and the zoo was pretty bare since it was a weekday. We were able to scoot around the zoo with our strollers and look at animals while chatting and catching up. It was the first time Natalie had ever been to the zoo and she got to feed a giraffe! She was so mesmerized by the giraffe that of course I was suckered into buying her a stuffed one at the zoo gift store.

As one of my Christmas treats for Craig, I made him a big red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and green sprinkles. The little miss got some as well. From the looks of her mess you would think we gave her a huge piece but nope - this is the chaos she can create from just a few crumbs.

Each year my mother's good friend Gretchen holds a ladies tea and last year my mother and I attended (well.....Natalie was there too....kind of) and this was Natalie's first year to go! I bought this outfit on sale at Gymboree and it is absolutely adorable. Most of the time my child is in tights and t-shirts with a hoodie so it was fun to be able to get her all "girlied" up for a fun ladies event. By the way....the paintings in the background? They are of my great grandmother and her sister and were painted in the early 1900s.

Christmas Eve - setting out cookies and milk for Santa!

Reading The Night Before Christmas with Daddy. This was always a tradition in my house for me and my father so I told Craig that each year, this is his job.