One more month…and then she’ll be a solid one year old.

Things Penny has added to her “I am awesome” list:

• From 10 months to 11 months, WE DID NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! Can I get an amen on that?? This, I believe, is the second month OF HER LIFE that we did not visit a doctor of some sort.
• Can’t be 100% sure, but I’m pretty sure this kid says “thank you” when I give her food and yells, “Hey, Judah,” to get my attention.
• LOVES music – especially when she plays it and Seeds worship music.
• I quit nursing her last Saturday, and so far we haven’t looked back. Girl loves her food and her bottles/sippies (she gets a bottle just at night now). She loves blueberry muffins, fruit, yogurt, and toast.
• Has mama separation anxiety…pretty bad. Maybe it’s just me being protective over my last little baby, but I just think she has separation anxiety bad – but it’s obviously not bad enough that she doesn’t stop crying after a few minutes, so that’s good.
• Still moves like crazy. She stood up on her own earlier this month, but she’s very cautious, so I don’t think we’ll have a walker anytime soon.
• Has four teeth now – two on the top and two on the bottom. Those top two are so mean to her.
• Wears size 4 diapers and 18-month clothing.
• Loves walking if you hold both hands (again, very cautious).
• Needs to take a morning and afternoon nap. I say needs because if she’s at church (or VBS like this week), she apparently thinks it’s fine to skip that morning nap. It. Is. NOT.
• Gets very angry if she doesn’t get her way – which is not often.
• Generally is supposed to sleep from about 7-7. Usually it’s about 6:45-6:45 though.
• Starts her very first Kindermusik class this week!

She is beautiful and inquisitive and exploratory and I just love this little star to pieces!!

As per our usual, we did see the doctor again this month, but this time it was for an ear infection. Not my favorite, but at least it wasn’t a UTI! We haven’t had one since Christmas, thank goodness, and this is the longest stretch she’s gone without one. Even if we have one again now, we’re making some progress!

Penny has been a doll, as usual. We were told by her pediatrician that she is spoiled and that it is okay for us to put her down every once in a while. Everyone says how sweet she is – it’s because she gets her way all the time! Her darling personality continues to develop; she definitely knows what she wants and will voice her opinion until she gets it.

She’s also very laid back, for all of her demanding qualities. She’s satisfied pretty easily, is a very happy and content baby, and she loves life. I couldn’t ask for much more!

This month, Penny…

— Generally doesn’t talk too much. She still coos, says “dada” and occasionally some other words (“gaga,” “mama,” “yaya,” and such), but she laughs more than anything else.

— Is refusing bottles/sippy cups most days. She’s not interested. She’d rather not take that bottle at school. Thankfully, she eats her solid foods really well, though. On weekends, she nurses four times a day and eats solid foods three times (about 8 oz each time). On work days, she’s offered a sippy but more often than not won’t take it.

–Is working to crawl, but not much. She is definitely not a crawler, but she is finally showing signs that she can. She’s much better at crawling/scooting backwards than anything else.

— Loves bath time still. She can chew on some ducks.

— Speaking of chewing, Penny has a tooth! That bottom one finally came in, and the next one isn’t far behind, I can tell.

— Weighs 19 lb, 10 oz and is 28 ½ in long, 75^th percentile for both. She wears 12 month clothing and size 4 diapers.

— Loves standing up, assisted. LOVES it. Would much rather stand than sit or try to crawl. She is so proud of herself when she does; you can see it in her face. She thinks she’s a big girl.

— Still sleeps from about 7 p.m. to 6:30-7 a.m. and takes two naps. The naps usually total about 2-3 hours.

— Still is into EVERYTHING. I mean, EVERYTHING. She will grab anything that comes near her. It cracks me up.

— Officially retired the bumbo. She was able to move it around, so it had to go. The swing is about to be retired next.

— Loves people and seeing things. She will strain her neck around to see what’s going on around her.

She is such a social, outgoing baby.

I’m a few days late on this. Penny is celebrating her Spring Break, so Kyle and I have divvied up days of watching her. It’s been a lovely week spending one-on-one time with our baby girl. We don’t get enough individual time with either kids, unfortunately, so when we do – even when we have to take days off of work to do so – we celebrate our time with them.

What Penny has accomplished this month…

• She can say “dada,” “Alice,” and “mama” (finally). I’m pretty sure I also have heard her say, “yaya” and “Judith,” but I can’t verify that for sure. Her favorite thing to say is, “Hey, daddy.” Or maybe it’s my favorite thing to hear her say, because it’s the most precious.
• She nurses/takes a bottle four times a day and eats solids (4-8 oz) three times a day. Girl loves her food! She’s a big fruit fan, but she will tolerate her veggies like a good baby. She also is in love with puffs. IN. LOVE.
• With all this food comes growth! We’ve seen the doctor frequently this last month battling RSV, and I’m pretty sure her last weight check was 18 lb, 10 oz. She is in 12 month clothes (can still squeeze in 9-12 month, but 12 months fit pretty good) and in size 3 diapers.
• Can semi-crawl…backwards. Poor lamb. She’s so frustrated by it.
• Loves sitting in a laundry basket in the tub. It’s her favorite.
• Still loves her pink cat lovie. We have officially quit trying to swaddle her, too. We just lay a blanket over her at night.
• And for her nighttime activities, she sleeps from 7 a.m. to 6:30-7 a.m. (we generally get her up around 7, but she’s chatty about 6:30 usually). She takes a morning and afternoon nap, usually totaling up to 2-3 hours.
• Still into everything. And everything goes in her mouth.
• Loves books with texture still. Her favorite books are the Usborne “That’s not my…” series.
• Loves people. She is just as social as Alice.
• She can stand sort of well if she’s holding on to something.

She is such a doll.

Goodness, goodness, where has the time gone?

My baby girl is seven months old, and we almost let it pass us by this morning. She is beautiful and sassy already, and we are just so in love with her.

In her amazingness this month, Penny…

• Started eating yogurt and puffs, which was a big deal. She is fascinated with puffs and really enjoys yogurt.
• She can eat a solid eight ounces in a sitting. Add that to being nursed/having a bottle four times a day, and this girl is doing well. She weighed 17 lb, 10 oz earlier this month.
• And we know she weighed that because, as usual, we were at the doctor’s office AGAIN. This time, though, it was for RSV. Thankfully, she had a mild case, but it was still very worrisome for us for about a week.
• She is trying very hard to crawl. She scoots and rolls to get toys out of her reach.
• Loves books that have texture.
• Is into EVERYTHING. Don’t leave ANYTHING ANYWHERE near her, because she will get it.
• Is obsessed with this pink cat lovie. HAS to have it at night.
• Speaking of night, she’s getting better and better at breaking out of her swaddle, which is a pain, because then she’s wide awake two hours early…
• Goes to bed at 7 p.m. and wakes up (supposedly) at 7 a.m. Most of the time it’s earlier than that, though.
• Is trying hard to say “Alice.” It’s so sweet.
• Her feet must be delicious.
• Can move like crazy in her walker now.
• Is wearing 9-12 month clothes and wears size 3 diapers.
• Is discovering her voice more – which means lots of shrill, happy screams.

She’s so much fun to be around and is always so happy! We love this darling girl.