11 Months Old

Natalie's first birthday is approaching - I better start planning something! It's so hard to accomplish anything now-a-days with the end of school drawing near. We've been so busy with work, other commitments, and trying to still spend quality time with Natalie. All of the craziness should be over by the end of this week, though. Yay! Then we can just hang with our cute daughter and schedule more playdates with friends! I must not forget, though, that Brian's birthday is also on Natalie's birthday. Should we have a double party, or two separate ones? Hmmm....

Natalie is no longer crawling - she walks everywhere! And she's really fast, too. She now says "mama" and "dada" discriminately when she sees us or pictures of us, says "up" when she wants to be held, and LOVES being chased and thrown up in the air. It's hilarious - she is such a thrill-seeker. Daddy gets the best laughs out of her, too, when he chases her and catches her. She will start "dancing" when she hears music, by which I mean she bops around in place (kinda like squatting repeatedly), and loves seeing what's inside the refrigerator. She runs over as soon as I open the door, and sometimes gets really upset if she doesn't get to see inside. If I let her, she will either try climbing the shelves, or taking food out. So we have to be stealthy about getting our food!

Natalie has started sticking her tongue way out, sometimes while eating. It's hilarious!

"I want to touch daddy's tongue, but I have a bunch of food on my hands, so he backs away every time I try."

On Mother's Day, we had Natalie dedicated at church and the whole family came to support us!

Can I tell you how much I love taking Natalie out to public places? Everyone smiles when they see a baby! It's the sweetest thing. I always smile back, too, even though they're usually not looking at me - they're looking at Natalie of course. It always reminds me that I have such a special little person with me and I should be treasuring this time with her (which I do!). Plus, I find most people treat you kinder and feel more comfortable starting a conversation with you when you have a stroller and baby. Usually they are moms themselves, or even moms of an empty nest - they are especially friendly!  :)