11 Months Old

She looks more and more like a little GIRL and less and less like a baby...

How did this happen?  My baby girl is nearly one already?!?!?  I really cannot believe how much she has changed and how much joy she has brought to our lives.  She is our little sunshine!!

Here's a little of what she's been up to these days:

-Sleeping is finally back under control.  She averages an 8 PM bedtime and a 5 AM morning feeding, and usually goes back to sleep for nearly an hour.  She only wakes at night to get a Nuk, and maybe only once or twice.  Whew!  We survived a long stretch of sleepless nights!

-She is a bundle of energy! Speed crawls everywhere, especially if it involves chasing her brother.  Scales the stairs in record time.  Stands on her own for a few seconds and can go down nice and slow from standing to sitting.  Loves to walk around while holding onto our fingers.  We can tell she's THINKING about taking those first steps.

-FINALLY got a tooth!  One single, lonely tooth now occupies her bottom gums.

-Really likes big people food and drinks... If she can feed it to herself, there's a 99% chance she loves it.  She eats what we eat for meals now.

-Has been practicing drinking from a real cup in the bathtub.  She has also been practicing staying seated in the tub... that's not going so well.

-Adores her big brother.  She still gives him the biggest laughs, the sloppiest kisses, and the most excitement of anyone.  She lights up when it's time to go down to his room to wake him up from a nap or in the morning.

-Loves being outdoors, stroller rides, and going to the park.  Is getting into bubbles, push toys, and can get on and off low riding toys in the yard.

-Is starting to copy lots of actions, like putting objects in a bucket or bag, holding her shoes toward her feet, putting the comb on her head, swinging a bat at a ball, and turning the light switches off and on.  Oh, and loves to hit the button on the cable box and shake HER finger at US when we tell her, "No, no, no."

-Enjoys books more and more each day.  I like to hold up two books for her and let her pick one.  Sometimes she surprises me with her choices :)  Her favorite books are Pooh's Five Little Honeypots, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, B is for Bear, and Puppies and Kitties.

-Is a little jabber box!  No more quiet-as-a-mouse Izzy.  She screams and squeals with the best of them.  And she likes to copy noises that we make back and forth with her.

-Still loves to dance, bop, and groove to any music (especially if Cooper is dancing, too).

She loves bottles, cans, or cups of anything anyone is drinking.

'Atta Girl!  She's getting the hang of this bat and ball thing :)

Mommy and Izzy at the Dozinky Days parade. She was mesmerized by all the sights and sounds!

Soon to be a walker!

With a real tooth comes a real toothbrush!