Mara-13 Months

Wears:  She is still mainly in 12 month clothes.  We have moved up to 18 month in jammies and onesies.  This is mainly to give room for your cloth diapers.

Rocking shades at your birthday party

Yes you do baby girl.  Yes you do.

Loves the sunglasses

Health:  You are doing great in this department.

I think you're teething your bottom right molar as your gum is pretty swollen but you seem completely unaffected by this.

Hanging out with friends at a local festival

Dressed up and ready for church

Says: You say "mama" and "dada".  You also say "yeah" and something that sounds like "tickle tickle".  You try to mimic me when I say things to you but for the most part it doesn't come out sounding anything like what I said.

You are your father's daughter

Favorite Foods: You still love strawberries and cheese.  You are a pretty picky eater so I am slowly trying to introduce new foods to you.  Last night you ate dinner off my plate and loved green beans, fish and rice.  You love your puffs and recently discovered gold fish crackers at a friend's house.  You do great with pasta, especially macaroni & cheese and ravioli.

This month you also tried raisins and cheerios.  You love both of them.  We still haven't given you cow's milk but will probably in the next month or so.  I originally wanted you to just have breast milk but the milk I pumped went bad in the freezer.

Already a ham

Sleep:  As always you are up and down in this department girl.  At the beginning of this month you were still waking every few hours or so.  Mama was exhausted and I had to let you cry a few times.  The past three nights you have slept for 5-8 hour stretches and it's been so refreshing!!  I am also trying to ween you from sleeping with Mama in the mornings.  You used to come to bed with me at about 4.  I slowly pushed that later and later and the last two mornings you've woken up in your crib!!  You seem to love this and play in your crib for about 15 minutes so I think this is best for both of us.

We've been practicing for Halloween

Best Moment:  Some of my favorite moments this month have been seeing you talk with daddy.  You are interacting with him more and more each day.  I know he loves this too.  We also have been doing all things fall and I love experiencing this time of the year with you.  Today we're going to dress up and head to the batallion fall festival on post.  You'll be a strawberry!

Every girl needs a tutu!

Milestones:  You started walking this month!  About a week after your birthday you finally got the guts to take a few steps and then you were off.  I knew this was how you'd do it.  You were just studying things until you were completely sure you could do it.  You are already so steady and rarely fall anymore.

You found your shadow this month and were completely entertained by it for a whole ten minutes.  It was funny watching you trying to grab it off the floor.

You answer questions when asked.  Of course I don't know what you're saying but you always provide an answer.

You also respond to a lot of short commands.  "Follow mama." "Come here." "Let's eat."

You feed others food.  You love to offer bites to mama and put them in her mouth.

13 Months!

Loves To:  You love to push furniture around the house.  It was so much so that mama got grip strips for all your favorite things to push.  The coffee table and shoe rack are now permanently in their spots!

You love to chase Buddy.  Whenever he's around you walk toward him and chase him in circles until he ultimately retreats upstairs.

You love to open the kitchen island drawers and pull out my mixing bowls.  You dump them all out and then go on your way!

You love to dance.  You push any buttons on musical toys and dance away.  You have also started to workout with mama in the mornings, swinging your arms and trying to mimic the video.

You love to play with your friends from church.  You love watching kids and do pretty good interacting with them.

This is her go to face

Favorite Toys: playing with the magnets on the fridge, cooking at her play kitchen, any toy that makes music, pulling out daddy's jewelry in his closet, swinging in her swing

Dislikes: Not getting your way!  You are so stubborn girl.

You also do not like to do your signs.  You know them all but refuse to do them.

I love this quiet moment shot.