I have an eleven month old?!?!?!

Actually, I have for a week already. And that means that I am a week closer to having a one year old than I should be while writing his blog, so I may be a little sappier than I should. Yes, I am having a really hard time with the whole "my baby is turning one" situation. I wish I could say I am not going to think about it cause I have a whole month till it happens, but I don't. This week slipped right through my fingers, we have really been so busy. And I now have only three weeks. I am praying that this month drags on and on, but as excited I am for Tula to be one, I am sad for me. I just don't know if I am ready for her to be One! I know now that there is no way that there will ever be enough pictures, journaling or videos that I could have, I have been looking through them all the last few days and I remember every little moment like it was yesterday...and I just want more and more. This year just flew by and I am having a hard time believing it is almost done. Anyways, I am sure I will have lots of time to write all about the joys and sorrows of my baby turning one in a few weeks. For now, I will stick to the 11 month update that you have all waited so patiently for all week.

Big news this month....we have top teeth!! One popped through right after we got home from Canada, and although the other took a couple weeks, it has now cut through as well. Those are the two top middle ones. And the tooth on either side are little white bumps that should be through any day. It is so strange to see my little baby with what feels like a "mouthful" of teeth. She has started to do this cheesy little smile sometimes too where she shows her top teeth and kind of throws her head back so you get a really good view and it is really quite entertaining. She knows it makes me laugh and every once in a while, just out of the blue, she will do that for me for no apparent reason. It gets me every time. These top teeth haven't given her near as much trouble cutting through as the bottom ones did the first time around that she was teething, thank goodness!

Tula is still cruising all over the place and furniture. Unfortunately for her, this is all the walking practice she gets at this point. I wish I could spend time bent over holding her little hands and helping her learn to walk, but it's just really painful and tiring on the preggo mama. John has worked so much this month that he hasn't been able to help her out much in that department either. And the walker she has here is nothing like the one we had for her in Canada and is basically useless. I guess Tula will be a "self-taught" walker, cause she's not getting much help from the parental unit. She is getting so confident and fast at going around our furniture and love to explore new places as well. She loves climbing stairs, any stairs, anywhere anytime. Oh, and if you saw the pictures in the Mac Gallery from May, she loves to look out our front window and tries once or twice a day to see if she is tall enough yet. She crawls over and gets way up on her tippy toes. Sometimes she even puts one leg up like she is trying to climb the wall. And her little fingers hold on to the ledge sooo tight while she tries to pull herself up to look out the window. At this point, she get get almost to her nose, but on her toes and its not comfy. She cannot wait till she can just stand there and watch the action go by. The other day, when my Mom was leaving, she had all her bags at the front door. When I walked down the stairs, I found Tula standing on one of my Mom's suitcases with her elbows on the window ledge looking out across the street to the field where Grandma was taking Sadie (her dog) pee. Tula was just standing there, watching. Of course I couldn't get a picture, I was too freaked out about the fact that she was on the suitcase and wouldn't leave her there to get the camera, but it was priceless. She love Grandma, but she loves that dog just as much I think and could stare at her all day long I think.

Along with the love of climbing that has stared this month has been an increased awareness in depth perception for sure. Tula now likes to climb INSIDE her kitchen cabinet to play with her tupperware and kitchen toys. The first time I watched her get out, it scared me to death, but I was able to stand back and not help and know she was only a couple inches off the ground. She would reach down with her hand, she could see the tile but couldn't figure out how to get to it. Each time she would reach down a little further till she finally got it and slithered her whole body out. Now, she will go in and out like nothing. When I put her on my bed, she will crawl to the edge and look over. I don't trust it 100% to leave her like that yet, but I think we are close. I really don't think at this point she would crawl off. She is starting to learn how to get down from a chair with me. She will get onto her belly and slide off feet first. Her learning some of this stuff has been so helpful and is making life so much easier for me. I am able to carry her around less and less the bigger I get, and she is adapting so well. It doesn't seem to bother her to crawl around behind me sometimes when we are home and playing together.

Our playtime has become so much more fun now that she can interact so much more. Tula thinks that I am the funniest person in the whole wide world, and we spend lots of time giggling together throughout the day. Her laugh makes me laugh, and I love that I know a million ways to crack her up. She loves to be tickled, kind of just poked around the neck. Especially if it is after crawling behind her saying "I'm gonna get you." She gets so excited, she tries to crawl away so fast, but looks behind herself, sees me, and cracks up and just lays there on the floor. She loves peek-a-boo and any form of it. When she is getting her diaper changed and I duck down beside the table, when I crouch n front of her highchair, when I hide her under the sheets in our bed. peek-a-boo is an all time fave. She still loves to look at pictures and videos of herself on the computer. She will laugh at herself laughing, sometimes almost just as hard, as though she is reliving the moment. I wonder what she remembers, sometimes she stares at the screen so fondly I am sure she is thinking, That was such a great time..." Tula is starting to enjoy books more, she used to not love to sit through them, but I am trying to find more with less words and that seems to be keeping her attention so much more. Tula loves anything in life that she can expect. So the books she is learning, she loves. She loves that she knows whats coming and that usually keeps her more interested than not knowing or surprises. I have said it before, she is her Daddy's Girl.

Not too much is new in the food department this month. We started adding ground up almonds to yogurt and fruits occasionally but they seem to be going right through her so I am going to keep that to about once every second day for now instead of daily. She really seems to like things that I add the nuts to so that's a good thing. Ive also starting adding cinnamon occasionally to her fruits and cereals, just to give her some new flavors. Other than that, its still the same old same old, sweet potatoes, apples, pears and yogurt Oh yeah, she loves spinach and apple too. Lots of Cheerios. But that's really it for finger foods. I have tried giving her trays of different stuff in her highchair. Mac and cheese, plain noodles, even fruits that she likes pureed she doesn't like raw and chopped up. She still loves to be spoonfed and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I am afraid I will be pureeing for her for a long, long time. I will keep you posted if anything changes, and may be posting a HELP post to get more finger food ideas because I am stumped and feel like I have tried everything at this point. Yes, everything but meat. Tula is still vegetarian and I am not ready to change that yet. I don't know why I can eat the meat but I can't stomach giving it to her? Maybe Organic meat, but not yet. Ryan, I blame you for telling me about chickens with two and three heads that have never seen the light of day. I didn't need to know!!!!!! Argh. Breastfeeding is still going well and for anyone expecting a "I weaned my baby" update at a year know that that will definitely not be happening. Tula is still nursing about 4 or 5 times a day and it is still one of the most favorite times of the day for both of us. She is so snugly and affectionate, and she loves that special time with me. I am not in a hurry to have her weaned before the next baby, so that will be interesting, to say the least. I have heard it's a great way to reduce sibling rivalry and increase closeness, I guess I get to find out firsthand. I can't wait!

Sleep has been going wonderfully the last few weeks since we have been home from Canada. the first night or two were tough because I guess she was just adjusting to being back in her own bed, but she has been sleeping through the night almost every single night the last three weeks. I think there have been two night she woke up once. She is usually in bed by 8, and along with the sleeping though the night territory comes a baby that likes to be up at 6. THAT has been a major adjustment for me, way earlier than any human being should be awake as far a I am concerned. But I am getting used to it and the fact that most nights make for a full nights sleep at this point are my consolation prize for the early mornings.

Tula has started giving hugs and it's truly the best feeling in the whole wide world. I don't even really think she understands it yet, but she seems to know it feels good too and I get lots of them throughout the day. Oh yeah, and blowing kisses. They started just for Daddy at bedtime but now she gives the occasional one on command, or at "bye bye". She is such a Lovey.

Anyways, I could write a book and as the months go on I may have to start. I am currently in the process of transferring this blog to an album and let me tell ya folks, its no small task! It has been one of the things keeping me so busy this week and I am about halfway done and I would say a good 10 hours into it. I think it will be a great way for Tula to have her first year documented. I will try and post a link to the album when its ready so you can all see it.

Can I just say thank you to those of you who read so diligently and call and give the gentle reminders that I need to update? lol I appreciate those of you who care enough to log on from time to time and check out what is new and great in our world. I wish I had time to post more often but the fact of the matter is, every time I get on here I ramble on for two hours and I just can't do it once a week. But thanks for all your love and support and after working on this book this week, I realize that this blog was, and is, by far one of the BEST things I did for Tula. I am so glad that sometimes when I didn't feel like posting I had people reminding me to or just telling me that they logged on and loved the video or whatever. I am so glad that you all have enjoyed reading about our life (almost) as much as I have enjoyed living and then documenting it.