13 months

On Monday you were 13 months old!  This last month, since that big 1st birthday, has flown by.  You have grown and changed so much.  You've started making animal sounds.  Some you imitate from us and others you already know and identify with the animal on your own.  You are pretty solid at doing the sounds for puppy, monkey, and cow.  You love to bark at the dogs whenever you see them or when you want them to play with you.  It's the cutest thing because you puff out your cheeks and make a "ruff, ruff, ruff" sound. I took you to the dog park earlier this week and you loved ruffing at all those pups.

Last week I took you to the library for story time and you walked next to me just holding on to one hand.  You haven't done that since but you have been standing up on your own.  Earlier this week I caught you on video in the yard standing yourself up in the grass.  It won't be long before you're walking and running and kicking that pink soccer ball that Grandpa Bill gave you when you were first born. :)

Not only have you been making animal sounds but your new favorite words are "Uh oh".  Anytime you drop something or you see someone else drop something you say "Uh oh" and you look very concerned.

You are also learning some body parts.  If we ask where your nose is you point to your mouth, so we are working on that one.  :)  But when we read your book where you pull up the flap to reveal the baby's body parts you know your fingers/hands and toes/feet.  You will actually pull your foot up and put it on the book where the baby's foot is.

I love watching you learn.  It is so fascinating and astonishing to me.  I'm so glad I get to be with you all day to catch these moments and encourage your growth.

You are still doing a great job feeding yourself yogurt every morning.  I even bought you some new spoons to help.  You are becoming very interested in what Mommy and Daddy eat, which means we have to make sure we are eating healthy foods that we can share with you.  Sometimes you still don't want to eat what I put on your tray, but we are working on it.  This week you did eat some lasagna and you seemed to like it.

One morning last week I peaked in my room and you were walking along, holding on to the edge of the bed, peaking up over it and playing with Bosco.  You were patting the mattress like you've seen us do when we play with him.  Bosco was barking and running around on the bed playfully.  It made me hopeful that he will continue to get use to you and be nice.

One of my favorite things now is when you crawl over to me and crawl up into my lap to sit with me.  It makes me heart melt.  I love my sweet girl.

This past weekend we went to Springfield to visit Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Paige and we got to go to the lake.  It was your first lake trip and you loved it.  You loved being in the water but did not love the life jacket.  I think you wanted us to just throw you in to swim!  We had fun watching Grandpa Ben and Aunt Paige do flips and dives off the dock.  In a few years you'll be able to jump in from the dock too.  On Sunday we visited with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa on the farm and you got to see some cows.  You had fun mooing at them.

Earlier this week you got to do some finger painting with edible finger paint that I got from "We Can Too Art Supplies".  http://www.weecantooart.com/ 
Daddy wanted you to paint a picture for him to take to work.  You painted two beautiful pictures.  One at the picnic table with your hands . . . and then one on the patio with you whole body.  :)  It was messy but fun.  Then it was bath time.