11 months old!

Yesterday, September 13, Blakely turned 11 months old!  I just can't believe in one short month I will have a one year old.  Some days it still just doesn't seem real that this is my life.  I am so thankful and grateful for our miracle B!

She will not leave a headband on her head...

Firsts this month:

The biggest first this month is that Blakely took her first steps!  She took about 4 and she has done it a few times since.  She just really doesn't want to let go but if she gets excited to see someone she will do it.  I am not sure I am ready for her to be walking!  She will be holding onto the couch and want to go to the recliner.  She leans out and will take one step on her own as she reaches out for the recliner.  Other than that though she isn't really all that interested in letting go.  

When she took these first steps we were all at my mom's house.  Gran Di and Jenni had been trying to get her to do it all afternoon.  Lonnie and I went to pick her up and they wanted to show us how close she was.  Well I guess she was so happy to see us that she walked from Lonnie to me!  My aunt was actually snapping pics at the time so we actually got one of her first steps.  Obviously I was shocked.  

Blakely got two more teeth this month for a total of 6 (4 on top and 2 on bottom).  The top right next to the middle came in on 8-25 and the top left next to the middle came in on 9-2.  It is so adorable to see her smile with all those teeth!

We took our first vacation with just the three of us.  

First time celebrating Gran Di and Jenni's birthday!  

First time having whole milk and she really likes it....Hallelujah  

Feeding:  Still nursing although the wean is on.  I repeat...THE WEAN IS ON!  I have cut back to just 4 nursings a day and I'm about about to try just three today..morning, before afternoon nap, and night.  I usually feed her after her morning nap but she usually only does one side so I figured this would be the easiest one to cut out.  Please wish me luck...I am so ready to have my boobies back.  I think the hardest feeding to cut out is going to be the morning feeding.

Blakely eats regular food well most days.  She is kind of going through a phase where she just wants carbs, mostly bread, although this is getting better.  Her favorite things are cottage cheese, bread, grapes, pickles and the fruit and veggie pouches.  She would be happy eating only those things at every meal.  I am trying to get her to eat more veggies but she just isn't having it lately.  She has also learned how to deliberately throw her food on the floor...super cool. 

GRAPES!! 

Sleeping:  Sleeping is SOMUCH better now.  I swear, we let her "cry it out" like twice and now she is a champ.  It was like she needed to be reminded that she can put herself to sleep...I think she just forgot!  She sleeps about 11 hours at night and takes two naps during the day.  I started more of "time to sleep" routine with her as well and I think that helps.  We go in her room and turn on the sound machine.  I tell her that it is nap/bed time and she needs to sleep good so when she wakes up we can play.  I rock her for a minute or two and then put her in the crib.  I give her Jaffy (pink giraffe lovie) and I turn on Gigi (pink giraffe that sings for a few minutes) and then I pat her on the booty and leave the room.  Sometimes she goes right to sleep and other times she will sit up and play before falling asleep.  It's working and I am happy about it!

Clothing: 12 months clothes.  Some 9 month stuff fits when she isn't wearing a cloth diaper.  I just bought some 18 month winter clothes because the pants have to be a little bigger with the cloth booty.  

Diapers: She wears a size 3 disposable diaper.  We are still doing cloth but it seems like we haven't been using them for a little while.  She had strep the first time and went on antibiotics.  That gave her diarrhea and I was worried about her getting a yeast rash so we went to Pamp.ers.  Then on vacation we used disposables.  When we got back I was pumped to get back to the cloth.  A few days home and she had strep for the second time!  So back to disposables we went because of the antibiotics.  Now she has some sort of weird rash plus we are leaving for Los Angeles this weekend so no cloth until we get back.  

It wouldn't be my monthly post without the screaming in the crib pic

Height:  I measured her and I think she's about 29 1/2 inches.  I don't normally measure her but I had to for a custom birthday dress that I am having made...EEEEE!

Weight:  I am thinking about 21 pounds

Eyes:  super blue

Hair:  Light brown although sometimes it looks a little red.  It is getting so much thicker and I think finally getting a little longer.  I was able to put it in a itty bitty ponytail the other day!  Doesn't it look red?

Talking: Oh my...I'm pretty sure we have a major talker on our hands.  Lonnie is in trouble.  She pretty much jabbers all day long.  Lately she has become very good at mimicking what I say.  It is adorable.  The words that she says and knows what she is talking about are:
Da-dee
UH oh..complete with major emphasis on the UH part!
Dus-dee (Dusty...our dog)
Dan Die (Gran Di)
Mama (although she has stopped saying this unless she is waking up from a nap or in the mornings :-/)  
Hiii-eeee (Hi!  She perfected this one on our trip because she said it and waved to everyone!)

Other things that she can say but I don't think she really knows exactly what they are:
Bay-bee (baby obvi)
Nen-nee (Jenni, my aunt)
Tee (Trent, my cousin)
Bee (B, we call her that a lot)

A few other things I want to remember:

I used to take Blakely over to the mirror and point to myself and say "Mama" and then point to her and say "Baby" or "Blakely".  I haven't done this in at least a month or so.  Now that she has decided to stop saying Mama I have been trying to get her to start back but every.single.time I say "Mama" she responds "Bay-beee".  It is adorable and she is so proud of herself when she does it.  I can get her to say like five different things in a row but when I say Mama she says baby....

She got strep for the second time.  Grrrrr...

Blakely LOVES the "Where's Blakely" game.  She buries her face in the couch or in some pillows and we say "Where's Blakely?" then she pops her little face of with the biggest grin and we yell "There she is!!"  She could play this game for an hour.  

If you say "How old is Blakely?" She will hold up her first finger.  Beyond adorable.  

She waves bye bye to everyone.  

We always wait by the dining room window to see who is coming over.  Honestly, she gets the most excited when it is Gran Di.  She sees her walking down the driveway and tenses up her whole body and starts yelling and smiling.  I know it makes my mom feel so good :)

Sloppy Blakely kisses are the absolute BEST

She can climb..oh my.  She can climb into the recliner if we leave the foot rest out.  She is so close to being able to climb onto the other chair in our living room.  I've been trying to teach her how to get down from the furniture without nose diving.  I mean when she learns how to get onto the couch I'm not going to be able to take my eyes of of her for a second!  THis is what I found the other day.  

She fell off the box about 2 seconds after I took this picture.  Dear husband, please install the gates instead of propping them up with boxes of beer!!

She can stand on her own for quite a while and has even bent down to pick something up and gone back to standing.  

No.  Just no.  

Dear Blakely,
I can't believe you are 11 months old.  You are growing so fast.  I feel like you learn something new every day.  You are definitely soaking everything up like a sponge and I am so proud of how smart you are!  It is such a joy to watch you every day.  You have started to show your personality more this month also.  When I tell you no, you can't do something, you give me this look like "Oh yes I can!".  I think you are already giving me a taste of the toddler years to come.  You definitely know what you want and what you definitely DON'T want.  You know how to keep me on my toes! I am super busy planning your birthday party.  It is going to be so much fun.  I just know you will love cake!  I love you so much sweet girl!
Mama (not Bay-beeee)