13 Months

Well, baby girl's first year is over (sad!), and we've moved on to documenting her second year here with us.  I decided I wanted to continue taking monthly pictures of her, just as I did throughout her first year.
Her first year, of course, I took her picture in the chair in her nursery.  We were able to see her grow and grow right before our eyes!

This year, I want to do a little something different.  I thought and thought....wanted to do something cute and unique.  Scoured pinterest and google.  Thought of having her hold something special each month (chalkboard? balloon?).  Spent so long thinking about it, that a whole week went by and I still hadn't taken her 13 month pictures.  It was a beautiful evening, the little one was in a happy mood, we were playing outside and I grabbed my camera.  Her little personality shines through so much in these pictures!  I think this year, I'm going to make it easy on myself.  No special props or positions or locations.  Just capture a little bit of her every month, so I don't forget these special, special days that we are living.  I would like to try to take every month's photo outside this year.  Won't that be fun?

Here is our beautiful little sugar bug, thirteen months old....

 So full of personality these days!  Look at this nose scrunch....her new favorite face.

 She has really perfected her walking in the past month, and is getting around really well.  Hardly crawls at all these days.  She is getting faster with her walking, and I can guess that she'll be running by next month.  Her new thing is walking around with her hands up in the air.  So cute!  She is growing quickly, and wearing all 12 to 18 month clothes these days.  Still a little foot, wearing size three shoes.  She is obsessed with all of our shoes.  If she sees a pair anywhere, she wants to put them on.  Even Daddy's size 12's.

 She is talking more and more, and picking up sign language quickly.  New words this month include
"eat" (while she signs it), "yes", and "dog".  She can also imitate some animal sounds when we read books.  She likes to sing!  When we sing "Twinkle, Twinkle", she will do the actions and "sing" along.  Does the same with "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider".  She waves and says "hi" and "bye-bye", and is learning to blow kisses, too.  She watches and studies everything and everybody.  Such a people watcher.  And SUCH a flirt!

Natalie has been what we call a "mommy magnet" these days.  Ever since Spring Break when I was home with her all day, every day, she follows me around and prefers to be held, rocked, bathed, fed by momma.  Daddy gets his feelings hurt sometimes - but she redeems herself when he picks her up from daycare and she bolts across the room with her arms in the air and squeals "dadadadada!" 

We think she must be going through a growth spurt because she is eating a TON lately.  She'll clear her plate quickly and frantically sign "more" and "eat" over and over again until we give her seconds.  She loves whole milk, and that has been a seamless transition.  She has two bottles (morning and night), and three sippies of milk with meals.  She also likes a cup of milk in the late afternoon.  There are things she's been eating lately that we just can't believe!  Asparagus, zucchini, black beans...she is usually willing to try just about anything.  We are thankful for a non-picky eater, and are going to enjoy it as long as she will let us. :)

She gets into everything.  Cabinets, drawers, purses, the diaper bag.  Last weekend I found her with her hands in the toilet.  That was the same day she ate a crayon.  She pulled every wipe out of the container yesterday, then proceeded to do the same with a box of ziploc bags that she found in the kitchen.  She can get into trouble faster than I can follow her around.  We've taken to closing all the doors in the hallway so she can't wander into another room without us.  She is busy, busy, busy!  This month, I can really tell that Natalie understands what I'm saying.  That is mind-blowing to me!  When I ask her to get a book, she'll toddle down the hall to her room and get one.  She will come to her highchair when I ask her if she wants to eat.  When I ask her where her toys are, she races to the cabinet in the living room where we keep them, flings open the door, then looks at me and grins.  She is so proud of herself when she does what I ask. 

And, for fun:

We love this girl more than words can say!!