11 Months!

How is it possible that my baby will be ONE YEAR OLD in just over a week???  This is still the 11 month update since I am way behind in posting, but holy cow, it is truly amazing how far she has come in 11 months in the world!

Here's what Kiera is up to at 11 months:

- She is definitely walking all over the place and is finally secure enough running around that I don't feel any need to be there to catch her when she tumbles.

- She is just like her daddy... she is SO social!  She loves to wave at anyone she sees.

- She has gotten more affectionate and gives the best hugs and kisses!

- She is going great with her signing.  We didn't teach a lot of signs but she definitely has the milk, eat, more, and all done signs down.  If you don't pay attention to her milk sign (which is the most frequently used) she gets right in your face and does it until you acknowledge her.  The girl expresses what she needs!  (She is doing her milk sign in the picture below!)

- Her favorite things to do include eating, carrying around her little stuffed animals, making animal sounds, going for walks and waving at the birds (she gets SO excited when she sees one and says "Bird!!!"), airplanes, and people, pulling things out of the drawers and cupboards, and of course reading books... and pulling them all off the shelf and throwing them on the floor.  : )

- She pretty much eats whatever we eat, although I try to include extra fruits and veggies.  We still have a small amount of baby food we give her occasionally until it's gone, but she much prefers eating cut up big people food or taking bites of our food.  She understands "chew" after taking a big bite and does well with all of the new foods.  We haven't found anything she just wouldn't eat yet.  

- She has stopped using bottles or having her milk heated at all and is drinking her breastmilk from a sippy cup while I'm at work.  I just started the weaning process, cutting out one of four feedings/pumpings and will cut the rest over the next few weeks.  So hard to believe that she can have cow's milk soon!  I have been looking forward to this for a long time, but now that the time is almost here it makes me a little sad.  I'm proud that we've made it a whole year with breastfeeding and I don't think I'll miss washing the pumping parts and bottles every night!  

- She is wearing a mix of 6-12 month and 12-18 month clothes and still on size 3 diapers.  Mostly 6-12 month pants and 12-18 month tops with a few 18-24 month items as well!  She has some size 9-12 month shoes that she wears occasionally, but they are really still too big.

- Daddy's favorite time of day is getting her out of bed in the morning. It's his special time with her and I love waiting for my cue to come in and feed her when they both say "Momma, Momma!"  

- She loves to play with my make up and hair brushes and pull things out of the bathroom drawers.  This is usually how she entertains herself while I get ready in the morning.  She has learned to brush her own hair.  Such a girl!  She also loves hair bows, although if you tell her she has one in her hair or she reaches up and finds it (and excitedly declares "Bow!") she will pull it out so she can carry it around and put it in her mouth.  

- She's still napping twice a day around 10 and 3 and is a great sleeper at night from about 8:00-7:00 or 7:30.  She has always been good about us putting her into her crib awake to fall asleep on her own but she had a brief period for a week or so where she would cry and cry when we left her.  Ugh it broke my heart, but was hard because if I went in there, she would be even more upset when I left again.  Thankfully, she's back to herself!  We also started letting her take a little bunny with a tiny blanket attached into bed with her and she loves it.  

- She got some new room decor... aren't those number cards just adorable?  : )

So crazy that her next monthly post will be the big ONE year!!! : )