twelve equals one

Twelve whole months old.

This was quite an exciting month for the bean. She spent most of it a foreign country and hanging in Caribbean. Lucky little.

She started communicating (mostly via sign language), traveled by bus (and plane and van and cab), started solo standing, swam in the sea, played in the sand, ate sand, ate fresh fruit, was loved, wore flip flops (hated it), wore nothing, made friends, went to bars, slept on the beach, saw monkeys, danced (a lot), sang (slash hummed), nursed in the sea (and on the beach and in bars, airplanes, buses, cars, and every other place you can imagine), played cards, cried, chewed on dominoes, took morning walks to the beach, chilled in hammocks, helped daddy work, floated, explored, experienced life and lived.




















Happy month Amelia Lee. I hope you had as much fun adventuring as we did.

The First Year

Amelia's First Year from Annie Nihls on Vimeo.

Dearest Amelia,

I am infinitely proud to be your mama.

Mountains of love and kisses forever and for always and more.

One.

Happiest of first birthday wishes to our darling Amelia Lee.

{Full update on all of her adventures to come...}

11 months old

Today Amelia is 11 months old. Weepy slash joyful mama over here.

This past month was pretty major:
*She rang in a brand new year for the very first time (albeit fast asleep)


*She started feeding herself with a spoon
*She now pats US on the back
*She started standing unassisted (not pictured...)


*She got her 8th tooth


*She mastered pushing things around the house and walking behind them {like her push cart, trash cans, baskets, sewing machine case, boxes, etc.}


*She started to actually sort shapes with the shape sorter


*She developed an interesting obsession with her socks
*She waves (especially when anyone puts on a coat)


*She consistently put herself to sleep at night (sometimes after playing in the crib for a WHILE)
*She started sleeping 7-7 (yip!)


*She had her first tubby date with a boy


*She got her first passport


*She developed her first crush on an older boy (and a DIFFERENT one from the tub date--she's keeping her options open)


*She took her first steps (!) (not yet captured on film)


*She started really playing with her friends


*She had her first snow day (Blizzard of 2011)


*She said her own version of Jack (the puppy I sleep with WHAT OF IT) in a sweet little whisper. DAH-DAH is still going strong and MUMMA when she's upset (along with plenty of other indecipherables).

She is wild and wonderful and hilarious and mischievous and brave and stubborn and silly and serious and curious and crazy and quite definitely has a mind of her own. And we love that little mind (and that little body) to infinity and back again.

Double-Digi's

Welp, Amelia is officially ten months old. TEN months. The beginning of the pre-teen months. For a baby, that seems real old, right? She is dangerously close to one whole YEAR. (Although apparently we still count in months. Keep up.) That also means that toddlerhood is right around the corner. How has this happened? IDK but this age is truly so much fun (and so funny)(and occasionally so frustrating)!

Favorite food: Banana (and frozen veggies) (also: things she can feed herself)
Favorite drink: mama's milk (still going strong ~5x/day)
Favorite music: Reggae
Favorite toy: Stackable wooden rings
Favorite toy that's not actually a toy: Remote controls, iPhones
Favorite book: I'm a Bunny
Favorite facial expression: scrunched-up nose smile (I keep telling her to be careful not to smile her face off.)
Favorite thing to do: MOVE (crawl, climb, stand, pulling up, etc.) (usually with a toy in her mouth)
Favorite noise to make: YAHYAHYAHYAH (2nd place: DAH-DEE) (honorable mention: mumma)
Favorite Christmas gift: the farm
Favorite new skills: waving, dancing/bouncing, shaking her head, clapping
Favorite toy in bath: the ever classic rubber ducky
Favorite thing to do in the kitchen: destroy the ever classic tupperware drawer (unfortunately most of our tupperware is glass...) OR go after the bottle of beer or wine that are so smartly being stored on the floor
Favorite thing to do in the car: eat snacks (and play with her very own set of keys) (oh, and pull off her shoes & socks)
Favorite seated position: Indian-style
Favorite thing to do when getting up from naps: hugs (aka: my favorite thing)
Favorite friends: Lola, Bowen, Willie (my parents dog), Daddy
Favorite thing to smile at: Babies!
Favorite time to go to bed: 7pm
Favorite time to wake up: 6:45am (usually...)
Favorite evening activity: bath
Favorite place to visit (so far): Bebe&Pop's home in the woods
Favorite game: peek-a-boo
Favorite person to look at: herself

Mostly, she likes a lot of stuff. So that's nice. There are plenty of non-favorites too though, so don't be fooled. The least favorites include: getting her diaper changed, getting dressed, getting something taken away, growing a tooth that appears to be DRAGGING it's (teeth)feet, sitting in the car for too long, getting her face and hands wiped, not being held when all she wants to do is be held, etc. and she certainly let's us know her preferences (especially with a vigorous head-shake) but we're a pretty well-rested, happy bunch over here these days. (*knock on wood*)

3/4 Year Photos (A Whole Lotta Mills)