11 months

Well, we officially have less than one month until our baby turns 1. How can it be? She gets to be sweeter and funnier and has so much more personality every day!

Alabama, here is what you are like at 11 months!

You are so much fun to be around! You're always so happy and love to play and have fun.

We have so many games we like to play together. You love peek-a-boo with some variations. (Like me hiding behind my hair. ha!) You also like to be tickled and love to "ride the pony".

You laugh is so funny and so cute! It cracks us up! You try to imitate me and do this fake squeal and then a real squeal. ha! When someone tells you that you're funny, you laugh! ha!

You love to give hugs to us!

You love to play on your chairs and you get in and out, in and out...then hold the doll, then put the doll down...then get out again...then turn around and try to stand up in the chair....then sit down and rock. It goes on forever! So cute!

You talk ALL THE TIME! I love to listen to you go on and on! I have a feeling we are going to play the quiet game a lot in a year or two! ha! You have conversations with your dolls, with yourself, and with us! It sounds like "oh golly gosh" or "yeah" or sometimes like you're saying real words which is the funniest! You talk then we talk back and then you say something else to us, we agree, then you talk again, we answer and you say "yeah". Hilarious!

A few words you are saying now is "Mama", "Da-da", "Hey" (your favorite! you talk to everyone everywhere we go!) (and the funny part is the different inflections you use to say hey), and i think you are trying to say "baby", too.

You are wearing 12 months clothes, now. You're wearing mostly size 3 shoes. We have moved up to size 4 diapers, now.

You had you first ear infection this past month and that was NO fun at all! You were so pitiful. The first day, I held you all day long. You coughed horribly,had a runny nose, congestion, fever, and then the ear ache. I'm so glad you got better fast! Even when you were sick, you were still such a sweet little girl!

You can do you first sign for "bottle". I was so excited when you first did it and I realized that you wanted a bottle. You shake your hand like we're shaking the formula up. Such a smart girl!!!!

You like to eat so many things. You love macaroni and cheese the most. You also eat green beans, most baby foods (except the chunky ones), broccoli and cheese soup, bread and biscuits, pancakes, sweet potatoes, and you also love yogurt. You drink four bottles a day.

You can drink out of a straw now! The keeping the drink in your mouth is the hard part! ha!

You have two teeth on the bottom and are currently working to get the first one on the top through. Love that two toothed smile!

You definitely know what you want and are very determined to get it! ha! Sometimes that involves fussing and whining and sometimes a lot of work to get to where you want to go!

You aren't walking by yourself yet, but are walking from one thing to the next while holding on and are doing a lot better walking with your push car. Not sure when you'll let go, though!

You love to dance and bounce up and down! Anytime there is music, you are moving!

You are more fun and perfect and beautiful every day! I love you so much!!!!

Date Night

Adam and I had a fun night together on Saturday while Alabama spent some time with her Aunt Lee-Lee and Poppa and Big Mama. We have some gift cards that my sweet sister in law gave us for Christmas so I decided we needed some time away and it would be a great time to use them. First, we went to Big Lots! (My kind of date!) I saw that they had a bookshelf for $17 that was the perfect size I've been looking for to use to store Alabama's toys in the den. (Pictures later). I also had a coupon for 25% off so I got it for like $13! yay!

Then we went to Macaroni Grill and it was sooo good!

I had the Penne Rustica

(Photo courtesy of Macaroni Grill)

which was much better (but far less better for me!) when I asked the waiter to bring some more of the sauce. Then for dessert I had Lemon Passion cake....yummy.

(Photo courtesy of Macaroni Grill)

One meal off of the diet......so worth it! We had planned to go to the movies that night, but now being the old people that we are we decided to just stop by Wal-Mart and rent one! ha! We never thought this day would come! We rented Julie & Julia and I really liked it (although I did fall asleep and had to finish on Sunday!). Of course, our babysitters did not have the baby in bed when we got home. Surprise, surprise! So we got to see our sweet baby and play a little before she went to sleep. It was so nice to have some time with just the two of us and actually talk about our lives but we also missed her and everything is so fun when she's there!

This Year...

I know it is already January 22nd, but I want to write a little about some goals I have for 2010.

I want to take more pictures every week. It doesn't have to be every day, but several days a week.
I want to be better about writing on the blog more frequently.
I want to be the best wife to my wonderful husband.
I want to be the best mother to my beautiful daughter.
I want to be on time and early. I hate rushing and feeling so last minute about things. In 2010, I am working to get things done ahead of time and being one of those "have it together" kind of girls! One great implementation will be Sunday mornings.
I want to learn to use the manual settings on my camera. The camera I have really frustrates me, but maybe it has to do with the user as well. I know it is a nice camera and I should be able to take some good pictures on it.
I want to be consistent with my bible study. I love being a part of a bible study group that keeps me accountable and this year, I want to not have to finish up several days on Monday nights, but daily be in the Word.
I want to be organized and precise in our bills and finances.
I want to personally contribute $600 to Alabama's college fund.
I want to keep my office clutter-free so I feel good about working in it.
I want to diligently look for meaningful ways to show love to others.
I want my prayer life to be so much more than it is today. (It has grown so much in 2009 and I can't wait for ways the Lord will teach me in 2010.)
I want to grow my Mary Kay business. I'm not exactly sure about the specifics yet....
I want to trust the Lord to lead us in all decisions.
And finally, I want to lose at least 40 more pounds this year. I've lost 11 so far.....

I know it's a long list, but I think everything on it is very do-able. Some more than others. It already makes my mind feel clearer having it all written down rather than floating in my head! I know some of these will become more prominent than others and it will be interesting to see how they work out!

Miss Priss

Little Miss Priss is into everything these days!!! This morning, she woke up at 5:30 and Adam got up and put her in the bed with us. She went back to sleep and I kept checking on her throughout the morning. About 9:45, I go to check on her (I haven't heard a peep) and she is awake sitting up in the bed beside my night stand with her hand in the jar of vaseline I put on my feet at night! That girl! ha! She has it all over both of her hands and has apparently been playing for a while because she also has put a ring and a bobby pin or two into the jar! I couldn't help but laugh at her! Alabama, what soft hands you have my dear!

Christmas Continued

10 months

Alabama turned ten months old the day after Christmas. The same day my sister, Audra , turned 20! I can't believe in just two months (less now!) she will be a year old. I've been thinking a lot lately about her birthday party and I can't wait. I want it to be fun for her and a memorable experience for us!

Alabama, here are some things you're doing now at ten months...

You are still such a sweet, happy baby! You are always so good, even when you're sick.

You weigh 19 lbs. 8 oz.

You are still in size 3 diapers.

You wear mostly size 9 month clothes but some 12 months for the length as you're getting so tall! My little string bean!

You love to play with all your toys. You love your piano and also MY piano! ha

You have so many "tricks" that you do for us now! It's soo fun to watch you!

- You Praise the Lord by raising both hands straight in the air! So cute!

- and Love your baby when you hug your dolls and animals and pat and rock them.

Such a sweet girl!

- and of course clap, wave to us, and sometimes give us hugs.

You eat a lot of different things. You LOVE to eat whatever we're eating. You still eat some baby foods, but love table food more. You love green beans, bread, macaroni, sweet potatoes, cake, cookies, applesauce, and potatoes. You make a funny noise to let us know when you want more...now!

You pull up on everything but are still not walking.

You love to get into all of my things. Any cabinet, drawer, or cubby hole that you can find, you're in it! You're also constantly on the move. No sitting still for you!

We love it when you dance when you hear music playing! It's so cute!

You have two little teeth on the bottom now!

You climb on everything and aren't afraid of anything!

You're still the social butterfly who loves to look at everyone in the stores and restaurants and LOVES to be with other kids. You get so excited and love for Jenna to carry you around like you're her big baby doll! It's so funny to watch.

You "talk" to us a lot. You say da-da, ma-ma, hey, and a lot of other things we have no idea what you're saying. Sometimes it will sound just like a word like audra or yeah but I'm not sure if it's really a word for you.

You're still a Mama's Girl and I wouldn't want it any other way!

I love you more than life itself and thank God for such a wonderful baby!