Hello! Caroline…11 Months Old!

Hey There My Little Princess,

It’s February, the month devoted to all things love and I can’t help but get a little sentimental at the thought that I had 2 valentines this year (and another on the way)! You are my whole heart, my everything, all wrapped up into one little bundle of joy and you make EVERY.SINGLE.DAY worthwhile.

All The Details. I’ve said this for the past few months, but I can’t reiterate it enough…you are a constant burst of energy and go 110% until you pass out. You love to explore-drawers, doors, closets, and everything you can get your hands on, especially any small electronic device. You walk around tables and furniture and stand up on your own all the time and have gotten brave as of late, attempting to take a few steps, but then you sit your cute booty down when you get a bit scared. You weigh almost 22 pounds and are still in size 3 diapers. In the sleeping department, you take 2 (1.5-2 hour) naps during the day and then sleep from 8PM-7AM. You are teething again with drool everywhere (we have 7 total as of now) and I have a feeling we’ll have more to add to the count next month.

Fun Memories and Such. You have quite an extensive vocabulary these days my sweet CC…you say “mama”, “dada”, “dog”, and “baba” (translates to bottle). You also like to mimic those around you-just last week, Mimi started laughing and threw her head back and then you followed suit and did the exact same thing. We were laughing so hard because it was just too funny! This past week, you have also learned to put your hands on your mouth and act surprised, shake your head no, and make sounds from your mouth when I cover it with my hand (thanks Mimi!). My favorite thing you do right now is your adorable dancing moves and how you throw your hands in the air whenever you hear music…hoping one day I can have at least one ballerina since I took dance for almost 14 years and loved every minute of it. You have also learned how to throw mini temper-tantrums and cry when you don’t get what you want…oh please tell me this is a phase we can get through quickly-everyone knows I am a pushover when it comes to you so Daddy says it looks like he is going to have to play the ad guy when you act out. For the time being though, you’re too cute and that sweet face melts my heart so you’re the boss…obviously.

Keeping You Occupied. This past month, you have really taken an interest into watching cartoons on the television…now before someone gets on their soapbox and preaches about kids and the TV, let me say that we watch MAYBE 30 minutes of kid-friendly shows a day. You love Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, and Sesame Street and you “sing” and dance all throughout. I am SO happy that you love music just as much as I do and we have regular dance parties when daddy gets home from work…one of our favorite parts of the day. You also have FINALLY taken to your ball pit and play in it all the time. Other favorites include disassembling your foam alphabet mat (which is so much fun to put back together let me tell you), playing your instruments, holding your babydoll, rolling around on the floor with Benjamin (the huge ginormous 5 foot bear that you kiss and lay on all day), and reading books with your momma.
The Food Breakdown. You are down to 4 bottles a day, in addition to 3 meals and a few “snacks” in between. We got really brave this past month and started introducing a lot of new foods into your diet to see what you thought and had some surprising hits, the best being pot roast. You LOVED it and couldn’t get enough…guess we can officially keep you in the family since you like red meat (yes that is a requirement-hehe). Other favorites that are always stocked in the fridge and pantry include blueberries, grapes, oatmeal, rice chex, cuties, diced pears, green beans, sweet potatoes, waffles, yogurt, cheese sticks, cheerios, and pasta.

Happy 11 months Caroline!!
And P.S. I won’t even begin to discuss the fact that you are going to be 1 next month…let’s save those tears for a bit since I know I’m going to have an emotional breakdown and cry like a crazy person.