eleven months

My sweet Micah,

How can it be that you are only one month away from being a one year old?  Where has the time gone?!?  I remember this time last year feeling so anxious to meet you and to know you.  I could only imagine what you would look like, smell like, feel like in my arms, and what your personality would be like.  There are 2 words that come to my mind today when I think about those things:  JOY and LOVE.  You are my joy every single day, and you have taught me how to love without boundaries.  This past month with you has been no exception, and I find myself smiling just thinking of you and the bundle of fun that you are.

This month you have really, really started to respond to your daddy and me like you totally understand what we are doing.  I love love love the way you will smile, literally with your WHOLE face, when we come in to tickle you or react to something funny you just did.  You just scrunch up your little nose and get the biggest grin possible on your face...so precious.  You will look at us when we are talking to you, and I feel like you are really beginning to understand.  I love that!

Your newest trick is dancing, and it has got to be one of the best you have learned.  It all started when your daddy and I were trying to keep you calm in the car and turned on "mmm bop" by Hansen {yes, we are those people}.  We were being silly and singing and dancing, and all of a sudden, you started waving your little arms in the air to dance with us.  Now, anytime music comes on, you will dance but only for a few seconds.  You can dance on command too!  It always puts a smile on my face.  You also learned what a cow says and will respond with "mmmmmm" when asked.  You are too smart :)

You still adore being outside, and I think you would be perfectly happy if you were outdoors every waking moment of your day!  We spent a week at Mimi and Pappy's house while daddy was in Ghana, and you went on MANY wagon rides.  It is a guarantee that you will always calm down if you are outside.  You love to look at and hold grass, leaves, sticks, rocks, anything!  You also went to a pumpkin patch and had lots of fun.  You were happy as could be the whole time!

You haven't taken any steps yet, but you are cruising on the furniture like a pro.  You have a toy that you have just started to push around the room.  Your balance is getting better and better, so I am sure that your first steps are not too far away.  You still crawl at lightning speed on all fours, so even though you aren't walking, your daddy and I still spend lots of time chasing you around.  You love to play with your toys and especially love putting them in and pulling them out of containers.  It's so fun to watch as you discover new things!

You are becoming a bit of a picky eater, which I am not so sure that I like.  You refuse most vegetables these days, and the ones you will eat only last for a few bites before they are rejected too.  You still like most of your fruits, and you LOVE goldfish!  You also really like to play with your food, take it in and out of your mouth, or throw it on the ground {that is also reserved for the food you don't like!}.  Your daddy and I are working with you on this, but I know it's just a phase.  No teeth yet for you sweet girl.  You seem to be in no hurry in that department!

You are becoming more vocal and seem to talk to your toys a lot more these days.  You also love to get a cell phone, or anything that remotely resembles one, and hold it up to your ear.  When your daddy was in Ghana, you LOVED hearing him talk to you on the phone.  You would grin so big and start babbling away!

I love the way your hair is starting to really fill in.  It makes you look more like a big girl, and I dream about the days I get to put it in pigtails :)  I love the way you play with my hair when you get sleepy.  You just reach your little hand around my neck and rub my hair in your fingers.  I love it.  I love the way you start smiling before your daddy even comes close to tickle you.  I love the way you know who your daddy is when I ask you.  I love the way you get a big grin on your face when you see Wrigley coming toward you.  I love your sweet waves and smiles when you see us open the door to your room after a nap or in the morning.

I love so many things about you, and it would be impossible to write them all here.  You had a busy month...you got sick for your first time, you spent a week in College Station while daddy was in Ghana, you played with lots of different people while momma and daddy packed our house, you moved to a new house, you spent a week with grandparents before we could actually move in, and you had your very first halloween as the most precious ladybug ever.  You are such a trooper, and we are so blessed by you.  We thank God every single day for the blessing of you.  You are our joy.  I am so proud to be your momma.  Thank you for making me a better person.  Happy eleven months, Micah Elisabeth!

I love you, to the moon and back.

Your Momma