Juliet is 11 months!

In one month Juliet will be a year old. My baby girl, my snuggle bunny is going to be one.

At eleven months things have been pretty momentous. Lots of changes going on around here.

First, she is now sleeping without a swaddle. Ha! Only took ten and a half months! I tried a few times to remove the swaddle when she was younger but she just wasn't happy. She liked the tight cozy feeling and would not go or stay asleep without it. Now that she's free she sleeps on her tummy or her side, and I know she really enjoys the freedom.

Another big development is she can now get from lying down to sitting alone. She has still yet to crawl, but oh my is she close. I'm actually surprised that she hasn't started yet, because she easily moves onto her hands and knees, but has yet to move forward in that position.

That said, she easily gets around the room without crawling. Scooting, lunging herself forward, rolling, and a silly move that she invented (from her hands and knees to her bum to her hands and knees. It's kind of a crawl/roll if you will).

Crawl baby, crawl!

Her favorite thing to do when moving around on the floor is find any and all tiny particles and stick them in her mouth. Yum. ;)

She still takes two naps (and up until now, the second nap was with me; more on that in a moment), eats three meals at the table with us, sleeps through the night, and is generally happy and awesome all day.

She's had a bit of a rough month with her schedule being off due to the holidays, an ear infection, teething, and a cold. There were lots of "new" faces and "new" places that we visited over the holidays, and so Juliet did a lot of clinging to her Daddy and I.

Grandma holding her? No way. Grandpa tickling her? Not a chance. My friends picking her up? Are you kidding? Even if I place her on the floor in her own bedroom and there is a "new" person at the house, she is not happy. I hope this separation anxiety passes quickly, I know a lot of people that love her that would also like to hold her.

She is nowhere near walking. James was quite a walker at this age, but Juliet is not interested. She likes to stand up just fine, and actually tries to pull up, but she does not balance, cruse, or even want to take steps when I'm holding her under the arms. But that's ok, it will come.

Her favorite foods are still avocado, fruit, buttered toast and yogurt. She nurses morning and night and sometimes late in the afternoon. Her hair is really filling in, and is getting so long around her ears and the back of her neck.

She is still the snuggliest bunny around. I rock her to sleep every night, not because she isn't happy to go to sleep in her crib (because she is!) but because I love to, and she's my baby, and she won't be a baby much longer.

Up until now I've napped with her each and every afternoon of her entire life. When she was tiny she only wanted to nap next to me or on me (remember this?) so I got accustom to lying down next to her when James napped and let her snuggle to her heart's content. And it lasted eleven long wonderful months.

Recently the three year old (we won't name names) still naps like a champ but WILL NOT go to bed at night. So his naps need to be shortened, a lot. Only problem? When I sneak away from Juliet's side, no matter how dead asleep she may be, she wakes within minutes. So, after much pondering, and a little heartbreak, I finally decided to put Juliet down for her afternoon nap alone today. She slept fine. She was happy and content when she woke thirty minutes after James. But a little part of me, a part that holds babyhood so close, was very sad.

Yes I had more free time. Yes, I wrote half this post during that nap time. And yes, this couldn't last forever. But, even so, I was upset. My baby girl is growing up. And my snuggle bunny does just fine without her Mama by her side. I always knew she would.  PS - I think I'll still snuggle her on the weekends when E can wake the big kiddo!

Outfit details -
Corduroy dress - Old Navy
Leggings - Baby Gap
Socks - Old Navy
Shoes - Old Navy
Hairbow - homemade
Headband - Etsy


And from 1 month until now:

A couple of photos of my children, at home

The air is cold. So cold that the iceles that hung on our home at Christmas time still hang, bigger and greater today. Not even a slight thaw has graced our city. Well below freezing day in and day out, with an inversion (smog that hangs in our valley in winter) so thick that it is advisable that children and elderly don't spend any extended time outside.

So we are inside a lot. The fireplace keeps us toasty warm, and sometimes the sun even cuts through the thick air. We spent the weekend at an indoor swimming pool, a family party, and nestled in our living room.

Today I grew impatient. Impatient to document my sweet children. So I picked up my camera and documented the regular, the day-to-day.

Juliet was napping and James and I played with his Daddy's parking garage in his room. Vintage Fisher Price, still as good as the day it was purchased.

James is very particular about having the correct color car park in the correct color parking spot.

Once Juliet woke she took a sink bath. The sunshine and warm water felt wonderful, I am sure, since the house was chilly.

Her arm rolls are not seen enough in cold weather months. Miss them.

Showing off her new chompers. Sixth one broke through over the weekend!

Care for an icicle treat?

It's what all the cool kids are eating now.

December {in Instagram}

On my last IG post I vowed to try to get this back to a weekly feature. Yea, that was almost a month ago. So, again, I'm quite behind. Lots of pictures to catch up on.

1. We rolled out butcher paper and painted it for this year's wrapping paper. 2. Gray? No problem. Muddy? No worries. Cold? No biggie. Just digging.

3. This boy of mine gave up his binkie without a tear shed! SO PROUD of him! 4. Baby girl in an outfit that was mine when I was a baby.

5. Lots of cold walks. We stay snuggly warm inside my big puffy coat. 6. After a rough month with James he is back to his sweet self. He gives hugs, says "I love you" and is mostly well behaved.

7. Despite the happy reflection, this bunny was feeling crummy for a lot of the Christmas break. Started with a trip to InstaCare and now we are on antibiotics for an ear infection. 8. White Christmas!

9. Juliet loves my new necklace as much as I do. 10. Another cold day walk to the school yard. It was twenty degrees... brrr....

11. A favorite corner of Juliet's room. 12. Asked for Old Navy Gift cards for Christmas and scored this new yellow wool coat for $9!

13. He is hard to wake from nap time but impossible at bedtime. 14. Zoo lights was butt frosty cold! Twenty two degrees and dark!

15. Family jump. Juliet LOVED it! And James looks huge! 16. Fondue night after the kiddos are in bed on New Years Eve is a favorite tradition. Going to bed at ten is another favorite tradition. ;)

17. We love Juliet's new forest floor rug! Goes so well in her woodland nursery! 18. Post nap rosy cheeks.

19. Lunch and/or day spa mask. 20. Kathleen (Brandon's girlfriend) drew my name for the sibling gift this year. She thought and thought and finally decided on a custom bracelet with my blog name/ IG name and mantra. I adore it.

21. Cold day throwing rocks in the river. 22. Sledding with my cousin Kendra and Aunt Laura ended with hot cocoa and cookies for dipping. Best treat ever when it's nineteen degrees out.

23. Me and my girl. 24. She can't pull up yet, can't crawl, but is happy to stand if I stand her up.

25. Bundled. We still get out even when it's quite cold. 26. Christmas light drive. We turned on Christmas music, saw awesome lights, and Juliet fell asleep. Pretty perfect I'd say.

27. Lovie balancing acts. And this was before the binkie was gone for good! 28. Advent gift one day was a clear Christmas ornament with directions to go on a nature walk and fill it!

29. If I'd realized blowing bubble gum was so hilarious, I would have done it ages ago. 30. Her fierce smile. Since this photo was taken that other top tooth has popped through!

Also, posted a new header today!