Bee's Blueprint: 11 Months

My baby is now 11 months old and I'm in so much denial about it. Where did my baby go? Bee is now officially a toddler, walking around solo like she owns the place. Let's face it: she does. She has the cutest little Frankenstein toddle...but takes her fair share of trips and falls several times a day. New bruises and war wounds are just a sign of growing and learning to operate that strong little body of hers. She's usually pretty tough to shake it off after a few cuddles and kisses from mom or dad. Bee has really latched on to one of her blankets and holds it to her face as she takes a bottle or falls asleep. She still takes a binky, but both the blankie and binky stay in the crib until nap or bed time. If she has her binky and blanket she can sooth herself to sleep with no problems. When we come get her up from a nap she will wave bye-bye and blow kisses to her animals, binky, and blanket in the crib. Teething is a constant and continuing distress but Bee seems to handle it pretty well. It feels like we are always on the verge of another tooth popping through. She amazes us with her growing intelligence and is absorbing more than we know. Her curiosity is insatiable! Currently she is a big fan of avocado, curry, tomatoes, and yogurt. She certainly prefers to feed herself, but momma finds it far more efficient to use a spoon as often as possible. On weekend mornings daddy will bring her back into bed with us and she gets such a thrill playing in the blankets and pillows. She is just beginning to learn a few animal sounds and will sometimes do an elephant trumpet and dog bark. Yep. It's the cutest ever. Bee is sweet and happy most of the time, but every so often we get a little glimpse of her SPICE that tells us she is not messing around. We sure love this sweet and spicy toddler, oh yes we do!

Taking it all in

Truthfully, I have so much I should be doing right now. A million little things that are beckoning me to tidy, sort, box, wipe, repeat. My little Bee is down for an afternoon nap and my house is quiet and still. Her little messes are scattered in every room and today they will stay there until I can find the energy to change it. I can't help but think that in just 2 months my afternoons will be entirely different. I'm nervous about this second little babe coming into our lives. And yet everyday I am becoming more and more pregnant and ready to love him on the outside. I pray that we can all adjust with some amount of grace.
The next several weeks are going to be busy and emotional for me and I'm bracing myself by hiding lots of chocolate about. Just in case. With all the good that is happening in our lives, there is also a certain bitter sweetness that overcomes my emotions daily. With such a big round belly in front it's hard to balance the wonderful new beginnings that await us and the sadness of creating a past that is still very much our present. I am nearly boiling over with gratitude for my many blessings.
Phoebe is becoming really pretty good on her feet these days, toddling around. It amazes me because her legs seem so skinny, I don't know how she holds the rest of her upright without snapping. We have plenty of tumbles, trips, and falls everyday. Literally, I want to wrap her in bubble wrap. She loves to walk holding my finger from room to room. Yes, it takes about 1.2 million times longer to get around the house this way. But my heart nearly explodes with pure joy when I see her eagerly reach for my hand all overly excited about the adventures awaiting us on the way from the bathroom to the kitchen. Oh! My heart. I'm trying to channel this exact kind of excitement about the next chapter for our family. Thank you, Bee.

These pictures have nothing to do with this post really, but still kind of cute. xo

Evening love

On this day. At this moment. I love being his wife, her momma, this woman. My heart swells on a Sunday evening picnic in the park. The little things are everything.

Conference Weekend: Baby Steps at Gwampa's

Spending part of Conference Weekend at Gwampa Lee's house, Bee practices taking some baby steps with the encouragement of her aunts and uncles. Atta girl! Momma looking very pregnant with baby brother. Atta Girl!