Quinn's 11 Months Old!

Sweet Baby (almost Toddler) Quinn,

It has been 11 whole months since you were born and it's hard to believe that this time last year I was a big, fat, hot mess. I think it was still in the 90s and I was ready for you to come out! Now you are here and I'm putting you in jackets and long sleeve shirts to make sure you are warm. Oh how the times have changed! Here are some fun things about you from the last month:

Walking (well not quite)
You are getting so big! It seems like over the course of just a few days your confidence has grown and you can walk holding just one hand. You do this precious little march and your feet are still turned out like a ballerina. You take off pushing things like you own the place.

 

Big Girl Shoes
Your walk is even cuter with the addition of shoes. We have started to keep shoes on all the time to get you ready to move to the next class at school (where they make you keep your shoes on) and to help you walk better. I think baby shoes are just about the cutest things in the world! Right now you like to wear what I call your cheer leading shoes and your little black Mary Jane shoes. Of course, I'm the mom who makes you look like a total dork because I require socks. Hey, you will thank me one day since you got mama and daddy's sweaty feet genes.

 

Strawberry outfit w/ your Mary Janes.

Hair (or lack of)
You still don't have a lot of hair, but it's starting to come in more. Your teachers at school make me laugh so hard because they try to make little pig tails or ponytails w/ a few strands of hair. It's pretty funny! I can't wait for you to have hair for me to braid and play with. We brush your hair every night after your bath so hopefully when you have a full head, you will be used to me messing with it.

 Your tiny little ponytail.

 You sweat a lot so your mullet sticks out when you sleep.

 Crazy hair!

Diva Personality
Well, your little personality has started to show and it's hilarious. You laugh, fake laugh, cry, fake cry and you have the sweetest disposition. You like to love and pat people and things and you say "ohhhh" in the sweetest voice. You have started smiling with this cheesy smile where you wrinkle your nose and laugh. You have also been having some little diva fits. You do this sort of fake cry and then stop and look at us to make sure we heard you. It's pretty pitiful. You are very sensitive lately and we can't tell if it's your ears (more on that later) or if it's just your age.

For example, a couple of weekends ago we went to get donuts at a new place by our house. Side note: this place was really yummy! Our friends who live in the Four Points, Steiner or Anderson Mill area need to visit Angel. The maple/bacon donut was a winner! Anyway, when we were there, we were feeding you some cheerios and you were trying to put them in Daddy's mouth. He finally took one and ate it and you flipped. You just looked at him for the longest time and then looked at me like "why did you let him do that." Then a meltdown ensued. Oh dear. Sensitive girl!

Happy one minute...

Devastated the next minute!

Food/Drink
We don't make bottles for school anymore! YAY! This makes us so happy because we don't have to wash bottles. We send cold, pumped milk to school and then you have a bottle before bed. Mama has started to wean, so hopefully by this time next month I can say we are done w/ the pumping. You have started to get a little picky with food. You used to eat anything, but with your new little personality you are showing us what you like and don't like. You spit things out w/ your tongue in the most dramatic way. Mama might have to start getting creative w/ the way we feed you veggies. You are eating the school lunches really well, and I'm looking forward to seeing how you do w/ cow's milk when you turn one.

Sleep
Nothing has changed really. You sleep really well at night from about 7:30 to 7:15am. You have actually been sleeping a little later which gives me hope that I can sleep late one day too, but I won't hold my breath. That's okay...we have the most fun in the mornings. Napping...forget it. You hate it and it just doesn't happen. I get excited if I see you took a 30 minute nap in the crib. Otherwise, your school sheet just says "refused" next to almost every hour on the sleeping chart. They try to get you to nap in the crib, but I think there is just way too much going on that you don't want to miss. I'm praying you sleep better in your next class when you are all on the same nap schedule and the lights are dimmed. Last weekend you finally went to sleep during nap time but you were still sitting up. Hey, whatever works. You slept for 40 minutes so I was fine with it.

You finally gave up and went to sleep sitting up.

Your BFF Ella
Ella is definitely still your BFF (other than Kelly at school). You have started to become even more interested in her, and you look for her and ask for her a lot. Now that you are sort of walking, Ella isn't sure what to do with you. I can't wait to see what she does when you start chasing her.

You like to stand at the top of the stairs and yell down to Ella.

Into Everything
You are starting to get into everything. We have to keep an eye on you all the time now because you can get into things faster than we can keep up. Your new favorite is Ella's water bowl and the stuff under our bathroom cabinets.

Tubes
Final news of the month is that we are getting tubes in your ears. I'm a little nervous about them putting you under for a couple of minutes, but honestly it will be worth it. You have had four infections (going on five now) in the last three months and you have been miserable. I hate it when you start getting them. I can tell because you lose the sparkle in your eye and you just aren't yourself. It makes me sad and it's the most powerless feeling knowing I can't do anything to help. I'm also tired of you being on antibiotics. You have tried four now, and I can't imagine putting you on another! So, hopefully this will make things all better and we can move on to teething molars...oh dear!

Nannie Mae went to the last doctor's appointment with us.

We love you and we CAN'T WAIT for your ONE year birthday party! Mama is kind of out of control w/ the planning, but it will be fun and we will be sure to take lots of pics!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

A few more photos for fun...

Cutest Baylor baby ever!

Ohh, loving Daddy!

You'll still fall asleep on my shoulder sometimes, and I love that!

So grown up in your rocking chair at Nannie Mae's.

The Return of An Old Friend

When people ask what we couldn't live without when Quinn was a newborn, I always say the Nap Nanny. She had reflux, so sleeping on an incline was a life saver. She slept so much better and I can't say enough about how much we loved that thing.

Q slept in her Nap Nanny for about three months (until she learned how to roll over) and then we let some friends borrow it for their newborn. We recently got it back and Quinn was cracking me up. It was like the return of an old friend. She climbed all over it, rested on it, laid down to read a book and sat on top of it. I guess we won't pack the Nap Nanny away for a while...cheap entertainment for a 10-month old!

Daddy came home from work to find Q lounging in the Nap Nanny.

Ten Months and Growing

 Your precious outfit from Great Aunt Kerri!

Quinn Margaret,

All of a sudden, you are becoming a little toddler right before our eyes! You aren't walking yet, but you are all over the place exploring and you are the wiggliest little wiggle worm ever! Here are some fun things we have enjoyed about you growing up...stop going so fast!!

Almost Walking
You are really close! You pull up and walk along things really well and you LOVE to push things. I mean love. Your rocking chair, a bucket at Nannie Mae's, your car, your push toys, etc. Sometimes you would rather be outside your pink car pushing around rather than inside rolling. Little Miss Independent! One funny thing about your walking is that you walk with your feet turned out. Oddly enough, your great grandmother (and your namesake) Margaret used to walk like that too.

You love walking around w/ your rocking chair, but you get so mad when it gets stuck. This is your angry face!

World Explorer
Well, you found your video monitor camera. Daddy and I died laughing one night when we heard a bunch of noise and looked over to see a big fat face right next to the monitor. Then it was a big hand and then nothing. Oh dear! You like to explore everything that you aren't supposed to! You also found the stairs and you can fly up those things so fast. We've had the baby gates installed since you were born (mostly for the dogs) but now we better start locking them! Another thing you discovered is the dog water bowls at our house and Nannie Mae's house. You are so funny because you know you aren't supposed to play in them so you look at us first. You like putting things in the bowl. Gross! Finally, you are starting to look around more and your new favorite thing is to sort of reach/point to everything. You really like lights and you are trying to say the word as well. You always love going to see the pretty waterfall at church and Daddy lets you put your feet in. You are mesmerized by running water...even when we hold you up to the sink to wash your hands.

Who knows...maybe you will be baptized here one day too!

For some reason you love the scale in our bathroom. You were just chilling out on the scale reading what you call a "gook" instead of book.

Food
You are such a good eater. You will literally eat anything we put in front of you. You have done a great job lately at school eating the school lunch and we are all so proud of you! It's nice to be able to send you to school w/ just some breakfast, a couple of bottles and a sippy cup of milk w/ your snack. This is just one more reason I feel like I'm losing my baby who's turning into a toddler. :(

Chatty Girl
You have really started to talk a lot more! You wake up and go to sleep talking/singing. You also let us know when you aren't happy about something. I would love to know what you are saying! We are saying your official first words are "book" (even though you say "gook") and Ella! It's so funny to hear you say Ella...so sweet! You two will be best friends even if that means Ella only loves you for the food you can give to her. You sort of say "bye bye", but we aren't 100% sure you are associating it w/ saying goodbye. You also say a lot of "dadadada" but we aren't sure you are associating that either. No "mama" yet, but I'm just waiting!

You and Ella watching Daddy mow the lawn.

Fun and Games

Oh my goodness. The swing is your favorite thing in the world. We really need to get one in our back yard...goodness knows we have enough trees to hang it from! We have been taking you to the park up the street since it's been a little cooler and you are in heaven in that swing. I told Daddy it's your happy place for sure! You also love to play peekaboo now. The funny part (or maybe not so funny) is that you like to play at dinner when you happen to have food all over your hands. Let's just say we have been washing your hair every night. You also continue to love books more than any other toys. You love to open and close them and your favorite thing in the world is a book w/ open and close tabs inside. Where's Spot is your favorite right now. You are so smart! I have a feeling you will be one of those little girls who memorizes all her books so we won't be able to cheat and skip over any parts. :)

 

Sweetest Girl I Know
You have such a sweet disposition. You love to "love" on Mama and Daddy. When we pick you up we say "ahhh, love Mama/Daddy" and you put your head on our shoulder and pat us. You have the sweetest little love pat. You do it to your toys sometimes too. You also like to share with us. I think all babies do this at some point, but you like to try to give your food to us when you're eating. Sweet girl!

A Few Other Things...
-You still just have eight teeth, but you have a very toothy grin now. It's too cute!
-I'm SOOO excited about the Fall! I am already preparing for your pumpkin patch photos and of course your b-day party!
-Your Halloween costume is ready to go!
-I think Mama is just about ready to wean you from breastfeeding and pumping. We'll see how it goes and at 11 months we might start breaking into the frozen supply
-You still love to dance when you hear music. Your little bounce makes us laugh every time!

Daddy and I decided you look like a little girl in this photo and not a baby! 

In Denial

I am officially in denial that it's 100+ degrees outside. I've decided to will fall to get here by pretending. I haven't quite starting wearing sweaters, but there are other ways to trick the weather, right?

 

I made these DELISH pumpkin snickerdoodles from a recipe I found on, you guessed it, Pinterest. They call for a lot of flour, but they had a really interesting consistency...sort of like a thick cake rather than a cookie. They were really good. Like, I might have eaten five in one day at one point.

I also made these Weight Watcher pumpkin spice muffins for breakfast on Labor Day. They are the easiest muffins in the world. Two ingredients: 1 can of pumpkin and one box of spice cake mix. Done and done. Bake at the temperature the box says and viola...you have super-moist, delicious fall muffins! If you're feeling crazy, put some cream cheese frosting on top and you'll just die from the yumminess!!

And finally, I pulled out all my fall decorations and put them around the house. I LOVE the colors and smells of this season! 

 I didn't have a fall wreath and I found this one at JoAnn Fabric for $15!!

I am not really into Halloween decor, but I think I might need something else in the middle of the mantle. When November gets here I'll put up my "Give Thanks" sign seen in Q's newborn photos here.

I guess it's time to replace Ella's photo w/ Q's. Poor Ella, she gets the boot even in photo frames! Maybe I'll leave her in this one.

Quinn Memes