11 Months

OH MY GOD TAKING THESE PHOTOS IS THE WORST. So glad we're almost done, ha! She is not about staying still, which is totally understandable, all she wants to do is eat those felt numbers and letters and my patience is like zero and by the end I'm just like UGHHHHH why did I decide to do this every month again??

But here we are! Eleven months with my wiggle worm. One more month until the big ONE. Surreal. I keep thinking about this time last year, getting ready for Christmas and being so so pregnant and thinking there was no way I'd make it another month. Gah, I was so uncomfortable. I'm much happier with Indiana outside my body. And I thought I'd be sad about this upcoming birthday, but I find that mostly I'm just really really happy and excited.

Every month she gets more awesome. Indiana is so SILLY! She loves loves loves to play. She's started initiating things and it's so damn cute. She likes hiding behind things, peekaboo is very in right now. She has started crawling over to me and then pulling up next to my shoulder when I'm sitting on the floor. Then she almost always either head butts me or pulls the heck out of my hair, but I don't care, I love it! She is incredibly observant and way smarter than I expected a baby to be. She notices everything. Fooling this baby is tough. She has always been pretty independent, but she's becoming such a brave baby. She'll crawl off through the apartment on her own (boo); usually she'll stop in the hallway and wait for me to follow, and when I don't she just goes on without me. Her stranger danger is almost gone, she warms up to people so fast and still loves to smile and flirt with random folks in public. This stresses me out.

You can't tell in any of these photos but she's got two top teeth to match her bottom teeth now! They're still kinda in the awkward nub length stage, but they're there and they're adorable. I'm sure she appreciates the help with eating, which she still loves to do. Although she has definitely gotten pickier recently. Her favorite foods are eggs, spinach, pinto beans, mushrooms, rice, and oh my gosh, BREAD. She loves bread. And water, homegirl is always hydrated.

We don't have any actual words yet, although she can say "dadadadada" and "mamamama" and "babababa" and "sssssssssss" though it means squat, to me anyway. She's crawling like a champ and pulling up and cruising on everything. I think it will be a while before she stands or takes her first steps. She's a wobbly little thing. Probably my fault, I am the definition of clumsy.

Can you tell she's over it? (IS GREG PUKING??)

I can see a flash of the little GIRL that's growing out of that baby chub in this photo. It both breaks my heart and makes me unbelievably happy.

Indiana is just super awesome. I feel like I say that a lot, and how annoying is that, but goodness I just love her so much. Parenthood is strange and hard and there's sacrifice, but it is great. She is great. It's everything I imagined and yet somehow so much more and so much better. Sometimes I catch myself laughing/freaking out when Indiana is being ridiculous in a shopping cart or trashing my kitchen and I'm like, "OMG I am that parent with that baby." But then I'm also like, "OMG I am that parent with that baby!!" Even in the crazy chaotic moments, this is what I dreamed about while waiting for her. It's not all sunshine and rainbows (but y'all, so much is) but even the rough stuff is still so good because it means I am her mama! She is my baby! Indiana is here and healthy and even though she might be acting a fool, she is the best best best. I love her, I love her, I love her and I am so lucky she's mine and I'm hers.

That baby face. The best thing I've ever made. And I have made a lot of things. ;)

Here's the rest of Indiana's almost complete first year!