13 months

HG at 13 months!  These pictures say it all.  We were alone a majority of this month due to Marty traveling with the youth.  These are the best pictures I could get with a squirmy baby alone :)  My apologies! 

Stats:
Weight:
Hair/Eyes: Light brown, hazel
Diapers: Flips- shortest length, 4 snaps in, disposables- 3
Clothing: 12m, dresses are still 6-12m, 9m

Sleeping/eating:
This has been a very difficult month in the department of eating and sleeping.  1/2 of the month she continued on a normal routine, nursing every 4 hours and two naps.  Then we began the weaning process, and everything got very out of routine.  She began waking in the night, which she has not done in months and months.  She starting fighting naps, and I felt as though I was wasting all day with her screaming in the crib not wanting to sleep.  I stopped the weaning process, at least until Marty is home consistently to help.

She has started trying whole milk this month.  I'm not sure she likes it yet, but she will drink a little bit at a time.  Cherrios are her all time favorite breakfast right now.  I could make anything else for breakfast, and she would just have one or two bites...but if I bring out the Cherrios, her face lights us and she says "mmmmm", which in this house means more.  She also loves meat and roasted vegetables and peas.

Fine/Gross Motor Development:
HG turns pages in books, and grabs small objects with her fingers.  She often uses her feet just like her hands :)  She enjoys finding all the small objects, bugs, and dust bunnies in the house and tries to eat them.

HG is crawling more on her hands and knees, yet to move quickly she prefers army crawling.  She confidently pulls up on the couch, pack n play and doors, and will yell for help to get down.  She has a new water table that she will stand and play with for a short time before her legs get tired.  She is not cruising yet.

Favorites this month:
-  We went to the park to swing a lot this month.  She enjoys swinging, but I think she likes people watching/kid watching the most.  She squeals in delight while watching other children play.

-  She loves buttons on clothing and will always point them out.

-  She still likes going on walks, but yearns to get out of the stroller towards the end...could be the heat.

-  She likes swimming and is fearless in the water.

- When Marty returned from his last trip, she showed herself to be a true Daddy's girl.  She will fuss when he leaves now, and will find pictures of him in the house and say Dada.  She snuggles on him and gives him lots of big hugs!

-  No new teeth, but she has been working on some molars the past week or so.  Not fun!

-  Whenever I'm cooking, or baking she will say "hot" and blow out to cool it down.

Cow Appreciation Day

Hattie-Grace and I enjoyed a free dinner out with friends last week.  I convinced two girlfriends, that do not have children, to drive 45 minutes away to the closest Chick-fil-a for supper.

 A fun girls night out in my book :)

 My sweet little cow :)

4th

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays.

 Sadly, Marty was gone this year for the 4th, but we were so proud of him for taking part in his first wedding of dear friends of ours.

 We celebrated with sweet cousin, Emma.

Went swinging at our favorite park in Crystal River.

Any hung out with some crazy summer youth ministry interns.  

Dog days of Summer

 We have enjoyed some pool time this week.

HG has enjoyed having cousin Emma here to play with her!  

So many friends have pools here, which makes us thankful during the hot summer days :)

 HG hates having her hat on, and loves the hand sanitizer more than anything else right now!

What we've been up to...

Playing at the library...

 Reading lots of books...

 Exploring and making a mess...

Playing in her new pool...

 Riding bikes...

 Tying new foods (quinoa)...

 (refrigerator oatmeal and whole milk)

Searching for the perfect new bathing suit for summer...

12 months

Better late than never :)

Stats:

Weight: 17.5 lbs.

Length: 28 inches

Hair/Eyes: Dirty blonde and hazel 

Clothing: 9-12 months 

Flips: shortest setting, 4 snaps in...will this ever change?

Eating/Sleeping:

HG nurses 4 times a day usually around 7,11,3,7.  She eats breakfast, lunch and dinner with us.  She is still a lover of all Mexican dishes, yogurt, and all veggies.  She is starting to prefer to eat what we are eating, and likes the independence of feeding herself peas and carrots, beans, cherry tomatoes and such.  HG naps twice a day usually around 9-11 and 1-3.  

Other:

- HG loves going on walks.  She points out the birds, and when she hears dogs barking she will "bark" or grunt back at them.  When we ask her what the doggy says, she makes this same grunting/barking sound :)

-  HG reads with her feet.  She props the book up on her feet and turns the pages.  HG prefers books over toys 9 times out of 10.

-  She is saying Mama, Dada, more, bird, light, bye-bye.  She understands everything!  It is amazing to think about how her little mind can comprehend what we are telling her now.  She listens when we tell her "no ma'am", and will look back at us and grin. 

-  HG crawls all over the house and although she can crawl on her hands and knees, she prefers to army crawl. 

-  HG's hair is getting curls!

-  The day before her birthday she pulled up in the crib for the first time to her knees and then to standing.  When she was supposed to be settling down for a nap, I heard high pitch, girly screaming, as though Zach Morris just asked her out to grab a milkshake at the Max.  She was so tickled that she pulled up to standing, then proceeded to eat the crib :)

-  She has 6 teeth, 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom.

-  Everyone still comments on her sweet disposition.  HG has a sweet soul, and a gentle spirit.  Not too much upsets her except going to bed at night.  She doesn't like to miss out on any fun.  

 

Virginia!

HG and I went to Virginia for my cousin's wedding.  This was HG's first time on an airplane!

 First stop in Richmond was to meet Marty's Grandmother, HG's Great Grandma Cates.

 HG loved Great Grandma Cates' TV and playing patty cake with her.

That evening, the Cates had lots of family over for HG to meet for the first time as well, and I forgot to take pictures :(

The next morning we traveled to Roanoke for the wedding weekend!

 Hatley-Grace slept pretty well in her pack n play and enjoyed a treat of morning TV and Cherrios in bed.

 We celebrated HG's birthday with a lunch out to Panera.  She was spoiled by her Grandparents, Great  Grandparents and Aunt B.

 HG did beautifully during the hot, outdoor ceremony with my Dad.

 A water bottle is the best distraction for sure!

 I love this shot of my Grandmother with HG.

HG and I made a quick visit to Blacksburg to visit Tech.  I just loved seeing what they have added to the campus and town.

 First stop was to the Horticulture Gardens where Marty and I got engaged.  They have added a new event house and lots of beautiful plants and sitting areas.  HG is on a bench where we got engaged :)

 We stopped by Lane Stadium as well.

 Then we ventured to the drill field and took some classic Tech shots, thanks to the kind Hokies walking by.

 HG was super hungry, so we stopped at Moes which was not there when we went to Tech.  I wish we could have gone to a more local fun place, but being alone with HG I knew mexican would be her favorite and something we could share.  She probably ate 1/2 my burrito bowl.  Cabo will have to wait until Marty and I can return.

After lunch, we drove 3 1/2 hours to Richmond to visit with my college roomies.  HG napped most of the trip.

 HG and I had a fun adventure together in Virginia!