12 Month Check Up

Yesterday, Hope had her 12 month check up and shots. While in the waiting room, she played with two other girls and shared her toys so nicely which made me so proud.
Then as we were walking down the hallway to the exam room, she realized where she was and got upset. I think she knew she might get poked and prodded and she was right.
She weighs 21 pounds and is right at the 50th percentile for weight. She is 29 1/2 inches long and is right at the 75th percentile in height. She has 5 teeth, two on bottom and three on top. Dr. said she doesn't have any food limitations, just to introduce new foods or potentially allergenic foods one at a time to see if there is any reaction. We have been waiting to introduce her to shrimp, tomatoes and peanut butter for this reason. As part of the 12 month check up, the Dr. asks questions about her development such as when did she start walking, does she say any words and if so, what words. She took her first steps at 9 months and was completely walking by 10 months. She says Mama, Dada, Quack-Quack, Arf-Arf, Bye-Bye, Moo and the other night while on the phone with Grammy, I think she repeated "love-you", but it was hard to tell. Then I told her she also knows sign language and probably knows about 10-15 words. I started to say some of the words she knows in sign language and as I said each word, Hope did each sign. I must have run thru about 7 or 8 words and as if on cue, she did the sign for each and every one. Dr. was impressed and I was beaming!! She has only done this one other time for Uncle Mikey and Aunt Silvia. It is amazing at one year, what she knows!! Then last night as I was getting the milk out of the refrigerator, she did the sign for milk without any prompting. We have been trying to teach her this sign for about a week now, so it is exciting when she knows a new word. The weather is starting to show signs that spring is around the corner and we are all excited. Hope loves to be outside and weather permitting, we try to do as much outside as we can. She is at such a fun age and every day is a new adventure. We are continually amazed at our little doodle bug and even after a year we are still in awe she is really ours!!

More words to Live By

My mother just sent me another profound email and I wanted to share it with you (and with Hope). This blog is not only to share with all of you the wonderful updates and photos of Hope, it is also a little scrapbook I am creating for Hope. I print out each month's blog and put it in a binder for Hope to have as a keepsake/scrapbook/journal of her life as a baby thru her mother's eyes. I want her to be able to read my thoughts and words and see photos as each milestone happens. So to all of you and to my precious Hope, here are some wonderful words to live by.

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . .
And read this slowly.

I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.


I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.


I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.


I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.


I Believe....
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.


I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.


I Believe....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.


I Believe....
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.


I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.


I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.


I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.


I Believe....
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.


I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.


I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.


I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them
and less to do with
how many birthdays you've celebrated.


I Believe....
That it isn't always enough,
to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.


I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.


I Believe....
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.


I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.


I Believe....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.


I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don't even know you.


I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give,
when
A friend cries out to you -
you will find the strength to help.


I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.


I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.


'The happiest of people don't necessarily
have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.


Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; It's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!!!

WOW!! Our little doodle bug is officially 1 year old!!! How quickly time passes. We had Hope and Austin's birthday party on Sunday at the house. Austin is her first cousin and they are exactly 10 years apart. They share this really special bond and it is so sweet!! Here they are together! Isn't this a great photo??


Melissa was able to put edible photos on the cake and the cookies. I thought they turned out so neat and so did everyone else. (The photo of the main cake somehow doesn't show Hope's name, but it was the best photo I had of the rest of it).












Here is the birthday girl!!!












And what everyone was waiting to see.... the cake! Keep in mind, Hope doesn't get to eat many sweets. She has had very little sugar in her lifetime...even when I was pregnant. We put the cake down in front of her and she started eating cake by the handfuls!! Remember she knows sign language. Typically at each meal when she is finished eating, she does the sign for "all done" to let us know that she is finished. That wasn't the case today when she had cake on her plate! She ate 1/2 of a pretty good sized cake and I signed "all done" to her and she completely ignored me!! She was loving this!! I think she would have eaten the entire cake if we had let her. See for yourself! (You can click on each photo to see an enlarged version).

Just A Swingin'

I am so excited, Daddy put up my swing on Friday. Look at that smile on my face! I love swinging!! I also took my maiden voyage in my new Big Girl car seat yesterday. At first, Daddy put me in the seat on the freezer to adjust the straps while mommy snapped this picture. Then we went out driving. I love being able to see out! These big kid toys are so neat!

More Christmas Photos

I know I am late in posting these, but here are more great Christmas photos I just had to include. Better late than never right??

This is a photo of Granny and Popo and all their grandkids at their Christmas party!
I have so much fun with all my cousins!!












These are taken at Great Grandma's on Christmas day! We have so much fun at Great Grandma's. She lives on 200 acres and after eating and opening presents, we all go walking down by the creek and take a group photo by the big live oak. Here is a photo of Great Grandma with all of her great grandkids.















Look at all the Christmas Loot!! I must have been a really good girl this year!!

Dancing Queen

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ms. Keri sent me this just a few minutes ago. We are so lucky to have Ms. Keri in our lives. She is such a wonderful second mother to Hope!!
The video of Hope dancing was from a few weeks ago and the lunch photos are from today!
Hard to believe our little doodle bug is about to turn 1! Where did this year go? It has been so much fun! It is just so crazy how quickly time passes. She is so smart too! I know all mothers say that about thier kids, but she really is! She know sign language and it makes it so easy to communicate with each other. She knows the sign for "drink" "more" "eat" "all done" "daddy" "puppy" "hat" "book". We are working on "mommy" "milk" "juice" "please" and "thank you". She does say Thank you sometimes if you give her something. It is so cute... It sounds more like "tutu". She is a good eater too... actually she is a pig!! And she is so vocal when she eats... she enjoys every morsel. Granny said it right, she came out hungry and hasn't stopped from there!!

My Little Popeye

Okay, Keri sent me this photo a week or so ago letting me know my daughter loves spinach. See for yourself!!