Dear Indigo: 1 year old

Dear Indigo,

You've made it to your first birthday!!!  Happy birthday sweet girl!!  We love you so much, and are so proud of you.  You are such a sweet little lady; observant, laid-back, tender-hearted, curious, content, snuggly, quiet, independent and loving.  It has been so much fun watching your personality develop these last few months.  You've cut 6 teeth, and I fear your molars are coming now.  We starting bringing you to nursery on Sundays, and it is always pretty teary because you know that we are dropping you off, but you are a brave girl and calm down after a short bit.  The day before your birthday, as we were decorating the Christmas tree, you stood up in the middle of the room and took three steps towards me!!  Walking of your own accord!  Crawling is still much faster, but you are taking more and more steps.  Your current record is 8.  You've added Da (James) and ma (more) to your vocab, mostly for pointing to something (usually food) and wanting it.  Also you are drinking solo from a sippy cup, and still need some help from a regular one.  We bundle up most days and go for a walk, which you LOVE.  This makes me so happy, as I have dreams of many walks in the future.  Also you charm the pants off the lady at our local chocolatier, which is a dangerously close 0.5 miles away.  We may have taken that walk a few times.  But sweet little Indy, you haven't had dessert until we celebrated your birthday with a chocolate cupcake.  You very neatly ate up every last crumb - and then started ma - ing and pointing at the tray of leftovers on the table.

Happy birthday Indigo!!  We love you!

Mama, Dada, Da (James)

Favorite books: Colors by Orla Kiely + Animal Friends
Favorite foods: anything tomato based, rice & yogurt
Favorite thing to do: be held by your family
Makes you laugh:  Peek-a-boo & James' silly faces

Dear Indigo: 11 months

Hello sweet little girl,

This month you added Dada to your vocabulary!  Happy 11 month birthday, as of  Nov 11!!  You are cruising along the edge of the couch and chomping at the bit to walk, always holding onto our fingers as you propel yourself forward.  You follow me around the house, and are getting VERY fast at it. Your favorite room in the house is the bathroom, and if we ever leave the door open you immediately there splashing in the toilet.  YIKES!  Thankfully it hasn't happened too often, and it makes me keep it extra clean and tidy.  You LOVE bath time, and splash away loving the drops of water as they fly as long as they don't hit you in the face.  You still love your little gauze blanket, and prefer it over all others.  You are still waking 2x a night, and I'm hoping this start to decrease, and I've worked to put you down with a full tummy and tired eyes.  Now that the sunrise is later and later, you are sleeping in until 6:30 or 7 every morning.  Bless you.  You are such a sweet, serious little lady.  You prefer to be observing all that goes on, and aren't much of a talker (this could be due to your brother filling any empty space with noises).  You love rice, curry, anything tomato based and absolutely refuse to eat sweet potatos or green beans.  You love getting to see your friend Jack, and you two always give loves.  I cannot believe that you are almost a year already!!  Also you nickname list is growing...In, Baby In, Indy, Precious, Precious Pearl, Pearl, Pearly, Pearlypoo.  Little Indigo - I'm happily surprised that you respond to your actual name.  :)  Also your face hold your exact feeling, and you have the best happy and the saddest sad faces known to man.

Love you dearly little In.

Susan

PS This is backdated due to my computer being on the fritz for...months. 

Life Lately: fall thinking

making: plans for family time.
cooking: all the time, curry, Indian food, roast beef, stir fry, fried egg sandwiches, etc. 
drinking: water, homemade hot cocoa in front of the fireplace.  
wanting: some new work proposals to work out.  
looking: at all sorts of garden plans, looking at seeds, bulbs, and best places.  
wasting: not a single dry day for playing outdoors
enjoying: the change of seasons - this hot summer has finally faded to rainy, colorful full blown fall
liking: getting to watch the sunset from this window every evening.
loving: family nights in front of our fireplace drinking cocoa and wrestling Indigo away from James' puzzles
marveling: at how blessed we are to be in this home - so much space and yard.
needing: nothing.  truly.  maybe some insulation for the back of the house.
smelling: an autumn wreath candle in morning.
wearing: wool socks, jeans, plaid shirt, and a content heart
listening: to James' screentime choice - Daniel Tiger
knowing: a date with Brad is in the near future!! 
noticing: how much the kiddos have been growing.
thinking: about the book of Romans
feeling: really content with life right now...soaking in, even in the disciplining.
bookmarking: how to start a garden bed over lawn.  I think I'll choose newspaper layering. 

Dear Indigo: 10 months

Dear Indigo,

Baby girl, you are at such a fun age.  You are feeding yourself with your little pinchers, babbling (most favorites are blah, blah, blah, mamama, dadadada), standing on you own, walking if you are holding our hands, clapping my goodness.  You have the best smile!  When you are feeling shy, which is often of late, you will give a huge closed mouth grin and then bury your face in my neck.  You are a speedy crawler and can get anywhere that you want!  Sweet little Indigo. 

Love you babykins,
Mama

Portrait of the Month: September

Grape picking at Papa + Grandma Van's house.