The Eleventh Month

I'm currently sitting here in denial. 

I've been tearing up off and on all day.

 And more than usual, I've been watching old videos of my tiny girl.

I just can't believe how fast this time is going.

One month from today, we will celebrating Oaklyn Joy's first birthday.

How could that be possible?

This time last year I was a crazy pregnant woman trying to get everything ready for my little girl.

I was excited, nervous, and to be honest... clueless.

No one can tell you what to expect with your first baby.

You can prepare all you want, but just living the day to day is the only way you will figure things out.

But, to any mama's reading this expecting their first little one, just be ready to see your heart grow ten times bigger than you knew it could

You will think your heart exploded the first time your baby smiles at you and you'll feel a sense of pride that had never existed before.

Each new phase is so exciting and each day they are learning something new and different. 

It goes by fast, so try not to miss a thing.

I can't believe my Oaksie girl is almost done with her first year of life.

I have been planning her birthday party like crazy and I'm in denial that she isn't my tiny baby anymore.

She's learning and growing like crazy. Here's what this month has brought:

+ She has 4 teeth that have come through and 2 more trying to cut through! That explains why she's been extra fussy lately...

+ She never stops moving. The girl is constantly on the move and touching everything. She's such a curious little thing.

+ We call her destructo because she destroys everything she can ha! He recent favorite game is destroying all the towers dada builds with blocks and laughing about it!

+ She thinks tooting and burping is hilarious when she does it! She laughs as we say "stinky" and tries to do the hand motion with it. It's adorable!

+ She seriously gets heavier by the day! I'm not totally sure how much she's weighing right now but it's enough to make Hunter and I both tired.

+ She still loved being wrapped on mama in the Solly baby and I still love having her in it! Forced snuggles.

+ She has separation anxiety like you wouldn't believe... I'm trying so hard to love that she loves me so much, but I seriously can't even take five steps away from her without a full on meltdown...

+I'm pretty sure she could totally walk right now if she wanted to. She practically runs while holding on to things but the second the couch ends she gets down to crawl.

+She has started standing by herself a little bit but doesn't love it. Scaredy cat ;)

+She thinks practically anything her dada does is hilarious. I really love watching them play together. It warms my heart!

+She's a big fan of bath time and doesn't cry every single time water gets in her eyes any more!

+Everything goes straight to the mouth. Always.

+She chooses when she wants to be a good eater. Her favorite foods currently are shredded cheese, blueberries, peas, oatmeal, and oranges.

+ She has the funniest poop face ever haha.

+ She's not the best at sharing and also has started hitting and pinching. We've recently started trying to introduce discipline and teaching her what "no" means. I think she gets the concept of "no", but definitely doesn't always listen... obviously

+ Her favorite shows are daniel tiger and little baby bum... strange.

+She's obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED with books! She loves to turn the pages and could stare at them for so long. A huge thank you to grammy for giving her the singing book! She loves the thing.

+ She really isn't much different than a puppy, other than the fact that she can say a few words. But really, she eats our shoes, loves trash, and occasionally eats right out of my hands.

+ She also growls at me when I don't share my food... She now gets her own samples at Costco. People always look at me funny when I grab an entire sample for my baby... but she definitely holds her own!

+ She tugs and pulls on my hair and gets pretty angry when it doesn't come off my head. Along with me and Hunter's eyes, noses, and teeth.

+She has this thing with tongues currently. She pretty much thinks they're hilarious and love grabbing dada's. Ha!

+ She loves waving "bye bye" whenever we leave.. she even waves to the car when we walk away ha.

+ She also is loving playing hide and seek and when we chase her. She screams in excitement and it's seriously so fun!

+ She cries a ton but can also be the happiest and sweetest

+ Her little personality comes out more and more each day and we are just loving every second as her parents.

As for this mama, I have learned so much these past 11 months.

I've learned not to sweat the little things, and to always be there for the big things.

I've learned to remember to take it day by day and to cherish every new phase.

I've learned that I really can do anything and that between my motherly instinct and prayer, I'll always find a way to help my girl.

More than anything, I've learned how to give love when I really don't think there's anything left.

My PPD really isn't there anymore, but I'll occasionally feel bits of anxiety creep up. 

I don't handle stress the way I used to, but that's okay.

It's almost my one yeariversay on becoming a mom, and I really just can't believe it.

The second best decision I've ever made, is the decision to become a mommy :)

(the first was marrying Hunter)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy