Caroline Rose: {11 Months}

Caroline turned 11 months old today, which can only mean one thing: we're having a birthday next month, folks!

Weight/Length: 18 lbs., 12 oz. and 27 inches tall 

Hair: Hair is blondish-brown now and really thick and long. She still loves to wear her bows and ribbons, my sweet girly girl!

Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers. Her tiny hiney has remained, well, quite tiny : )

Clothing: 12 month clothing across the board.

Favorite Things: Her Humpty Dumpty piggy bank, (which she uses as a drum…go figure), remote controls of any variety, her musical activity table, the Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls her Nana got her, vacuum cleaners – ha!

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: following Ruby around the house, petting Ruby and Ari, “helping” me clean out the dishwasher, emptying the dish towels out of the bottom kitchen drawers, feeding herself, Facetiming her grandparents, digging through mommy’s jewelry and purse drawers in the closet, going to the grocery store, being rowdy with daddy – she thinks he’s hilarious!

Dislikes: Getting her diaper changed, (girlfriend has no time for that nonsense), being separated from mommy, (and it’s getting worse every month), and having to get her face and hands wiped after mealtime.

Favorite Foods: Her favorite of all favorites is green beans. The kiddo would eat an entire plateful, if we let her. She also loves roasted butternut squash, pears, berries, peaches, tomatoes, avocado, yellow squash, hummus, artichoke hearts (so random and strange), turkey and roast beef with carrots and mashed potatoes. We have yet to find anything she won’t eat or doesn’t like.

I’m so glad we’ve stuck with preparing all of her food ourselves. We’ve saved a fortune by doing so and I like knowing exactly what she's getting. 

Milestones/Funny Things: She cruises using anything and everything to balance herself, can stand by herself for a few seconds at a time, can jump up and down with both feet in her crib, can keep a beat if she drums on something after watching us, (she’ll copy our rhythm – it’s so cool to watch), waves, sympathy coughs if she hears someone else do it.

Words: Mama, dada, bye-bye, nana (my mom), bah-bah (bottle), uh-oh, yum (!)

Mama Thoughts: 

Well, it’s finally here. The last month that she’ll be less than a year old. It’s bittersweet for me, to be honest. For so many reasons, I’m elated. She’s healthy and thriving and it isn’t something we take lightly. We are very grateful for the gift of celebrating a year with this amazing little girl. It has also been incredible to see her grow and change so tremendously over the past year.

On the other hand, a part of me aches that time has passed so quickly. It seems like only yesterday they were wheeling me into the OR to deliver Caroline. That first moment I saw her and breathed in her sweet smell. A mass of raven-colored hair and creamy, rosy skin. My own flesh and blood. 

I love her so much it really does hurt sometimes. 

Her laugh and smile have become the two things I look forward to most every day. Her name couldn't fit her more perfectly; she really is Sweet Caroline. 

And I'll tell you what, friends; I don't care if I do anything else well in this lifetime, as long as I'm a great mother to her. 

My daughter. 

My child that is half me and half him. The vessel that will carry my heart around forever because it no longer belongs to me; it is all hers.

Until month 12...