Gillybean is 11 months old!

Dear Gillybean,

On Father's Day {June 20th}, you turned 11 months old. Hopefully you won't be too upset with me for taking so long to finally post this huge milestone. As you will one day learn, sometimes life gets in the way and even the best made plans change or at least become temporarily postponed.

11 months have flown by in the blink of an eye! I can only imagine that time will only seem to pass more quickly as the years come and go and you continue to grow. It seems like just yesterday we were preparing for your birth, and now here we are planning your first birthday.

Each day we get more glimpses of the person you will become, as your personality continues to blossom and shine. It's been a pleasure watching you grow and change, but I cannot help feeling sad knowing that your baby days are numbered and that your dependency on me will gradually fade as you gain more confidence and independence. Thank goodness we have a couple {a couple thousand} pictures to remind us of your first year. {Don't worry though, Daddy promises to only share one or two of your most embarrassing photos with your prom date.}

You have accomplished much in your 11 months and just recently added walking to the list. You took your first steps just shy of your 11 month mark and haven't looked back since. Now you are not only walking, but running from place to place. I'm really not sure I need to run each morning, keeping up with you is exercise enough. Unfortunately, you have discovered stairs and are fascinated with climbing, which worries your dad and me to no end. Since gates won't work on our stairs, we have to watch you like a hawk at all times. Your adventurous and investigative spirit continues to grow, having some family members convinced that you'll grow up to be an engineer {like your dad}, an inventor, or a scientist.

You've loved playing peek-a-boo for a while now, but just recently you have begun hiding under blankets. We find immense entertainment watching you try to cover yourself up only to jerk the covers away quickly as though you are proclaiming to the world, "Here I am!"

Since summer began, we have spent a lot of time at Gammie and Grandad's. I'm pretty sure you will be a water baby just like I was at your age, since you find splishing and splashing in the pool so much fun! During our last visit you mustered up the courage to put part of your face in the water. At first we thought you were trying to mimic me by blowing bubbles of your own, but as it turns out you were just trying to drink the pool water. Silly, Gilly! Life's never dull whenever you're around, that's for sure!

Your vocabulary continues to expand and your recall is impressive for such a tiny tike. When we take an object away and hide it, you do not simply accept that it is gone. Instead, you set out on a mission to retrieve it. Once you've recovered the hidden item, it's not unusual for you to give yourself a round of applause and beam with pride, smiling from ear to ear.

With less than one month until your first birthday, we are all going to cherish these final days before you make the transition from baby to toddler. Which makes now as good a time as any to let you know that I'm not yet okay with this whole "growing up" thing. No matter how old you turn or how big you get, you'll always be my baby. So one day when you think about turning away as I go to kiss you goodbye in front of our friends remember that through my eyes I'll always see the sweet little baby girl that stole my heart and forever changed my world.

I love you bigger than the sky!
XOXO,
Mom

Taking your picture isn't quite as easy now...






As it once was!

{GG, 6 months}


{GG, 1 week old}


Stats for this month:

Weight: 25 pounds (We're guessing!)

Diaper: size 4 Pampers Cruisers (daytime) and size 5 Pampers Overnights (night time)

Clothes: 24 months, some 2T depending on brand

Food: 3 meals at the high chair and 24 ounces of formula
Your favorite food this month: grilled cheese (especially Grandad's), Gerber's yogurt and cereal bars, Campbell's mega or double noodle soup

Teeth: 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom)

Sleep: 8 pm- 7:00 am with two naps during the day. You love to sleep, yay!

Current events: Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, President Obama visits the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. loses to Ghana in World Cup Soccer



{Top Mommy has reset AGAIN! If you wouldn't mind, click the above picture before you go!}

{It's still not too late to enter the Invitation Consultants giveaway. See sidebar for details!}