Happy 1st Birthday Jenna!!!

Age: 1 year old!
Milestones: The two biggest milestones have both been in the last few days.  First, she took between 2 and 6 confident steps by herself, meaning she was stepping without simultaneously falling forward into one of our laps.  Second, she was going up AND down the two steps between my parents' kitchen and family room like a pro.  It was super agile and not unlike Catwoman.  She's also been chewing a lot better, which means I don't feel obligated to cut up her food QUITE so tiny.
My Favorites: Mealtimes.  It's just such a fun time to interact with her.  She loves to feed me, which I think is just hilarious.  She holds out a piece of food and says "aaaaahhhh" which is my cue to say "aaaaaahhhh" back while she puts the food in my mouth.  Sometimes she giggles, but mostly she just gets this really satisfied look on her face, like she's glad I'm taken care of.  Also, she started snuggling again!!  She went through a couple months where she really wouldn't let us snuggle her.  It was so sad!  But now sometimes when we pick her up, she'll lay her head on our chest and tuck her arms down by her side.  She does it if she's tired or if she hasn't seen us in a few hours, like after Mother's Day Out.  I love love love love it.
Her Favorites: Looking out of windows.  She loves this SO much that even if she's crying about having to go into her carseat, the second I close the car door, she gets SUPER excited because now she can look out of a window.  And NOTHING is funnier than when there's an actual PERSON on the other side of the window.  Other favorites: people, Italian sausage, her Busy Bible, playing with her car bugs, cottage cheese, cinnamon, bread, things that jingle, chasing cats, taking things out of containers, bear crawling, and Mom & Dad.  Not necessarily in that order.  
Surprises: She does this thing when she's upset...she makes this trilling sound instead of/while crying and it is SO bizarre!  I have no idea where it came from but it happens several times a day at this point.  Also, I was surprised by how much she loved the Happy Birthday song!  The instant we started singing to her, her head shot up and she had the biggest grin on her face.  It never fails to make her smile, which is certainly convenient for taking pictures!
Other Notable Moments: Thanksgiving, where she celebrated by eating an entire sweet potato, plus some turkey, stuffing, and a roll.  Her 7th plane ride, which she handled like a champion thanks to the empty seat next to us and very nice passenger who played with her for most of the flight.  And finally, Jenna's was in her first Christmas concert.  It was through Mother's Day Out and she basically just sat on stage in her little Bumbo and shook her jingle bells, but it was super cute.  And I got a first class seat because I was on stage too!  Granted, I was juggling 2-year-olds, trying to keep them from nose-diving off the stage and from putting the bells in their mouths, but I still got to sit right by Jenna.  
Looking Forward To...: The next year (and all the years to come!)  This one moved so fast and so much happened.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

This face keeps happening and it KILLS me!

Selfies with almost-one-year-olds are hard.

Happy Holidays, all!

11 Months

Age: 11 months...ahh she's almost a year old!
Milestones: Saying mama (FINALLY!), taking a few steps on her own, waving, and all of a sudden today she started drinking out of a straw like a pro even though she's never done it before, that I know of.  Oh, and she can make the sound a dog makes and she says Raven (although at best it sounds more like "heevee.")
My Favorites: When she dances!  It is so cute seeing her bop up and down.  I also just love watching her explore.  She's getting so much more coordinated and adventurous so watching her play is just a blast.  Also, the snuggling.  I just can't get enough snuggling.
Her Favorites: Taking the fish off of the Peter Fishing page in her Busy Bible, taking every. single. thing. out of my diaper bag (and she gets really mad when she can't pull the lining out too,) opening and closing drawers & doors, the bathroom, spoons, dancing, and waving at people & giving them the head tilt/cutie eyes combo.  This especially happens when I go into work at Mother's Day Out...between the other teachers, the parents and especially the kids in my class, Jenna probably thinks she's a straight up celebrity. What a ham.
Surprises: How much she understands!  Today Jacob said, "Where's Mommy?" and Jenna said, "Mama!" and turned around and pointed at me!!  It is crazy to me that she is able to understand questions and respond to them like that!
Other Notable Moments:  Halloween, naturally!  She looked so cute in her little minion hat.  No trick-or-treating, but we had fun sitting in the front yard with some friends and watching the other kids!
Looking Forward To...: When she can walk!! I have to say, when I'm getting out of the car and my hands are full of groceries/teaching stuff/food, my thoughts usually drift to how nice it will be to not HAVE to carry her inside :)

The bag of bread dropped from the top of the fridge and it only took seconds until Jenna was shoveling it down...

Thanksgiving feast at Mother's Day Out

10 Months

Age: 10 months old
Milestones: Standing on her own for several seconds, saying "Da Da" about Jacob, waving, and pointing at people
My Favorites: I just love watching her be able to do more and more things...the waving and pointing and playing peek-a-boo...it's so fun! And when she stands by herself...she balances for a few second and when she's done she bends her knees and launches herself at me, usually while squealing or giggling.
Her Favorites: Bananas, cinnamon, Italian sausage, and COTTAGE CHEESE especially.  Also, turning pages, waving, being surrounded by pacifiers, and (unfortunately) playing with the "Danger" tags they put on electrical cords. Gives me a heart attack EVERY time.
Surprises: How long it takes to learn how to walk!  All of her other milestones have happened just one second to the next.  She can't do it, and then all of a sudden she can.  But I guess walking has so many different parts to master before you get the whole thing down that it feels like it's taking a lot longer!
Other Notable Moments: Getting Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease...woomp woooommmmmpp. Could there be ANY worse name for an illness that most children get?! Like, I have to go around being like "Sorry, I can't come to Mother's Day Out today because my child has a DISEASE! Hope your precious child doesn't also get her super contagious DISEASE!" Embarrassing.  Plus it lasts 7-10 days. WHAT? That is a really long time to be quarantined.
Looking Forward To...: Walking!! And HALLOWEEN!! Not that we're going trick-or-treating because Jenna doesn't even eat candy, but I just can't wait to see her in her cute little costume, plus we just got this super cute Halloween onesie and cat hat as gifts and I pretty much want her to wear them 24/7. Holidays are my favorite.

Those BOOTS!

9 Months

Age: 9 months
Milestones: FIRST TOOTH!! Her bottom middle right tooth started pushing through at the end of our time in Illinois, which made for some very tearful moments a la crying whenever people laughed, etc. but I'm so excited she's getting teeth! Also, she went to her first wedding, first (minor league) baseball game, and sat in a shopping cart seat for the first time, if you would like to consider those milestones.
My Favorites: Her squeaks, watching her crawl around, how she kicks her legs and starts breathing really hard when she gets excited, how she's cuddly like a koala, and I LOVE reading to her.  It's my favorite part of the day, snuggling up and reading together. 
Her Favorites: Squeak laughing, air conditioning vents, banging things together, giving zerberts (something I had to try and keep her from doing during the aforementioned wedding,) turning the pages for me when we read, bananas, cheese, cottage cheese, and CINNAMON!  
Surprises: When we went to the wedding, I was picturing the babies totally losing it at the reception, but they actually did AMAZING and stayed up WAY past their bedtime, happily dancing and playing.  It was so great!! And THEN came the drive home. And the next day. And the day after that. And they were all total hot messes, especially for Jenna because she also had a tooth coming in.  Anyway, the wedding was totally worth it, but lesson learned about sticking to bedtimes!
Other Notable Moments: I just love seeing her interact with family.  She and Asher were so funny together...he kept grabbing her head and yelling and that would sometimes make her cry which, loving mother as I am, was always really funny.  Eventually, she started putting up her hands to block him which led to a lot of super adorable baby hand holding.  They're going to be best friends.
Looking Forward To...: Her walking!! Also, for the weather to cool down!  I want to go outside to play with Jenna and not be sweating within 3 seconds.

Koala cudding! 

8 Months

Age: 8 months
Milestones: Sitting herself up, pulling herself up to a standing position, crawling, she's awesome at eating now (but only if she's eating bananas or applesauce) and she started saying "Mama" (which is probably just a sound she likes making, but I'm pretending she knows who I am.)  Also...I gave her her first spanking kind of.  She's been twisting a full 180 whenever I change her diaper, which is equal parts icky and dangerous, so after a few times of trying to get her to turn over, I took a deep breath and just did a light swat at the side of her thigh.  She completely froze and then slowly turned to look at me like, "Did that just happen?"  And I froze and looked at her like, "...sorry I'm new at this." I'm going to need to work on that.
My Favorites: She's been giving me hugs!!! She stands while holding my fingers, gives me a little impish grin, lets go, spreads her arms wide and as she's falling forward, flings them around my neck.  It is SO cute, especially when it's accompanied by her saying, "mamamamamamamama" against my face.  I melt. 
Her Favorites: Standing while holding onto the ottoman, reading books, and listening to me sing Frozen in the car.  Seriously, I can only listen to NPR for so long before she starts crying, but the second I turn on that CD and start singing she's silent for the rest of the ride.  It's awesome and the PERFECT excuse to rock out to Disney, not that I need one.
Surprises: I totally got to see her fight-or-flight instincts this morning.  She was sitting on the floor and Raven came around the corner, which completely startled Jenna. She turned around with this terrified look on her face and started crawling away SO fast.  It was absolutely hilarious.  I think I was doubled over laughing for a full two minutes.
Other Notable Moments: I had to call the doctor so many different times this month.  Once, Jenna had a stomach bug and was projectile vomiting every 15 minutes.  That was scary.  And then a week later she had a fever randomly for a few days.  And then a week after THAT, we found out that she's allergic to eggs, which was terrifying.  I was eating a hard boiled egg and she kept reaching for it so I started feeding it to her, and then almost immediately she started getting these enormous red hives on her face.  I was in a complete panic, but thankfully the hives were the only reaction she had.  Guess I need to start finding recipes for egg-less cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc!
Looking Forward To: When she can walk!  I can't wait to see her toddling around!

This child is 8 months old and has already been to three different zoos.  Future animal lover, folks.

Baby's first movie: Babe!