All About Amelia - 11 months

Holy moly... this is my LAST monthly update!!!  This time next month, we will have a ONE YEAR OLD!  Where has the time gone?  It feels like we just brought Amelia home from the hospital yesterday.  I can honestly say this has been the BEST,  yet toughest, year of my life.  Life really does pass by in the blink of an eye, but thank heaven for little girls!

1-23-15

  

Roughly 22 lbs and 29 inches

Sleeping Habits: Hallelujah!!! AMELIA IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! You guys... it has been absolutely phenomenal getting 8 hours of sleep in a row again.  I feel like a new woman, a better parent and wife!  It's amazing what consecutive hours of sleep will do for ya.  Bedtime routine has stayed the same and Amelia is usually down for 11 hours before her morning feed.  Occasionally she will go back to sleep for another hour which is even more awesome!  We still (usually) get two naps a day from her but they always vary in length.

 

Passed out at Grandpa and Grandma Masilko's

Eating Habits: Three solid meals a day, plus snacks, and breastfeeding about 4 times a day, depending on mama's work schedule.  Amelia especially loves fruit, olives, veggie straws and water!

 

Loving food at the Neuvirth's

New Foods Amelia Tried: We are still having fun incorporating dairy into our diets!  This month, Amelia and I enjoyed quiche, cheesecake, Masilko veggie dip, mac n' cheese, taco soup and chilli with cheese.  She also tried bacon and pork and dumplings which were HUGE hits!  Introducing new foods is so much fun!

Yup... loving dairy!

New Discoveries/Developments/Accomplishments: Amelia cut her top left tooth on Christmas Eve which helps explain her crankiness.  She has mastered waving bye-bye and clapping when she excited or playing patty-cake.  Her feet have also become quite an obsession which is funny because she never really paid attention to them when she was younger.  In other HUGE news, Amelia took her first solo steps on 1-6-15.  It was a series of about 6 steps to reach mama, but every day she gets a little more adventurous and I will be surprised if she isn't fully walking by her first birthday!

Someone's getting BIG

Places Amelia Traveled: We were super busy this month with the Holiday's!  We had Christmas Eve at GG's for the Koch's and Great Aunt Cheri's for the Engelmann's.  Christmas day we spent the morning at home, afternoon at Mimi and Papa's and evening at Grandpa and Grandma E's. We also had the opportunity to spend a few days/nights at Mater Filius, which we really enjoyed.  A road trip to West Point was also involved for our celebration with Amelia's Great Grandpa and Grandma Neuvirth.  She LOVED getting spoiled by them and eating at her Great Grandma N's home cooking!  The weather was also phenomenal this month and we headed to the zoo and Chic-Fil-A for a play date!

 Fascinated with the aquarium at the zoo

Playing in Norfolk

Special Events or Holidays: First Christmas and New Years!  Christmas details above... New Years Eve we spent with Brandon's cousins and friends and Amelia had a sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma Englmann's house!  Amelia actually got to have sleepovers at ALL her grandparents houses this month!  One over night on a Saturday at Mimi and Papa's and one over night with her Masilko cousin's in Norfolk at Grandma and Grandpa Masilko's.  She is so well loved!

Getting good at opening presents

New Friends: We had a few MOPS meetings this month where Amelia made new friends.  She also enjoyed playing with little Zion during our stay at Mater Filius.  Our zoo play date was with Wilder and Isla and Chic-Fil-A was with Harper!  She also got to play with her Masilko cousin's towards the end of December.  So many friends, so little time!

Play date "hugs"

New Baby Babble: "Hey-oh" for hello, "ba-bah" for bye-bye, "utt" for uh-oh.  Amelia is getting SO great at imitating everyone.  She also loves waving bye-bye and is attempting to blow kisses while face timing family.  My favorite thing she picked up on this month is holding her hand up to her ear like a phone while we are using our phones.  It is ADORABLE!

Big brown eyes babbling away on her phone

Likes/Dislikes: Thankfully, Amelia is back to loving her bath again!  So glad the unhappiness while bathing was just a phase and we have our happy baby back!  We also made the switch to a convertible car seat this month and Amelia loves being more upright in the car!  Grandpa Keith is still watching Amelia 3 days a week while I work and she absolutely loves her time with him.  Most evenings when I pick her up, she hardly cares I am there!

Bath Time reading

Parents Update:  Brandon schedule is staying pretty busy and consistent, but he was able to take off early a few days to spend more time with Amelia and give my dad a break.  They always have the best adventures together and I love watching their relationship grow!  I am still busy working 3-4 days a week until the new gal officially takes the reins in March.  We still aren't sure where we will be financially at the end of all this (tax season and all) and don't know if I need to find something permanent part or full time.  Only time will tell, but we all know my heart lies at home with my baby girl!  In other news, with grandparents so willing to spend time with Amelia, Brandon and I have been taking full advantage and getting together with friends or having date nights as much as possible.  It's so awesome to fall in love with your best friend!!!  My love for that man gets deeper every single day, especially since he has become a father.  I sincerely hope this continues for infinity!

 Snuggles with Daddy

Zoo day with mama