Dakota seems to have changed the most in her appearance this month. She is starting to look more like her daddy, and she continues to gain weight like a champ adding more rolls and chins each day. Dakota is showing us different facial expressions with the look of confusion, fear, and concern. We have to laugh at just how expressive she is with those big blue eyes. Dakota tends to get fixated on things and it takes some effort to snap her out of it. She is loving her food and just can't get it fast enough. Her favorites right now are pears, squash, and sweet potatoes, but I can't get her to eat her peas no matter what I mix it with. (She gets this from her grandpa) Dakota is sitting up on her own and loves to roll over in her crib and sleep on her tummy. She is sleeping through the night, but this mommy selfishly wants her to sleep 12 hours straight. The norm is about 9-10 hours. I shouldn't complain. Dakota is able to drink from a bottle which allowed us to take a vacation while she stayed with grandma and great grandma. Still no teeth for this girl but for the thousandth time, she may be teething. :) This mommy blames every bit of fussiness on teething. Dakota loves to play with everything that isn't a toy including the remote, cell phones, sunglasses, watches, and necklaces. She loves to make noises with her mouth and loves to copy mommy's mouth movements. I am blessed to say that this girl loves her naps. With a rub of the eyes and the tug of her ear, she lets me know she is tired. I can "usually" lay her down in her crib where she will just play with her pacifier or hands until she just falls asleep. While this girls thrives on consistent naps, if she misses a nap or it isn't long enough, she isn't a happy camper. We thank the Lord every day for this special little blessing in our lives.
8 Months
We say this every month (well...maybe not the first couple months) but this is our favorite age. Dakota just melts our hearts with her sweet little smiles and her cute, expressive voice. She just can't help but smile at anyone that looks her way which often stops strangers wherever we go. Dakota has definitely found her voice as her vocabulary consists mainly of the letters B and A as she adds inflection to her voice like she is having a real conversation. She is constantly talking to her toys, her friend Harvey, or to herself in the mirror in the back seat of the car. She isn't saying any words yet but I am pretty sure she said "Huba huba" the other day. :) We are hoping that mo ma and da da are her first words. (Selfishly hoping for momma first) Dakota loves music and will stop any crying or fussing to smile at anyone who will sing to her. This is great for long road trips as we belt out any song at the top of our lungs in order to silence our little passenger. Dakota has also found her feet and loves to suck on her big toe if there isn't a paci or toy nearby. Dakota isn't crawling yet, but I am positive it will be soon as she gets up on her hands and knees and rocks and scoots backwards. One of these days she will just take off, and I will miss the days of a stationary baby. :) Even though she isn't crawling, she has mastered the barrel roll and will move herself across the room in no time. Another thing that just melts our hearts is that she is starting to reach for us and hold onto us and hug our necks. Dakota loves to jump, bounce, and be on the move which could be a sign of what is to come. She is ticklish on her upper thigh, and we can really get her to giggle. Dakota is willing to be held by anyone but is starting to keep a closer eye on her mommy at all times. Dakota brings us more joy than we could ever imagine, and we are excited to see how she changes these next couple of months.
9 Months
Next week, Dakota will have her 9 month check-up and shots, and we look forward to seeing just how much she has grown these last three months. Dakota has decided the last couple weeks that she really loves her mommy and daddy's full attention, and that we must be in her view at all times and ultimately she prefers to be held constantly. :) If we can distract her enough with her toys, we can sneak out of the room leaving her content for a while until she realizes that we are no longer right next to her. This is endearing, but it makes things a little challenging especially when I have another little guy that also wants my attention. Dakota is still trying to master the crawl which also leaves her frustrated as she wants to be on the move like her friend Harvey. I am ready for her to be able to crawl because I am convinced she will be happier and more content. Dakota has started to make growling noises, and she has also found her screaming voice which she uses when she is happy or sad. She continues to talk all of the time and entertain herself with the fake cough or a gurgle in her throat. Dakota has started to play copy-cat with us as she copies the noises we make. Dakota is eating almost everything and would prefer to eat from our plates. She is sleeping through the night consistently from about 7:30pm-6:30am which makes her mommy and daddy happy. As a result of the attachment though, she will often cry herself to sleep because she can't bare to be left alone in her crib. Despite the fact that she is more fussy right now due to lack of crawling and attachment, she is still a very happy and smiley girl. Her sweet smile just melts our hearts.
(Look at this stinker who is no longer interested in posing for the camera)
10 Months
This has been a month of dramatic changes for our little girl as it seems that each day brings new developments and a whole new view of the world around her. She is now fully on the move as she explores new places, getting into the tupperware drawer, climbing onto the dish washer door, going under all tables and into little corners, and playing in the curtains while being our little vacuum and mopper. Dakota loves food and is quite the bottomless pit as she stuffs large quantities of food into her mouth, occasionally gagging, and then demanding more by banging on her highchair tray. Peas, avocados, and any finger foods are her favorites as purees are a thing of the past. She is talking up a storm with the occasional momma and dadda mixed in there as we wonder what she could be saying and thinking. We love to hear her little voice. Dakota continues to be a great sleeper as she transitions from three naps to two. She loves to play with her pacifiers and 'lovie' in her crib which can entertain her for quite a while before she falls asleep. She is constantly giggling and laughing at her friend Harvey as she can now keep up with him and hold her own, yet there is the rare instance that she gets plowed over or hit. She is becoming a tough girl. Dakota's first little tooth has made it's first appearance which has been surprising mild. She is becoming a little snuggle bug as she hugs our necks and lays her head on our shoulders when she gets sleepy. Dakota is the smiliest baby we know as she wrinkles up her nose and squints her eyes giving a full smile to everyone she sees. We are trying to soak in every moment as the days seem to just fly by.
11 months
It seemed like this little girl went to bed one night and woke up the next morning knowing a million new things. Her world is changing daily. She now says momma and daddy more consistently, signs and says: more and all done. Dakota is a pro at playing with her rings toy as well as placing things in containers and putting on lids. It is so fun to observe her mind processing everything. She loves going up and down the stairs with only one minor tumble. (Oops...Mom fail) Dakota loves music and she is quite the dancer, which she doesn't get from her mom and dad. Dakota weighs 19 pounds and measures 28 inches. Her daddy is a little concerned about her petite frame as those short legs will mess up her chances of collegeant volleyball. I am confident those little chunky legs will grow soon. She is on the move and has taken one or two steps on her own yet she prefers to crawl right now or having mommy and daddy walk her around. Dakota loves food and shovels in large quantities at a time while her favorite food remains sweet potatoes. She continues to be a good sleeper while taking only two naps these days. Dakota continues to need Mommy and Daddy in view at all times and can be seen often tugging on Mom's legs wanting to be held. We love this spunky, smiley, and huggable treasure in our lives.
12 Months
Dakota hit one year and all of a sudden everything changed. She went on a week long rebellion against naps, started talking non-stop using her babble language, and started walk on her own. This new independence with walking has also given this mommy a little more independence. I feel that we are on the tail-end of Dakotas "needy" stage. She now walks into the other room to talk to all of her toys and go into her little world of imagination. I wonder what she could be talking about. Dakota's favorite word is more as she is always wanting more food. This girl is a bottomless pit. She signs more, all done, and milk and her favorite words to say are hi, bye bye, momma, dadda, and "bore" (more). Dakota had decided for a while that she should wake up multiple times in the middle of the night like a newborn which mades her mommy and daddy very upset. As of recent this nighttime rebellion has disappeared and she is back to sleeping through the night. She continues to need two naps during the day and will be quite a mess if she misses one of these. Dakota has a ton of personality and spunk which can often result in a mini tantrum where she arches her back and cries on the floor when she doesn't get her way. Not being able to fully communicate has been the culprit of most of these tantrums. We may have our hands full when she hits the teen years. We can already see that she is an organizer as she loves to take things out and put them back the same way. Dakota loves taking baths and playing with water. She is quite the expressive little girl and can tell a whole story with just her eyes and eyebrows. We are excited for what this next year holds, and we are convinced it will be another year of many changes.
No comments:
Post a Comment