11 Months Old!

She's 11 months! That is hardly any time left to 1 year old. I can't believe how different my life was a year ago, and how it was about to change so greatly. I can't believe how big my belly was a year ago! I can't believe how much free time I had a year ago - and how now it's been filled to the brim. Fulfilled to the brim. I can't believe what a joyous little being she is. At 11 months, Kennedy:

• Wears 9 month and 12 month clothes. She's long and lean, so she can still wear 9 month clothes (and even some 6 month shirts!) but pants are not long enough in those sizes.
• Loves to feed herself. She eats deli meat, bread, cheese cubes (of which she can't get enough of!), grapes (sometimes), granola bars (called nibbly fingers), yogurt, some pureed food, but would rather feed herself. In fact, I started giving her the spoon with bits of food on it, and she'll shovel it in.
• Loves drinking water from her sippy cup (cool) and her straw cup (even cooler!) 
• Cruises around all furniture, walls, fridge, oven, bathtub. Barely needs to hold on, but always holds something to balance herself. 
• Plays "peekaboo", "so big", and "hello?" where she holds things up to her ear like a phone. She also blows kisses sometimes but not as well on command as the other three.
• Enjoys standing on the couch looking out the window - we can't wait for spring!
• Loves her puppy, giggles when she gets puppy kisses, and will actively play with her by giving her toys, pulling toys away from her, etc.
• Sleeps better, for the most part! Still usually gets up once, but has had more nights of not waking lately.
• Has a few favorite activities: pulling magnets off the fridge (or putting them back up), pulling towels off the rack in the bathroom and kitchen, pulling tupperware out of the cupboard, tipping over block towers, pulling all of her toys out of her toy box, pulling the books off the shelf. Do we see a theme? Tornado baby!
• Is great at pulling up and getting back down to sitting from standing. She'll often do this to get something off the ground and then stand right back up.
• Is more antsy/less patient on her changing table. We need lots of distractions!
• Had her first fever and ear infection this month - no fun!
• Still says "mama", "dada", and "yeah" - but nothing else coherent. Answers questions with either "yeah" or shaking her head "no", and these seem to be true communication efforts.
• Signs "all done" when we ask her - this is her best sign language
• Is a total ham! Loves interaction, games, and her independence. At ECFE class, she is extremely social but also confident/independent enough to play by herself without checking in for awhile.

We can't wait to see what 1 year brings!

They're Worth the Splurge

I consider myself good at budgeting, a financially conscious person who can make a dollar go a long way. I'm always reminding Jake to get the generic brand, compare and purchase the least cost per unit, use coupons, or wait until it goes on sale. I'm not a fanatic about it; I just like to see my money go far. BUT - there are a few things in life that I think are definitely worth the splurge. I thought about this last week when I picked up some pine nuts for my salads and other dishes. I didn't realize what I would be spending until I got to the checkout lane. Do you KNOW how much a regular bag of pine nuts costs at Lunds? I want you to guess. I'll post the answer at the bottom of this page. I'm not sure it's one of those always-worth-the-splurge items, but they are sure tasty on my garlic and olive oil sautéed spinach dish.

These things, however, are always worth the splurge (in my book). What are your splurge-worthy items?

1. Meat: I'm not afraid to go above and beyond hot dogs, burgers, or chicken on a regular basis. I'll spring for the nice T-Bone or Filet Mignon frequently.
2. Ice Cream: I promise my answers are not all food-related. But there is a huge difference between a regular brand of ice cream and a premium ice cream like Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's. My current favorite is Haagen Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter. This is frozen decadence on a spoon.
3. Concerts: If I'm investing the time and money to attend a concert, I'd rather get the best possible seats in the house. If I can't sit lower level near the stage, I'd probably rather not go. It just makes such a huge difference.
4. Cleaning: This is one that surprised me. Ever since we've hired cleaners to come to our house every 2 weeks, I'm so ridiculously thankful we made the choice to do so. I'd rather set aside this money and cut back on a restaurant trips a month. It's really given me more time to really enjoy my free time, and keeps me on top of "tidying up" for the cleaners as well.
5. Massages: Yes, I am a sucker for a massage. I have no problem splurging for spa services, which are so irresistible after a long week of work. And I have to say, I'm feeling pretty grateful I have one scheduled tomorrow!

PS The pine nuts cost $14.99. This is more than twice what I was expecting. Crazy, right?!

Her Daddy

I'm so excited for Kennedy to get to know her daddy. She's one lucky girl to have him in her life, and I can't wait to see how their relationship and bond grows over the years.

I can't wait for her to learn how funny he is. She'll probably learn this trait sooner than others, since it's just so obvious. He already puts soap suds on her head, makes up silly songs, and exaggeratedly smells her diaper until she giggles.  

And she'll learn how caring and compassionate he is, especially towards the ones he loves. Especially towards her. Her daddy is calm, patient, helpful, and kind.

 Her daddy is loyal, and generous to those who he loves dearly.

Her daddy isn't ashamed to make a fool of himself to ease the tension and make someone else feel better.

Today, her daddy worked hard. He worked for about 15 hours, picking up an extra shift so he could be off during her baptism yesterday, which ended up not happening due to her ear infection. He's the kind of daddy who will be involved in her life, for the big and small things. And tomorrow, after the 15-hour day, he'll get up early with her and spend all day with her, and be giving and caring and compassionate towards her, even if he is exhausted. And then he'll do it the next day, too.

 Her daddy is a pretty special guy, and we are both so lucky to call him ours. (Happy V Day!)