Notes from the Nelsens: Natalie Grace- 11 Months

One month away from a whole year already! We can hardly believe it.

We say it all the time, but this sweet girl is so. much. fun. She keeps us laughing and doesn't even have words yet, so we can only imagine the laughs when she's actually talking!

She's got a look for everything and let's you know exactly how she's feeling, exactly when she's feeling it. Matt and I joke and say, "Be kind, Nonni!" when she flashes her disapproving, eyebrow-furrowed glares at other people. But then those faces are usually quickly followed by her big grins or cackle sounds. She is FULL of personality!

On her 11 month birthday, she started clapping all on her own and had this excited expression on her face like, "Hey! I''m doing it!" Prior to that day, she couldn't quite figure out how to make her fingers straight so that a sound would come out when her hands touched. So when she started clapping with straight hands, Ryan and I started clapping right along with her, and the look on her face was just so happy and proud. Sweet love!

This month she also got into playing "How big is Nonni?! ....SOOO big!" Our favorite is when she does it out of the blue, like she's saying, "Hey, let's do this game!" or "Here's one of my tricks!" We also laugh because sometimes we'll ask her if she can wave and say, "Hi" and she'll throw her arms up in the air for "sooo big" like she can't quite keep all of her tricks straight.

This month she also started standing in her crib while she waits for us to come get her! This picture was the first time it happened, and luckily I had my phone with me to capture it! Look at that proud face.

She loves to eat, especially breakfast, and does not like for you to take even a brief pause in between bites when you're feeding her. She still loves her food mashed (so different from her brother who really never ate mashed or pureed foods!) and only recently stopped giving me looks when I put sliced banana on her tray instead of feeding her mashed-up bites with a spoon. She's getting more adventurous with other whole foods too, like soft beans and pasta, and grilled cheese sandwiches and PB&J, but her favorites are still yogurt, oatmeal, and mashed banana.

She loves her sleep and is usually down for the night by 6:00. She wakes up around 6:30 ready to eat, and lasts about an hour before going back down for her morning nap. When we take her to room with the lights out and sound machine on, she rubs her eyes and reaches for her crib right away, so if we can catch a few seconds of snuggling before she reaches for the crib, we take them!

It's really hard to believe we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday next month!

Look at Natalie seizing the moment!

Eating her Christmas cookie...

...and saying she's ready to go to sleep- poor thing!

Snuggles with her cousin Jackson!

Hanging with her cousins and Mimi!

Snow Mountain!

Making cookies for Santa

Christmas morning :)

This is another thing she's started this month- holding up her toys high in the air and then bringing them back down to her mouth. :)

Walking with Daddy on Christmas morning!

Snuggles with Papa!

That face!

And that one- right before she pounces on a sleeping Tally... it's like she turned around to fill me in on her plan. ;)

When I look at them standing next to each other, it's hard to believe they're only 18 months apart. Ryan always looks so big and she always looks so tiny!

We went to a playdate at a friend's house, and the daughter dressed Natalie up in this tutu. She kept it on the whole time and her little ruffle bottom stuck up high everywhere she crawled- it was so funny!

Sweet love cackling away as I cleaned up her pee pee spot from the floor!

Furniture shopping!

Her wave used to be this stiff-arm, fingers spread thing with really no "wave" that cracked us up. But this month she's started to flop her hand up and down and it's so cute!

She's also figured out how to pulled her bows down- just not how to put them back up. ;)

She loves Tally!

Holding up another toy high. I never remember Ryan doing this so it's so funny to me when she does it!

Snow day in Georgia! She found the perfect spot for eating it.

First taste of popsicle! Matt tried to take it away and she cried SO hard! Hahah, funny girl. She certainly knows what she wants!

Ryan got his first cookie from Publix and turned right away to Natalie to give her the first taste! Melted our mama and daddy hearts. She is one lucky lady! :)

Celebrating Clemson's win!

And still shocked by the last second of the game ;) Also love Tally's look in this one- like he really wants to sleep but knows he's probably about to get pounced on.