11 months... and then some!

April? Hello? Are you there? Apparently April has already come and gone. Really? That also means that 11 months has come and gone. Anna - stop. getting. bigger. Freeze time. Right here and right now. You are beyond amazing. 

Here's a quick rundown, because at the rate it takes me to complete a blog, I need to get started on your ONE YEAR update. Cry. me. a. river... You have 6 teeth, you're pulling up onto your knees everywhere as well as pulling to stand (the big sisters' chairs are your favorite in-house jungle gym), recent favorite foods include blueberries, grilled salmon, meatballs, and whole wheat toast, and we can hardly keep up with your repertoire of signs which now includes "owl", "bear", "Gran", "Momma", "stop", "swing", "mouse", "eat", "cow", "elephant", "flower" - of this list, "owl" is almost too cute for words, you sign it multiple times a day, and it's always accompanied with "whooo, whooo", in the sweeeetest little voice. The theory that youngest children are late talkers because older sibs talk for them? Doesn't apply to you. Your mouth goes all day long and includes "Baba" (Abby), "Lis" (Elise), "Lana", "Bapa" (Grandpa), "all done", "up", "more", "Pop!", "ball", "work", "no", "Hi", "go", "nana" (milk) and "Anna", which you say so clearly in your little voice that you risk either of your sisters or me eating you up when say it. You are one of the most imitative babies I've met - whether it's a new sign or a spoken word or a playful motion in a song, you consistently make an attempt to reproduce it right away. 

We love our dog. We really, truly do. But she's a Vizsla in every way and she is often invading someone's personal space, to which we often say "Go!". So now you think the dog's name is "Go" and that's what you say when you see her. Poor Charlie...

Happy ELEVEN months, Anna! Your big sisters and I are looking forward to doting on you all summer long! We thank you for your patience and good morning naps over the past months, allowing the big girls to ROCK first grade in ways that I never imagined possible. You have endured countless math, reading, science, and history lessons, entertaining yourself army crawling around the living room, pulling books from the bookshelf, possibly consuming a few scraps of paper, and providing us with reasons to smile every step of the way. You have no idea how good you've been for all of us.