11 months and cuter than ever.

Can you believe it? This little girl with the big brown eyes capable of melting hearts is now ELEVEN months old. You know what that means...

My baby is about to turn a year old. About to be ONE.

I have very mixed emotions about this... on the one hand I absolutely LOVE the little child Rosalie has become as she outgrows the "baby" stage (I mean, just LOOK at that smile); but on the other hand I am a wee bit sad that she's no longer a bitty baby. I simply cannot believe that my baby is almost one year old. It went by far too quickly... and yet, I really do feel like we've all been able to just soak her up and enjoy her to the fullest. For some reason, it seems like I've been more aware of Rosalie's babyhood and just how fleeting it is, and because of that I've taken the time to really savor and bask in it. Maybe it's an awareness that finally comes with the third child, maybe it's because I'm more laid-back as a parent by now... but whatever the reason, I am so grateful that I've been able to do just that.

So what is our Rosalie-roo up to at eleven months old?
She is finally getting her two top teeth. Those two bottom teeth of hers came in around 6 months old and have been all alone in her little mouth until now. And oh boy, we had a rough couple weeks with the teething... our usually cheerful and happy girl was transformed into a whining, clingy, miserable, snotty mess. Poor dear. But now, the teeth are finally popping through and we have our beam of sunshine back again!

She weighs 21 pounds. This cracks me up, because I think Annabelle was about 2 or 3 years old before she weighed this much. Seriously. Obviously, Rosalie is a solid baby. Even still, she doesn't seem THAT chubby to me. She's perfectly plump, all rolls and dimples and deliciousness. I adore snuggling with her after her bath, when she's clad in only a diaper, and delighting in every inch of her still-babyish self. This girl is quite the cuddler too, always ready for a snuggle... which Daddy and I simply love, of course.

She claps her hands all the time, especially when someone says "yay!", and has started doing her own little up-and-down dance when she hears music. Dancing of any sort brings a huge smile to her face, especially when we scoop her up and dance with her.

Her sisters are her joy and delight. You can see her at anytime zooming across our living room floor on her hands and knees, headed toward their room, wanting to be with them always. And, since her sisters have figured out that Rosalie tends to disrupt things and make a mess, quite often they close the door... leaving Rosalie oh-so-sad and bewildered. Emma and Annabelle adore their baby sister, but I can't say I really blame them... she is rather a trouble-maker sometimes, always into everything.

She loves to stand on things (and is even able to stand by herself for a bit, as long as she doesn't realize she's doing it. silly girl) and thinks she's hot stuff.

Her feet are wonderful. I love her feet. So tiny, but so fat and yummy. (it's impossible to find shoes for them. But I don't mind.)

She is the queen of funny faces and keeps us all laughing with her quirky excited ways.









Her curiousity for the things around her is matched only by her determination to GET to them. Nothing will stop her! She is always picking things up and turning them over and over in her chubby little hands, studying them and taking them in.



What makes her giggle the most? When Emma spits and splutters at her. Sigh. I'm not a fan of this and am actually trying to teach Emma how very UNladylike that is.... but oh, that laugh of Rosalie's. It's no wonder I catch Emma doing it all the time.

We've started to notice that she gets angry and throws a fit when something doesn't go her way, and I'm resigning myself to the fact that soon I will no longer have an innocent little baby on my hands, but a full-fledged toddler in need of discipline and instruction, who throws tantrums and never wants to be told "no"! (I've started praying for wisdom and grace already. I'm going to need it.)

Even so, I have a feeling that I'll still enjoy this sweet daughter of mine more and more every day.

And no matter how quickly she may grow and change, she'll always, always be my lovely little Rosalie-roo.

we love you, darling baby.