Oh Baby, I'm Walking!

In all the holiday madness, I forgot to report on the most exciting news of all. Amelia started walking on Christmas Day, just a few days shy of her 11-month birthday! And she literally hasn't stopped since. She LOVES her new found independence as you can see here.

Waking Up With a Smile

The other day, Tracy happened to be over when Amelia was waking up from her afternoon nap. Amelia usually wakes up with a smile, as you can see here. The video speaks for itself!

Welcome Back, Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma Maria and Grandpa Guy arrived from Thailand Monday night - via California. They're here to help celebrate Amelia's first birthday on Jan. 30.

When they got here, Amelia greeted them with her big, ole smile and showed them her eight teeth. Yup, she has eight teeth now, four of which she got all at once a few weeks ago! You can almost see them all in this photo. Count them!

A Study in Black and White

As you readers of Amelia's blog know, she is a favorite subject of her Auntie Tracy, who conveniently happens to be a professional photographer. It just so happens that Amelia is very happy in front of a camera, so it works out well.

Here are some shots in black and white taken over the past few weeks. Some of them we framed and gave to our family at Christmas. The photos capture our baby girl's essence - and how much we love her - so perfectly!

By the way, Amelia's not a big fan of anything on her head - hats, bows, clips - and that bow in her hair didn't last long. Just long enough for the photos, luckily.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We wanted to wish everyone a very, very Merry Christmas this year. We leave for Jason's parents' house for a few days and wanted to post this before we go.

We're beyond excited to be celebrating Amelia's first Christmas. She's such a happy girl (except at nap time) and lives every day in the spirit of the season - kind, generous, giving. It's like she wakes up every morning thinking "Joy to the world!"

We love her so much. Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Disclaimer: The actual Christmas card picture is not posted here so it will be a surprise when y'all get it in the mail!

The other day, we bundled up Amelia in her Christmas tights and dress (yes it was cold enough for tights here in Orlando!) and headed out to take her first Christmas photo. We wanted to do something outside with a Christmas-y feel. So her Auntie Tracy, who has taken so many of the wonderful photos on this blog, suggested the Prime Outlets on International Drive. She had seen the decorations, which were funky and conveyed the holiday spirit.

Some styling notes: I bought Amelia her cute dress with gingerbread men on the hem, her Auntie Stacey gave her the adorable Christmas tights (which were a challenge to get on a squirmy little one) and her Grandma Maria sent her the soft, cuddly Santa blanket with her name one it. I don't know if you can see the blanket in the photos, but we brought it along as an accessory.

As you can tell, Amelia wasn't so sure about checking out the life-sized decorations up close. She looked so serious examining them, much like she did when she sat on Santa's lap for a few minutes.

But all in all, she was a good sport about the photo shoot, as she is about almost every new experience. She's so much fun now with her silly sense of humor and makes us laugh every day! She smiled wide a couple of times and we eventually got the perfect shot. But you'll have to wait for your card to see that.

How's This Smile?

Amelia had her nine-month appointment today, complete with three shots, a finger prick blood test for anemia and new weight and height measurements. The blood test didn't bother her, but she did NOT like her shots. She's a healthy 22 pounds (90th percentile) and 28 inches long (95 percentile.) Her iron levels were very good and the doctor says she is in excellent health. She's growing taller faster than she is gaining weight!

Amelia also got the go-ahead to start eating chicken, yogurt and cheese. Yummy! A this rate, she might be ready for turkey, stuffing and pecan pie by Thanksgiving.