Happy Birthday Gabriel!

Happy Birthday Gabriel! from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.
I love you!

クラフト すみれちゃん

Violet learned how to answer to her name in Japanese the other day. It makes us smile every time she does it.

11 months and first steps (pics and video at the bottom)

Our little flower is 11 months old today. I missed the update on her 10 month...oops! So often I would think to sit down and write about her 10 month accomplishments but someone was keeping me busy. ;)
Violet has grown so much and she is bringing so much joy to us each and every day. Her smile and beautiful laugh bring so much peace and hope to each passing day. She offers a friendly wave to everyone she sees and smiles her toothy grin (she has 4 teeth now). She loves to wave at elderly men especially because they usually wave back. :) Violet started saying Daddy and Dad very clearly this past month. She has started saying Mama again these days too. Yeah! She also says "hat" and she knows what she is saying. She looks at a hat and says "hat"! She also says "duck" and "hot". She loves to wash mommy's face in the bath and she loves to brush mommy and daddy's hair. She loves to stack the rings on her stacking toy and put the ball in the hole. She pretends to talk on the phone. She giggles with abandon when daddy tickles her. She plays peek a boo all the time. She tries to do the hand gestures for "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" too. It is so precious to see those tiny fingers come together. She claps to rhythm and she claps when she has done something. It is so cute! I love to see her clapping. It is amazing to see her eyes light up when she learns something new. It brings me such joy to watch her try something new. And..... She has started WALKING!!!
Her precious little feet took those first steps on August 17th. And since then she has been taking more and more. She is up to 9 consecutive steps with out falling down. She now pretty much refuses to sit and eat. She stands and eats. :)
Violet still nurses quite often and eats 3 meals of food a day. I was a little worried about her weight because she doesn't eat as much food as I think she should. But yesterday we went to the doctor and he said not to worry. He said she was small but not that small. :) She weighs 16lbs. now and she is 25.11".
When I hold her and rock her at night it amazes me at how much she has grown these past 10 months. I remember when I would hold her in one arm and she would nuzzle in so close. Now I struggle to hold her with two arms. She loves to stretch out while she is nursing to sleep.

I just am so thankful for each day with her. She truly is a miracle and perfect gift that I do not and never will deserve. Her little smile melts my heart. We love you Violet!

10 months

11 months

Here are some more summer pics on facebook to check out if you like. **warning...there are a lot of pics** :)

Here is a video of Violet walking to Daddy

7 Steps from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.