Shucka Shucka

I love this age. She has such a personality and is really my best friend. I said to hubby last night before bed..."Are you jealous of me?" And he just looked at me like...uhh....Then I explained because I get to spend all my time with Sass and we hang out and play all day. She is so fun, she loves to be held by me and we always wrestle and tickle each other...she is hilarious.

She is very trusting too (as all babies are, but let me explain). She likes to dead drop.....she will stand up with her back to me and totally, stiff board FALL backwards haahhaa......its a good thing I catch her or that would hurt so bad! She likes to do that in our bed too, I cant count how many times she unexpectedly falls back and her head hits mine, or worse, my cheekbone! OUCH!

Sass's hair is long enough for "piggies" and I think she looks so grown up like that!!

She LOVES to rock her high chair, she scares me to death because I think she is going to tip over! She really gets some momentum sometimes!

When its time to eat she sees me bringing over the high chair and she will run to the spot she eats and stands there....she is too funny.

She loves going bye bye, she'll run to the door when I say it and she yells BYE BYE...sometimes it comes out Bye Bee....

In the morning when I go get her, she always hands me her blanket because she knows she is going in my bed to watch TV and drink her milk.

She gives kisses on demand...I LOVE that.

Today while all three of us went for a walk hubby happens to look at her tray and says, "Is that bird crap??" It was! LUCKILY it didnt hit Sass!! AND luckily she didnt find it before hubby did! EWWW!

I am in a way sad my little girl is growing up, but she is SO fun right now. She understands things I say, she responds and communicates back to me. We play and have fun and she GETS it, know what I mean? Its not me just playing with her while she lies there looking at pretty colors...its a two way street now. I show her things a couple times and she GETS it....

She has a dancing bear where you touch the PRESS ME button on its foot, and I showed her once and now she goes up to it and touches it because she knows it will make the bear dance. She then does the twist along with the bear...

I love this age, I have so much fun with her...I am almost sad to have another because I think, HOW can I love another like I do her? And I feel like I wouldn't have much time to be with her and it makes me sad too.....I also know I won't be able to give my full attention to my second child cuz Sass will be about three. I know it will all work out, but its just a feeling I have now.

Welp, I rambled on long enough, perhaps if I update this more often I wont have to cram everything into one post. I update my 365 blog everyday, why cant I get in here? Anyway, enjoy the pics.

Happy 13 months Sass!!

How crazy this last month flew by, seems like I was just planning her 1st B-day party. That day quickly came and went and now it is a month later. Doesn't even seem like it! I thought I would use this post to brag, yes brag, about my little girl. She is truly amazing in every sense of the word.

Today she discovered she can walk backwards, and this just tickles her pink. She finds it hilarious and laughs so hard when she does it. She is so funny and I can't help but smile and laugh too.

She knows the difference between a cat and a dog. She can point them out in pictures.

She knows upward of 25 ASL signs. I can even sign to her, without saying the word and she responds correctly. I can also sign and she says the word back.

She can say Mom, mama, mommy, dad, daddy, dada, cat, kitty, dog, doggy, baba (she says this directly to her sippy of milk, she asks for it this way too), ball, banana, ut oh, hi, hello, bye, bye bye, bobby?? I have no idea what she means with bobby but she says it often, not, baby, yeah? (she says it with a question inflection) and I think I am missing some...

I can ask her to give me something and she usually does. She understands animals and their sounds. She can sing songs with me, and on cue sing the next part without me saying it first.

She loves to climb right now, anything she can climb she does! She likes to always eat what I am eating, she'll stand by me and say "Mmmmmm" until I give her some. I like to say to her, "This is mommy's mmmmm, eat your mmmmm" hahaha.

She really only drinks water and milk. I have tried giving her juices now and then, usually because a friend offers it, and she hates it...wants nothing to do with it....Fine by me..:) At least she loves water.

She is still in size 4 diapers. She generally wears 18-24 month old sized clothes.

She loves stuffed animals, sometimes it seems she likes the more than her other toys.

She is just changing and doing more things everyday that just amaze me. How quickly they learn to do things, blink and you'll miss something big.

Her baby ways are quickly fading, how quick those moments are here before they are gone. People like to rush milestones, wished they do things quickly, but when they do that, they miss the stage they are currently at that they will never get back. They have their whole lives to walk, talk, eat solid food....enjoy the infant stage while it lasts...in some cases, its over before a year. That is such a fraction of time. I often times miss infant Sass, the Sass that let me love on her all I wanted without pushing away to go play. Sometimes I wish I held onto her longer, rocked her more, held on to her little hands and feet longer, because I will never get those days back. My little girl, no longer an infant, but fast becoming a big girl.

Ok, enough of that, here are a couple recent pics. Here lately she started making this squinting face when I grab the camera and point it towards her...she cracks me up...

My page needs a new layout

I took a couple of pics of Sass taking a nap today that I just found to be adorable! It's been a while since I took sleeping pics....It amazes me how big she looks now...my "baby" is quickly growing up...where is the time going?

I need to seriously get hopping on her scrapbook...I am always so busy making Siggys and graphics I often neglect my actual scrapbook. Sometimes I feel I am not as creative as I would like to be and often throw out my pages I spent hours working on.


I also think its time my blog gets a new layout..Sass is a little older now and besides I downloaded a few more great kits made by the ladies I have on my right hand side column under "favorite scrap book sites" that I think would be PERFECT!

I was up late as usual tonight so I decided to make another Siggy of Sass. I used the kit, Bohemia by Sweet Blossom Designs (see right for link to blog). I just adore this kit..it is so cute and at the moment one of my favorites! Anyway, I hope you enjoy my siggy!
Oh, dont forget to check out my 365 project blog @ http://mcrouchphotography365.blogspot.com/

Before I go to bed

I wanted to share a picture I took and edited of Sass on Monday. Hope you enjoy and with that I am off to bed!

Closer to my goal

I have been doing really great with my diet and exercise plan. Ever since I joined Sparkpeople.com, I really got my act in gear. On 29 December 2008 I started eating right, counting my calories and exercising at least 5 times a week.

When I started I was at 143lbs
30 inch waist
39 inch hips
and
13 inch neck.

I am currently 134lbs, I have been this weight for a few weeks, however...the measurements are much different.

On 2 Feb 09@ 134lbs I was
29 inch waist
38 inch hips
13 inch neck.

On 13 Feb 09 @134 lbs I am currently
27.5 waist
36.5 hips
and
12.5 neck...

So this means I MUST be losing fat but I am not changing weight because I am adding muscle (as I am doing weight training in addition to cardio). I can not be happier at seeing results. At first I was discouraged by looking at my weight alone, but I am glad I decided to measure as well, as that is more accurate log of weight loss. This is a huge motivator for me to continue. Now I just wonder why I waited so long?

SO its been a LONG time

I always forget about my blog here, which is a shame really. I will be more committed.....:)

So I am launching a new blog called "Snap Shots 365", I really think this will be good for me.

I have decided to turn my once hobby into something a little more. I have always enjoyed photography but never really had time to dedicate my full time to it. After a lot of thought, and speaking to my husband, I decided I am going to start building my portfolio and when we move to Virginia later this year, go to photography school.

I have also been busy with Photo Shop and have become quite good with it. I have been designing invites as well and making a little profit from it.

So anyway, I am starting that blog today (after I edit some pictures) so if you would like...please stop by!

~M