PONY TAILS WITH ATTITUDE....

What the heck are these???


Okay, momma, I won't touch....


I know, I know I am tooooo cute!

DISCIPLINING MESA.....

"NO MESA, no more food!!! Now leave me alone!"

"momma, I took care of the Mesa food mooch problem"

"I am talking nicely to Mesa. Momma, this is not fair!"

"How 'bout I try charming you instead?"

TATE TODAY....

BULLET TIME....

• My girl is teething... at least she is acting like it. She is eleven months old and only two little teeth on the bottom. For weeks now I have been waiting for some pearly whites to erupt from her swollen top gums... All evidence is pointing to this happening. WHERE ARE THOSE TEETH???
• Tate is learning where her nose is.... and where Momma's nose is. I usually do this during face to face in the high chair feeding time. This is kind of how this time plays out. "Where is Tate's nose?" she points with with such concentration with her sweet finger. Then I ask "where is Momma's nose?" and lean in for her to touch my nose. After a few times of this I end up kissing her. Funny thing, now she thinks that a kiss is in order each time I ask where our noses are.
• I have started to say NO to my girl. She hears nose instead of NO and will point to her nose with a big smile. How can I say NO to such a cute sweetie?
• Tate is sharing.... she will play with something and then hand it to me so I can have some fun. Back and forth this will go. She does this with food offerings to Mesa or me. Sometimes she shares something right out of her mouth. Me??? I decline this offering. Mesa??? Takes it with gusto.
• She has gained in five weeks 1/2 inch and almost a pound.
• Sadly, she has started her vaccinations. She had four, two in each thigh. Man did she cry so hard. There was only one nurse doing all four. Next time I will DEMAND there be at least two nurses both shooting at the same time.... QUICKLY.
• Man of man, I love it when she reaches her arms out for me.
• Tate's MD gave her the go ahead to eat whatever she can gum. New taste for Tate this week is small tastes of refried beans, guacamole and soft tortillas (Mexican food at party), tiny piece of raw broccoli, tastes of ice cream, string cheese. "People" (who will be nameless) gave her a small taste of chocolate. Funny thing, why I say "PEOPLE" is because I have been told by a few "people" that they have given her a tiny taste of chocolate. Keep in mind before flaming me, Tate comes from a long line of chocolate crazy family... who can blame them?
• Why do they have to make little girl clothes SOOOOOOOOOOO cute???

BONUS

FUN AT CHERRY HILL WITH FAMILY

Matching colors and chillin' with Twinkle Toes. Tate wants to know when she gets her own iPod.

Waving with Gramps as the family floats on by on the lazy river.

Sparkle and my Love

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!

VIDEO FUN AT MEAL TIME....

TATE TEASING MESA....

AFTERMATH OF THE TEASE

INTRODUCING...

EMMA YU!!!! She is so beautiful.... such kissy lips... huge round eyes...breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!!

The most amazing secret pal in the world Kim and Mike had a real shocker today!!! They thought their LID was March 29... They hope to be traveling before Christmas.... Here is the most joyous shocker ever!!! Kim and Mike's LID was really March 21st!!! They got the call today... that special call they were expected to get in October....

Well Kim, you will be home and all settled in before Christmas... THIS WILL BE THE BEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!!!!!

I am so excited for these new parents I can hardly contain my joy.....

FAN CLUB...

For FOUR years my nieces and nephews have been waiting for Tate... she is so adored by all. What is SHOCKING is the way the "COOL" teenagers act around her. Just cracks me up!!!

This is the way most of our family gatherings look. Most of the time there are fights who gets to hold and play with Tate...

Even Gramps and the new puppy Jasmine can't seem to get enough of her....

Actually, I think the pup Jasmine is just waiting for food to fall. Mesa has clued her in on this one I am sure!

EXPLOSION

In these past three days, there has been an explosion of personality and physical skill in Tate! Where has my sweet funny easy going girl gone??? She has always been very active while awake. Nothing would get by her gaze. She would wiggle and kick her legs, but was content to watch. The sounds coming from her were sweet little coos, giggles and and babbles. She actually cried twice when Solomon (her 6 month old buddy) screamed and squealed. That was the old Tate.... new things are happening minute by minute here.

Tate rolled over next to Mesa, plopped her thumb in her mouth and snuggled...

• I have been concerned with the stiffness in Tate's legs and back. There was an effort on my part to get her to bend her legs for dressing and sitting. A wise momma (Hi Tiffany) showed me a few exercises to do with my girl. After a few days of doing this, Tate is like a noodle.... will practically do the Chinese (ha ha) splits while sitting, will roll around and scoot on her tush towards things. She does this with a HUGE SMILE ON HER FACE FOR HER MOMMA.



• Yesterday Tate demonstrated against being put in her car seat. She has been stiffening up so I cannot buckle her....



• Saying NO to her just makes her laugh.



• She is understanding so much language now!



• She now squeals... LOUDLY! She loves my reactions which will fuel even more happy LOUD sounds. I of course am fueled by her. This is one LOUD crazy time.



• Feeding her has become a challenge. She used to be soooo easy to spoon food into her mouth. Tate has always been discriminating with food and will eat only when hungry. Now she is TOOOOOO busy to eat. She will suck down 4 ounces of formula just to satisfy her hunger but will stop because Mesa has entered the room.



• She LOVES Mesa. Mesa LOVES her.



• I do notice at the end of her active day, she will be ready to suck down her bottle. At these times, she will eat about 10 ounces. She will be all snuggled in her PJ's, tummy full of warm formula and content in my arms. This is the time I love. She will look at me with such satisfaction with the sweetest smile on her face. TATE has a MOMMA!



• Oh man oh man, I love my girl.



• So far she only has her two bottom teeth. Still chewing on things, but have not seen the arrival of any more of her pearly whites.



• She loves music. If we are in the car, she makes this certain sound that means, "Hey momma, turn on the tunes, would ya please?" She loves Madonna's old stuff, HATES Cher.



• I've got a dancing fool on my hand. She loves it when I hold her and dance around the room. She will rock back and forth, moving her shoulders side by side if in her car seat or high chair.

EACH DAY IS A WHOLE NEW DAY WITH MY GIRL....

TANTALIZING TATE

These are just a few of my favorites so far of Tate....


This photo is similar to the photo shoot I had a week earlier. Although I love this one, my all time favorite picture of Tate in her TUTU is the one I posted for her 11 month old picture.


I won't use this for the large canvas, but I loved how funny her expression is here. She was so ready to "be done" with the shoot, but indulged the photographer for the shoots of the hats and the flowers. The photographer LOVED Tate and will be using some of her pictures in the future.


HATS......

ME AND MY GIRL

I received as a gift a full-on two hour photo shoot with me and my girl, Tate. I have never experienced such a session. Heck, I felt like one of those super models. You know "play with the baby" pose, pose, play. CLICK CLICK CLICK! The gift includes a 16x20 inch gallery wrapped canvas. After 240 pictures, I have to narrow it down. These are just a few of the ones of me and my girl.... Which one should I chose???

ELEVEN MONTHS OLD!!

I love this picture of Tate! I love that the reason for that gazing smile is she is smiling at me... I get butterflies in my stomach when I think of her. My heart skips a beat when I see her sweet being. She is beyond anything I have dreamt of. My heart is eleven months old today.

picture by Gale at piccadilly photo

FEW PICTURES ONLY

Running around having fun... Tate is one party animal!!! Just like her momma! We had a visit from Julie and Tess..... We all hung around with Tiffany, Eliza and Solomon. Laurel, Kenzie and Maylin.....


Tutu girls.... Tate and Tess



FEET in Laurel's stream... Tess, Tate, Kenzie, Maylin.



Three cute girls... Eliza, me and Tate.



More to follow when we can stop and post.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

This will be Tate's first family holiday.... we are just hanging out low-key-like... I cannot wait to see her reaction to the fireworks!!!

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY ....y'all!!!

FIRST PIGGIES....

Complements of Auntie Tiffany, who has given first piggies to so many of our China girls.