Happy Eleven Months Adelaide Penelope

....I actually had this post finished on time, but I wanted to add a picture of my nephew. Then, I left my camera at my sister's house before I could upload my pictures. So, it's belated, but I will post it before Adelaide's birthday, TOMORRROW!

June 23, 2013

Dear Adelaide,

Wow! 11 Months. 31 more days, and you won't be a baby anymore. Toddlerhood is right around the corner. And we have been enjoying every last moment of your precious babyhood.

So now you scoot. You have scooted for over  a month, but now you scoot with purpose. You have a rhythm, and when you know what you want, you scoot double-time to get to it. Like the dog dish. And the open refrigerator door. I like your spunk. You have determination. A colleague of mine gave you a onesie with a quote from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that says, "Though she be little, she is fierce." I think it sums you up perfectly.

Not only do you scoot, you've also learned how to sit up from a lying down position. Which means nothing stops you from moving. You fall over, and no sooner have you caught yourself and used those ab muscles to lift yourself up to a sitting position, with a little help from your arm. Definitely not the easiest way to sit up, but it works for you. And you are going to have some super strong abs and legs.

Summertime is in full swing, and I laugh at my fears that we might get bored this summer. We haven't stopped. As I told your granny this past weekend, the only thing we have trouble fitting in is your naps. So you've missed quite a few. We are testing your sleep boundaries, and while you have managed exceptionally well, there have been some pitifully cute moments where you want to sleep so badly, but won't allow yourself to sleep in public.

So what exactly have we been up to this summer? Well, we began the summer with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house to renovate their kitchen.

Cooling off with Dad while he takes a break

Enjoying Grandma's backyard

We also made a trip back to Illinois just a week later to celebrate the end of a life well-lived by your Great-Grandma, who passed away at the age of 97!

During the in-between times, here in St. Louis, we have gone to Baby Bookworm time at the library, met friends at Hartford Coffee Company, taken daily walks with our pup Fitz, visited the animals at the zoo, and gone swimming with your Aunt Jessica. Just to name a few.

Swimming with Aunt Jessica

Soooo tired!

You are now the proud owner of one tooth poking through your gums, and another is on the way.

Both your daddy and I could not be more thrilled to see your love for reading blossoming. I love to have you sit in my lap (one of the few times you will actually sit still) and concentrate on each page as I read it aloud before you excitedly rush to turn to the next page and see what new adventures await as the story continues. I hope this is the beginning a lifelong friendship with books.

And best of all, you get to share the 23rd day of the month with a new baby cousin, who was born on June 23, exactly one month before your birthday. Welcome to the world, Jared Parker Davis!

And the countdown till your birthday begins...

Our hearts just burst with love for you, Adelaide Penelope!