Anika Iris, 11 months

Our baby Anika Iris is 11 months old today. She is crawling, pulling herself to stand, letting go but no first steps yet. She is also still holding out on teeth and gives us big toothless grins. I know when will the teeth cut? Your guess is as good as mine. Believe me, Anika wishes she had teeth so she could have more food selection and also pronounce some more sounds/ words. She babbles and even answers our questions with her one word babbles. Anika definitely makes the “Dada”, “Mama” “Hata” (Hunter) and “Hi” sounds. They aren’t actual words but she thinks they are! Anika is wearing either 12-18 month or 18 month sized clothing now and a size 3 diaper. She has tiny little feet and is still our peanut.

I brought Anika’s hop hop to our cabin this past weekend and took her monthly pictures with it since I knew I would be traveling today on her monthly birthday. 

She was not overly excited to play with hop hop this month and left him behind to go play with things she can now get to…like her sister’s toys.

Hop Hop looks lonely but he understands that Anika is growing up and not so into sitting next to him like she has every month for the past 11 months! 

Anika’s personality has truly developed more in the past month than ever before but she is still the sweet girl she has been since birth. She has more opinions now but still sits, plays and observes with a quiet demeanor. And her best friend is still her green nuk. 

Her debut as a flower girl came last weekend with her sister Miss E and cousin Nevaeh. 

Anika practiced being a flower girl so well in the wagon that when it came time on Saturday afternoon for her daddy to take her out of the wagon during the actual wedding ceremony, Miss Anika was not happy and burst into tears. She just liked sitting back and taking it all in from her wagon view. 

So after the wedding Gpa Eldon walked the girls over to the reception in the wagon and

Anika was content to sit there even with her sister laying in it with her.

Anika was the cutest, sweetest and most adorable littles flower girl and it makes me almost burst into tears myself to think of her turning one year old in just a month.

She is going to get even more squeezes and kisses this month because we want to cherish our baby moments while we can. 

Because we know at any moment Anika is going to start running and if she is following her sister we may never catch her for many kisses and hugs again.

We love you Anika Iris very much and you light up our days with your happy face and sweetness. 

I am really really really missing you tonight because I am alone in a little hotel room where there is a young boy screaming and crying “Mommy! Mommy!” at the top of his lungs in the room next door to me. He is crying harder than you ever have in your life but it makes me want to be at home even more giving you your bottle and rocking you, snuggling and watching you fall asleep. It is much more soothing than listening to this strange boy scream himself to sleep. 

See you soon sweet 11 month old baby girl. Give your Daddy, sister, brother and visiting Mama Jane hugs for me. 

Love, Mommy