1 & a half.

...hanging with Daddy on the South Street bridge...

...checking out your super cool new retro play kitchen...

...shopping at our favorite store:) ...

...getting ready to kiss Nonna's necklace...

...eating lunch at the Iron Hill with Auntie Nat & Uncle Nick...

...doing puzzles perfectly in your periwinkle pearl jam shirt:)...

...with your *beloved* GiGi...

...picking out your clothes for the day...

YUM! A lolly.

...reading about turkeys...

...just chillin in your stroller...

That's my smiley girl:)

My dearest Stella Bee,

Shame on your Mama for not finding more time to blog about you!!

I guess we are just too busy having fun together that I don't have a whole lot of time to write on here like I used to.

It's truly a shame though...because you're growing so fast & there is so much to say about you!!

You are such a big girl now. You turned 1 & a half just yesterday, in fact! It's so unbelievable that it has been 18 months since the day that you came into our lives. What a ride it's been:)

You have developed such a quirky & sweet little personality. You are just so pleasant & fun! You still LOVE to be read to & ADORE doing puzzles. Your alphabet puzzle is your absolute favorite. You love to swing on the swings & run around the playground so fast that I can barely keep up with you. The other day we met some friends for a picnic at the park & you had so much fun running all around that you were covered in so much mud before long that I had to change your clothes & run your sneakers through the washing machine when we came home!

You say SOOOOO many words, too. It's so incredible to me that you have learned so much from us in such a short time. I am so happy & SO very proud of you. As of 18 months, these are the words that you know & use on a regular basis...

Mama

Dada
MaaMaa (for Mom-Mom)
PaPa (for Pop-Pop)
Nana (for Nonna)
"CiCi" (for Lucy)
GiGi (your beloved Giraffe friend)
Cheese
"Wah-Wah" (for water)
"Mah" (for milk)
Thank You
Please
Ball
Uh-Oh
Mmmm!
Eww!
"Nah" (for no)
"Nana" (for banana)
Bee
What's that?
What's this?
Oh no
Oh Boy
Oh yeah
Oh well
Shoes
Socks
Nose
Ear
Eye
Mouth
"Foof" (for foot)

Bird
Fishie
Tree
Snow
Baby
Turtle
Bear
Peas
Chair
Bubble
"Bibba" (for bib)
"Dipee" (for diaper)
"Vai" (for your purple dog, Violet)
Woof Woof/Meow
Moo/Baa
"Yah-Yah" (your version of "Quack Quack")
"Rarr" (your roar)
Ho Ho Ho (for Santa)

It's just all so amazing to me. I know that I've said it before...but I can't say it enough! You just blow me away a little more every day. You know so much more than I would've ever thought that a baby as small as you COULD know! When Mom-Mom gave you the little crib that MY Pop-Pop made for me when I was a little girl, you knew to put your baby doll in it & rock her. When you are drinking from your sippy cup in the living room now, you pull a coaster out of the coffee table drawer & set your cup onto it once you're done drinking! When I opened up the miniature kitchen gadget set that we got you for your play kitchen, you took one look at the tiny little silver whisk & promptly took it to our kitchen & placed it into the drawer with our REAL whisks!!

Its just so awesome. YOU are such an awesome little person.

You try to put your socks & shoes on. You try to pull the zipper up on your jacket when we are getting ready to go out somewhere & you do your best to pull the jacket off when we get back home again. You try to buckle your car seat yourself. You find Lucy's toys, recognize that they are hers...and then give them to her. When you find a scrap of paper on the floor, you take it to the kitchen & put it into the trash. You know where your belly is...what your toes are...and where your hair is:) When I was putting laundry away in your room last week, you pulled your sleepers out of the laundry basket one by one & stuffed them into the dresser drawer that they go in. Yes-the correct drawer!

You are just too cool for school, kid;-)

You also LOVE to color! I will draw something for you & you'll watch me closely, then do your best to color it in. You & I have to be more careful though; we are ALWAYS breaking our crayons in half;-)

We just have so much fun together. I am so lucky to have you & so happy that we get to spend our days together. Thank you so much for being so sweet...and for loving life so much! I love you & can't wait for all that lies ahead for us:)

Hugs & Kisses,
Your Mama