12 Months

It came and went just like that.

All the hype of turning a year old and we hardly even documented the day! I suppose that's what being a second child is all about? I wouldn't know, I was an only child then a firstborn. I kinda feel it was all a bit anticlimactic. Perhaps I built up this day in my head to be SUCH.A.BIG.DEAL. when really it was just another day?! I wish I would have taken a gazillion more pictures and I wish I could have spent the day with her but I had to work (oh did I mention I went back to work part time?). It's kind of sad really but we did document what we could and she did get to spend the day with daddy and great grandma!

 breakfast shenanigans

 

 sneaking food to Bruno

"happy birthday" with donut holes

 not sure how she feels about those donuts

Her most recent stats puts her at 21 lbs (72nd percentile!!) and 29 in (69th percentile). Her most recent pictures all show you exactly why that is! :) She's wearing mostly 9-12 month clothes with a few 18mo pieces thrown in for the extra length. I even managed to squeeze her in to her 0-3mo shorts for her party! Haha. It's funny because she only weighs 2 lbs more than A did at her age but she's much taller which I guess makes her seem SO much bigger by comparison.

 Samara Jade, you truly are a gem! You are so full of joy that it overflows from you on to anyone you meet! It makes me so delighted to see you interact with anyone and everyone who stops and comments on what a happy baby you are. Even when you're not feeling well or cranky from being tired you still mange to smile through it. I remember (while I was still pregnant with you) all the concerns I had about the unknown. About how you would fit into our family and how I would be able to give you enough love and attention etc etc. But you, my sweet girl, have filled a spot in my heart that I didn't know was there. I love you more than I could ever have imagined and more than I thought possible. You are a treasure, a gift to us that we don't deserve. I pray that you would continue to be full of joy and laughter and radiate happiness everywhere you go. I also pray that the Lord would just pour His blessings on your life and surround you with His favor. Thank you for being such a sweet girl. I look forward to all the adventures that are in store. 

 We love you, sissy.

11 Months

It's hard to believe that this is the last (monthly) post before my baby is a year old! I keep saying it but it really is true. Time goes by way too quickly...especially after your first child. I don't think I've done an accurate job of documenting how much this little girl has grown but then I go back and look at her monthly posts and it's crazy to see her "grow up" in pictures. It's funny that the last few posts have only been about her monthly stats. It really goes to show that I don't have time to do any sort of projects or crafts or DIYs around here anymore. I'm lucky to sneak in a few minutes of blogging! This girl keeps me BIZ.EE.

It's been a whirlwind for sure but I wouldn't change any of it. We are so blessed to have these two beautiful little girls and I am so thankful for them everyday.

10 Months

Right before Christmas Samara turned 10 months old. And ever since then she's been non-stop with the growing and milestones and learning. She's practically walking these days and has now upped her vocabulary to 3 words: "dada", "naya", and "nanas" (for any type of food). She's getting better with the signing but mostly just grunts or whines when she wants something. She has two bottom teeth and I just recently saw a top one trying to break through. She's wearing mostly 6-12 month clothing, depending on what it is, and is tipping the scales at just under 20lbs. She loves to terrorize Bruno and Anayah and laughs the whole time she's doing it. She is still the happiest baby, always smiling and laughing, even when she's sick or tired. Bedtime is usually 6:30 and she's been waking up around 7:00/7:15 these last few weeks. We have yet to take away her paci but I'm thinking that will happen very shortly. Here are a few pictures from my phone from the last month or so. I'll attempt to do her rug pictures later today:

Oh and a couple videos of her recently:

8 & 9 Months

These last two months have flown by even faster than before! Since we've gotten back from vacation, I've been busy with weddings and holiday photo sessions, my grandma was here visiting, we got a puppy (!), and the girls are just growing like weeds! I realized I never posted Samara's 8 month pictures so here is 8 & 9 together. She's reached quite a few milestones in the last two months and before you know it she will be ONE!! Geez, time moves too fast! Anyway, here are her 8 month pictures first:

In the last two months she has finally gotten her first tooth! And another one is very close behind. She's also mastered crawling and has taken to pulling herself up and cruising along the furniture. She will also stand by herself for quite some time if you put her there. I'm pretty sure she will be walking within the next few months, probably sooner than A did, and most definitely before her first birthday! She continues to sleep through the night, going down around 6:30 and wakes up between 6:30-7:00 the next morning. Most days she naps at 9, 1 and 3:30 but recently has been dropping her last nap. This girl can eat (just like her sister did) and loves being able to feed herself. We're not sure exactly how much she weighs but around 17lbs is what we're thinking. She's small like A was but definitely longer...she can fit in 6mo pants but they're too short on her. These 9mo pictures are all from my phone...apparently I haven't used my camera on them in a while :/

She's still the happiest baby I've known, always smiling, even when she's cranky. Lately she's been giving us some 'tude which I'm sure she's learning from her sis, but hopefully she stays mellow, because I don't know if I can handle TWO divas! Hahaha. Samara, you continue to be a constant source of joy in our lives. You really do light up a room and make someone happy just by looking at you. I can't imagine what life was like without you. We love you so much, love bug, more than you'll ever know!

7 Months

We were actually on vacation when this one turned seven months so I don't actually have her "rug" picture this time, but here are a few of her on a towel. On the beach. Ha. Tough life right?!

She so needs a tan haha. She's loving her little snacks and being able to feed herself. She's also been scooting around a ton more and is almost fully crawling on all fours! She's now growing at a rapid pace and I still have yet to start her party planning!! Slow down, little girl.

We love you bunches love bug.

5 & 6 Months

I'm seriously like a broken record. I won't even say it this time. Enjoy the pictures! It's 5 AND 6 months. Gah, total failure!

These 5 month pictures are all from my phone. Apparently I didn't take ANY with my camera :(

Here are her regular monthly pictures...these are 6 months:

 I love this series of her (photo bombed by her sister!)

 Practicing her sitting skills

 Oh the conversations these two will have...

At her most recent dr. visit she weighed in at 13.2lbs and measured 25in. which puts her in the 5th percentile for weight, 18th for height, and 8th percentile for her height/weight combination. Her dr. asked if I was feeding her enough and if she seemed cranky or not like herself. Ha! No, doc, my child is as happy as can be and if you saw her eat you wouldn't be so concerned. This girl can eat! She's like her daddy and sister...they eat a ton and have a very fast metabolism. So thankful they got his genes in that department ;)

In the last two months she has started sleeping through the night consistently! She goes to bed around 6:30 and wakes anywhere between 6:00-6:30. She is a much better napper than her sister was and will take 2-3 naps a day, anywhere from 45min - 2hrs! She continues to be a very happy baby and everyone who meets her is so surprised at how calm and content she is. Until you take her food away though. Now that's a different story! I don't think her hair is going to fall out like Anayah's did. It just keeps growing and getting curlier by the day. I think they'll have different types of curls though. The time continues to fly by and I haven't quite started planning her first birthday, but I need to get on that very soon! For now I'll just continue to cherish her baby-ness...since I know it will soon be gone.

Time is just too fast. I can't keep up. I think I'll start NOW on her 7th month post.