Anna has really picked up on signing in the past month. So far this month she's learned "baby", "swing", "potty", "eat", and "please". I love the fact that she's capable of manners at 1 year old!! Next is "thank you". I am amazed at how much she can communicate with us and at school. It really does help in figuring out what she wants, and with critter #2 on the way, I hope it will be beneficial in thwarting the tantrums and so called terrible 2's!!

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Anna LOVES her baby doll Lila!!
It cries, coos, laughs, and drinks a bottle. Sometimes Anna will give baby Lila the bottle, sometimes she "drinks" it herself!
Here are some more pictures of Anna loving her doll.

Anna's First Birthday

Good Morning Birthday Girl!!

Posing with some birthday party decorations

Anna was baptised the day before her 1st birthday, and we had beautiful weather as well as wonderful company for her celebration!! Many thanks to Grandma Barrow for finding great shoes and a gorgeous cardigan for Anna, and to Mimi for doing all of the party decoration shopping while Anna and I were home-bound with the stomach bug!

Anna has her mommy's sweet tooth...

Happy Birthday Anna!!

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Can you see all 6 of my teeth?? I'm also getting a molar!

Anna points out to her parents that she can now reach the letters over her crib...

I think Anna's gone through a growth spurt- all of the sudden, she can reach windowsills, table tops, and the piano. I can't wait to find out her height when we go in next week for her 12 month well-check. Today she stood up for a good 20 seconds and had great balance! She also loves to walk holding your hands...she's so confident just strolling along!!

For anyone wondering if crib rail covers work, they do, until the kid figures out how to pop them off.

Our new routine for snack time is to have goldfish and juice in the exersaucer. She can safely eat and drink and the snacks don't get all over the house!

Anna is starting to pretend play! She will hold the cell phone or regular phone (if she gets to it before I do) up to her ear now, and the other morning after she fed me her leftover pancake, she pretended to pick up more and feed me. It was adorable. I can see glimpses of what she will be like as a little girl now. She will say Hot, Hat, Sock, and Dat. She isn't 100% with any of them, but it's so cute when she says them appropriately. She seems to be learning so fast, I feel like every waking moment is a learning opportunity.

Anna "reads" the Sunday paper. This is a favorite pasttime of Sunday mornings, when Mommy cuts coupons, reads the funnies and the Flair section, and Daddy reads the Sports section, as well as the Best Buy and Circuit City ads. Anna loves to pull all the papers off the ottoman and separate as many as she can. Then she'll tear up what she can. A little destructive, but she likes it. :)