New Things I'm Doing

I wanted to update you on some cute things Gabriella has been doing lately. She is almost 14 months old, and seems to be learning SO fast right now! She is listening, talking, reaching, exploring, and copying everything! Here are some of my favorite things she's been doing this month:

* Saying new words- ex: Nona, Pop, Fish, Hat, Map, Yeah, Uh-uh
* Showing interest in the alphabet- she loves the ABC song! She actually said (yes I have witnesses!) "ABCD" several times, and "HIJ" twice.
* She's a dancing machine! She loves music-always has. But now she's incorporated some new 'moves' such as the "Baby Booty Bounce" (hilarious video to follow), and the "Word World Shimmy"
* She has two animals she sleeps with- Salty the Seahorse and Blacky the Lab. When you go to get her from her crib, she hands you the two of them. Then you hand them back. This goes on until you just pick her up for that very necessary diaper change! ;)
* Putting on her own bib (we have to fasten in the back)
* Trying desperately to put on her own socks and shoes. She seriously opens the socks up and tries to put them over her toes. She works hard on this skill, haha!
* Putting hats on her head as well as others.
* Making funny (sometimes scary!) gurgling noises on purpose
* Taking baby steps- Love this!
* Blowing kisses
* Doing the motions to "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
* Trying to feed herself with a spoon. She takes the spoon, picks the food up, and places it on the spoon. Then she feeds herself- with both her left and right hand...hmmm...
* Waving at and making friends with anyone around, strangers included. For instance, when we flew last week, before we got off the plane, she had to say goodbye to about 15 people... individually. She had made friends w/ everyone w/in 6 rows- thank God for friendly airplane passengers who help to entertain a 1 year old baby that wants to play peek-a-boo and blow them kisses!
* Finding ANY flower, ANY where...and 'smelling' (sniffing wildly) it. She sees them on everything- real ones outside, from inside the car, on a painting (even abstract- scary I know), in a picture, a tiny one in a book, on a doll...it's pretty crazy. You know to look for one when the sniffing starts!

She is SO much fun right now! She brings such joy to us every day. Wow, what a sweet blessing.