Sleep like a baby...

I just had the sweetest little time with Eliza! She and I were just hanging out on my bed after reading a couple stories. She was rolling around while I tickled her, and I was loving getting to listen to her adorable giggle. Then she and I were just lying there for a minute and this happened:


I couldn't believe it! It probably has something to do with the cold she's fighting and the post-vaccination fever from yesterday's doctor's appointment. But I think I've never seen Eliza cuter than when she's sleeping!

And thanks to Aunt Joan for the adorable birthday blouse (and pants) that Eliza is wearing! So cute!

Eliza's stats from her appointment yesterday are...

Ht: 29 1/8 in
50th %tile

Wt: 21lbs 14oz
70th %tile

It was fun to talk to our awesome pediatrician about Eliza's growth and progress! Dr. Schaurr said that Eliza verbally appears to be on a 15 mnth old level! and I was saying how it seems like Eliza is not going to be an early walker, and Dr. Shaurr said that if you have to choose b/t the two, verbal ability is a much higher indicator of intelligence. So that was fun news! Our little smarty!

I've also been loving how much "imitating" Eliza has been getting into.

These days when we tell her "ahh-ah-ah!" to scold Eliza or discourage her from poking outlets or chewing on yucky/dirty things, she often replies with a rebuttal of "ahh-ahh!" and shakes her finger back at us!! Uh-oh! She also says it to the pets when we're scolding them for something too. It's really funny.

Some of her other new imitations are...

Talking on the phone...

She loves to talk on Steve's or my phone, but is not above converting a remote control or camera to her phone-imagination!

Cooking... or more specifically Stirring!
just like we stir her food and yogurt. I didn't realize she was watching the closely! She likes to stir for pretend and her real food. She loves holding her baby fork in one hand and eating her food with her fingers on her other hand!

(This picture also is an example of Eliza playing "music" on the pots a pans. We've already posted several examples of Eliza's music loving and "dancing" imitations!)

Here's Eliza cooking and stirring with her Oma!

My mom is soo good with Eliza. She can come up with the greatest games and distractions in a flash that Eliza finds fascinating! That's one of the reasons I love visiting Mom-- I always learn so many new fun ideas to use with Eliza! Yay for Omas!

Drawing!!!
with markers! Here is Eliza's first art creation ever. (Front and back)She OBVIOUSLY has inherited the artist genes from Steve and Katy! The other day I was filling out a form (at the portrait studio), and Eliza grabbed the pen and started trying to write on it like me!!

So I busted out the markers at home, and this is what we got! She loves her drawing time now! and our fridge is quickly becoming covered with similarly marked papers... and Steve is ecstatic!

Unfortunately, Eliza's artistic creativity is not limited to a paper canvas...(Bath time!)

We're so grateful that Eliza has had such a healthy first year of life!