Walking by pushing

JoElle just learned how to walk around pushing her toys- she is using toys that aren't actually meant to be walkers as walkers! She also learned how to use an old walker that our neighbor gave us. The other night, on the 20th, she just took off with her toy piano, walking around the house! When she would get stuck in a corner she would keep pushing and turning until she got out of it; she is very determined.

Today I visited JoElle for lunch and when I got there, her and her friend Toby, who is a year old, were both standing at a swing, dancing and chatting. Then, the two of the started using a toy as a walker together. It was so cute! They were walking around together. They also like to bang on the other cribs together and wake up the babies. Whenever Toby, Becca or Cassidy try to sleep, JoElle yells so that they will wake up and play with her! She won't stop until they wake up for her...!! JoElle also loves to rearrange the room, she moves the cribs around all the time.

JoElle just started refusing a morning bottle this week, instead she wants breakfast at daycare. Ms. Judy fixes really good pancakes and muffins, in fact, the other day JoElle ate 1 1/2 pancakes for breakfast at school!! She has a great appetite, and her nose is stuffy all the time from allergies, so she is getting tired of eating from a bottle.

Aunt Ana, Uncle Dan, and cousin Peyton are moving this weekend to their new house in Keller/Watauga, so Grandma is bringing cousin Peyton over Saturday while they move, so we are going to have lots of fun! Then we are going back to Peyton's house; he has stairs so it should be lots of fun!!

JoElle still loves to say "Da Da" although she will throw in "ba ba" and "la la" as well. The other night, Tim and I were both trying to get her to say "Mama" and everytime we said "Mama" she would answer "Dada!" It was cute!! She loves Daddy so much, especially when he tickles her and plays with her. She giggles like crazy when Dada tickles her!

"walking"

8 months old:
JoElle learned how to use her walker on September 20th; in fact, she turned her toy piano into a walker! She took the seat off and started pushing it to walk around! I can't believe she is so close to walking already. I wanted to cry becaues she is growing up so fast!!

So much is happening every day, it is really amazing! On Sunday, JoElle learned she can stand in the middle of the floor without holding on to anything; she is really learing some great balance. She can even stand up in the middle of the floor without pulling up. She is so flexible too everyone says she needs to be a gymnast.
JoElle loves talking, she jabbers all day. JoElle loves to eat finger foods, her two faves are green beans (which she eats everyday, her daycare likes to fix them for her) and as of today, tomotatoes from our garden in the back yard! We thought she was finished with lunch today and then I was fixing her bottle and she grabbed our tomatoe from the counter and devoured it! Then she ate another later on in the day from Uncle Aaron. At least she likes good stuff :)

JoElle is getting closer to walking, she loves to crawl. Cousin Peyton, Aunt Ana and Grandma spent the night Saturday and Daddy and Uncle Aaron went to see the TCU vs. OU game (Aunt Ana and Uncle Aaron are both horned frogs!) We had so much fun; JoElle was following Peyton around and imitating him. Once, he pushed her and she pushed him back...We took them to Ridmar mall to play at the indoor playground that they have and they both had a blast! JoElle made two new friends, a cute little girl and a cute little boy. She was chasing after them and giggling. They kept coming back and smiling and giggling at her too! A mean little boy came up to JoElle and intentionally pushed her down; I almost made him cry though by telling him he could have hurt the baby and he needs to tell her sorry. JoElle wasn't crying, I guess she is used to it from daycare!! She bumps her head all the time, no biggie we just clap and say "Yay" and she smiles! (That is, unless she is tired or sick)

Over the weekend, JoElle started crying every time Grandma or Aunt Ana left the room; she seems to think that Ana is her Mom too, she is getting the two of us a little confused :) I guess we look enough alike and talk alike! She loves to crawl to both of them so they can pick her up too!

We finally got to see cousin Isaiah and cousin Elena again (I think it has been around 2 1/2 months since we have seem them) Elena is already 4 months old, much bigger now. It's hard to believe that the two of them are cousins as Elena still doesn't have hair! Isaiah was making JoElle laugh, reading a book to her, hugging and kissing her and just having a ball with her!

Standing alone

Almost 8 months old:
JoElle can also stand up by herself without holding on to anything! She figured it out on Sunday, September 4th, when she was watching her cousin Peyton standing and walking all over the place. Now she is practicing this new skill all the time! JoElle can also stand up from sitting without holding on to anything, it's pretty impressive!

JoElle is 7 months old

JoElle is 7 months old! She is crawling like a pro now (she started crawling 3 weeks ago). JoElle loves to pull up on everything and stand up in her crib and she loves to walk when we hold her hands. JoElle looks like a little gymnast the way she does the splits and bounces around; she can almost stand in the middle of the floor with no help from any objects around her! She has really strong legs (chubby too!)

Cousin Peyton was over today with Aunt Ana, Uncle Aaron, and Grandma. We went to Marquez Bakery and the kids ate tamales and Mexican cookies. They also loved the colorful pinatas! JoElle was crawling around after Peyton, who just learned to walk. Everywhere he went, she crawled after him! It was so cute! Grandma had JoElle giggling so loud in the car like we have never heard before!
Yesterday, we walked around the mall with Granny and Uncler Aaron. JoElle really liked to eat with me, nuggets and fries from Chick-Fil-A.

JoElle- 7 months old

Her top two teeth are in as well as her two bottom teeth. She loves to pick up graham crackers and put them in her mouth to eat. JoElle also loves to eat tomotatoes that we grow in the backyard and green beans. She wants to feed herself EVERYTHING so I have to sneak her spoonful of baby food in while she is opening her mouth for whatever she is feeding herself. On August 6, we went swimming at Uncle Aaron's apartment and JoElle ate barbeque. She really liked it, she was grabbing my plate for more. JoElle will eat anything really :)

She also ate with my friend Layla for Layla's birthday at Razoos downtown Ft. Worth in August, and after downing an entire (big) jar of baby food, she also scarfed down fried pickles, some ribs, a piece of toast, and some cajun fries. Like I said before, she can eat!! JoElle also enjoys tamales. Her favorite baby food is still sweet potatoes. But I think pink guava comes in a close second (along with green beans & turkey and apples & chicken) Ok so bananas are also yummy, as are apples & blueberries....our little piggy!!

Swimming at Peyton's

Today we went swimming at Uncle Aaron's apartment with cousin Peyton, Granmda, Aunt Ana, Uncle Dan, and of course Uncle Aaron. It was lots of fun. JoElle ate barbeque, it was yummy stuff. She loved it so much she was grabbing it off Mama's plate! Also, JoElle chomped on some banana puddin' (see the pics I got it all over my mouth!!)

JoElle learned to crawl this week! She just took off last Wednesday and she is also pulling up to stand in her crib and anywhere else. JoElle loves to laught at our neigbor Lanrdri, who is almost three. Last night, Landri was jumping for JoElle and she was laughing so hard, it was really cute. JoElle is still learning lots at daycare, she gets to go outside, ride in a wagon, she made her first art project a few weeks ago, she sings lots of songs, and reads books.

She is still sleeping through the night, even with her teeth bothering her and her nose stuffed up from allergies. We have been really blessed, she has been sleeping through the night since she was 2 1/2 months old! I think she will probably be walking pretty soon.