14 Days

14 days until Gemma turns 1. That is so hard to believe. She is still just a tiny little princess, probably weighing just a little more than Karyssa did at the same age. In previous posts, I've shared some of the funny things she does. Since there are 14 days left, here are 14 things she does that make us laugh.

1. Just like her big brother and sister (and other kids who visit us), she is magnetically drawn to our DVDs. I'm not sure what it is, but she just loves to pull them out or knock them over, and the first chance she gets where we're not watching her, she makes a beeline for them.

2. She is pulling up and cruising like a champ now, but is usually too nervous to get down. I've seen her do it, so I know she can, but she'll pull up and then fuss because she wants something on the floor. Then she'll pull up again and do the same thing.

3. She has learned to crawl on her wrists when she's holding things in her hands. It's probably not the best thing for her to do, but it looks pretty cute.

4. She loves her monkey. When you ask her where it is, she immediately stops everything to find it. If you ask her what a monkey says, she starts rocking her body and says, "ha ha".

5. She loves to put whatever she can into her mouth. She can now pick up the tiniest objects and will just chew on them, so we always know when she has something in her mouth. When we try to get it out, she closes her little mouth up so tightly and then cries when we've gotten it. (Karyssa used to do the exact same thing!)

6. She loves Bella, but loves Foz even more. Whenever she sees him, she starts chasing him and trying to pet him. She is actually very gentle, but Foz is literally a scaredy-cat, so he doesn't let her near him much.

7. She loves to twist and turn when we're changing her, but can usually be distracted with a phone or remote to get her to stay still.

8. She HATES to have her face or nose wiped. Sometimes I can keep her from crying by making funny noises or singing a song, but she usually turns her head quickly and fusses until it's over.

9. Gemma, for now, is not a cuddler. When it is time to go to bed, she will squirm in our arms until we put her in her crib. Then she rolls herself over, finds her paci, tucks her legs under her and snuggles into her mattress. It might be the cutest thing ever. The only time I can actually cuddle with her is on the rare occasion she'll fall asleep in my arms, or sometimes after her dream feed.

10. She loves to eat and so far will eat anything we put in front of her. She will still eat baby food, but loves feeding herself so much, I'm not sure how long that will last.

11. The first time we put her in her swing, it seemed too fast on the lowest setting. Now, when we put her in it (yes, she occasionally still likes to swing), it barely moves on the highest setting. It's amazing what 9 extra pounds will do!

12. She has started saying "ni ni" when she knows it's time for a nap or bed time! She said it once when we went into her room and the next time when we were headed up the stairs. That girl loves her sleep!

13. She has started to dance a little. It takes the right song, but when she hears it, she starts bouncing and swinging her hips.

14. The other night as I was putting her to bed, I got some rare snuggles. She let out a big sigh, so I did the same. She did it again, so I repeated. After another time of it, she just started giggling, so of course, I did too! She usually will do something until I laugh, and then she'll start laughing, but sometimes, the giggles get her first!

I love my sweet girl and cannot believe she is almost a one-year-old!