Wordless{ish} Wednesday

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Walking backwards is so much fun.  :)  Especially when Daddy is there to swoop you up for a kiss.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to have A FREE BIG FAT AD on my blog in December!

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18 Months & Happy Half-Birthday Giveaway

On Tuesday, my little baby girl once again reminded me of the numbering of days.  18 months.  EIGHTEEN months!  That is 1.5 years old!  That is HALFWAY to TWO!  And Zion, how I have enjoyed watching you grow up so far.  It is so hard to look back at pictures of you and see how much you really have changed, especially when at times it is hard to remember you any way different than you are now.

You are high-spirited, beautiful, inquisitive, thirsty for adventure and filled to the brim with giggles and silliness.  You love: bananas, (still), toast with butter, shoes and sock-socks, Elmo and Diego.   You adore your daddy and look forward to weekend playtime with him, while cherishing the short time you have with him each morning before he leaves for work.  Each day you greet us with a huge "HIIIII" and plenty of hugs and cuddles.

You love reading and get excited any time a new book is added to your library.  Every morning you demand (pleasantly) that daddy read with you.  You have a sweet sweet innocent understanding of God and proudly say "Aye-men" after your prayers.  Often you will be singing a song, typically the ABC's or Elmo's theme song.  You especially love acting out the motions to Itsy Bitsy Spider.

You still love coloring and stickers.  You don't know what to think about play dough.  You thrive on every opportunity to help mama…and have become the chief recycler in our home.  :)  Yesterday you helped me make a batch of brownies from start to finish.  I sure hope you will grow a love of baking and cooking like I have.

You've begun to further explore your independence, testing boundaries, climbing new heights and practicing new skills.  You can climb up onto the couch all by yourself.  You love practicing buckling your high chair straps together.  You try to put your clothes, socks and shoes on.  You often try to take them off, resulting in getting stuck with an arm strapped tightly to your head or falling over sideways with a booby trapped pair of pants twisted around your feet.

Despite the day to day challenges of looking out for you, disciplining you and teaching you healthy boundaries, I find my heart overwhelmed with your innocence, still wishing I could freeze time and not endure the slow unraveling of your dependence on me…but then I catch glimpses of who God has created you to be…and I open my hand and heart recognizing that you are a gift and not a possession…one that I will cherish for all the days to come.

I love you my little cutie-patootie-pie.
Mama

P.S.  To celebrate Zion's half-birthday I am giving away FEATURED AD SPACE in December 2012!  Enter using Rafflecopter below!! XO XO XO





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Wordless{ish} Wednesday on Thursday: Zoo Edition

Last Saturday, Jerry and I decided to take Zion to the Central Park Zoo for the first time.  We'd been planning it for a few days, and the excitement (for me) was almost too much to contain.  I tried desperately to squelch my delightful anticipation in fear that I would over-hype the experience in my mind, and then suffer from disappointment if Zion wasn't as thrilled about it as I'd hoped.  She. LOVED. It.  It was a total blast.  It was a stunning fall day and I'm glad we decided to take the time to walk through Central Park on our way…the leaves in red, orange, yellow and brown were a sight to behold.  We entered the Zoo greeted by this black bear sculpture.  Zion was especially fond of the Polar Bear, exclaiming proud little "Grrrrr"'s at it, followed by her rendition of Go! Diego! Go!  Apparently she associates all of the animals at the zoo with Diego.  Another highlight of the adventure was when a large wild bird flew right over us in the tropic zone.  We snapped a couple pictures of the animals, but neither Jerry nor I wanted to miss out on her reactions to each new exhibit while fumbling for the camera.  We finished off our visit by playing with the plush toys in the "Zootique" and then a quick bite to eat before heading home to relax and store up the treasures of her first trip to the zoo in our hearts.

 

Red Pandas

Snakes!

^{paper mama photo challenge entry}^

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Weekly Wrap Up

 I told you I'm obsessed with Turkey Burgers {ToastNYC}

 Cutest boots ever…how can I justify $30 baby boots to the hubs?

 Goofy girl in the mirror…already loving shoe shopping I should add.

 Thai Curry Soup {OMG you have to try it!}

 I love the rustic staircases in our neighborhood

Sunset on the Hudson (again) 

 So animated!  :) 

 I want new dishes…love these

 Coolest cheese board ever

 Desperately need this vanity…okay want.

(all three above: Bed, Bath & Beyond)

 Her "Jump face"

 New winter clothes (not to be worn together)

How was your week?

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