Annabelle, What Am I Going To Do With You?

Spunky. Feisty. A little spitfire. That....is our Annabelle. She may be only 11 months old, but her personality comes out more and more each day.

Annabelle is into everything and loving every minute of it...until she gets caught. Then she throws a serious temper tantrum complete with screaming and big crocodile tears. She has become quite independent (as independent as an 11 month old can be) and enjoys freedom more than anything. She is happiest when she is down on the floor, free to roam the house as she pleases. She would much rather be crawling around on her own than carried in someone's (anyone's) arms.

Hey! Look at all these movies and games I found in the cabinet!

Her daily activities include making spit noises, dancing, eating random items she finds on the floor, and, though I can't be certain, I believe she may be devising a plan to take over the world. She is one smart baby girl.

Last Sunday in the nursery, Annabelle was sitting beside the toy shelf when she looked up and spotted a particularly interesting toy. She pulled herself up and pushed the toy off the second shelf onto the floor. Instead of playing with it like I thought she was going to do, she stood on it so she could reach the top shelf. Not because she wanted a toy on the top. She just wanted to bite the shelf. She was so proud, so excited, that she could reach the top...and bite it. I, however, did not share her feelings of elation. I abruptly put an end to her biting session by picking her up, putting the toy she used as a step stool back on the shelf and carrying her to the other side of the room. Of course, she got upset. Extremely upset. She expressed her discontent by throwing her arms up in the air and stretching out her legs, becoming stiff and rigid -- her way of trying to get out of someone's arms. The screaming commenced and the tears flowed. When I finally gave in and put her down, she immediately got quiet and made her journey back across the room to the toy shelf, knocked down the "step stool" and climbed up to again, bite that top shelf. She is something else. I couldn't believe she actually figured out a way to reach the shelf. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. I mean, she was pulling herself up when she was barely seven months old. Not to mention, everyday she witnesses her brother stepping up onto his little green chair to reach things he's not supposed to be touching.

Annabelle cracks me up sometimes because when she's crawling around the house, more often than not, she's either pushing or pulling a toy along with her. She always has something in her hand and whatever it may be, at that moment, it is her most cherished posession. Take it away and face the wrath of the little drama queen. If you steal her toy, you have ruined not only her day, but her life. She is so funny.

So, tell me again. Why is Jacob making me wear these ears??? They do not match my outfit.

When Jacob was a baby, I rocked him and sang songs to him every night before bed. He would lay there in my arms, sucking his thumb and rubbing his blanket, perfectly still and quiet. Annabelle? Not so much. As I rock her gently, she squirms and squirms and squirms some more, trying desperately to make her way to the floor. As I quietly sing, she spits and does a little singing of her own. Isn't it funny how children can be so different?

No matter how stubborn or feisty she may be, I love her to death. It is those qualities that make her our little Annabelle. That is exactly why I love her. Plus, she's the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen. :) I guess it should be expected that my children would be stubborn. After all, they have two very stubborn parents.

As Jacob expresses in this video, "Annabelle made me happy!" Yes, Jacob. You are right. Annabelle makes us all very happy.

Here's one more video just for fun.......