So much to tell!

Okay, so I completely and utterly suck! I promised myself that I would keep up to date this month with my blog, but I have been so lax and there has been a LOT to write about. Last time I wrote, Izzy was just about to crawl. She would get herself up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth. These days, not even a month later, crawling is OLD NEWS! Isabelle is a Master Crawler and has now started to pull herself up on anything sturdy (and even some not-so-sturdy objects which results in the inevitable "Boom" and sometimes a good cry). Although she's not quite walking yet, she is raring to go. I was amazed at how quickly she went from crawling to pulling herself up...and of course she keeps me EXTREMELY busy chasing after her and making sure that she doesn't hurt herself and get into something she shouldn't be touching. I think that my favorite part of it is the way she looks over at us when she has gotten herself up to a standing position as if to say, "Aren't you proud of me?". And, as per our job as awesome, loving parents, we respond with a loud "YAY!" and major hand clapping. Her face lights up, she gets a little distracted, plops to the ground and tries all over again.

Another new thing on the Izzy-development-front is her distinction of words. She has started to show that she understands "Mama", "Clap hands", "Hi baby" (she waves to her own reflection) and "Papa". She also knows how to "give kiss" and I think it might be my absolute favorite thing that she does. She hasn't quite grasped the concept of "No" yet (or perhaps she has, but just likes to make things difficult and interesting), but she's always quick with a smile and we just can't resist her.

Izzy continues to make friends and really loves being around other children. Today my friend and her daughter came over to play and Isabelle was in all her glory. She even gave a kiss to my friend's daughter...it was adorable. I can't believe how big she is getting and how quickly she is learning about the world around her. It is so exciting and beautiful to watch and I count my lucky stars that I am able to be home with her to experience these special moments on a daily basis...and I am even more excited to share them with our family and friends!