Ten months was a big month for this little girl!

A lot has happened!

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. We had a lot going on! Jonathan got a job as the Middle School Director for a church in Knoxville TN. We just moved here at the end of June. It is absolutely beautiful! Jonathan found us a great little house that is just perfect for us. We had our first youth event last night at the Lake. Joanna jumped right off the dock into the lake about three feet down. She had a life jacket of course and daddy was there to catch her. She was great! She loved swimming with all the big kids in the lake. The weather here is amazing. Jonathan went mountain biking and said it was so beautiful.
Joanna is growing like a week. She is 11 months now, and running all around. She talks all the time, just jibber jabber, but it is hilarious to listen to. She is such a social little bug and is really enjoying all the new people we are meeting. The church here has been SO wonderful and welcoming, helping us unload and unpack, bringing meals, donating furniture... really it has been amazing. We already feel right at home. We are glad to be closer to friends and family so we look forward to more visits in the near future!

9 months and walking!

This kid is already walking. She is still pretty wobbly but she can make it halfway across a room on her own. It is so fun to watch. At her 9 month appointment she was almost 22 pounds! She is still in the 97th+ percentile for her age in height, and the weight is about in the 80th now. She is very tall and looks a lot older than she is. She looks even older now that she is walking! She has been laughing a lot these days, totally unprovoked. She realizes that things are funny, and that we like to laugh together with her. Since she is so mobile, we have started the beginning days of discipline. She gets very sad, and pooches that bottom lip out when we tell her "no". Those big alligator tears are so heart wrenching! But she is understanding and actually has been very obedient... so far. We are having SO much fun being Joanna's parents. We are VERY BLESSED!!

1st Easter!

We had a great Easter as a family. Jonathan's Dad Rudy came and Spent Good Friday with us as well as Saturday. He helped me all day in the kitchen, preparing for Sunday's lunch. After church, Stephen and Emily joined us for a great meal and a relaxing afternoon where we watched "The Blind Side". A few day's later Doug, Cathy and John David came for a visit during their Spring Break. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and watched people skydive at a local lunch spot. Joanna was so exhausted after everyone left. She is so social, she would rather hang out with people that sleep, or eat or anything!

8 months already!

So our little baby has turned into a little lady overnight. These past two weeks have come with so many changes. One day I went in to get Joanna after her nap and she was sitting up on her crib. I was so excited that she learned to sit up. The VERY NEXT DAY she was STANDING in her crib! I couldn't believe how quickly she jumped to the next "stage". She is now pulling up on everything she can, standing at the coffee table like a big girl, pulling books of the shelves. It is craziness! And just this week she said her first word.. ."da da" of course. She is clapping her hands and beginning to mimic a few things. She is SO happy all the time. we really are incredible blessed with such a wonderfully natured child. I took her to the pool and dunked her under the water so she would get used to it. I thought for sure she would cry. Nope! She didn't even flinch! We did it over and over, and she never cried! I was so proud. We are enjoying every day with this little munchkin and love watching her learn and grow.

7 months old - No way

We are shocked that we have a 7 month old now. She is able to do so much now! She eats cheerios like a champ, sits up on her own, giggles and laughs all the time, and continues to come into her little personality. Her hair continues to be the topic of most conversations with everyone she meets or already knows. We joke that she gets "high off people". Wherever we go, she is always smiling and being friendly with everyone. She can skip naps, food or anything, just as long as people are paying attention to her! It makes shopping with her really fun, although it takes me twice as long because everyone stops to talk to her since she is so smiley! She is making all kinds of funny noises and is discovering how to use her mouth and tongue to make us laugh! She is such an incredibly joy!

Wild Hair

Everywhere we go, people stop to comment on the hair. They touch it, blow on it, and tell me it is just static. Funny. It looks like that all the time. Yes, ALL the time. It is so awesome! It is kinda getting a little out of control, with different layers of fuzz, sticking out in all directions. To answer all the questions, no it isn't static, no she didn't stick her finger in a socket, and no it isn't the weather. That is just her hair, and we LOVE it!

Snack time

Joanna is very excited about trying new foods and eating like a big girl. Her favorite new snack is avocado. I put it in this mesh Popsicle contraption and she goes to town. It is hilarious to watch, and a mess to clean up. But it keeps her entertained for a long time! She is so much fun!

Peaches, Yuck!

So you see the picture below is her smiling eating spinach. Since we started her on veggies, she eats them all with a smile. So I thought that she would just love fruit since it is so much sweeter. Well, guess not. That is her peaches face. She was not a fan. Me on the other hand, well I could watch her do that all day. It was hilarious. After a few bites with the same reaction, I put the peaches away, and went back to spinach. Then she was happy. What a great kiddo!

Spinach! Yum!

We started Joanna Grace on food several weeks ago. Broccoli was first, to start her off right! I'm so glad we did, because now nothing phases her. Today she ate straight spinach with a big smile. We don't want her to be picky, and only like unhealthy things so we are trying to get her started off on the right foot. She has done so well!!

"Scared the Snot out of her!"

Well, we have a sick baby and sick mama in the house. Joanna Grace has done really well being sick, and hasn't been to fussy. But tonight she broke down. She was really tired to begin with, and then I was making soup, using the blender. The noise just sent her over the edge. Poor thing was screaming! Guess this is when you can really say "it scared the snot out of her!" I couldn't resist.

Cutie in a hat

Ok well I haven't been as faithful about updating the blog as I promised to be. I guess since most people are on facebook I don't think about it as much. So for everyone who isn't a regular facebooker, here are a few updated:
Joanna Grace is almost 6 months. She has 2 teeth already! Most people told me the teething phase was terrible, but we didn't even know they were coming in until she bit down on Jonathan's finger one day. Then he felt that sharp little thing.
She is starting to move around a lot. Not really a full on crawl, but she can make it all over the floor by rolling and spinning. She can do a full 360 on her tummy in no time, and then add in a couple of rolls and she is half way across the room.
She started eating food about 2 weeks ago. Broccoli first! She is so hard core. We did that and rice cereal. She gagged for a few days until she figured out how to swallow it. She isn't super interested in the food, just in whatever happens to be on the table within her reach. Anything she sees, she grabs for and of course it goes right into the mouth.
She is full of giggles and smiles all the time. We get stopped in public all the time, mainly b/c of her hair. It looks like she stuck her finger in the socket ( don't worry she didn't...yet). Everyone asks, "is that Static?" Nope, all natural, and so cute.
Well hopefully that is a little more news from us these days. Joanna Grace continues to bless us more that we could ever imagine. She is pure joy!

4 and 5 months