She says mama and dada quite frequently. She loves saying hi and bye and waving when a car drives by, a door opens or closes, someone walks into a room, or just when she catches someone's eye and wants to keep their attention. However, she tends to shy away if someone says hi or waves to her first.
She likes clapping her hands and thoroughly enjoys being praised! If she does something good we usually clap our hands and say YAY! This is almost immediately followed by a repeat of what it was that she did good! We then clap and praise her again. It is pretty funny to watch.
She also sings along to ABC's and Jesus Loves Me. Sometimes she joins in on other songs, but she almost always hums or "sings" for those two songs. She loves music and dancing. I think she might even have a little rhythm. I love seeing her in her car seat when a song that she likes comes on and she starts bobbing her head up and down with it.
She has been cutting teeth for quite sometime on and off. Her first one finally broke through around May 9th. It was the front, bottom tooth on the right, (which I know has a name I just don't care to look it up at this time). The front, bottom tooth on the left just broke through this past week, they are still not all the way in, but they are through the gums and sticking up enought to help her bite things.
Nathan taught her to open and close the DVD player when he says "DVD" she will go and touch the button that opens it and then she will push it closed.
She touches her head and toes, claps her hands, and dances when you ask her to. She can do most of the things we ask her. She really is starting to understand so much of what we say. She will come in a room when you ask her, she puts things down, sits down, feeds herself, walks to the bathroom for her bath, etc. She also knows what NO means, but she is very persistent and slightly stubborn, so she only obeys on occasion. She usually gives a little whine, stops, and then tries again. It is a learning process!
She is so much fun to make laugh. And she finds so many things funny. I love tickling her or chasing her around while she and her dad run away. I love peek-a-boo and all of the strange sounds and motions that make her cackle. It is the sweetest sound in the world. I can't think of anything that can make my day better more quickly than the sound of Anastyn's laugh. It doesn't matter what the day is like, I immediately smile and feel so much better! What a great sound!
Anastyn learned how to drink out of a straw on Sunday, which is kind of exciting. Now she is really going to want our drinks when we go out to eat!
One of my favorite things still is she loves to hold or run her fingers through our hair when she has a bottle. Every morning I put her in bed with Nathan with her bottle and she "pets" his hair while she is drinking. It is really pretty sweet.
I have rambled enough for one post so I will leave you with two pictures of her that I took tonight. She was wearing her big girl pajamas and carrying her toys and sock around. I am truly in shock that almost a year has gone by. It has been so wonderful watching her change and grow. She still seems so little, yet in so many ways is such a big girl! We are so thankful for the joy she has brought us.
11 months old in her big girl pajamas and walking like crazy.
