I turned 9 months old last January. I learned how to pull up and one morning my mommy found me standing up in my crib! I made her scream with excitement. My favorite mode of transportation was to scoot around on my bottom... Crawling is for the birds ya know. I started saying words like baby, ball, dada, momma, and buck buck. My parents are always telling me how smart I am. I turned 1 in April and we had a big party just for me!! Only I wasn't feeling that well because I had my first ear infection. I threw my cupcake on the floor. Mom says that will make a great story to share when I get older. A few weeks later I took my first steps. My mom cried! Sheesh mom. It didn't take me long to start walking all over the place. We took a trip to the lake and we found out that I was going to have a new baby cousin! School got out and I got to stay home with my mom all summer! We built forts and went to the park. I got my first pair of crocks. We took some trips. My favorite trip was the beach. I got to spend a whole week with my cousins! And I went on my first boat ride. Mom said to go slow, I think she was nervous. I went to the Marbles Museum and the Life and Science Museum in Raleigh. I went to the zoo and saw some animals. My favorite animal was the elephant. I also went to Charlottesville, VA and got to swim in KK's big pool and I went all the way to Charleston, SC and met my Spivey cousins and my new baby cousin Gus. He gives sweet kisses. When we got back my mom was sad because we lost a very special family member. She said she can't wait to tell me all about my Uncle Mike when I get older. I spent summer nights on my front porch. School started back in August and I made so many new friends. I love my new teacher. I got 4 baby chicks! I named one Pickle. I went to a pumpkin patch with my friend Emma and I went trick-or-treating with her! I was a princess. I also painted my pumpkin. My mommy said I was the next Picasso, whoever that is. My mommy painted my toenails for the first time! Sparkly is my favorite color. I started saying more and more words and I love singing songs. Old McDonald, Twinkle Twinkle, ABC, and The Wheels on the Bus are my favorite. I went to an ECU tailgate and my Aunt Jen Jen had a wedding shower! She got married and I got to be a flower girl and wear a pretty dress! Oh yeah, and wait till you hear this!! I went to DISNEY WORLD! I saw Mickey, Minnie, all of the princesses, fireworks, parades, another elephant, you name it! Mom said all I have to do if I want to go back is ask D-daddy... I'll have to remember that. I have 12 teeth now and my hair is starting to grow and I've grown two shoe sizes. I celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family and everybody played with me. I even saw Disney on Ice... twice!! My daddy ran a 5k and I was there to cheer him on. He also graduated with his Masters Degree in GIS! He said I could get my doctorate if I wanted to. I need to make it through kindergarten first. I can do a front roll now and mommy says I'm almost ready for my first pair of tap shoes! I have grown so much this year! My mommy says I'm a toddler now. I'm still an extremely picky eater but that's just me. And I love me. And my parents realllly love me. They tell me all the time! And I can say it back now! I wonder what 2014 will be like? Only time will tell!
