11 months.

In three weeks Riley will turn 1. For the first time I actually cried a little today because my tiny baby is no longer tiny. She's huge. She walks and attempts to talk. She can feed herself and laughs at everything. She enjoys pulling things out of baskets and off of shelves so she can reorganize them. She also enjoys screaming at me when she doesn't get her way. :)

The other night Leif and I were going through all her pictures and videos from birth on. It amazed me how much she had changed in just 11 months. I have a hard time remembering what it was like getting up with her every two hours or having to hold her bottle for her. I knew time would fly by, so I tried to enjoy these things, even when it was at 2am in the morning. Sometimes I miss those moments, but overall I'm grateful she sleeps through the night! I do still miss having her sleep in between Leif and I, even though I always ended up on the edge of the bed. If I try to get her to sleep between us now, she just wants to play.

I love the way things are now though. Every morning Riley snuggles with Leif and I and kisses us over and over. She plays in her play area while mommy gets things done around the house. When it's time to put on her shoes, she hands them to me and holds up her feet. When its time to eat, she'll say "yum yum" over and over again. I love that I can actually read to her now and she'll pay attention. She constantly pulls out books and brings them to me. My favorite is when she reaches for me or points at me when she'd like me to play. It usually only happens when Leif's around, but I don't mind. I'm always amazed at what she's learned and how smart she keeps getting. And I think I'll only continue to be amazed as she gets older.

I'm so grateful for my daughter. And grateful for these last 11 months!