Sadie is 17 Months

Sadie was 12months when I last posted and she has grown a lot since December. We have a little walking and talking toddler on our hands now.

Quick updates since January and her milestones: 26.8lbs, size 4diapers and wearing 18mo-2yr clothes. 

-Stopped nursing at 12.5 months. I'm very, very proud that we made it over a year! What an accomplishment and wonderful experience it was to give the best nourishment to my daughter. 
-Sadie stood up for the first time without holding anything on Martin Luther King Day 1/20 and we had dinner at our friends the Matney's and she stood up in their kitchen. Then the very next day 1/21/14 she took her first step! Exactly a month later 2/23 she went from taking 2-4 steps to full force walking in our living room! Such a proud moment!
-Experienced her first real snow and -degree temps. It was very cold in January and had 2feet of snow in February! We were snowed in for three days and had the best time taking Sadie out sledding!
-Has been sleeping much better and is easy to get down at night. Huge difference! 
-Eating a full meal was difficult between 12-14 mo. and we still have moments. She would rather slide her food off the high chair so Maddie will eat it. She does it as a game and smiles after. So cute, but we have to get stern with her. Loves waffles, cheese, yogurt, strawberries and can drink milk all day long.
-Kisses and pats her baby all the time. So adorable! Also, kisses and pats us too. Loves to do butterfly kisses with me before bed and waves goodnight to the animal canvas art we she has on her walls.
-We traveled a lot in March and the three of us went to Asheville and Boone, NC one weekend, and saw our friends Will and Anna got married in Snowshoe, WV. Then Sadie took her fifth flight to California. She learned how to go down stairs at her Papa's house, had pink eye for the second time, and her molars grew in that week. Sleep was a bit rough, but Sadie is always a good traveler. She loved playing with her big cousins! From CA, we flew into Washington DC to celebrate Sadie's cousin Aiden's third birthday.
-Seventh double ear infection since Feb. Sadie had her first surgery in April and got tubes put in her ears. She did great in the surgery. It was harder for this Mommy!
- Got bit on the arm from a friend at daycare twice in April/May. She and the kids are showing their personality now and not liking to share. 
- Sadie really understands us now and can take directions very clearly. It's incredible how fast she comprehends and copies us all the time. It's adorable. 

- Words: The new word of the week is, "Maam" for Mom and it's sounds like she's from New Jersey, ha! "Nana" for banana, "mell" for milk, no, yeah, "na" for baby and Savannah, all done, "du" for down and dog, no, boom, and of course Mama and Dada." Also she shakes her head for yes, no and shrugs her shoulders for, "I don't know".  12-14 words or so.

- Loves/Obsesses: Riding her big wheel bike (she's learning to peddle), going outside in general, loves her playhouse at daycare, slides and parks. We can't go past the park in our neighborhood with out her grunting to take her. Likes to take on and off of caps and tops, carrying my make-up bag as her purse, opening and shutting doors, coloring, snapping her fingers, her BABY doll, dancing, books, her new shopping cart, her play kitchen and especially stirring and pretending to eat her imaginary food on the spoon. Bubbles, pointing to the horses and cows everyday when we drive to daycare and she grins so big after, pointing to lights, waving and blowing kisses, swimming in pools, piggy back rides and MILK! She's weird about sand and stepping on different textures on her feet.

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Baby obsessed

Sadie's new kitchen set

The last day of officially crawling.
Took her first few steps after the park that night on 2/23/14

Snowshoe, WV for Will and Anna's wedding. 3/8/14

All ready for her surgery. Brave girl. 15mos.

VT VetMed Easter egg hunt. Who's this weird dude, Mom??

MOPS Easter egg hunt. Would rather throw the eggs!

Obsessed with drawing now! I stained and painted this Ikea table
She's a righty and has Gillespie art genes!

Dedication Day for Sadie
~ April 27th

Pretty dedication dress

The 16 and 17 month photos will be in the next post...

Sadie's Girly Room

I've been meaning to take pictures of Sadie's room for my family, friends and my few followers to see, but I have neglected my blog terribly. I finally had the time and snapped some photos when Sadie was at daycare last week. 

Decorating our babies room was a complete joint effort between Darrin and I. He had as much of a say as I did. It was really fun thinking of ideas and it came together pretty easily. We didn't have a true "theme" even though I wanted to incorporate my childhood memories of having a little bit of pieces from, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit."We knew the color scheme was grey, pink and white and Darrin's must have was a chandelier for his little girl;) 

We didn't spend a lot money, we used the left over paint from our downstairs hallway and I made a lot of the decor. Some of the big items we bought at an antique store for decent prices, or we had gift cards from my baby shower and my Mom bought our crib and sheets. 

I still love Sadie's room and so happy how it came out. I will be sad if we ever have to move and paint over Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck.

Sadie's Room

Mommy and Daddy's baby pics 

We spend a lot of time in this $40 rocking chair.
No need to buy an expensive nursery glider.

I'm always clearing out her old clothes. So sad! 

Shelves I had since college and original plate set from a
Blacksburg Antique store my Mom bought us.

Special Gillespie family tradition to have a baby engraved cup.
Thanks Mom! 

I mean it's really Sadie and Savannah's room.
See that "hole" under the crib skirt? That's her secret cave.

* Crib from Target / Crib skirt and sheets from Pottery Barn Kids / 

Pink rug from Pottery Barn Kids/ Chandelier from Home Depot / 

"S" metal sign and zigzag pillow from TJMaxx / 

Art and pictures, flags above crib and hanging nest all handmade / 

Dresser, mirror and rocking chair from Antique store.

Sadie turned ONE!

I cannot believe it's been a whole year since I delivered and met my sweet baby girl. I will remember that incredible and beautiful moment for the rest of my life. 

The first year truly goes so fast and we have enjoyed being new parents more than anything. Sadie has been a blessing to us and it has strengthened our relationship even more. We have gone through a lot of changes this past year and raising a newborn has taught us a lot. We have been great partners in parenting and we are still learning everyday. We managed a whole year of taking naps. Yes, naps! We have a daughter who is very calm, observant, sweet, and loving during the day, but she wasn't much of a sleeper at night. We tagged team at night and pulled through during the day. It's getting a lot better, but hope this next year we will be sleeping and not napping!

It has been an incredible experience having a baby and I have learned that I would do anything for her. I have so much love for Sadie and it just amazes me how much she has learned and grown in just one year. She is one smart, beautiful girl and I'm proud to be her Mom!

12Month Milestones/Events:

Shaking her head for "Yes" and "No"

Baby dolls-Loves them! 

Kissing and patting 

Pushing and walking her "shopping cart"

Eating more. Slowing down on nursing and no more formula. Switched to whole milk, loves bananas, raviolis, raspberries, crackers, and mandarin oranges.

Cutting down her first Christmas tree and celebrating her first Christmas
First cake smash-She was delicate, of course!
Stomach flu on her birthday and unfortunately gave it to everyone at her birthday party

First ER trip! We flew to CA (her fourth plane ride) for Christmas and went straight to the ER for the stomach bug

CIO (Cry it Out method) In CA, we finally had Sadie try to soothe herself at night. It worked drastically!!

New Converse shoes for her birthday

Sitting in a big chair, eating at a table and sleeping on a cot at daycare

It has been an incredible first year! Excited to see Sadie's changes and what this next year holds for us!

w2w2

Photography by: Laura's Focus Photography