Noelle Anaya...almost 15 months old!

I can look back and say that motherhood is the best job ever! My baby girl is turning into a little big girl right before my eyes! Noelle is now eating table food, drinking whole milk (only with strawberry syrup), and WALKING! She loves fruits and veggies, potatoes, chicken, and water too! She's a good, happy baby. She's expanded her vocabulary a little. "Baby", "puppy", "hi", "mama", "dada", "hot", "bad" (don't ask), "gone" and babbling in sentences. She also knows what a lot of words are, even if she can't say them. Words just can't really express all of the joy I have with my little girl.

For her first birthday, we had a big cookout at our aunt's house. There were lots of family and friends to celebrate Noelle's first year with us. She got an entire new wardrobe for her birthday. LOL! It was a great and exhausting day.



Noelle also went to her first Caribbean Carnival at the end of June. She did so well considering the large crowd. She watched the parade, ate rice and peas, and danced to Soca. She's such a fun baby!



This year for the fourth of July, we went to Chesapeake Beach with the family...We actually went for the third of July, but who's counting? We spent a good part of the day looking for parking...no joke. After everyone was together, we sat down for dinner on the pier...the food was OK, but I've had better. In any event, as always, it was just good to be with the fam! After dinner, we watched fireworks. Again, Noelle did so well. She ate crackers and watched the fireworks intently. She even took a self portrait. LOL! It was a good day.




I've been home for two weeks after having traveled for work most of the summer. She did so well at home with daddy...or should I say daddy did so well with her? LOL!

So now we're getting ready for fall. It came so fast! I can't wait to see how much more she learns.

Almost One!

I cannot believe my little Patootie is almost a year old! I don't know where the time has gone! She's such a little big girl. That's what I call her...my little big girl. Noelle has decided that she will stand and walk when she's good and ready, and not a moment sooner. She has also decided that her mouth is just fine without teeth. LOL! She will stand for split seconds and the moment she realizes no one is supporting her, she sits down...kinda like riding a bike, eh? LOL!

She has a blossoming vocabulary...she will say Mama, Dada, ba-ba (aka...butt-butt, thanks to daddy), e ga? (it's gone = when she drops something), oh and of course her favorite "Hi!". LOL!

She's eating pretty much anything we eat, but will only eat it off our plates, so eating's quite a challenge.

Her eczema flaired up in the last heat wave and she has a horrible heat rash on her neck...she scratches it so much and even broke the skin on the back of her neck. Ouch! I feel so bad for her. I try to keep it moisturized, and last Friday, I even gave her a mineral oil treatment...I rubbed her down from head to toe in mineral oil, and let her marinate (LOL!) for about 20 minutes. While she was marinating, I sat her in her walker so I could wash dishes and get her bath water ready. Well, Miss Noelle was not liking that, and decided to shout her protest to the heavens. LOL!



I think she was having a very bad day on Friday, because this is what happened when I wouldn't let her play with the powder.




I tell you...I love my boo-boo! She's so wonderful! I just hate that she's almost one already, but I know the best is yet to come!

New Entry Three Months in the Making

I know, I know! LOL! I cannot believe I let three months go by without updating my blog! I missed her first Christmas! I'm so ashamed. :-( Life just got so hectic.

Noelle is doing SO well!!!! I love my little big girl to bits! She is so smart and busy. She said her first word on January 10, 2009...it was "Hi!" She says "hi" all the time now, and to anyone who looks her way. It's the first thing she tells me in the morning...if she doesn't cry first. LOL! I cannot believe we're only 10 weeks away from her birthday. I remember so much about my pregnancy so fondly and am getting so sad that she's almost a year old. It just went entirely too fast! She's had her first very bad cold, her first fever spike, and been to her first pool party. LOL! I'll have to do another post just to update on pictures.

Noelle loves to be on the floor and exploring everything. She is cruising around anywhere she can get to. We moved a week ago, and now that she's on the floor more and there's so much more room, she follows me wherever I go. She has a very good appetite and loves to eat her Gerber Puffs and her veggies. She actually prefers veggies over fruit. When she eats, you hear "numm, numm"...LOL! Yes, she makes that sound as she eats. She is just an absolute joy to watch grow and I am so blessed to have her.

Once we get settled, I'll post pictures of Noelle exploring her new territory. In the meantime, here are some recent photos of my little boo-boo over the past few months.

Shortly after Christmas when she started cruising


In February eating melon at Golden Corral


Nine Months Old

SIX Months Already???

WOW!!!! I cannot believe how fast time flies with a baby. I can still remember most of my pregnancy, labor, and delivery as if it just happened, but my baby girl has been here for 6+ months already! It's depressing and fascinating at the same time. She's is quite the little entertainer and busy body. She does love most of her toys, but prefers anything she sees mommy and daddy using (remote controls, cell phones, paper, computers, etc.). LOL!

I do believe the greatest joy and the greatest gift is being a mother. I mean I always knew I wanted children, but I never could've imagined how much they change your life, and you.

Noelle is sitting up now and trying to crawl, but mostly head scoots (don't ask). LOL! No, you'll probably never see a video of Noelle doing any of this, because she stops as soon as she hears the camera cut on, so maybe when she's older. She's started eating some baby food, mostly fruits and veggies, and she loves them. She gets so excited when she sees her food and spoon. She's ready to feed herself.


Noelle was dedicated back to the Lord by her father and I on December 14, 2008, and that was one of the most special days in all of our lives, I guess except for the day she was born. So much family and friends came out to support and participate, and my baby girl ended up with SIX godparents. I guess one for each month she had been alive. No, but in all honesty, I truly don't have the words to express how thankful I am to God for blessing our families with this little girl.

Noelle with Mommy and Daddy


Noelle with Mommy and Godfathers


Noelle with Daddy and Godmothers



I can't believe there's only a week left until her first Christmas! I cannot wait, and although she won't remember, she'll have the pictures to look back on when she's older.

Getting Comfortable

I think most of my new mommy fears are gone now. I am learning to relax and let Noelle show me what it is she needs and wants. There is no doubt that my baby girl is ready for some real food now. She is determined to one day reach into mommy's plate. I never thought that I would ever feel this much love in my life. And she's so small. I mean, I know babies are blessings and I know and try to understand what people go through for babies, and I feel extremely blessed to have been able to conceive Noelle naturally and I don't know what my world would be without her. I find myself sometime just staring at her, still in awe that she is mine. The best part of my day is picking her up from the sitter after work. Yes, as she's getting older, she demands more time and attention, but I always keep my cool remembering how quickly this time will pass. The good news is I no longer want to stop time in this moment. I'm excited for her to grow up and learn new things and I am learning to appreciate those times more than anything else in the world. It seems as if I can't kiss her enough or cuddle with her enough, so yes, I spend a great deal of the evenings holding her and talking to her, enjoying these moments of her being so small. She's such a happy baby too! Such a joy to wake up and go to sleep too...well maybe not the sleep so much, but you know what I mean. Some nights are rough, and I get absolutely nothing done until after 11pm, and some nights, especially when daddy's home, I can even cook dinner. But regardless of all the hard times, I wouldn't trade motherhood and the feeling and love that I have for anything in this world. Just felt a little sentimental and wanted to write something about my baby girl Noelle Anaya.

Noelle's First Halloween

Awww!!! My baby girl was a Lovebug for her first Halloween. Thanks goes out to my roomie for getting her a costume from Old Navy during their HUGE sale. We paid $5, marked down from $22. I think I'll wait like that for a couple of years :) Although I've been pretty down in the dumps lately, it was very important to me to have pictures of Noelle for her first Halloween in a costume. My happy girl did so well at the picture studio and smiled without hesitation in just about every shot. I tell you, she can brighten the darkest of days. I cannot wait to take Christmas pictures. We're going to return to the Picture People for her first picture with Santa as well, instead of waiting in the long line at the mall. Here are a few proofs from the shoot. I can't believe my little patootie will be five months in a few days. : ( Time sure does fly.

Four Months Old - My big girl!

I didn't want to wait until after her doctor's appointment to post. Noelle is such a jewel, the light of my life for real. I never knew that I could love someone as much as I love her.

We recently had another road trip to Ohio for my cousin's wedding and Noelle did wonderful, of course. I think having her used to the long car rides will be good for us in the long run. It'll make it easier to do family trips and hopefully get out to some of these states to visit some of my friends : )

Noelle has managed to pull out most of her hair. LOL! She does it mostly when she's sleeping...I don't know why. So I have a beautiful, bald-head, little girl. LOL!!!! Noelle has found her voice and loves to squeal and babble. It's the best sound ever. She is also very much a daddy's girl. I mean, he just looks at her and she smiles from ear to ear! It is so sweet. She has started reaching for things now...she reached for the keyboard the other day. She's not quite reaching for food, so we won't be starting solids anytime soon.

She is just a happy girl and she's doing great. Here are some recent pictures.

Noelle and Aunt Cecile at the Wedding


Noelle in her Bumbo in the hotel


Noelle at home