I can't believe a year has already passed. My baby girl is already one. It is crazy to think we were living across the country one year ago and how much has changed in the last year since she has been in our family. Seneka is such a joy in our lives and she makes everything all the more better (i know that phrase does not sound right but i can't think of how else to put it so SORRY!). I've tried to think of some of my favorite things that she does that are so "her" and so cute...
1. She makes you work for her affection. She isn't a major smiley baby and so it is a special day when she lets you see that side of her. But even though she isn't always smiling, you know that she loves you and is happy to just be with you. But the funniest expression is when she looks you up and down and almost examines every feature with zero facial expression...almost like she is disgusted.
2. When she drops something instead of saying "Oht -Oh" - she uses a different sound and noise but you can tell that is what she is trying to say.
3. She loves to copy you. For example if i am making blow noises on her belly- she tries to make the same sound with her mouth. And she loves to copy you and click her tongue. And her latest is copying you by making a noise like "boo" and putting her hand over her eyes.
4. She LOVES the bath and when the water is running and i havent put her in yet, she tries to lift her leg over the bath to climb in herself. And the entire time in the bath she has to be holding a washcloth in her hand...and screams if you take it from her so you can wash her face.
5. She scrunches her nose up and makes a blow noise out of her nose. She actually has lots of adorable litte expressions like that.
6. She enjoys carrying socks around the house (smelly ones and all) and occasionally stuffs them in her mouth and crawls around.
7. She still picks anything and everything off the ground and puts it right in her mouth. She often won't eat in her high chair but once i put her on the ground from the high chair, she prefers then to eat whatever she has dropped on the ground while sitting UNDER her high chair.
8. She wrestles with her brother (and other small children) like a WWF wrestler and is actually pretty tough for a little chick. She loves to roll around on the ground and steam roll whomever will let her.
9. When you go to get her in her crib after she is awake, she grabs anything she can see (blankets, stuffed animals) and hands them to you - along with her when you pick her up.
10. She loves her "ba ba" or bottle and really that is probably the only consistent thing that she says..."ba ba ba ba" and sometimes when she is upset she will start saying "ba ba ba" even though that isn't what she wants but it is all she knows how to say. It is so funny. I have even noticed her stopping herself in mid-sentence while she is saying bababa when she realizes, "oh wait, i just had my baba- that's not what i want."
We love our Seni Beni, munchie-munchie! She is full of attitude and opinions and is always on-the-go...and she is her own person and that is what we love about her!! I really feel so lucky to be her mom.
Happy Birthday princess!
It is fun having my good friend's kids so close in age to my own kids. Judd, Sadie and Seneka were all born within 3 months of each other. The best of buds!
Birthday pancakes with whipped cream on top (a must!!).
What's this? A baby in a box?
Giving her new newborn cabbage patch loves. Seneka loves baby dolls...it is so sweet.
Grandma and Grandpa Maxwells
Getting ready for Santa...it is always the dilemma as to how many cookies to leave him? We figured two was enough b/c Santa gets SOOO many cookies on his route! Btw- Ashton made that cute Santa's cookies plate last year...
Wearing some of our new jammies before heading to bed...and yes, you are not seeing things...i am wearing footed jammies too. I have always wanted a pair and finally found some in my size. YIPEEE!
Reading our Christmas book before bed...
I gave this "TINGLER" to Haylie, Troy's cousin and she was trying it out on everyone. If you don't have one, you need to experience it. It massages your scalp and it is wonderful (and a little tickelish).
My moms famous rice dessert..mmmmm mmmm good!
Sadie and Seneka are only 10 weeks apart...
Omi and Omipapa
This year santa brought all the kids PJs...what love muffins they are!
The cute cousins (minus Seni)
In years past, the kids have decorated this little tree in the basement with papa. That tree retired but this year a new tree replaced it and it was fun for the kids to decorate the tree with papa again. They were all giddy and so excited and kept requesting specific ornaments.
This picture was monumental. We tried night after night to get a table of 14 so we could sit together but was told that was impossible b/c the biggest table seats 12 and those few tables were already booked for the entire cruise. Well, there is this chip in me that when someone says No to me- it just makes me work all that much harder to find another person to talk to so that i can make it happen. Well, in the end - it happened and we were all 14 able to sit together for the last 3 nights. The Mat re Di, Jon Paul, and me became great friends and he brought in special tables and put them together and made it happen for us. It really was fun to all have dinner together. Wahooo!!
One of the formal nights.
Our entire group
Puerto Vallarta
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So, our excursion was these series of ziplines in the jungle. I think there were 12 of them. And they were high, high, high in the jungle. I believe this photo was before the highest and longest of the lines. Yes, 1650 ft long and yes, 361 feet in the air. I had fun on the first 5 or so but after that - i had a few tears b/c i really didn't want to go anymore(but no way to get down - except by the zipline). It was exhilarating but also really nerve-racking b/c you were so far up. i was afraid i would get stuck in the middle of the zipline and be looking down and pass out. Well, i joked if i didn't pass out in that instance- i would knock myself out. Oh btw- i also had a hard time braking and so on the longest zipline - i wasn't braking enough and my body hit into the end of the line and my body flipped around like a rag doll and my feet hit the ground hard and that is how my feet were so bruised...very painful. I know, i know...i am tough!-24.jpg)
