Oh, October!

Every month Isabella gets more animated and...well, our nickname for here around her is "nut" as in, "Isabella, you're such a nut!" She is endlessly curious, a complete ball of energy, ecstatic to be walking, and the absolute joy of our lives. Her 15-month checkup showed her to be 30 5/8" tall and 22.2 pounds. I can't even remember the days when she was only 8 pounds, or even the days before she walked! Now if she could just start talking...she's supposed to have a 6 word vocabulary, but she says nothing on her own (she does repeat "cheese" and "hot" on occasion). However, she can sign 5 words and can understand a ton, so I'm not all that worried. Below, the joy that is Isabella...






She LOVES her daily walks, which sometimes take forever because she has to stop and pick up random leaves. Simple joys that we both indulge in while the weather's still good.

And then there was the adorable sweater-and-matching-hat outfit that I was dying to get pictures of. We ran outside one Sunday the minute the sun peeked through. This was right after she really got the hang of walking, so I love her abandon-arms flailing, body listing-adorable!

And this is Bells early one Sunday morning, fresh out of the shower....are you ready for this? Licking the blueberry side of her pancake! She kills me.

Monday is housecleaning day here and this is why: here's the kitchen after Bella's decided to have some fun!

But one day she decided to help. She carried my garbage can around the house, took the duster (which she LOVES), and even grabbed a sponge from under the sink to scrub her tub! When I vacuum she sits there and watches it go back and forth. Sometimes I have to literally pick her up and carry her out of the room so I can finish up!

One day Isabella decided to flip her chair over and sit on it this way. She's watching an Elmo video, but because we don't watch much TV, she tracks with it for about 20 minutes and then she's done. In my mind, that's a good thing.

And...the fashion show! One mention of running low on clothes, and boxes and bags arrive from Maga, Grammy and Nana! Now she has an amazing array of adorable outfits as witnessed below. She rarely sits still for me, so I have to place her across the room, run back, and try to snap shots before she gets to me. Not always successful...

Pink hoodie with pink leopard print pants...

Leopard print cat shirt with matching pants (she added the bracelet)

Hoodie with fur trim...

Fuchsia shirt, khakis, black Mary Janes and denim jacket. What a fashionista!

Love the OshKosh overalls. She accessorized with a computer cord. She loves putting cords around her neck. I don't.

And then there's the time she completely wet through an outfit while we were at Grammy & Grandpa's. And because I don't pack backup clothes, we improvised with one of Grandpa's t-shirts. Call it toddler haute couture.

Nothin' better than my baby gettin' lovin' from her Daddy! And rockin' a denim jumper and striped tights. Love 'em!

And her last ensemble, cream top, black leggings with hearts, and her reversible fake leather/leopard faux fur coat.

Just a shout out to Aunts Amy and Jessica who bought this ride-on zebra for Isabella for her birthday. When she first got it she couldn't put both feet on the ground at the same time! Now I frequently hear the music going when she hops on for a quick ride throughout the day.

Halloween! She was Minnie Mouse and we went downtown to visit Dada for lunch. She only "trick or treated" at Grammy & Grandpa's. They gave her a tangerine, which she ate in no time.

We snuck away one gorgeous Saturday to Brown County. This is the only shot we got because Isabella fell asleep before we could get to the state park for our picnic lunch. Oh well, maybe next year, with baby #2.

Every kid does it. I knew Isabella would too. Sure enough, the day I went on the deck to "winterize" it, I let Isabella wander...right over to my flower pots...full of dirt and peat...and let her be a one year old. She didn't disappoint! Love the Hitler mud mustache!

One more fashion show item! The absolutely precious pink velour dress and matching coat with faux fur collar and brooch! It was a gift from Granny, with money she sent last year for Christmas. This was last Sunday-her first one moving out of the nursery and into the room with the other 1's and 2's. Our little girl is growing up!

And phew! All the running, cleaning and catwalking has me pooped! See you all later!