We've all been pretty busy lately

I've been swamped with school and Ryan's been working and taking care of things around here so I can be busy with school. I think we're doing a good job of trading responsibilities and working together to make sure we can each get our own stuff done. In the middle of all of this is Isabel and how she's been keeping herself busy.

Isabel is cruising now! She can take sideways steps when she holds on to something. It's quite impressive - and adorable. She is just so tickled with herself. She's tried standing on her own for about 5 seconds at a time without falling on her butt. She seems to like being able to do that, too. It makes play time a bit more fun because she has more options of what to do now.

She's been super chatty this past week. Sometimes it seems like she might be trying to say "dog" when she sees Emory or Stuey, but I'm not really sure yet. But, she can mumble and squeal like nobody's business. In the meantime, we read to her a few times a day. At some of her mealtimes we go through abc flashcards and sign language flashcards. She tends to make a whole lot of noise when she sees chickens and ducks. Chickens at the zoo, ducks down at the marsh. She laughs and mumbles and squeals. It's funny - she doesn't get as excited when she sees our birds.

Ryan has been working with her on feeding herself from a spoon. He'll let her hold the spoon when it's got a chunk of something, like banana or avocado, on it and she'll put it right into her mouth! The right way, too. She seems to enjoy being able to do that too.

It's so fun to watch her. She has this little personality with dislikes and likes and super likes. I'm looking forward to her first birthday party.