Birthday Party

Today we had a party for Matilda with lots of friends and great food.  Unfortunately, a couple of Matilda's baby buddies couldn't make it, but she and Vivienne still had a wonderful time entertaining all the grown-ups.  And, what would a first birthday party be without a big cake mess?  Matilda had a fun time but was super tired by the end.  "Read more" to see some photos of the party.

First Birthday!

Today Matilda turned one year old.  To celebrate her birthday we went to the zoo.  She got to see lots of animals and had a great time with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Stephy.  After the zoo, we went to dinner where Tilly got a free sundae and happy birthday song!  We can't believe she's already one year old.  She's learned so much this past year, and we can't wait to see what she does next year.  "Read more" to see a ton of pictures from Tilly's first birthday!

Bookworm

Matilda loves books and her new walking skills make getting them easier than ever.  When she wants to read, she will bring you a book and sit in your lap.  And if you ask her to bring you a specific book by name, she totally knows which one to bring you.  She really loves her 'Gruffalo' book that her best friend Vivienne brought back from Ireland.  Check out the videos of Tilly getting books to read!

Fork this, not that...

Earlier this month Matilda began using a spork as long as we would stab the food for her.  Well today she decided she wanted to have a fork at dinner, and rather than bang and wave it around, she proceeded to eat with it.  She ate for quite awhile with surprising skill.  Here's a short video of her doing big girl stuff!

St. Patrick's Day Lucky Run

Matilda got up early to go watch mama run the Lucky 7 mile run.  It was cold, but she seemed to have a good time.  We even saw a 2 and 4 year-old running the 7K with their daddy, so Matilda has some new goals to achieve by next year.  "Read more" for some pictures.

Walking

Matilda has been walking quite a bit since she took her first steps back in January.  For awhile she wanted help and would just stand in place until you gave her your hand.  Now she is all over the place and all by herself.  The only thing she hasn't quite mastered is standing up consistently without an object to help.  No worries, she just crawls to the nearest wall and away she goes!  Check out her walking skills!

Pig Day

Matilda has been enjoying her weekly trips to the farmer's market, but this week it was extra special.  It was pig day and we celebrated all things pig!  Plus the weather was great and we got to see all of Tilly's friends.  "Read more" for more pictures.

Hugs and Kisses

Matilda has been giving kisses, and has now also figured out what hugs are.  If you ask for a hug, she will lean over and lay her head and arms down on you.  Check out the new videos of her giving hugs and kisses below!

Spork

Matilda has preferred to feed herself for awhile now. Today she put food into her mouth with a fork and was very excited about it. She hasn't quite mastered getting stuff onto the fork although she's really trying. If we help her stab it, she'll gladly eat it. She has also scooped up grapes onto a spoon. Go Tilly Go!

Kisses

Tilly has been doing "nose kisses" for awhile but has just now figured out what real kisses are.  It's super cute to see her trying to lay one on you.  They started out kinda sloppy, but she's now very good at giving kisses.  Check out the video!

Parks and Recreation

Matilda has been enjoying her playtime in the park.  Our park doesn't have swings, so she goes straight for the slides (the biggest one of course!).  Sometimes we even get to go use swings with Vivienne in her park.  Check out some more pictures and videos on the post page.

Playtime

Matilda loves playtime.  She chases the kitty, reads her books, and dumps her toy basket on a daily basis.  Matilda loves her toys so much she climbs into her toy box to play with them.  Here's some random pictures of her playing with stuff!

Look Who's Walking!?

Matilda has been cruising around holding furniture for awhile now, and yesterday she started walking all around the house while holding on to our fingers.  Today she was testing her ability to stand and balance without support, when she decided to start walking on her own.  We were wondering what would define her first steps, but we're pretty sure this is it.  So much for stumbling out of the gates.

Stand Alone

Today Matilda stood alone and balanced unsupported for 12 seconds before slowly squating to the ground.  She's been cruising along furniture for a while now, but with her new balancing skills, she has also began walking everywhere with support.  As long as she can hold on to your fingers, she will take you where she wants to go.  Here's a little video of her getting some practice.

Official 9 1/2 month photos

Today Matilda had her 9 month photos taken.  Due to an unfortunate incident that shall not be named, we had to postpone a bit.  Tilly had a great time playing with her favorite photographers Mandy and Lindsay, their three cats, and Great Dane Stella.  "Read more" for the rest of the photos.