love love love

I saw this post on MODsquad today and it, of course, got me thinking about all of the things I love love love about our sweet Anna Kate :).

Just a few:

• When she wants a hug, she doesn't just walk up and hug you. She starts at a full run and SLAMS her body into your legs. Attack hug :). 
• Her smiles. There are so many variations and I know what each one means. Some are just pure joy, some are proud of her latest accomplishment, some are welcoming a stranger's greeting, some are quite mischievous, some are inviting tickles, and some are the "I'm not sure what you're doing, but I think it's kind of funny, so I'm going to smile" smile. 
• Dancing. We often have dance parties, but she always wants me to dance with her in my arms. No problems here! 
• Watching her learn and watching her crave new knowledge. The past few weeks she has been pointing to everything she sees saying "et" and waiting for us to name the thing. Her favorites are naming body parts and she'll go back and forth between her face and ours when we name each. 
• The way she says "buh-BYE". I'll have to get this one on video. "Buh" is rather quiet, but "BYE" is quite forceful :). 
• Her independence and her need of me. Yep. Both. 
• Hugging her animals. This started happening in the last month and it melts my heart every time. She had never been attached to anything (and still really isn't), but watching her walk around with a bear or pig or bunny snuggled up to her just melts my heart! 
• Putting things in other things. I have found myself "thinking like Anna Kate" to find lost pacis, socks, etc :). 
• I love how adventurous she is! She doesn't seem to have issues acclimating to new situations and will just take off exploring if given the chance.
• Her babble-stories. She tells us stories and is very expressive with her facial expressions and hands while she babbles away! I wold loooove to know what she is telling us :). 
• Growling. She'll rawr at us with the cutest smile on her face. 
• Walking around carrying boxes /containers that are at least half of her size. 
• Climbing into and just hanging out/sitting in said boxes/containers. 
• She brings me books to read to her and climbs in my lap expectantly. 
• After I've gone for a run, she'll grab my water bottle and put it up to my mouth for me to drink. She (and I) thinks this is hilarious. She looks so proud of herself! 

I keep hitting "publish" and then coming back to add more :). 

• She walks around with both hands behind her back
• When she's off playing in another room, I'll hear her just start giggling. Another time that I would love to know what's going on in her little head! 
• She pets her doggies and says "hi d" (d I think is for doggie :)) and says "hi kitty" whenever she sees Cassy.
• Walking around wearing a dishtowel, belt, anything around her neck and letting it drag behind her.  

I think the bottom line is that I just love watching her grow up and grow into her own little person. She's been absorbing and watching for so many months and now it's all coming out in her unique way!