seventeen months

Some of my favorite photos of L during her seventeenth month:

Her big sister took this one; it shows the way she likes to hold onto an object.

She was making dolls "drink" from this bottle all day. This camo jacket I tried on her is from our Build-a-Bear! Ha ha ha.

A few days after her monthday (since I'd been in St. Louis):

I love how babies and toddlers have such short arms.

She has started folding her arms when we say we're going to have a prayer (but this was not prayer time).

This was her response to, "where's your nose?" She was better with people other than herself.

This was "where's your belly button?" and she's just a little to the side of it.

It was probably during this month that she started to love having a piggy-back ride to get down the stairs. I sit on the top step and ask, "Do you want a piggy-back ride?" She says something in baby talk and gets onto my back.

the second race I ran

Below are photos from my 6-kilometer race back in October; I wrote a little about it here. I felt great running and listening to music, the landscaping was pretty, the weather wasn't too warm, we got free food and other things afterward . . . it was such a fun experience. My friends Katie and Anne (and others from their book club) participated, too. Among the large crowd, my sweet husband and kids didn't see me cross the finish line, but I loved that they were there to support me. It was nice to not have to push a stroller, which I did during my 10k (just before conceiving L) and my 5k (I walked; I was 7.5 months pregnant with L). 

For the 6k, my time put me in the top 10% for my age group and in the top 7% overall. I averaged a bit under 9:45 per mile. (Katie hadn't done much running before but was only about 3 minutes behind me -- good job! And you too, Anne!) I'm ready for another race . . . as soon as I choose one and register.

Me with Katie -- taken by my husband. I didn't get any of him or our older daughter (or any of Anne or her family).

My baby and Katie's, born 8 days apart. They had both starting walking a few weeks earlier.