Anna at 16 Months

Anna turned 16 months on New Years Day. What a joy she is these days. She is so funny to me; her personality is really showing. It is so much fun to watch this develop because it is neither the personality of Ross or me. She is funny, and spunky, and very social. She likes to "trick" us by hiding things or pretending like she is going to hand us something and then jerking it away. It is too cute. She plays so hard, and then sleeps hard too. Her vocabulary is really growing. She of course says the basics: Mama, Dada, Dog, etc., but we love to hear her say names. She knows everyone in our family by name: Papa, Gee, Aunt E, Coco, Juju, Bill, Lee, Nana, and Gapa. She also says Cole and Yay Ya (Layla.) She names her food, for example noonle (noodle), mick (milk), Wa Wa (eggo waffle), juice, peas, green beans, cheese, etc. My favorites are her pease (please) and thank you. She loves to mimic our language and our actions. She pretends to talk on the phone, and when we ask her who she is calling the answer is always "Aunt E." Then I say, "Aunt E and who else?" and she always says, "Coco." She can repeat most words, and they sound adorable. She has been walking for months now, and she is very close to breaking into a run. She "speed walks" away from us. Anna loves her baby dolls right now. She feeds them with a spoon, attempts to change their diaper, puts pacifiers in their mouths, and pushes them in their baby doll stroller all over our house. She is going to be a great mother one day.

All is going well for our sweet baby on the way. She is 26 weeks this Thursday, and we have named her "Darby Elisabeth Kester." We can't wait to meet her. She is VERY active, much more so than Anna was. I am praying for an adaptable child who blends well with our busy family...but we will certainly take what the good Lord gives us, and if she is as spunky as Anna was then so be it! We welcome her as she is, as she was miraculously "knit in my womb". I think she is going to be very different than Anna though, as I would swear she is a boy if I didn't know better. This pregnancy is completely different. I am guessing she is more of an "Arrington/Harrison" than a Kester/Spalding, since Anna is 100% Ross "made over". And I love her for it! I have to tease Ross these days; last night I said, "Why do you keep choosing girls?..Do you like me so much that you want two more just like me?" His answer, "Yes." Smart man.