The Exploration Continues

Siena is nearing the 11 month mark and nothing is stopping her. She spends her days wandering around the house, opening doors, picking up shoes, staring out the windows and playing tug of war with the dogs. She doesn't cause too much trouble and is learning to turn around when she hears the word, "No." Her smile is infectious, especially as her top and bottom teeth are starting to peek through. Siena has even enjoyed her new toothbrush and that nightly routine. Books are taking on a whole new excitement now that she has learned to turn the pages and to pull the books off the bookshelf. Siena has enjoyed a summer full of swimming, family, chasing after the dogs, and playing in the grass.

Walking Captured

Here is proof caught on video of Siena walking on her own. And with this new found freedom, come more joys around our home. And the dogs love to help or hinder her from exploring. Stay tuned!

Siena Walks

We are so proud to share that Siena has started walking. She took her first steps last week to Mommy before she turned 10 months old. And she is not content to just walk, she wants to carry things with her like bowls, spoons and more.
She continues to explore the house and find new things every day. She is fascinated by the refrigerator and the dishwasher. Bath time is a blast since she now loves to play with her toys in the tub. She is paying more attention to the books that we read her and flipping the pages. No words besides "da-da" to report but she love to squeal in delight.

9 Month Milestone

Siena is a super active little girl who is into everything. I don't know if we can still call her a baby. She loves getting into every place that we prefer her not to be; in the refrigerator, around the toilet, close to the one step we have in the house. She enjoys playing with Milo and his cow, and he can always bring a smile to her face, even first thing in the morning.

She has been swimming three times this season and she loves the water and splashing the top of the water. I think we have another fish in the family.

She is a petite little girl and she has gotten some great use out of her clothes because of it. She is growing but at her own rate. Enjoy the pictures!

A New Baby

Since Siena started crawling on May 26th, we have had a new baby on our hands. She is not content to sit in her exersaucer or her Johnny Jumper. She enjoys playing on the floor with anything and everything from paper to Milo. Nothing is safe and my work load has been cut in half. Her last weigh in had her at 15 lbs although she is still wearing 3-6 months clothes. She is growing but at the "Knoll" rate.

Siena got to travel to Kansas to see her grandparents over Memorial Day weekend. I think she enjoyed herself; I know they enjoyed her. Then we took a weekend trip to the Smoky Mountains and enjoyed some downtime with just the family and a few friends. She has also learned to pull up so she was showing off for the other babies on our trip. She is still a VERY happy baby and sleeps through the night. We couldn't ask for a better little girl and we consider ourselves very blessed to have a healthy, happy, beautiful girl.

Our First Vacation

With Siena of course. The Knolls like to travel so we weren't about to sit this year out just because we have a new addition to the family. So off we went to Savannah, GA where we explored the city in a trolley car and took a haunted history walking tour, a must since this is the most haunted city in the US. We strolled along the River Street and through the city squares, stuffing ourselves full of good food, including Paula Deen's cuisine. Our mini companion rarely complained and was happy to sit in her stroller, until dinner came to the table.

Then on to Charleston, named for King Charles II. So many exquisite houses throughout the years and shops to see and Siena wasn't the one to keep us from seeing them all but time and money. We visited the Citadel, Ft. Sumter and the aircraft carrier Yorktown with Grandma Knoll and her family from the south. Of course, no trip to the South is complete without some beach time. Siena got her first taste of the ocean but we may have to wait for warmer days for swim lessons.

Our last stop was to introduce Siena to her oldest living relative on Angela's side of the family, her great, great aunt in western South Carolina. We returned home to a dry home, unlike so many people in the middle Tennessee area after history making rainfall on our drive home. We were so blessed to have a week together, a safe trip and our warm home to return to.

Siena at 6 months

Our little girl brings us so much joy every day. She is such a content baby and travels with us everywhere including dinners, meetings and she sometimes sits through Daddy's bible studies. She is quite the roller and jumper. I feel she will take on some athletic talents. She may turn orange soon if she doesn't learn to accept some of those green colored vegetables we are attempting to serve her. She has found Milo and is very interested in watching him move and petting him. And yes, she is teething but a pacifier keeps her satisfied. Enjoy the pictures by our good friend, Kelsey Bufkin, taken just before her 6 month birthday.