Countdown to A YEAR!!

Hello All!
Well, it is December 9th as I write this. I CANNOT believe our peanut is going to be a year in about 3 weeks!!! It seems like yesterday when I first created this site and was still pregnant. WOW!
Things have been very busy over here as you can probably imagine. The holidays bring joy and some stress as well! We went for family/Mia pics at Kiddie Kandids at Babies R Us the end of November. The week of Thanksgiving actually. The prep work is never fun, however, the pics came out very cute I think. We got 6 shots. We put Mia in 2 outfits. She was overall very good about the whole thing. She needed some coercing at the end to smile, and we managed to get some good stuff!
I sent out my xmas cards about a week ago. I am happy that is complete! I took Mia to the Livinston mall on Decmber 4th, just me and her, to go see Santa and get her her first good pair of shoes! She was very good with the "big man". She didn't cry, but didn't smile either. I think she was a bit mesmorized by the whole thing!
As for updates with the peanut, she is now cruising along the couch! She just started doing this about 3-4 days ago. She was only pulling herself to a standing position and just staying there. Now she is moving those little legs and getting more and more condifent it seems every time. She has cut her third tooth also. I am not sure if I mentioned this or not. I have the exact date in my baby book, but I think it was the end of November! It's one the bottom on her right side next to the first two. She started to say "baba" now. Giacomo noticied this just yesterday which I thought was a good observation for a man! ha ha. It means she's putting her lips together now and just increasing her babbling ability! So cool! I have yet to hear "mama", but I am working on it! There are so many things it seems she is doing new everyday lately. She dances on command..shakes her booty when she sits on the floor. It's adorable. She just started to "point" also as of yesterday! She makes this like gun shape with her hand. I guess she is understanding how to show me what she is "talking" about. She definitely is "taking everything" in now and I can see how Giacomo and I must be careful about what we say and do now! She understands "give a kiss", "wave bye bye", I am teaching her how to give a hug, which she'll do right after I show her. It's SO Cute! She puts her head on my shoulder! I can just eat her up! lol. What else, I am trying to introduce her more now to table food and just food with a chunkier texture. I give her basically anything we eat as long as it can be chopped small and is soft. I am a bit paranoid about the whole choking thing. She does pretty well most of the time. Every now and then, she gags a bit. I am trying to push her a little more and not get so crazy! I spoke with a pediatrician at St. Pete's and he told me to try some more things. She is just really becoming a little person now. It's the most amazing thing ever!!
I am so happy to spend Christmas with her. It is her first Christmas as you all know, and she will be just shy of a year old! I am also having a first birthday party for her December 28th. We are keeping it fairly small, maybe about 25-30 people. I just ordered the invitations. It was a bit late. I realize how crazy it is to have a baby at Christmastime!
I have to go now. I have errands to run with the peanut. I will be sure to add more info. as I am sure I did not think of everything and also add her most recent pics! There are always new pics! lol.
Take care and talk to you all soon!

The Bellomos!