November in the Portillo Home!

As usual, the Portillo home is busy and moving along! So much has happened over this past month and there have been many FIRSTs here!

We start off with Leah's 11 month pictures! Can you believe that she is 11 months old? WOW! Where has this year gone? Leah is starting to stand by herself and do so much by herself. She loves playing with Gabi, eating all types of stuff, and continues to be such a good girl.











Leah is finally starting to use the toy that babies stand behind and push so that it will help them walk. She is starting to push it and move. It won't be long until she is walking. I was alittle concerned because both Jack and Gabi walked before they were 10 months old. So now that Leah is 11 months and not walking by herself, I was concerned. But I know that in her own time she will walk! Look at that smile! You have got to love it!










One of Leah's favorite things right now is that Leah likes to point! YEAH, she points and says, "That!" We are working on saying PLEASE but THAT always tends to come out first! Heeee heee I know (again) in time she will learn the right things!












We have noticed over the past few months that Leah doesn't fit in all of Gabi's old clothes so I have had to buy her some things that fit. (Gabi was MUCH bigger than Leah at this age!) I got her this cute little sweater dress and HOW CUTE she looks! She just loves to look at herself in the mirror! Can't you tell?










Leah has also hit all of the New York requirements to finally sit in a FRONT facing carseat! YEAH! And she loves it! It is nice to finally see her little face as I'm driving and for her to be able to see the DVD Player without just hearing it.










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AND THEN SHE WALKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On November 25th or so, Leah started walking! I can't believe she just walked! I stood her up in front of me and just wanted to see what she would do. She just started walking! And of course, I had to get it on film! So, I pulled out the camera and tried really hard to get pictures of her first steps. Daddy was at work and I was alone in the house! It was SO exciting to see her walk and be so excited and proud of herself for walking too!
She will smiles so big when she walks to you!










We moved Jack's old twin bed and furniture up to Gabi's room. We felt that it was time for her to be a BIG GIRL! And she loves it! She sleeps so much better now and throughout the night! My little girl has become a big girl now! It kills me to think that in less than a month, she will be 3!!!!!!!!!!!













Leah had her first Thanksgiving this year too. She loved eating all of the normal Thanksgiving things like turkey, potatoes, green beans and pie. I got so sick the night before Thanksgiving or well, about 2 in the morning. Frank almost took me to the hospital because I was burning up and couldn't even stand up. I am so blessed to have him because he even got up at 5 in the morning and put the turkey in the oven for me.












We were very blessed with company this year! My best friend Michelle and her family were here for the holiday too! They are from Oklahoma and Michelle had to work up this way. I was SOOOOO thankful to have her here.


















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It started to snow not long after Michelle and the family got here! They wanted so much to see snow! Well, they got it! It was so hard to get all of the kids (and the LARGE kids) out of the snow! They worked and worked and worked on a whole snow-family! Quanah, Michelle's husband, even made a CUTE snow dog! He was so cute and we had to have a picture of him!



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We had Leah's first year birthday pictures done at Olan Mills too. I don't have them to show you just yet but I took a picture of her right before we left the house to have them done. Doesn't she look like a big girl? A year old!!!!!!!!! Gosh, 1 year old! Where did this year go? I can't believe how much she has grown! She is doing so much too now. She eats just about everything. She doesn't like milk yet, but I keep trying! She says things too, like Dadda, Mama, Gah (for Gabi), Buba, THIS and sometimes THAT, juice, and a few others. She is working on Blanket. She will make some sound and grab it and love on it but the word doesn't actually sound like BLANKET just yet! One day! Look at that big girl! And she is walking too!







We threw a birthday party for Leah on the 29th, the day before Frank left for schooling. We were very blessed to have numerous friends from church, the neighbors, and of course, the Smith family here to share it with her. Michelle was the first person to meet Leah at her birth, and she was here for her first birthday! We are SOOOOO blessed to have them here!







A while back, my friend Ann bought Leah and Gabi some dresses! THEY ARE SO ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!! I love them and the girls looked so great in them too! I had to show them off! We were getting ready for church here and they looked so cute! Thank you ANN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




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ON A FINAL NOTE: I want to ask you all to continue to pray for Jackson! His surgery has been scheduled for December 18th. His pre-op is scheduled for December 9th. Please keep him and the doctor doing his surgery in your prayers.