Tessa enjoys the big pool

Based on Tessa's love of her nightly baths and her kiddie pool, we had a feeling that Tessa might like to get her feet wet in the big pool. Here are a couple of shots of her proving our hunch correct.

Wait, who's pool is this?

The Becks bought a kiddie pool for Tessa to play in since she's not ready for the big pool yet. She really liked it. In fact, she made it look like so much fun that Dad had to crawl in and check it out for himself.

Tessa goes to the zoo

Since Tessa had so much fun at the aquarium a couple of months ago, we decided to take her to the Naples Zoo, while we were on a short vacation in Florida. Here are some shots of her with her personal guide, Grandma Beth.

Tessa was very impressed with the giraffes...

And with the lion... but her favorite animals were the ones she already knew.

Mom's Birthday

Tessa's first birthday is just around the corner! She turned 11 months old last Friday. To prepare for her own birthday, Tessa thought she should have a birthday trial run. Luckily, Mommy obliged, and Tessa got a chance to practice opening presents. She had so much fun that she can't wait for her own big day.

Headed to daycare

Here are a couple of shots of Tessa getting ready in the morning. I shot these yesterday as we were headed out the door


and then as Tessa was getting settled in her stroller.
I took both of these pictures because I wanted to show everyone that Tessa is very aware of her surroundings. If she's sitting in her high chair, she watches all the activity in the room, regardless of whether it's us walking around or her four-legged friend Aly.

Teething

Tessa has finally gotten her first tooth, and the second one is not far behind. She's on the late side for teething, but being a preemie doesn't have any impact on when babies start teething: it's purely genetic. Not to point any fingers, but Tessa's mommy got her teeth early.

Tessa is very interested in her new teeth (see below):

She's also determined to learn how to crawl forward, as opposed to backward, sideways, and rolling, all of which she's mastered.

Hair styles

Now that Tessa has some hair, she's decided to try out a few new hair styles. We think the head band is a pretty good look for her. Who knows, we might even have to trim her little locks sometime soon.

Let's roll, Dad

Tessa loves going out for the day. She starts dancing around as soon as she realizes we're getting ready to go. She has some baby sunglasses, too, although they are not her favorite accessory. She's ready to rock-and-roll in this picture, "let's get going!"

Finger foods

Tessa has become very adept at feeding herself. Here's a video of her eating some little pieces of cheese. Her "cheese into mouth percentage" isn't 100%, but it's getting pretty close. You can see that she's learned that it is important to spend the extra time getting a good grip on the food before moving it to her mouth.