This is the part where I'm once again dumbfounded by the breakneck pace at which time passes, and I just need to say something about it: SHE SHOULD ONLY BE LIKE FOUR MONTHS OLD OR MAYBE SIX AT THE MOST HOW DID THIS HAPPEN SHE'S ENORMOUS AND SHE WALKS WHY WAAAH WHY I WANTED A BABY NOT A MINI TODDLER.
I'm in disbelief that we are in the homestretch of her first lap around the sun. I told my mom yesterday that sometimes I feel like I should still be pregnant with her, or like instead of having her first birthday she's going to be birthed again, like I'm anticipating her arrival. A few days ago Eric asked me to plug in a cord and I thought not sure if I'll be able to fit back there...OMG I HAVEN'T BEEN PREGNANT IN 10 MONTHS WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I'm telling you I am a) nuts b) nuts c) nuts d) birthed an overachiever and I can't keep up.
Eleanor Elizabeth is growing like...I'd like to say a weed, but in my experience, weeds are usually tall and whispy, which is not the case with my Elle. She's growing like a tank. Like a big, steel tank. She's weighing in around 21 1/2 pounds, (which was not a weight her sister hit until she was 18 months old 😳) and stands at 28 1/2".
She loves to eat and has on more than one occasion, after finishing her own meal, polished off her sister's leftovers as well. She's extraordinarily loud, especially if I put her in her high chair and don't have food immediately ready for her. She literally screams until there's something on her tray. The other day my ears hurt after sitting next to her at dinner. I'm not kidding.
Oh, and she walks! She took her two first steps when she was eight months old, at the library, where a gasp from one of the librarians verified what I thought I had seen. She's been teetering around since then, a step or two or three here and there, and then this past week she seems to have really gotten the hang of it. Crawling is still her preferred mode of transportation, and she looks like a little monkey as she scoots across the floor. For all that girth, she's remarkably fast and agile.
Her words include: Momma, Dada, Grace, Georgia, all done!, ho ho ho (since Christmas, little overachiever) and Elsa. Heaven help me I am so sick of Elsa I can't even tell you. She's NEVER EVEN SEEN THE MOVIE. HOW DISNEY, HOW DO YOU DO IT!? A few weeks ago we were reading a book and she pointed to a cow and said "Moo." Out of the blue! I've never worked on animal sounds with her, and Eric paahhh do dad's do things like that? Anyway, she basically taught herself moo, so she's clearly very observant, and I, apparently, need to teach her some more animal sounds. Since then, she's added raahhhr for a tiger, and ooh-ooh for a monkey to her repertoire.
Elle's favorite thing to do is read books, and she's got three faves that I'm contemplating hiding because I bet we read them 10 times a day. She's currently into trust falls, specifically catching my eye when she's near the edge of the couch or seated on the ground, lifting her feet off the ground, and if I make a dash for her, she'll throw herself back as fast as she can to see if I can catch her in time. It is a cruel and unusual game, Eleanor, but I do thank you for getting my heart rate up multiple times a day. If she finds a blanket or towel on the floor she'll always play peek a boo, and if she's bored she'll clap her hands until you play patty cake. Oh, and she's fond of giving me kisses; big, open-mouth, slobbery kisses, and sometimes she'll sink her one tooth into my chin, just as a reminder that she owns me. She likes to give me a big kiss when I pick her up in her crib at night, when she should be sleeping (which she still doesn't do very well, might I add) and I melt into a puddle and let her sleep with me until the morning.
A few nights ago we were making an evening game plan, and I ticked off a few things that needed to get done -- kids getting a bath, library books needed gathering, dog needing a walk-- and as we continued our conversation, Elle slid off my lap and headed for the steps where Eric, zone defense style, followed her upstairs. We were still talking, Grace negotiating her way out of a bath and into an iPad, all while Elle worked her way up the steps, crawled into the bathroom and pulled herself up against the bathtub and started slapping the edge of the tub, like, "Come on! You said bath, let's go!" Babies are smart, you guys.
This kid makes us laugh and smile from the time she opens her eyes in the morning til she goes to "bed" at night. Watching Grace and Elle form a relationship independent of me gives me hope for the future. What a job, what a holy, sacred job I have been given. I am so honored to be their mom. Elle, you've saved 2016 for our friends and family, I cannot tell you what a gift that has been, to have you, this year. If you need a dose of sunshine, I'll share her with you for a little bit. Careful though, she's got one tooth and she likes to use it...
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