It's birthday week at our house, and we are celebrating Eleanor Elizabeth's first trip around that still-too-far-away-for-my-taste sun! Thinking back on this year, I think one of the things that surprises me most is that Elle was induced. Since everything else she has ever done has been early, fast and ahead of schedule, I'm sort of shocked she didn't arrive a few weeks early, armed with a toothbrush and some extra diapers asking for directions to her new bedroom.
This year has flown by in a blink. Two kids who literally grow and change in front of your eyes have a way of making days and nights slip through your fingers like sand on the beach. Just when you think you have a grasp, they change and you have to sift, shift, catch, anticipate, and just watch, astounded as they grow into a newer yet older, more capable version of themselves. Stepping back, a year after Elle's arrival, I too am astounded how much I've changed and grown; the things I thought I cared about versus the things I find I actually care about are drastically different from pre-motherhood to now. If you don't have a kid, I would recommend getting one as soon as humanly possible. It's simply the best thing that will ever happen to you. Anyway, this post isn't about me (even though I was the one who BIRTHED HER thankyouverymuch) so let's move along to the woman of the hour, Elle!
Here's the first thing you should know about Elle. She thinks she's three. She is bound and determined to do everything her big sister does, hence walking at 9 months, running at 11 months, her success at going potty on the toilet (we only have success about 1% of the time, but still fun for her) and her obsessions with Elsa, tutus and barbies. Take a look:
 |
| Two Tinks! |
 |
| "I'll be Lady, you're the Tramp." -GNN |
 |
| "No Grace, I can't give you a massage because my coffee is hot rn but you could try laying on these foam blocks? Sure Elle, you too honey." Solid gold mothering right there. |
Elle has a great vocabulary for a one year old, and her favorite words are "Elsa" and "Umm." She also says Mama, Dada, Grace, Georgia, Anna, Elmo, and tons of animal noises, but she says "Elsa" and "Umm" probably 500 times a day. I'm not kidding. If I ask her, "where's Georgia?" she'll say, "Ummm?" as she looks around for little Georgia, shoulders shrugged, one eyebrow raised. She shakes her head "no" when she is displeased, and flops her hand up and down to say yes. She loves to read books, she can even turn pages by herself, and she likes to stash toys between pages and then look at me with her shoulders shrugged, waiting a second before whipping the page open to show me the toy, with a big smile on her face. If you ask her how old she is she'll hold up one pointer finger and grin at you. She can follow simple directions, and she always knows what's going on -- the other day as we walked into the library, Elle heard the librarian say the word fish, and then she looked at me and made a fish face. Girlfriend pays attention and I LIKE it.
One thing she has picked up from her sister, which I'm not real fond of, is how expressive she is when things don't go her way. That's a polite way of saying she's got a weeee bit of a temper for being only a year old; when things don't go her way she's been known to attack whatever is giving her grief-- her dog, her sister, her toys -- or lying prostrate on the ground and wailing, like a three year old. A few nights ago we were at Costco and Mimi had an Elmo book picked out for her birthday, and Elle wanted to carry it around the store, but since it was about as tall as she is, we tried to talk her out of it. When she could tell she wasn't going to get her way, she sat down on the ground, squinted her eyes, and put her head in her hands, very dramatic-like. I was like, whaaat is she doing? and my mom in her infinite wisdom said, "Oh my word I think she's pretending to cry." Sure enough, she was throwing a little mini pity party for herself, fake crying, head in hands, all because she couldn't carry the Elmo book. Eleanor, you're a baby! You can actually cry for such idiotic reasons as not being able to carry the Elmo book! No need to play the manipulative games your sister does! You've got a solid year before anyone expects you to 'behave' in any sort of appropriate way! Take advantage of it!
The one thing Elle does not do like a three year old is sleep through the night. Well, actually if we're comparing her to her three year old sister she sleeps only marginally worse than that, Grace waking up once a night, Elle usually thrice. Sometimes twenty. She started out so well, and oh I had such high hopes. My kids are darling and bright but sleeping is not one of their strengths. Also I lack discipline. Also check out her preferred pose for nursing ⬇. I'm not kidding.
The one thing Elle does better than our resident three year old is eat. I take her to the Doc next week and I'm fairly certain she will weigh in at or above what Grace weighed at AGE TWO. She certainly is a little chubby, but she's also tall, insanely strong, and remarkably agile. She's still just a little too slow to take Grace down, but it won't be long and my tinky little Grace won't stand a chance. I have to say I'm sort of excited to see it dawn on Elle, the moment when she realizes she can own Grace. Grace is 95% of the time an excellent big sister. There's 5% of the time, however, when she likes to assert her dominance in myriad obnoxious ways, like getting in Elle's personal space and making a mean face, sneaking up behind her and saying BOO! as loud as she can, snatching a toy out of Elle's hands just because she can. Pretty harmless stuff, but still, it'll be a smidge satisfying to see Elle reach her breaking point, and, armed with her strength and agility, defend herself. I'm reminded of a time we were at the library and a little boy went to hug Elle and he sort of lost his balance and they both went toppling over. She was ticked, because she didn't want to be hugged in the first place, and when she righted herself after the topple she grabbed his collar and got right in his face and shouted at him, like BACK OFF BRO. I freaking LOVED IT. Taking care of herself at 10 months old.
If you ask Elle what a baby says, she'll make this face and pretend to cry:
If you ask Elle to laugh, she makes this face.
Also she enjoys balancing food on her head. Hey do you like my new wood floors?!
Quick word on her name -- Many people, especially older people do not understand the name Elle. They just don't get it. Al? Nell? Did you mean Ellie? Huh? And Eleanor for a baby stymies them as well. Young people, I'd say 40 and under, TOTALLY understand and appreciate the name Elle. Thanks and thanks ⬅ am I right. This summer I struck up conversation with an older woman who was playing with her granddaughter outside a restaurant, and since that's how I also enjoy most of my meals out, we had a lot of time to talk. She asked about my girls, and after learning their names were "Grace and Eleanor" she threw her head back, put her hands over her heart and said, "I LOOOVE those beautiful, timeless names! Great job!" I was like damn, FINALLY, YES that is the reaction I was hoping for, nay expecting, every TIME I introduce them. Anyway, Elle, I love your name. I'm working on curbing your dad's fondness for "Lenore," and not sure what I'm going to do about Grace's affinity for "Ella" and "Eleanora."
Back on task -- another thing that astounds me about Elle is how she connects the dots without much coaching. For example, the other day I was bundling her up to go outside and when I opened the door she said "BRRR!" and shook her shoulders. The other morning she woke up before Grace and I told her to please be quiet as a mouse in the hallway and she put her finger over her lips and said "ssss!" A few weeks ago she found a yellow block on the floor and pretended to drive it around like a truck for 10 or so minutes. She did the same thing with a cucumber in her high chair the other day, driving it around the tray and the back of her seat, saying "vrrmm, brummm" the whole time. From what I understand, this sort of object representation usually doesn't happen until a little later in the toddler years, and I am left scratching my head. How has she put all of this together already?
So, clearly I have a ton to say about this girl of mine, but I will wrap it up now, for fear of nauseating all of you with how special I know her to be. But all babies are special in their own way, aren't they? Unique little bundles of love. I was feeling sort of heartbroken about her turning one a few weeks ago, but then I was watching her, really watching her do all the incredible things she can do, and I saw how she studies and learns from her big sister, and then boldly tries something herself for the first time, and I am reminded that she's not actually mine. She's not just here in relation to me, she's her own person. Maybe that's why turning one is such a big deal...because when she was born, at least for the first few weeks anyway, she was mine, and she did exist only in relation to me, because she needed me completely. Somewhere along this year she started to establish her own personality and heavens to betsy, it's big and brave and LOUD and different from her sister's in such a fun, complimentary way. If I had two Grace's we'd all be doing a lot of dancing and story telling and talking about clouds but no one would have figured out how to collapse the doll jogging stroller yet, and no one would have gotten my heart rate up as high as when Elle figured out how to open the gate at the top of the stairs. Anyway, it's too late to be heartbroken, and pointless anyway -- she's already on her journey, blazing ahead like an independent woman, so I will keep my heart in tact, letting it grow with her instead of trying to hold on, feebly, to the sifting sand that is raising children.
Eleanor, my darling. You are exactly what I never knew I needed. Happy Birthday!
No comments:
Post a Comment