Happy birthday, Elli Joy!

Today is Elliana's first birthday. I truly feel like she cannot possibly be this old-MAYBE 6 months, but a whole year, already??
This month she:
Has developed more language. One really super cute thing she does is try to participate in conversations. If Josh and I are talking she will inject a "Yeah!" with very emphatic nodding of her entire body and head. She also will sometimes do this when we ask her a question. So adorable!
Developed a new love for the second law of thermodynamics and helping that entropy process along. She adores pulling out and spreading Tupperware lids ALL OVER THE FLOOR. She also discovered the unmatched sock hamper last night and was in heaven!
Really discovered the joys of eating with utensils. She thinks this is super fun. It is also super messy, but hey. Part of the learning process, right?
She is cruising more, and pulls up on literally everything. She is also starting to have more trunk control and enjoy walking holding onto our hands. I think we are still a bit away from independent walking, which is totally fine with me.
She still nurses pretty frequently but is definitely extremely interested in food. She especially loves chicken, cheese, yogurt, and broccoli...and oranges, bananas...she is really not picky.
She LOVES her siblings, and loves to dance and sing with them.
Elliana Joy, we are so so happy you are in our family, and I look forward to continuing the adventure with you!

11 Months Old

Our sweet Elli-Bug, also known as Buggy, Stinker-doodle, Stink, and Elli-Joy has lived in our home for 11 months now! It is so so hard for me to believe and fully comprehend that she is this old-I truly feel like I just had her! And yet, she continues the full blown run toward toddlerhood!

She is crawling incredibly quickly, and figured out the stairs this month. Well, she has figured out how to go up them, but not how to safely go back down. She also likes to climb (specifically onto her siblings' picnic table) and gets herself "stuck" because again, she doesn't know how to get down, so she will yell until someone comes to rescue her (one benefit of being the 3rd child is that there are usually people around to help even if a parent is in the bathroom). She pulls up on anything that is taller than she is, but she doesn't cruise yet, and really has very little interest in walking while holding hands. Which is completely fine with me! She can take her time with walking, thank you very much. 

She eats just about everything, though she doesn't seem to like eggs very much.

She wakes up about 2 times per night, depending on the night. She can stretch her nursing out a little longer if need be, though that doesn't necessarily mean she chooses to do so!

She has started being very interactive recently. She often will pat our backs while we hold her, which is so sweet! She also will pat and rub a sibling if he/she is crying. Again, heart melting!

She has a few words: "Dada, mama, Bubby, yeah," are ones I have definitely heard and at times I think I have heard others. She also chatters-she has a lot to say, even if we can't quite understand it all!

She also started signing this month (we have been working on teaching signs for a bit now but she finally started using them spontaneously!). Unfortunately, the signs all look the same-opening and closing of the hand (we usually use this sign to mean "milk" or "nurse"). She does this for hi, nurse, all done, and eat. Hmmm...interestingly, where she places her hand matters (she puts her hand by her mouth for "eat", backwards toward herself for "hi", uses both hands for "all done" and reaches for me while moving her hand for "nurse"-but sometimes in the moment it's a little hard to tell what her intent is/was!

Things she loves:

• Animals. Any kind of animal. She really really wants to love our cat to pieces, but the cat is usually too fast for her! She will crawl after her panting in excitement and trying SO SO HARD to touch her, just once!
• Still loves tooth brushing. Still adorable.
• She does NOT love socks or shoes or any kind of footwear, which is a bit difficult since it is extremely cold here now.
• Remotes, or phones, or anything with buttons she can press
• "Bubby" (Ben), or Hadassah
• Crumpling, tearing, or eating paper.

SO CRAZY that my next update will be her 1 year old one!

Elli's 10th Month

Oh dear, I'm a bit behind!
Elliana Joy, we love you so much and just because mom got behind on blogging doesn't mean a thing for that-you are such a bright light in our lives and I am spending so much time deeply enjoying you that I'm not getting to blog about you, that's all! :-)
This month, Elli became much more mobile. She started crawling really well as well as pulling up. It is definitely a challenge to keep all the small things that her siblings like to drop all over the floor from ending up in her mouth! Thankfully, we haven't had anything super scary happen with that yet.
She also started eating quite a bit more solid food. She particularly seems to like berries of any type (loovvesss strawberries!) and meat. She thinks yogurt is the BEST THING EVER! It's so cute, she makes these adorable smacking and "mmmmm" noises when she is fed yogurt. I will admit, it's an occasional treat because it is so messy!
She is waking to nurse around 2-4 times per night, just depending. Unfortunately, instead of just fussing to nurse and then settling right now, she tends to scream for a few minutes (rather adrenaline inducing for mom!) and then settle down.
Some of her favorite things:

• Watching an adult (especially mommy) brush their teeth. I have no idea why this is so delightful, but she gets so excited about it and then laughs and laughs while we do it.
• Daddy. This month she started showing a definite preference for being held and played with by daddy, unless she is hungry.
• Parents, in general. She isn't a huge fan of being cared for by people other than us. Totally normal at this age, and she is not as emphatic about it as Hadassah was.
• She thinks her big siblings' magnetic tiles are SUCH fun toys.
• She is unfortunately very interested in night lights and electric outlets.
• She has decided that if she yells loud and long enough, maybe she won't fall asleep ever again. I'm not such a fan of this, but eventually she gives up. 
• She loves swinging and going running in the stroller-laughs and laughs the whole time-so adorable!

We seem to be plummeting out of baby phase and toward toddlerhood so quickly! Which is fun but also so crazy. We do love being this sweet girl's family and I am excited to continue to watch her grow and learn.

9 Months of Joy

Our sweet, beautiful Elli-bug turned 9 months old last week. This blog post always feels especially significant to me because it means my child has been outside of my body for longer than he/she was in-and every single time it amazes me how quickly that post-natal time flies!
Precious Elli-Joy has definitely grown/changed so much this month! More of her personality is definitely coming through. She has developed definite preferences, but doesn't have the communication ability to match, so she definitely has some moments of extreme frustration when she wants something (or doesn't want something) and we don't give it to her. She has also developed some separation anxiety this month (very normal) and really doesn't like it if mommy walks away. She is also becoming more interested in exploring, which is fun and also slightly anxiety producing as she finds all the little things her siblings have dropped on the floor!
Things Elli loves:

• Her greatest joy in life is watching a parent (especially mom) brush their teeth! She watches as we prep to do so with this look of eager anticipation...wait for it, wait for it...and then once we start, she lights up and giggles. No idea why she likes this so much, but it is definitely a highlight for her!
• She loves food. Just about anything, though half the time she chews it up and then spits it out instead of swallowing it. But she is definitely adventurous about flavors and textures. She's not really a fan of purees (which we don't feed her often, but occasionally we will have soup or something and she doesn't enjoy that as much).
• She loves splashing in the tub! Bonus if siblings are in there with her (she sits in her baby bathtub inside the big tub.
• She is starting to crawl well and makes her way around the house. But if she gets upset (parent walking away etc.) she seems to forget how and needs someone to come get her. She is also starting to pull up on low items such as boxes. 
• She can say "Dada" with meaning.
• She LOVES her brother and sister. Ben likes to carry her around the house (impressive since she is 1/3 his weight) and she loves it too!
• She adores playing with the cat toy (a pole to bounce feathers off). She knows it's for the cat and loves to shake it at the cat and laugh when she tries to catch it. And then she tries to catch the cat...stinker!

Such a privilege to watch this little one grow...and it happens so fast! Before I know it she will be a full fledged toddler!!

7 Months of Joy

Yes it's true-Elli is 7 months old! I feel like her personality has started to emerge a lot more this month-she is incredibly sweet and usually very happy-though teeth have also emerged this month, and she does not love that process!

Things she loves:

• Her jumper, especially if one or both of her siblings jump with her!
• Daddy being clean shaven-he had surgery and didn't shave for a few days and she was NOT a fan of the weird scruffy dude. When he shaved she was so thrilled to have daddy back!
• Food. She started eating this month and my worries that she might be orally averse have proven unfounded. So far she has tried and loved Apple, avocado, peaches, black beans, watermelon, carrots, and banana. As with her siblings, we are doing baby led weaning and just taking it at her pace.
• Anything that makes a crinkly sound.
• Snuggling close in a wrap (preferably with mommys soft pillows but if those aren't available someone else will do), especially if she is sleepy.
• Soothie pacifiers.
• Outside.
• Both siblings (though sometimes Hadassah's preferences for physical proximity are a bit much for her).
• The bathtub!

Things she doesn't love:

• Being walked away from (especially by mommy), or being alone in general.
• Being down for more than about 15 minutes.
• Diaper changes.
• Having her hair done-though it is getting long enough that this may not be negotiable for long.
• She will still have absolutely nothing to do with bottles. Sigh.

New things she is doing:

• Eating, as mentioned above. Sadly she is the only child who at this age is not poop trained (on the potty). This is entirely our fault, both because we have 3 small people to tend to and because one or both of us has been injured nearly her whole life. Well, okay, to be fair she is also a ninja pooper. She will give no sign that she is going or has gone until we happen to check her diaper and there is poop in there! Keep in mind that she is held or worn most of the time-she is talented! Maybe that will change with the addition of solids. We hope.
• Pushing up on all fours and wiggle-scooting across the floor. It's about to get real...gulp!
• Acting like she might drop the third nap soon.
• Reaching for people she wants.

She is such a sweet and snuggly little girl-just melts in your arms. There are definitely lots of moments when I wish to freeze time, yet I also am so excited to watch her continue to grow!

6 months of Joy

Elli is 6 months old! You would think by the third kid I would cease to be amazed by the speed with which time flies, but not so much...

She continues to be such a delight to our family! We have had a tough month, mom and dad are both injured (my foot, his shoulder) but the smiles from this little one are lovely!

She rolls and scoots. No crawling yet, which is really okay with mommy!

She went through a brief "now I love pacifiers" phase which got mom thinking maybe bottles would be possible. Not so much!

She has become very expressive and talkative which is very fun but also means her days of coming to work with me are numbered and nearly at an end. I do so appreciate having had the ability to snuggle her in the afternoons just a little longer though!

She ninja poops! Seriously she gives no sign whatsoever and also doesn't have a specific time of day that she poops. This means we rarely catch the poop on the potty. Which may be okay as neither parent is really physically able to do that right now anyway.

She loves to nurse while holding her foot and/or sticking it in her ear.

She is not interested in solids yet. Which is fine, she is still very young! And mommy is okay with not having to deal with solid food poop in cloth just yet.

She loves to touch faces, giggle with her siblings, snuggle, and be worn. She loooovvvesss anything that crinkles.

She is getting her first tooth.

Precious girly, you are so loved! 

4 Months of Joy

Elli-ana, Elli, Elli-ana, Elliana, Elliana Joy!
We have now had our precious baby bug for 4 months! She is such a lovely little addition to our family.
I am pretty much giving up on her taking bottles. Her disposition is such that I think she  might have taken one, but she had the tongue issue and wouldn't accept plastic, and I think now it's too late. So her wonderful daddy has made the incredible sacrifice of driving her to me multiple times a day. I am also able to keep her with me a few afternoons a week and that helps.
Since she is eating during the day (unlike certain other children of mine) she actually is a pretty good sleeper at night! We are usually up 2-3 times for a quick feed (she is also a very efficient nurser and can usually eat in under 5 minutes) and she has had a few times where she has given me 4-6 hour stretches...amazing at this age! I am still tired, but that has more to do with me changing my work hours to 6-4 to try to get home sooner to see kids more during their waking hours and help Josh more. I do enjoy getting to see them more during their waking hours though, so it is worth the sleep deprivation!
Elli started rolling over this month! I have only seen her going from back to front and then she gets stuck (and frustrated!) with her arms under her...though to be fair, this little lady is a super sweet snuggler and loves being in arms so she isn't really down very much.
Things she loves: raspberries on her tummy, tickles, her big sister saying "Ah-goo!" and laughing, her brother doing just about anything, daddy dancing with her, mommy nursing (but only if she is hungry!), being worn (though she isn't crazy about the process of being wrapped!), and baby TV (the fish tank).
She is somehow able to laugh without smiling, it's kind of an odd thing, but still cute!
I look forward to seeing you continue to grow, sweet girl, though time is already going way too quickly for this mama! Ben says that we need to put another tiny baby in mommy's tummy because you are growing too fast and getting hard for him to hold.