July 13, 2014

elsie - seventeen months

When I laid out the quilt for this month's pictures, Elsie went right over, laid down and said cheese.  I wasn't quite ready with my camera yet, and naturally, as soon as I held it up to my face she rolled away and ran off all while giggling.  She is always teasing me and making mischief.  ALWAYS.

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I didn't weigh E again this month, we're not at home and I'm just too darn lazy.  She has a well child visit next month so we'll find out how many pounds she is packing in that belly of hers.  She is definitely taller.  It surprises me almost every time what she can reach off a table, or that she can see over the counter when she stands on the step stool.  Just looking at her I don't feel like she's grown that much, her clothes aren't really getting small or anything, but she is obviously bigger.  She has almost grown out of her size 4 shoes though, some of the size 5's will actually stay on.  I think 3 of her molars have pretty much made there way in, with the fourth just breaking the gums, for a total of, we'll say, 11.5 teeth.

It has finally happened.  Elsie is no longer a human food vacuum.  Don't get me wrong, the girl still loves to eat, but she is becoming picky!  Wahhhh.  Lately she is less likely to eat chicken, most vegetables, and she won't eat shrimp.  Sometimes she refuses hot dogs too.  But she does love fish, will usually eat hamburger or meatballs, and she is still a huge fan of fruit, avocados and cheese.  And the only vegetable she'll consistently eat is asparagus.  I'm down with that, I like asparagus.  She seems like she'll be a dip girl.  We finally offered ketchup with some of her meats when she started getting pickier and it definitely helped.  She loves dipping stuff in guacamole too.  Sweet treats are definitely the way to her heart though.  E does a little sweet treat happy dance, she LOVES M&M's.

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The last couple of weeks Elsie has been sleeping much better.  She is going to bed around 7:30 or shortly after, and waking up for the day between 6:45 and 7:15.  There was one day she slept until 8:45 and I assumed she had to be sick.  It was crazy, my kids NEVER sleep that long!  I did take her temp and it was 99.4 or something, so maybe there was a little something bothering her, but it couldn't have been too terrible.  E goes down for her nap between 12:30 and 1 and will sleep for about 2 hours.

Elsie is picking up new words all the time.  She doesn't talk a ton around other people, and she can be difficult to understand, but she certainly knows what she is saying.  And for the most part I can figure it out too.  It's to the point where I honestly can't count the number of words she says because I know I'll forget something, but very few people would catch the words.  She has started calling my mom Nanny and I think it is kind of sticking, so Grammy is gradually becoming Nanny to all of us.  Other new words include Minnie (which sounds very similar to Nanny, very confusing because she seeks out both often!), back, neck, sunscreen (un-eeen), rainbow, raisin, cup (bup), fly (which sounds like why), glasses (which sounds like she is saying Daddy, it's weird), sun, moon, dress, and airplane (ah-pain), that, right there (when she wants you to give her something, put it 'right there!').  She calls cars a vroom vroom, says whoosh after she says airplane, and says beep beep beep! when we ask her to move out of the way or back up.

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proud of herself for climbing up there

She has recently also started saying poop when she either needs to poop, or has pooped.  It really has become pretty regular, so I started attempting to get her to sit on the potty.  Often she'll say yes, but once we get in there she changes or mind.  Or if she does in fact sit on the darn thing she freaks out.  I'm by no means pushing potty training, tried that with Ryann and she showed me who's boss.  Plus I personally find diapers more convenient.  But Ryann poop trained before she was fully potty trained and I'd be down with that.

Elsie loves to point out letters and is very interested in them.  In her world everything is a Y or a D.  She'll repeat the correct letter if I say it first, but whenever she points them out Y or D is all you get.  Chris and I are also pretty sure we heard her count to three last week, but that was a one time thing and really random.  I think I started counting and she just did it with me.  But then wouldn't repeat it again.  So maybe she really is learning something here and there, despite me not sitting down with her near as much as I did with Ryann.

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For the most part I am absolutely loving this stage and Elsie's personality right now.  She is so freaking affectionate it is hilarious.  Always handing out hugs and kisses.  At night when I am rocking her before bed she literally kisses like every inch of my arms and face.  A few nights ago when we were at my parents, she was up at 4am and not going back to sleep, so I tried bringing her in bed with me.  She'd lay all snuggled in for a few seconds, then sit up and kiss me and lay back down.  And repeat and repeat and repeat for like 20 minutes before I finally just stuck her back in her bed because as cute as that was, at 4am we SLEEP.  But seriously, she is so lovey dovey.

On the flip side, she absolutely can get pissed off and turns into a crazy person.  Like completely insane, running around screaming and biting things and throwing herself around.  It is slightly comical because it comes out of nowhere and she is a total nut job.  She HATES hates HATES getting her clothes or diaper changed, to the point where I have to lay her down with my legs over her while I try to change her diaper.  It isn't always like that, but goodness.  You'd think she'd get over it, seeing as I change her diaper a minimum of 6 times a day every single freaking day.  But now.  Most of the time turning Frozen songs on my phone works too.

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done with me.  obviously.

Elsie has gotten pretty good at using a fork.  I'm not sure how she is with a spoon because for some reason we never really eat any spoon necessary foods.  She tries to climb on everything, but thankfully she is relatively reliable about getting down safely.  She can walk backwards a decent distance (I had no idea that was a milestone until Chris pointed it out when she did it one time).

Strangers (and honestly non strangers such as Grandma!) still get the cold shoulder right off the bat, but Elsie has become better about warming up to them quickly.  Peek-a-boo and food win her over the fastest.  She has also been doing GREAT at the gym daycare.  It only took maybe a week before she'd willingly walk in on her own and kiss me goodbye.  Today I when I went to get the girls one of the employees was holding her just because.  She wasn't upset at all and actually seemed to be enjoying herself.  So overall I'd say we seem to be making good strides in that department!

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Really Elsie is just so fun to hang out with right now.  I love watching her play, and she can be such a goof sometimes.  She loves wearing various accessories such as headbands, glasses and necklaces.  She is also obsessed with the little Minnie Mouse toys where you can take the clothes on and off.  She needs help to dress her, but she can regularly be found carrying a Minnie around the house.  The other day she found a little basket and filled it with all of Minnie's accessories, and then carried Minnie and her stuff from room to room.  It was pretty dang adorable.  E also loves to color and can spend a good long time scribbling all over a paper.  Sidewalk chalk is a hit as well.

I know there are things I'm forgetting.  I seriously LOVE this age.  Even though Elsie is still very reliant on me, life in general is just a lot easier.  She plays pretty dang well on her own, likes going on outings and looking around, and is just fun.

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Love you so very much Elsie girl.

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