18 months Eliana

Ellie is 1 1/2! aka 18 months! Can't believe it, yet sometimes it seems like she has been here forever! Since it took me about a month to get this post written, some of the following info came about in the last month. Just for the record ;)

Your little personality is really coming out and you are quite the cutie patootie. Love to be silly and make brother laugh. You have a solid fake laugh. On the other hand when you are sad or crying, Bubba likes to make you smile with a silly face. Nothing sweeter. It works too. You adore him. You have even begun to enjoy wrestling with him. Blows my mind, but I can appreciate you just wanting to do anything he wants to do just to be with him.
(On a sidenote: I also love it when he tries to "teach" you things- like when walking into the library and I had just gone over the "rules" with him in the car and he decided to go over them with you. "Now Ellie, you have to be very quiet in the library." Yesterday he got down on her level, took her hands, and said "Ellie you did a great job with Honey today." As serious as can be. I have no idea where that came from since she always does great with Honey and he was at school the whole time too.)
On the other hand, she has started to stand up for herself. There is nothing funnier than when she gets really mad at Alex and starts "yelling" at him. She will go off! and has started hitting him and holding on to what she wants tighter. It's not really funny, but I am proud of her. It has taken Alex by surprise and he is quickly learning how he has to treat her with respect or she is gonna "give it to him". (Don't worry, she gets her talking to too)

this is what happens if I try to take a picture of them together

Miss thang is showing her "tude" more and more. Does a really good whining fit...often in front of the pantry in which she is begging for food. I swear we feed her but the girl is ridiculous about snacks and wants to eat all day long :) She gets it from her momma I am afraid. Girlfriend canNOT handle it if Alex gets something that she doesn't- i.e. dessert

I love your excitement for reading books. You will grab one and back yourself into my lap and make it clear that you want me to read the book. You could read all day if I let you. Favorite book is probably Goodnight Gorilla. Alex always loved it too.
Ellie, I love that you eat your bananas monkey style, poke the raisins out of your raisin bread, lick the icing out of the oreo and toss the cookie, gobble muffins whole (Alex said you look like a warthog), lick the butter off your toast, and prefer to eat your yogurt by yourself and make a huge mess (although you are really good with a spoon).

Sadly, we know that you also love popcorn, fruit snacks, and skittles (on occasion). Oh this girl is spoiled and poor Alex was so deprived.

You play babies for forever...hold, rock, lay on blanket, move, lay on blanket, hold and rock...you get the idea. She also loves to talk her sweet jibber jabber to them in the highest of voices.


Recently obsessed with the wagon and stroller and ALWAYS wants a ride!
LOVES to do puzzles and over the last month you have gotten pretty good.
LOVES to rock! You are supposed to bounce on this turtle but she makes it rock somehow and she gets the biggest smile and big eyes while doing it! She is crazy!

Serious about pouring water from cup to "cup" in the bath tub. We haven't got the heart to tell her that she is pouring into the open bottom boat.

mohawk night by daddy

Likes to move the chairs around and will tote her stool to anywhere in the house. Alex always says "Ellie frong! (strong)"
Really good at going through drawers and bringing us random trinkets from around the house.

Learned how to climb into the kitchen chairs and then follows with up onto the table. Its super.
Would go to the other room for a millisecond and come back to find you digging for "treasures" on the table!
And so Daddy got the booster out while I was gone and decided you needed to graduate to sitting at the table, out of the high chair. (tear) You are quite proud.

Loves to shake her head yes or no. My favorite is the yes. Its slow and big and you know she means it! Not to mention that it's so nice to communicate with you! You started the "where is it??" hands and expression. You make cute little grunts when you think something is hard to open or heavy to pick up. (You probably get this from me as I get bigger in the belly and moan and groan as I do the daily pick ups)

Will give a pretty good try at words you ask her to say- amazes me daily! Her main words include - Momma, Dadda, Alex (Ahlah), Ellie (cutest E-yee) Baby, Uh OH, water (wa-wa), Bye!, Hi!, thank you (ank ou)Set into a good nap routine of 1-3 (or longer) on non school days and 12-2 on Tues/Th.

Never posted about all our iron deficiency issues and drama (it was a lot of drama for the momma) but at the time I didn't want to rehash it all out. Anyway, when going back in at 18 mo, she was lower than at 15. Oops. So, we are really on the iron "juice" now and the administration/cooperation is going much better than the first go round. We've been doing a big push over the last month and hope to see some major progress next week. Cross your fingers.

Her stats from the doc- weight: 19lbs 4 oz (less than 5%)
height: 31 1/2 in (25-50%)

Our big secret, still on bottle at nap and bed. Geeze louise we gotta go cold turkey one of these days but it aint gonna be pretty.

Learned how to give real round the neck tight hugs! Nothing better!! Along with loving holding my hand when we walk. Oh how I treasure those lil hands wrapped around mine.

Love you sweet girl!!