Eleanor Rose, One Year Old

Dear Eleanor,

How can you be a year already? It seems like just yesterday I was nursing you for the first time in the hospital, amazed at how good at it you already were! Every day since then Ella, you have continued to amaze me! I've watched you grow a lot this year. You went from being a quiet and reserved baby, who we waiting so long to see your beautiful smile, to this funny, goofy girl, who still loves her cuddles and adores both her sisters! I'm just so overwhelmed by pride when I look at you Ella!

This month was a very verbal month for you sweetie. Both your first sign and first words happened this month! On November 25, you said "Uh Oh" for the first time! I was taking Thanksgiving pictures of you, and you were playing with my lens cap, and dropped it over the side of the couch and said "Uh Oh" and few times! Now I don't count that as your first word, since it's not really a word...but it was still exciting! You say it in the most adorable way too! You leave this exaggerated pause between the "Uh" and the "Oh". It's just so cute! You seemed really proud too when you saw that we understood something you said! For weeks after you just kept repeating it over and over again! So so cute!

On December 1st, you signed your first sign..I think! We were at Little Gym watching Lily's class, and our friend Wendy gave you one of baby Zoe's toys to play with. I told you to say thank you, and signed it at the same time...and you looked right up at Wendy and did the sign! We all saw it, and were so excited for you! The only thing is, I haven't seen you do it since! I keep trying, but you wont sign it again! I guess Wendy is just special! But that is ok, because the very next day, December 2nd, both you and Violet were signing baby with me at lunch time! You are so cute though, you would sign baby, but say "Dada"!


Your big day of the month though, December 8th...you said your first word!!! "Kitty"!!! I was so excited! I've been trying to get one of you to say kitty as a first word since Lily was a baby...and you my little rock star, was the baby to give me my wish! I actually think you may have been saying kitty for at least a week or more by that time, but I was never sure (Very similar to Violet and her first word "bear"), but that morning Orion jumped onto the bed, and you very clearly said "Kitty"! You've been saying it a lot since then! I also discovered since you started saying the word, that you have been signing it all along too!! It looks almost like you are strumming your lips when you do it! So cute! Since then I also think you have said thank you, hi and bye! (Mommy was bad...I never finished writing this blog since I've been so busy with you and your sisters, and being sick pregnant, so I'm trying to remember everything a month later...I feel horrible!!!)

On your birthday you climbed the stairs for the very first time! Up until now, you've only been climbing 1-2 steps up...but on your birthday you climbed all the way to the top! Scary for me...now I have 2 babies climbing the stairs!



At one year old, your favorite food is probably bananas. When ever they are offered, you gobble it up faster than anything else! You LOVE them! You also love yogurt, oranges, pasta, chicken, and of course milk! We need to get you eating more veggies though...it can be a struggle already!

For sleeping habits you still sleep in bed with me and Lily, and mostly sleep through the night. You do however have this very odd habit of scooting yourself up to the head of the bed, and knocking your head on the bed board. You do this every night! It's so silly! Your favorite sleeping position is on you tummy. I often wake up to find you snuggling Lily too! :) You do love your sleep still, and often stay in bed until 8 or 9 most mornings, and even sometimes until 10!! I'm always amazed at how you can sleep with so much noise going on downstairs from Lily and Violet! We might be in trouble when it comes time for you to go to school, if you keep loving sleep like you do!

The day following your birthday, we had your one year doctors appointment. You doctor says you are perfect!! You are 19 1/2 lbs (I'm confused, on the paper I have written 19 and 1/2 pounds, but on facebook I have 19 and 1/4 lbs. I'm not sure which is right! I think I'll use the paper I wrote from the doctors though as truth. ) And 29 and 5/8 inches long. Somehow I didn't write down the percentages this time...but I think for weight you were in the 25% and height it was 70-75%. I can't believe I dropped the ball on writing those down! I'm so sorry sweetie! Other than being a little thin, you are doing just wonderfully! You were a real trouper with your shots. You cried for a bit after getting it, but you calmed down pretty quickly! I'm so proud!



My favorite thing from this month has been how much you suddenly love to dance! It just cracks me up every time! You love when theme songs come on tv, and you will drop everything, and start spinning around in a circle, and doing this cute squat thing! It's just so funny and so cute! It makes me think maybe you will be the dancer in the family! I LOVE that you love to dance!

We are SO blessed to have you in our lives! You make each day wonderful, with your adorable smile, laugh and cuddles! I can not imagine a world without you in it! We are so so so proud of you Ella, and love you more than you could know! Happy Birthday my princess!

Love always,
Mommy

Eleanor, just minutes after birth:



Eleanor, at one year old:


I can't believe how much you have grown!