11 Months

I can't believe it's been almost a year... but, Ellie is definitely showing signs of being more like a toddler and less like a baby every day.

This past month Eleanor has concentrated most of her growth toward walking, but the last few weeks have presented a huge milestone in her language development. She's babbling away almost incessantly these days. She's also responding to our questions and adding her "opinion" to our conversations. Of course, we have no idea what she's telling us, but she's usually very serious about it. :) She does have a few real words, though:

"dada" - Daddy
"buh buh" - bye-bye
"ba!" - boo (shouted -- as in "peek-a-boo")
and the occassional "bup" - up

She also plays several "games": Peek a Boo, So Big, Patty Cake, chase

Perhaps the most interesting piece of her latest development (at least in my opinion) is her use of objects as tools. She pulls the magazine that has the cup on it that she wants toward her. She uses a long wooden spoon to scoot her sippy cup from out of reach into reach on the counter. She pokes a spoon handle into a toilet paper tube to shove newspaper out of it (this was totally the best use of a tp tube - it kept her entertained for hours - just shove a crumpled up piece of paper into the tube and watch the wheels in her head turn).

Ellie has also learned how to put objects into bowls, drawers, baskets, etc. We often find strange objects in "her" cupboards in the kitchen. We also find strange things in our shoes. :) I love this stage of her learning because I can put her in her highchair, give her a handful of Joe's Os and a tupperware and she will have a great time putting all the Os into the bowl and then taking them all out over and over again. It makes doing dishes a lot easier!

If I had to give one idea or picture to best describe Eleanor this last month it would be her in someone's arms with her arm out, pointing at all the things she sees or "asking" for things out of reach. She definitely "wants" and shows it! She is also totally noticing/observing much more of the world than she was previously. It is fun to watch her discover dirt, grass, leaves, trees, birds, rocks, deer, elk, bison, people, pictures on the walls, etc.

Along with all these fun developments, however, come temper tantrums. She understands the concept of "no" now and doesn't like it one bit. Several times a day we have crying meltdowns where she will sit down and fold her torso down to the ground, screaming. I'm hoping this will get easier soon - it's already better than when it first began.