Elise at Eleven months!

We did a Valentine's outfit for our month-by-month photo shoot this month :-) 

So hard to get a still shot...look at that hair coming in. Looking forward to pony/pigtails and putting bows in with clips one day!

For time's sake, here is what E has been up to at 11 months: 

She's a busy body, always on the go! She is all over the place crawling, her knees and tops of her feet (if without shoes/socks) are permanently red and dry it seems. She is also waving, and dancing these days...so outgoing and fun!  And she's a pointer, even though I tell her it is rude to point :-)

This gal is crazy when reading books, because she loves closing, patting and throwing them :-)

Her newest words this month are "hobo and bubba," and she is trying oh-so-hard to say "night night."  E grinds her teeth a lot, particularly when she has a new tooth coming in. This has helped me start the weaning process!

This gal cant get enough of bathtime! I happen to capture this before she tried climbing up over the side :-) But this and the above pic capture her classic nose scrunch, which she will copy and go back and forth with us forever. Love.it. 

When it comes to food, she eats EVERYTHING, even cabbage :-) But she loves crackers, applesauce, avocados and sweet potatoes the most. We started to introduce cow's milk in the later half of the month...at first, she didn't know what to think of the temperature (going cold turkey like we did with Blake). We sign the most when it comes to eating...milk, all done, and more. 

She is sleeping GREAT these days, despite a few nights of waking up from her ears hurting her. She seems to be dropping down to one nap a day, already. Selfishly, I am glad because it can overlap with the boys. For awhile there, she would wake up from her morning nap right as the boys were going down for theirs :-) She has been extra snuggly due to ear/teeth aches...

At 11 months, E loves closing doors and books, playing patty cake and clapping to music, standing with help, chunking stuff over her shoulder (especially in her highchair), pulling up on ledge at the bottom of the stairs, doing push ups in a tripod stance and planking. And she, like her brothers, LOVES being outside (thank goodness!)

Loves turning off lights and having us brush her hair and teeth! Hates having shirt/onesie and diaper changed! The struggle is REAL! And so is the battle of keeping shoes/socks on her...

Um, I thought girls were more calm..not in this house! Joining the brothers in one of their nightly wrestling matches!

A girl and her dog

So, so sweet! Blake LOVES to be a big helper with Sissy. And Jameston is so good at playing with her!

Outdoor loving with my gal! So thankful to be her Mommy We love this sweet gal (and her toothy grin)! Looking forward to celebrating her first birthday next month!!

Elise at 9 and 10 months!

This pretty lady turned 10 months old, and before that she turned 9 months old...haha. Can't keep up with time these days. We sure love our little sister so much! And I want to document all that she's been up to these days. For the sake of time, it will be all over the place as it comes to my tired mommy brain :-)

10-months-old photo shoot

All over the place, this gal!

And whose momma didn't do a post for 9 months old? So the two months will be combined (poor third child :-) 

9 months stats:  22 lbs (93%) 30 inches (99%)

Love this little lady (wearing a hand-me-down outfit, everything except the bow, from Cousin Claire!)

At 9 months, she is babbling "mama and dada," and we are starting to sign for meal time (more, all down, milk). She still only has two teeth this month. She is army crawling, trying to pull up, scooting backwards, and she often does a plank pose :-)

 She is all about copying, clapping, waving and likes to be on her toes when in her jumperoo (maybe a future ballerina?).

At this age, she likes to pat hard surfaces, shake her head, and breath heavily through her nostrils to be funny (need to post the video). She LOVES paper products (all my kids did for some reason...give them a wipie at this age and they're set!), and doorstoppers, ugh. You can ask her, "Where's Elise?," and she'll put her head down and lift up for me to say "Peek-a-boo!" Love love this! 

She is finally sleeping through the night consistently, woohoo!
 
Regarding eating, she is usually eating what I cook for us, so table food, and we are down to four nursings or bottles a day! For food, she really likes carrots, avocados, and sweet potatoes

At this age, she is showing a lot more of her personality! She wants to be a part of the busyness that is her big brothers, only sits still for books and when having her nails trimmed (I see pedicures in our future:-) .

At ten months, this gal is busy! She started crawling all over the place (as of 12/23),

 

  

is trying to pull up on everything, is eating three meals (table foods) a day, is cutting THREE more teeth (to make for a five total teeth), waving hi and bye and pointing! She loves to give kisses, clap, play peekaboo, and to play with zippers, light switches, the dog bowls, and door-stoppers. 

 

Some days she is down to only one nap a day, all depending on how late she slept in the morning and our morning's activities. She  is babbling new words, "Doggie and Hobo (our dog's name), is copying us (coughs, squeals, etc.), and is working hard at signing.

She pulls anyone's hair if it is within reach (common victims are her mommy and brothers),

gives the best wet kisses, sings herself to sleep for naps and bedtime (doesn't need rocked or pacifier).

At this age, she is obsessed with light switches and towel racks :-) She is babbling like crazy and added "dada" to the mix. She is consistently sleeping through the night (woohoo!) even with the teeth coming in.  She likes to sing herself to sleep, and does not use a paci at all. I am signing "more," "all done" and "milk" with her.

E loves to pat tables/books/anything she can get her little paws on, 

shake her head from side to side quickly, scrunch her nose!

This month, E had an allergic reaction to penicillin after she was put on an antibiotic for another ear infection. You couldn't tell by her demeanor though!

At this age, she is so interactive!! Little sis LOVES our dog Hobo,

And her bubbas!

We love little sis and this age so much!

New Years 2014

We had friends over and grilled out for NYE...what a wild and crazy way to ring in 2015, right?!

The kids seemed to have fun, too (and Elise stole Matthew's pacifier all night, like she did with cousin Claire at Christmas)

My 2014 collage. SO thankful for the blessings we've received!

It's been a tradition now for 3 or 4 years for us to have Christmas with my dad and stepmom on New Year's Day (we love being able to see every side of both families...and my dad's famous Hoppin' John dish :-)

The littlest two, Josie (2) and Elise (who isn't much littler :-) 

Present time!

The oldest two

Middle cousin, for now, Blake plays great with both sets of cousins

Sissy had fun!

Best gift ever...a custom made blanket. As a friend said, "And you though their heads were big before this?" Hahaha! 

Pops and E. She had just started clapping a lot right before Christmas!

We also celebrated Aunt Maggie's and Aspen's birthdays (Dec. 28 and 29th)

Elise is mesmerized by beards!

The whole cousin crew!

My seeeeesters!

And that's a wrap!