10 months!

Our little Elna did it again.  She grew another month older.  This month seemed to go especially fast because we spent half of it in Fairfield.  She is a special little girl full of energy and a thrill for life. 

So far this has been the hardest month to get a picture of her sitting where I wanted her to sit (next to the pillow and in such a way that when the year is up and I compare all of the monthly pictures it will be easy to see how she has changed from month to month.)  She would not sit still!

Elna reading her recent favorite book, Marianna May and Nursey by Tomie DePaola

At 10 months, Elna:

-loves books!  She says “buh buh buh” over and over again whenever she sees one.  Funny story: when we visited my parents she took naps in my dad’s study where there are thousands of books.  My mom walked by the room when she was supposed to be sleeping and all she heard was Elna going “buh buh buh” over and over again.  She’s never seen so many books!  Her favorite books are: Marianna May and Nursey, On The Day You Were Born, and A Baby Is Born.

-loves baths even more!  We have finally started doing a pretty predictable bedtime routine with Elna.  After dinner she takes a bath, so when she thinks she is done with dinner she starts saying “bah bah bah bah” as much as she can possibly can.  It’s darling!

-loves climbing stairs!  We don’t have stairs at our house, but my parents do.  She bee-lined for them any chance that she could while we were in Fairfield.

-will eat almost anything: oatmeal and applesauce, bananas, tomato soup with quinoa, creamy enchiladas, quinoa and gravy, crackers, teething biscuits, polenta and spaghetti sauce, corn chowder, and broccoli cheese soup—basically she wants to eat anything I am eating. 

-has 4 teeth now.  Her top teeth finally came through!

-throws a pretty amazing tantrum. 

-can recognize herself, me, and Brian in pictures.

-when asked “how big is Elna?” she will put her hands high above her head when we say, “so big!”

-is sleeping 7 pm – 7 am almost every night.  I wake up usually one time to stick her pacifier back in (yes, I need to wean her from it, but I’m not ready to), but I never feed her before 7 a.m. now.  Hallelujah!

-is stingy with her kisses to us, but will kiss her baby doll all the time.  It’s cute—she pretty much just sucks her doll’s face.

-still hates to lay down for her diaper changes.  It’s a feat!

-has a fresh new haircut.  I cut it a few days ago while I was home while my mom entertained Elna enough to keep her still. 

The next six pictures show a persistent progression of her trying to get her books:

A determined little one!