11 Months Old!

Even though this is almost a month late (blame it on me having strep throat and Ella having an ear infection), I still wanted to get it in documentation that Ella did in fact turn 11 months old. Here is the official picture to prove it!!

Here is a quick run-through of all that Ella has been up to in the months of May & June:

• Still eating Daddy's gourmet meals and loving it, but now adding small chunks of table food (and loving it...surprise)
• Wants to play in one spot still, but gradually moves to other areas on the rug to get to other toys...she can reach as far as she wants to without moving...really, it is a gift!!
• Loves to laugh and cackle, especially at Maggie whenever she walks by (which is getting more frequent...I knew we could break Maggie's jealousy eventually)
• Still goes to sleep promptly at 7:00 pm, but wants to wake up at 4:45 am, and then again at 5:15 am, and then is up for good usually by 6am (we never go and get her at those times, but we can definitely hear her in the monitor, which means, we don't sleep either. Let me rephrase that, I don't sleep either...Lee could sleep through a freight train running through our house and jumping over our bed!

Other things about 11 month old Ella:

• She loves books...loves to look at them, turn the pages, touch them, talk to them...whatever. Her favorites (and I don't blame her) are the "Touch & Feel" books where she can pet lions' manes or rub monkeys' tummies and actually feel their fur. Who wouldn't want a book like that?
• She has finally started letting other people hold her in my presence!!!!!!!!!! Gradually Nannie could do it, then it moved on to Grandad and now even Daddy can do it!! I guess she has finally realized that people other than her mommy are adequate enough to care for her! :) Praise God...my arm can take a rest!!
• She weighs in around 22 pounds, which means she hasn't fluctuated much in the last few months. Lee and I believe that she is getting longer, so I'm sure that has something to do with it!
• She now has eight (8) teeth!!!!
• She was taken off of her medication for her hemangiomas at the beginning of her 10th month, since she was doing so well and looking so good. But after about 3 weeks, we noticed that they were starting to grow back, so back on the medicine we went. We go back to visit that doctor again in August, so maybe we can try to take her off again then. Otherwise, she looks absolutely great and I think that even her eye looks more open!
  

Well, that's the 11 month update in fast forward! Her 1 year update is fast approaching, and I can't hardly believe it!!

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Just as a side note, Lee and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary on June 12! We kept it low key and just stayed in for the night with a great steak dinner (along with caesar salad, bread, twice baked potatoes, and grilled squash and zuccini) all prepared by Lee! It was wonderful!