{lion: jellycat via nordstrom // tunic: Carter’s // leggings: Target // moccasins: Freshly Picked // book: Olivia Saves the Circus}
{month fourteen} this month it feels like eloise really went from an infant to a toddler (even though that officially happened when she turned one!) because she started WALKING! she was cruising all around before (meaning she could walk along if she was holding on to something, like the couch or coffee table) & even standing for a few seconds on her own, but now, now she is everywhere! when we were out on Orcas Island a few weekends ago was when she really started wanting to walk on her own & would go from point A to point B. now she is gaining a lot more momentum & learning how to balance, & it is amazing to watch her learn! she still can’t stand up on her own without having help (she needs something to climb up) so if she falls, she crawls until she gets to something she can stand up on, but I know that will come in time. these days she toddles (or waddles?) all around & it is the best. she still does better when she is holding onto something, & these days, the more things she has in her hands the better! does anyone else’s kid like to hold a million things in his or her hand at once? even though walking is brand-new for eloise, I know she will be running in no time, which is absolutely terrifying!
this month has also been a big one for teeth. eloise has gotten nearly all four of her molars in the past 6 weeks & we are blaming any extra fussiness or weirdness on them! aaron also noticed last week that eloise is getting her canines as well… oh boy. at least we are getting it all over with at once, right? & honestly, I can’t really complain. sure she has been up a few times at night in the past few weeks (which is a definite change from her sleeping entirely thru the night – 12 hours!) & we are blaming it on teeth, but who can blame her? I can’t imagine how painful it is to get molars (that is so much tooth thru the gum!) & she is still such a happy kid! the craziest part for me about her getting all of these teeth right now is that she looks so much older. once her canines come in, you really won’t see any more gum when she smiles.
a new trick that eloise has learned is to put objects inside a basket or bowl. this is a huge progression since she basically throws everything out of her toy baskets! while I am not counting on her to help me clean up all of her toys just yet, it is nice that she can put some of her toys away. you just have to be careful because sometimes she is nicely putting things away & then all of the sudden pulling them all back out! with this new found skill has also come being able to take simple direction. eloise will bring a toy or book, or stop doing something if I say “no thank you” (most of the time!). it is pretty cool to see how much she understands!
speaking of understanding, the last few weeks have also brought signs, as in sign language. we have been signing a few words to eloise since she was a newborn, but she didn’t really seem to notice until now. eloise can sign for milk, water, more, & please. I had my doubts about whether she would ever sign & if I was just signing for no reason at all, but lo & behold here she is signing away. it is awesome for me to be able to communicate with her & know exactly what she wants. sometimes she signs for water when she wants something to eat (they are the same sign to her) & she tugs on the neck of my shirt when she is thirsty (a habit that has stuck from nursing during the day), but she is doing so well. I want to start using “thank you” & a few other signs too. what signs to your kids know that I should be using?
eloise has also started to cuddle with toys, particularly stuffed animals, & it is the cutest thing ever! she LOVES leo the lion who is the one in all of her monthly pictures. he is still about half her size, so she has to work at hauling him around. we also have a lot of different Jelly Cat stuffed animals (the smaller ones) thanks to Grammie & those are perfect for her right now! even though her lovey giraffe is her go-to for naptime & bedtime, she sometimes will grab another stuffed animal on the way to bed to cuddle with.
since we have had such a sunny & warm fall, we have continued to spend a lot of time outside during the day (& of course, now the rain is starting…) since it is nice to be in the fresh air & I think that being outside, even for a little bit, helps eloise sleep better! we don’t live near the airport, but are under a flight path so we get a few planes fly overhead. eloise has always noticed planes when we are outside & will look up & point them out. she can even find them in the sky when they are too high to hear! lately, if she hears a plane & we are inside, she will point up to the sky. such a smart little one!
like last month, eloise is still really into giving things – food, toys, books. food seems to be a little random since sometimes she wants to eat what she just gave you & other times she isn’t interested in eating it (at least at that moment). it is great when she brings over books because it gives us a chance to peruse a book during playtime. we read a lot of books each day since it is the first thing she wants to do when she wakes up & the last thing she wants to do before she goes to sleep; we must read at least a dozen books each day!
as I mentioned last month, eloise was back to see her physical therapist about her head tilt. since then, she was discharged because she had progressed enough, meaning her head tilt was not really present. I occasionally see it when she is tired or in her car seat if she is sleeping, but most of the time eloise has a straight head! plus, now that she is walking, she is really upright. even her cranial sacral therapist (who is like a baby chiropractor & we have been seeing since eloise was a newborn for both head tilt & latch issues) was so impressed with how straight & upright eloise was just the other day!
as I mentioned above, we have been noticing a change in eloise’s sleep, both during naptime & at nighttime. eloise is still taking two naps per day, for the most part, but I am starting to see signs that she may be ready for just one nap. yikes! a few weeks ago she actually went on a napping strike in the morning & for two or three days didn’t take that morning nap, & she seemed okay with it. I was ready to get her on a one-nap schedule, & then she started taking her morning nap again. I am mixed about the transition even though I know it is going to happen sooner or later. the biggest thing for me is that during her morning nap is when I get ready for the day (shower, get dressed) & check email, etc. I know that I will have more time to do things once she is down to just one nap, but I sure will miss two! eloise has also started waking more during napping & nighttime. she never used to wake up in the middle of naps, but she does now & I will go in & rock with her, lay her back down & she will go back to sleep. she is also up at least once during the night. part of it may be that we were out of town, but she seems to be waking around 6 or 6:30 am & wanting to nurse & then go back to sleep (until 8). & in the last week she has been waking around 1 or 2 am & wanting water. it is a pain to go upstairs & get her a cup of water in the middle of the night, but since she is going right back to sleep afterwards, it is hard to complain. I am hoping this is just a phase & she will get back into her normal sleeping patterns.
and finally, in the past few days, I have noticed two things: eloise is happy to sit & actually listen to a book being read (she used to just flip thru the pages as fast as she could!) & she started waving with her entire arm for hello & good-bye (as opposed to just with her hand which was really cute because she turned her hand towards herself & waved!).
{weight} I am guessing around 23 or 24 pounds, but I haven’t weighed her since last month!
{hair} dark (reddish) brown. it is starting to get long & is layered in the back with side-swept bangs in the front. (we are getting close to mullet territory so she may need a haircut soon!)
{teeth} four bottom teeth & four top teeth, two molars (one top & one bottom) with two more coming in, & the start of all four canines. phew!
{eyes} dark brown.
{clothes} 12 month, 12 to 18 month, 18 month, & some 18 to 24 month (though it is really big!)
{diapers} full-time cloth {bum genius freetime, pocket, & elemental} & honest company size 4 diapers at night with a bum genius diaper cover.
{feeding} during the day, 4 hour cycles. nursing once a day (after she wakes up in the AM). 2 to 4 oz of milk in a sippy cup at mealtime, though she prefers water.
{likes} books, mama & papa’s cell phones, toys that squeak or rattle, singing & music, Sadie, standing, FaceTime, bathtime, standing, her snack cup, shoes, mama’s (diaper) bag, laughing.
{dislikes} having something taken away from her that she really wants to have, diaper changes, (sometimes) her carseat.
{nicknames} Bug{s}, Love Bug, Baby Bug, E, Wheezy, Kiddo, Love, Bugaboo, Ellie or Elle.
happy fourteen months eloise!
M