Ella is 11 Months Old

**I can't get pictures loaded up on blogger...I have been trying for almost two days...no videos either.  So as soon as I can I will add those to this post!

I'm a little behind at getting this post up, but I want to make sure she has a little documentation for each month of her first year.  I guess I just got caught up in all the holiday activites.  It always feels a bit hectic at this time of year because I am finishing up homemade gifts for family members.  Plus, this year we celebrated my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary a few days after Christmas.  I designated myself as the party planner so I was getting that put together too.  Now I am carefully planning Ella's birthday party, which is coming up in only two weeks!  I can't believe it is so soon.  Was it really almost a year that I was feeling so very pregnant?

Well, on to the stats for the past month!

Nicknames:  Ella Bella, Roseanne Barr (it's a long story about how she loves to eat), Ella Bear

Weight:  Ella has lost a little weight, probably from moving so much.  She now weighs in at about 20.5 lbs. and last time I checked she was about 27 inches.

Foods:  She will eat most things.  I have decided that Ella is our good eater, but I feel like Jack was a good eater at this age too.  It wasn't until he got into the toddler age that he decided to be picky about things.  He is picky about most things. So it is nice that she will try most everything you put in front of her.  However, she didn't like steamed broccoli or strawberries (although she has eaten those on her second try).

Temperament:  Ella continues to be more of a personality everyday.  She loves to play hide and seek.  When I go upstairs to get her after a nap, I will bend down next to the crib and hide behind the bumper.  She always laughs at me when I pop my head up.  Today we actually had a fun game of bringing our heads into the slates of the crib and I would give her a kiss.  Each time she would burst out in laughter.  I never remember Jack being so entertained by me.  It just feels nice to know that she likes me and wants to play with me.  On the other hand, she also is learning all of Jack's bad tricks.  She is learning to whine when she doesn't get her way and has even figured out how to throw a mini tantrum.  Ella also has a way of testing her brother's patience.  She likes to play with whatever toy is in his hands at the moment.  I have to remember not to get mad at Jack every time, because it isn't his fault that she always wants what is in his hands.  That would be frustrating to me too.  Having two littles ones can be difficult because he doesn't underrstand yet that she is learning and yet, he is still learning so much too!

Items/Toys That We Love:  Our close friends, Chris and Spencer, bought a really adorable winter hat for Ella.  It is brown and has bear ears on it.  I absolutely love it and take every opportunity to put it on her.  She always gets compliments and to be honest, I can't blame people, because she really is too stinking cute with it on! 

First Experiences:  Ella is finally walking.  She had been traversing furniture for so long and then she started to take these leaps of faith off the furniture.  Each time she would almost lounge forward in hopes that she might stay up.  I was beginning to wonder if she would ever learn to balance on her two feet.  Then one day it just happened and before we knew it she was taking several steps off of furniture and within a week or two she was walking.  I think she is even trying to run now.  Jack has started to play hide and seek with her and he has fun when she tries to chase after him.  He is so much faster that I think it is forcing her to just quicken her step. 

I know this just happened in the last week, so maybe it is closer to a 12 month thing, but Ella said her first word too.  It actually happened when my mom was visiting. She said, "ma ma."  At first my mom heard it and carried her into the kitchen where I was washing the dishes.  So I stopped, turned around and said, "Mama, now you say it Ella," and I was happily surprised when she looked right at me and said, "Mama."  I couldn't help but make the biggest smile with an excited giggle and she laughed right along with me.  This happened about four times.  She did the same thing again tonight too.  Fill my heart with melted goodness!  Then she said 'Dada," this weekend too!  Actually it happened right after coming home for a few days away.  Joe and I walked in after our weekend getaway (thank you mom for watching the kiddos) and she looked at Joe and said, "dada."  Man, I gotta love that little girl.  She is such a fun addition to the family and I'm so glad to see how unique and different she is!