The World Through Elena's Eyes

This entry is dedicated to Elena and the perspective she brings us. As she grows into a little girl, she reminds us to "ook" and enjoy every moment. We are blessed with this little angel. She may put us into a sleep deprived fatigue but the joy she has for life and learning makes this journey very special.

Today is Elena's 13 month birthday; it seems like we were celebrating her birthday just last week. She is up to 6 consecutive steps and can walk assisted holding one hand, though she prefers to hold two hands. With Daddy's help, she loves running down the hallway. Elena loves playing with other children and they are attracted to her--when we visit the playground, they circle around. She enjoys interacting with people of all ages. She smiles, points and waves to those around her. I often hear "she made my day" after Elena smiles or waves at someone. She never really went through "stranger danger" anxiety but she does keep a close tab on me.

Elena has been babbling for months. She definitely says "na-na" to nurse or eat, "da-da" for daddy among many other things, sometimes when she is all done eating she says "da" and if you listen closely "ook" when she points sometimes--telling us to look. She points at many things and despite her lack of verbal language she communicates very well and understands much of what we say. Elena is very inquisitive and tests limits almost daily though her fits when she doesn't get what she wants are minimal so far and usually include a crinkle of the nose with "eh-eh" noises and sometimes a squirm backwards.

Not only is this little girl growing fast (she can already reach door handles) she also has quite the appetite! She loves eating and doesn't really care what she eats. She prefers fruits and veggies over meat and eggs but she eats everything and a lot of it. Last night for dinner she had a handful of steamed spinach, a couple handfuls of steamed green beans, handful of O's, 2 ounces of chicken plus noodles. And when I say a handful, my handful not hers. She eats just about everything we eat (with the exception of nuts and dessert): avocado, carrot, green beans, spinach, banana, applesauce, peaches, mango, strawberries (very few due to acid rash), blueberries, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, noodles, egg yolks, peas, O's, brown rice crispies, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeses (i.e. cheddar), turkey, chicken, and beef. I will be introducing tofu soon. I haven't introduced acidic foods yet because I know she will be sensitive to it as I still have to restrict my diet and watch that I don't eat too much acidic food (we are still nursing a few times a day). So for now no tomatoes, citrus or bell peppers. This is a lot of info but since this is essentially Elena's baby book--I wanted to make sure I have this noted so when I go back to do her book I have some info :)

We hope you have a great weekend! Off to clean some house, plant flowers and tend to the garden! :)