Oh my goodness! This girl is really growing up... it makes my heart feel tender just thinking about it. I feel like in the last month she is really changing fast. I see her leaving the baby phase and becoming one of the "big" kids. :) She plays with the big kids, roams around the house investigating and exploring and getting into things, babbles away, is starting to sign, and sits up to the table at meal times. She is beautiful and such a special little person in our lives!
At 11 months:
- Laura is very mobile. She crawls (regular style) all over the house, exploring all of the rooms and getting into all sorts of things. The dishwasher can never be open! The drawers and cupboards are not safe. No books can be left on the ground. And the kids squeal out when they are doing puzzles or building with blocks and she starts heading their way.
- She is pulling herself up to stand on everything and even walks along things! One of her favorite spots is climbing under the kitchen table and pulling up on the chairs when we are sitting at the table. And we have even seen her transfer from one thing (like the couch) to another thing (like a box) once or twice. It amazes me to see how capable she is!
- She is the pickiest worst little eater we have ever had! (sorry Laura - we love you, but it is true!) She will hardly eat anything. And she only eats small amounts of stuff and she just isn't interested much in food. It's a stress to feed her. She does like yogurt. That's pretty much 90% of her diet. She will occasionally eat bread and some baby food (only fruits). She will also eat graham crackers. And... that's it.
- Nursing is still a big stress. Laura has a really hard time with distraction and won't stay latched on and nurse long enough to get enough milk! And consequently my supply has been dropping, leading to more problems - like Laura never getting enough milk! (she won't take formula at all). Anyway, I've been pumping and trying to work on it and I think things are slowly improving. But nursing and feeding this little one has not been an easy business.
- She still gets up 1-3 times at night (depending on what you call night). She gets up around 12 am, 3 am, and 6 am (and usually goes back to sleep really easily). She goes down for naps well and takes 1 - 2 naps a day. She has a really hard time going to bed at night though and is up until about 9 pm getting "quality" one on one time with Mom and Dad.
- She has started signing! She signs milk consistently. And I need to introduce more signs to her. I'm excited about that.
- She loves her brothers and sister. She likes being down and exploring (she will happily just hang out with everyone).
- She likes books. She loves her binkies. She does okay in the car. She puts absolutely everything in her mouth and she is able to pick up the smallest little things!!
- She LOVES baths. And she tries to crawl into the bathroom and pull up to the side of the bathtub multiple times each day "begging" for another bath.
- She loves paper and anything crinkly.
- It's cold out, so she spends most of her day in her warm pajamas. Since she pulls her socks off right away all the time. She also pulls out hair bows, hair rubber bands, and if she is wearing a headband she pulls it up and snaps it back down on herself. Poor girl.
- She likes to dance.
- She says "mommy" and "daddy" and "hi" consistently. It's adorable! She waves and claps her hands. And I swear I have heard her say "Isaac" and "Elise" before... but no one believes me.
- She plays peek-a-boo. And when we come after her she giggles and crawls away like we are chasing her.
- She always sleeps on her tummy with her bum in the air.
- She babbles and mimics us so cutely.
LOVE HER. SO GRATEFUL FOR HER!!
- She
