Dear Ellie,
On May 16, we celebrated ten wonderful months with you! And this picture was about the best I could do:
Ten months was off to a rough start. You had another ear infection. So back to the doctor we went for more antibiotics. I also realized this is probably part of the reason naptime is difficult, and nighttime ends earlier than it should. I've learned that you actually nap really well when your ears aren't bothering you. And I think you would actually sleep through the entire night if your ears weren't bothering you. But that's okay. We'll figure it out.
And speaking of sleeping . . . your new thing is sleeping on your stomach with your arms and legs tucked under you. As soon as I put you down in your crib, that's the position you go to. And that's usually how I find you when you wake up. Your head is always in the corner of the crib.
You still love to eat. I tried table food a few times, but you weren't a fan. You prefer the smooth texture of your baby food. Your favorites continue to be butternut squash, carrots, spinach, corn and any and all fruits. You also really enjoy your finger food snacks. And . . . guess what?!? You are STILL nursing! That's not really a milestone for you so much as it is for me! There are times, though, when I have to give you a bottle, and I do think you prefer that because you can sit up and see everyone and everything. You don't want to miss anything. We've spent many nights at the ballpark lately watching Mason play baseball. Here you are all kicked back in your big girl stroller and enjoying your bottle.
And you still don't have any teeth yet! I just love your gummy smile. But all of your little friends your age have four or five teeth. Of course, they all weigh 22 pounds, too, as compared to your 16! But I think you are absolutely perfect!
During the last week of your tenth month, you started pulling up A LOT. You haven't shown any interest in walking yet, but you do enjoy standing up like a big girl. One of your favorite things to do is to stand up and look out the window.
And, of course, you also took your first trip to Disney World! Now, I know you won't remember it, but I promise we're going to take you back when you get older. You were such a good girl! You did great riding in the truck, even on the 14-hour trip back home when we didn't stop over night. You really do love to ride, especially since you can see Hannah Kate sitting beside you and Mason in front of you (since you are facing backwards, and he is sitting in the third row). You absolutely loved strolling all around the Disney parks. You even got to ride a few of the rides. You loved the sights and sounds, especially the music and the pagentry of the parades. And then you would get tired and take a nap. I was so proud of you!
Hannah Kate picked out this Minnie Mouse stuffed toy for you as a souvenir of our trip. And, of course, we got you the 2013 Disney onesie, too.
Even with all the fun we had this month, my most favorite moment with you was when you called me Ma-Ma! Yes, you did! It was the Monday morning (April 22) we were at Disney. We were in the hotel room getting ready to go, and I was making sure everyone was dressed with teeth brushed and sunscreen on. You toddled around and followed me everywhere I went. I guess I wasn't paying you enough attention because you finally yelled, "Ma-Ma!" Everyone heard it, and everyone knew exactly what you were saying. We all stopped for a minute, and Mason said, "Ellie just said Mama!" And, oh how my heard melted! I stopped what I was doing and scooped you up into my arms for a big hug. The same thing happened the next morning, and you've called out to me several times since. At times I have found myself a bit sad at how quickly you are growing up and how very soon you will no longer be a baby. But I can honestly say that during this month, I found true joy at watching you grow up, and I am so excited to watch you learn and explore your world.
I love you SO BIG!
Mama