Eleven

Disclaimer: You do not have to worry about spoilers.  This is in no way about “Stranger Things.”  Just thought I’d get that out of the way before I started…

My little bit, Eleanor, is eleven months old, as of January 17^th.  Somehow, it keeps happening; both of my girls keep growing.  In less than one month, my baby girl will be one.  No longer a baby, a toddler.  I don’t know if it’s because I know all that’s coming, but this is hitting me harder than Amelia turning one did.  The second half of this year has flown by; anyone who has even had a baby will understand that.

My Eleanor is a spunky, cheerful, patient girl who loves people.  Since she’s so amazing, I know that all of you would love to hear me talk more about her.  So, to scratch that itch, and in honor of the fact that she is eleven months old, I’m going to give you eleven things to know about my eleven month old.

As always, in no particular order…

1. Eleanor’s favorite food is anything in a pile.  She will basically eat anything (that isn’t dairy), but prefers for us to pile it up.  If food is spread out in front of her instead, then she will ask for more.

2. Nothing is safe from Eleanor King.  She’s the girl who unplugs things out of the wall, tries to eat Scout’s dog food, climbs into the toy bins and make it her personal mission to attempt to push every button on the Roomba before we can get to her.

3. Eleanor is much less interested in walking than we ever anticipated.  She took her first step on the day she turned eleven months old, but instead of taking off, has only taken a few random steps.  She is an extremely quick crawler and seems to know that walking will be slower, at least at first.

4. Eleanor and Scout are best friends.  They both look for each other and prefer to sit as close as possible to each other when they’re in the same room.  Amelia was never as interested in Scout and so, Scout is thrilled and is eating up the attention (and the food dropped from the high chair).

5. Eleanor never stops moving.  Ever.  Unless she is asleep.  She has been on the move since the beginning.  Where Amelia hasn’t stopped talking since she was born, Eleanor hasn’t stopped moving.  She can get anywhere she wants to go and is quite perseverant when it comes to mobility.

6. Eleanor loves people.  All people.  She gives smiles freely and adores anyone who talks to her or plays with her.  She spends her time in restaurants trying to get everyone in the room to look at her.  She loves going to daycare and church to see her teachers and friends.

7. Seatbelts (except in car seats) are no match for Eleanor.  High chair straps and shopping cart buckles are a mere inconvenience.  She simply turns all the way around until the seatbelt is behind her and then figures out a way to get her legs over it, enabling her to stand up.  It’s actually pretty impressive, although also, unsafe in a moving shopping cart.

8. Eleanor roars.  She learned it from a toy tiger, and now loves to take turns growling.  She really likes that toy tiger, and other animal toys.  She loves rattles and toys that she can knock down like stacking cups, but she is not into babies. Yet.

9. It has been a fight to get Eleanor to sit still long enough to look at books.  Just recently, we’ve been able to get through a book without as much of a fight.  Eleanor likes animal books the best and prefers to turn the pages herself.  It’s one of the ways she is so different from her sister.  I am determined to turn her into a book lover.

10. Eleanor, like her sister, is a rock star sleeper.  Don’t hate me for it, but my girls sleep.  She’s started sleeping through the night very early and has been a better napper than Amelia ever really was.

11. Eleanor’s favorite “tricks” are clapping and putting her hands up when we ask her “how big is Eleanor?”  I know, I know, most babies love those things, but my baby is extra adorable with it ;)  She has made friends all over the place by clapping at them and somehow convincing them to clap back.

The countdown to Eleanor’s first birthday is on.  She is going to love people cheering her on and I’m convinced she is going to love cake.  I’m thrilled to be in celebration mode and planning another first birthday.  My baby is no longer so little; all of the firsts here are bittersweet.  I am so proud of this resilient, brave, silly, loving little girl.  February 17^th is coming!