11 Months

Lillian is so fun these days.  Approaching the big one is kind of like planning a wedding: you really love the process, details & all the excitement but then once the party has come & gone you think: “Wow, I am sort of glad that’s over!” I am definitely excited for one to come & have another baby someday, but I’m also thrilled that walking, talking, playing & toddlerhood are all just around the corner. =) 

We have a new trick at mealtime: spitting out food! She seems to have figured out that she doesn’t have to eat everything. It’s been cool to see her make decisions though. She cried when I gave her leftovers two meals in a row & I just figured she wasn’t hungry so I took her down from her high chair. When she continued to cry I gave her a bite of my lunch & she just gobbled it down. Poor baby was just trying to tell me she wanted something else! When she is hungry, Lilly will say “mm! mm!” & she does it when something is particularly delicious too. 

On the communication front we have made HUGE progress this month: sign language!!! LC knows “all done,” "more," "eat," "baby," & “milk” although she doesn’t always use them appropriately. We think she has “all done” down pat though. She started doing milk during nursing one day & I could barely contain my excitement that she had made the connection. She has also started clapping which she couldn't do enough of at her first major league baseball game while watching the Seattle Mariners.  The sign language break through has been so exciting though, so now I’m using a lot more. She also has learned to point to things when she wants more of them, so that has been a helpful “sign” too.

She is a speed crawler now & into everything. Our house keeps getting emptier, which my minimalist self secretly kind of likes! She loves to push things around more than any other games. After nursing she crawls so fast she tries to shoot off the side of the bed. Gone are the days of snuggling in bed for a while in the mornings. Now she likes to wheelbarrow off the edge with me holding her feet while I lower her down to the floor. We do our diaper & outfit changes on the floor now in her room. I usually have to find a toy or bubble guppies on the phone to get her to settle before I can start on a diaper change. Once she is entertained the changes usually go better without fighting or thrashing around.