eleven months

Julia is eleven months and what a month it has been!

She is getting more and more independent
as far as knowing what she wants and when she wants it.
Even with that, she's literally wrapped around mommy's
little finger everywhere she goes...tries to walk everywhere
but likes the comfort of knowing you're right there with her!

During her 10th month, her nights were fantastic!
Slept on average 11 hours a night!
Such a great sleeper :o)
Definitely momma's little girl in that regard.
Daddy says so.
Naps are inconsistently challenging.

Eating has been more of a challenge.
Food preferences change constantly...
never really knows whether she wants
her regular baby food or "real" food!
However, she always loves her YoBaby Yogurt!
We've found that if she doesn't want a particular food,
if we alternate bites with yogurt, she doesn't even realize
she's eating two different things!
Squash is still a favorite,
right along with diced peaches and crackers.
It's also helpful just to put food in front of her
and ignore her a little - the food finds it's way into
her mouth (and all over her head!- heehee)

Julia loves one particular book right now
~What a Wonderful World~
(the louis armstrong song)
She'll listen to that book and look at the pictures
over and over and over and over and over...
(at least it has a good message ~ so we never tire of it either!)

As soon as you pull out another book,
she tries to get out of your lap and get the book back!

She does really like looking at photographs of real animals, too.

If you ask her Where's Charlie or Simon, she'll turn her
hands up like she's saying "I don't know" and look around for them.
Once she finds them, she "goos" and reaches out toward them.
Such a love affair! :o)

She now has two teeth on the bottom!

We think she's saying dog, cat, mom, dada...first true words??!
It's hard to know, I'm not sure if I'm convinced yet,
but she says the right sounds with the right people/animal
with the right situations...coincidence?? or true words??...
the speech path in me cogitates...

The month ended with a sad couple of days...
Julia woke up last Tuesday morning
covered in hives!
We found out she is allergic to penicillin.
She had been on a second round of antibiotics
for yet another ear infection.
At least her parents are capable of keeping
track of her speech and hearing!
That's a good thing, right?!
The hives were completely gone by Friday!
whew!

Julia is on the verge of walking!
She'll stand for a short time on her own.
On Saturday, she took one step!

She is so playful and has such a happy heart!
Everything turns into peek a boo
or a game of some sort :o)
I read that blowing raspberries
(which she does all the time) and
playing peekaboo increase dopamine levels,
in turn increases attention span
and will do better in school later!
At this rate, Julia is going to be an awesome student!
hee hee :o)

Ahh, happy, healthy and full of life...Thank you Lord!