11 months old!

Kelsie was 11 months old yesterday!! That means that a month from now, she will be ONE YEAR old! I can hardly believe it. So since I didn't make a "10 month" post I feel the need to recap everything she has learned over the past 2 months! And boy has there been a lot! Goodness, times like this I wish I were better at being organized and writing things down because I know my memory will fail me on this one. So instead of listing everything, I will just try to recall the things that really stand out.

She turned 10 months on Christmas day and I recall that she had just cut her bottom 2 teeth a few days prior to that. She was also just beginning to stand up on her own for longer periods of time.

She started walking around 10 1/2 months. She still doesn't take the initiative to just start walking very often but will walk a good 10 yards unassisted if you stay in front of her.  And when my cousin was here the other day with her 1 and 3 year old, Kelsie did decide to just let go and start walking on her own from one toy to the next. I guess she was trying to be a big kid like them!

She's not a big talker so still no real words, just alot of jibberish lately. Well, I take that back..this week she has started saying what sounds like "up" and "hi". She will drop something on the floor and say "up" (and if you pick it up, she will just throw it down again and then say "up" again) and she also says that when she is done eating. She doesn't really say dada or mama anymore. She will cry out what sounds like "maaaaamaaaaa or mommmm" when she is really upset and wanting me but thats about it. She has also said what sounds like "Daddy" and "bye bye" but she doesn't say it consistently by any means. She will also sometimes repeat something similar to what I say like "baa" when I say bath or ball. Oh, and the past week her words or jibber has been "gibble gibble gibble" and "boogie boogie". I don't know what she is talking about but I doubt it has anything to do with turkeys or boogers. But who knows!


She started waving bye-bye  about a month ago probably. Its quite adorable, I think.

Over the past few weeks she has started giving REALLY good hugs. The BEST hugs actually! All I have to do is ask for a hug and she will put her face next to mine, put both arms around my neck and squeeze. It is absolutely the sweetest thing ever!! And she still gives good kisses too, sometimes she will sneak a sweet one in when you aren't even asking - those are the best.

For the past couple of weeks she has started pointing at things that are interesting to her or catch her attention. And over the past few days, she has been making the cutest little expression. She does it all day, sometimes more than others, but when she wakes up in the morning, she does it over and over. It is such a serious but interested expression and I love it. It makes me laugh. Its hard to describe but I will post a video. It sounds like a quick "hib" or "hup" and she abruptly closes her lips, sometimes with an inquisitive look.

She also has started pointing at something and gasping out of excitement, as if to say, "Ahhh... wow". I feel like this could be something she has learned from me as I notice that also point out new things and do the same thing. 

She is eating more table foods and eats well most days. She is also drinking from a sippy cup without difficulty and feeding herself finger foods.

She is a mommy's girl no doubt and we have so much fun together. She likes for me to chase her around the room and then catch her and tickle her. She gives the best belly laughs. A new thing this week that she just thinks is hilarious is for me to lean my forehead up against hers, then we just look eye to eye and she starts laughing. When I back away, she will lean in to do it again.


She likes to pull things in and out of any container. And open all the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen.

If is understanding the names of objects now and their associations. For example, you ask, "where are your books" and she will crawl over and get them. Or she will pick up the remote control and point it at the TV.

She is alot more interested in reading books lately and will actually sit still to read them with me. She still doesn't like to lay back though. Would much rather be sitting up and flipping through the pages herself. Always busy I tell you!!

She does this really weird thing where she leans her belly over objects and just sits there...for long periods of  time...laying over the soccer ball is her favorite.

 

We have been working on learning body parts and its interesting how much they really take in when you don't think they really understand. Yesterday evening, Nathan mentioned "nose" and she reached up and pointed to his nose. He didn't know that we had just been talking about where's your nose, my nose, baby's nose etc..babies learn so fast you know!

Top teeth are coming in this week. The upper right just broke through the gum yesterday and the other isn't far behind.

Here are a couple more videos.