Living Hyer: 9 Months!

Our little Elena is nine months old! And she has been for a while now (guilty expression). We've had a crazy end of the month, being away visiting Andrew's family, so I'm just getting around to the monthly baby update.

Little Elena is turning into big Elena! At the beginning of the month she didn't want to walk, even with help. She was content with cruising and would pull her hands away when I tried to hold on to them above her head to help her walk. Now, though, she loves walking! She gladly takes advantage of the help, which I give until my lower back can't take it anymore. :) We have walked all around the house and we've started to explore outside as well. She can stand for longer periods of time without holding on to anything (30 seconds or so), she can stand up without support sometimes, and she has even taken a step on her own! Just a little one, and it was this week, so technically it should go in next month's update. :) But she's definitely on her way to walking. When she stands up with her little shoes on, we can see the little girl that she is starting to become. It's crazy--scary and exciting--to see our little one growing up.

Since we started and ended this month with travel, things have been anything but normal for Elena. She has visited both sides of the family and spent a lot of time traveling, in the car and on planes. She has been a trooper, though. On the car rides she slept a lot and was pretty content, and on the plane, as long as Mommy wasn't trying to get her to go to sleep, she was active but happy. What a blessing to have such a good little traveler!

One thing we learned this month is that Elena is a beach bunny. She loves the water and has no fear of the waves! Each time we've gone she has crawled right out towards the waves as soon as she hits the water. She learned to sit up when a wave was coming, though, after getting salt water up her nose a time or two!

At the beach with our playgroup buddies, 7/23

She still loves water in all forms--baths, washing hands in the sink, pools, rain. She is outgrowing her ducky bathtub, sadly, and soon she will graduate to the big tub.

She is eating more at a time now, and we are giving her a greater variety of food. She is still picky sometimes, deciding that she doesn't want to eat and throwing the spoon as far as she can. We use the two spoon system, letting her hold one to distract her while we stick the other one in her mouth with the food on it. As long as she's not bored, she can shovel down the food! She still loves bananas and avacados, she likes green beans and cereal. She does not like apples or applesauce--the first few times she gagged! She likes to pick up peas with her fingers, and she is now getting bored of her puffs. I guess they are not substantial enough for her now? Who knows. :) She likes to shake the puffs can, though!

Elena is becoming more advanced in her toy-playing. She tires quickly of simple toys, though she will spend some time throwing them out of a basket. :) She likes her shape blocks, mainly to bang together and throw out of the bucket. She loves books. She will say "boo," (sounds like buh) especially for Goodnight, Baby, which is her favorite book. She loves to play with the cardboard pieces attached by ribbons, pulling them out of their slots in the book and turning it over and over. Turning the pages of a book is still her favorite part, but she does listen to the story sometimes. :) She has a book from Michelle that is electronic, and she loves to turn the pages to hear it talk. She still loves her jingle bell toy! She also likes to suck on Mommy's bathroom things--like the nozzle to her pump lotion (yuck!) or the toothpaste tube.

Reading Goodnight, Baby

Elena loves to play with non-toys--like her brush.

Playing with a big-girl toy

She said her first word this month. She has been consistently saying "dada" unprompted. She loves her dad! "Boo" came second, accompanied by a lunge over the side of the chair, where we keep the books. This girl knows what she wants!

One thing our girl hates--getting her nails cut. She has never liked it, but now that she is more expressive of her opinion, we really hear it when we try to clip them! The only thing that distracts her is when Daddy holds her so that she can play in the sink water while Mommy clips them from behind.

Another development this month--Elena will not tolerate hair bows anymore. When I put a headband on, if she is extremely distracted, it will last as long as she doesn't realize it's there. But if she feels me putting it on, or if I adjust the headband, it's off in a moment! Here are some pictures to illustrate. :)

Off it comes!

Elena has been showing signs of being a "blankie girl" for awhile, and when she wears an outfit with a skirt, she holds on to it and rubs it as an added element to the self-soothing of sucking her thumb. It's so sweet.