Day 2,375

The Eleventh Month of Ella Mae

Like, seriously?!

Eleven months old (a little belated, forgive this busy mama) and this chunk is just getting better and better with age. Sure, she's also becoming a small pain in the butt, but I do blame the teeth, of which, she can't really help. They've been keeping her up at night lately and though I'm dragging in the morning, I'll never tire of her snuggles. She's such a happy, friendly little thing and I'm more than a little obsessed with her. 

Every morning, she wakes up with an ear to ear grin and when I say, "Hiiiiiii Ella Mae," she waves and says it right back to me. She then follows it up with a "HI" to her brother and sister and kisses each of us when we ask for a kiss. Ah. She's seriously precious and oh so scrumptious and sweet.

This past month was probably the roughest so far on our smallest babe. On top of her teething, she also experienced her first bout of sickness. Amelia initially came down with a bug and since two-year-olds can't be trusted to cover their coughs, she infected our EllaMater. And then Ella Mae infected our Dada. We were one big mess there for a week, but thankfully, with a lot of rest, elderberry, and apple cider vinegar, we kicked the bug more quickly than expected. 

More firsts this month: Ella Mae took her siblings to the Martin County Fair, she learned how to say "no" and "cado" (avocado), and started her ISR swim lessons. Already, our girl can float unassisted!!! An incredible feat that we are SO proud of!

MaeMae claps in appropriate situations, already having learned that a good way to encourage someone is to clap for them. She also claps along to songs and at least once daily, has a clapping party with her Daddy. 

Ella Mae thinks Bearett is the funniest boy alive and whenever she's crying in her carseat, Bearett is the hero who stops her from her fit. She can see him diagonally from where she sits, and when she cries, he smacks his head and says "ouch," which instantly turns her tears into giggles!

Most recently, Ella Mae has taken to dancing. She gets up on her left knee and bounces up and down with her hands flying in the air. While she busts a move, you can hear her squeals of laughter and song while she tries to both dance as big and sing as loud as her bro and sis - something they've all learned from their music-obsessed mama!

She also plays the piano and watches herself in the mirror while slamming the keys. This too, is when you can find her dancing and singing. One of the most notable things about this new fun is that she's become so interested in the piano, that she'll even go into Amelia's room without anyone in it!

This is huge because Ella Mae is just like her sister in the way that she will start screaming if you detach her from my side. She refuses to go to most people, and absolutely will not allow me to put her in the nursery at church. She prefers to always have an eye on me. Well, we've discovered that she'll spend upwards of a half an hour in Amelia's or Bear's bedroom with them, playing right alongside them! A huge milestone!

Ok, her love for Whitacre kills me!

This girl has cheeks for days and thighs to compliment them. She's 22.4 pounds now and every day, she eats more than the day before. Her favorites are banana, avocado, and sweet potato. But she'll eat anything you give her. Broccoli, potato, chicken pot pie (not the chicken though), smoothie, raspberries, whole slices of pizza dropped onto the ground...

This month, she celebrated her sister's third birthday party.

She also learned how to put her pinky back into her mouth the correct side up and can now feed herself with a spoon. 

She likes sucking on sticks more than toys, blows bubbles with her mouth, and loves lifting weights with her Mama. She naps on the couch, surrounded by pillows, sleeps between her parents at night, and nurses all day every day, any time she wants! She's added SO MUCH joy to this family, SO MUCH growth, and SO MUCH love. We are all crazy about our MaterKate/MaterSackey/Maters and thank the Lord daily for her precious life. We are incredibly blessed by this most dear gift from our good Father.

Thank you for keeping your Mommy and Daddy smiling. We love you an infinite amount!