This is a bit overdue, but happy 11 months to our beloved Elleonai.

So here’s a recap of what she was like at 10 months.

Vocal
For those who get to see her weekly, they know how chattersome she can be and very vocal in what she wants.  So far, she knows how to say “tatay, mamam, ate, de-de, hi (haa), uh-oh, and this (dis). Sometimes we’ll hear her try to say some other words, but she won’t use it everyday.  

Music
She loves to dance to music and sometimes tries to sing along when she hears her sisters sing.  Also, while in the car, if she hears a familiar song, she’ll try to sing along by singing “aaaaah”…She can understand the word “sing” so if you ask her while in a good mood, she’ll usually try to sing you a tiny melody.

Social Skills
Apart from family, esp. her sisters, she’s very fond of her Lola Ruth who she will always extend her arms to.  She responds very well to play. She even tries to socialize and approach other babies her age, although her idea of playing consists of batting at them. So she’s a little rough in the metaphorial playground.  She also lets people carry her, even trusting those at childcare in our gym.  So this is a huge blessing for us to be able to entrust her to others when we need some free time.

Eating
Out of all our girls at her age, she’s our best eater! She will taste just about anything, and loves to eat.  She loves rice, chicken, corn, stew, soup, fruits, and her recent favorite- ice cream.  This age is nice because we don’t have to always rely on milk to fill her, or Gerber foods.  She eats what we eat.  She drinks milk every 5 hours and still occassionally nurses.  I haven’t tried weaning her yet, but will have to start trying after she turns 1.  But I’m pretty proud I was able to sustain and give her breastmilk her first year. To be honest, I think I’ll miss the really intimate moments I have with her. I honestly believe it can strengthen the bond between mom and child. I find myself, putting down my iPhone and just staring into her eyes and talking with her about anything. Then she pretends to understand our conversation when she stops feeding, or when she smiles, or utters a tiny sound of affirmation to what I’m saying. Sometimes, those things are overlooked, so I wanted to jot them down before I can only look back through pictures and videos. Oh, songbird, I will miss this.

Hair
I say this often to everyone, but thought I’d just jot it down. The front of her hair is so long, taking its cue from Ate Emma. The back hardly grows, influenced by her Ate Zi.  I usually have to tie it with a rubber band. Don’t worry folks, one more month.

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Favorite food: rice, crackers, fruit
Favorite song: Blurred Lines
Favorite word: dad