Twenty-Seven Months (Eliana)

Ellie seems to have been going through a huge development spurt (if that's the right term for it) these past few weeks. Her vocabulary is increasing and her ability to parrot words is improving, too. We told her to say "happy birthday" to her aunt Amber and, much to our surprise, she did! I'm a little worried for the future, as Ellie is learning many different words for "pee" and "poo" from Elmo's Potty Time. Today she repeated each one and now I'm just waiting to find out what inappropriate situation we'll be in when she busts out her new words. If she's at a microphone and says "dookie" I think I'll go hide under a rock until she's 18.

One new trick Ellie's working on is climbing stair with one foot per stair. It requires holding an adult hand, but nobody minds that. She really loves trying it out as we walk her up the stairs to Nursery on Sunday.

There is still no progress on the potty training front. If I suggest that she go on the potty she screams "NOOOO!!!!" and runs away. She'll sit on it fully clothed and I've even gotten her to do it without a diaper, hoping for an accidental success to show her how great it is. No luck. When she has to go she stands up, moves away from her potty and goes on the floor. A little resistant, perhaps? I guess so. Bribery still doesn't work for using the potty, though it does get her to let my style her hair.

Eliana really needs a little playmate. Her baby sister is too young to rough house with, though Ellie does like to hug and kiss Maya. Ellie loves being with other kids and I'm trying to think of ways to get her more involved with other children. In the meantime she asks to watch a "moo-ie" at every opportunity. Right now she's hung up on Cinderella. Again. That probably has to do with her obsession with princesses. I'm interested to see what she thinks of Toy Story 3.

More and more I realize what a truly beautiful child my daughter is. Just look at the pictures in the blue dress. Gorgeous. In the first one she is gently holding Maya. The next one was taken a few seconds later, when Ellie decided she was done holding her little sister and was pushing Maya off her lap. Ellie certainly keeps me on my toes.

Ellie was Little Bo Peep for Halloween this year. She rocked the costume. I wanted to make it, but there just wasn't time. My lovely and talented mother came to my rescue an finished it for me. By "finished it" I really mean "put together all the pieces I had cut out." She's my hero. Eliana go to experience trick-or-treating for the first time, though it was only on the doors at my grandma's physical rehab center and the classroom doors at the church building. She wasn't really sure what to do, but she really liked taking candy from strangers.

We love Ellie and all her energy!