10 months!

Ten months old and here we are. Some days we're surviving, other days we're thriving, but all days we're smitten with this girl who is now walking a fine line between toddler and baby-hood. The older she gets the more I find myself nostalgic for her tiny baby days - so nostalgic that I catch myself dreaming of having another baby. These thoughts are quickly pushed to the back of my brain when I realize that having another baby with a toddler who is already SO MUCH WORK would simply blow my mind. Going through nonstop morning sickness again, chasing a little kid around, getting no sleep, having little space left in our home, having just left my job and thus reducing our income, etc... yeah, a new baby doesn't really fit into this equation. But - to feel baby kicks again, to get the chance to labor and give birth again (yes, I actually look forward to this!), to feel a newborn sleep against my chest, to master the art of breastfeeding with a new baby, to have that sacred first week again - when the time comes it will be welcomed gladly!

Of course, this post is supposed to be about Ellie at 10 months old. She is a joy. This morning as I watched her attempt to climb the stairs holding onto a stuffed animal with a pacifier in her mouth, I found myself once again totally amazed by her. She's into anything and everything these days, and the tireder (is that a word?) she is, the quicker she moves across the floor, frantically finding a new toy and flinging it to the side in the search for something off limits. Which, no doubt she finds. Girl loves electrical cords, opening kitchen cabinets and rummaging around what's inside, unrolling toilet paper and eating it, china cabinets, fireplaces, etc.

The result of opening a cabinet, 3 seconds after I turned around

Ellie crawls about 30 miles per hour, climbs the stairs, babbles all the time (loves to say/scream MAMA!) and a couple days ago (March 23rd so we don't forget!) she took her first real steps. Three steps on Friday, seven steps Saturday followed by a walking strike on Sunday. Perhaps she was just resting on the sabbath? It is incredible to see this transition, and oh-so rewarding. As though we're actually doing something right!

She still loves to eat and we've yet to find a food which she seems to dislike. She tried lasagna for the first time last week and ate almost an entire regular sized serving of it. I learned my lesson though to avoid putting clean clothes on the baby until after eating lasagna. She still nurses happily, especially during the night, and I can't imagine weaning anytime soon (or at all, for that matter). Pumping three times a day while at work for those six months was incredibly difficult and took a lot of effort, but I'm so glad it resulted in a nursing relationship that's still going strong.

Ellie loves to give kisses, both to humans, stuffed animals and pets alike (although the latter usually results in a face-full of pet hair). I decided last night that I was done trying to control the face planting on the pets, and figure that being covered in animal hair (all the time!) will serve to build her little immune system. Despite this new resolution, I'm finding myself vacuuming and moping at least every other day. We're getting some great opportunities to play with friends, which is great for socializing and great for me too. :)

Love those Isaacs kids!

Ellie's sleep is okay some nights (zero, one or two wakeups) and terrible others. Seems like anything will interfere - teething, colds, developmental milestones, separation anxiety, etc - and she is always going through at least one of these things.

And, so as not to make my dear reader(s?) think that it's all roses and sunshine, it's not. Our baby is prone to melt downs, is hitting a whiny stage (I think) and is very, very attached to me right now. While the majority of the time I love that, sometimes I just want to use the restroom without being screamed at from another room. :) She's also quite headstrong and knows exactly what she wants. When she doesn't get it, she lets us know her feelings. Hoping that this isn't an indicator of many tantrums to come, and if it is, we'll need to start gearing up on mitigation strategies ASAP. She despises getting her nose wipe, which seems to be constantly runny, and diaper changing time is a battle every, single time. Usually resulting in tears, but almost always in a clean diaper (thankyouverymuch). And from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep she is constantly on the move, which is oh-so-tiring come 4pm...

So there you have it - life with a 10 month old Eleanor, in a nutshell. Other news around here? New kitchen is being installed most likely within the next two weeks, which is both exciting and slightly nerve-wracking; Peter's responsibilities at work are picking up quickly (which is exciting and exhausting), Spring just may be around the corner (but knowing Seattle, we'll get teased with the promises of Spring until mid-June) and we're still pinching ourselves from time to time that this is the life we've been given. :)

not in a nut-shell, but here's Eleanor in a box!