Elin @ 17 Months

I promise that our family does more than just celebrate Elin every other month or so, contrary to the blog posts that are all about HER!  We have been busy busy busy enjoying our summer including a wonderful trip back to TX, lots of swimming at the neighborhood pool, swimming lessons for Jake, and exploring our new city on Saturdays when Keith is up for an adventure on his day off.  Maybe I can post some highlights of the summer at a later time.

It seems that over the past 2 months Elin has left her baby days well behind and is in full blown toddlerhood!  I personally LOVE the baby stage; but love, love, love the toddler stage of development.  I love to watch the language explode, the desire for independence and thus frustration & tantrums begin!  Really, it's true because it is so intriguing to me to begin to see them problem solve, learn, grow, & then observe their satisfaction in accomplishment of even the little things (which are HUGE for them).  Some of the little things for Elin right now are climbing on and off the couch by herself, climbing up the stairs on her own, and she's still working on feeding herself (and she is oh SO proud when Mommy does not have to help!) She grins and nods her head proudly with most accomplishments.

Her language is really taking off with something new almost every few days.  She frequently puts two words together and sometimes three.  Some of her phrases are: dank you, I down, I eat, I book, I ready, where's bebe?, where's Woa (Loa)?, where's Dake, Daddy, Cwacka? (cracker: any food item.  Which has changed from "brito" last month.) She is also pointing, shrugging shoulders, and practically any other way she can carry on with her hands she will while communicating.

Speaking of "cwackas" and "britos," any ideas on where all that food is going?!? Look at that TUM!

She has taken a huge growth spurt since her last dr.'s visit increasing from the 10th percentile in weight to the 30th and the 50th in height to the 65th. (22 lb. 3 ounces  and 31 1/2 inches)

A few of Elins favorite things to do now: 

Sitting on ANY ledge or step available:

Playing in the water...even Loa's water dish

                                      

She loves her accessories:

She also loves to chase Jake's cars that go racing across the playroom floor & she loves her "bebe" and often requests her at bedtime and wakes her in the morning to go to breakfast.  So cute.  She is enjoying reading more everyday & that is not such a persuasion on our part anymore.  She also loves to swing whenever possible. Also one last thing, rather person that she LOVES; to say the very least, is her Uncle John.  When we were in TX we got to see him several days that we were there.  Let's just say that no one else really mattered too much when he was around.  I haven't seen her respond to anyone quite like this! Seriously look at this face!