The Bailey Family Times

We finally had Ella's 1 year check up with her pediatrician right after she turned 13 months. She is 31 inches tall (90%), weighs 22 pounds 9 ounces (75%), and has a head circumference of 19 inches (97%).

At 14 months Ella:

• is really frustrating me with this whole walking thing. She will walk 20-30 steps perfectly then sit herself down (not fall, mind you) and then only crawl for the next 2 hours. Then later she'll decide she's in the mood and walk around for a few minutes then boycott it again for a few hours. CAN she walk? Yes. Is she officially a walker? I have no clue. This kid has a mind of her own.
• can bend down to pick up objects from a standing position without toppling over.
• has a fantastic sense of humor. She laughs at us and the dogs, seems to tell "jokes" and laughs at herself, and even laughs along with adults when we're telling a story.
• is soooo much fun!!
• is making Mama nervous with her climbing.
• has added "watch", "yes", "woof", "good", "done", "again", "I got it" and "I did it" to her vocabulary.
• says "again" if I've finished reading a book and she wants me to read it again.
• climbs up the ladder to her fort and slides down the slide independently.
• enjoys switching between her rocking chair and her comfy green reading chair.
• wakes up in the middle of the night looking for Mama if she does not see me immediately before bedtime. Poor Daddy had a rough night when Mama spent her first night away.
• will point to her nose and belly button when asked.
• tries on Mama's shoes. Simply adorable.
• unlocks my iphone if I forget to turn the screen off and calls people such as Nonie and Daddy on my favorites list. She even talks to them before she hangs up.
• enjoys having her teeth brushed. She especially loves my dorky tooth-brushing song.
• is beginning to get frustrated with me when I do not understand what she's telling me. She thinks everything that she says is perfect English.
• considers bananas, blueberries, peas, tomatoes, corn, yogurt and strawberries her favorite foods. She is a fairly adventurous eater now and is not bothered by spicy, sour, or tangy foods. I am very grateful that she appears to enjoy most fruits and vegetables. She also exhibits a love for Mexican food. I don't know where she gets that from.
• is starting to wear 18 month clothes.
• has swatted at me, Chad and other babies a few times out of frustration but is extremely receptive to verbal correction. She understands "ow" and does not like hurting people's feelings.
• figures that since hitting and pushing are wrong, she should gently headbutt Ethan's shoulder instead when he's taken one of her toys. This reminds me of when I was about 2 years old and my Mom said I could not color on the walls with crayons. So I used markers instead.
• insists that you read books to her about 8-10 times a day. You may choose which book to read if you wish, but if it's not one of her favorites she will bring you a better book immediately after. She also "reads" to herself many times a day.
• thinks closing herself into Molly's crate is hysterical.
• can put all the shapes into her shape sorters and puzzle independently.
• cannot be hurried when eating.
• puts all her stacking cups and rings back together in order.
• does headstands. She learned this from her cousin.

We love this girl. God sure created a child way more amazing than I could have ever imagined. She is so full of love, laughter, and life.