Ella is 13 Months!

Ella turned 13 months yesterday...remember when you were little, and a month seemed like it took a year?  Then you have kids, and a month seems like it lasts an hour!

Officially, Ella still isn't talking (besides "nananana" and "dada"), however, unofficially, I think she's really trying.  She screeches and babbles all the time, and I think she tries to mimic us every once in a while but then won't say it again.  Like 2-3 weeks ago, my mom and I kept saying "pumpkin" to her, and she said "pump".  Was is a coincidence?  Maybe.  But she'd never said that before.  Two days ago, I said "where is Rylee?" and she said, "dom".  Or what sounded like it.  Then today, I said "where is the dog?" and she said "dog" and pointed at Rylee!  Sometimes when you say "hi" it sounds like she says "hello" or "hi" back to you.  But most of the time I think I'm just imagining it. ;)

We call her our little tornado because she is so destructive!  She's ripped the pages out of half of her books.  She makes a complete mess everywhere she goes...just like mommy!

We made the mistake of trying to change her milk/bottle schedule the day after the daylight savings change (stupid!).  We figured we may as well start weaning her off the bottle and not giving her milk before bed so her teeth don't rot.  So we tried her regular 7 a.m. bottle, then gave her milk in a sippy cup with her lunch at noon and then a bottle when she woke up from her afternoon nap.  Besides the fact that she didn't even finish 5 oz. of her lunch milk (she usually eats 8oz.) despite trying FOUR different cups, and that she clearly really wanted her bottle at bedtime, she woke up at 4:30 (which was 5:30 to her) for a bit and then woke up at 5:30 for the day because she was hungry!  We are back to the regular schedule and all bottles...whatever, I've never seen a teenager drinking milk from a bottle. ;)~

We recently moved her up to a size 4 diaper, but they are a little big.  She still loves broccoli and meat but will sometimes decide after a few bites she doesn't feel like it that day.  Her favorite food right now are those Trader Joes whole grain crackers...if she sees them or the box and you don't give her one, she'll cry!

Her personality is coming out more each day and is beyond adorable.  She is WAY more affectionate (so don't despair if you have one of those totally unaffectionate babies!).  She hugs us all the time, and she will give kisses sometimes without even being asked!  It melts my heart.  She also wants to be held a lot.  She still has not one bit of stranger anxiety and now that she's walking, she constantly walks up to people while they are eating and stares at them or takes things off their tables (or flirts with the boys!).  She makes lots of friends. :)

I have to go...Ella is literally biting the side of my computer as I type...