The Leen

Jump to Comments

A quick note to say that Brett’s French press post is written and awaiting my editing, so I hope to have it up within a week or so. Also, thanks to Jenn and Sara for de-lurking to comment on my last post! Jenn, I totally remember you and have seen your blog before, through Bree’s, I think. I have enjoyed reading it when I’ve clicked over! And Sara, I’m glad you commented and will definitely explore your blog! I clicked over briefly today but then Elanor needed me, so I didn’t get much chance to read.

That said, I desperately need to update my links section to the right, but that is going to have to wait a while.

Anyway, I know I skipped last month’s Elanor post. I just didn’t feel like writing it, so I didn’t. (Bad Mama!) I mean, really, I know I write them less for the benefit of my blog and more for my own and Elanor’s eventual benefit. It’s my substitute for a baby book, or, I suppose, my supplement to the baby book.

All of that to say that here’s this month’s. I took the photo yesterday, because we got home from the beach late Saturday night and I was exhausted and it was a very long and fairly chaotic day. So, here it is.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Elanor,

Today you are fourteen months old!

You walk all the time now, and at times even run a little. You love to be in motion, to be exploring and discovering everything around you. This has made you impatient with all contraptions that are meant to contain you: the stroller, the Ergo, the high chair, the car seat, most grocery carts, etc. And that makes life a lot more challenging, since, if we have to make you stay in one of those things, you get very upset and let everyone around you know how angry you are.

It’s clear that you are your own person now, with desires and frustrations and disappointments, all of which you share with me and Papa and everyone else. It’s a daunting job as a parent to try to teach you how to deal with those things in a compassionate, understanding, and caring way.

We’ve been trying to get you to sleep more in your own bed, a crib that Mema bought for you, which we’ve set up in our room. You are just so big these days, and you’ve inherited your Papa and Auntie Rachel’s violent sleeping habits, making it tough for Papa or myself to get much good sleep when you’re in bed with us. You will sleep in your bed at least until we come to bed, usually, and sometimes almost all night. It’s a slow process to get you to sleep in there, especially as you will no longer suck on your fingers to soothe yourself (only Mama will do for that job), but I’m in no rush to get you out of our bed entirely. I love snuggling with you.

You absolutely love all of your amazing Christmas and birthday presents. Your playroom is full to the gills with beautiful toys, and the closet is full of more as well. You are quite spoiled by our family! Your favorite toys include your tea set that Auntie Amy and Uncle Seth gave you, your kitchen from Noni and Grumps, and your bowling set from Mema.

Food continues to be a great love of yours, and you eat almost everything, although you weren’t a fan of the clam Papa gave you to try the other night. You adore bananas, and pasta, potatoes, cheese, beans – the list goes on and on. We got you some kid-sized utensils recently and you now love to eat with them, and if we forget to give them to you at dinnertime, you get very annoyed. It’s pretty amazing how skilled you are already at using them.

You have nearly all of your teeth now, or at least all of them that you’ll get until your two-year molars. It feels like the last eight or so have been coming in for a very long time — about two months. But thankfully it seems like they are just finishing up, which I’m very glad about.

It’s been so fun to see you picking up more signs. While you don’t say many words yet, you do sign quite a bit. You’ve learned the sign for please, and use it quite often, which is fun to see. You still sign milkies, more, and finished, and you wave hello and bye-bye as well. I was able to teach you please in about a week; I need to be more diligent about teaching you more signs. I think you could learn them easily and quickly.

Although you don’t say many words, you do recognize familiar people, places, and animals. Papa and I call Audrey the cat by clicking our tongues, and you’ve learned how to do the same thing, out of the blue. You now call any cat, dog, bird, or person you want to see up close in that manner, which is pretty hilarious.

You also recognize our house when we come home. I was walking from the bus stop with you a few weeks ago, and we were coming up the sidewalk. I didn’t tell you we were home, but you walked up the sidewalk and turned up the path to our door all by yourself. I was amazed!

The best thing, hands down, that you have learned to do lately is to give hugs. You wrap your arms around my neck and pat my back, and it is, without a doubt, the sweetest thing in the entire world.

Elanor, you continue to be an absolute joy, and Papa and I cannot get enough of you.

I love you,
Mama