Eliana's Blog

  • Fun stories from my day

    Submitted by Eliana on Fri, 07/24/2009 - 10:33pm

    I thought I'd share a few cute stories about my day.

    You may know that I have a thing about shoes. But you may NOT know that I not only enjoy having my shoes on, but I also enjoy taking them off. Mommy has finally started putting me in my car seat without shoes, since she and William are otherwise chasing around the van for them after I've tossed them. Well, today I woke up especially early from my nap just so I could go school shopping with William and Mommy at Target. And somewhere between the cracker aisle and the school supply aisle I started repeating "oooo gah," "oooo gah." Finally William interpreted for me, "Her shoe's gone!" Mommy immediately looked back the way we came. But my brother, in all his wisdom, looked underneath the cart and there it was, sitting in the rack. Maybe next time Mommy will understand what I'm saying when I say "ooo gah!"

    When we returned home, Mommy and William labeled all his school supplies. I really, really wanted to use those new markers! But I got old ones instead. And some paper - I do TRY to stay on the paper. And I got out the stickers because I LOVE stickers! Here's my finished artwork:


    Artwork by Eliana, age 18 months

    Another fun pastime of mine is washing. At dinner tonight I stole Mommy's napkin and used it to wash my face, blow my nose, and then wipe off my tray. I'm so helpful!


    Intently washing

    After dinner we played outside. Belle got a new gentle leader, so she went for a whole entire walk with us! When we got back, I wanted a turn to wear the leash. William and I like to have it clipped it to our shirt collar while someone "walks" us, so we can show how well we can heel too.

    Then it was time for pajamas. William suggested a race to see who could put their pajamas on more quickly. Usually he beats me at this event. But tonight he had some trouble with a pant leg that was inside out and before you know it, I won! I clapped for myself when I won, but William cried. I tried patting him very nice, but that didn't make him happy. So I went and found my special blankie to make him feel better. He didn't want it, but he was very thankful for the offer. He said he had his own blanket. But really, it's not as special as mine.


    Loving the blankie and nuk

    I love my blankie. And my nuk. I've had them out of my bed more often lately because Mommy feels sorry for me with my eye teeth coming in. One of them has poked through now, so hopefully the rest will follow soon and this teething pain will be over. But those are my best cute stories from today. I hope you enjoyed them!

  • 18 months already!

    Submitted by Eliana on Thu, 07/09/2009 - 3:03pm

    Beach fun

    I turned 18 months old on Tuesday. Can you believe it? I'm getting so big! Mommy noticed that I had a growth spurt a few weeks ago and has been curious for my doctor's appointment to see how I would fare on the charts. The suspense ended today. I cooperated beautifully for the weighing and measuring! It was actually kind of fun. We found out I was 30 1/4 inches tall (13%) and 19 lbs 3 oz (1%)! Everyone was happy to see that my percentiles were pretty much the same as last time. So no worries! And everything else looked good, too. Usually there are no shots at 18 months, but because of a vaccine shortage I had one more to go. They gave me another booster a bit early so now I should have no more shots until kindergarten, we hope! William was more nervous about my shots than I was. But he got to blow bubbles while I had my shots and he got even more stickers than me! And when we went to Burger King after the doctor HE got a toy and I DIDN'T! But I really didn't mind. All I wanted was the french fries ... and my blankie and nuk. I wanted my nuk in my mouth even while I was chewing my food. I was still sad about how I was treated at the doctor. It's so unfair for them to do that to sweet little girls like me.

  • My perspective

    Submitted by Eliana on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 3:01pm

    It's my turn to weigh in about our trip! I had a lot of fun! Riding in the car wasn't even so bad because I got to have my blankie and nukie as much as I wanted. I watched more tv (DVDs on the computer) during the days we were driving than I have in my entire 17 months combined. But what else are you going to do when you're strapped in for 50 hours? Naps, stories, songs, toys, and snacks only go so far.


    Rocking in her chair

    I've even started watching a little more tv when we're at home because Mommy got out my little chair again. I loved climbing in Ariella's seat at Auntie Dawn's house and one of my favorite things to do is to "rock, rock." So I now sit in my chair, rock, and watch tv!

    But back to our trip... I really liked the hotel where we stayed in Nebraska. I did NOT want to go to sleep there. Mommy and William went down to the pool to play and swim while I was supposed to go to bed. I let Daddy know that I didn't like that idea. I didn't want to go to sleep unless everyone else was going to sleep, too!


    Quandary Peak

    Colorado was lots fun. The mountains were very "pretty!" And the lodge had lots of stuffed animals hanging everywhere I looked. I liked saying, "Hi Kitty" to the mountain lion on the mantle downstairs. And there were even live animals to watch outside: a fox, black bear, chipmunks, squirrels and birds. There were also plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins to spoil me. I stayed up late, woke up early and took two naps a day. I haven't taken two naps a day in a long time! All that fun really takes it out of a girl.

    Then I got to spend time with all my cousins! There was the night at the Legatts in Nebraska that was a lot of fun. They have a great playroom! And then four nights in Arkansas with Abi, Faith and Parker. It was nice and hot there so we played in the water a lot, which I love! I got to practice going up and down slides in the pool and in their basement. Now I can do it by myself!


    William hitting a home run!

    But now we're home and it's just not as exciting around here as it was on our trip. I bring Mommy my new pink crocks from Adam and Jennie to tell her I want to go out. Thanks, Adam and Jennie! Mommy's been trying to keep us busy with William's BamBam ball games, the library, park, and going to visit grandparents. But now that we're home I've got to keep my blankie and nukie in my bed, so car rides aren't so fun anymore. Mom's sure my eye teeth are coming in which is why I've been biting and whining a lot. Unfortunately I think they'll be a while yet. Well, I'm off for my next adventure at the farmer's market!

    If you want to know more about the trip, William and Mom both wrote more!

  • Communication

    Submitted by Eliana on Sun, 05/17/2009 - 4:19pm

    Helping throw something in the garbage

    I'm really trying to talk a lot lately. I babble all the time. I always know what I want, but I'm too little to get it myself and I usually don't know how to say it. So this results in quite a bit of whining. There's nothing that makes me sadder than when Mommy tells me to "Shhhh." I just wish that I could talk and am sad that I can't yet. I understand what everyone else is saying. I'm great at following directions, like when you ask me to throw something in the garbage or get my shoes. And if you can figure out what I want, I always say, "Yeah" and nod my head. Basically, I know lots of things that I want to say, I just can't actually make my mouth say them. I sing my "Sounds Like Fun" alphabet song to practice making sounds. My favorite sounds are still "Bbb" and "Ddd". Now I say "Daddy" perfectly and love to say "Hi Daddy" when he comes upstairs from working.

    Another thing I can do well is spit! I'm always told not to spit except when I brush my teeth. So when it comes time to brush my teeth, all I want to do is spit! I keep leaning over the sink while I wait for enough drool to accumulate. Then I spit it in the sink! I'm a very talented spitter with perfect aim!

  • Pretty

    Submitted by Eliana on Sun, 05/03/2009 - 11:53pm

    Yesterday I learned to say the word "pretty" (it sounds more like "pree"). It's my new favorite word. I try it out on everything: the clock in the bathroom, the pinecone bird feeder William made at school that hangs outside our kitchen window, the sewing machine that Mommy used to sew me new blankies today, and always her new necklace. Mommy agrees with the last one, but the rest all get smiles - or laughs when William hears.

  • 15 months old

    Submitted by Eliana on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 5:00pm

    I visited the doctor today and Mommy says it went well. I was much more nervous than any of my other visits. I didn't like it when they laid me on that paper. One time they even gave me shots in the legs! But the first time it was just to get measured. I'm getting taller, but not much heavier. Now I'm 29 inches which is 12% for height and still only 18 lbs 3 oz which is 1% for weight. The doctor's not worried because I'm petite everywhere. My head is at the 7th percentile. She said it's normal to not gain much at this stage now that I'm mobile, or as Mom says, running everywhere. But if I don't gain enough next time, then the doctor said she'd worry. So I'll work on eating lots of Easter candy this weekend, that should do the trick, right?


    Eliana playing with the Princess puppet.

    We had an Easter egg hunt at playgroup this morning right after the doctor's appointment. I loved running around in the yard looking for eggs. I didn't really get the idea of collecting them. I put my first one down right next to the second one I found. All in all, I found three eggs! I loved the candy inside! I'm always begging for cookies and candy at dinner. But Mom and Dad pretend they don't know what I want unless I say "cookie." It's starting to become a problem.

    Some of my favorite things to play right now are doll baby and puppets. I like to hug the baby to make it talk or cry. I also put puppets on my hands and use a high squeeky voice to make them talk. There are some new pictures in the April album of me doing both!

    There are also pictures of our trip to the zoo earlier this week. There are not any pictures of me with the animals because I didn't stand still long enough for Mom to get out the camera. She always had to chase me down. But I loved the animals. I signed "fish" for a lot of them... they were in cages, after all. And for the furry ones I would say, "Raar" even while the otters were squeeking away. Mom finally was able to take a few pictures while I played in the Kids Cove because I was contained in one room with the doors closed!

  • Beautiful Day!

    Submitted by Eliana on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 8:14pm

    The weather was really nice today! So after my nap Mommy and I went for a walk. I made my first trip to the mailbox walking all by myself. My boots made a little clip-clop sound and I stopped every so often to watch the water trickling across the driveways. I didn't go into it, even though I love water!

    I started swimming lessons with Daddy. We have gone three times now and each time I have more fun than the last. Maybe one of my parents will actually remember the camera sometime! William gets a turn in the pool after my class. He doesn't even need anyone to hold him. He swims with noodles and plays catch with Dad. Mommy plays with me and feeds me snacks while we watch. My favorite thing about swimming lessons is all the balls to play with! While I wait for William and Daddy to get showered and dressed, I can usually find people in the gym who are playing ball, too. I recognize the sound of the bouncing balls and search for an open door to the gym. I like cheering for volleyball and basketball best.

    My seventh tooth poked through about a week ago. It hasn't been followed by #8 yet, which is a first for me. All my other teeth have come in pairs. So now I have four on top and three on the bottom.

    I'm starting to communicate a lot! Tonight I signed, "Please, please, please" for William to share his fruit snacks with me. And when he did, I signed, "Thank you!" What good manners I have! Later I saw Daddy's picture on Mommy's computer by his blog entry and said, "Dada!" Some of my other favorite signs are telephone, hot, ball, all gone, eat and drink (which look the same), cat, fish, and waving hello or bye-bye. Other words I say are bottle, Belle, Mama, Will, ball, all gone, there, hungry, and boo!

  • Spring is in the air

    Submitted by Eliana on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 10:36pm

    This afternoon was lots of fun! I got up early from my nap so I was able to go outside and play with William. It was nice that the weather was really warm. The snow was sloppy and sticky - great for building a snow dog and a snow kitty to go with the snowman William and Mommy made yesterday. I mostly crawled around in the snow, crying for help whenever I would crawl out of my boot or lose a mitten. It was fun to watch Belle dig for her tennis ball. And Mom only had to tell William a couple times not to throw snowballs so close to me. We went for a sled ride around the house. We had to choose our path carefully to make sure we stayed on the snow. There are a few spots in our yard where there is only grass and no snow. But for the most part, there was still plenty of snow for playing. Mom says that only in Minnesota would a snowman be a sign of spring, but the snow is finally sticky enough after months of cold! Now we can watch him quickly melt!

    I was proud of myself tonight. I finally said, "up!" Mama's been trying to teach me to say "up" instead of crying and hanging on her legs. And I did it! She and Daddy are looking forward to the new dishwasher that is coming next week. We've been without one for a while now and I tend to get whiny and clingy whenever it's time to do the dishes. Come to think of it, I'm looking forward to the new dishwasher, too!

  • Toothy Toddler

    Submitted by Eliana on Sat, 01/31/2009 - 11:52am

    Today I can feel two new sharp teeth poking out of my gums. That makes a total of six. Now my parents can see why I've been chewing on my Little Miss Muffet book so much. I'm also walking more often than crawling, so you can officially call me a toddler now. There are no babies in this house!

    Mommy just figured out where my "digo" saying most likely came from. I have a habit of bending down and scratching the carpet like I'm digging and my mom always says, "Dig, dig, digger." She just said it to me again now and I practically saw the lightbulb go off in her head.

  • Adventures in Babyhood

    Submitted by Eliana on Fri, 01/23/2009 - 10:51pm

    Eliana loves yogurt almost as much as she loves to take off her bib!

    I'm still officially a baby, but not for much longer! Yesterday I stood up and took a step to Mommy - by choice - which was a first! Mommy was shocked! She knew I could do it, but I never had. I figured what better way to get her to pick me up than to walk to her. I'm so smart! Tonight I stood up and walked almost halfway across the living room to Daddy. Just to show what a Daddy's girl I am.

    I know now where Daddy is when he's home. He's downstairs at his computer. So now when we're in the entry way I always look downstairs and say "Dada." But some days he's not home and I miss him.

    I've also figured out where the candy is in my trick-or-treat bag and how to beg for it. I just whine and point to it. Lots of times it works and I get a treat like fruit snacks or a sucker. Pretty soon I'll have that bag empty.

    These are the words I say now: besides Dada I say done, Belle, Mama, bottle, ball, and digo. No one is quite sure what "digo" means, but it's one of my favorite words. It might mean "thank you" or "there we go" or even "tickle." I like words that can mean many things. Just like "ba" used to mean ball AND Belle. Now I can pronounce Belle much better. But I also call the kitty "Belle." I hope she's not offended. I like to babble a lot, too. It sounds like I'm really talking and I have so much I want to say.

    If I could talk I would probably tell you all about McDonald's today. We went to the playland with our friends this morning and it was really fun! I liked the bouncy balls and the bumpy little slide. And right toward the end I discovered the big play set and took off climbing. Mom couldn't keep her eyes off me for a second or I was crawling off to discover some other new adventure... or french fry. I still don't understand why you can't eat things that are on the floor. They seem perfectly good to me!

    I'm sure there are a lot more fun little stories in the photo album. Mom's been snapping away with the camera lately. So enjoy!