17 months!

Language: YES Ella LOVES to talk!!!  It is truly amazing to see the new words and sentences she comes up on a daily basis. She loves to babble a whole conversation to anyone who will listen. She will babble, babble, and babble some more and then look at you like "didn't you understand that?" Here are some of her new words and sentences that she says: "bubba", "dog dog", "juice", "I don't know", "I love you", "go" "bye bye","yes", "up", "down" "Neee-na (aunty laurie)", "Mama" "Mommy", "dada" "daddy" "pee pee", "poo poo", "dance", "night night'', "Nack (snack)", "cheeessee", 'wa-wa-eeee (water)'', ''pup (cup)'', "pig", "cow", "hippo", ''bird'', "best", Wheres daddy at?" "ut- oh", "socks", "eyes", "nose" "ears", "Mouf", "cheeks'', ''teef'', "shhh..", "TT", "Nenie (aunty jen)", "Pop pop", "GG (uncle greg)", "My Dadda", "Bell", "Da-Da- Dora", "B (uncle B), "Rah (aunty sarah), "Nana (banana)", "Nana (Grandma"  "No", "bye-bye","nihh..nite","good", "ahh-dun (all done)", "more", "baby", "me'', "tiss (kiss), "milk"...I am sure there are many many more that I am forgetting..

Sign language: She continues to do well with her signing as well. Some of her new words include: more, bear, tree, work, daddy, mommy, milk, please, friend, thank you,no, bird, baby, and she has come up with a sign for "safe"... when she falls down she signs safe so we know she is ok!

Motor development: walking... nope its RUNNING! There is no such thing as walking. Going up and down the stairs is so much fun for her! She thinks she is such a big girl! climbing is another favorite thing for her to do. She climbs on EVERYTHING and she climbs FAST!!!!!

Social: Ella loves playing with all her friends! If i drop her off at nursery at church she usually balls her eyes out as soon as i leave but then is good to go a few minutes later! But if im there with her she instantly engages with all the kids. She loves to give high fives to everyone. And if your lucky  enough you might just get a hug. No doubt you can definitely bribe this kid for a hug/kiss anytime as long as you have food to give her =) Ella just loves music. Dancing is her FAVORITE thing to do. when she wants to listen to music in the car she just says "mommy daddy dance" and then i know to turn the music up louder =)Some of her favorite songs right now are: Twinkle twinkle little star, the itsy bitsy spider (she uses her fingers to do spider so i know what song she wants to sing ), Patty cake (she says pat pat when she wants this song), row row row your boat, and you are my sunshine. However she will dance to anything so whatever you sing to her she will love!

Some of her favorites:

• Movies: Baby Signing Time, Mickey Mouse Club House, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and she just started asking for "Da-Da-Dora"
• talking on the phone 
• taking pictures and saying "CCHHHEEESSEEE"
• She loves her baby dolls, dog dog, and bear. These three stuff animals go EVERYWHERE with us!
• scaring us by going up to us and saying "RAHH" with her hands in front of her face like shes gonna get you. (im gonna have to get this on video so you can see what i mean!) If you haven't seen it it is hysterical!
• Meme: this is her blanket. She asks for it when its "night night" time. She has been off her paci since 13 months!!! So she never asks for that!
• Alison and Austin: these two are her best friends! Austin (krissy's 17 month old son) and Ella play together 3 days a week. When she wakes up she asks for "Bu- bubbie" or she started calling him "tin". Either name she means austin! If you ask her when shes around austin or her favorite cousin Alison, "Ella wheres your best friend" she immediately stops and runs to them and just gives them the biggest hug ever!!! Seeing them on a daily basis makes her so happy!
• She has quite a sense of humor! everything she does usually has us laughing!

Ella is very nosiey! She is always worried about where everyone is. All day long i usually hear this: "wheres my daddy at" Wheres the dog dog" wheres my mommy" "Wheres bu bubbie", wheres my tt" (you can practically insert anything in after "wheres my _______") I always have to reassure her that they are at home , or at work  or in austins case with his mommy.

Cognitive: Ella for the most part (when shes not being stubborn) listens and follows directions. She understands everything i ask her. If i need her to do something she knows exactly what to do and where to go. Sometimes i stop and think "shes only 17 months old shes not gonna know what im asking" and to my surprise she knows exactly what im saying! 

I could go on all day about her, and I am sure I have forgotten lots of things that she does, but what I do know is that we love this little girl with all our heart! I cherish the days I spend with her!
**we are taking family pictures next week so i will post some new ones of her next week**