Violet at 11 Months

Growth & Appearance: You seem incredibly long. Like, really really long. You have a long torso. Due to your pronounced length, you appear a little slimmer than before. Your hair has grown longer, especially at your nape. You're incredibly fair skinned. Sometimes you can see the tiny blue veins beneath your skin. You have one that is quite visible between your eyes.

You weigh 22.5 lbs and are 30 inches long. Moving into 18 month clothing. Size 4 diapers.

Teeth: Eight, with a significant gap residing between the front two.

Development: You wave frequently. You wave at me first thing in the morning when you wake up, you wave goodnight when we go to bed, when a new person enters the room, when a pet enters the room, and when you hear a familiar voice on the telephone. You've also began to accompany the wave with a quick "hi".

Along with hi, you also say: Dada, mama, bye, bite, and pup (dog). You say something very often that sounds like, "lordy, lordy, lordy." You also mimic the cats when they meow by giving a high-pitched "maaao." You've taken extra notice of the cats lately and reach to touch them when they are near. 

You're giving spirit prevails. When we eat a meal you often offer pieces of your food to others and won't continue eating until that person accepts it.

You've learned to toss a ball back and forth with others.

Your understanding of things has recently clicked and it constantly amazes me. You will now pick up a comb and attempt to comb your own hair. You will hold a toy telephone to your ear. You've held the nipple shield from the breast pump up to your belly, close enough. You enjoy watching me brush my teeth and attempt to mimic my arm movements when you brush your teeth, but sometimes you move the arm that's not holding the toothbrush.

You walk often and are fairly stable, but crawling is still your main form of travel. You walk 30% of the time and crawl 70%.

You love music. If you hear a song you like you will dance all around the floor, clap your hands, and wave your arms wildly. You are partial to Creedance Clearwater Revival and the Bee Gees.

You do a celebratory clap for everything and now associate the word 'yay' with clapping.

Eating: We've hit our first real eating dilemma. You will no longer accept food from anyone else on a spoon. No sirree bob. You have hit quite the independence streak and insist on using your own utensils. It's frustrating. Every meal deserves a follow up bath, but I just wipe you down instead which seriously pisses you off. You do okay with a spoon, with about 75% of the food making it into your mouth. You have peculiar habits with a fork however, holding it with one hand and poking food onto it with the other and then putting it in your mouth.

You've also grown a little more picky, which is what I've been fearing. You have preferences and can communicate them very clearly. When you are eating something you really like you make "om, om" noises while eating it. When presented with something you don't like or want you will push it away. If I offer it again you will throw it in the floor. I hope you haven't inherited my persnickety eating habits. It's not a lifestyle I would have chosen for myself.

You nurse only for sleep now. When you go down for your two naps, for bedtime, and a couple of times during the night. This happened naturally and by your lead. My milk supply is dwindling fast because of it, so I fear it won't be long before our breastfeeding journey comes to an end. After reading the benefits of it, I've been giving you a few ounces of goat's milk every day for your morning nap. I then pump what you would have ate from me and store it. I feel like a desperate hoarder trying to tuck all of her little kitties away before someone comes and takes them.

Sleeping: You've been pretty consistent with sleeping lately. Two naps a day, bed around 9 and up around 8. You sometimes have bad dreams at night and it's hard to console you.

I think I mentioned last month that you're a one leg in, one leg out type of gal. You have also recently been flopping over to your stomach, sometimes accompanied with an elevated booty in the air. You drool in your sleep.

Favorites: You love balls. You have several small ones and one big one that makes you laugh. You also love two small furry toys you got recently. A rabbit and chick that will hop across the floor when wound up. You carry one in each hand and held up close to your body. You also love being outside.