you are 21-months old

elle louise,

you are 21-months old today. 3 months away from turning two. where has my baby gone?

you are the joy of mine and your dada's life. we will never be able to fully express the love we have for you. but, sweet girl, we love you more than life itself. and we thank god for you every single day.



you are spunky, sweet, sassy (yes, i'm afraid so), ornery, so smart, happy, silly, and so much fun.

you are my little mini me right now. by my side 24/7, mimicking everything i do.  i've learned to embrace it and try to include you at all times. you've started standing on a chair at the counter while i cook and bake. you stand so still, watching and taking it all in. you like to help me load/unload the dishwasher and put clothes in the dryer.



you are in a fun stage of wanting to call people all the time. dada, nana, gigi, and your aunts. while we don't always call them, you have no problem pretending like they are on the other line. you say "ummm (pause) target, ummm (smack then pause), dada home". your dada says you get the "ummm" from me.

you are constantly singing, your favorite songs are twinkle twinkle, eio (aka old mcdonald), and oh no you never let go. you can sing all lines of twinkle, but you always leave out "how i wonder what you are?". it's awesome listening to your sweet voice sing.

you are a little chatter box. from the moment you wake till the time you shut your eyes at night you are talking. and i love it. we have some great conversations, you and i. you have a huge vocabulary. i can't even begin to list all the words you say. in the last month or two, you've started putting sentences together. you little smarty pants.

you love to be outside. go to the park. play with sidewalk chalk. your babies. color on paper (you know you only color on paper because you have gotten in trouble a time or two for coloring on furniture). dance.



you are a wonderful sleeper and eater. you still take 2 naps a day, each one around 2 hours and sleep 12 hours solid at night. you love food and will eat pretty much anything i fix. you always ask for eggs for breakfast, but if we are out you'll eat oatmeal. some foods you love would include spaghetti squash lasagna (you can eat more than me) and any sort of mexican food: taco meat, enchiladas, taco soup. and you like it spicy. you also love sweet potato fries and brown beans. and you love to dip. it doesn't matter what it is you'll dip it. you love sweets and you ask me to make cookies daily.

you are potty trained. yes ma'am you are. your dada and i are so proud of you. yes, you still have accidents here and there and you don't usually wake up from a nap or bedtime dry. but girl, you've got it down! no more diapers for you, sweet girl. just panties and pull-ups.



my sweet ellie bean, your dada and i love you to the moon and enjoy being present with you and watching you grow and evolve every single day.

you never cease to amaze us.

love, mom