The Ducote Family

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Still in shock that Ella is 1 but what an amazing year it has been and what joy she has brought to our lives!
Happy 1st Birthday sweet Ella!
December 22, 2013  
In the waiting room before pictures-the girl and her tongue!!
 
She is full of personality which we have said from the very beginning.  She definitely wants you to know that she is in the room and loves the attention.  She loves to snuggle and give hugs and still LOVES her brother.  She also still is pretty fiesty at times, too.  She definitely has a pteradyctly-like scream and loves to use it in the car.  She is also a girl that knows what she wants-if she is holding onto something (for example my cell phone or keys-two of her favorites) and you try to take them away she will let you knwo that she is not happy.  
Happy girl with such a big smile!
Always looking up to her big brother

She has mastered "please" and "milk" in baby sign language and we are working on "thank you, more, and all done".   She has started shaking her head "no" and will do it very emphatically.  She says "ma ma" and "da da" pretty regularly and babbles a lot still.  She loves pointing out her nose (specifically sticking her finger up her nostril) and pulling up her shirt to show you her belly button.She has taken 1-2 steps by her 1st birthday and as I write this, almost month late, she is taking 10 or more steps consistently but her preferred method of transportation is still crawling.  
Hanging out in Joseph's chair
 Showing us her tricks!
She knows where her head is...
 And her nose...
 And her belly button...
And she's great at blowing kisses!
She is a great sleeper now-those first few months I wasn't sure if she would ever sleep for more than 2-3 hours but you just have to remind yourself that they do and she is now sleeping from 7 p.m. until 7-7:30 a.m.  Somedays she takes 1 nap around 2 hours and somedays she still takes 2 naps-just depends what we have going on and if we are home or not in the morning and afternoon.  
 Randomly she will just lay down in the middle of playing.  She has done it at public places as well which kind of grosses me out but guess it is building up her immune system!
See, she does it at the mall playground, too!  Gross!!

She contineus to be a very healthy eater.  The amount of food that she consumes amazes me, although I must admit that a good amount of it I do find on the floor or on her chair once I get her out.  She is known to eat 3 mandarin oranges in one sitting, along with the rest of a meal.  We switched her to whole milk but she broke out into an awful rash and had a really mucousy poop so she is drinking almond, soy and coconut milk for now.  She eats yogurt, cheese and other foods with milk in them without any reaction so are not worried but definitely makes me feel like I wasn't going totally crazy when she was a newborn and she had the issues then as well.  
Definitely a fan of peach chili!
She had her one year appointment on December 23, 2013 and weighs 21 pounds, 12 ounces (76%) and  was 27.5 inches long which was incorrect because her previous visit she was 29 inches long and she isn't shrinking, was just squirmy and the nurse didn't get an accurate measurement.   At her 15 month appointment we'll be sure she is growing in the right direction!  
She has started trying to escape from the wagon.  The buckle has to be super tight on her or she will try to break free and stand up.  She also tries to escape from shopping carts-something that her older brother never did which definitely keeps me on my toes!
Big smile with the big tongue!
 Seeing if we have any good snacks
She loves her big brother!
 A fun and dirty afternoon at the park!
 One of her favorite places to hang out.
I had the bumbo out while I was cleaning one day and she loved getting back in it and playing with it. I had to include these pictures because I think she looks like me!
And back to pictures from her actual birthday:
We opened her birthday presents before dinner and Joseph did most of the opening but she liked watching.
 I love this picture!  She often has this excited look on her face and I think it just looks as if she's saying, "Joseph, Joseph, what's in there?  I can't wait to see!!!"
Loves her new shopping cart
and her xylophone
Both playing with her new toys.
And now time for cake...or cookies!  Since she had cake at her birthday party and Joseph and I sepnt the day before baking sugar cookies we decided to make her heart cookies for her birthday instead.  She didn't seem to mind and still ate it up!
 
And, she's over it!
 
Happy Birthday Ella Bean!  We love you so much and are so thankful for you.  We can't wait to see what the future holds for you sweet girl.  Love you.

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