Mary Ellen is 11 Months Old!

Oh, sweet girl. Where do I begin?

Mary Ellen has blossomed. This past month has brought more changes that I could have imagined. It seems that once she picked up on crawling, she started understanding and interacting with the world around her like never before. She amazes me everyday, but more than anything, she makes me laugh by how sweet she is. A few times I've caught her "kissing" her animals and as well as some of the photos of family that we have for her to play with. She loves to share the love. Thanks, Mom, for teaching her that little trick!

Stats:
19+ lbs
10 teeth (+ 2 more that are on their way in)
12-months size clothes
Size 3 shoes

Likes:
• Reading books - She's finally moved past the point of eating any book that she gets her hands on, so she's regained full-time access to her books. Lately she's also started bringing a book to Brian or me. She always chooses the Sesame Street one for Brian because he does the best voices. Seriously, he does a fantastic Cookie Monster.
• Crawling - She has become a speedy crawler and uses what Brian and I call the "sea turtle" method. She slaps those arms down on the tile like a baby sea turtle on its way to the ocean. You can hear her coming a mile away.
• Dropping things and proclaiming them "All gone." or "Where go?" We're not sure which one she's saying, as it sounds like it could be either, but she shrugs her shoulders, throws her little hands up in the air, and wonders aloud about the whereabouts of the disappeared treasure.
• Playing with her toys - I installed some open shelves in the living room to house Mary Ellen's ever-expanding collection of goodies. She loves to stand below it and point up at the toys. Then, of course, Brian and I obediently take the toys down for her, and she's thrilled by each one. Her favorites are Lady Gumball, the awesome singing gumball machine, and a musical cube that plays all kinds of songs and breaks down the musical parts by instruments. This leads to one more "like" worth mentioning:
• Dancing - She's a dancing machine. She bounces and shakes her hands when she hears any music, which is often since she has so many toys that play songs.

Dislikes:
• The hot car - For the first time, Mary Ellen has started complaining when we go out. She loves going places, but I think the heat aggravates her. Join the club, Toots.

Thanks again, Mom, for helping her to perfect her Pat-a-Cake. She's a quick study, and the "rolling" is secure now, too. Still working on "throwing it in the pan," though.

Ah. Shoes.

Someone asked me the other day if she was "close to walking." I didn't really know how to answer that, so I guess it means no. She is getting so much better at standing and will even let go of things for a few seconds if she's not thinking about it.

Loving the outdoors.