Ella Jo is 15 months!

At 15 months YOU:

Are trying to put words together in sentences. You know what you are saying and sometimes you are really giving your brothers the business!

Are a trooper! Mommy always says the third child is supposed to be laid back, you are NOT that but you can hang all day. Usually Gaines complains before you do!

Started eating scrambled eggs which I'm thrilled about since you basically get protein from peanut butter. You still do not eat chicken, hamburger, pork basically any meat. You like cheese anything cheese.

Ella Jo is 14 months!

Ella Jo, you are so fun and active! 

At 14 months, YOU:

Say ball, bubba, momma, dada, shoes, papa, non non and scream for any other words you cannot get out.

Know understand so much it amazes me. If we tell you to go play in your room, you take off to your room. Where is your nose and mouth? Let's go change your diaper. Go get your cup or milk. 

Have one speed and that is running! Your big brother Will chases you so much that you always think someone is after you. 

Still climb a lot. 

Love watermelon and green beans right now. You also will eat cheese ravioli and grilled cheese basically anything cheese.

Sleep 7:30p-6am - if you wake before then you cry it out. 

Nap a little cat nap in the morning either in the car or at home for maybe 30 minutes and then if we have been swimming or in the sun you have been napping for up to two hours! This is new and a miracle for you.

Tuck your arms into our chest and curl up when you are tired. My absolute favorite thing you do.

Ella Jo is 11 months!

Ella Jo Odom, you are the most amazing little girl. You have your very own unique personality. You are charming and your toothy grin lights up the room. You also are so stubborn and fierce! You do not stop until you get what you want. You have not followed in your big brother footsteps in anything!

At 11 months YOU:

Weigh around 22 pounds

Are sooooo long

Wear in between 12 and 18 months

Have a little more hair, enough to have a little bit of bed hair

Still wake up for a 4am feeding and you scream and scream for up to an hour if we don't get you.

Started WALKING!

Took your first steps during the Ice Storm of 2015 at exactly 10.5 months and now walking across room.

Still prefer to crawl if you need to get somewhere quick.

Climb- yes, you are climbing up the cage we have around the tv and your play area. You keep getting higher and higher!

Clap when you say patty cake

Love to do the little Indian sounds with your hand over your mouth

Is starting to wean herself from nursing I think. My left is almost dried up. You just don't seem to stay interested enough.

Basically just snack all day.

Love shredded cheese

Put up one arm for touch down! Hoping for two arms by football season

Love to play in your kitchen

Love to play in Will's room with all his toys

Ella Jo is 10 months!

Wear size 3 Pampers Cruisers 

Have been sick most of this month. Your first double ear infection and sinus infection, then a fever virus, then a second double ear infection that would not heal due to your congestion. Twenty days of antibiotics left you with terrible diarea and then a diaper rash so terrible you could not sleep! I think we are finally on the mend. Both times we went to doc for your ears we were not sure if anything was wrong or not. You still were fairly happy and not too fussy just enough to think something was off a little and then the doc would say, "wow her ears are terrible." You are one tough cookie!

Crawl and cruise like a pro

Are trying to figure out how to stand, you get this one leg almost up

Demand your brothers attention

Love for your bros to try and catch you

Love to play in the bonus room with your little kitchen

Love to scream in delight

Love to say "bye bye" and wave to anyone you see especially in the stores. Strangers come up and talk to you and you grin and say "bye bye"

Make this scrunched up face now when you are mad

Grind your teeth together and it sounds like nails on a chalkboard

Have a mouth full of teeth

Are trying all kinds of new foods

Nursing 4-5 times a day

Sleep 8p-3:30 or 4am eat then back down until 7a or 8a. 

Went to the church nursery for the first time and cried the entire hour.

Still do not nap consistently or on a schedule and you still cry every time we lay you down for a nap. 

First Snow!

We woke up to snow this morning! We really have not had any for probably two years. Our first snow in this house and it was beautiful. You can see the wooded trail and it looked like a winter wonderland. I felt like we had met a milestone because I put the boys snow clothes on and sent them to the backyard and they played and played and I watched from inside with my coffee. Most of the big boy moments make me sad- me having to play in the snow does not! It was the perfect day to play. It was not to cold. Gaines did not complain once which is surprising! He had pure joy. Will did not like his hands wet and cold and went through about 8 sets of gloves. 

9 months

Ella Jo Odom, time is flying by. I say this every month and as much as your sleepless nights and only wanting your mommy are killing me I also love snuggling your sweet self. You have had such a fun month. Celebrating your first Christmas full of eating wrapping paper and bows to ringing in 2015. You had your first encounter with Santa and it did not go well. You are really developing into your own personality which is such a mix of your brothers. 

At 9 months, YOU:

Weigh

Height

Head

Wear 12-18 months in length

Just started wearing a 4 diaper

10,000 Reasons

This month our church is focusing on thanksgiving and using the song 10,000 reasons as a theme. Gaines is obsessed with the song and walks around singing it, humming it, and whistling it!

We caught this on video and their performance was featured in the church service. Gaines likes to add some country twang when he sings and as usual will just looks at his big bro on what to do next.

My prayer for these boys is that we can teach them what true gratitude and thanksgiving really means.