Just one more month...

...until Elanor turns one.

How crazy is that? She is 11 months today, and I know I say it all the time, but it has gone by soooo fast. Elanor is a joy to have around. She is funny, cuddly, so very sweet (she loves giving kisses and when she is tired she always lays her head on me), adventurous, and adorable.

Laying her head on me... This was right before her nap, so she was a little sleepy.

She is also quite independent, loves going outside and exploring (which is good, but has a hard time staying in the stroller for walks because she wants to get out and explore), she has a bit of a temper I think and does not really like being told no (she knows what it means), but she is such a fun baby! Here are a few new things she can do:

Did I mention she loves giving kisses?

~She is pretty much walking now. She can start walking on her own if she is standing up and can walk between Tyler and I really well. She can also walk really well holding on to my hand. She walks to get around sometimes, but still crawls a lot.

---She is talking a little more. She still says 'hot' quite often, and 'mama' and 'dada or daddy', but she has been saying 'yes' and also nodding 'yes' a lot (even if the question should not be answered yes). She waves a lot to say 'bye' and 'hi', but I think she should start saying them soon. She also understands a lot of what I say which is nice. She is also really into pointing.

---We started doing this potty training thing yesterday after I read this book called "Diaper Free Before 3". You are supposed to start at around 6 months and the potty training is a little slower of a process then the average start at 2 1/2-3 years thing but your baby should be trained by around 18 months- 2 years if not earlier depending on your baby. I wanted to start because you are supposed  to get your baby out of diapers around one (a little later for Elanor probably since we started a little late) and put them into training pants (I'll use cloth ones, since I already use cloth diapers and the disposable pull-ups you can't feel the wetness, so it is much more difficult to potty train) and then into underwear around 18 months. I did not want Elanor to be in diapers till she was 2 or 3. That just seemed ridiculously long! It is actually pretty laid back and all we do right now is put Elanor on her little potty when she wakes up in the morning, after naps, before bed and anytime she looks like she is going to poop. Yesterday, she went once in her potty and today she went when she woke up this morning. I was pretty surprised she even went on the first day. I just sit her on her little potty and read to her. It is pretty cute.

Elanor was really sleepy when I took this picture (all of the ones in this outfit I took right before her nap).

This is a video of Elanor walking. This video was filmed a week ago and she has already improved. She took her first steps around 10 months.

This little girl is going to be one in just a month and this has been such an awesome year with her. Tyler an I have loved being parents, it is seriously the best.