Ella's 15 month update!

1.) How old today?  Ella-Bella-Bytjie turned 15 months yesterday!

2.) New milestones/ talents/ achievements?  She isn't walking yet.  Sure taking her sweet time with this! She walks nicely holding on to me with one hand though - she just needs the self-confidence to let go!  She talks very cute gibberish, and is showing so much understanding to commands, like when I tell her to give me her socks or shoes. She points out nose, tongue, ears, feet. 

3.) Favourite toys & favourite things to do?  Her dudu bunny is her absolute favourite thing in the world.  She hugs it so tight!  She loves watching Lollos dvd's.  Sitting on the trampoline while Mia jumps - Ella laughs and laughs!  We all enjoy going for walks, Ella sits in the push-tricycle or pram, Mia goes on her plastic bike.

4.) Current words?  Mamma, Baba, Pappa, Num (food), "klaar", uh-uh (no) Boom (if something falls down) 

5.) Favourite food and snacks?  Yoghurt, cheese, biltong sticks, flings, pasta, peas and corn.

6.) How is toddler sleeping at night?  She’s spoilt us with a few nights of sleeping through, so I know she can, don't know why she doesn't sleep nicely every night!  Generally she wakes up once or twice, then I just re-settle her and she goes back to sleep.  But some nights I go to her between 6 and 8 times still - that's so exhausting!  Mostly when she's cutting a new tooth that this happens a couple of times.  Bedtime is between 7pm and 7h30. She wakes up really early some mornings, like 5am...  Luckily she snuggles in bed with me for a long time then!

7.) Day naps?  Two day naps. Very unpredictable!  Sometimes she'll sleep for 2 hours, and sometimes only half an hour.  So difficult to plan our day around this!  The average though, is that she sleeps for an hour from 9h30 til 10h30, and then again from 2 til 3.  Sometimes she refuses the afternoon nap - then we sit with a very mizzy girly by about 5pm!

8.) How many teeth – and how are teething issues going?  Busy cutting 4th molar - so 12 teeth then.  Teething sucks!!

9.) Weight and length?  Not sure, going for her vaccs next week.  Can't even remember what her measurements were at 12 months!  I'm gussing she's around 11kg.  

10.) Clothing size and shoe size?  12 – 18 months, or 1-2 years. Shoe size 4.

11.) Recent toddler ‘highs’?  I am enjoying this stage much more than the baby stage. The interaction is great. She’s friendly and affectionate, I love how she lays her head down on us and rests like that for a while, or just climbs onto my lap and happily sits like that!

12.) Recent toddler ‘lows’?  Teething battles and night wakings

13.) What are you looking forward to in the coming months?  New words, better understanding and communication.  And that she starts walking soon, she's ruining her pants and shoes with all this crawling!

14.) How are mommy and daddy doing?  A little bit overwhelmed and exhausted at times, but mostly good.  Life is just so busy, the days and weeks pass in a blur!  We make a conscious effort to spend time relaxing together most evenings.  We have a good teamwork thing going with our mealtime and bath and bedtime routines.  We both have a lot on our to-do lists... I think once winter time is over, and Ella starts sleeping better, we won't feel the need to go to bed so early every night!