Random randomness: Baby edition

Mouth full o' watermelon. But closed!

At least she has manners: Elle shoves huge pieces of food in her mouth. It's kind of ridiculous, but it's what she does. Sometimes I'll watch her eat and just see her little eyes start to water because she realizes she's bitten off, literally, more than she can chew. Five minutes later, she'll be ready for more food. But we went out to eat with a friend the other night, and Elle crammed half a banana in her mouth. And then just stared at us while she worked on it. She looked like a monkey, and my friend and I laughed at her - and she just kept chewing, mouth closed. The next day, I had a few friends over, and Elle did the same thing with a pepperoni roll. My friends all noted how polite she was, though - she always chewed with her mouth closed!

Not the norm: We're not having a big first birthday bash for Elle. I have deep, mixed feelings about this and could go on and on for days, but it boils down to this: I desperately want to plan the party, I just don't want to have a party. My friends (the ones who commented on Elle's impeccable manners) noted that this isn't how most people feel - most people want to have a party but dread the planning part.

Makes sense: I've recently realized why Elle doesn't like going to the pediatrician's office, aside from the obvious (shots). In the last 10 months, the doctor has called her head big and deemed her "lazy." It's kind of cute, although I'm sure Elle doesn't see it that way - Dr. P. asks about milestones that baby's Elle's age should be hitting. Elle has almost always met them ... or shown signs of being close. The most recent example is a month or so ago when I told the doctor Elle didn't seem really interested in walking. Dr. P. asked if she was at least pulling up or standing up, and I said "Kind of, but she really doesn't seem to like putting her full weight on her legs." The doctor's response is always (in a Puerto Rican accent): "That's OK, she's just lazy. She can do it, she's just a little bit lazy and will get around to it eventually." If someone called my head big and told me I was lazy, I'd be a little miffed, too. 

Twangy: Elle has an accent. Yes, she only says about half a dozen words, but when she says "No" it comes out "Naw." An example of her using the new word: She heard me telling the cats "no" the other morning and repeated "Naw. Naw. Naw, naw, naw." It's cute, but I have no idea why she has an accent as an infant :)

Stealth pooper: You know how most babies have a tell-tale "poop face"? Yeah, not our baby. Tim, the babysitter and I have joked that Elle is a stealth pooper - she almost never makes a face or shows any sign of "going #2" ... which means we're often surprised when we change her diaper and find that we've gotten more than we bargained for. It kinda stinks (literally, but ...) - I'd love to change her ASAP after she poops. But when you don't know that it's happened, it's hard to remedy right away. Sure, sometimes the smell gives it away, but not always. When she *does* make what we think is a poop face, she's usually just farted. Classy.

Eye Heart This Baby: Elle can now identify our eyes. This involves getting close to our faces, violently jabbing at gently touching the outside corner of our eyes and saying, "Eye. Eye." I'm trying to work on identifying a body part that doesn't leave me flinching and fearing for my sight every time she gets near me, like nose, ear or belly.

Simple humor: The easiest way to make Elle laugh is to turn her upside down. It's our "thing" :)