Today Elena is 9 months old! Time flies...sort of. Sometimes it seems really slow...but I have learned so much and Elena is so precious!
Elena means light. It was actually sort of a mistake that we chose that name for her, but it was definitely meant to be. Today I went to the grocery store with her and was reminded of why that is. Every where we go people gawk at her big, alert, bright, blue eyes. She loves people and looks them right in the eye and gives them a big smile that just warms their hearts. Even when we come across people that I find a little scary looking and would probably otherwise just pass by, she gives them her smile and they comment on what a cute baby she is and suddenly seem a lot less scary.
Today as I walked around the store in a sort of melancholy mood I was reminded of how blessed I am to have this little light in my life. I hope that as an adult who is at times disillusioned with life, and often self-conscious around strangers, I can learn from her openness and inhibition.
So for an update she is crawling, though she doesn't get much practice because the tile floor is aversive to that. She loves to stand up and navigate around on tables and chairs or with our hands holding hers.
She is quite vocal and expressive with her sounds and faces. I think her first word may be 'dog'. She gets so excited when she sees one that I think she really makes the connection when I say the word for her. That and 'bird'. She imitates both words by making a trilling sort of consonant that resembles the 'd' sound.
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| bird! |
