Recently in Ellie's World

Ellie has been doing a few things of note lately. First, if she wants to get out of something (like the swing, or your lap), she has started arching her back and trying to scoot out of her spot. I'm not entirely sure what she thinks will happen when she scoots onto the floor, but she definitely lets us know when she's tired of sitting there. If she wants us to pick her up out of the swing, she does the same thing, only with her arms raised. It's too cute and I usually can't resist.

Pick me up, please!

She has also started grabbing for things with two hands. We were at Cosmic Pizza the other day for lunch and Zuzanna (who was eating with us) was holding the pepper flakes container and it had Ellie's attention. She reached for it and tried to grab it from both sides with her little hands. It kept her (and us!) amused for quite a long time.

the two-handed grab

Ellie has started to become very interested in watching us eat, too. We used to be able to eat with her sitting on our laps, but now that is more difficult. She wants to put her hands in our food and watches us very carefully while we are putting food into our mouths and chewing. It's pretty cute. Last night she woke up hungry during the night for the first time in a long time, even after eating much more than usual during the day, so she might be getting ready for solid foods. I wasn't planning on starting her on them for another month, but we may start sooner with the way she's acting!

The teething has more or less subsided, and the little white bump of a tooth we could see and feel has now disappeared! I was looking forward to it popping through, but I guess I get to enjoy her toothless grin for a while longer now. She started being much snugglier when she was teething, though, and that has stayed. She's very good at putting her arms around your neck and nuzzling her head into your shoulder. It's about the best feeling in the world. I love my snuggly girl.

Eliana plays with anything she can get her hands on these days. If we're at the table, she plays with the tablecloth. If we're laying in bed, she plays with the blankets. If she's got a dress on, she plays with her skirt. If she's just in a jumper, she plays with her pacifier strap. She's definitely starting to explore her world, which means she should be pretty fun for Christmas. She'll definitely have a few new places to explore.