Love, bubs and life on our little farm

Far out - 11 months. My little one turns one soon. I honestly don't know where that year has gone but I can see that the time has passed when I look at the little toddler racing around the house, a far cry from the little smushed new born I used to have!

She is walking, running and getting up to mischief wherever she can now. Her latest trick is learning to get up from sitting to standing without using something to brace on. She can now push off the ground with her hands and stand - its cute to watch and makes her very independent.

She loves to feed herself with the spoon - most gets to the mouth, except when she gets a little enthusiastic and waves her arms around. She is eating what we eat now - I just chop up the meat a bit and away she goes. The only thing she really isn't a fan of is sandwiches but this miraculously changes if I am eating a sandwich, in which case she always wants most of it! She is having a lot of milk in her weet-bix and this morning she wanted a drink of milk which she loved - we are hoping to move her bottles across to milk not long after she turns one.

I have really noticed a big increase in Elka's understanding of our words and requests. She understands being asked to pick something up, shake something or take something to "mummy" or "daddy". She will point out where the cats are if asked. She knows the moves to a lot of songs now and loves to clap in thr right spot or open her hands to do "Twinkle Twinkle". She chats away in her own language a lot but she seems to be trying out real words - notably bottle, ball, more and milk.

The park has become the place to be - she loves the swings and the bouncy rocky things (what are they called?). She is really into sorting - loves to move blocks between containers and is starting to push around her tractor and bus making appropiate sound effects. She is a big dancer - loves to rock out to nursery ryhmes and the radio alike. The big favourite at the moment is Lily Allen (which makes me laugh) and any song that I love and will sing away to.

And best of all she is big on giving hugs and kisses and big beautiful eye meets that finish with lovely fits of loving smiles and giggles and face touches. Its a beautiful age.