eleventy

Rachel is 11 months old today! I can't believe we are closing in on one year. This has easily been the quickest year of my life, and I hear they just go by faster and faster with age and babies.

11th-month shameless photo count: 487 distinctive portraits of our beauty queen.

After refusing to drink formula last night, Rachel woke up at 4:00am and nursed really well (and I'm pretty sure she was satisfied). She woke up again at 7:00am, content with the world. She took two great naps today, although it seems to be getting harder for her to fall asleep in the afternoons, even though she is sleepy. Could it be because she needs more milk??

I tried again with the pasta, carrots, and green beans at lunch today, and she hated them all. Tonight, she had green bean casserole (my fav) and real oatmeal with baby peaches, both of which she seemed to love. I gave her green bean casserole first. It's probably the saltiest thing I've given her to date. Consequently, she finally agreed to drink some of the formula. But, as soon as she started eating the peaches, it was no more formula for Rachel. She probably drank a couple ounces of formula, though, which made me happy.

Since Rachel started sleeping better, a new little personality has emerged: Rachel's willpower. When she was playing behind the curtains today, I decided my best bet was to ignore her (her biggest joy comes from being discovered back there). She hollered for my attention, and it was really hard not to look at her and react to her super-cute self, but I ignored her. I am gambling that it will get old if I don't pay attention (I don't want to have to take the curtains down!). Anyway, when I tried to remove her from the curtains for naptime, she performed what has become a familiar act: she collapses her arms straight up in the air and arches her back, yelling and screeching at the top of her lungs. Her face gets red and she kicks her feet...it's really quite a show. I just ignore her and do my best not to drop her in her fit of rage, and she soon stops (maybe because she's tired). It's weird to listen to her fuss, though. She's never been a crying or fussy baby, and when she does get fussy, there's almost always a reason, usually fixable. I suppose I could fix these fusses by letting her do whatever she wants, but I know that wouldn't be healthy. As I told my mother-in-law, it is hard to listen to her fuss, but I guess I can't just let her walk into danger, can I? And so the difficult task of actual parenting begins.

Koen, Bob and Carla came over this afternoon for a while, and Aunt Mamber came on her regular Thursday schedule. Rachel had a full day, but she really seems to like it that way now. She has changed so much in the last few weeks...I guess she's growing into a little girl.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	1	6
poop	1	0

I was so happy she peepeed more today, that I didn't even care about the potty. Just like she's too busy to nurse, though, she seems too busy to potty. And too busy to be diapered. And to busy to be dressed. And too busy for a bath...

cute moment

Jarrad goes to Bible study at 7:00am on Thursdays, so when I took Rachel downstairs this morning, she walked all around our bed, saying, "DADDY, DADA, DADA, DADDY!" She couldn't find him anywhere (he's usually in bed, still sleeping)! She seemed a bit confused. She is such a Daddy's girl!

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel found a few crinkly plastic bags in our bedroom today, and she insisted on carrying them all, every one, in her left hand. When she dropped one, she stopped to pick it up. They do make a fun noise, I must admit.