It's the Little Things

As we truck through these cold days of winter, I've been noticing that it's the little things that Elia accomplishes or does that really make the days special. They are what are quickly changing her from being the helpless infant in our arms to the wiggly, independent toddler she is turning into daily. So here is a list of 10 precious little things Elia is up to these days that make her Daddy and me smile.

Smiley baby with her Pooh Bear!

1. She "dances" anytime music comes on.
          It doesn't matter if she's standing, sitting, or even laying down, that girl's gotta groove!

Dancing bean at a wedding!

2. She gets so excited when Daddy comes home.
          Shrieks of delight and loud "Dada's!!!" greet Bryan every day when he comes home from work.

Snuggly in Daddy's jacket

3. She's starting to like books for more than their cardboard taste.
          It's not unusual to find her in the corner during church nursery or even at our house flipping through board books and looking at the pictures. Now are the books always turned right side up? Well, no, but it's still fun to see her enjoying books and not just eating them.

Nugget loves books!

4. She is OBSESSED with socks.
         Holding socks, nibbling socks, putting socks in containers, waving socks around...the list doesn't end. In fact, as I'm typing this sentence, Elis just put two socks on the laptop and has another in her hand. Goofy.

Sad that she can't carry even more socks at once

5. She imitates sounds so well.
        She now imitates growling, tongue clicking, and simple words now. It's not terribly consistent, but we enjoy feeling like she's joining the conversation.

Silly St Pattys baby!

6. She enjoys exploring new places and "hiding"
        Our independent little girl loves hanging out under the table Bryan built, playing alone in her nursery, and of course driving Mommy nuts crawling in the bathroom all day.

Hiding in the table

7. She can drink cow's milk now.
        Mommy is excited to be weaning the Nugget, and we are very grateful she is a good eater with all foods and not picky.

Pretty girly

8. She's reignited her love for Sophie the Giraffe
        After several sad months of disinterest and separation, the happy duo is back together again and Sofie gets dragged all over the house all day long.

Enjoying her toys

9. She enjoys watching snow falling, but not playing in it.
         Bryan tried to have some daddy-daughter fun time in the snow a couple weeks ago, but Nugget would have nothing to do with it. Even in her snuggly snow suit, she would much rather be watching it from afar than crawling through it. Maybe next year she'll enjoy it.

Snow bunny with Daddy!

10. She loves bathtime now.
          It's getting hard to pull that lil fish out of the water! She loves splashing and giggling at bubbles in the tub. We are happy every bath is no longer a scream fest.

I love this little naked baby butt!

So that's a mini update from our neck of the woods. We look forward to March--Elia's party, moving homes, and some warmer weather! Until then, stay warm and enjoy the little things in life!