ms. bug

Eliana is 16 months now (almost 17). It blows my mind. I used to roll my eyes a bit at the mothers who would say "It seems like just yesterday I brought him/her home from the hospital." I must now admit I am one of those mothers and I no longer roll my eyes. It is CRAZY how much she has grown in the past 16 months.

What am I saying? It is CRAZY how much she has grown in the past week. People aren't kidding when they say children grow like weeds. She is growing not only physically, but mentally and definitely spiritually.

Pictures are apart of this post, but I am going to share a few things about ms. bug before you get to the pictures.

First off, she is talking. a lot. I am going to do my best to list the words she says now. I hope I can remember them all.

English

ewse me (excuse me)

mil (milk)

chi (cheese)

happy

mommy

daddy

iownknow (i don't know)

wasat (what's that)

puppy

baby

hi

hey

hello

ease (please)

down

up

on

ah (off)

no (this means "no" and "nose" different inflection for each)

uh-oh

okey dokey

yeah

mail

el me (help me)

Noah

Nana

Papa

go

Jeje or Jesu (Jesus)

ba (bath)

shoe
toe
ahmthoo (arm through)
boom
ah man
bubble

help me

i like that

lion

Spanish

agua

andale

dale

Papi

Mami

No

perro

si

hola

a-i-os (adios)

ma (mas)

papa(s)

queso
pato

I think she is doing pretty good. She is saying a lot more than this but his is all of can think of right now. We usually get what she is saying to us and she repeats things a lot, but I didn't think it proper to include words she has repeated since this is really to show what she knows for sure and says often.

We have been working on animal sounds with her and she can make the sound of the following animals when asked: dog, cat, cow, elephant, monkey, duck, lion. Her favorite sound being an elephant. It is super cute.

Eliana knows who Jesus is and will give any picture she sees of Jesus a kiss.

Now it is story time.

Story 1

Eliana and I were having family home evening (Marco was at school so it was just the 2 of us). We were looking at pictures of Jesus and we came across a picture of the first vision. I began telling her who everyone was, but she beat me to it. She first pointed to Jesus and said "Jesu!" followed by a kiss. Immediately after that she pointed to Heavenly Father and said "Papa!" This was the first time I had shown her this picture and this reaction brought tears to my eyes. Needless to say the spirit was very strong in our home that night.

Story 2
I had made breakfast one morning and Marco had started to eat his and I was sitting down getting ready to eat mine. I look over at Eliana and notice she hasn't started eating (even though she was whining because she was hungry). I am about to ask her why she isn't eating when I see her fold her arms and give us both this look as though to say "Why are you eating? We haven't said a prayer yet!" Needless to say we said a prayer and after the "amen" she began to eat her breakfast. This definitely made me feel like we've been doing something right. :)

She really likes wearing Auntie Karen's boots.

Her first soft boiled egg and soldiers. She LOVED it.

She likes to let us know when she is tired by taking a pillow and putting it on the floor and then lying on it.

She looks like she is disgusted in the picture but she really isn't. She is into giving squinty eyes while saying "mmm. mmm." She really loved her dinner that night.

She brought her swimsuit to me and really wanted me to help her put it on. I obliged of course.

Eliana is a character and her little personality definitely shines through in all that she does. She is learning so much each day and I am so grateful she is mine.