Isla is 11 Months!!!!

At 11 months, Isla is still quite an opinionated and demanding baby.  I'm learning this is who
 she is!  If she's entertained and hungry she'll sit in her high chair for 20 minutes, but if she wants to be by me she will scream her way out of it after 5.  She's quite a screamer/whiner when she's unhappy and not getting her way.  She does not like to be contained to a stroller or high chair still, and cries when initially placed in her carseat but we can usually keep her happy in there for 20-30 minutes before she's "over it."  I was just rereading Eleanor's 11 month post and she also hated the high chair and in fact, was in a booster seat already by 11 months.  Just like Eleanor, Isla  ill eat and eat if she is able to walk around and come back to the food when hungry.  Thankfully Isla is doing great in the church nursery, which is amazing for me to get a break to go to church, Coffee Break, and MOPS.  Praise God for this!  This Sunday they said she was the best baby in nursery - woohoo!

Isla is walking all over now, which looks funny because she's on the smaller side.  She HATES falling on her butt though, and so she'll cry or yell if she does because she gets frustrated.  She's definitely getting steadier though and falling down less.  She LOVES to climb and go for the things she's not supposed to have/do.  Isla especially loves climbing into Bennett's airplane chair, on the bathroom stool, into Eleanor's toddler bed, and goes for stairs whenever she sees them.  She's also fallen into the bathtub but thankfully was totally fine and didn't even cry.  We've started keeping the bathroom door closed and putting up blockades when we play in the basement.  Like her siblings, Isla prefers to play with things that aren't baby toys, like shoes and Ben/Elle's toys.  She also likes reading books and will carry them to us and sit on our laps, but has a little less patience to actually sit and listen than her siblings did.  She will try to turn the pages which is pretty cute!  Isla LOVES animals in books or real life.  She loves hugging stuffed animals. :)  

Isla can also play peek-a-boo (and loves to!), clap, wave hi and bye bye, "dance" (bop up and down), give hugs (lean into you) and kisses (open mouth -watch out!).  She can also hand me things and let them go now.  If I ask her where something is she will look around and point.  She drinks out of a sippy cup really well and feeds herself solid food.  If I put food on a fork she can put it in her mouth.

Nights have been a little rough because Isla likes to wake 2-3 times per night to nurse.  I am counting the days until she's one and we can start to wean nursing.  She's a stinker so I know it won't be easy to cut out the night feeds so for now we just deal with it because she eats quickly and goes right back to sleep.  During the day she sometimes nurses well before or after a nap but isn't usually super into it.  She'd rather get up and see what the big kids are up to.  Isla still naps twice a day but not super consistent on lengths.  Generally she naps from 8:15-9:15 and again around 1-2:30.  So not a super long napper.  Pretty much like my other kids she's not a big fan of getting any more sleep than she needs.  Haha.

Isla isn't really talking yet.  She can say mama and dada but otherwise just squeals and babbles.  Sometimes if I ask her to say something she'll seem to attempt it.  Like Cooper she will say, "Cooo."  But I can tell she is starting to try and communicate because she will look right at me and squeal or grunt when she wants something.  Like "Hi mom can't you tell what I'm saying?!?!"

This girl sure takes a lot of patience and energy but her cute cheesy smiles and baby snuggles make it so worth it!  I am so curious to see what her personality will turn out to be as she gets older.... :)