One reason we have kids

Trying to get E to say "Dog"

So Elliot said dog twice and now mostly just calls the dogs, "dad, dud, or duhd."
Here you can see (with my coaxing) that he says it--but not nearly as clear as he has. It's funny when real words come out of your "baby's" mouth. It makes you realize how fast they're growing.
P.S. Does it shock anyone that his first real word (ie: connected with the correct object) is, DOG? Maybe he'll grow up and run a dog rescue and then his mama can save all the dogs in the world...
or maybe his next words will be, "mommy is thinking about my first word too hard"

He loves When I say "Fufi"

Dancing

Happy New Year!

This is absolutely the happiest of New Year's Days! 2008 was full of challenge, surprise, and joy. I can't wait to see what the next year brings in terms of Elliot's growth.
I helped to teach 108 Suya Namaskars (sun salutations) at yoga today. It was fun to be in a room filled with so many people kicking off the year in such a healthy, energetic way. On my way home, James called and told me that Elliot had pretty much eaten his weight in food. He must have gained a pound! Picking him up is definitely harder these days and he is outgrowing lots of clothes.
He pulls to standing all the time. On me. On furniture. On the toilet (which we are trying to remedy--he LOVES the toilets). Over the Christmas holiday, he was standing at the coffee table at my parent's house where he let go, turned around, and repositioned himself on my legs (I was sitting behind him on a chair). The whole time he had a toy in his hand and was using only his ELBOW to stabilize himself on the table (in order to have more hands for inspecting the toy). He did the turn around twice--involving no hands and a couple of steps. He didn't seem to notice at all. It's like he has no fear. I'm hoping, as he grows we can cultivate a bit more "carefulness" to his movement.
Today I watched him carry a bucket (by the handle) and fill it with various things. Then, he'd take them out one by one, or dump them, and start over.
Watching him is my favorite thing to do--especially when he thinks I'm not paying attention. He will entertain himself as I clean, or prepare a meal. As long as he knows I'm in the room, he will make up a game of sorts and play for quite some time. I think this is phenomenal. Of course we play together all the time. But for Elliot, a child of 10.5 months, to create games and learn things on his own is priceless. Having a sense of independence and self-reliance is so important. I know that starts early.