A sweet, monthly update of our third daughter, Elliot.

Oh mercy. If I had a nickel for every time I've talked about how fast this year went...I'd have about 55 nickels.

Was the year hard? Yes. Did I lose my patience? Every day. Where was my exhaustion level? About a 24 on a scale of 1 - 10. Did I have a lot of support from my Farmer? Definitely. How many days did I wear yoga pants? 345 is probably a close estimate out of the last 365 days.


Was it the best year of our lives? By far.

I know you're not supposed to compare your babies, but that's all I do most every single day. With that said...

Elli was our slowest walker with only taking a few steps at nine months and then officially walking just before eleven months.

Elli looks the most like me...so I've heard. I'm going to hang onto that one as long as I can.

Elli has the biggest ears...and possibly the biggest eyes...and definitely the largest head by far. Kaye and Sawyer both had / have tiny heads. Elli ranks in the 97th percentile. Coincidentally - She was my longest / hardest recovery.

We're going to say that big head houses a big brain because she's also our earliest talker. She seems to pick up on things quicker. This could be because she has more people around she's constantly observing?

Elli has the blondest hair...or maybe she just has the most hair? Her farmer and I absolutely adore her little mullet action in the back and the way she has a few straggly hairs that lay over her ears. She pretty much looks disheveled most of the day every dar.

Elli's our only baby to ever keep a bow in. In fact, she prefers it. She also enjoys wearing hats.

Elli doesn't sleep in her car seat. This is actually super annoying and I'm still hoping she will get on board with this idea in the near future.

Elli is our only screamer. The other two whined quite a bit...but Elli screams. I don't know if this is something she picked up on so she could be heard above her sisters, but dear lord it grates on my nerves.

Elli might be the sweetest. She's extremely cuddly and is always quick to lay her head on your shoulder. I adore that sweetness.

I could go on...and on...and on...but I won't.

Need to get caught up? You can find Elli's birth story here.


This girl - she has fire in her. Granted...she's extremely cuddly but also independent but also clingy but also indecisive. Or maybe I just can't figure out what she's trying to tell me sometimes...? Whatever the case...we're on our toes a lot with this one.

Kaye and Elli are birds of a feather. They certainly resemble each other more-so than Elli and Sawyer. They're about the same size on the growth chart. I see the similarities in their eyes and noses, especially. And while lots of people say she looks a lot like me, Kaye has always looked like our Farmer...which means Elli probably looks a lot like hime too. I'm in denial.

Elli still love Kaye and Kaye loves being the biggest sister. I ask for Kaye's help probably more than I should and I'm pretty sure I have yet to hear any complaints. Kaye is, quite simply, the best big big sister out there.

Sawyer...oh Sawyer. What are we going to do with that girl? She loves Elli so much, but her love hurts. 99% of the time Sawyer's hugs result in Elli falling to the floor or being pushed down because it's thrown her off balance. And no matter how many times I tell Sawyer to not carry Elli...Sawyer insists...even though Elli is closing in on Sawyer's size. They are within 10 pounds of each other.

Also notable - Elli thinks Sawyer is funny now. Sawyer will pretend to hurt herself and say, "Owwwww!" And Elli thinks that's hysterical. Whatever works...

ELLIOT | 1 YEAR

 nicknames | One of the names I was hoping my farmer would consider when we found out we were having our third girl was Elle. He wasn't into it. And really...It might have been weird since we already have a Kaye. (K, L...get it?) But the other day I naturally abbreviated Elli to Elle, for whatever reason, and I was thrilled with myself. (Big thrills in my life these days, clearly.) Anyway...I hope Elle continues to come out of my mouth...because I still love that name.

 size | Girlfriend had her little well-baby check-up yesterday and she's sitting solid at 21 pounds and it appears grew almost an inch in one month...so she's still super tall. This is pretty obvious considering she fits snugly in her 12 - 18 month clothing. And of course, she still has a giant head and big ears...But I can say, it appears that her ears have flattened to her head ever so slightly.

milestones | A few milestones this month...

Our little Elli is a mover and a shaker. She is cruising all over the house and rarely stops to sit. Very rarely. If she hears music come one she'll throw her hands in the air and bounce. And she loves knowing what's going on with her sisters...so the whole walking thing so she can follow them around is super convenient.

Elli has a mouthful of six teeth. Four on top and two on the bottom. There miiiight be another one poking through on the bottom, but she hasn't let me in there to give a thorough inspection.

Elli currently says - Uh-oh! Ow! Mama, Dada, hello and can sign all done and more. Elli also waves hello and bye-bye...and it's really pretty sweet.

Peek-a-boo is still a favorite and she's started giving unlimited kisses. After a kiss she'll clap for herself...and we clap too because we can't get enough of them.

Elli also enjoys a good high-five or seven or thirteen...as many as you'll take, really.

sleep | I've said it before...Elli is a wonderful sleeper. Unfortunately, the big girls have activities that are really messing with her nap schedule. She used to take a nap at 9:30 am and another at around 1:30 pm. Well, since school has started, two days a week Elli doesn't get her 1:30 pm nap because we have to go get her sisters. And apparently those two days throw off the rest of her week. So, we might be transitioning to one nap. When that happens, in a perfect world, she'll nap for 2.5 - 3 hours from about 11:00 am - 2 pm. Happy, rested baby = happy mama.

 eats | The only issue we have in the food department is not getting it to her mouth quick enough. She screams and it's the worst. She has exactly zero patience in the food department. I mean...when I stop to think about it logically, I get it. She's walking now and cruising all over the house non-stop. She must be working up some good appetites.

Favorite eats : hummus, chicken, bananas...and who am I kidding. All the food.

loves | Elli is a huge fan of being a part of it all. She's so thrilled she can walk now because she can't get left behind. But...let me tell you what ticks her off...

dislikes | Being the slightest bit hungry or thirsty. Her car seat. Or...should you pause for two seconds before you answer to any of her needs she's going to let you know that's not okay by screaming. Yes, she's still a screamer.

Elli-belly...I hope you have the very best birthday month! September is big in our house and I'm so happy we get to celebrate you all month long. Your Farmer and I absolutely adore your beautiful blue eyes and your squishy chubbiness. Your kisses are beyond the best. Thank you for never denying us. We know that next year is going to be even better than this year...which will be hard to top, but as you grow, so will our adventures! 

sawyer at one month / kaye at one month