Thursday, November 10, 2011

"S" @ 11 months: More Cheerios!!

Starting this update, I'm going to break down all the latest milestones and developments for S by category. This'll keep things organized and make it quicker & easier to whip up these posts moving forward! Given I'm returning to work on Monday (!!!!) time will certainly be of the essence!

One of my Mama friends once told me it was soo hard going back to work after mat leave as her daughter became progressively awesome-r the closer she got to her 1st birthday. I totally appreciate this sentiment now, as Month 11 was redonkulously amazing with S! Her social and communication skills really began to blossom, and her learning has just taken off!

"Official" 11 Month Photo:


(Take a look at her up-to-date month-to-month album here.)

Growth / Measurements:

This was our one area of concern this month. When I first weighed her one our own digital scale, she clocked in at 16 lbs which was actually a few ounces less than last month. Hrrrm. :-/ Due to this, we scheduled a quick doctor visit where she weighed in at 16 lbs 7.5oz - slightly heavier than last month. Better, but she's still hovering at (or just under) the 5th percentile so we booked a visit with the pediatrician for next week. She's strong, bright and meeting/exceeding her milestones so we're not super worried, but figure it can't hurt to get things checked out!

Height-wise, she's actually at the 40-50th percentile so she's a beanpole like her mama. :)

Finally, she cut her top two teeth this month! The right one made its arrival first with the left to follow a week or so later. They bled a little as they came through but S is a trooper and wasn't too bothered. Case in point:


Motor Skill Development:

As I alluded to recently, S is getting into EVERYTHING these days. More examples: 





(OK, the last one was actually Daddy having some fun. But I wouldn't put it past her!)

She isn't walking yet, but she can stand for several seconds at a time without support. We've been using her Juppy Baby Walker a lot recently to help her develop strength, coordination and confidence. (On this note, stay tuned for an upcoming review/giveaway! ;) All in all, we don't feel any pressure here; she'll get there when she's ready!

Finally, she just LOVES shaking her groove thang! She's been a li'l boppy for a few months now, but she's really been getting jiggy widdit over the last month or so.



Good times! :)

Cognitive Development: 

This is where things have really begun to take off! A few examples:
  • She has learned the connection between moving the green switch and activating the music/sounds on her LeapFrop Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo. The switch is a little tricky so it sometimes causes her frustration, but with a little patience she can move it to the different modes herself.
  • One of her latest favourite games to play is hide 'n' seek with her yellow rubber bath duck. I hide it somewhere in her bedroom or ours and she crawls around until she finds it. She rarely gets distracted during her search and often looks in a location where the duck was hidden previously, so she has obviously mastered object permanence and she's getting a good workout in the areas of memory, logical thinking and focus.
  • She is beginning to identify shapes as she will readily point to circles within a scene. Squares, triangles and others appear to be tougher but we're working on those!
  • She recognizes many other new objects as well, and her usage of sounds and signs has increased dramatically. She also makes associations like shoes/feet and hat/head, and she can point to her nose and her toes. Here she shows Mommy what she knows in her 100 First Words board book. (Excuse the dim lighting - it was just before bedtime!)


Social Development:

Many more fascinating changes here!
  • She can now follow commands/requests like "Go get another book!" and she answers questions via signs, getting excited, nodding, shaking her head and pointing. For example, if we ask if she wants more Cheerios, she'll grin happily, clap and point to the pantry.
  • She is beginning to understand "no" (though she doesn't always comply, heh. Infact, she is already testing us by continuing to do something after we tell her no to see if we really mean it!)
  • She has started giving kisses! It's usually very sweet. Sometimes teeth come into the equation we're trying to put the kibosh on that!
  • She loves other children and babies. She's always happy to see her two cousins and the other children at daycare, and she still loves "mirror baby"! I'm not sure whether she realizes it is her just yet. :)



 Just two more weeks and our li'l beauty will be 1 YEAR OLD!!! Say it with me - "Where'd the time go?"

'Til next time...

3 comments:

  1. What a smart cookie!!! Can't wait to see her!

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  2. I love, love, love this post! S is so cute. She really has the beat. I think all little kids groove to the Beyonce song. I need to play it for my little girl :)
    This is a great diary of events for S!!

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