Gymboree

Thanks to Aunt Pat and Uncle Don, Elyse and I have been enjoying Gymboree. With enrollment in a class, you can attend "open gym." Yesterday we went and were the only ones there for about a half an hour- our own private (indoor) playground. It's great to have something to do indoors when the thermometer on your car is reading 101. You will notice a ball in some of the pictures. This is her favorite thing to play with so I use it to entice her to climb on things.

A Few Steps

I was able to get a short video of Elyse walking. She is on her way to becoming a toddler!

What Elyse Likes to Do

Stack things: Read:
Go to the pool:

Number 3

Elyse is getting a third tooth. If you look at the diagram it is F. If you are looking at her it is the upper center right tooth. So far she hasn't shown signs that it is bothering her. I hope that continues.

Tunnel

Aunt Pat and Uncle Don gave Elyse a great present for her first birthday: Gymboree classes. We went last week for a trial run and then yesterday was our first new class. It is so much fun, for her and me. They get to play on all sorts of fun things, pop bubbles, and get to sit in a parachute "house." There are also a lot of tunnels to climb through. Elyse really didn't get that you go through the tunnels, she wanted to pull up and then and walk around them. I decided to make a tunnel at home by putting a sheet over her infant gym mat (that thing has gotten a lot of use!) She needs a bit a coaxing but she goes through the tunnel (sometimes). In the video you can see her do a pretty good job of going through the tunnel.

11 Months

It is hard to believe that Elyse is 11 Months old. In this picture Elyse has a coaster in her mouth because that was the only way I could get her to sit still on the couch. I should have included the "outtakes" they were pretty funny- half her head, her reaching for the camera and crawling on the couch among other things.

These are somethings that we learned about Elyse this month:

• She really likes to eat raspberries
• She likes going to the pool
• She enjoys putting things in buckets (and dumping them out)
• She is starting to hand things to us ("share")
• She likes soy milk
• She likes to clap my hands together

First Steps

Today, on our 6th wedding anniversary, Elyse took her first steps. Here's how it happened: I was getting dinner ready and Elyse was in my arms. I had to put her down to get something and she started to cry. I was about a foot away from her and knelt down to see what she would do. She took three steps towards me!!!! I picked her up and Toby and I celebrated! I am so glad that Toby and I got to witness her first steps together. Hopefully I will be able to get it on video so you can see it too. Yippeee!