ELEA HOLBROOK 1 YEAR OLD

Elea Holbrook

12 Months 

Likes: 

• Walking
• Biting fingers (to get a toy she wants) 
• Giving noggin (headbutts) 
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• Still Likes...
• Clapping, Pointing  
• Furniture cruising 
• Still standing in danegrgous places (ie high chair and bath) 
• Playing with Tae 
• Amei 
• Bathtime
• Peekaboo

Dislikes: 

• When you take a toy or food away from her
• Getting out of the bath 
• 
  

Sleep

• Sleeps through the night, about 12 hours
• Takes 2 naps a day, morning and afternoon

Eating: 

• Loves to eat, pretty much eats anything 
• Even better at picking up her food with her fingers 
• Tries to use a fork.
• Loves rice, dumplings, pancakes, pizza, whole apples, spinach, bok choi...pretty much anything
• Drinking whole cow's milk mixed with her formula
• 
  

Favorite Moments: 

• Taking her first steps 
• Watching her new trick with Amei (headbutt) 
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Firsts: 

• Steps! She just took them one night when Jess was giving Tae a bath, cruised on over to the toy bin like it was nothing.  I didn't even get it on camera because it was so out of the blue. 
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Mommy Thoughts: 

Where did the year go? I remember waking up a year ago Sunday with contractions and waiting for as long as I could to go to the hospital. Our little sweetie graced us with her presence 2 weeks early and we were thrilled. Maybe it's the mom guilt, or maybe it's true, but I feel like she is just easier and is always just along for the ride.  We don't fret over the little things with her and Elea seems okay with that. She is sweet and spicy, the perfect fit for our family. One of my favorite things this year has been watching Tae and her relationship evolve. She loves her big brother and wants to do anything he does, and he loves his Mei Mei and protects her fiercely. Her little scrunched up nose, toothy smile is a favorite part of each day. I remember holding her in my arms and staring into her eyes wondering how we were going to survive with 2 kids, so today I am feeling a bit accomplished that we've done it for one year--and moved countries in the mix of all of it.  We love you Elea and can't wait to cheer you on as you change the world. 

11 MONTHS ELEA HOLBROOK

Elea Holbrook aka Mei Mei

11 Months 

January12, 2017 

Weight: 18.7 pounds 

Height: 75 centimeters 

Likes: 

• Clapping
• Pulling her bow out and socks off 
• Using a sippy cup 
• Feeding herself 
• Airplane aisles
• Pretending to be on the phone 
• 
  
• Still Likes...
• Pointing  
• Furniture cruising 
• Still standing in danegrgous places (ie high chair and bath) 
• Playing with Tae 
• Amei 
• Bathtime, she gets so mad when we take her out 
• Her walker, she cruises around like a drunk driver
• Peekaboo

Dislikes: 

• Drinking choking on bath water (yet she keeps doing it) 
• Not getting her way (we're in for it!) 

Sleep

• Back on schedule after the jetlag both ways 
• Takes 2-3 naps a day

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Eating: 

• Wants to feed herself all the time 
• Really good at picking up pieces of food 
• Loves bread, crackers, and still loves bananas, oranges, apples, steak, and rice 

Favorite Moments: 

• Watching her little mind work when she plays. 
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Firsts: 

• Had RSV while we were back in the US 
• Christmas
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Mommy Thoughts: 

This month flew by and I feel like Elea has taken off in learning and development.  She is pointing, clapping, babbling, cruising along furniture, standing up, and feeding herself (messily). She is a force and she loves her big brother. Anything he does she laughs her head off. I love being her mama and watching her grow, Tae and her relationship develop, and wrap her dada around her finger.  We love you Elea! 

10 MONTHS WITH ELEA HOLBROOK

10 Months 

December 12, 2017 

Weight: 18 pounds 

Height: 35 inches 

Likes: 

• Pointing 
• Furniture cruising 
• Still standing in danegrgous places (ie high chair and bath) 
• Playing with Tae 
• Amei 
• Anything she can eat...you name it she will eat it 
• Shoes 
• Ornaments on the Christmas tree 
• Bathtime, she gets so mad when we take her out 
• Her walker
• After bathtime (once she stops crying) she loves to have her hair brushed
• Peekaboo

Dislikes: 

• Getting out of the bath 
• Not getting her way (we're in for it!) 

Sleep

• Sleeps pretty well 
• Takes a nap in the morning and afternoon, sometimes a little cat nap after dinner if she is cranky  
• Sometimes has a little crib party in the middle of the night, we hear her cooing and and playing
• 
  
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Eating: 

• Can put down, if she sees you eating she will crawl over to you and wait for you to give her some 
• We've given her things earlier than Tae 
• Loves bananas, oranges, apples, steak, and rice 
• 
  

Favorite Moments: 

• Every day. Corny, yes, but true. I know from my time with Tae that the time flies by so I am trying to soak in each and every second. 

Firsts: 

• Pointing 
• Signing (I think she is signing "more" by putting her index finger on the palm of her other finger)
• International day 
• Weekend with daddy (while I was in HK) 
• 
  

Mommy Thoughts: 

Getting to be this girl's mama is such a blessing. Honestly I was scared to have another, I didn't know if I could love another child as much as I love Tae. Tae's first few months were so hard on me, I didn't want to do the infant stage again. I worried I wouldn't be able to, but Elea changed everything in me.  She has made me less selfish, more patient, gain faith and trust in God, and more confident in who I am. I see God daily in her little toothless smile, he determination to get what she wants, her sweet giggles, her perfect button nose, and her curiosity for the world. 

Also, watching her wrap Jess and Tae around her little fingers is adorable. Tae has become a great sharer, whether it is by his own accord or her screaming for what she wants we will never know.  Some of my favorite moments are when I watch Jess secretly with her, he is so in love with her it makes me more in love with him.