15 months and darn near perfect

I have Mommy Guilt whenever I sit down to record something about Elena. Her baby hood was hard for me, adding a fourth child was a whirlwind, Cody was gone a lot, and I was adjusting to a whole new life style, in a whole new part of the country. She was my calm in the storm, but it was quite stormy, and I wished the days away. I haven't done near as well at recording all the amazing things this girl does. As it turns out, it is just as amazing, fun, and thrilling when my fourth child walks, talks, claps, crawls, and folds her arms for the first time, as it was with the three previous. So, let me tell you about her awesomeness.

At Elena's 15 month appointment, she weighed in at adorable and measured up to prefection. (She's tall and skinny, and I can't remember exactly what it was,) she walked around on her knees and proved her defiance. She's very capable of walking, but simply chooses not to. The dr. Said, "I'm a bit worried!" Then when it came to speech, she should be saying, "no, ball, baby, mom, dad, mine." Up to that point she had said, "dad, hi, gee (which is please)," and.......that's about it. To which the dr. Said, "she's behind." But, in true Laney fashion, the following morning when we went to get her out of bed she was belting out, "let it go!!! Let it goooooo!" And continues to belt it out, it is the cutest thing ever. Today during the hymns at church she would yell it as loud as she could. Adorable! In the six days since her appointment she has said, "mom, no, yes, thank you." Along with lots of baby chatter that I have no clue what she's saying, but she makes it clear it's serious business. The day after her doctors appointment she also began walking, up hill!!!! I have two minutes of video of continuous walking. Funny thing is, she didn't do it again until a few days later at the airport and then again yesterday on the trampoline, and not just walking, she would actually jump!!!! She's so crazy. She loves water and will jump off the side and go completely under. She seems to be a thrill seeker. She loves boating, as long as she can stand up, leaning over the edge with the wind in her hair. The second the boat slows, she's a wreck, kicking, screaming, mad! She's got a temper tantrum like you wouldn't believe. It's both pitiful and hilarious. She is currently a Mama's girl, but loves to see her Dad, and loves yelling to him, "dad? Daaaaaaaad?" She loves antagonizing her brother and sisters and knows that pinching them is just the trick to get a good squeal. Yesterday afternoon we were at a birthday party and Elena was standing on the tramp when it was time for the prayer for the food, she folded her arms just like everyone else, and has done so every prayer since. It melts my heart. I want to scoop her up and hold her close and make her promise to stay little forever. 

     Elena is the baby and will always be the baby, and I'll forever ignore things she does because, "she's he baby!" I'm so so so so so grateful that she's my baby! I'm blessed and I know it.