11 Months

As of yesterday, Stella is 11 months old. In many ways, she is still like a much younger baby. Most days that is just fine with me, but occasionally I feel a pang of regret that she is not developing faster, or I eagerly anticipate her next achievement. I don't mind one bit that she is still tiny. And if she really doesn't walk independently until she is around 3 years old, like many blind children, I'm sure my back will be grateful for her small stature.

Stella rolls all over the place to explore her environment, and I think if she had her way she would spend all of her time on her back. We have been working hard to get her more comfortable in a sitting position and it is paying off. She is getting close to sitting up by herself and she seems to enjoy it most of the time now. She is very curious about what is around her and searches with her hands and feet, twisting to the sides and leaning forward, left and right to explore. She does very well in her high chair and easily finds food and feeds herself. Gerber puffs are her favorite foods, but she also gobbles up bananas, pears, watermelon and sweet potatoes, and more. Just this week she drank water from a sippy cup a few times.

Stella spends a lot of time in the exersaucer, swing and in her booster seat on the floor. She still loves different textures and puts everything, especially fabrics, in her mouth. Her feet, and of course, her pacifier are probably her two favorite things to play with. Every time Michael holds Stella, she chews on the collar of his shirt or jacket. She is still teething. Currently she has 7 teeth and more are about to pop through. She is a wonderful sleeper. She takes long naps in the afternoon and then sleeps easily through the night, usually only nursing once.

Things are moving right along with therapy and with the conformers. Progress is slow, but at least there is steady progress.
Sebastian seems to be enjoying Stella more. He plays with her a lot, talks and sings to her, and loves when she babbles back or laughs. He likes to play "This little piggy" with her and she loves it. She starts laughing as soon as he grabs her big toe. He also likes to hold her and to roll her around on the floor. I think he's a little rough with her at times, but she loves it!

Here are some recent pictures of us with Stella.

Stella's Latest Therapy Device

Stella's TVI brought this over last week and it has been a huge hit! We have been having trouble motivating Stella to sit, but now that she can reach forward and find toys she likes, she is doing much better. She still can't sit up on her own, so I ended up buying her a little booster seat to use on the floor in front of it. She does pretty well, but when she gets tired she leans back against the back of the booster seat. Soon I will remove the back and see how she does. She will also twist to the sides to find things next to her on the floor to play with. Sometimes she leans back and plays with the toys with her feet too, which is pretty funny to watch. Overall, I'm pleased with the device and I wish I had gotten one sooner!