Stuff she does

While we're certainly keeping up on photos of Ellie, I slack a little in writing about what Ellie is doing, saying, screaming about, etc. as she grows up.
At 17-months she sometimes seems like a total stranger compared to the younger, baby-version of Ellie we all grew to love. But I can say unequivocally that Ellie 1.42 (years old...) is even more fun than the earlier operating systems.
Here's a snapshot of stuff Ellie does these days:

• At bath time, Ellie has started pouring water over her head herself. She used to take whatever cup I was using and drink from it (whether the water was clean or soapy!). But now she's figured out how to fill it up and douse herself. It's hilarious and quite helpful when I'm trying to wash her hair. I also am crediting the round of parent-baby swim lessons we took last fall for making her comfortable enough in the water to stick her face in. She does this often during bath time, sometimes coming up looking very proud of herself and other times acting shocked and like, "How could you let me do that, mom? Don't you know babies can drown in less than an inch of water?" Good thing I always keep a close eye on this brave fish baby we have.
• Play time includes plenty of "pretend" games, including putting her baby doll to bed and making different "stews" out of whatever blocks and bowls are nearest. She'll also pick up a kitchen towel and put it on like a cape. We may have to go buy some more dress up stuff...
• Meals are going really well (knock on wood). She's throwing food less and eating better with a spoon or fork. Ellie has started to try more grains, meats and veggies — although she clearly has her favorites. I'm hoping to start working on getting her to drink out of a real cup in the next few months, but every time I'm tried thus far she pours the entire contents down her front.
• Frustrations still abound in our house, however. I can see Ellie get upset when she's trying to convey something and we don't understand. I hate that part, but we're working on more words and signals all the time. Mom and dad get plenty frustrated by Ellie's tantrums when she's told "no." She's quite good at throwing a fit already and it's a little scary. I foresee some time-out training in the not-too-distant future.
• On a more positive note, some of the most precious Ellie-isms these days include the kisses she gives on the mouth or blows to us, and the hugs she'll give while saying "ohhhh" and patting mom or dad on the back. Those are the moments when I'm willing to let her do just about anything she wants.