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Friday, May 29, 2009

Hide and Seek, Take II

Ellie has improved quite a bit when it comes to playing hide and seek, but there's plenty of room for more growth.

Though she now understands that one person counts to ten and then says "Ready? Come!" and the other person goes to hide.... well just look at Ellie's recent hiding spot and decide for yourself how much more improvement is needed.
Hehehe... You can't see me!

Baby in Mommy's Tummy II

Ellie: Mommy baby tummy!
Mommy: Yep, there's a baby in Mommy's tummy.
Ellie: I see?
Mommy: The baby is getting bigger and bigger.
Ellie: Baby crying.
Mommy: The baby is crying?
Ellie: Waa! Waa!
Mommy: Why is the baby crying?
Ellie: Is sad.
Mommy: Oh.
Ellie: (patting my belly) S'ok baby. S'ok.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Big Girl Room Update

Since the original Big Girl Room post, we've added the main finishing touches. We've added curtains (though still need the tie-backs), a picket fence head board, a chair and of course, a matching Ellie.




At least she still looks small when she sits in her big-girl bed.

Mixing nursery rhymes

The other day Ellie was carrying a stuffed bunny through the store:

Ellie:
Rock-bye bunny tee bop.
When blows caddle wi rock.
When bow break,
Down will come rain
And wash bunny out.
Out came the sun,
Bunny clime up spout again.

I think it works. It was actually quite impressive how smooth the transition was. It took us a while to realize what she had done, but she'll repeat it if you ask.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Niffer 2.0?


Every now and then I snap a photo that I love for two reasons. One - it's a great picture of Ellie and seems to show off her personality. And two - it reminds me of pictures of myself when I was younger. This is the most recent one. No, it's not the red marker streak across her face that does the trick. It's the smile. Do you see how she's tilting her head and crossing her jaw?

Now look at this one. I'm a little older, but you can definitely see the resemblance:
I hope the world is ready for two of us!

Must Bun-Bun go?

For a while now, we've been to the point where Ellie does not need Bun-bun during the day. In fact, she leaves her bunny in the bed all day. She's not allowed to have her unless she's in her bed. She doesn't bring the bunny to daycare anymore, either, which means her naps there are bunny-free.

I'm wondering at what point we should take Bun-Bun away completely? I don't mind her being around, but she still sucks on Bun-Bun's arms whenever she has it. This means any naps taken at home, or sleeping through the night, that bunny is stuck in Ellie's mouth.

I'll admit this is a huge step away from the grossness that once was our all-day Bun-Bun. Even if we have 7 of them, lots of love still took a toll on each of them.

As for myself, I was a thumb sucker and just decided one day I had enough. Michael used to suck on raisins at night and one day he vowed to never have another raisin for the rest of his life. I've been kind of hoping for that time to come for Ellie, but I'm guessing that's not for quite some time.

Hmm... I'll have to think about that.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tid-bits that don't fit into a story

I love how Ellie pats your back when she hugs you.

I love hearing her say "I'm big sissa now" when she's reading her big sister book.

I love how she says "Hi Mommy" or "Hi Daddy" when she's happy to see us, or just wants to get a smile out of us.

I love how she drags 2-3 blankets, 2-3 friends, a pillow AND 2-3 books with her when she climbs into bed with us.

I love how she always answers "I jump boons!" whenever we ask her what she wants to do today.

I love how she says "I stay bed til Mommy come giss me mornin."

I love how she and Daddy have this on-going fight where he says "Daddy do it" and Ellie automatically says "Mommy do it."

I love how she knows that Bun-Bun stays in bed, but Ellie always asks if she can come anyway.

I love how she loves to play tag and sometimes it's the only way to get her moving quickly.

I love how you can often catch her singing songs - many real, but many made up too.

Hmm... That's all for now.

I may be wrong...

... But I'm never uncertain!

Daddy: What's this?
Ellie: Kangroo!
Daddy: I guess it does look a little like a kangaroo, but it's a deer.
Ellie: No! Kangroo!
Daddy: You sure?
Ellie: Yeah! KANGROO!
Daddy: Ok. And next to the kangaroo is a skunk...

Monday, May 25, 2009

Lucky Me

I have a friend who is super pregnant and is due June 19th. With six weeks left to go, her hips have given out on her. Apparently it happened with her first pregnancy too. I saw her a week ago and she looked so miserable, barely able to walk. Apparently it's gotten worse because she is now on bed rest. Ugh.

I also just found out that another friend of mine was diagnosed with preeclapmsia. She is only at 29 weeks (of 40) in her pregnancy and now has to be on bed rest for as long as possible. Once the baby makes it to a full-term baby, they will induce at 36 weeks. That's a long time to stay in bed. Ugh.

Poor things. It's amazing what people can go through for these tiny bundles of joy. I'm lucky that I've never had problems similar to those some of my friends have had to endure during their pregnancies. Let's hope it stays that way.

HUGS to my friends! You're amazing people!

Baby in Mommy's Tummy I

After her introduction to the baby Ellie comments on the baby in my tummy almost every time she notices it. And after reading about this little girl's comment about her baby sister I have tried to pay more attention to the things Ellie says about the baby.

Ellie: (pointing to my tummy) Mommy baby tummy!
Mommy: Is there a baby in my tummy?
Ellie: Yeah. An Brynn-ee Mommy baby tummy too!
Mommy: Yep. Brynn's Mommy has a baby in her tummy too.
Ellie: (lifting her shirt) Lala baby tummy too!
Mommy: Nope, Ellie's tummy is too small for a baby.
Ellie: Mommy tummy big for baby! Lala tummy too ittle. Brynn tummy too ittle.
Mommy: Yep. You're so smart.

Friday, May 22, 2009

I really like this idea

I just stumbled on two blogs. The first one I found is One Click, One Pic a Day. The second is his girlfriend's blog, Green Polka Dots. These two random people decided to take one picture every day of the year.

I find this concept to be intriguing and I wonder if I would be able to follow through with it myself. I can think of a few friends who would be great at doing this (Dan, you're one of them), and even Michael and I have taken our share of great pictures from traveling.

However, I wonder what sort of pictures I would take if I forced myself to do so every day for an entire year. Imagine the things I would notice. Imagine the expressions I might be able to capture on Ellie's face.

Hmm... I wonder if I could actually do it. I'm kind of thinking it's just not possible with being so caught up having a toddler around and writing about her daily, but I may have to give this some serious consideration. I like the idea a lot and my birthday is coming up... maybe that would be a good time to start?

I guess I like the concept because it's about noticing something new and beautiful everyday. I try to do this with Ellie, but I wonder if I could take it a step further and look beyond my daughter for a change? Hmmm...

What do you think? Could I actually succeed, or would it just end up being a mid-year new year's resolution with good intentions but no results?

I think this conversation is over

Mommy: I really like the nickname Danny!
Daddy: Me too.
Mommy: But I don't like the name Danielle or Daniel because it means "to be judged by God" and that seems so negative to me.
Daddy: We could just name the baby Danny.
Mommy: Yeah, but I don't like the name Danny.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Motherhood Changes You

I've received this email multiple times in the last couple of years and each time I think it's got it dead-on! The first time I read it I remember thinking that though it was all so very true, I wished that they focused more on the positive things of Motherhood. However, this time when I read it, I didn't think that at all. Everything about it seemed positive to me. Anyway, I thought I'd share....

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN FRIENDS

We are sitting at lunch when my friend casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family"."We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my friend, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if..... that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children all over the world, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years --- not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My friend's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my friend could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.

I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.

My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

To know or not to know

I realize that most of you think that this blog is about Ellie. You'd be wrong, but I can see why you would make that mistake. It's not about Ellie at all. It's about me! ME! ME! It's all about ME!!!

Actually, it's not. You're right. It might as well be called "Ellie Tales", but I need to change that. At least every now and then I need to remind you guys that I'm pregnant. There's another child! Just because I forget, does not mean you should too!

So let's put Ellie aside for now (what she doesn't know won't hurt her)...

Baby Vincent II.

Do we find out the gender or not? Last time we chose not to find out, even though I went to that appointment with the intention of talking Michael into the opposite. If it weren't for that cute couple! ARGH!

No, I'm over that now. The point is that not knowing ended up being so much fun, and nothing could beat the feeling I had when it was Michael who first told me I had a daughter. It wasn't some stranger ultrasound technician who clicked away happily from one body part to the next, as though she had seen thousands of ultrasounds of babies just like ours. Ours was unique, dammit! It's OUR baby! It wasn't the doctor who happened to be on duty at 1:00 AM on the morning of Tuesday April 17th, who was too busy to stay with us for any longer than necessary.

It was my husband. My soul mate. The man who just held my hand and rubbed my back for the last 27+ hours of labor (forget the fact that the whole pregnant thing - and thus the 27+ hours of back labor - would not have happened without him). The father of the child I just gave birth to. The man who will take care of me for years to come. The man who will grow old with me and watch this baby grow through childhood and eventually into a fine young adult (slowly, of course). That's who told me we had a daughter. And that's the feeling that is making it hard for me to decide this time.

On the other hand, I really really want to know! Just like last time, only worse. I do not have a good reason for it other than the fact that I CAN know what the gender is, so WHY NOT??? Besides, I feel like it would be easier for Ellie to grasp the concept of having a baby sister/brother instead of just a baby.

I've also heard from some mothers that knowing the gender of the baby helped them feel a stronger bond with the baby that was growing inside of them. Though I don't *think* I had a problem bonding with Ellie, I do wonder if that contributed to the difficulties we had when she was first born (breast feeding and her being so difficult to calm for so long).

I'm probably worrying about it too much because either decision will be a great one, but since the decision is mine and mine alone (Michael would rather not know, but he's trying really hard to let me choose this time), I am choosing to fret over it.

Besides, I need something to keep reminding me that there is a wonderful little being growing inside of me. I already feel guilty for giving Ellie more of my attention and love than Baby Vincent II. Maybe knowing the gender would help me bond with the baby now? Who knows?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Operation "Niffer Suck It Up"

I couldn't find anyone to go to lunch with me today so I said "Screw them! I'm going to have sushi!" (Pregnant-safe sushi, of course) and I treated myself to good stuff complete with the ginger and wasabi. Mmmm...

Now I'm back in my office with a whole new outlook on life. I'm going to suck it up and get some real work done this afternoon, while appreciating the fact that it's good work. Then, I'm going to go home and suck it up by accepting the fact that poop is gross, while appreciating the fact that toilet paper is cheap.

Operation "Niffer Suck It Up" is a GO!

Poo-poo in the potty

Let's just say I'm thinking it's over-rated.

We have recently had quite a bit of success getting Ellie to use the potty. For the most part, we haven't done much because she can't be moved up to the room at daycare that has a potty (not enough space yet), so why bother?

However, I have started to ask her if she wants to go pee-pee in the potty with Mommy every morning and before bedtime. Sometimes I try around nap, but that's not quite as successful. It appears as though as long as we go together, she almost always pees. Woo hoo! Score!

This morning she took me by surprise and went poo-poo. I wasn't prepared. It wasn't a mess, thank goodness, but it also wasn't what I had in mind. I expected to be able to take her little potty seat and tilt it up-side-down to hear a nice "plop" into the big potty's water. Nope. It stuck. Yuck. Not fun.

Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening in the future? Is there some sort of secret I'm not aware of?

Ellie's Favorite Videos

"Care Bear Baby Vido" (aka Care Bears: I Care For You)
Ellie LOVES this video. I think she's fascinated with the idea of Care Bears, let alone a video of how they take care of their babies. I'm hoping it will help her a little when the new baby comes, but she could watch this 20 times in a row if I let her and still not tire of it. (25 months - present)

"Spider Vido" (aka Incy Wincy Spider)
Ellie likes this song because it's one of the many she knows the words to, but it's one of the few that have hand movements to. She's still trying to figure out the hand movements, but now that she has the picture in mind, I think the song makes a lot more sense to her. (24 months - present)

"Ush Baby Vido" (aka Hush Little Baby)
I'm torn on whether or not watching this video is a good thing. On one hand, Ellie LOVES LOVES LOVES the baby song. On the other hand, Ellie almost always gets upset when I say we can not listen to it anymore (even after watching the video 4-5 times!). (24 months - present)

"I Like Elphant Vido" (aka The Elephant Song)
This is an adorable song where a father sings about why he likes different animals, only everything he says is wrong. His son corrects him. Ellie likes this video a lot because she can sing it pretty well. I also think it makes her think about the animals, almost as though the video confuses her a little and she wants to figure it out. We've turned it into a game that we play at the table, too. She's starting to have a lot of fun correcting us when we say something wrong about an animal. (24 months - present)

"Toot Toot Vido" (aka The Big Red Car)
Ellie LOVES the Wiggles and we like them too because they're not annoying characters, but instead they're real people. She likes the DVD "Pop Goes the Wiggles" the most, but this is one of the YouTube videos we've found. She can watch it over and over again. Good stuff. (24 months - present)

"Oo-oo Ah-Ah Vido" (aka The Monkey Dance)
This is another Wiggles song that Ellie has recently discovered. She loves that there are little kids dancing along and I wouldn't be surprised if she joins in soon! (24 months - present)

"Daddy Vido"
(Canadian lullaby) This is a sad video (though Ellie doesn't know it) about Daddy going off in a fishing boat. Most of the time he returns, but one time he does not. Ellie thinks the grown son is still the Daddy, so all is ok. She loves to dance when the family is happy and sing "row row row your boat" when Daddy leaves on his boat. She also knows when the weather gets bad because she'll say "Oh Oh. Wait Daddy." (18 months - present)

"Egg Vido"
(French lullaby) This is an adorable video about a chicken laying eggs and a little boy taking them before the chef can find them. I love it and Ellie asks for it almost as much as the Daddy Video. She loves to point out when the boy is "a seeping" or "awake" and usually says "Ah Ah. Can't reach moon!" at the end when the chef is trying to get an egg off the moon. The first time Ellie counted to five was when she was counting the eggs at the end of the video. (18 months - present)

"Monkey Vido" (aka 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed)
This is a definite favorite of Ellies and has been for a long time. She loves to speak the doctor's lines. Even before she could speak, she would join in. When she started speaking, it became "No monkas!" She also completely relates to the bonking of the heads - since she knows that's what happens if you fall down. (16 months - present)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Mommy is NOT old!!!

We have a book of opposites. On one page there is a YOUNG dinosaur next to an OLD dinosaur.

No matter how hard I try to convince her otherwise, Ellie insists that the young one is Ellie (which makes sense) but the old one is Mommy. I've tried to claim it's Grandma, but she doesn't buy it.

Ellie: Lala young! Mommy old!

Sigh.

And while I'm correcting this little girl's mistakes, I'm pretty sure that neither Belle nor the Beast would appreciate him being called a "Funny Giraffe."

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The amazing Iman (Family Shots)

I don't have time to write, so I'll be updating this post later, but I wanted to put a link to these pictures as quickly as possible because I love them so much.

Click here for more.

UPDATE:

Ok, guys. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these pictures! Iman put together this wonderful slide show. I wish I could share it with you, but it included this really cheesy perfect song about a parent loving their child. Three pictures into the show, I was crying.

I never would have thought it would be possible to get so many pictures that I just love and now I can't decide which to put in a frame! Iman has this amazing ability to capture the connection between family members. So many of these pictures are just like the ones I've admired from afar whenever I look at other people's websites.

Ok, enough cheese for today. I've watched the video 5 times today and still tear up. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Much like the Grinch

Quite often Ellie makes me so happy that it actually hurts. Physically, it hurts! I can actually feel it in my chest. You've seen the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," right? Do you remember how his heart was too small and it hurt him when it got bigger? I think that's what's happening to me. What's the medical term for that condition? KC - you're a doctor, help me out!

And what about the chances of this smile being permanent? My mom used to tell me not to make funny faces because they may end up being permanent. KC - Was she just pulling my leg? What kind of doctor are you, anyway? I forget.

Anyway, back to my medical condition of feeling my happiness in my chest (could it be kidney failure?), I wondered if this was something that was common to parents or if I was just weird, so I asked Daddy.

Mommy: Where do you feel your happiness?
Daddy: Huh?
Mommy: When I get happy, I can feel it in my chest. Where do you feel your happiness?
Daddy: (looks down at his pants).
Mommy: Forget I asked.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Go La La! Go La La!

Ellie: Oh oh! I broke it.
Mommy: Oh no, do you need fixing it?
Ellie: No! I do it!
Mommy: Ok. Let me know if you need help.
Ellie: Go Lala! Go Lala! Go!
Mommy: (laughing) Go Ellie!
Ellie: I did it!
Mommy: You fixed it? All by yourself?
Ellie: Yeah! I did it!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Updated

Just fyi, all the pictures, books and now movies have been updated. And, as you can see, so has the look. Ellie's favorite videos will appear next week. Don't say I never do anything for you. =)

Tattoo Time

I'm getting one! There is nothing you can do to stop me.

Calm down. It's not permanent. At least not this one. Here are some of the designs that caught my eye. I think they only last a month so I won't be getting it until September.

I want to try to do something that makes this pregnancy unique. I feel so guilty about not focusing on this pregnancy that I feel like I need to make up for it. I want this pregnancy to be just as memorable as the last one, and I think this is the perfect thing to help do that.

I like the swirl originating at the belly button and the leaves.

Though I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be birds, I like the way the wings look like leaves and the over-all shape is a heart.

I like the heart. I would do leaves instead of flowers, though, since the baby is an autumn baby.

There is no better way of saying "autumn baby" than pumpkins!

So, what do you think?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Ellie's Favorite Movies

We are still trying to limit the amount of time that Ellie spends in front of the TV, so for the most part she doesn't watch TV. She watches more movies when she visits her grandparents, but I do not think any of them are really worth mentioning at this point.

POP Go the Wiggles!

This is the only DVD worth mentioning at the moment. We love the Wiggles (and even considered buying concert tickets, which is weird because the only concerts I've ever been to in the past were swing dances). Ellie likes the fact that she can sing many of the songs, and we like the fact that the Wiggles are real people and not super annoying purple dinosaurs. This DVD has a bunch of Nursery Rhymes, unlike other Wiggles DVDs we've rented. It is by far the least annoying video we've let Ellie watch and we're lucky that it's her favorite DVD as well. (18 months - present)

The most important prince in her life

Mommy: Who is in this picture, Ellie?
Ellie: Pincess!
Mommy: She's a pretty princess, isn't she?
Ellie: Yeah. Lala!
Mommy: Is her name Princess Ellie?
Ellie: Yeah!
Mommy: And who is the princess dancing with?
Ellie: Daddy!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Happy Birthday Mommy to You

I had a very pleasant Mother's Day weekend. It was actually my first Mother's Day alone. Previous years, we spent the day with other extended family members, but having Ellie and Daddy all to myself for an entire weekend was just what I wanted.

This year also marked the first year that I got a real Mother's Day present. Previous years (and this year included), Daddy did a fantastic job of getting me great jewelry with a Mother theme, but this was the first year that Ellie *MADE* me something.

It's a wheel-barrow planter with a flower pot! Ellie made the planter at Home Depot. For those of you who have young children, I would highly recommend Home Depot on the first Saturday of the month. All for free, the kids get a cool orange apron (just like the professionals who work at the store) and they get to make little projects. When they're finished, they get a pin to put on their apron. Even Ellie loves to participate even though she's so much younger than the other kids. She also put on the stickers and planted the flower. Daddy did the painting because he wasn't sure about how safe the paint would be for her. Ellie was so proud to give me the present (she couldn't wait until Mother's Day).

Ellie: Here go, Mommy!
Mommy: Oh, thank you!
Ellie: I maked it!
Mommy: You made this?
Ellie: YEAH!
Daddy: Can you say "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy"?
Ellie: Happy bird-day Mommy to you!"
Mommy: Oh, thank you. I love it!
Ellie: Yeah.

Adorable. Best present EVER.

Later that day we drove down to have dinner with an old friend and his wife, who are on their way to live in Flagstaff for the summer. It was fantastic to see them (for some bizarre reason, we never hung out when I lived in MD). Even Michael commented on how great the two of them were. Ellie did a good job, too. Holly commented on how well behaved she was. Later we were talking about how that seems to happen often. It's one of those things we probably take for granted. On the way home, I asked Ellie if she liked Dan and Holly:

Mommy: Did you like Dan? Was he nice?
Ellie: Yeah.
Mommy: Did you like Holly? Was she pretty?
Ellie: YEAH!
Mommy: Ellie is pretty too. I bet Holly thought you were very pretty.
Ellie: Mommy pretty too!
Mommy: Ah, thank you!
Ellie: Tank you. You're welcome.

On Sunday we went to the bakery - always one of my favorite things to do.

Then we waited for the bus. Ellie was very excited to get to ride the same bus that Daddy takes to work.

On the bus, Ellie looks like a pro.

We rode the bus to Pearl Street Mall to see the tulips - another favorite of mine. We stopped to get some chocolate and then headed to see the pretty flowers. Ellie declared that they all smelled "Mmmmm Nummy."

Mommy couldn't be any happier.

"Mmmm weally weally nummy."

I hope all the mothers out there had as nice of a weekend as I did. I love this little girl. I'm so proud to be her Mommy!

Friday, May 08, 2009

Amazing Anna II

Six months ago I wrote about how I thought it was amazing that Ellie still remembered Miss Anna.

Since then we've seen Anna at the bakery every now and then and it's obvious that Ellie still knows her because she'll run and give her a big hug. However, she really hasn't seen much of Anna lately, especially since Anna quit her job (to student teach) and is only subbing every now and then at the daycare. Even this, though, is in a different building from where Ellie is now.

It's been almost a year now since Ellie left the Bear Room in the Infant Center. I don't think I've ever referred to it by name before. I got an email from Anna today saying that she saw Ellie on Tuesday and was amazed by all her words. Ellie gave her a big bear hug and said "I go back to bear room?"

HOW DOES SHE REMEMBER SOMETHING FROM NEARLY A YEAR AGO??? And she even knew the name of the room? Wow. Wow. This Anna is quite something.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Picking up Mommy from the airport

I've been out of town the last few days for the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) conference. As a side note - as much as I'd like to think we're all mature grown-ups, it was still bizarre for me to attend this conference with my supervisor - a little too much talk about women's body parts for my complete comfort.

Ellie missed Mommy a lot and Mommy missed her tons too. I had one fantastic phone conversation with her, where we talked for almost 5 minutes! And it was her and me talking (very little translating needed from Daddy). It was amazing and left me in tears. Good tears, but tears all the same. My little one is getting so big.

When I got to the airport and saw her again, her face lit up so brightly. It was fantastic. I ran up to her and held her and hugged her. It felt so good to feel her again.

Mommy: It's so good to see you! Mommy missed you!
Ellie: I go on air-pane-ator now.
Mommy: Airplane-ator?
Ellie: Ok!
Mommy: You want to go on the airplane now?
Ellie: No, dat one!
Mommy: Oh! You want to go on the escalator!
Ellie: Yeah! Up! Up! Up!
Mommy: Yep, I missed you!

On the way out of the airport:

Mommy: Where you a good girl when Mommy was gone?
Ellie: Yeah.
Mommy: Did you help Daddy a lot?
Ellie: Yeah.
Mommy: What did you do today?
Ellie: (super excited) I go to airport get a Mommy!
Mommy: And I'm so glad you did! Thank you for coming to get me!
Ellie: Welcome!

WANTED: Updated pictures

I know, I know. Even though I've done a good job of posting often, I have not done much along the lines of picture updates. It seems like every few months or so I decide that I need to start adding pictures to my post, but then I realize that doing so takes a whole additional step - one that I often don't have time or energy to do. It's so much easier to log on (from anywhere) and write a couple paragraphs than it is to log on from the computer in the basement at home to post a picture.


But pictures are coming! I swear! Hopefully I can put updated pictures in the slide show on the right of my blog AND share some that have been taken by the wonderful Iman Woods.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

I wonder how many parents do this

Daddy recently decided that his junk email address was finally filled with too much junk mail to deal with. He went searching for a new email address to use whenever he gets asked for one on various websites. We all do this, right? I have two junk email addresses and two real ones.

Anyway, Daddy had one heck of a time coming up with a user name that wasn't already taken. It literally took him all afternoon and he finally ended up with a user's name that had his first name spelled forwards and his last name spelled backwards. That, apparently, was not already taken. Go figure.

After going through that he mentioned that we should make email accounts for the kids. At first I thought it was crazy, but he has a point. There are so many email accounts out there that it's nearly impossible to get one that has any resemblance to a real name yet simple enough that people would actually remember it.

I guess that's one benefit of giving Ellie a nickname that we didn't think of. She probably won't have a hard time finding user names that have not already been taken. Even so, we signed her up. She now has a gmail account. She's set to go. I've emailed both myself and Daddy from her account with password information so hopefully it doesn't end up that we are the ones who took the user name from her but can't remember her password. Wouldn't that be funny?

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Doggie exchange

We got a new dog last week!

Here is a picture of our old dog (taken 1.5 months ago). Merlin figured out how to open doors and really, who wants a dog that can do that? So we traded him in.And here is a picture of our new dog (taken end of last week). We've decided to name him Merlin as well and strangely enough, he can also open doors. Go figure.Coming home late one night:
Ellie: Ah! New doggie!
Mommy: Yeah, Merlin got a haircut today.
Ellie: Look Mommy, new doggie!
Mommy: It's Merlin. Does he look funny?
Ellie: New doggie fun!
Mommy: Do you want to pet him? Is he soft?
Ellie: Yeah, reawy reawy soft.
Mommy: Ok, let's go to bed. Good night, Merlin!
Ellie: Night night doggie!

Monday, May 04, 2009

Ellie's Favorite Books


"I Love My Daddy Because"
aka "Daddy Book"

This is the first book that Ellie has requested I point to each word as I read it. She'll even take a turn to do the same, pointing to each word as she recites the memorized words. She seems to really get the pictures and how even animals have special relationships with their Daddy like she does. For me, it's especially exciting to see her so interested in the individual words and pretend to read them herself. (27 months)

"How Do You Feel"
aka "Bear Book"

I've recently decided that every child should have a book talking about all the different types of feelings we can have and this is the one I ended up with. Ellie completely relates to most of the feelings (Happy, Sad, Lonely, Grumpy, Loving, Excited, Scared, etc) and loves talking about the reasons behind why each bear feels the way they do. This has turned out to be one of the more interactive books we have since Ellie talks so much about each feeling. (25 months)

"Polite as a Princess"
aka "Pincess Book"

Everyone knows that a princess is a very polite young lady. Being polite is very important because if you're nice to others then they'll be nice to you. This is another book that Ellie likes to comment on a lot. She loves to choose which princess she is today and thinks that the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast) is a "funny giraffe". Much like "The Polite Elephant," there are lots of examples of good manners, but currently Ellie seems to relate to this one more. (25 months)

"Bluebird's Nest"

This is a fantastic book that combines a cute story about animals helping bluebird build a home for her family with a real nest that the kids can watch and touch as it's being built up. Ellie loves waiting for the page where the eggs appear and finally, on the last page, the babies jump out of the book! (24 months)

"It Could Have Been Worse"
aka "The mouse book"

A cute little mouse has a horrible day tripping and falling, but doesn't realize that each fall saves him from being eaten by other animals. Ellie loves getting worked up about the mouse's safety. "Oh Oh! Nake almos eat mouse!!!" (24 months)

"Ten Little Ladybugs"
aka "Lazybug book"

Ten little ladybugs disappear one by one as animals come by. Ellie likes to pretend to be scared that the animals are eating the ladybugs, but she's always anxious to reach the end when she sees that they're actually safe and everyone is friends. She loves to count the ladybugs herself and even guess at the number of ladybugs remaining after each page. (24 months)

"Cars, Trucks, Planes and Trains"
aka "Tain book"

A lift-the-flap book that lets Ellie find different colors and shapes, count monkeys and find the hidden animals (her favorite is the "ocopus"). This book makes Ellie feel so smart when she can locate things on her own. (20 months)

"Way Out in the Desert"
aka "Deeser book"

A book about all the animals found in the desert. Ellie likes the rhyming of the book. She also likes to see the animal babies with their mommies. She especially loved the Gila Monster page and would rarely let me read the others. She has recently enjoyed finding the numbers hidden on each page. (20 months)

"But Not the Hippopotamus"
aka "Hipp-ocapus book"

The poor hippopotamus always gets left out of the fun because his name does not rhyme like the other animals' names, until at last he can join them at the end! I'll admit that this has been my favorite book ever since Cracker's mom gave it to me when I was pregnant. It is absolutely adorable. Ellie likes the funny rhymes and seems to relate well to the fact that the hippopotamus is sad and the other animals are happy. (12-20 months)

"How Do Dionsaurs Play with their Friends"
aka "RARRR!"

A cute book about how dinosaurs play nicely with their friends. I'm sure that this one will become more relevant when Ellie is older, but right now she loves seeing the monsters on each page. Every new dinosaur results in a great "Rarrr" from the little girl and it's just adorable. (16 months)

"Polite Elephant"

This little elephant is very polite and knows how to be on his best behavior when he's with his friends and family. Ellie likes to see elephants because she can make the sound and knows the sign (she trumpets like an elephant and holds her arm up like a trunk). She also likes the page where the polite elephant says "please" when he wants something and "thank you" when he gets it. She can sign and/or say both of those words so she understands that well. (12-18 months)

This will be me in a year from now

Another beautiful post by Amalah.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Pregnancy Cravings

Most women have strange food cravings when they're pregnant. Not me. Apparently I crave tattoos. I felt this way when I was pregnant with Ellie too!

I've always toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo (usually an abstract picture of two dolphins) but have never gone through with it because it's so permanent! But there is no doubt in my mind now (like during the last pregnancy) that I want a tattoo!

I even tried to convince Michael to get a tattoo with me. How great would that be - to get tattoos together? He didn't buy it. Let's just say that he's lucky that *they* recommend *not* getting tattoos while pregnant.

I wonder if it's safe while breastfeeding.

Anyway, I want to get a tattoo that means something to me. A friend of mine has one on her back and it's a flower design with two Jesus fish symbols on the side. Obviously that's a big part of her life, but the thing I like about it is that it's subtle. I don't think most people would recognize the fish if they didn't know. That's what I want. I want a tattoo that most people would look at and think "Awesome tattoo!" but only I would know it's significance.

I also want something to remind me of the two babies. Last time I was pregnant, I wanted a daffodil or cherry blossoms because those were definitely the two things that reminded me of my spring baby. This time, though, I'm having an autumn baby. How do you combine the two?

Michael suggested daffodils wrapping around a pumpkin. Hahaha. I suppose that would do the trick. Do you have any better ideas?

Mark my words... assuming the hormones have nothing to do with this desire, which I realize is a BIG ASSUMPTION (making an @$$ out of U and Mption), I *WILL* be getting a tattoo.

Playing in the sand

Take a look at these pictures that Iman took. Ellie wasn't in a good mood, but they still turned out cute.