Updates on the madness...and Ellie is 13 months!

Life is certainly nothing but insane these days. But I definitely need to update things on this blog. So here we go:

Ellie-
Ellie is awesome, as usual. She has now been officially walking for about 2 weeks, and it is seriously the cutest thing ever. She has just started to walk almost exclusively, preferring that over crawling. The bad news? It is even harder to keep up with her. Yikes!

Here is a very early video of her walking. Now she's going up and down the hall like a pro!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2WC3IrjH3o

We had her 1-year doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago, too. She hit 18lbs! Considering the rule of thumb is to triple the birth weight at a year, she isn't far off. I attribute it to the fact that the girl LOVES to EAT. She still can fit into her 0-3 month snowsuit from last year, which is good, as it has been pretty chilly a couple times this past week when we've taken our morning walks.

No teeth have broken through yet, although there are a couple that are PRETTY darn close. And she's sure been acting like she's teething. Maybe this means we will be lucky enough to get all of them in at once? Who knows!

She is still just the most fun ever. I love spending time with her and taking her new places. She is so curious and observant. Seeing her reactions to new things is just awesome!

Pregnancy-
I'm almost 22 weeks. And I've got to say, this pregnancy is KICKING MY BUTT. I feel like such a whiner this time. I'm just really tired all the time, and I feel about as big as I was in the 3rd trimester last time. Maybe because my body has 'been there, done that'? And I am already in the "nothing sounds good to eat" phase. Arg. I do love the movement, though. I can feel the little one pretty frequently these days. Definitely the best part of pregnancy!!!

So far, everything is behaving. Both the antigen titers and the thyroid levels are nicely under control. And I haven't had to do my second gestational diabetes test yet. I am NOT looking forward to that!




Ready for 2 under 2? -
Uh, no. First of all, for the little one, we've done just about nothing. I guess such is life being the dreaded second child, huh?

Well, I guess I shouldn't say that. We bought a stroller. We got a KILLER deal. So I officially have a double stroller in my house. Yes, I had an all-out MELTDOWN when that came. If you would have told me 2 years ago that this would be hanging out in my living room, I would have told you that you were NUTS. And probably broke down sobbing.

Just. so. crazy. 

I also started a couple registries to track things we need to buy (and get the completion discounts, woot woot!). While there isn't a LOT, there still is, you know? Based upon the advice from a much-respected friend who is the mommy of 17-month-apart boys, we are not trying to rush Ellie out of her baby stuff, and instead just buying new stuff for the new baby. 

We do need to do an Ikea run somewhat soon. Like I said, Thursday marks 22 weeks, and we had all of Ellie's furniture at 25 week. Yikes. And I do not necessarily want to run into all the holiday shopping madness. Doing a roadtrip and Ikea in peak shopping season with a curious, overactive 1 year old sounds like a legitimate version of hell. 

I did pick material so that I can start on the color scheme of her room. It will be similar to Ellie's, but in purples. I also email my pillow lady so that I can get a pillow ordered for her. You now, as soon as we fully commit to a name. We are 99 percent sure on her first name. We just need to finalize the middle name. That has been totally painstaking for me. I just KNEW, for years, what my first girl's name would be. Then girlie number 2 comes along and...uh...I feel caught a little off guard. 

That's about it for now. I need to be better about updating. It is so fun to go back and read things from this time in my pregnancy with Ellie!

What happens when you have the best baby in the world?

...You just can't wait to have another!

Well it has taken it a couple days to sink in, and I feel like I should officially blog about this. Are you sitting down? Good. Here it is:

I am pregnant.

Ellie is going to be a big sister.

I am going to have 2 under 2 (17 months apart, to be exact.)

See why it took a bit for it to sink in? Yeah, for us too.

Of course, if you are reading it here, it is MUCH later...but just like with Ellie, I wanted to start from the beginning. So here is the GIANT post that I will be adding to weekly until be officially make an announcement.

6/6/13:

We found out Thursday 5/30 (interesting, I found out I was pregnant with Ellie on 12/30). I was late, but still breastfeeding my cycle is pretty wonky. I took a test for the heck of it. After a minute or two, it looked negative. I went back to bed. Ellie woke up a bit later and I got up to feed her. I checked the test and BAM...2 lines. What? I got back in bed and woke Ryan up to tell him. He had the same reaction I did. A big cheesy grin and eyes as big as saucers.

This is unexpected. We prepared ourselves to have to visit the RE again to try for number 2. And we had talked about how our level of acceptable interventions had gone way down, so number 2 might not be a possibility. We are just blown away that this happened the natural (and free!) way.

I didn't actually call the doctor on Thursday. I waited until the test got darker on Friday and called. He wanted me to do a beta and progesterone right away. So at 12dpo, I had a beta of 80 and progesterone of 44 (was 46 with Ellie, so really close). I was pretty shocked by those numbers! Honestly, I was preparing myself for much worse news. I continued to test at home and tests were getting darker and darker until...Monday morning, it got lighter. Like, a lot lighter. I was SURE it was bad news. So sure, I prepped Ryan and made plans in my head for how to cheer myself up the next day.

Then I got the beta back...312 at 15dpo. Ellie was only 261 at 15dpo. What??? This. is. crazy. I just can't wrap my head around this. I am equal parts ecstatic and freaked. But I just feel SO incredibly blessed.

We have an ultrasound scheduled for the 17th. Ellie's first ultrasound was on the 16th. So crazy.

For now, we're just praying like crazy for this little peanut, and hoping that s/he continues to grow!

6/12/13

Well this is going to get a bit confusing! Today I am officially 5 weeks 3 days pregnant with number two. Wow. It still doesn't feel completely real.

This weekend, being at competition, was quite the challenge. I was tired, and not feeling well, but I managed to pull through mostly unscathed. I did not even come close to eating like I needed to, though. I need to eat like crazy since I am not only pregnant but also breastfeeding. Like, an extra 800ish calories a day. I feel like that is all I do most days!

The exhaustion has set in big time. I am so tired all the time. When Ellie is up more than a time or two a night, I am pretty much a zombie. This part is much harder than it was last time, because it is not like I really can rest all that much.

I did have a beta done on Monday to give me some reassurance. It came back 3691. Waaaay higher than it was with Ellie.

This is insane. I hope that after the ultrasound Monday it starts to feel a little more real. Crossing my fingers we can hear a heartbeat!

6/16/13

Well it is Father's Day. Ryan's first with an outside, 2-legged baby. Yup, still hasn't sunk in that God-willing, we'll be a family of four and a fuzzball this time next year. Crazy.

I am getting SO nervous for tomorrow. With Ellie I was SO busy the weekend before, I didn't really have time to get nervous. But right now, I am a ball of nerves!

In good (I guess) news, I feel like complete crap. Nauseous, tired, the whole gamut. That's got to be a good sign, right?

6/17/13

Well, this morning was the ultrasound. I was SO. FREAKING. NERVOUS. I could barely function that morning. Dropped Ellie off at Aunt Lori's house, met Ryan at the OB/GYN office, and it wasn't long before Laurie, the u/s tech came out to get us. She said she was wondering why my name was doing on her schedule again....uh...about that...*blush*

Anyways, we got started and bam! Right away I saw a gestational sack, a yolk sac, and...the BEST little flicker of a heartbeat on the screen. Yup, Baby Mason #2 is doing great so far, and has a rockin' heartbeat of 115 and is measuring 6 weeks 2 days (I'm 6 weeks 1 day). We even got to listen to the heartbeat for a moment before it squirmed off the screen. BEST. SOUND. EVER.

We got to talk to my doctor about some of our concerns with breastfeeding, and my gestational diabetes, etc. He was really great and supportive of everything, which was good.

He did get in an "I told you so!" Yes, I know. "See, the first is usually drama and then you look at each other and get pregnant with number 2 and 3 and ...." Uh, hey there Raj, slow your roll...

This is still so surreal. Wow. Ryan and I went out to lunch at both admitted we are oscillating between being ridiculously excited, and freaking the heck out. We're not sure how in the world we are going to handle it, but are excited to meet the new little sweet pea!

6/25/13

I'm officially 7 weeks 2 days today. This already seems to be going SO much faster than when I was pregnant with Ellie. I am trying REALLY hard to enjoy it more and be a bit more relaxed.

I had another appointment last week...my official "ob history" appointment. Ugh. Now I remember why I hate that office. I got in a fight with the nurse when I told her I was breastfeeding. "Um, you have to wean like NOW." Uh, no I don't. I've spoken to both Ellie's pedi and my OB and both are JUST fine with me continuing to breastfeed. I LOVE that she took my blood pressure not 5 minutes after this exchange and couldn't figure out why it was elevated....uh....duh.

We also got in a fight about when I was going to do my first glucose test. I am just so annoyed with these nurses. But what's new.

I did find out that with my scheduled C-section I get to choose my doctor. Phew! That means I can avoid the she-devil ob that will not be named and I can have Raj do it. Considering the last time he sliced me open I was doing laundry within 12 hours, I am pretty happy with his skills.

So how am I feeling? Crampy. Oh sooooo tired. The exhaustion is HARD to deal with. And the nausea is pretty bad. I went from eating everything (like a LOT of food) last week to really having to work to get anything down this week. :(

And I am of course still in disbelief.

7/6/13

So Baby 2 is already getting the short end of the stick. I haven't updated in awhile. And LOTS has been gong on. As my BFF put it: "I'm convinced this is a girl, because she is SO drama..."

So first...last week. I got my first set of labs back. My TSH is out of whack. Of course this caused a massive panic. You do NOT want thyroid issues while you are pregnant. Not only does it quadruple the risk for miscarriage, it also can cause a host of other problems. So I spent the better part of last Friday mediating a fight between my OB and endo to see who in the heck was going to prescribe me meds. Like NOW.

Oh, and I also begged for an ultrasound. I needed to know my little peanut was okay, even with my crazy numbers. Of course, Laurie wasn't in. Grrrr.

So, I got meds, and started those. Which is FUUUUUUN. Yup, here, take this pill. On an empty stomach. And don't eat anything for a half hour afterward. Yeah, that is like first tri torture.

In good news, though, this does explain some of my exhaustion. I mean I have the trifecta going on: chasing a 10 month old, underactive thyroid, and first tri of pregnancy. I have a feeling this is prepping me for 2 under 2.

Anyways, I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The good news is our little peanut looks great, and they officially moved my due date to February 6th. Ha...Ellie was due September 6th. Irony at it's best folks. And we got a peak of that sweet little heart beating away at 171bpm.

 Oh, but then Wednesday came with more drama. Apparently, I have some kind of antibody issue that showed up in my bloodwork too, that basically causes my cells to attack the fetal cells and could lead to anemia. This is a good explanation: http://childrens.memorialhermann.org/services/fetal-anemia/

The good news is right now the levels are okay. But Ryan had to get bloodwork done, and I will have to get monthly bloodwork done to see how things are progressing. I am also being referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist. So, already with this pregnancy, I have racked up a team of an endo, OB, and MFM. Lovely. And we were joking that this was going to be the CHEAP kid since it cost much less to GET pregnant. Sigh.

However, yesterday I was able to find that little heartbeat on my doppler. I've got to say...still...best. sound. ever. Not bad at 9 weeks 1 day!

7/10/13:

I had my first MFM appointment today. I was SUPER nervous. The good news is, I LOVE the office. We are not sure right now if they are going to co-manage my care with my OB, or if I will be referred completely to them. Honestly, I loved the office today, so I wouldn't mind either.

I went in, talked to a nurse and did a little more history, then met with the u/s tech to get a peek at the peanut. S/he is measuring exactly at 9 weeks 6 days, and looking perfect.

Regarding the antibody issues, Ryan does have the antibody, so that is likely where this issue came from. The good news is that my levels are 1:1, and they need to be 1:16 before we start to get concerned. So for right now, it is just looking like we'll be doing the monthly blood tests and then another in-depth u/s at about 18 weeks to start to monitor blood flow to the baby.

Had a funny encounter with the doctor too, as she was explaining all this to me. I was nodding her on through some of the basics when she stopped and asked if I was a nurse. I told her no, but I'm a chemist, so I understand all this stuff. She told me how she loved educated people. I giggled and told her just wait...I'm pretty sure my OB office HATES the fact I am educated ;)

8/7/13:
See, baby number 2 is still getting gypped since I haven't written in a month. So, I am catching up. I will officially be 14 week tomorrow. Ugh, how did that happen?

Since I last wrote, I had another OB appt on the 17th. The peanut looks great, measuring right on track with a heartbeat of 167. Ellie went to the appointment and got to see her sibling!

More good news too...my TSH level is down into normal territory (yay) my titers are still 1:1 (yay) AND I passed my 1-hour glucose test, so I am gestational diabetes free for another 13 weeks! Yay!!!

We're starting to tell more people, and it is starting to sink in a little. Still totally hard to believe though. And it is CRAZY that it is going so FAST. I recently read this blog post, and it sums it up perfectly: http://www.harpershappenings.com/2013/06/05/second-timer/

I was so worried about getting everything together last time. This time? Double stroller, Baby K'tan carrier, lots of snacks and a pedicure (CANNOT FORGET THE PEDICURE!), and I am good to go! Oh, and a chest freezer. We totally need a chest freezer. Yup, my wish list is TOTALLY different!

How am I feeling? Generally less nauseous, more energy...just better. I'm hoping for a good 2nd trimester. I need all the energy I can get.

Just this week, though, I have started to feel movement. Yes, it is slightly earlier than last time (I didn't feel E until 15.5 weeks, so about a week earlier with this peanut) but that is to be expected. Oh, and it has to be under very specific circumstances (tight waist band or full bladder...something fun to kick!) That is definitely making it feel real.

Oh, and funny thing...Ryan's co-worker announced that his wife is expecting, and is currently 16 weeks along. With the fact that I will likely be scheduled for a c-section early, and many first time moms go late, that means they could be out at the same time. I hope that is a slow engineering month!

9/18/13:

It has been another month, and I am just now getting around to writing. Yikes. Life is just too crazy!

I am *almost* halfway there. 19 weeks 6 days today. Wow. This is going SOOOO fast.

So this was a big week. last Tuesday we had our anatomy scan. Squee! I was a wreck. Laurie came out to get me and she was so excited though, it made some of that disappear. She asked us if we wanted to know the sex. Uh, yes. Like, I expect you to show me the heartbeat, and then go between the legs. I'm a little anxious! And that is exactly what she did. Right away she asked us if we were ready to know. I squealed a little and Ryan teared up as soon as she said it was a little girl! I am so excited for Ellie to have a sister that close in age. She continued the scan, and the good news is that everything looks perfect with little princess number 2! We finished the scan and she went to get the doctor. He was with another patient, so she came back in the room and we decided to play. I guess that is one benefit of knowing the tech so well. So I left with an entire ROLL of pictures. The funniest one, though, is that we caught her with her mouth wide open. Barking orders already????

Then Wednesday, I had an MFM appointment for another ultrasound. This one wasn't nearly as fun, but the good news is that the baby looks great. MCAs are all normal right now. They were a bit worried about some mild placenta previa, but since the OB didn't mention it, I am wondering if it was just due to my very overfull bladder. Oh, and I got more cute pics of the peanut.

Oh, and in other news, we are "out" on facebook. We decided that we didn't want to drag it out telling everyone individually, so we ripped the bandaid off, even though I am typically very anti-facebook announcement. It worked, I guess. 

And with that, I guess I am caught up. And I guess it is time to rip off this bandaid and hit post...finally! 

The Birthday Party

So, we decided that Miss Ellorie's birthday party was going to be quite the to-do. I know, she's never going to remember it. But that's okay. It sets the stage for making each and every one of her birthdays a BIG DEAL, something I feel really strongly about doing.

The invites:
Yes, I designed them myself. I was really happy with how they came out, actually.

And yes, because I am crazy OCD-Mom, I had to change her dress color from the original picture (blue) to match the invite theme (purple). Yay for new photoshop tricks!

My crafting:

Yes, I went a little crazy with craft ideas for this party. First, I made a chalk board sign. This is a tradition I kind of want to keep up all year, to give an idea of her at this point in time. 

I also made a wreath for the door with birds and pansies, and, of course, an E! It turned out fairly nice too.

Probably one of my favorite things that I did though, is make photo timelines to hang around the tents. I printed out pics from the last year, and glued them to ribbon. It was so cool to go back and see how much she'd changed over time.

Oh, and I made her a party hat. She never wore it. Stinker. It was darn pretty, though. 

The party: 

We had about 30 people there. We tried to keep it pretty small. We had a station where the older kids could design their own birdhouses and we had cornhole, played with birds trying to get into their nests.

The presents: 

Girl now officially has more toys than she knows what to do with! 

She loved helping open the presents! I think her favorite part, though, was playing with her BFF Lily. Those two are something else!

The cake smash:
Of course, the princess's first cake was from West End. And yes, I was loony enough to make a bird cake topper for it. It turned out super cute!

She LOVED the cake. The progression, in pictures:

Hmmm, what is this?

Mom, Dad, why have you been hiding this cake stuff from me all my life???

Oh, I LOVE it! Get in my mouth!

Cake Drunk.

Yes, she had a horrible sugar buzz afterward. Of course, she picked her party day to have crappy naps, so she was overtired and on a sugar high. It was actually pretty funny!

The thank yous:
We took some 'thank you' pics the next day. I am incredibly happy with how they turned out. She is such a ham!

All in all, a good time was had by all, and I can't believe my little one is ONE YEAR OLD!!! 

To my one year old...

Dear Ellie,

I cannot believe that you are officially one year old now. To be honest, I've been an emotional basket case all weekend. Thinking about this time last year is just so surreal. I can't believe that it was a year ago that I heard those little squeaky cries for the first time. Or that it was a year ago that you first gave me your "baby bird" face because you wanted to nurse. Or a year ago that you made me and Daddy the happiest people on the entire planet.

Over the past year, it has been amazing to see you grow and change and learn so many new things. I love your curiosity. I love seeing your little personality develop (although some days the battle of the wills that we have already makes me awfully scared for your teenage years.). And I love seeing you interact with others.

Sure, the year had a lot of challenges, with Daddy and I being first time parents. We had a lot to learn! Luckily, you were pretty patient with us, most of the time, and we were all able to figure it out together. But all those challenging times are just absolutely erased by one of your adorable toothy grins, or one simple sweet snuggle.

This year and every year, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I hope you know how incredibly loved you are. I hope you know that Daddy and I are your biggest fans ever, and that we think that everything you do is just absolutely amazing. I hope you understand that you are an incredibly special little girl, and that I just could not feel more blessed that I get to be your Mommy.

I love you, Ellie-bean. Happy birthday!
Mommy

51 weeks

Dear Ellie,

Just typing that, I had to blink a couple times. Gosh, I am an emotional MESS these days. I just cannot wrap my brain around the fact that in a week, you will be 1 whole year old. I just can't!

But let's not rush into that. I am sure next week I will write you the mushiest letter ever, so when you are a teenager you can read it and gag and roll your eyes. For now let's talk about week 51!

Monday was nap boot camp. I told Daddy that after a weekend of staying up late and crappy naps, we were focusing on getting you back to normal. You were up early, so I assumed you would nap early. NOPE. You did your gymnurstics where you like to flip around like a crazy woman while you nurse, and then looked up, grabbed my cheeks and giggled. Now how could I get annoyed with that? So I gave you another half hour, and then you finally went down. You are a stinker!

Then we went to the breastfeeding group. There were a lot of really little babies there, and you enjoyed being entertainment for everyone, crawling around, pulling up on everyone, and even pretending like you were patting your own little baby. In good news, you were up to 17lbs 6oz. Go baby bean!

We went on a couple other errands and then headed home to get that afternoon nap in. Same deal as before. Ellie-2 Mommy-1. But on attempt number 2, you did actually nap. Phew! I was getting worried I'd have a crabby princess to deal with all night!

Tuesday was my first day "back to work." I wasn't teaching but I had department meetings, so you headed over to Grandma's. But you sure made my back-to-work day memorable! While I was getting ready, you were in the living room, playing. Or so I thought. Actually, you managed to toddle over to a nearby window where there was a fly trap filled with apple cider vinegar. You then proceeded to dump the vinegar in a cardboard box. Which, I didn't notice until Truffle started rolling in it, after it had seeped through the cardboard. Sigh. Bean. What am I going to do with you?

You had a very good time with Grandma, though, and even went out to eat. You played lots in the water table. You love that!

Wednesday was Daddy's birthday! We tried to take some pictures for him, but you weren't too cooperative.

Oh well! It is crazy, I remember telling you last year that you had to stay put until Daddy's birthday, and you listened! Guess that is the once you'll listen to me.

That afternoon you went to see Grandma again while I had another appointment. As usual, you had fun, although you not having an afternoon nap made for an interesting night at the gym that night. You were pretty fussy until Mr. Jack walked in. You and your older men! Huh...then you were all smiles!

Thursday we were both glad that we got to stay home, I think. I missed you way too much the last couple days, my love. And you just melted my heart, you were such a snuggle bug. I would be on the floor playing with you, and you would just climb right into my lap and snuggle in tight to watch your sing a long songs DVD. I love your sweet cuddles. Nothing is better!

Well, okay, one thing might be better...Friday you took GREAT naps and woke up like this:

Yes! That is my girl! I just love your goofiness, and that smile! You were so playful all day. One of your new favorite things is look through different objects. You find the silliest things to look through and use as 'toys.'

We did run a couple errands with Daddy that night to get stuff for your party. I have NEVER seen Daddy have so much fun in craft stores! You two were looking at everything, and he was finding all sorts of things to tickle you with. You were giggling your behind off, and he was loving every second of it. You two are so precious to watch together. Oh, and you were playing the "dump you over the shoulder" game which you find hysterical, but I think set off the pacemakers for some of the little old ladies in Hobby Lobby. The best moment of the night, though, was Daddy strapping you in your car seat (which usually you HATE) and you reaching up, grabbing his cheeks, and just giggling. I know he just melted and I did too. You are such a sweet girl!

That brings us to today. We stayed around the house today and got stuff done for your party. You were trying really hard to help Daddy, because apparently the ladder is the coolest thing you have ever seen. Hmmm...looks like trouble to me!

We also found out tonight that you are a BIG fan of lasagna. You weren't crazy about spaghetti, but I think the cheese in here made you a much bigger fan! You are so silly with food. You will pretty much eat anything, except for strawberries and watermelon. I don't understand that, little one! That is some good stuff that you are missing out on! But regardless, you eat a LOT!!! For such a little bean, you can pack it away. 

Like I said, I've been an emotional mess this week, but that also means that I am taking extra time to rock you and snuggle you, and try to memorize every little thing about you. You are so amazing, and I love every last bit of you so much, that I just don't want to forget a thing about when you were this tiny. I feel like I've forgotten so much of newborn-Ellie already that I just don't want t forget any 1-year-old-Ellie. I'm so grateful that I get to be your Mommy and I hope you know how incredibly loved you are, little one. 

I love you, 

Mommy

The big 5-0

Dear Miss Ellorie,

You were the big 5-0 yesterday...weeks, that is! That means you are getting SOOOO close to a year. And no, I am not doing well with this AT ALL. I mean, I am in full fledged party planning mode and all, so I KNOW it is coming up, but I am not the least bit ready for you to be an entire year old. I just *might* have teared up this week ordering your birthday present, and I just *might* have teared up again today when you got your very first birthday card. Even though it was just from Toys R Us, it still made me all misty. You better just get used to your Mommy being a sap, little one, you will be dealing with it for a long time. Where did these 50 weeks go???

While I can't answer that, I do know where this week went! Monday we were out and about running some errands. We went to Target and then ran to the berry farm to get a box of frozen blueberries. I don't think we will be able to pick any more good ones, but since we all love them so much we decided to 'cheat' and buy them pre-packaged. You did pretty well on the errands, although I did have to bribe you with my keys and then my credit card to make you stay quiet in Target!

Tuesday we had to run more errands. We got your birthday invites (yay!) and had to stop by Grandma and Grandpa's house to pick up a couple things too. You had a very good time showing them how you get into anything and everything these days. Ha! Like I didn't know THAT!

Speaking of getting into things, we baby-proofed pretty much the entire living room so you can wander. You are Miss Independent and just love getting into everything. 

That evening I was not feeling too good, so you got to have a little date night with your Daddy. You were awesome with him, as usual. And he loved the singing you do in the car. It is one of my favorites too!

Wednesday we did some more errands. Can you tell the party is coming up? I feel like we are running all over in a million different directions! But at least I am getting things together. I really want this to be the most special party ever for the most special little girl ever! You are 'helping' me too. Like that roll of tulle I bought? I meant it to be decorations, but it kept you entertained for a good 20 minutes, so we'll go with that...

You're also learning SO much right now! I can ask you "where is Ellie's nose?" and you will point to your nose, smart, girl! Oh, and wait for me to make HONK HONK noises, and then giggle like a maniac. You, giggle? Nooooo....

You're also up to 5 words now. Mama, Daddy, Da (dog), Hi, and Bye-bye. I love that you are getting more vocal. I think...

Thursday I had a doctor's appointment, so you went to stay with Grandma for a bit. I think they have created a monster. They let you UN-decorate the fan, since they are going to be changing the decorations. You know, turn it on at warp speed until the garland flies off, and then lift you up to touch it. Mark my words now...you figure stuff like that out QUICKLY and you will remember that, and expect to do it all the time. I know this because you are the same little girl who spit out all her carrots tonight at dinner because they were not sweet potatoes and you wanted sweet potatoes. Sigh.

In other big news of the week, I finally let you have a blankey in your crib this week. And, of course, you love it, and I feel slightly guilty for not letting you have one earlier. I guess if that is the extent of my Mommy guilt, I am doing okay, right? But seriously, look how happy you are to be all cuddled up with it. You melt my heart.  

Friday we went to Michigan City with Grandma in her new car. It survived the first road trip, and I think you like it. You definitely liked the shopping too, although you were a stinker and did not want to nap. You were in a pretty good mood, so it was hard to complain, but COME ON princess...take those naps! You need them, AND Mommy needs them! 

Friday night we went out for ice cream with Dad. The weather has been so nice it is hard to turn down the opportunity. You loved sitting on my lap, sharing the ice cream, and would give me a big, ice creamy kiss after every bite. Snuggles and kisses? I'll let you have a little more sugar for that!

Saturday we went grocery shopping, then spent the rest of the day around here, until after dinner when the 4 of us went to the park for a walk. Your brother LOVED it, and you loved the swing, as usual. It was pretty crowded so you got to watch and talk to lots of little kids, which you enjoy. 

Sunday we paid for keeping you up late the last couple days...you slept in so late that we were rushing around to get to church. You didn't make it to long in church, you definitely wanted to be on the go. Luckily you and Daddy had fun in the hallway. When we got home you napped and Daddy grilled us up some yummy steaks! After your nap, it was play time. 

You liked play time a LITTLE too much. We could NOT get you to take a second nap. I tried feeding and rocking you, Daddy tried singing to you...no dice. So we gave up and took you and Truff to the Riverfront for a walk and then ice cream after. I'm definitely hoping that getting you back on a somewhat normal schedule tomorrow helps. I am NOT ready for you to drop a nap, bean. Not now! I have WAY too much going on...and you are a crappy mess. Embrace the nap! Viva la NAP!

Oh, and one other big thing today...you took a step! I'm not really 'counting' it, as you were heavily bribed with sweet potato, and it was only one step after you let go of the chair, but hey, it is a start!

So, while I am hoping that tomorrow gets us back to normal, I am also not-so-secretly glad that I get you back all to myself. I just have so much fun with you. Seeing you learn and enjoy everything around you is just so amazing to me. I can remember just staring at you in complete awe 50 weeks ago, and I am still catching myself doing that all the time. So while so much has changed in 50 weeks, going from a newborn to this curious, social, funny little girl, there is still so much that hasn't changed at all. 

I love you, my Baby Bean!

Mommy

49 weeks

Dear Ellie,

You are 49 weeks old today, my little one! I cannot believe that in just a few short weeks you will be 1 whole year old! This year has gone SO fast!

This week we were busy as usual! On Sunday we went to church, came home for a nap, and then went up to see Grandma and Grandpa Mason. You weren't too sure about that as first, but then Grandma Mason started feeding you cantaloupe and suddenly she was your BFF. You are so predictable, my baby bean!

We got home, you napped, and then we tried to take your 11 month pictures (a little late, since we hadn't unpacked the car from vacation yet!) You were NOT cooperative AT ALL. We could not even set you down. Oy.

Monday we decided to get out of the house and go blueberry picking again. We had fun and got some more tasty berries. Yum! We tried pictures again that night. You cooperated a little better, at least when we bribed you with some yogurt bites! Your faces, though, Miss Ellie, just KILL me. I am downright SCARED for you to start talking more. I don't know if I want to know what is going through that pretty little head of yours.

Tuesday we decided to get you and your brother out of the house and go for a walk at the park. I think you both had a very good time! You were all about swinging and handing on the monkey bars like the little monkey girl you are!

Wednesday we met Aunt Stephanie for coffee, and like I said in the previous post, you entertained EVERYONE there. You are such a silly bean! You had a blast flirting with everyone, playing with my keys, and eating cheerios. When Daddy got home we went out to dinner and again, you were center stage. Such a little entertaining bean!

Thursday we had coffee with Aunt Demi and then you came home and took a good nap, so we hit the zoo that afternoon. The zoo was a big hit, as usual. The sea otters were the favorite this time, as they were wrestling around and pushing each other in the water, and you were just amazed watching them. Unfortunately, the lion roared again, and that scared you, little princess. You started shaking and crying. Lots of close cuddles made it better though!

Friday, oh Friday. The day that will live in infamy. I think this was our worst day in the 11 months you've been here. You woke up on the WRONG side of the crib, screaming ad crying for NO apparent reason, and continued to be a super crab ALL DAY. Nothing made you happy. I hate seeing you upset, and I hate it even more when there is nothing I can do to make you feel better. You were so upset most of the day that I couldn't even get a dose of tylenol down to see if that would help. I was SO happy to see Daddy when he came home. He took you and went grocery shopping and to pick up a pizza and apparently you were all smiles then. But holy night, he sure came home to a disaster, with both of us crying up a storm.

Saturday, though was much better. You let us sleep in a little, even, and then we made our way up to Aunt Janel's that afternoon for their neighborhood block party. You were quite the center of attention like normal, little bean. You played very nicely with Jaylee, who is only 2 months older than you. I think you were pretty jealous, though, because she could walk. You were really trying, but since we were on cement most of the time, I wouldn't let you be as daring as you wanted. You shared your puzzle with her, and the two of you were having a blast opening and closing all the little doors to find the magnets. Brad also dubbed you the coolest baby ever since you were trying to get all the beer cans. Not sure that I agree with the reasoning, but I agree with the conclusion. As usual, you had a lot of fun being the center of attention.

Today, we went to church, where you were again Miss Social, and walked right down the row to someone and started playing with them. Silly girl. Then we went out and you saw your friend Ella and played nicely with her too. After nap time, we went to the zoo (again...twice in one week!) with Daddy. You guys even found the peacocks that escaped their pen when it got damaged. You liked seeing them up close.

Now everyone else is catching a snooze. It is so much fun having family days like today. I love seeing you interact with your Daddy, and even with other people. You are such a cool little girl, so friendly and loving! I am SUCH a lucky Mommy to have YOU as my daughter. Even when we have bad days like Friday there still is NOWHERE I'd rather be with than with you. 

I love you, 

Mommy