Fearless

Ells has become fearless in the last 36 hours. She's willing to walk while holding on to 1 hand (sometimes) and only spent about 2 minutes sitting in the tub today. The rest of it was spent standing up to see the stuff she'd thrown out of the tub. We won't discuss the falling out of the tub mishap while mommy was attempting to wipe down the sink.... anyway, she's a cutie patootie and I love her!!


We walked ALL around the house and outside today. E even got into the bushes to pull leaves out.


She was nakey cause it was almost bath time after getting really wet at dinner. I had no idea she loved that blanket so much. Normally I wash it and fold it up for Monday (it goes to the babysitter's with her)- but she grabbed it out while I was folding clothes and hung on to it all weekend! so cute!


She pulled everything off the little table (keys, pens, checkbook, random fodder) and proceeded to push it around the house.


Busy at work!


oh dad! You put your hat on!!

w00t!

Guess what?

I graduated

Physical Therapy

YES!!!

I was able to run without ANY pain for the first time in almost 4 years - incredible!

11 Month Baby

I know I just posted, but that was about me. This one is about Princess. She is now 11 months old! I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around realizing it's been almost a year since we had her grace us with her presence.

We also went to the doctor today. She's had a continuous cough for almost 2 months now. It started out as a cold, and I kind of think she has a cold now- which has made it worse. But the end result is, is that there is STILL a cough. Anyway, we went to the doctor and he's thinking it's asthma. There aren't any good tests at her age to test for sure---the only one I know of is that gosh-awful blowing test---does anyone know of any others? We're supposed to give her Singulair and see if that helps. I hate putting kiddos on medications, but I also hate listening to this little girl coughing her guts out in the middle of the night, consequently waking herself up and crying. It's getting old. One friend suggests taking her to the acupuncturist and learning to do some pressure points so see if that helps. I might do that this summer since I like the idea of being able to control something through simpler ways.

So currently, she weighs 25.5 lbs, 30" long, and I don't remember her head size, but it's giant cause it has to fit all her brains. She is my little chunkster, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm definitely not a skinny baby kind of girl (no offense to those that may have one ;))

There's still only two teeth in that little mouth- although I suspect 2 more are going to come up on the bottom within the next month, as well as some toppers. I see some white, but last time I saw white, it took 2 months for them to break the surface.

She hasn't said any new words this month that I can think of off the top of my head. She's gotten REALLY good at signing more and mommy. She'll do water if you help remind her (moving her hands, then she'll do it on her own).

She can pull herself up if she isn't thinking about it too much - I swear this girl has performance anxiety or something. She can scoot...or as Michele says, drags, herself places..but once again, she won't do it if she thinks you are watching and insists on help.

She can travel around the table from left to right like a pro and has gained quite the speed. Just today, she figured out how to go right to left. This right to left thing kind of makes me sad. I was able to put her just out of reach of my cpu so that she'd have to walk around the whole table to get to it again. Then today, she walked the other way and got to the cpu in about 3 second rather than 30. Darn! She's already ripped off one key, and she find some random stuff to do on here. About 2-3 days ago he was able to get my screen to rotate 90 degrees and it took a good 5 minutes to figure out how to make it go back. Heeelarious!


I found your my pen!


She's showing you her very first car-- and Audi

Chillaxin with dad. It didn't last more than 1-2 minutes, but it was awesome anyway


This is where Elisabeth spend 98% of her day. She is VERY busy. ...have you ever read the book Olivia? I have a feeling this little E is going to be a LOT like that cute little piggy. (favorite exerpt: "After Olivia gets up and moves the cat, she brushes her teeth, combs her ears and moves the cat....." heeheehee)


I asked her to smile and this is what I got...seriously. LOL


Playing on her drums! And her bow? It's attached to her own hair! mmhmm!

Love you bellies!

Rambling

Our stake is doing a triathlon this September. I'm all about doing it, but for some reason, when I set out to do something, I tend to go above and beyond- somewhat extreme. I'm realizing that if I am going to train for running for this, I need a jogging stroller- I need to run on real ground rather than a treadmill. The problem is, is that when I do it- I also want the best. The best jogging stroller in my opinion is a BOB stroller. The problem that I have, is that we have done such a good job of staying out of debt, that to get one, it'll take me a few months to save up for it. But I need to be training *before* that time.

I also need to buy a helmet for the bike ride...not a big deal, but once again, I want the best. I would like my own bike rather than a borrowed one. I would like to go on family bike rides. So to get my own road bike is another $$$.

Then there's the swimming. I bought a swim membership through the courtesy of a friend, and I got a pretty steep discount, but I only have pretty swimsuits...not utilitarian. It's difficult and uncomfortable to swim in pretty swimsuits...who knew?? (I didn't) - so there goes some more $$.

I think I'm to the point where I'll train but I may not do the race. It's all coming down to money. I don't, nor want to invest that much money when I'm trying so hard to cut back to basics to save for a house.

There was a speaker in church the last 2 Sunday's about women putting too much on their plate. That they need to let go and stop being so hard on themselves. It's taking A LOT of self reflection to admit to myself that I'm doing the best I can. I am in a VERY different space at this point in time from a LOT of women. I'm not entirely OK with it, but maybe I will be eventually. I don't get to be the stay at home mom where I can go out and exercise 2 different times a day. I'm not the childless woman that can do what I want, when I want. I'm not a mom of child(ren) that I can leave and know they can take care of themselves while I take care of me. I have 2 full-time jobs, and unfortunately, training for a marathon is not one of them, and I don't feel as though it should be. Elisabeth is my number 1 job, and I refuse to change that. I know I have my job at the school, but ultimately, she is my priority.

A few people have asked me why I work out of the house if she is my priority. After some searching I think I've finally run the rounds and come up with decent answers.
I work so that my child will *never* have to go without.
I work so that I continue to educate myself.
I work so that my child will grow up to know that she too, may do whatever she wants-
I want her to know that she doesn't HAVE to be a submissive barefoot and pregnant woman.
I want her to know that woman have value, in AND out of the house.
I want her to know she deserves to have accomplishments that aren't just through her offspring.
I want her to know she doesn't NEED Prince Ronald.
I also have a lot of student loan debt. It would be selfish/rude/stupid to forget about that debt. It would be inconsiderate to make Drew pay for it alone. I was the selfish one to go and get my Master's degree, and so it is my responsibility to pay it off- not his. (Same with his student loans- I'm not paying those things! hahaha)

Anyway, the point is, is that I have made my choice. It may change tomorrow, in a month, year, or never. I need people to stop pestering me about it. If I decide to stay at home with a subsequent child, then so be it. If I choose to work through all the children I may have, deal with it. But if you're one of the people that keep asking me about this, please stop. Please know that I'm doing the best I can with what was given to me. Sometimes there isn't a Happily Ever After, but rather an Ever After...and most days, I'm OK with that.

I think that's enough for now. Let me show you my baby :)

New Header, Beautiful Day!

This week, my content on sitting child has discovered cruising. She can only go left to right and it makes for some comedic value when the cpu is around the short corner. She ends up taking the long way around to get to it. I love watching her "type" on the computer. I bet, to her, it seems like she's doing the exact same thing I do. She makes sure to click on the mouse A LOT and move things around. She also pushes those little fingers in to click away. She's even found some shortcut keys I've never experienced before!

Another funny story- I was drying her off after her bath tonight and she was sucking her thumb. I said, oh, you like that thumb? (she doesn't suck her thumb, but has been biting it lately) and she goes....uhhhh, no... and pulls it out. I don't know how purposeful it was, but it sure made me laugh.

I also feel like she's figured out some more of the world. She's been chuckling the past couple of days about silly little things like me shaking my head. This child rarely ever laughs. We've maybe gotten her to laugh 10 times since she's been born- like the good belly giggle type stuff...otherwise it's just coos and huge smiles. But this last 2 days it's just been little chuckles- so funny. She's also learned to smile at us for responses- or smile in certain ways- like squinty eyes or big mouthed smiles, things like that, and then claps when she gets the response she wants.

E has also been very good about expressing more and all done at meal times, too which has been awesome!

And last, but definitely not least, she's learned how to empty her bath water. When I give her a bath, I end up lying her down after she empties it so that she can splash around. I think I need a rain jacket for her new found splashing skills lately. Holy Moly!

Anyway, we've had a good, very productive week!


I put some water in her hair in attempts to get some more oomph to that hair to prove that yes, she does have hair, as fine and light as it may be!


Love those rosy red cheeks after a nap!


oh we have spent SO much time around that coffee table this week!


DADDY! Get off my puter! moooovvveeeee (she was trying to move him to get to it!)


teehee

playing with daddy, ripping up the grass


cheese!