Family Day

Today we had family day since this was the last "official day" of spring break. We ended the day at ChuckECheese for Ellie's first trip there and Josh's, well, 100th or so. Josh loves to play the games and is excellent at it. He and I had some intense Skeeball competitions, along with some basketball and street ball challenges. I think we ended up tying pretty much every time.

Ellie was enamoured with it all, but seemed a bit overwhelmed (wonder why?) and rode the carousel ride, sat in the "ridey" car with CEC and even met him. She LOVED eating pizza and would grab the piece with those front five teeth and just tear her a piece off and chew on it. It was so funny!!

First ride on a carousel ...

Meeting Barney ... Notice how unsure she looks ...

Then She reaches out to touch him and it was all good ...

Josh playing one of the many games he played while there ...

Josh practicing up to take on Mom at Skeeball . . .

Same pattern with CEC ... check out that look ...

Touching again...

Enjoying pizza . . .

Ellie gives pizza a large clap-clap, showing her approval . . .

Look at how many tickets this boy won ...

Ellie meets CEC ...

Feeding the ticket machine . . .

How many did he end up with ...

717!! Incredible!

One of the BEST things about today was meeting up with A. and getting the shirts she monogrammed for Ellie. I am so absolutely IN LOVE with these shirts!!!! Check out her site at With Sugar on Top. She is so talented and creative!!

Tomorrow is the last day for consignment sale work -- sort day. I'm looking forward to fall already!!

One of the things we've discovered that Ellie loves is ice cream. She literally smacks her mouth when she's eating it. Tonight, on the way home, we stopped and got some ice cream and she was smacking away in her carseat, getting little bites along when I told her, "It's a good thing you live in America little girl or there would be no ice cream." Kevin and Josh reminded me that yes, there is ice cream in Kyrgyzstan but it costs about $10 for a pint, probably an unattainable sweet treat. I think John Wright needs to have a Simple Dream ice cream party this summer -- hand cranked maybe.

Loungewear? For Infants? Who Knew . . .

Loungewear: informal clothing

usually designed to be worn at home;

clothing suitable for relaxation;

Who knew that infants could have loungewear? Well, apparently they do. While shopping at the consignment sale, I bought Ellie some "loungewear". It said so -- right there on the tag. And then, when I checked out, everyone was telling me how much I'd love this particularly brand and how their kids had it and loved it. Again, who knew?



Let me tell you, if I could get any of this particular "loungewear" in adult sizes, I'd be all over it -- well, in this case, all in it. It's a silky, stretch fabric that made Ellie cackle when we rubbed it on her skin. There is a video if I can get it to upload. She is so much like her brother in liking "silky" things. *smile*



In the meantime, here are some photos of Ellie in her "loungewear". I really wanted one of her on a chaise lounge by the pool, talking on her pink cell phone with a glass of ice tea beside her, but, alas, she was not agreeable to all the work involved. *smile*


This is how Ellie sits all the time -- one leg stuck out and one behind her. Here, she is "phoning a friend", I suppose.


Check out this toothy grin -- lopsided as it is. She seems to be enjoying her loungewear.

Hanging out on the counter.


Discovering a tomato

Trying to eat a tomato

Putting it back down -- not so sure about the tomatoes yet.

And, last we have my big "FIND" at the consignment sale: a Gabiano romper, monogramed no less, with an "E", half price, $2.50. Regular retail on this item is around $44 -- not that I would have EVER paid that, but still a great bargain. I also got a cool hair clip with matching colors for $1.50. Entire ensemble: $4.00!! I'm going to get it washed up and let her wear it ASAP!!

"I"

"I" obviously skipped the letter I last night so now, tonight I suppose I need to do "I" and "J" to keep on schedule. Oh well -- to heck with schedules. Here's "I" for ya!

JOSH:
Interesting, Intelligent, Irreplaceable, Inventive

Josh keeps me hopping every single day with the "interesting" conversations we have. I have to be on my toes because I never know what he is going to come up with. This is relative to the fact that he is definitely intelligent, inquisitive and inventive. He is always coming up with these great ideas that make me think, "How can an 11 year old come up with those ideas?" He would be a great "inventor". But, most of all, he is irreplaceable to us. We love him so very much!

ELLIE:
Inquisitive, Irreplaceable, Incredible Blessing, Independent

Miss "I-Do-It-Myself" is definitely independent. I bought her some jammies a while back (size 2T I think so you won't see them for a while) from Old Navy that say "Miss Independence". Perfect fit for the girl who wants to do everything on her own and gets angry if she can't. She is also very inquisitive and wants to know everything you are doing, eating, where you are, how things work -- everything. It's amazing to watch her -- and tiring to keep up with her. She is also the most incredible blessing from God. We are so blessed to have this wee one in our lives; and like Josh, she is also irreplaceable.

Adventure Science Center

Today I took Josh and Ellie to the Adventure Science Center. We had a great time -- well, we didn't really enjoy the planetarium because Ellie was in a hyper state during that entire 40 minute show. THAT was interesting -- dark, quiet place (think movie theatre) and a squirmy baby. She did well at the beginning, but as it went on, she got sleepy and cranky.

But, all the rest of the time, we had great fun and hope to do it again soon. Typical Nashville weather -- yesterday 75, today 45. It was good to be able to be inside and still play and get out of the house.

If you can click on the picture above and enlarge it, the looks on their faces are priceless!!


Note Josh up in the tunnel. This was their "dinosaur" photos.

The Birthday Party Dilemma

So, for the past month I've been back and forth, back and forth, and then again, back and forth on the ubiquitous, ever-looming, "FIRST BIRTHDAY" and whether to party or not to party.

I have great reasons both ways. Josh had a huge first birthday party -- that he doesn't remember, but I do and we have photos. Will Ellie think she was less special because I didn't have her a large first birthday party?

Ellie has only been home four, almost five months. We've had parties and been given gifts and been showered with love. It's pretty soon for more "invites" from us.

Just thinking about the "standards" that would be expected for the first birthday party of "The Princess" is really draining me. It's honestly more than I think I can do right now since I feel like we are still "settling" into our new family AND recovering from everyone being sick the last several weeks.

Ellie needs nothing. We have more toys than we can walk around. Regular readers KNOW she has clothes until she's like three. What fun is it for partygoers to buy diapers and formula? Yeah, right -- none. We have actually told some folks who have asked that we'd like people who want to, to donate to John Wright's (a missionary in Krygyzstan) "Simple Dream" campaign to fund birthday parties for children who may never have one. If you'd like more information on that, click here. If you'd like to donate to that in honor of Ellie in lieu of a gift, I know that it would mean SO MUCH to her in years to come, but more so, to those children there. Visit the site, get the information and see if your heart asks you to do that -- we are not all called for the same missions in life. John has lots of dreams on this site that need to be filled. Browse around.

But, back to the dilemma, it's her first birthday and she's home and that should be celebrated. I've actually had people ask me to send them an invitation -- it's a sweet honor to know that people want to celebrate with us and that they love her so much, and I'd LOVE to, but my heart tells me that it's just not the right thing for her or us right now.

So, there you have it. Yes/no over and over again and still nothing has been decided. I did check into a location to have it and decided, to be real honest, I didn't want to spend $150 to rent a place. There is so much more good I could do with that amount of money. So, yes, we could have it at the house, but if you invite one then it calls for another and pretty soon, I've just outgrown the number of people the house will hold.

So, again, what to do. Everytime I think I have my mind made up -- I get more confused about it.

Ellie is really fond of Farmer Jason from NPT and he's going to be at the Belcourt Theatre on March 28 at 10. thought about asking a couple of her friends and their moms if they wanted to make a trip out for that and then maybe just having family and "the girls" over on Saturday evening for cake and ice cream. I'm leaning that way. I think I would rather wait until she's two to have a "larger" party. I want to "savor" and really enjoy her first birthday -- with just us and a very small group of family/friends so we all don't feel overwhelmed. She won't remember it. She would most certainly enjoy a bigger party next year.

So, please, don't be offended if you think we've left you out of the party invites. We truly have not, I just think we are "going small" for the first one. Stay tuned!

Moments

There are times when I'm doing something so very simple with Ellie that my heart is flooded with sadness for the families still waiting to bring their babies home. The most recent was playing "eat your hand". One of Ellie's favorite things to do is inspect your mouth. She pokes those tiny hands into your mouth and then starts inspecting your teeth, touching them, pulling on them. Then, if you want a really good belly laugh from her, you can lightly close your mouth on her hand and do a little "growl" and she just cackles. You can do it over and over and over and she never tires of it. Every time she giggled like that on our last time, I thought of the babies who need to have those experiences with their families. If the people making the decisions about this process really cared about these children, they would let them go HOME. It breaks my heart. Truly.

Another moment I want to capture and need to try to get on video is Ellie and her sunglasses. Now, mind you, she doesn't want to WEAR them (of course not, right??), but if I put them on and say "Hollywoooooood" and make a face, she'll take them off my face and then SCRUNCH her face up in anticipation and I'll put them on her face and she'll look through them and rip them off her face. It's a riot!!

Lord, please, please, bring those babies home soon.

1 Chronicles 5:20

They cried out to God during the battle,

and he answered their prayer because they trusted in Him.

"H"

"Hey!" blog readers!! I'm loving this alphabet theme, if for nothing more than giving me some "headings".


I'm sitting here watching the taped version of Americ*n Id*l and watching the bio of Lil R*unds. I just LOVE her and she can really sing!! And how about Danny Gokey? Hotchawowow what a performance. I can't wait to see all of tonight's show because I just LOVE pretty much all of the performers!!


JOSH:
Headful of Hair, Helpful, Handy


Josh has always had a lot of hair on his head. It is so full and grows so quickly that we are constantly trying to get it "in order". But, I am thankful that he has great hair!! He is also turned into a very helpful guy with Ellie and around the house since Ellie came home. And, probably the best "H" word for him is handy. He is such a handiman type of guy. He can fix anything around the house, he puts together these huge Lego sets that make me shake my head. He can put together pretty much anything out of a box and this has been quite "helpful" to me on many occasions. When we get something that requires being put together and Kevin isn't home, Josh can usually always get it together before I can read the directions.


ELLIE:
Happy (well, most of the time), Healthy, Headstrong


Ellie is (normally) one of the happiest little girls I've ever seen. However, lately, as she's been sick and now seems to be getting about 100 teeth at once, she's most UN-happy. I love the fact that she is normally so "happy-go-lucky" and smiling, despite her difficult start. She is also been blessed with pretty much great health. We are so blessed that she was deemed healthy after our initial thoughts that she was not a healthy baby. And, we are happy that she is getting over her cold/viral infection/ear infections. And last, the girl is unbelievably* headstrong. She knows what she wants and just doesn't stop to get it. Every day I see her climbing over things, going under things commando style and throwing a hissy fit when she is on her way to something she wants. It's going to be interesting watching this little one grow up.


And, here are a couple of photos from today. I was doing something when Mary (Kevin's mom) told me to look at Ellie. Well, lo and behold, she was laid down on the floor with a blanket watching "Super Why" like she was a big girl.




And here is what Josh took on today -- reorganizing all his baseball and football cards. He has a bazillion of them!!


And last, but definitely the most important part of this post: "HAPPY" birthday to sweet little Cora who is celebrating her first birthday in heaven with Jesus. Visit her parent's blog to read how they celebrated her first birthday. Hug your child a little tighter today in honor of Cora, ok?

"G"

Gee, I LOVE Daffodils.

We have a few daffodils/buttercups that come up in our yard. Ever since I saw them pop up this year, I've wanted to get pix of Ellie by them. Today ... well, I tried. She was NOT in a good mood (and really hasn't been since she's been sick so I know she's still just not feeling well), and she didn't get a full nap, so it was kind of fruitless. I thought I'd share some of the better ones. I'm going to try again. Next time, I need a quicker helper for the "flower and bunny headbands". Josh and Nana weren't as fast as Ellie. *smile*

Lest you think she's SMELLING of the flower, oh no, she's not ... she's eating it.

Phhhhlpppttthh ... tastes funny.

Oh well, I'll eat it anyway.

MOST unhappy with the bunny ears, eh?

This is the best one we got with the flower headband, but it wasn't what I "wanted".

After giving up on the photos, Josh took Ellie for a ride in her car and then put together her swing/slide toy. We figured out, after it was done, he had put the ends on wrong. Oh well, another day...

Two tired kiddos!

Then, Kevin came home and cleaned out the van to get it ready to sell and I raked leaves. Josh helped us each a little. Nana sat on the porch and held Ellie and she fell asleep. This is what lots of fresh air and activity will do to you. Doesn't it look "G"lorious??

Hanging out with Nana ...

And, finally, sleep, glorious sleep!

Anyone care to take a gander about what THIS picture is of??? Well, while Kevin was cleaning out the van, Bear hopped right in and sat in the front seat (as if he were going somewhere). WHY?? Josh thought it was funny to make faces at him through the other side of the window. Silly boy and his dog.

JOSH:
Grouchy, Gross, Gorgeous, Giggle Maker

Let's just be honest here. Josh can be a grouch sometimes. He gets it from his mother, sadly. He can also be very (boy-like) and GROSS!!! Boys can be really gross with bodily noises, smells, dirt -- yuk. But I wouldn't have him any other way. And, of course, last, but certainly not least, he is the most GORGEOUS boy in the world!!! And, as an afterthought, he is also the one in the family who can make Ellie giggle when no one else can!!

ELLIE:
Gross, Gorgeous, Girly, Giggler

And speaking of gross ... let's not think it is limited to boys. As anyone who has experienced one of Ellie's diapers can attest, this girl is gross!! But, on the other hand, she is also gorgeous, like her brother, and just a girly girl!! She is also the "giggle girl" who always has a cackle at her brother!!

"F"

No, I have not posted any "real" photos in quite a while. I can't TELL you how crazy things have been at our house. Three visits to the pediatrician and one to Vanderbilt's Radiology department in one week along with no sleep and a cranky baby left me little to no time to do anything and no desire to take photos. Hopefully, since the upcoming week is spring break, I'll be able to get some cute pix of both Josh and Ellie.


However, my mother in law showed up yesterday to help and I managed to bleach/mop all the downstairs floors, clean the downstairs bath, wash about 12 loads of laundry (no lie, and there is more) -- which included all our bed sheets, all our pillows, all blankets and obviously pretty much all the clothes we had. I did have one load of consignment clothes in there, but still ... a LOT of laundry going on at our house. I got most of Ellie's clothes hung up and started working on Josh's room before I fell out.


Today I worked at the consignment sale again during most of the day and after "blogging" here I've got a TON of paperwork to get done. Ellie seems quite restless tonight and I'm hopeful that it's not going to be a hard night for her.


I did get a few pix of Ellie in her new "car" -- some of them with her looking at her card that Nana brought for her. Josh, being older, got a card AND a cookie -- YUM!! I was told, however, that I could not take a photo of him. *sigh* Since baseball practice has started, maybe I can get some of him at practices soon. I'm ready for warm weather and baseball!!



These are some photos of Ellie after I got her ready to go to the ballpark to watch Josh's baseball practice. As luck would have it, she fell asleep on the way there and slept the entire time we were there and until right after she got home. Maybe her tiredness explains these "joyful" photos of a very unhappy Princess.

I got this cute little outfit a LONG time ago (January 27, 2008, as a matter of fact) in South Carolina while I was on a "fundraising" trip. It's so great to FINALLY see her in it. She was terribly cute, even if her hissy fit wasn't.

It was cool to read the Bible verse I had on that day's post:

Jeremiah 32:27
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh:
is there any thing too hard for me?"

And AGAIN, He has proven Himself faithful by reminding me that even back in January 2008 when I was working hard to get her home and praying for her and buying clothes that I only hoped she'd one day wear, He was in control and preparing us for her and her for us. She was a mere three months away from being born -- "the God of all flesh". Amazing God!

******

AND NOW, on to "F"

JOSH

Fearless * Finicky (Eater) * Funny * Fervent

fervent: adjective: showing ardent or extremely passionate enthusiasm.

I think the words "Fearless" and "Fervent" definitely go together for Josh. He is extreme about everything in life. He is passionate about things that matter to him. I'm happy to have a child who is passionate about things. He is also a terribly finicky eater (much to my disappointment some days), and getting him to eat a vegetable is almost like nailing jello to the wall. He is funny too. He comes out with the funniest things sometimes (aka "Josh-isms") just out of the blue. I'm not certain he even means to be funny sometimes.

ELLIE:

Fabulous * Feline Fanatic * Flitting

Of course "the girl" is FABU!! Aren't all girls? *smile* She is also crazy about the cats. You all have seen the videos. She's the cat whisperer. I suspect this came from me. *smile*. I am so happy that she likes the cats and that they seem to like her as well. She is also a "flitter" who moves from place to place very quickly and is usually into everything she can get into as quickly as she can get into it. She is so curious about everything, soaking it all in like a sponge.

Ellie also got a package in the mail on Friday from her bud, Anara. It's the coolest shirt that says, "Warning, girl with a Crown!" If you want to see what it looks like, click over here. Hopefully, we can get a picture with her in it soon.

Ellie also got the coolest "care package" from her friend, A. from up in NJ. She got two dresses, a talking globe, a COOL wooden decorated box/chest that we have put on her changing table to hold her stuff, and some other goodies. What a surprise and a COOL gift!! Thank you, M & P and A.!!! We love you guys.

And .... I think that catches us up for now. I hope.

"E"

ENCORES AND MORE NORTH

Going off task a little with this "E" letter, but I'll get back on task a little further down. I got to shop the worker's pre-sale on Thursday evening for the Encores and More North consignment sale. I will work FOREVER just to get to shop the worker sale from now on!!! It was so calm and peaceful shopping with only 50 or so people instead of 400-500 people. I got some great, great, great deals.

For working, I got a $50 gift certificate to use on Thursday, AND my "GIRLS" got me a gift card for my shower gift for Ellie. I had hoped to get some outdoor type toys for Ellie since most of what we had outside is gone now. I got her a Little Tykes Castle Swing and Slide which normally sells for around $145, for $20.

I got a Radio Flyer plastic style wagon which is normally around $120 for $16. Granted, it's a litlte bit faded, but who cares with those kinds of savings?

I got a Step 2 Buggy with a handle for $18, which retails for $45. Josh and Ellie have already broken it in well by "driving" around the living room and kitchen. I think Josh had more fun with it than Ellie.

I also got her a Little People Farm set with all the animals and accessories for $8, a small basketball goal and balls for $5, and a vacuum cleaner (pretend) whose eyes roll for $4. I got several cute outfits and some shoes and a few DVDS ($4 and $5 each) as well. I'll try to get some photos of the "goodies" soon.

The space they are having it in is a former Good*y's store and it was SO incredibly roomy and well organized. It was such a pleasure to shop there.

I'll try to get some cute photos posted soon. BUT, I'm tired and off to bed. Praying seriously that Ellie will sleep well in her crib tonight.

"D"

Yes, I'm behind. When you spend three out of five days at the pediatrician's office, your week will get away from you quickly.

Finally, today, the doc decided Ellie warranted antibiotics. Now, all you medical folks don't jump on me. I'm a staunch advocate of NOT taking antibiotics if you don't need them, but a non-stop fever for five days and both elevated white blood counts and bacterial counts indicate to me there is more than just your regular ole' cold. I think she needed antibiotics by Wednesday, but... anyway, now she has an ear infection and is on antibiotics and for the first time since Tuesday is sleeping in her bed. She has been so very clingy and today I pretty much wore her in our Peanut Shell carrier all day. Let me say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sling for occassions like this. It's a winter one and I would LOVE to have a lighter weight one for spring/summer. Ellie slept for three hours in it while I did laundry, dishes and vacuumed. She was happy as a clam and I got some things done. Had I tried to lay her down, she would have awakened and screamed.

So, anyway, I'm behind on my letters so, let's get on to "D".

JOSH:
Daring

Josh has this wonderful, "I'll try anything" spirit that many times gets him in trouble, but is one of the things I admire a lot about him. He doesn't let anything stop him or hold him back. He is willing to put himself out there and try new things -- something I'm not as likely to do as he is.

ELLIE:

Dainty

I call Ellie our "petite little chicken". I remember back when Josh was little, he had a sleeper that had "petit amour" on it and when he wore it I called him my petite little chicken. Turns out that was less fitting for our boy than for our girl. Ellie is so small and petite that the word "dainty" fits her perfectly.

"C"

"C is for Cookie; that's good enough for me. Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C." ~ Cookie Monster, Sesame Street

JOSH:

CARING/COMPASSION:

Last night when we were contemplating whether Ellie was going to need to go to the emergency room for her fever and cough, Josh got very upset. I told him I could call MeeMee and he could stay home and he said, "NO! I want to go." Then he went and got his very special "Kitty" that he's had since he was little and gave it to Ellie. He did it again this morning before he left for school. He is such a caring kid. Hid behind all that "boy bravado" and "big talk" is the heart of a a sweetie. I see this regularly and I am SO PROUD of him when he does things like this. It makes my heart melt.

ELLIE:

COURAGEOUS, CHARISMA & CHARM

So, yesterday Josh's was longer. Today it's Ellie's turn. She is such a charmer and has such charisma. Even at a mere 7 months, she knew how to "work a room" and still does today. Her personality is just so sunny.

But even more than that, she is a courageous little one. I am amazed that after all she has gone through in less than a year, she is the well-adjusted (charming) little one that she is. She has left her birth mom, moved to an orphanage, survived there, travelled across the world with relative strangers to start over in a place where nothing (including the language) is the same and yet continues to smile through the days. There is a lesson in there for me, I think.

********
And, by the way, Ellie is not coping well with her cold. She ran a pretty high fever most of the night and she and I "slept" (I use that term VERY loosely) on the couch together. She whined, moaned and cried pretty much all night. Her cough seems to have gotten worse and she sounded pretty wheezy this morning. We are going back to the doctor this afternoon for a follow-up. Her fever broke a little while this morning and she let me set her down for the first time in over 16 hours. I took the opportunity to vacuum quickly, clean myself up, get clothes on, give her a bath and get her dressed. I was moving fast considering I'm operating on about three hours of broken up sleep. I'll be honest: this is definitely the part of parenting I don't like -- when they are sick.

Consignment Update

I dropped my goodies off at the Encores and More North consignment sale today right after Ellie's doctor's appointment. Of course, "The Plan" was to drop them off and go do some work. HA! I was in such a tizzy leaving the house this morning that I left my memory card home. Since my work was way to far to "run home", I came home and just worked on paperwork.

BUT... I digress. I have NEVER seen so much stuff/goodies in my life. I almost went into cardiac arrest just from walking in the door. It was all I could do to not to beg to start shopping. *smile*

Stay tuned to see what kinds of goodies come home with me soon.

So, is everyone LOVING Amer*ican Id*ol this year? I love the new format this year. However, I'm ready to get to the "meat and bones" of the contest.

Josh has done nothing but lay around today. He continues to tell us he is "tired" but doesn't really have any other symptoms to speak of. Ellie, on the other hand, has been the most pitiful little thing today. She just moans and whines and lays over on you. She can't seem to get comfy, and every now and then the drainage is so bad that she gets choked. We are trying to keep her drinking and eating if she wants, but so far, her only concession is that she'll drink Powerade. Funny girl really likes to drink it out of the medicine cups you get with things like Nyquil. It's a riot!! I am NOT looking forward to tonight. I'm fairly certain neither Kevin nor I will get much sleep tonight. I'm thinking we should do "shifts". Oh, I hear her crying again. Gotta' run.

One "Flu" Over the Cookoo's Nest -- The Rest just Flu

I am the one who "flu" over the cookoo's nest. I landed in it and squirmed around a while. We have been SO incredibly sick at our house for the last two weeks. First, I got the flu. Then, when I went to the doctor last Friday, I had double ear infections. Come Saturday, Kevin came down with what the "doc in the box" diagnosed as sinusitus, but he also commented he was perplexed why his fever was so high (103). Turns out we think Kevin had the flu too because his symptoms have followed the same path as mine did.

THEN... yesterday, Ellie got a fever and Josh felt hot. Today, we took E. to the doctor and she has a bad cold that we just have to "wait out". Josh says he doesn't need to go to the doctor, but he is "very tired". I suspect (strongly) he has a cold too.

I'm beside myself with exhaustion, being overwhelmed and tired. I know Kevin is exhausted too. Ellie is so clingy when she is sick. He is sleeping in the chair right now with her asleep on him. The nights have been hard and up and down a lot.

Pray for us.

"B"

Josh:
Best Big Brother

I am constantly amazed as I watch Josh interact with Ellie. I worried for a long time that there would be deep-seated jealousy and that he would either ignore Ellie or just be snippy. Boy, were my fears unfounded. Just the other day when I was leaving to take Ellie to a party, he called from the other room, "Wait!" and came flying through the house. Why? To kiss Ellie bye. When she comes home after being away from him, he kisses her. If he thinks we are being too "mean", he fusses at us. He wants to play with her, carry her and will occassionally even change a diaper -- wet, of course. He can make her laugh on cue. She watches him constantly. She climbs on him, lays on him, pokes him, plays with "his" stuff -- all to the delight of Josh. Josh is the perfect brother. Ellie is so very lucky to have him. Granted, he is lucky to have her as well.

Ellie:

Black -- beautiful black hair and eyes

Each day I notice Ellie's hair is getting darker and darker. While it started out a nice light shade of brown, it continues to get more black. She has the most beautiful hair and the darker it gets the more it defines the beauty of her face. And those eyes . . . they are like liquid pools of ink that you can dive into they are so black. She has the most beautiful eyes in the world, I think. I wish I had her eyes. And, while I know this doesn't seem like much about Ellie, it is what I love most about her with regards to "B".

26 Things - "A"

Over the next month I'm going to do a piece each day on the 26 "Alphabet" things I love most about Joshua and Ellie -- leading up to the big 1st birthday. Sort of reminiscent of the countdown I did until we traveled to pick up Ellie.

Josh:

Athleticism. Before I had Josh I knew nothing about sports. I still don't, in all honesty, but I know there is nothing I like better than watching Josh play sports. He's played soccer, beginning at age 4 and has gone through soccer, basketball, baseball (with his first grand slam when he was 5) and football (with his first Superbowl at age 11). He loves every sport he plays and tries hard and does well. I have an entire wall upstairs devoted to the photos I've taken of him through the years playing sports. And while I never played sports (and still don't), I can watch him out there, giving 100% to everything he tries, having a great time and taking his responsibilities so seriously.

Ellie:

Adorable. I love the fact that Ellie is such a cute little bug. Granted, I had nothing to do with her genetic makeup, and that just doesn't matter a "hill of beans" to me. She is so very cute. There are days I catch myself looking at her and going, "Well, isn't she just adorable?" She'll flash that little smile at me or poke her head around her daddy's shoulder to see where I am and my heart melts. She giggles at pretty much everything and the sound of her laughter at her big brother Josh is another adorable thing. Her complexion is so beautiful as well -- just like Josh's, olive and smooth. I just want to eat her up with a spoon and be just so very proud of the young man he is becoming.

11 Month Update

Ellie is 11 months old now and in the spirit of keeping up with her "vitals" (haha), I thought I should post.

She is cutting two more teeth, the other front one and one beside it. This will bring her total to six. She is eating only "real people" food and her bottles -- as opposed to jars of baby food. She has discovered two foods that she absolutely does not like and will spit back at you: green beans and asparagus. She's had a little bit of cake at birthday parties and she really likes cake. All the more reason not to let her have any. I don't want her to get to accustomed to eating sugar.

She babbles constantly. She was saying several things clearly, but she seemed to revert a bit on that front and now says, "MaMUM!" (mama) pretty much exclusively. She babbles, "dadadada" and "babababa" but she doesn't seem to have a clear understanding of those words. I am still almost certain she says, "Kitty" and "Kitty Cat". She has a clear LOVE of cats, and I think we can all agree that she says, "Meow" to the cat. *smile* We are trying (all three of us) to teach her some signs. We are concentrating on "Eat" "Drink" "More" and "All Done". She stares at us like we are crazy, but I think soon she'll pick up on it and maybe it will help her with her frustration while eating when she thinks we don't understand what she wants.

She crawls like a speed demon, picks up everything on the floor and *POPS* it into her mouth. She cruises along the furniture, my legs and any other upright object. She has started to walk a little bit behind her walker, but I don't think we are really close to walking yet. She just doesn't seem to have the confidence down. And that's fine -- in her own time.

She is sleeping much better than before -- usually only waking once a night for a bottle. She is typically to sleep between 8:30 and 9:00, takes a bottle somewhere between 1:30 - 3:30 and then sleeps until 6 or 6:30. She naps between 9 - 9:45 and then naps again for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the afternoon. She takes about three or four 8 ounce bottles a day.

We are beginning to prepare for the first birthday party. If I felt just a wee bit better, I might be more excited about it. I'm sure I'll be excited soon enough.

I think, considering her rough start and her prematurity (of two months), she is doing exceptionally well. She is the youngest of all her "close friends" (ha -- Caleb and Adalynn) and is the youngest (after age adjustment) of all the kids who recently came home from Kyrgyzstan, but she is keeping up pretty well with her peers.

She is, overall, a smiling, happy baby. She is developing some bad temper tantrums, and we are trying to be firm in telling her that it's just not allowed and to stop. There is screaming, hand slinging, kicking and the works. Lord, help us all when she turns two.