Rockstars and Purple?

We have a rock star in our house. I know I've mentioned it numerous times, but Ellinor is amazing. She LOVES music - all genres, all volumes, all speeds. This was last night after Bryan fixed Aunt Lexi's iPod. Ellinor thinks it's the coolest thing to use headphones, and what better ipod holder than a diaper? LOL.

Waiting to hear back about the ultrasound from yesterday. If I don't get a call today or Monday, that means all is well. My next doctor appointment is this upcoming Tuesday morning, so if everything looked good on the ultrasound Dr. Walker will wait until then to go over everything. Fingers crossed for no phone call before then. :)

I have been going back and forth on our chosen name for this new baby girl. Do not get me wrong. I love the name Evelyn. It's beautiful! I have just been worried that Ellinor and Evelyn are too close. Are we giving these 2 girls enough room to be individuals if their names are so similar? It's not so much Ellinor and Evelyn as their possible nicknames: "Elli" and "Evie". That's almost the same thing! We never call Ellinor anything but that, but she is affectionately called Elli by friends and family at times. I'm sure Evelyn would be the same. Am I being too silly about it? Bry and I can't seem to find any other names that both of us like. And since I've been calling this little girl Evelyn already it almost seems too odd to change it. Perhaps my hormones are just giving me trauma. Haha!

Starting January we will be moving the rooms around to create the new nursery. Our office gets moved downstairs into that 4th bedroom and the upstairs rooms will be strictly used for family bedrooms now. I was originally thinking a gray/yellow color palette for Evelyn's room, but because her furniture is all Espresso brown I'm not sure I love that combination anymore. Lately I've been gravitating to some prints with purples.....guess we'll see! It's definitely starting to get more exciting as our due date approaches. It is almost overwhelming to think about our little family changing - lots of emotions come along with this addition. As I watch Ellinor get bigger every day though I just know she is going to love being a big sister. :)

Silliness

I don't have much to write about right now, come to think of it. But it's been awhile since my last post and I need to keep writing regularly so as not to fall out of the habit completely. 

The other day I was woken up from my nap by bus noise on our street. Ellinor and I had had an exceptionally early morning and this nap was all I wanted that day. Upon being woken up (and thanks to pregnancy having to use the restroom and drink some water) I knew that sleep was not coming again. That's when I texted Bry about the noise. At the end of the message I threw in that I wanted to rent a Rug-Doctor to clean our carpets. Random. Bry's kind and logical reply was that we should wait to get through this snow season and then clean our carpets. That only makes the most sense. I, however, was annoyed. I was overwhelmed by the thought that the things I want are usually pushed off and/or taken away all together these days. I allowed myself some selfish moments which only led to feelings of self-pity (unwarranted at that, I assure you). 

I'm a wife and a mother. I have goals and things I would like to do/have/accomplish. I feel that in life mother's put themselves at the bottom of the list. Not because we want to be martyrs, but because we genuinely feel guilty doing anything else. Cleaning our carpets is really not a big deal. But I chalked it up to yet another thing I can't have because it makes better sense (economically, logically, etc) for our family if we wait a bit. I want a kitchen remodel. Life has a way of throwing in stumbling blocks that require the time/attention/money the kitchen remodel would as well. Of course those upsets are usually much more important and should be dealt with first. In my mind I know this. In my heart, I am still sad about it. I would love to have a gym membership - but the only gym within 20 minutes of us does not have childcare. Who would watch Ellinor?

Needless to say, I allowed myself a moment of ridiculousness. I wallowed and murmured in my head. I felt justified in my feelings of annoyance. I concluded I had solid reasoning for being ungrateful at that time. I allowed myself to give into that voice of trouble. 

Thankfully, I snapped out of it. Why in the world would I let myself get down in the dumps over such trivial baloney? Who cares if I don't have a kitchen remodel next month? I have a functioning kitchen that really isn't that horrible. And let's not forget that while it's currently snowing outside I am sitting in a beautiful, warm, comfortable home that I can call mine. I have the most perfect baby girl and another on the way. My husband loves and supports me unconditionally. My family is always there for me and are just a phone call or even skype call away. I have the amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Hello?! How dare I complain for even a second.

Yet another beautiful thing about Christmas is that it pushes me to get over myself even more so than normal. I am grateful for the knowledge this Gospel gives to me. I can't imagine thinking all the time that the trivial stuff in this life is what really matters. Focusing on the eternal and the things of supreme importance lets us be happier. We can let go of the silly. We can recognize all of our blessings easier. Not to say I don't battle with those shallow feelings often enough. But I have no excuse to wallow in them. I am grateful I know that. I am grateful for my wonderful life. I love my Savior and I am grateful that He helps me with those silly moments. 

Twirling

We like to twirl around here. Put on some music and the fun begins. This morning I was boycotting turning the TV on - Ellinor is getting a bit too attached to screens. Haha. So, we put on some great Christmas tunes and danced our bums off. Seeing as how I get tired a bit quicker these days I ended up sitting on the floor, holding her hands and twirling her around. Always a fan favorite. I have to say it was one of the best mornings in awhile. I love her! I'm amazed at how fast she is growing (and a little sad about it). NEW GOAL - more time minus any screens.

I am going to pick up some supplies at the grocery store tomorrow to make edible playdough. I was going to do it today but I'm a bit shy on the amount of salt needed. I'm hoping Ellinor will enjoy playing with it. She tends to run away from most anything that is sticky or messy. What a silly toddler. But I think it will be fun! I'm sure if I get down and dirty in the playdough she will jump right in. Now to choose whether to do the jello-o, kool-aid, or peanut butter version. I'm thinking peanut butter - not sure I want to worry about dye staining our hands (it it even does that).

Baby Evelyn is growing and growing! At least it sure feels like that. I am 22 weeks today - it is flying by! She is kicking like a mad woman in there. Which makes me feel great. With possible growth issues to watch for the stronger the kicks, the happier this mamma is. It certainly feels like Evelyn is right on track. Fingers crossed our Dec 13th ultrasound confirms that! :)

Ellinor and Christmas

Ellinor is a riot. I just cannot get over how funny she is. Whether intentional or not, I am usually laughing a large percentage of my day because of her various antics. I absolutely adore her.

Lately we have had a rough go of it as little miss isn't sleeping. She has been waking up every couple hours through the night for the past week - some nights I don't have time to fall asleep before she is up again. We have tried some different things (extra bundling up in case she's getting cold, different bed times, etc) but have yet to find the magic. Last night she did pretty well, so I am crossing my fingers that we are on the upswing. Perhaps she has just had a hard week. None of us escape those completely. If anything I now fully remember what it is like to function on very little rest. Rebecca says Ellinor has just been helping us practice for when Evelyn arrives. Haha.

 A few funny Ellinor moments:
 
     -Ellinor likes to run laps, usually around the kitchen table. Last night she was running from the upstairs far living room wall to the kitchen, hanging on the counter as if doing a pull-up, and then running back to the wall. Her run looks like an old lady power shuffle, the way she swings her little arms. After a few minutes of running she would slide down on the kitchen floor, pant and then laugh. Repeat the cycle. Bry and I enjoyed the show from our prime seats on the couch.

-She has taken to pushing the dining table chairs around. Unfortunately, her favorite place to push them is over to the counter that has the knife butcher block sitting on it. Yep, that was a fun moment to catch her in. Trying to pull out all the big knives. At least she is slower at pushing the chairs and they make enough noise for us to be alerted prior to any damage being done. But that's a fun game - literally all day long some times.

-If you use the restroom in our home, be sure to lock the door. She will come barging in, hand you toilet paper, flush with you and yell "bye-bye." After which, she proceeds to take off her clothes and demands to be seated on the toilet. Because she is such a tiny thing, and we have yet to install potty seats, you have to hang on to her skinny armpits for dear life so as not to lose her in the toilet bowl. LOL. I'm not going to discourage her from wanting to see what the toilet is all about. Hoping that one of these days she will actually take care of some business while sitting there and everything will click for her. I'm not ready for potty training just yet though, so this is on an Ellinor demand timeline for now.

-She likes to color. Right now she will pat the floor for you to sit down by her, pick a crayon for you, and demand that you start first. Then you take turns with whatever crayons she picks.

- Some mornings she refuses to sit at the breakfast table to eat. She wants to be on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and handed a bowl of food. Silly girl - she's already a lounger.

-Ellinor will clean the whole house with baby wipes if you let her. It's a favorite pastime. I have already ruined her with my house cleaning OCD.

- The other day she tried to play raquetball with Bryan's racket and a Christmas tree ornament that was yanked out of place. I saved it just in time.

-She loves to give kisses, make faces, rub your arm, give big squeezes, and just cuddle down to watch a movie.

-AAGGH, there are too many to remember! I just love her. She is SPECTACULAR.

Christmas is almost here! I love this season. Truly. Everyone is just happier, my home feels cozier, and things are centered around Christ even more than usual. As Bryan pointed out last night, how could anyone not think of Christ around Christmas? It's impossible! Perhaps that's why I love Christmas music so much - it's all about celebrating Him and the joy that comes with it. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of all my family. I cannot express just how much I love having them around. We'd all live within minutes of each other if I had my way.

I decided to make Ellinor a stocking this year and put my sewing machine to good use. It came out quite nice, which was a pleasant surprise. Bryan decided we needed to make one for all of us, including Evelyn. So we took a trip to Joanns (always an adventure with Ellinor in tow), found fun fabric and I got to work. With a little assistance from Ellinor I was able to finish them today. They are pretty cute - Bry has the one oddball stocking that isn't in traditional Christmas colors. But, as he points out, he is the only guy in our little family so it's fitting.

I need to start some baking now and order our Christmas cards - it's already just over 3 weeks away! Yikes! Wishing you all the best of times this Christmas. I'm going to go catch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional - missed it last night. It's the perfect way to usher the season in. :)

Little Girls Are Fantastic

I am soooo excited that Ellinor is going to have a little sister!!! Aagghh!! There is just something about a sister that cannot be replicated. My Becca is incredibly dear to me. I am hoping Ellinor and this little girl get along just as well. Plus we make beautiful baby girls, if I do say so myself. ;)

There was much back and forth about name possibilities - to the point that I was positive Bryan and I would never agree on one. We had boy names completely nailed down, but another girl name was quite the challenge. I tend to favor more classic (some refer to them as old-fashioned, haha) names; Bry, not so much. We wanted something beautiful, not too trendy, not too popular so that baby has to sit in a class with 5 other girls sporting her name, etc, etc. I think we have finally decided on the one - EVELYN RAE FOSTER.

We think Evelyn is a great name! And Rae is Bryan's mom Lyne's middle name, so it's nice to bring in some family ties. I love that I have something to call this little girl now. Makes it feel so real now! Not to mention the constant dance she seems to be doing during the day. I love feeling her move. It's like having another little buddy with me. Already her and Ellinor are alike - both seem to have constant energy. Haha!

After our 20 week ultrasound my doctor called to give me some news of note. Evelyn's umbilical cord only has 1 artery instead of 2 (a typical cord has 1 vein and 2 arteries). So, Evelyn's artery has to do the work of two. We will be having regular ultrasounds every 4-6 weeks to check on her and make sure her growth is developing appropriately. In most cases the baby has no harmful side effects, but about a 1/3 can deal with serious growth issues and a couple of organ problems (development wise). Needless to say Bryan and I are anxious about the whole thing. After Ellinor's interesting debut into the world we were already on high alert, so to be informed that there IS something to watch with this pregnancy only makes it a bit more stressful. Bry gave me a blessing and we are praying daily. I have faith that all will be well with our little Evelyn. On a positive note, we get to see our little girl even more often before we can actually hold her. :)

We will be moving our office to the extra bedroom downstairs and turning the current one into the baby room. I am starting to look around for color palette ideas. I also plan on making the crib bumper, skirt and curtains myself. Fingers crossed I can actually figure it out. I am excited to go fabric shopping. I inherited a love of fabric from my mom and grandma - while I may not sew nearly enough to justify it, I would love to have a huge collection of fabric just sitting in my house.

Ellinor has started to play with more imagination these days. She holds her babies, wraps them in blankets and pretends to feed them whatever she is eating. She also turns her blocks into food and goes shopping with her cart all around the house. She has taken to rubbing my ever-growing belly whenever we sit down together. I try to explain regularly about there being a baby in mommy's stomach and all that, but I think she just finds my bump interesting. Not to mention she loves to poke belly buttons - so if you are ever around, keep yours safe. :) LoL.

The time for Christmas shopping is in full swing. We are trying to narrow down our gift plans and get going. Ellinor will be getting a toy kitchen from dad and mom this year, and plenty of fun things from her grandparents. Other than that, I haven't come up with final ideas for most of my list. I wish I were more creative! After Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow we plan on breaking out the Christmas tree. SO EXCITED! Bring on the season!!!

And So It Is

Well - we all know how this 2012 Presidential Election turned out. I will not lie - last night I was beyond disappointed. Sad, really. The very idea of a Priesthood holder in the Oval Office was exciting. I can only believe amazing things could happen in this country with a leader that turned to our Heavenly Father with such regularity and faith. I'm not saying President Obama doesn't have faith - I just don't believe it can begin to rival Romney's.

I obviously do not agree with President Obama's policies, ideals, beliefs for the most part. I could not watch his acceptance speech last night and hear the same words uttered from his mouth. I could not listen to more of the same promises and rhetoric. I am in no way saying Romney was the perfect candidate. No one is. But with the direction of this country I would have preferred him by leaps and bounds as a President. However, this being said, I can not hate on Mr. Obama. He is an honorable husband, a good father, and I do believe he truly feels that his views are beneficial for this country. I do not buy into the theories that he is out to destroy America. What he enacts as President may change our country in ways that I would never dream of; but I am certain he feels it is right in his heart. I cannot hate a man for his beliefs.

Moving forward I will pray for President Obama and his cabinet. I will pray for our senators and representatives. I will pray that they can all be influenced by the Spirit for good. And I will strive to live the best life that I can within my sphere of influence.

This Was Halloween

Well, I already blogged about my slacking ways this Halloween season. Now it's time to wrap up how it went. :)

We were able to track down some pumpkins at Smiths the Monday before Halloween - there was no time to head to our usual pumpkin patch so I didn't nab any cute pictures this year. We picked out a pumpkin for each of us and headed home for a carving extravaganza! Only - it wasn't so extravagant after all. Haha. Ellinor was loving the pumpkins when we got them home. We put them on the kitchen floor and she would rub them and then push them around. Once Bryan cut one open to clean it out she about had a heart attack. Who knew this girl would absolutely HATE carving pumpkins? She wanted nothing to do with the insides, or the pumpkins themselves once they had been carved. She wouldn't even come in the kitchen for the most of the time. At one point she came over to where Bryan was sitting with the biggest pumpkin, looked inside and walked away shivering - literally. They totally grossed her out. So my grand plans for a fun Halloween family home evening didn't go over so well with the only kid. Haha - but I had a great time! :)

Prior to carving

Pumpkin Before Shot

Loving them for now ;)

Thinking the carving tools are pretty cool

Once the gutting started - stayed on the edge of the living room. Hehe

Yay for at least one pic together!

Our Masterpieces

On Halloween day Ellinor suited up in her amazing zebra costume and we headed to Bry's office for a lunch party. Most of the employee's have kids that show up for the event. They catered Cafe Rio, which meant an instant success in my book, had lots of goodies and did a pinata for the kiddos. Bry dressed up as a zookeeper to go along with his little zebra. He even made the fun badge to go along with it. He was assistant zebra wrangler and I was the master zebra wrangler - haha. What a sweet guy. I didn't dress up like an awesome zookeeper though - let's say I was zoo administration. ;) Ellinor didn't feel like jumping in the fray at the pinata, but she did nab a few pieces of candy and a balloon that fell her way. Next year she will be fighting in the midst of the rest of them. Haha.

Zebra and Zookeeper

Watching 'Curious George' at Dad's desk - might as well take advantage of the 3 huge screens ;)

Bry was given Jazz tickets for their home opener that night. Seeing as how he wasn't feeling that great but knows that I LOVE going to the games he told me to take the tickets and head north with Becca. I dealt with heaps of mommy guilt all day because I wouldn't be spending Halloween night with Ellinor - I was sure it would scar her for life, after all, if I wasn't there to pass out candy with her. After several reassurances from my mom and hubby I decided I could go to the game without being branded "World's Worst Mom." LoL. Becca and I had a great time - we enjoyed AMAZING seats and the Jazz kicked trash. Bry took Ellinor out to a couple of houses for trick or treating - she thought it was a normal walk, but enjoyed knocking on the doors so much that she continued to do so when they got back to our house. So of course Bry had to give her some candy out of our bowl too. He spent the evening watching 'Despicable Me' and passing out candy with our little zebra. TO SUM UP - I left my family to hang out with the JAZZ and Ellinor had a great time with daddy. Probably not my best Halloween as far as mom duties go, but it ended up being a good night. ;)

Finishing up at our house - love the Barbie purse

Heading out

Ready for her loot

Rocking the game!

Slacker

So, this year I am an official Halloween slacker. I haven't done anything - we have yet to get pumpkins and carve them (Bry and I haven't missed a year since being married), I have no costume and won't, Bry is still costume less, no decorations, no candy ready for the trick-or-treat night. We also skipped the ward Halloween party because I wasn't feeling so hot this last weekend. Also, I just barely picked up a costume for Ellinor this last Saturday (thanks to Aunt Becca). She is going to be a zebra - basically, it was the cutest of the options left at Kohls. Haha. She does look adorable in it though!

Goal today: Pick up Pumpkins and candy. Help Bryan figure out a costume. Maybe watch a scary flick to get in the spirit (although, I hate horror and ghost movies.....). This does require that I pull myself together to leave the house, so it may be harder than it sounds. LOL.

2nd Goal Today: Pick up some regular groceries. Play Outside with Ellinor. Perhaps attempt an art project.

Also, I just have to mention my our new family motto - it came from watching an episode of "Chopped." I LOVE that show - could watch it for hours. Anyhow, a contestant on an old recorded episode I watched yesterday was talking about his ability to remain calm under the pressure. He said, "Basically, I'm too blessed to be stressed." There you have it folks. My new favorite motto - TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED.

Things!

20 week ultrasound is scheduled for November 12th! Aaaahhhhh - so excited. I cannot wait to see this little one again! Not to mention we are dying to know what the gender is. :)

This last Saturday night we left Ellinor with her first non-family babysitter. I was nervous as heck about it, but she handled it splendidly of course. Not even a tear when we left. I was good too - only called once to check on things. Bry and I are happy to know that we now have an excellent option for date nights - the young woman we picked is a sweetheart. She even got Ellinor down for bed without a binky! We haven't been able to master that one yet. Sheesh. Becca called her our magic babysitter. I think I'll keep her on call. ;)

I subbed in nursery on Sunday. I was happy to be there to play with the kiddos, but my own kid ignored me for most of the 2 hours. Haha - she's just so independent. We came home from church and headed straight to bed - skipping lunch. Early Sunday mornings after no sleep on Saturday will do that to you. Sadly, Ellinor battled with a fever on Sunday afternoon and Monday. Poor girl. I always get so sad whenever she doesn't feel well. I did enjoy the immense amount of cuddling time that she allowed though. ;)

I am reigning myself in from decorating for Christmas already. We scheduled Ellinor's Santa pics with Fotofly for November 12th as well - uh oh. Better make sure they are both (ultrasound and Ellinor pics) in my calendar. The way my mind works I will forget one or the other. Oy. It will be an exciting day! We wanted to do those pictures last year, but all of the appointments filled up before I even knew such a wonderful thing existed. So, this year I was more prepared. Since the sessions are so short I am crossing my fingers that Ellinor will be a good sport - they will let Bry dress up in the Santa outfit so I'm expecting her to be fine. Bring on Christmas - I absolutely love it!

Autumn Wins

Balloon animals - that's how every dentist appointment should end. Ellinor had her first dentist appointment this last Wed. I've been meaning to get her in, as everyone seems to recommend an appointment at 12 months, but I just couldn't believe that it was necessary at such a young age. Anyhoooo, I took Ellinor to one of our local dentists for her first check up so I could check it off the "good parenting" list. Haha. I was nervous that she would absolutely refuse to cooperate with Mr. Dentist, so I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful she did. Ellinor laid right back on the exam chair (due to a Disney flick playing on the ceiling TV) and settled right in. She let the nice dentist poke around in her mouth, count her teeth and do a quick fluoride treatment (as long as I stayed sitting on the chair right next to her) without making a peep. I was so proud of our little one - what a pro! It did help that the dental hygienist fawned over her the whole time. ;) And at the end of this official 5 minute check up Ellinor was given a balloon animal of her choosing - I used ESP and decided she wanted a blue and pink butterfly. I propose that my dentist provide me with a fun movie and prize at the end of my exams as well.

This last Monday was my birthday and it was wonderful! I had this brilliant (hehe) idea to paint our formal living room wall over the weekend and my awesome hubby accepted the challenge (full well knowing I wouldn't be much help in my current state). I decided I needed some metallic sheen stripes on the offending wall and laid out my plans. Bry worked hard for me for 3 days, through some tricky paint textures and ladder-over-stairs balancing. I adore him. And I adore my new wall. :)

We've had an unfortunate UPS incident at our house this week. My fabulous mom shipped my birthday box through UPS and told me to prepare for its arrival this last Tuesday. I stayed home all day anxiously awaiting the knock on my door from Mr. UPS himself. At 3ish in the afternoon Ellinor and I were playing the piano in our front room when I heard the familiar roar of a big truck. I looked out our window and sure enough the man himself was parked in the street. I watched him deliver a box to my neighbor then drive away. Hmmm, I was bummed but figured my box would show up at a later delivery and went on with my day. Mom called me a couple hours later to see if I liked the gift -when she checked the tracking number on UPS' website it said the box had been delivered to a woman at my address at 3:23 that afternoon. Weirdness, as I received no box. :( Alas, the mystery has yet to be solved. UPS confirmed they had the correct address on the package and in their system, the driver logged the box as being accepted by a woman, and yet I have no box. It doesn't look like I will be receiving that birthday gift after all. Mistakes happen, I know, but what irks me is that some woman (if the UPS driver is to be believed) accepted a package with my name and address and has kept it. This makes me sad. As a result I went to send my mom her birthday gift and was too gun shy to ship it (oy, lol). Thank goodness a local store in Bonney Lake had the item and I was able to arrange for dad to pick it up instead. Oh the joys of mail.

Fall is in full swing and I couldn't love it any more. My house is pretty much themed around fall colors, so obviously I find outside just gorgeous these days. And there is something about walking through fallen leaves that makes one feel giddy. Ellinor and I have been enjoying some afternoon walks through the leaves as she points out every tree - her favorite walk pastime lately. I am hoping we head out to enjoy a corn maze adventure and pick our pumpkins this weekend. I also need to tackle some baking - I have the itch, now just need the supplies. :)

Thursday

Sometimes I have entertaining things to blog about, but no energy to actually do it. Then I have tons of energy and cannot summon anything to write about. One of those funny things about life.

Yesterday Ellinor got stuck in our office chair. There are small openings between the arms of the chair and the seat. She took it upon herself to slide through the opening, head first, trying to reach the computer. I was in the kitchen down the hall loading dishes and heard her start to yell for me. I ran in and caught her stuck, looking somewhat alarmed. It was all I could do to keep myself from laughing and taking a picture. But, seeing as how that would have required leaving the room to hunt down  camera I decided it was too cruel. After some careful maneuvering, and some not-so-gentle tugging needed at the end, we freed her head from the chair. I would like to hope she'll learn from this. But past experience tells me otherwise.

We have lots of cute headbands for Ellinor from my friend Brittany. Brittany brought them over months ago, but because Ellinor has stayed relatively small they still fit her pretty well. She, however, refuses to wear them. It's a constant battle to find a way to keep her growing hair out of her eyes. Most of the time she's just running around with a birds nest on her head. The other day she found my wedding garter that I had hanging in my jewelry box. Upon wiggling it free she instantly placed it on her head like the perfect headdress and continued to wear it for hours. Who knew all I needed was a shiny garter to keep her hair in place? ha.

We need to go pick up our pumpkins soon. Hopefully we make it happen this weekend. I'm feeling like the least festive neighbor on our street. I also want to pick up a couple mini pumpkins for Ellinor and I to paint. Hoping she gets a kick out of that. The last time I tried finger painting with her she was totally grossed out by the feel of the paint and wouldn't go for it. Given it's been months, I'm hoping she dives in this time around.

Just Happy

Last night Ellinor let me rock her to sleep - all the way, without protest. It was amazing. I do love how easy she goes to bed these days, but I miss her needing me more. Ha, it's bittersweet to watch her grow and become more independent. As I was rocking her I couldn't believe how big she is. I remember holding her in the nursing room back when she was in the hospital nursery for those 9 days. She was was so tiny I could fit her right under my chin and just hold her for ever. Now she takes up my entire upper body, and that's when she's curled up. :) I won't lie, the tears flowed endlessly for awhile. I forget to slow down and truly treasure her every day. We get caught up in just making it through most times, but she's already such a little girl. I am grateful for her spirit in my life. I am in awe that Heavenly Father has entrusted her to me. And I am going to miss the little baby Ellinor that grew so fast. But I am amazed at how wonderful she is - even after she throws a complete meltdown tantrum in Payless. ;)

I am excited for this new little baby, more so every day. I find that with this pregnancy it has taken longer to impact us because our lives are completely focused on Ellinor. But as the time goes by (14 weeks today!) it registers fully that our next little spirit is soon to join us. I can only imagine how happy we will be to have him/her here.

Over the weekend we were blessed to watch General Conference. The older I get the more I appreciate this great opportunity to hear from President Monson and our other leaders. They are undeniably called of God and I naturally love them to pieces. I do not know how anyone could listen to their words and not feel the same way. Conference always has a way of lifting my spirits and energizing me - spiritually, mentally and even physically. Not to be cliche in any way, but I really do feel so much more optimistic about life. I have felt so incredibly grateful these last few months for my amazing life. I recognize every day how extremely blessed I am. And conference always highlights blessings that I sometimes forget to recognize. It is overwhelming to try to thank my Heavenly Father for all that He does for me. My goal is try to live in such a way that He knows how grateful I am. I can try a little (or a lot, if I really think about it) harder and do a little more for Him each day. As Elder Holland asked, "do I love Him?" Of course I do. But do I show it enough in my every day choices? I hope to answer yes soon enough.

On a lighter note, my birthday is coming up. :) For some reason turning 25 has been difficult on me. I feel old. Haha. I know, I know. 25 is not old. But, Bry and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage this Dec, we have a 19 month old daughter and a new baby on the way. I just feel old. Or should I say, 'established.' LOL. This will be a great birthday as I get to spend the day with my cute little family. And I will be over these doldrums in 2 seconds. Excited for what this next year will bring!

Dreaming of Sandwiches

Today Ellinor and I trekked up to IKEA and met Bryan for a adventure. I love walking through IKEA - always so many cute things to check out. We walked out with a crawl tunnel for Ellinor and some TV lighting for Bryan. Unfortunately there wasn't anything that I just couldn't walk away without today. Perhaps next trip. :)

On my way home I decided that a Subway sandwich would fit the lunch bill quite nicely. And, since Ellinor was asleep in her seat, the drive thru was extra appealing. I pulled into the line, a large truck right behind me, and prepared to order some deliciousness. And then I saw it! A handwritten note taped to the menu - "We can not accept any credit or debit cards at this time. Our card readers are down. Cash required." Who doesn't ever carry cash? This Gal! Yays! I was trapped in the subway line (it was longish and always pretty slow) and wasn't allowed to partake of the goodness. In the large scheme of things this was just a blip in my day, but as a starving pregnant woman who had locked on a sandwich for her prey, this was awful. Haha. Always a good time when I attempt a drive thru it seems...hmmm.

When I finally escaped the sad situation I happened to get stuck behind a driver (refraining from the adjectives I silently used in my head at the time) who paid no attention and wasted the green light by not moving. Even when I honked. So, I sat through 2 lights because he was oblivious. I know this happens to most people at some time in their lives, but after being denied lunch I was darn grumpy. I have decided that it may be best for me to stay home at all times. LOL.

I get to go out for a girl's dinner tonight with my friend Mel. It's always nice to feel like a fun lady again - not to mention getting to eat dinner without having to clean up the leftovers from the kitchen curtains at the end. ;) We are both pregnant and were happily able to agree on Chinese food as the dining of choice. I'm ready to get my lomein on.

Ellinor slept for 20 minutes in the car, which in her mind constitutes enough of a nap for the day. I put her back down in her crib when we got home, but the peace I was hoping for lasted all of 5 minutes (the exact time I've spent so far on this post, as luck may have it). She is calling to me. I better answer.

"Painting Completed My Life" - well, sorta

Last weekend was a pretty darn busy one for Bryan and myself. We decided to paint our master bedroom, and our 3 dressers (because, why not?). It's something we've been wanting to do for awhile, but we have been putting it off. Finally, we just bought the paint and got to it. We went back and forth a little bit on the color choice but decided on 'Smokey Slate' - it was a paint sample I had brought home months and months ago because I loved it. We decided that 9:30pm on Friday night was a good time to start the project. Haha. I am grateful for a handy husband who just rolls with things. I was able to help prep, tape and paint Friday night but Bryan had to finish the room himself on Saturday (a crazy 19 month old doesn't make it easy for both of us to be occupied with something). Our beautiful, stunning IKEA dressers (tehehehe) were brown/black, so we painted them a better brown color called 'Burle' (which lead to a discussion about naming our child that -cue the redneck accent. I'm sure there ARE people out there named Burle, but it's not for us. Haha). We also brushed on a metallic glaze of the drawer fronts that give the dressers a beautiful shine. Looks pretty dang good, if you ask me. It ended up taking 3 days and we slept on our bed in the middle of the living room those 3 nights. It felt like camping - which is not as fun as I remember it being when I was young. ;) Ellinor's reaction when she woke up Saturday morning to all of mom and dad's bedroom in the living room was priceless. She spent those few days watching 'Lilo and Stitch' while lounging on our bed - girl knows how to get her chill on.

Hard to see the metallic on the drawers, but it's there. Haha. 

This is the corner I need to find some great artwork or decor ideas for. It's pretty empty!

I just LOVE this wall color

Today Ellinor had her little bestie Ellyze come over to play. They are dang adorable together. I just love having Ellyze over - not to mention her mom Sherlyn, who happens to be awesome! :) I did notice that Ellinor was a little bi-polar during the play date. She either wanted to smother her friend with hugs, or steal back all the toys from her. We are going to have practice sharing some more - she seems to do great in nursery, but gets all territorial at home. I wasn't thrilled with her choices today, but we will work on it. I certainly do not want the bratty child in the play group. Haha.

Our morning today :)

A few Ellinor'isms to update about :

* She refuses to keep her shoes on and hair tie in while driving, while strolling through Home Depot, at nursery, etc. She just wants to be free.

* When she wakes up in the morning she will unzip her feetie PJ's after breakfast, but she can't get her feet out of them. So she wanders around the house dragging her PJ's behind her. Too cute.

* Ellinor will seldom keep a bib on these days, and when she does it is immediately taken off and chucked across the room as a signal for being done eating. If it is a non-bib day she tends to just chuck her utensils or something else. As if I won't know she's full unless she throws something at me.

* She is doing extremely well about taking her naps and going to bed at night. We have no fights anymore. The only downside is she won't let me rock her for more than 30 seconds before she's pointing for the bed. I do miss having at least a few minutes of cuddle time with her at night.

* Ellinor loves to brush her teeth. When we are done she turns to the mirror and flashes a huge grin to show off her pearly whites.

* She is able to reach door knobs, the water on the fridge, the dishwasher buttons, and so much more - nothing is safe anymore period. The scariest is when she reaches for the pans while I'm cooking dinner. Wish I could just velcro her to the wall for 5 seconds at times. LOL.

There ARE so many more things I want to write about her, but I can't seem to conjure them up. Blame it on pregnancy brain - I've come to the conclusion that I can't be trusted to remember anything accurately these days. I need to just start jotting them down when they happen.

Great Weekend!

Oh my! This last weekend was so fun. :)

Bryan and I headed out for a movie date Friday evening - I really wanted to see "The Words." We nabbed Aunt Becca to babysit and drove off for some nice couple time. It was wonderful to spend some quality time with my hubs. Gotta say I just adore him. Seeing as how I'm pregnant and always tired, we headed straight home when the movie was over. (it was pretty good, by the way.) We pulled up to a quiet looking house, everything seemed as we left it. We walked in and could tell that Ellinor was asleep (score!) because of how quiet it was. This ALWAYS makes my night. :) When we got upstairs Becca was just watching some TV and I started in on the usual questions; how was she? what time did she go down? Within a few seconds a head popped out of Ellinor's Lion King tent!! I was surprised and shocked to see Andrew climb out of the tent. HAHAHAHAHA. I screamed so loud that Ellinor woke up, of course. And then the tears started - because what extra hormonal lady could be surprised with a visit from her brother without being brought to tears?! IT WAS THE BEST! Apparently my entire family knew about this planned visit and had kept the secret extremely well. I was absolutely caught off guard and loved it!

We had a party that night - meaning that Ellinor stayed up for a couple of hours after that while we all caught up. Poor Becca had to head home early because of work the next morning, but I enjoyed catching up with Andrew.

Bryan and I had planned on taking Ellinor to the zoo on Saturday, so Andrew gladly joined the crew and we took off on our adventure. It was the perfect day to be there! Not too many people, great weather and awesome company. Ellinor did really well for the first 1.5 hours, then became quite grumpy as nap time quickly approached. She has been to the zoo before but was much more interested in people watching last time around. And this time she decided she was afraid of most of the animals - she wouldn't let us get too close to their exhibits without freaking out. Not sure where she picked that up, but it added an interesting dynamic to visiting the zoo - since the point is to look at animals. LOL. She loved the seals though, so it wasn't all a bust for her. :)

Bry was offered tickets to the ReAL Salt Lake soccer game Saturday night by his boss, so we threw that into the schedule. We stopped at Cafe Rio on the way home from the zoo, because sustenance was badly needed, then headed home for a quick nap/rest before driving back north to the game. Ellinor was well rested when we got home since she zonked out on the car ride, but she was entertained enough with the ipad for Bry and I to lay around for about half an hour. Then we geared up and got our cheer on at the soccer stadium in Sandy.

Since we had 4 tickets to the game we asked my cousin Jeff to join us. It was great seeing him! I was dubious about whether I'd really enjoy the game, as soccer isn't my thing. But there is something about being in the crowd - not to mention our AMAZING seats. You can't help but get excited and proud for your team. It was mucho fun! Ellinor was an angel and did so well! Nothing like the Bee's game experience not too long ago. ;) Needless to say, we were all pooped that night.

Sunday was a nice respite and we just enjoyed each other's company. Ellinor loves her uncle Andrew - he is too wonderful with her. The funniest thing all weekend was watching Ellinor interact with Andrew's dogs - he has two mini pinschers (super cute and sisters). She wouldn't talk to them in her normal voice. It had to be high pitched squealing and yelling, which of course terrified the little things. Oh, so entertaining. The poor dogs will probably be scarred for life, but our little girl sure loved them. :)

Becca and Nick joined us for a game night Sunday and we enjoyed a few rousing rounds of "Pass the Popcorn" and "BS." - good family fun. Haha. I LOVE having family around. It just boosts my mood like nothing else can. I really wish the rest of our family could have joined us - but I will take whatever I can get when I can get it. :) Andrew left Monday morning back to his real life. :( It was sad to see him go. Love him to death. I am so grateful that he showed up to surprise me for the weekend. It was the most amazing. Love you Andrew!!

Here are some pics:

Uncle Andrew, Ellinor and myself

Outside the seal exhibit - Ellinor wasn't exactly in a posing mood. 

Loving the game

Her favorite thing all evening - standing on Daddy's feet to see over the wall

Because I love them

We all look interesting in this one - candid shot!

Great seats!

Family pic in front of the giant elephant

Music - My Love

I just love music!! You can't possibly be anything but happy when listening to it - unless you've picked some incredibly sad song, but then you're bringing it on yourself. Haha. Ellinor and I boogie on down every day. My current obsession is the new Matchbox 20 album. LOVING it. I would suggest you check it out if you haven't stumbled upon it already.

There are just some days where everything seems to be going right and the smile physically cannot leave your face. Today just happens to be one of those days. I am loving my life. Sure, I still have plenty of worries and stresses (for my little family and extended), but today I am focusing on how wonderful things are. I have a handsome, kind, loving husband. A beautiful, spunky little girl. And a darling little baby on the way.

I took a 3 hour nap yesterday and then slept for almost 9 hours last night. Yes, I have been TIRED. And Ellinor has cooperated quite well. While she is awake she is absolutely crazy with energy - everlasting energy. Not going to lie. It takes all I have to keep up with her. I don't want to just lay on the couch all day - I want to play! But oh man, it's exhausting. However, come nap time or bed time she is pretty darn awesome. Grateful for this trait of hers. I need all the sleep we can get now in preparation for the total lack thereof this spring. :)

Have I mentioned that being pregnant makes changing diapers super challenging?! I swear the smell is about to kill me. I haven't been overly sensitive to smells just yet, but for poor Ellinor. Haha. I have to buck up all my strength each time there's a number 2 to be tackled. TMI? Sorry. ;)

Craving some projects to do! Bryan and I are itching to attack our to-do list regarding this house. We are picking one to go for in October. We have also finally decided on the type of flooring we are going to do in our kitchen and the 3 bathrooms - bring on wood-grain porcelain tile! It's amazing stuff - you can the tile to look exactly like any type of wood flooring you desire. Very cool sauce. So, bring on the DIY! Now to just wrangle the funds. ;)

Exciting News!

We are having another baby!!! :) 

Bryan and I are so excited to announce our newest addition due to debut April 9th 2013!! Here he/she is (taken at 7 weeks):

I have had to be so careful the last couple months when writing other posts to not let the news slip - just wanted to wait a bit and make sure everything was coming along well. We are certainly thrilled to be blessed with this baby. I just know Ellinor will be the best big sister in the entire world. The only hiccup will be making sure she doesn't love the baby TOO much. Hahahaha. I can just picture her sharing her toys and wanting to carry her new sibling all over the place. 

This pregnancy has already been so different from my last one. I have had a lot more nausea this time around, an appetite that won't be around for days and then show up with a vengeance and my energy level has been pretty pitiful. But, things are starting to get easier. I can avoid nausea if I eat regularly - now I just wish I could make it through the night without having to pee so much! LOL! I'm trying to keep myself working out regularly - at least 4 times a week. Especially since my comfort food items seem to be ice cream, pretzels and pasta. Oh yes - good stuff. 

Ellinor obviously doesn't know what's going on just yet. We talk about the baby and how he/she gets to come live with us. She will also rub my belly when I mention saying "hi" to baby. Too funny - I have a feeling that even when baby is here she will still rub my belly when that word is said. I'm positive she will adjust perfectly though. It's bittersweet to know that the days with just our baby girl are coming to an end. There is something so dear to me these days about one-on-one time with Ellinor. I know things will change when this new baby is here, but the addition to our family will bring so much love and happiness. 

Bryan and I are trying to prepare ourselves for the circus that our house may become those first few months. I have heard that having one kid is like none, but 2 is like 20. Not sure how the balance will be affected in our home, but I'm excited for the challenge. Bryan is really crossing his fingers for his baby boy. I would love to have a boy for him, but I'd be just as happy with a healthy, bouncing baby girl too. 

Looking forward to recording our lives as we take on this new adventure. Feeling blessed!

Just a Tuesday Morning

                                                                 I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!

Ellinor is currently trying to play the guitar and dance at the same time. She woke up this morning and gave me the biggest squeeze ever. She refused her eggs and bananas for breakfast then begged for animal crackers. Her hair is just too crazy to describe. We watched some 'Little Bear' then decided TV wasn't very fun. She is my bestest little buddy. Our days may by pretty uneventful at times but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Sometimes I look back on my life and get nostalgic for various times - maybe thinking about how I might have done things differently, even. But then I'm reminded that every choice I made brought me here. How could I want to change them?!

Thinking about changing my hair up - just not sure what I want to do. I'm too chicken to go short. I wouldn't bother with extensions. I guess color is about all that's left.....and I don't want anything with crazy upkeep. Maybe I'll just stay the same. Haha. I should at least paint my nails or something - girl it up a bit. My poor husband. I'm hardly as cute as I used to be. He would never agree to that statement. And that's why he's so wonderful. :)

Peed On

Today I've been peed on. Our AC broke the week we left for Redding and we haven't had it looked at yet, since summer weather is coming to a close. But, the house has been warm enough that I let Ellinor run around in just a diaper for a couple hours each day to stay cooler. Well, her diapers have this wonderful habit of moving - A LOT! I don't know if it's Ellinor's particular style of gymnastics or the diapers themselves, but the situation leads to some 'gappage.' Last week she was sitting on my lap about to Skype my parents when I felt the wetness trickle on my toes. I was shocked at first because it's been months since I've been peed on, but I couldn't deny that it had just happened. OK - no big deal. One rare occasion isn't something to think too much about. Then this morning I was trying to get mud out of Bryan's white shorts (a totally different meaning of being 'peed' on when everything you try doesn't seem to be working) and Ellinor shoved her cute little hands into the detergent/bleach water. OY. So we went to the kitchen to wash her up and as I lifted her small self to the sink out came the pee. I am totally over it now. Why so much pee action these days? Is she too big for her diapers? Or can she really not be left in just that - perhaps the pants are absolutely needed to keep the guard in place. LOL - anyhoooo, just another joy of motherhood. :)

Trying to think of something creative and fun for the two of us to do this afternoon. My brain is coming up short - perhaps I need a Diet Dr. Pepper to help things along. It may be one of those days. ;)

"What More Can I do That is Right?"

We had Regional Conference today for church - all 146 stakes in Utah County tuned into the same broadcast. Bry wasn't feeling well today so he stayed home with Ellinor and I headed out to the stake center - 25 seconds from our house. I was exhausted this morning so the prospect of a 2 hour meeting wasn't all that appealing, but I am so incredibly grateful that I attended.

We heard from some great speakers with truly wonderful messages. They included the importance of temple attendance, living the true spirit of our religion, teaching our children in the home and focusing on family prayer and study, remembering that we are children of Heavenly Father and acting accordingly, and so on. All good stuff that we really never can get enough of. :)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks was our concluding speaker. While the meeting was being broadcast from the Marriott Center at BYU, it felt as though Oaks was right there in the stake center with us. The spirit that an Apostle of the Lord brings to any meeting is irrefutable. He spoke about the importance of choosing the Lord's way over the world's way, and not being afraid of the world's reaction to us when we do. In our busy lives, with influences screaming at us from every turn, we should not lose focus on the things of Eternity. Choosing to live the Lord's way will indeed be easier for us than living of the world. At the end he stated, "Do your best then Trust in the Lord." I've heard this quote before and it will always be one of my most favorites.

Sometimes I think we need a reminder of how important our decisions in this life are. I need to do better at putting my relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior first. I know that as I do so everything else will naturally fall into place. The balancing act that is life will not be so daunting. Elder Oaks' wife said the above quote, "What More Can I Do That is Right," as a question we should consistently ask ourselves and ask our Heavenly Father in prayer. If that becomes what we strive to do each day we can do no wrong.

I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. I'm grateful for the teachings of faith, love, patience, service and endurance. During this time of political strife and other upheavals that seem to divide us in this country and world, it is important to remember that brotherly/sisterly love transcends all boundaries. Heavenly Father looks at us all as children - if only we were better at doing the same.

My goal for this week - ask this in prayer each day.

Unpacked

Well, we made it home from Redding safe and sound. The drive felt twelve times as long coming home than it did making our way out of town, but I'm sure that's the norm for most of us. Ellinor was a super baby during the drive - I swear, easiest kid ever. Those last few hours were met with some spare tears and a few whines but that was easily remedied. The final 45 minutes of the drive she resorted to licking her feet and crazy alien talk, but so did I in my own way. ;)

Redding was enjoyable! It was wonderful to get out of UT for awhile. It was nice and hot, sunny every day and just what you hope for when in CA (minus the beach). My in-laws are amazing hosts - our every need and whim was taken care of. They really are great to stay with. The grandparent/granddaughter bonding was in full swing and I'm grateful that Ellinor gets to have such a relationship with her grandparents on both sides. It's an amazing feeling to know that your child is loved so incredibly.

The Fosters have a pool at their current home and we frequented it about every day. Bry loves to swim, especially when it's just so HOT outside, and we guessed that Ellinor would love it also. We were not wrong. That girl is a FISH! All we had to do was say the word 'swim' and she was instantly excited. Running to the door that led to the backyard, ready to go. Her favorite thing to do in the pool was have Bry push her around while she was on her stomach - she literally made motor boat noises the entire time they were moving. Not sure where she picked that tid bit up, but it was adorable! I went in the pool a couple of times, but resorted to sitting on the edge with my feet in most of the days. It was a tad chilly in the water - and I'm not a fish at all. Water and I have a love/hate relationship, so we keep it superficial. Haha.

It was nice to hang out with Lexi for a few days before her big MTC report date. Lexi was absolutely ready to hit the road running and we couldn't be more excited for this adventure she is on. I know she will do a lot of good and meet plenty of great people. We are excited to send her packages and keep her in the loop of our little family.

It has been nice to come home and get all unpacked. There is something about having everything back in order that just calms my soul. Some may classify my habits as OCD-related, but my physical well-being is definitely linked to the state of my home and life. I have spent these last two days unpacking, cleaning and organizing. Bry laughs because the house was in great shape already when we got home (I made sure to clean before leaving town), but I notice the difference 100%. Having a week off from the work was wonderful, but it's part of me to clean and organize. It's true - maybe I'm a bit crazy.

Tonight Bry and I decided to move the TV out of our bedroom. The main reason being that we wanted a bigger TV for the upstairs living room and have no desire to spend the money on another one. So, now we are semi unplugged in our room. It's for the best. We don't need to be dependent on TVs all through the house - it's not the best thing for us to watch as much as we do anyhow. I'm predicting that we will sleep better without the distraction. Now I have to figure out another way to fill the empty wall in our room. Thinking some shelving and a large art piece of some sort.

Today felt a little like fall as it cooled down pretty quickly this evening. I'm so excited for fall and the holiday season this year. Not sure if it's because Ellinor is older and will be able to enjoy the experience more fully, or if I am extra festive this time around. Either way - bring on the festivities!

Macaroni and Cheese

Can I just say that sometimes all I want is a giant bowl of Mac & Cheese??! I LOVE it - not every day of course, but more frequent than I like to admit. I've decided that if I'm working out regularly why not let myself enjoy a little bit of cheesy goodness here and there?

Bry's birthday is tomorrow - the big 27! The both of us can't get over how old we are feeling. Hahaha. It's just that we've been married 5 years this Dec, have a beautiful little girl and feel very much adult these days. Time has sure flown. We are driving home tomorrow, so Bry gets to spend his special day on a road trip. What a lucky guy. ;)

I will be posting a more substantial post about our vacation once we are settled back home and I have a spare few minutes. Even blogging takes energy that I can't seem to muster much of these days. Fingers crossed for a safe drive home!

Cali Here We Come!

Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn this little family will be hightailing it to Cali - Redding, specifically. Bry's  parents are living there now and it's due time for a visit. They have been in Crescent City, CA for the last several years but Barry (Bryan's dad) has had a great work opportunity open up in Redding so they jumped right on it. It's definitely less of a haul to get to their new place than Crescent City was, so the road trip shouldn't be too bad. We are looking forward to a break from UT, work, life in general for a little bit. Bry and Ellinor will most likely live in the pool - I'm hoping to brave my bathing suit at least a couple of times to enjoy the water. Fingers crossed that I can get over myself pretty quickly. Haha.

We will also get to visit with our lovely sister Lexi for a few days before she heads off into the mission field - she has been asked to serve in Tampa, FL. We will miss her bunches and bunches, but are so proud of her decision to serve the Lord. Go Lexi!

I'm not sure what all we will be doing during our time in the land of sun and fun, but it sure beats sitting around the house watching day time TV. ;) Ellinor will enjoy some quality time with her grandparents, which is always nice, and I won't mind the extra hands with her. Have I mentioned she's crazy lately?! LOL. I plan on taking plenty of pics to share our adventures, so please hold me to it. I need to document our life more thoroughly as it flies by quicker by the day.

Last night Ellinor and I enjoyed some bonding time over nail polish and cotton balls. She was mostly fascinated with rubbing dry cotton balls all over herself and dropping the nail polish bottles one-by-one into their bag, but I enjoyed having some girly time with her. Loving that we can be more interactive with each other these days as she gets bigger. Having a daughter sure is lovely!

 Anyhoo - I'll update again after our trip, unless something amazing happens during it that I just to have share at that moment. You never know what this little girl will be up to. :)

Ellinor!

Have I mentioned I love my baby girl?! Yes, I know. It may be annoying to some that us mothers are always talking about how amazing our babies are. But, it's just too hard not to!

Ellinor is growing up way too fast for my liking. I know that's how this goes, but it's difficult to watch your baby slowly need you less and less. Ellinor's independence these days is both amazingly wonderful and frustrating. Haha. I love that she can do so much on her own now and watching her discover these new skills is really fun. But with her climbing, running, reaching and new mental capacities comes a lot more hard work for mom and dad. For instance, yesterday I found her on top of the toilet in our master bath. Not just on the toilet seat, but standing up on the back of the tank reaching into our medicine cabinet. Yes, I about had a heart attack. I was imagining her falling backwards and breaking her little head right open. Needless to say bathroom doors have to be monitored at all times, even more so than before. Crazy baby! 

Ellinor loves to walk up and down the stairs - attempting to do so on her own has lead to a few stumbles. Since Bry and I will let her walk them while holding our hands she has seemingly decided that scooting down the stairs is no longer for her. She hasn't quite put it together that without our hands to hold, walking down the stairs is still a bit dangerous. Poor girl just wants to be grown up already. 

We took her for her 18 month check up this week and she has finally reached 20 pounds! That puts her on the growth chart at 3% for the first time ever. Pretty exciting. She is nice and healthy, developing perfectly and loving life. I am often in awe at how friendly and outgoing she is. I am friendly and outgoing once I already know you. Haha. So, she definitely does not get her extrovert qualities from me. 

Ellinor loves to run outside for as long as we'll let her. She doesn't poop out nearly as quickly as she used to. She is finally starting to eat more variety now that she's using a fork for every meal. The fork must have some magical qualities because all of the sudden she is ok with those green beans on her plate. Too funny. Daddy's iPad is her favorite toy, much to his chagrin at times, and she works that thing better than me by far. Her new obsession is playing the racing game on the computer with Bryan. She will just lay there on him and watch him race, occasionally playing with the controls herself. She will come running down the hallway with the game control in her hand and lead Bryan to the office. Too cute. 

Mimicking happens 24 hours a day. Everything I do, she must do. It's hilarious watching her try to copy our funny faces. She runs about the house wearing our shoes, getting into my jewelry case and dragging my purse along with her. She has decided that she loves to "sweep," and the pantry door is no longer hard for her to access. So I will find her pulling out the broom and pushing it along the kitchen floor. She is also quite fond of grabbing hand towels and wiping down all the furniture. :) Bry says I must clean too much, but I think she just loves cleaning as much as I do already. Haha. 

Anyway, I could go on and on about the fun that is Ellinor. This Sunday she goes to nursery for the first time. I am anxious about leaving her, though I'm positive she will absolutely love playing with all the other kids. Probably won't miss me at all, but I'm already having slight panic attacks. I am looking forward to enjoying church a little bit more as I will actually be able to enjoy the lessons. ;) So, we will see how it goes!!

Ellinor decided to wear only one sandal all day

Shopping at Macey's - this only prevented a breakdown for about 3 minutes

Knocking on the door at the doctor's office

Crying for Dad to come play the racing game