News since last post:
: A couple of weeks ago, Ellie started saying "Hi!" It's a high pitched, two syllable hi. Then, last week, Justin went in to get her from her crib when she woke up, and she proudly said, "Hi, Dada!" We were shocked. The fact that she's learning to communicate (other than grunting, moaning, and squealing) is amazing to us.
: For the past 6 weeks or so, all Ellie wants to do is walk, as we're hunched over her, holding her hands. Since this is less than appealing to our aching backs, we decided to buy Ellie a walker. Apparently, she would much rather us strain ourselves than walk with her new toy.
: Ellie continues to enjoy swim and music class. Other favorite activities are going to the grocery store and the hike and bike trail. Justin took Ellie to the grocery store solo for the first time last week since I am sick. Clearly he wasn't prepared for the amount of attention that he received. Since our daughter loves to ham it up with just about anyone who will give her the time of day, fellow grocery shoppers literally stopped in their tracks to dote on our daughter. If only they could see her little tantrums to realize it's not all rainbows and sunshine...
: Ellie also knows to wave when you say hi/hello and bye bye.
: We introduced finger foods this past week. So far, cheese seems to be her favorite... like mother, like daughter.
: We brush Ellie's teeth and gums after her bath and before bed every night (or every night that we remember), and she is obsessed with it. Let's hope this sticks so that we can avoid a mouthful of cavities in the future.
: We had Ellie's 9 month check up on Monday. Our wee one had these stats - if her pattern continues, she'll be in single digit percentiles at her 1-year checkup...:
* 26" - 10%
* 16.7 lbs - 16%
* Forgot the head measurements, but it was in the 70%
: This party of 3 embarks on a 9 day holiday travel "adventure" on Friday. First stop, KC, where we have about 82 people to visit. Then, onto Chicago to celebrate the holidays with Justin's family. Needless to say, Justin and I already have a sitter lined up for when we return. Something tells me we're really going to need a parents day out to recover from this one...
In other news, we have officially hit the 10,000+ visitor mark on our blog. Who knew that this silly little blog would spark so much interest (although I'm sure half of those visits are from Nana, Bama, and Grammy). I initially started the blog to include family and friends on pregnancy updates. Because most of our family and friends live outside Austin, it was simply too difficult to email and call people on an individual basis. Now that Ellie has joined our family, it's been a great way to keep everyone up to date on Ellie's development.
We hope every has a very Merry Christmas and Happy/Healthy 2013!
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| We thought we outsmarted Ellie by getting a mini-tree and placing on a ledge up high. If it's plugged in, we find her chewing on the tag on the cord. |
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| Yes, it's warm enough in Austin for Ellie to get giant mosquito bites... |
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| Peek-a-boo! |
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| Two of her faves - Daddy's hat and dried mango. |
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| Yay! Thanks to Grandma Pat, The Thomases all have matching stockings made with love. |
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| New wheels and early Christmas present from the Parentals. Now, if only she would USE it, instead of us. |
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| Ellie & Nora holding hands at music class. Could it get any sweeter? Note that this is one of the rare moments she actually sat still in the 4 weeks of class... |
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| One of Ellie's favorite chew toys, a baster... courtesy of Aunt Cathy. |
Dadadadadadadada...
Ellie refuses to use the aforementioned walker. Refusal = aches/pains for us. KC/Chicago Friends & Family, prepare yourself to be put into the "walking" rotation...
Swim class action - 2 second submersion...
Does anyone find it strange that our daughter is unfazed by Daddy's various costumes? It's like she already knows that this is "normal" for our family...
