Always Busy, Always Silly

I found this climber/slide on craigslist for cheap, so we decided to get it for Ellie. Once the weather gets a little nicer I think we will move it outside; it takes up quite a bit of space in the living room.

Ellie didn't waste any time figuring out how to climb up and slide down. She absolutely loves it! I have been able to cook many dinners without "help" since we got it! Notice that Kip waits for her at the bottom of the slide...

Ellie has been really into trying to put hats on this last week. Here she kind of succeeded... the hat is on inside-out!

Another new skill - climbing onto the bed. She is very proud of herself.







For some reason Ellie decided to walk around holding the leg holes of her pants yesterday. She looks like she is ready to wade across a creek!

Buddies

Ellie has had some wonderful times with friends this week. On Monday we went to a new park with Hailey, Berlin, and Jamison. Ellie enjoyed running around and swinging with Jamison.

What a silly giant frog!!!

Swinging with Jamison.

And then, yesterday, we broke out the sand and water tables. You may remember that I wanted to get Ellie one of these, but there was no way I was going to spend $100, so I decided to build one myself. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. I still need to get the blue/purple paint on it, but other than that it is done. It stood up to the neighbor kids quite well - a true test!

The aftermath. Ellie was covered head to toes (literally, thanks to Jamison :) with sand and water.

Some of the "alley kids."

Ellie and her buddy, Jamison.

I feel so lucky that we live in a neighborhood where Ellie has so many friends. Ellie especially loves when she gets to play with Jamison. We can see his front door and garage from our dining room window. I always know when their garage door goes up or someone walks out of the front door because Ellie starts pounding on the window, clapping, laughing, and saying, "Eeeee, eeeee!"

Easter Egg "Hunting"

We had a little "Easter egg hunt" at home on Easter. Ellie had a little cloth "basket" (thank you, Target dollar bins) and a dozen bright plastic eggs. The eggs were empty, but Ellie didn't care. It seems that the Easter Bunny is smart enough to know that anything small enough to fit in an egg is small enough for a 1 year old to swallow.

A First Time For Everything

Last week Ellie had two big "firsts."

On Wednesday I left Ellie with a "babysitter" for the first time - she went and played with Jamison and his mama Hailey (my awesome friend who, conveniently, also happens to be our neighbor). Ellie did fantastically - no tears - while I was at the dermatologist getting moles cut off... lots of fun. I think that leaving her for an hour and a half was much more difficult for me than it was for her. I was on edge the whole time, waiting for the cell phone to ring with wailing in the background... but Ellie never seemed to miss me. Sad for Mama, but good for Little One.

The next day Ellie went to the dentist for the first time. She had a fantastic time, looking at the fish tank, playing with toys, picking out a toothbrush, etc. However she didn't seem to understand why anyone would make her lay down on a table and look in her mouth, while a big light loomed above her. At that point the screaming began and it didn't stop until we were riding the elevator back down. The conversation with the dentist was a series of shouts over her tears:

• "OH, SO EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD?"
• "NO, SHE DOESN'T SCREAM AT HOME WHEN WE BRUSH HER TEETH!"
• "WE COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS?"
• "GREAT, IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU TOO!"

I was proud of her though. She did a really good job for her first visit in a strange place, with a strange man poking at her mouth. He pointed out that she is cutting no less than FOUR teeth on top right now (first molars on both sides and canines on both sides) and has both first molars on the bottom moving up. She has very tender gums...

How have your kiddos done at the dentist? How old were they when you took them for the first time?

Fun Times

I try to "do" something with Ellie every day. We usually get out of the house in the mornings and go to the story time at the library, a playgroup, etc. Last week I signed Ellie up for a "dance" class (and I am using the word "dance" quite liberally). We have also been going to a large gym on Fridays that is filled with all kinds of toys (and kids). It is especially nice on the cold winter days. Here are some pictures of these recent adventures.

First, the dance class:

Catching bubbles on a feather.

Oops. Eating the ball.

"Dancing" with a scarf.

These next pictures are from the indoor play at the gymnasium:

Riding on a scooter-board.

Not too sure about the parachute.

"Look! I found a beanbag!"

More Zoo Pictures

I thought I would post a few more zoo pictures. I love these shots of Ellie and Daddy looking at the Rhino!

After the rhino Ellie spent some time walking in the bark and shaking the branches of the bushes. I took pictures while Tim monitored nearby to make sure she didn't poke her eye out.

Yesterday and today I took Ellie to a free trial of a dance class at a local dance studio. It is just for babies and toddlers (and parents) and is education-based, paired with music and movement. Ellie really enjoyed it; in fact she let out a big squeal when we walked into the room today and then ran over to where the musical instruments are stored and began to help herself to them. I decided to sign her up for the class, so the lucky girl will get to go nine more times! Yay!

Thirteen Months Old

We have spent most of this month wishing Ellie would stay this age forever! She is such a joy to spend each day with - always discovering something new and trying out new skills. But, don't get me wrong, she is definitely a handful!

How Ellie has changed over the past month:

• Running, or pretty darn close to it.
• Throwing her food... not the best skill.
• Pulling the cat's tail... again, not the best skill.
• Spitting... once more, not the best skill.
• Still sleeping fairly well at night; sometimes she wakes up a time or two, but usually gets back to sleep with minimal help from us.
• Two naps still, though I think the morning one is gradually fading out. She typically goes down in the morning at 8:45am and sleeps for 45 minutes; then goes down in the afternoon at 12:45pm and sleeps for an hour or so.
• Favorite foods: Tomatoes (this should sound familiar to my parents), cucumbers, blue berries, black beans, salmon, avocado, and turkey or grilled cheese sandwiches. She pretty much eats anything that we give her, though she definitely prefers things that are colorful (fruits and veggies).
  

Events of the last month:

• First trip to the zoo - Ellie's favorite parts were the geese that ran around on pathways and the strange looking teenagers that she saw. Gee... we could have saved $20 and done that at home...
• Final (hopefully) visit to the Children's Hospital. Ellie got the a-okay on her hips after another round of x-rays. The doctor wants us to keep an eye on her out-turned right foot, but as long as it doesn't become worse over the next year, then we'll be in the clear on that one too. Yay!!!

Upcoming Events

• Flying to Idaho in April
• Her first trip to Kansas to meet her Great-Grandma P. in May. This will be Ellie's first long car trip - we are already praying for a contended baby during the ride there and back!

And finally, a couple of pictures. The first one is Ellie looking at the rhino at the zoo. The second one is getting ready to go down the slide with Daddy at our neighborhood playground.