Tender Mercies

Playtime

2012-01-31T21:42:00.002-07:00

So it felt warmer than it probably was, and we stopped by the park on our way home from the grocery store. The girls were in heaven, and played until I thought their hands and noses were too cold (after about half an hour). So much fun!

Water and Birthday Celebrations

2012-01-29T23:45:00.024-07:00

Ellie loves to play with her turtle watering can in the bathtub. Today in the middle of the long, lazy Sunday after noon we were having, she ran and got it and asked to play with it. That sounded like a great idea to me, so I stripped the girls down and we spent an awesome hour getting soaking wet in the kitchen sink.

Lulu took lots of drinks of the warm water

there was lots of taking turns and sharing the water

and a few instances of sibling rivalry

love Lulu's clover tongue!

and her adorable thighs

We only stopped when it was time to get dressed to go to Grandma's house. Ellie arranged these towels all by herself.

Then it was off to Grandma's for a birthday dinner for Teri and myself. Ellie fell asleep in the truck on the way there, and then slept for another half an hour on Grandma's couch. Lynnie played peek-a-boo with everyone and pretended to be shy. After a yummy dinner, it was time for presents. Mom brought back lots of things from her trip to Shanghai to visit Amy for Christmas.

Love these awesome outfits from Aunt Amy! Gwen and Ellie look adorable.

Lynnie went for the stairs a lot, and tried to squeeze past Grandma's chair to get there.

but she got stuck!

Funny Things

2012-01-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

Lynnie sits in the high chair the same way Ellie used to, with one foot--or both--propped up on her tray. Lynnie wants to feed herself, and she does an OK job. She will let me squeeze baby food in her mouth (the kind that comes in a pouch), but she rarely lets me put a spoon in her mouth.

Ellie pulled some bottles and cups out of the cupboard, and spent a good hour pretending to fill them up in her kitchen sink, give drinks to her babies and animals, and then put them all to bed.

Ellie has decided she does not like to wear clothes at home. She sure is cute running around in her undies!

Lunch with Lynlee's birth mom was super fun, and brought back so many memories! Greg and I first met her at Zupa's, and it was almost surreal to think about how our relationship has changed since that first meeting.

Ellie likes to hold up her finger and say things like, "hold on one minute." Hmmm, I wonder where she learned that?

Ellie also likes to "steal" Greg's pen and put it in her shirt, the same way he puts it in his.

Whew! After eating and waking up a little, Lynnie was back to her normal, happy self. She did all of her tricks and was super cute during the visit.

Socks, Tile, Glue, and Amazement

2012-01-22T20:49:00.001-07:00

Ellie has (subconsciously) channeled her cousins Kylene & Kiera. She loves to wear one Dora sock and one Boots sock.

The basement kitchen tile is in, and it looks awesome. The tile guys had to quite a bit of leveling to our uneven concrete floor, and then work was underway. I fell in love at the showroom with a tile that looks like wide plank hardwood floors.

Usually Ellie wants to snuggle Daddy at night, but this time she was all about snuggling me, and she fell asleep in less than 3 minutes. So sweet!

The girls and I were doing crafts, and I was so excited to spot the lid of a glue stick in the cupboard, because I thought we were totally out. Ellie was having a hey day rubbing that glue all over the pictures, and we were singing Hush Little Baby Don't Say a Word to beat the band (to mix my metaphors). I could not figure out why the pictures would not stick to the backing paper; I just chalked it up to old glue. A few hours later, I took a closer look at the glue stick and realized we had been trying to glue with sunblock. Yep, sunblock. Guess I need to pay a leetle bit more attention next time it is craft day!

There are some clothes from last summer stashed in a drawer in Lynlee's room that I always forget to put away when I am switching clothes in and out of bins for sizes or seasons. Ellie and Lynnie like to pull them out and put them on the baby dolls or just play with them. Ellie found a pair of capris that Tayler had given E for her first Christmas, and insisted that she needed to wear them. They are size 6-9 months, so I knew they wouldn't fit her, but I gave it a try to humor her. To Ellie's delight and my amazement, they pulled right up! It's amazing how much littler Ellie's bum is now, without a bulky diaper in the way.

Video -- Lynnie's Tricks

2012-01-17T13:38:00.001-07:00

Lynnie's Signs

2012-01-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Lynnie has really taken off with signing lately. She has been really good at signing the few signs I had taught her, and I have made an effort lately to watch the Signing Time shows with her. She loves to mimic the signs, and is picking them up right and left. Lynnie loves perform, also. All of these pics were taken as she showed me some of her signs.

BABY

DRINK

EAT

FISH

Ellie was watching WordWorld and drinking some water this morning (and she kept it down--hallelujah!) and wanted to stay on the couch while I took a shower. I came back out to find her like this, and I am glad she slept for almost 2 hours. Hopefully she gets all better quickly!

Bathroom Tile is In...

2012-01-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

...and it looks great!

Lynlee is 14 Months Old

2012-01-08T23:02:00.002-07:00

Mom, she's taking her sticker off! I will help her.

waving "bye bye" because Ellie said she was leaving

At 14 months old, Lynlee

~ is wearing 18 & 24 month clothes, size 3 shoes, size 4 diapers

~ has 2 teeth

~ has decided that baby food fruit is yummy, and will tolerate eating baby cereal at night

~ likes to take a bite of a cracker and spit it right out. When she drinks from her cup, will take in a whole mouthful of liquid, and then spit it all back out.

~ has adjusted really well to her glasses. Pretty much leaves them alone, unless she tries to rub her eyes.

~ loves to walk, holding on to fingers

~ will answer these questions: what does a kitty cat say? MAO. what does a doggie say? RUFF. what does a birdie say? TWEE. what does a lion say? ROAR

~ loves to sing The Wheels on the Bus and do all of the actions. Will put her finger by her mouth and say SHHH for the mommies on the bus verse.

~ loves to say MAMA, DAD, and LULU

~ loves to climb. Can climb in the kid chairs and always tries to climb on the couch. Just this morning climbed on the step stool in the bathroom and then onto the toilet lid.
~ is a little mimic! Will say so many words and animal noises when she is mimicking.
~ shakes her head for NO, nods her head for YES, loves to wave for BYE BYE and HELLO
~ if she hears someone cough, Lulu will fake cough and cover her mouth

Happenings

2012-01-06T22:40:00.002-07:00

The other night while I was giving Lynnie a bath, Ellie dragged out Lynnie's dolphin, bear (a gift from Uncle Matthew for Christmas) and Tinkerbell blankets and pretended to be asleep. And she convinced Greg to "sleep" with her!

Lynnie is so close to walking! We walk all over the house, all day long, and she is pretty comfortable only holding on to one of my hands. When I sit on the floor with her and put her out in front of me, she will take 2-3 steps towards me before falling in my arms. It is so cute how much she laughs and giggles while she falls. She will throw her arms in the air and her head back and just launch herself forward.

This is the last time Ellie will be able to wear this outfit--the pants are just too short! I wanted to capitalize on the opportunity by taking some sister pictures. Neither sister was very interested, but I did get this one good shot...

...and then Lulu tried to attack the camera!

Ellie used to be obsessed with Band-Aids, and always wanted them to "help her feel better." We could only put them on her fingers, though, because it hurt to take them back off of anywhere else. She has discovered that these foam stickers are easy on-easy off, and they have become her new obsession. Today she told me her tummy hurt and she needed a 'raffe and a sun and a roar to help her feel better.

Ellie is doing so awesome with potty training, and she wears real underwear during the day now. She hasn't had an accident in almost a week!

P.S. I have to give a shout-out to Kelly's new picture a day blog: http://kingdom366.blogspot.com/. She is an amazing photographer, made even more amazing by her new 16 megapixel Nikon that she got for Christmas. She also has a new idea blog: http://funinthekingdom.blogspot.com/. Check them out!

Paint Colors

2011-12-31T15:19:00.001-07:00

Picking everything out for the basement is fun, and a little nerve-wracking. I love how the paint colors turned out, so that is a good thing! We stuck with the same basic neutral (Lulled Beige) for the family room and bathrooms, and I picked Nasturtium for the playroom and an accent wall in Espresso for the guest bedroom. The trim and ceilings are in Apple Peel. I still laugh that I picked that color originally for upstairs, because it is the same color our entire Salisbury house was. Subconsciously, I must love that color...

The playroom is such a happy color, and even though it just got done on Thursday, I smile every time I walk downstairs! My second favorite thing is the white ceilings. What a difference that makes! I still regret that we didn't pony up the extra money to do that on the main floor when we were building...

Fun at Costco

2011-12-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

The girls were giggling and chattering in the cart. So sweet!

Christmas

2011-12-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Sitting in her new chair, holding Ellie's phone

Ellie and Lynnie enjoyed their new play kitchen a lot! They played with it for about an hour Christmas morning before Ellie decided she was ready to open the rest of her presents. Lynnie was more interested in the wrapping paper than in any actual presents. It was a fun morning!

playing again after church and naps

Ellie likes to "hold" Daddy

We met with my siblings (sans Amy who couldn't quite make it from Shanghai) on Monday for dinner and a gift exchange. Robyn & Kevin cooked a delicious dinner and then we opened presents. Lynnie snuggled right in with Robyn and was content for the whole time. Ellie was a busy beaver and wanted to "help" everyone open their gifts.

Lynnie's haul included play food and a shopping basket from Aunt Bobi and hippo, rhino, and lion figurines from Aunt Robyn (that she picked up in South Africa)

Ellie's haul was a shopping basket full of food and a turtle figurine

Glasses

2011-12-23T22:00:00.002-07:00

I got a call from the ophthalmologist right before we left to meet Grandma & Grandpa et al. that Lynlee's glasses were done. After playing hard and getting the girls to take naps, we headed to Primary Children's' Medical Center at the Riverton Hospital to pick up Lynlee's glasses. She was a little unsure at first, but she did really well with all of the fittings.

before

after

The first night, Lynnie did a lot of touching and pulling at the glasses, but ever since then she has left them alone. What an adaptable baby!

what a darling!

Tender Mercies

2011-12-22T21:27:00.014-07:00

We got to play today with Tayler, Matthew, and Grandma & Grandpa. It was so much fun! Grandma had the great idea to go to Kangaroo Zoo, and after Ellie figured out what she could do, she had a great time. Good thing Tayler was there, because she was able to help Ellie climb ladders and go down slides!

These 3 spent a lot of time like this!

Driving home, I was struck anew with gratitude and love for our birth mothers and their families. They are such tender mercies in my life! Where would I be without Tayler or M, or Ellie or Lynlee? I do not know how to describe the joy that I feel daily as a result of these beautiful women. Their choice to place E & L in our family is a decision I do not take lightly, and I honor them for it.

Some of our Favorite People

2011-12-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

Mom-Julie, Hailey, and Nick brought over some fabulous Christmas presents for the girls and stayed for about an hour. They only left because Lynnie was so tired she was actually crying for her bed! They are such good friends and we feel privileged to know them.

Nick shared M&M's -- if he wasn't already Ellie's favorite person, he is after that!

Lynnie always wants Hailey, and will jump out of my arms to get to her!

Odds & Ends

2011-12-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Lyssa sporting a really cool hat at our Christmas party!

Snuggles for Grandma Camp!

Playing next to cousin Gwen.

The finish work took quite a while, but the results are beautiful. Closets with built-in shelves and windowsills, couldn't be better!

Ophthalmologist, Again

2011-12-15T23:06:00.003-07:00

Ellie loves to say "cheese", and notice that she is wearing 4 watches. Why only wear 1 when you have 4 available?

Lynlee is fascinated with the noises that are constantly coming from the basement. She tries to look down and see what is going on. And I cannot seem to keep ahead of the construction dust, no matter how much I clean...

We headed back to the ophthalmologist for our follow-up appointment, and the instant the doctor walked in, he said, "yup, she needs glasses!" Lynlee's eyes have come more pronounced with her accommodative esotropia as she has gotten older. He remeasured her just in case and chatted with us a little, and then we headed out the door.

Reading books waiting for the doctor. Only had to wait 50 minutes...

Ellie watched a Dora the Explorer episode 2.5 times while we were waiting.

What is that man doing? I don't really like it!

Luckily, there is an eye doctor located right next door to the ophthalmologist that specializes in pediatric glasses. Lynnie was hesitant at first, I think mostly because I was trying to hold her and put glasses on at the same time. Once Greg was holding her and I was putting frames on and off, she was totally fine. Ellie wanted to try some on also! The glasses will take about a week, so we may not get them until after Christmas. This will be another fun adventure.

Ellie likes to tell people she is 4 years old, and I thought theses glasses made her look that old -- I didn't like it! Lynnie looks darling, though, don't you think?

The winners -- purple frames, of course!

It took a few minutes to get Lynnie all fitted out. Ellie just played her favorite app on my phone (Kid Mode/Zoodles).

On the way out, we had to get a picture of Lynnie with the dolphin in the mural!

Finally...

2011-12-10T18:26:00.001-07:00

....I talked Greg into getting an artificial, pre-lit tree. We used to always get fresh trees from Uncle Ed, who brought loads down from Montana to sell, but we haven't had a tree in at least 5 years. Since we are staying home this Christmas, it was time to get a tree!

Greg captured this picture of the girls playing together -- sweet moments!

Look at our fun, new toy!

Daddy, I help you!

Assembling the tree was really fast and easy. Ellie was a big helper, and Lynlee had fun watching and bouncing and growling.

"I just take a break and sing in my mi-phone."

We cannot locate our Christmas boxes in the stacks in the garage, so they are obviously buried deep. I have started a tradition of buying a new ornament every year for the girls, and these new ones were accessible in Lynnie's closet. So, we have 5 ornaments on the tree this year!

Ward Christmas Party

2011-12-09T19:59:00.003-07:00

A fun night at the Ward Christmas Party! Yummy food, great company, and an amazing show. Madelin showed off her clogging skills, and Ellie was in heaven playing with all of her friends. Julie and Hailey would not let me hold Lynnie, even though I kept on asking for her back!

Lynlee is 13 Months Old

2011-12-08T23:31:00.010-07:00

At 13 months old, Lynlee

~ is wearing 18 & 24 month clothes, size 3 shoes, size 4 diapers

~ is getting longer (her 18 month clothes fit better now, and she is easier to take out of the Bumbo -- her legs don't get stuck as much)

~ will sign: milk, more, all done, bye bye, fish, dog, bird, bath. Shakes her head for "no"

~ says: mama, dada, lala (but not Lulu), um-mah (for milk), uh oh, and makes lots of animal sounds -- ruff (dog), growls, etc. Loves to sing with music and babble while "talking" with you. Will repeat sounds and likes to mimic.

~ pays so much attention to what is going on around her. For example, anytime anyone even says the word "accident," Lynnie says "uh oh." She loves to sing the accident song (from Potty Time) with Ellie!

~ understands lots of words. Will dance if you say dance, smack the water when you say smack, and things like that.

~ likes to push things around while walking, like chairs and her music table

~ loves to open and shut drawers and doors

~ is not afraid to try new foods, if she can feed herself. Even loved Jonette's famous Kraut Noodles!

~ loves to hug her stuffed animals, especially her 3 stuffed dogs. She has one in her bed, one in the car, and one in the family room.

~ loves to play in the bath. She has started bending over to put her face in the water, and then she pops back up and laughs!

~ is the sweetest baby. We sure love our Lynnie Lu!

A Good Reminder

2011-12-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

My friend Carrie left a comment yesterday on my post from 2 years ago,Gratitude for our Trials, and I am really grateful. It was good for me to go back and re-read that post.

As much as I enjoy and cherish motherhood, it is not all sunshine and roses. Some days are flat-out hard. It is good sometimes to step back and evaluate how amazing my life is and how many blessings I have. Especially when one of those blessings is crying or throwing a tantrum...

So, thank you, Carrie! I needed that reminder yesterday.

2011-12-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Ellie makes Lynnie laugh harder and louder than anyone else.

Lynnie loves this chair. She can climb into it in a couple of seconds, but has a harder time getting back out. We are working on it! She now will try to turn around and back out, but she gets stuck most of the time.

Lynnie loves to bounce up and down, getting on her knees. She has really good balance.

One of Lynnie's favorite games is peek-a-boo! She plays it all of the time, with almost any object.

Ellie has decided that she does not want to take naps anymore. I am still having an afternoon rest time, and she generally plays pretty happily in her bed for 45 minutes or so. It is actually not a bad deal, because without a nap she is so tired that she goes to bed before 7:30 every night. And she gets a little zoned-out in the afternoons!

Today we had rest time in her bed for about 30 minutes, but then it was time to play again. I was finishing up some Relief Society stuff, and Ellie was rocking her baby. Less than a minute later, she was asleep...

Videos

2011-12-01T14:24:00.002-07:00

Ellie loves her new video, Potty Time. She has all of the songs memorized already, and we practice going on the potty a few times a day. I need to just buckle down and train her for real. And notice that Lynnie says "uh oh" in perfect timing with this song! She always chimes in.

Lynnie can climb stairs! Ours are a construction mess, so she has never done them.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:37:00.003-07:00

A couple of days ago, Lynnie figured out how to climb up in Ellie's Ikea chair. Lu is so proud of herself! She loves to sit there, and stand up, and bounce, and try to reach the blinds. She has been having a lot of fun in that chair.

Thanksgiving morning, the girls slept in. It was awesome to have a slow morning on a holiday. Greg's parents came by for a quick look at the sheet rocked basement, and then it was pie time! Greg is something of a pie-making expert now, and he makes really good crusts. At least, that's what people tell me. I am not a fan of pie crust, so I never eat his pies. This year, the menu included pumpkin and apple (bought at Costco), blueberry and cherry (made by Greg) and banana cream and coconut cream (made by me with a shortbread crust).

*Side note: Thanks to my gourmet cook/baker friend, Elizabeth, I knew I needed to try the Lion House recipes, with her twist on toasting all of the coconut for the coconut cream pie (mixed in and sprinkled on top). So delicious! I am so grateful for NAET and the fact that I was able to eat a little of both pies and not be sick. A true Thanksgiving miracle!

After our pies were ready and Lynnie was awake from her nap, we headed to Greg's parents for the rest of the day. Ellie was a little cranky, since she was skipping her nap, but as soon as Tammy asked if E wanted a massage, she was all smiles and ready to play with all of her cousins.

Dinner was delicious, thanks to the combined efforts of everyone! We split up all of the assignments to give back to Greg's parents, who graciously host pretty much every year. They still had plenty of work to do without worrying about the cooking.

I love my cousins! (and note that Kyralyn has a full plate, and Ellie has her snacks...sigh)

Babies are the most fun of all!

Luckily the weather was gorgeous, and the youngest ones had a great time playing outside.

Then Jazzy pretended she was a doll, and Ellie and Kyralyn put her to bed. Jasmine was very convincing with her cries and sleeping noises.

I wanted to get a family picture, because I love Thanksgiving and everything it represents. Timing-wise, I did not try until we were minutes away from packing up to come home. And we were ready to go home because Ellie was about to fall asleep and a little cranky. This is the best one Staci managed to get for us (and it was the first one taken):

In all of the rest, Ellie had her finger on or in her nose, or

her eyes were covered, or

she was picking on Lynnie and making her cry.

I am so grateful for these beautiful girls and their amazing birth mothers. Lynlee's shirt says "everyone is thankful for me" -- and that could not be more true.

More Progress

2011-11-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

Lots of noise and dust at our house lately! Sheet rock is in, and impressively installed by a guy working alone with a contraption that holds the sheet rock for him.

Our contractor and friend Cody came to convert the arch opening into the living room into a set of double doors for an office/study. Ellie is fascinated with Cody! She loves to talk to him, and he is so nice to her.

Here's what I've discovered: a regular ol' broom cleans up sheet rock dust better than the Swiffer. And, it catches me by surprise every time I come down the hallway and see that bigger, square opening.

Catch Up

2011-11-22T22:53:00.001-07:00

With the first real winter storm coming, Greg came home a little early from work on Friday to mow the grass one more time and put down the winter fertilizer. I bundled up the girls and pulled out the rest of the things from the garden. It started out so warm and nice, and we could tell when the wind shifted. If anyone needs some carrots, let me know! It was amazing how many carrots and potatoes we still had left. It took me at least 6 hours to scrub them all over a two-day period.

Ellie was jumping Lambie and Barney

Perfect shirt for a perfect girl!

"I love my sister. She is my best friend!"

"I help you make dinner. I need a whisk!"

For a while I thought Lynnie would be a good eater, because she started out marginally better than Ellie, but that has not turned out to be the case. We had a little breakthrough on Sunday night. She fed herself her apple/kiwi/mango concoction, and ate about half a jar. That is the most baby food she has eaten at one time--ever!

we go back to the ophthalmologist in December to recheck her eyes

love my dolphin toys!

We got to play with cousins Jasmine and Byron today, and it sure was fun! I had a nice chat with Jayme and the kids did really well together. Ellie loved saying things like, "Jazzy, you play me? Jazzy, ca-mere! By-by, you OK?"

Byron entertained himself a lot, staying out of all the girls' way

Basement Progress

2011-11-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

The basement is coming along! We have had an inspection, the plumbing and electrical are done (for pre-sheet rock) and the insulation is in. Learning from Elizabeth, I wanted insulation on all the interior walls around the bathrooms. Now we need one more inspection, and the sheet rock will be installed.

This may be my favorite part of the basement -- they blew out the single door and will put in double, glass doors. So much light on the landing now!

Our Week

2011-11-16T19:29:00.002-07:00

I have taken less pictures than normal this week, but here are some things we have been doing:

loving all drawers and cabinets--sure is fun to pull things out!

The messing-my-pants position. Will she kill me for taking this picture someday?

playing ring-around-the-rosy with Bear and Lambie

Ensemble Festival

another birthday celebration with Grandma Camp

playing games on Mom's phone while sitting in a "bed" of her own creation

snuggling with Sister

Picture #10,000

2011-11-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

sisterly love

This is the 10,000th picture I have taken on the camera I got for Christmas last year.

Wow.

I read once on Stacy Julian's blog something to the effect of, if you only had 12 pictures of your childhood, they would be infinitely precious, no matter the quality of the photos or the events/people depicted. If you have 20,000 pictures, they lose their effectiveness, unless there is a story associated with them.

Hence the reason I try to blog and journal about the amazing journey I call my life. I take a lot of pictures (and delete a lot as well), but I do not want to miss documenting the life of these precious babies.

Mine is a Wonderful Life

2011-11-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Greg, Ellie, Lulu and I were all on the family room floor, playing together. Greg was laid out full-length on a stack of three pillows after Ellie had put him to bed. Lynnie was alternating between "getting" Daddy and "getting" me, laughing and giggling amidst growls while falling on us. Ellie was crawling on Dad, and sitting on his shoulder, and singing songs. Her favorite was when we sang, "Bazoo, Bazoo, Butz" because the lyrics talk about a goat who goes bump and a donkey who kicks. She loved bouncing on Dad while singing this song!

I found myself struck anew at how wonderful life is. I wanted to capture this simple moment forever. In 5 or 10 or 20 years, I know it will be moments like this that we will look back on and say, "Remember when the girls were little and we...?"

Lulu's Doctor's Appointment

2011-11-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

1 Year Old

Doctor's Appointment

Length: 29.25 inches = 50th percentile

Weight: 24 pounds 4 ounces = 90th percentile

Head Circumference: 46.5 centimeters = 90th percentile

so happy before we get messed with

For the first time ever, we had shots before the doctor came in to do her exam. This was not a happy order, and Lulu was upset for a long time. She cried harder than I have ever heard her.

I help her feel better!

Before we went to the doctor, I was talking with Ellie about it, and Ellie told me the doctor would look in Lulu's ears and mouth and listen to her heart, and give her shots. Then she said that daddy would help Lulu feel better, and "I help her too because I no get shots." I assured her that it was not her turn for a shot, just Lynnie's.

Well, when we got there the nurse told us we all needed flu shots. Ellie was a trooper, though, and got her shot with almost no crying. In the car on the way home, she told me, "this leg OK, this leg owie." She walked with a limp most of the day. I am not sure if her leg really hurt, or if she was perfecting her pretending skills.

Lulu is 12 Months Old

2011-11-10T09:07:00.001-07:00

At 12 months old, Lulu:

~ is wearing 18 month shirts, 24 month pants and dresses, size 3 shoes, size 4 diapers

~ is very expressive and vocal! Loves to make sounds, especially growling-type noises. Says "uh oh" and signs more, milk, eat, and bath. Will imitate many more signs.

~ loves her bath! Whenever I change her diaper, Lulu will sign "bath" and giggle and get so excited. Then she protests when her clothes get put back on. In the bathtub, she has started sucking on her washcloth, and she loves to splash the water. She is so active that even Ellie has started to tell her, "be careful, stay on your bum, please!"

~ can click her tongue

~ likes to play independently. Often, I will sit on the floor with her and try to play, and Lulu just wants to do her own thing. (I think that's good, but sometimes it makes me sad...)

~ is snuggly and cuddly and so squeezable

~ loves Club crackers, tolerates sweet potatoes and carrots, and most emphatically does not like oatmeal anymore

~ loves to drink from a sippy cup

Lynlee's Happy Day!

2011-11-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Lynlee is one year old, and I cannot believe how fast this year is gone! All day I was thinking about her and the amazing baby she is. I am so grateful to her birth mom for choosing us to parent Lynlee. I cannot imagine my life or our family without her.

It is so cute to me how Ellie says "happy day" for "happy birthday." For at least a month, she would talk about how Lynnie's happy day was coming. The week preceding the event, she said, "it's almost Lulu's happy day!"

My favorite decoration was Lynlee's photo banner. I had so much fun going through all of her belly sticker shots and picking my favorite ones. She has changed a lot in her first year, and yet I still see her in all of the pictures.

We started our celebrations with a wonderful visit with Lynnie's birth family. It was great to talk and laugh--it has been too long since we have seen them! I loved hearing about their lives and learning more about Lynnie's birthmom.

this little puppy is one of Lynnie's favorite toys

Opening presents was fun! Lynnie was hesitant at first (really, you are going to let me play with this paper?). She loved the bow that was on Grandma's present the best.

Ellie can get Lulu to smile better than anyone else!

Papa is funny!

Tinkerbell decorations, of course

After Lynnie's birth family left, Ellie helped me get the rest of the cupcakes done for our next party. She was a big helper all day, and helped me bake the cupcakes, too. She loved licking the batter off of the spatula!

My second cupcake of the day sure is yummy! I decorated this one myself, with four toothpicks, and I licked the frosting off of each one. Can't let that go to waste.

Lulu did better eating her second cupcake at our second party with family and friends. I gave her a funfetti one the first time, and she seemed to like the chocolate one a lot better. She is no dummy!

Aunt Staci brought Ellie a present also, and she and Kyralyn had a lot of fun putting the stickers on their faces.

I love Mom-Julie!

Exploits

2011-11-05T08:16:00.016-06:00

this piano was fun, but that other one looks mighty enticing

Lynnie has discovered that she can crawl into the front room and play the piano. It takes a lot of concentration to reach up and play those keys!

I was hosting Book Club at my house since Greg had appointments (thanks for the change in venue, Steph!), and had big plans to get both girls in bed by 7:30. Ellie had slept in that morning until 10, so I didn't even try to give her a nap, knowing that she would go down early that way.

My plans were foiled by an 8 minute nap that occurred while I was getting Lynnie ready for her bath! By the time Greg had the water in the tub ready and I had Lynn undressed, Ellie was out....

Lynnie was in bed and asleep by 7:30, but Ellie played with the BCLs until 10 p.m. She loves all of "my friends" and was quite entertaining. Tiff tried to help by naming the monkeys on Ellie's pajama feet and making up a song that they sang while waving to her toes (night night Ellie, night night Lulu -- which Ellie has sung every night since then).

styling in the morning

Lulu's First Words

2011-11-04T15:48:00.001-06:00

Driving home from the library on Wednesday, Ellie said, "Oh no, where my sticker go?" Lulu immediately said, "Uh oh." It was so clear and so perfect, and her first official words! Of course, I said, "Lu, did you say 'uh oh'?" and she said it again. And Ellie and I were laughing and praising, and she said it again. So I whipped out my phone and captured it on video.

Watching & Matching

2011-11-01T21:14:00.000-06:00

Lulu says, "watching Sister is fun! Plus, I only need one hand to hold on with now. I am so strong!"

Mom-Julie gave Ellie an outfit for her birthday that included an outfit for her baby. We tried it out for the first time today, and the baby's outfit fits best on Ice Cream Cone Baby. Ellie set up her photo shoot--she wanted to sit in her Bumbo, and she carried it around for a while before deciding on this spot.

CHEESE!

this beautiful sweater was a present from Aunt Amy to Ellie last Christmas--so glad Lynnie Loo gets to wear it now

NAET

2011-11-01T18:49:00.037-06:00

My life has completely changed since I started Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) treatments. (Does that sound overly dramatic? But it is true!) I had reached a point where I knew I needed to do something for my allergies, but the idea of getting shots was overwhelming. So when Kelly told me about NAET, I just knew I had to check it out.

I went in for environmental allergy testing, and discovered that I am allergic to many foods and vitamins as well. Suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense! For example, I have always thought I was a slow healer and it takes forever to get over a cold (which I luckily do not get very often). I would make sure I was taking lots of vitamins and vitamin C, and nothing ever seemed to help. Well, I am allergic to Vitamin C, so I was actually inhibiting my body from healing. I have also secretly wondered for a few years if I have Chron's Disease like my brother and sister, but didn't want to get tested to find out for real. Now I do not think I have it, but I know I have a gazillion allergies!

The good news is that I really feel like the NAET treatments are working. NAET uses controlled exposure to the allergen and acupressure to eliminate the allergy. For 25 hours after a treatment, I completely avoid the allergen. Some treatments have a larger reaction than others. I am was allergic to gelatin, milk, cheese, yogurt, and calcium, so when I did the dairy & calcium treatment, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. That was definitely the worst one. Some I haven't really had a reaction. Dr. Kofford is awesome!

Here's how I know it's working. I have more energy than I have had in years, because it seems like my body is actually absorbing nutrients instead of rejecting. My intestinal/digestive habits have completely changed. I can eat dairy for the first time in over a decade without getting sick. It is amazing!

I have finished my food allergen treatments (they always do those first) and have had one environmental treatment. I can't wait to be treated for animal epithelials and perfume. I think those will have a big impact on my life as well.

Halloween

2011-10-31T23:16:00.000-06:00

It is so much fun to dress up for Halloween! Lynlee is Tinkerbell (since that is one of her birth mom's favorite characters) and Ellie is a butterly/fairy/princess.

Umm, Mom, I think my tights are a little big. Why didn't we have a trial run?

Ellie likes to put her crown on all by herself, and this is the way it stays on the best.

Tayler came to see the girls in their costumes.

We were so excited that Tayler stayed to go trick-or-treating with us.

What are we doing? It doesn't really matter, I always love a good walk.

Hi, Be-bif. Trick or treat!

DaveDave, want to play me? Let's go!

Thanks for moving me back out of the wind and giving me all of these nice blankies. I will just take a little snooze until we get home.

Mom-Julie, I play Rocko! Come here, Tayler. Let's see Rocko! Where Hailey and Nick go?

After we left the Morrow's house, Ellie was tired. She had walked far and gone to many houses. It was a miracle how every door opened and nice people gave her candy! Tayler impressed us all by carrying Ellie home from the Morrows.

After eating a quick dinner, Tayler headed off for more activities and we put the girls to bed. What a great Halloween!

The Next Day...

2011-10-30T23:40:00.000-06:00

Here is how far I got on the pumpkins before we left the party. Ellie picked the "kitty cat -- Hello Kitty cat" and the "clown face" designs.

The finished pumpkins

"No more medicine, Mom, I feel fine."

Rearview Mirror

2011-10-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

Staying up late to read a book never seems like a good idea the next morning. But when I started Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black, I could not help myself. I justified it by thinking I was just reading until Lynlee woke up for her late night feeding (usually between 11-12). And then Greg fell asleep, and I kept reading. And the TV got turned off from the sleep timer, and I kept reading.

The next morning, after less than 5 hours of sleep (with 2 feedings in the middle), I was not sure if staying up was worth it. A book has not captivated me that much and induced me to stay up reading in a long time, so for that I was excited.

Stephanie Black is my favorite suspense novelist, and this book exceeded my expectations. There are some really nasty characters, and a part of me wonders how she writes them so well. I was kept guessing for about 100 pages, until I couldn't stand not knowing who the bad guy was and I read the last 10 pages. That is really good -- I usually figure out the bad guy early on!

So check out this book! Can you tell yet that I loved it?

Product Description

Fiona Claridge, a smart and stylish New England college professor, strives to pull herself together after a car crash kills her roommate, Mia Hardy. Yet Fiona’s guilt and grief come flooding back after opening a gift-wrapped box left outside her office that contains car keys and a malicious note.

Shaken, Fiona travels to her hometown to attend a funeral but is followed by vivid nightmares as well as her unknown enemy, who leaves another sinister gift on her doorstep. She assumes the stalker is Kimbery Bailey, a disgruntled former student, and enlists the help of fellow professor James Hampton. But when Fiona encounters an old flame at the funeral, it’s clear her student isn’t the only one with an eye for revenge. Soon, through the maneuverings of her unknown enemy, Fiona faces criminal charges as well as continuing threats. As past and present become horribly entangled, Fiona unravels the truth about a determined killer—and finds herself on the wrong end of a knife.

About the Author

Stephanie Black has loved books since she was old enough to grab the pages and has enjoyed creating make-believe adventures since she and her sisters were inventing long Barbie games filled with intrigue and danger. She was born in Utah and has lived in various places, including Arizona, Massachusetts, Ireland, and northern California. She enjoys spending time with her family, occasionally plays the violin, and enjoys chocolate and cheesecake.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-29T21:03:00.008-06:00

In preparation for Todd & Rachel's annual pumpkin carving party, we started scooping out our pumpkins. I cannot even remember the last time I did this--it was so fun to do with the girls! Ellie was fascinated and wanted to ~~watch~~ help for about 5 minutes before she lost interest.

Lulu played by us and kept us entertained

After watching Dad for a while, Ellie decided it was OK to touch a seed

Standing under the table is much more fun! Ellie's Lakers shirt is the only thing she had with orange in it. Good thing she had Halloween socks (present from Grandma Linda last year).

giving Dad snuggles at T&R's house

Waiting for the doctor to come back with our prescription. Poor girl has her first ever ear infection!

"I all done. Let's go!"

Photos

2011-10-28T12:48:00.000-06:00

playing with babies is always fun, especially when I am wearing my Halloween costume

gorgeous!

I help her smile, Mom!

I love to be tickled!

Lulu all done? Lambie's turn!

Fingernail Polish

2011-10-23T23:22:00.000-06:00

Grandma Spencer painted Ellie's nails with clear nail polish, and Ellie thought that was pretty cool. So when we got home, I painted her nails the only color I own (since I am such a big nail polish girl -- NOT). Ellie's first mani-pedi was a big success!

Ellie drank her milk and wanted to "snuggle 1 minute." Within a few seconds, she had fallen asleep! Greg didn't put her in her bed for at least an hour, he was having too much fun.

More basement projects are getting done. The fireplace is installed, and the framing is complete.

Playing Outside...

2011-10-21T23:03:00.000-06:00

...while the weather lasts. Lynlee is super fast and loves to crawl everywhere! She is so cute, and we are so lucky to be a part of her life.

talking is so much fun

Lynnie is really good at drinking from sippy cups. She loves to play with them, and she drinks quite a bit at the same time. This particular cup is a special TinkerBell cup I got for her, in honor of her birth mom.

We love to play outside. Ellie always asks to "draw chalk" and "play bubbles." She is really good at blowing bubbles now! The bins of clothes behind Ellie are only the girl clothes in sizes 0-24 months that are extra cute or extra special or remind me of the girls' birth moms. I have given the rest away. It's a little embarrassing!

Lynnie's new trick is to clap her hands and laugh when I say "yeah!" She won't always do it on command, but it is super cute when she does it.

I was dusting the ceiling fans, and Ellie wanted a turn. What a big helper!

Life Lately

2011-10-20T22:31:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of fun at Uncle Ed and Aunt Cheryl's wedding. One idea I loved was that they gave every little girl a flower, and as Aunt Cheryl walked up the aisle, the girls gave her the flowers to create her bouquet. Thanks to Tammy for capturing the moment for us!

L-R: Cousin Dan, Drew & Cousin Sarah, Ellie, Aunt Cheryl, Jessie (Drew & Sarah's daughter), and Aunt Cheryl's son

Drew & Sarah's 2nd daughter Aubrey

We had fun meeting Jonette, Kiera, and Kaysen at Costco before they headed south to visit Kylene. Ellie dragged Kaysen all over the store. Lulu was tired, and Greg has the magic touch - as soon as he puts her in this position, she lays her head on his shoulder and goes to sleep. Every time! She won't do that for me...

Work on the basement is progressing. Now the blue boxes for electrical switches are in, and

the ductwork for the heating/cooling is installed, and

the instant hot water heater lines are run.

Lulu is so curious, and is getting very independent in her play with toys. She is one smart little girl!

Video Clips

2011-10-20T16:24:00.000-06:00

Just a couple of video clips of the adorable girls!

This one shows Lynlee growling.

Ellie singing the ABC song.

Kylene & Tammy

2011-10-17T21:13:00.002-06:00

We were privileged to spend the night with Kylene and Tammy. Kylene was here on a visit during her Spring Break from SUU.


I no hungry, I full! Notice that Ellie took her socks off earlier, and then "fixed" them.

I love Aunt Tammy! Peek-a-boo is my favorite game to play.

KY-lene, lay down and 'tend to sleep. I will 'tend also (pretend)

photo by Ky

CHEESE! Thanks for the bath, Ky

Outside

2011-10-14T21:12:00.001-06:00

We took advantage of the fabulous weather to play outside. Ellie, like always, loved to blow bubbles and draw with her chalk. Lynnie also loved the bubble bottle and she picked up some chalk and drew with it also!

"Take my picture, Mom. I say cheese."

Dance Festival

2011-10-08T23:21:00.001-06:00

Our Stake has a big annual party called Fall Festival. We had dinner and then fabulous entertainment. Each YM/YW group prepared a dance for the Dance Festival, and Ellie loved dancing along with them. We were sitting where the kids would come on and off, and Ellie would clap for them and give them high fives as they exited. Lynlee was so cute, all snuggled up in her jacket and a blanket. She eventually fell asleep on Greg's shoulder.

Our ward did a Charleston, and were by far the best. And I'm not biased at all...

dancing with Sadie

dancing with Hailey

Lynlee is 11 Months Old

2011-10-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

At 11 months old, Lynlee:

~ is so funny, happy, and curious! Her personality is really starting to emerge. She is still mellow (for the most part), and loves to explore everything around her. She used to not care if Ellie "traded" a toy with her, but now Loo definitely knows which toys she wants to keep.

~ is wearing 18 month clothes (mostly) and 24 month clothes (mainly pants), size 2 shoes, size 4 diapers.

~ loves to growl. It started with mimicking Ellie's lion sounds, and now Lulu just growls all of the time.

~ loves to play peek-a-boo. She will sometimes just raise her arms, look at you from under her hands, but not acknowledge you until her arms drop, you say peek-a-boo, and she laughs.

~ is crawling and motoring everywhere. She is fast!

~ is the snuggliest baby. Lynlee is so sweet and cuddly, and I hope she stays that way for a long time.

~ has 2 bottom teeth, about halfway grown in, so still sticking with baby oatmeal and baby foods. Likes to gum baby, graham and Ritz crackers.

~ loves to pull herself up to standing, and has even started cruising the furniture. I smell an early-ish walker (well, early than sister, anyway).

~ likes toys that make noise the best. Loves to dance and bounce to music.

Wow, I discovered that this thing is removable. Thanks for showing me that, Ellie!

One of my favorite things to do is chew on my fingers.

Thanks for trading me stickers, Ellie. I will just blow a raspberry in contemplation of my cuteness.

Lynlee's Photo Shoot

2011-10-08T22:20:00.000-06:00

We did Lulu's photo shoot this morning, and Ellie had to have her own sticker. She got herself a pillow and wanted to go first.

Then it was Lulu's turn, and Ellie insisted on putting on her sticker. And then switching stickers.

And then holding sister (even though Lynnie Loo is pretty much the same size as her).

And then she switched stickers again.

And again!

Basement Update

2011-10-07T23:15:00.011-06:00

After talking about it for a couple of years, we decided to take the plunge and get the basement finished. It was ~~tiring~~ fun to get the basement all cleaned out (and can I just say how easily junk collects in only 6 years?). The plan right now is to do what we can, and then add pieces later. We are putting in 2 bedrooms (e.g., a dedicated guest bedroom and a playroom/guest bedroom) and 2 bathrooms, a family room/theater room, a kitchenette, and a large storage room. It is so exciting to watch it come together!

cutting concrete, still with our stuff laying around

fixing the plumbing in the bathroom Richmond plumbed

the framers hard at work, basement totally empty

laundry room/bathroom

Laundry room/bathroom wall adjoining guest bedroom. You can see the giant wet spot from one of the water leaks.

framing complete, concrete poured

kitchenette wall

closet nook for the gun safe in the storage room (backing up to playroom)

playroom closet

the tub is in

Cuteness

2011-10-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

"Mom, take my picture. I hold Daddy."

"I am so big that I can almost crawl right into my baby car seat. And I can reach the giraffe, but your camera distracted me."

Clean Up

2011-10-04T22:57:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-10-02T22:44:00.000-06:00

Tonight we celebrated a big milestone for my mother -- 65 years young and 5 years cancer-free.

Here's to the next 65 years?!?

Wowzers, Aunt Bobi has a Barney bib! I was really sad to leave it behind when it was time to go home...

Look Who's Crawling!

2011-10-01T22:19:00.001-06:00

Lulu mastered crawling last Tuesday, and is having fun adventuring farther and farther afield. She tends to have her left leg bent and her right leg straight, but it is an effective technique for her. Time to put the baby gate back up!

Snapshots

2011-09-28T21:38:00.000-06:00

We hosted the family Sunday night for dinner in honor of Pops and Pat's visit. Gwen and Ellie play really well together, and they especially loved it when we turned on Baby Signing Time. Gwen knows pretty much all of the signs now, but she was more interested in watching me take her picture than in performing.

signing "shoes"

a few more pictures before we have to say goodbye

we love you! come again soon

This was the first successful bath the girls had together. Lynnie is big enough now to hold her own, even when Ellie insists on holding sister.

I love to pull things off of shelves and out of drawers. It's lots of fun! And I love to put things back when we are all done, because I am a big helper.

Ellie's Prayer

2011-09-27T21:38:00.003-06:00

Ellie's prayer tonight went like this: "Hev-ly Fadder, thank you day. Bless Alex and Leah and Rachel and Hop-ins and Lynnie Loo and Tayler. Jesus name, Amen."

Alex, Leah, Rachel, and Hopkins are the characters in "Signing Time."

What We've Been Up To

2011-09-25T10:01:00.004-06:00

Sometimes it is difficult to learn to share. We were playing with our best friends, and a squabble over a guitar broke out. Ellie's arm became a casualty...

Here is another example of Ellie's organizational skills. She likes to sing Barney's "Clean Up" song and put her toys just so.

When I was taking a shower the other morning, Ellie made a bed and read stories in her room.

We like to drive by this field near our house and watch the horses. For the first time, this horse came over to say hi to us, and then proceeded to scratch his bum on the fence. It was pretty silly!

One problem with the big girl car seat is that it is hard to take naps in it...

When I was at a movie with my mother and sister (instead of Book Club), Greg had fun with the girls. Tammy came over, but neither girl would let her feed them, so Greg got to feed both at once!

I cannot believe...

2011-09-22T07:16:00.000-06:00

...that Ellie fell asleep like this:

Yeah, Write

2011-09-21T17:22:00.001-06:00

My friend Laurieann posted a link on Facebook, and I am in love with the blog , Yeah Write, she found. I am especially in love with this post, which talks about Laurieann. My favorite quote from the post: "I learned that adoption does not cure infertility. It cures childlessness."

As I was reading this post, I reflected on my life and my struggles with creating a family. It took us me 6 years to complete the adoption paperwork. It took me that long to come to terms with the path we were on (that I knew was right for us) and with the craziness that is the adoption triad. It has always been hard for me, an economist trained to put everything in the context of Cost-Benefit Analyses, to wrap my head around the monetary transactions that exist in adoption. Our beautiful birth mothers gave us the most amazing gift, at great personal cost and sacrifice, and we get to pay the state/case worker/adoption agency for their time in working on our case. Our financial cost pales in comparison with the price that our birth mothers paid.

In hindsight, I am glad that we took the time we needed to fill out the paperwork. I was able to come to terms with my barrenness through much study and prayer. I read a lot of articles from people like Sheri Dew and Ardeth Kapp talking about motherhood and how giving birth is not a prerequisite for mothering. It was hard to believe it at first; it was hard to not feel like a less-than woman, a biological failure. But now infertility is not something I think about very often; in fact, most of the time I forget that I am barren.

Ellie and Lynlee complete me. Our birth mothers gave me the gift of motherhood, and that gift filled the empty places inside of me. I love this poem by Elise Broach, from her book Shakespeare's Secret. It truly expresses how I feel about my beautiful daughters.

My heart, my hope

My soul, my smile

My held and whole

Beloved child.

Harvest

2011-09-20T19:43:00.000-06:00

Square Foot Gardening is the best because the garden practically takes care of itself (now that we have sprinklers installed and Greg has figured out the timing). We Greg enjoys harvesting and we all enjoy eating the fruits of his labors.

Laundry Helper

2011-09-17T16:54:00.002-06:00

Ellie had a lot of fun playing with the clean laundry today. She created quite a few "outfits" and this was my favorite. She has on a pair of my socks, the bottoms to one of Lynlee's dresses, and one of Lynlee's shirts. She has really good balance, as evidenced by the fact that she walked all over the house like this!

P.S. She is saying "cheese" here.

Farm Country

2011-09-10T21:10:00.000-06:00

Ellie, Lynlee, and I were happy to initiate Daddy into the wonders of Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country.

There were smiles while happily riding in the stroller, and...

...lots of expressions of sisterly love, and...

...playing in the "jail," and...

...playing with toys, and...

...a five minute carriage ride (fun for us, but we felt bad for the horse, which just walked in circles all day long), and...

...lots of smiles. What a great afternoon!

Lynlee is 10 Months Old

2011-09-08T21:33:00.001-06:00

chewing on her finger = favorite pastime

what is on the ceiling? I don't know, but it sure is fascinating

blowing raspberries

At 10 months old, Lynlee

~ is wearing 18 month and 24 month clothes, size 4 diapers, and size 2 shoes.

~ is the sweetest and happiest baby.

~ loves to talk and babble. Likes to say "ummmmmah" and I am totally counting that as "mama"

~ loves to stand. If she is fussy at all while playing, standing up makes her instantly happy.

~ likes sweet potatoes and oatmeal the best. Will tolerate apples, carrots, and squash. Not a fan of peaches or bananas.

~ can sign "milk" and "more"

~ loves to blow raspberries, and practically gives you a bath every time.

~ likes to look up, and really likes it when you tickle her neck (that gets the biggest laugh).

~ has experimentally tapped her head on multiple things today sans helmet and discovered that they all hurt. This will be an interesting transition, since she always tapped her head on things on purpose before!

~ can scoot and maneuver her way around, but still has not quite figured out how to crawl.

~ is starting to dance. Lynnie will bob her head and shake her arms when there is music playing. She likes to smack her drum and most of the time is in rhythm.

~ likes to be next to Ellie, and almost always wants to be touching Ellie when they are close. Ellie is fine with that, until Lulu pulls her hair (which is just about every time).

~ loves to swing. Likes the swing at the park, but her favorite is to lay down on a blanket and have 2 people swing her back and forth. She will laugh and laugh!

~ is all-around awesome! I am so glad and grateful to be a part of her life.

And, we are DONE!

2011-09-07T19:54:00.001-06:00

We went to Lynlee's specialist today and got fantastic news. She is all done with her helmet! I am really glad that we did the treatment, because her head looks so good now, but I will not miss it at all.

When we started, her plagiocephaly was rated an 8/10 on the severity scale. At her 6-week check-up, she had improved to a 5/10, and today she was rated at a 3/10. The doctor said that at her age (10 months old tomorrow) there would only be miniscule improvement if we continued to wear the helmet, since we have captured the majority of her head growth at this point. And, at our very first appointment, the doctor told us that they helmet at a severity of 5 and above, and a 1-3 is considered normal.

I am so excited that Lynnie's head shape is now normal!

getting situated in the parking garage -- Lynnie loves to chew her finger

in the waiting room....only an hour wait this time

in the exam room....love Ellie's fish lips!

It's official! Lynnie-loo is helmet-free!!!!!

sisterly love

This Week

2011-09-06T15:45:00.000-06:00

In the last week, we have

made cute faces

played with our tongues

had a picture taken with a milk chin

played with our tongue some more

played with Andrew

snuggled with Uncle David & Aunt Tanya

Lulu's first graham cracker

2011-09-01T20:36:00.002-06:00

I packed Lulu's bottle, but didn't get it in the diaper bag. It must still be on the island at home. She was happy to gum one of Ellie's graham crackers.

Robyn & Kevin's Wedding Party

2011-08-20T22:12:00.001-06:00

At the party to celebrate Robyn & Kevin's marriage,

we blew bubbles

and looked at the pretty lights

and played with our cousins

and looked at the fascinating lanterns

and said, "congratulations!"

and entertained everyone by sitting on the table

Pediatric Ophthalmologist

2011-08-15T20:20:00.000-06:00

We have been concerned about Lynlee's eyes for quite a few months, and every well-child check-up our doctor has measured them and checked them. At Lynnie's 9 month appointment, our doctor said she still thought they OK, but that we should probably go to the Pediatric Ophthalmologist just in case. When I called the Moran Eye Center, the first appointment they had available was October 6. Then the scheduler checked the Riverton Hospital location (instead of the U) and found they had a cancellation and an opening today. The scheduler started screaming and got so excited! He said that usually people are yelling at him, and it was great to give us great news.

We got there and were taken back pretty quickly. Ellie was not feeling well (and had thrown up 5 times the night before) but she was a good sport as long as she was on daddy's shoulder or sitting in Lynlee's stroller.

The ophthalmologist measured Lynlee for a while and said that she measured normal, just a little far-sighted (which is normal for babies). But he could see without his instruments what was making us nervous (her right eye seems to look towards the center more than her left eye). So he put dilating drops in her eyes and sent us back to the waiting room to wait for 25 minutes for the drops to take effect.

When he remeasured Lynlee, he said that there was a slight variance, but still not enough to make him nervous. He said her eyelids are different in their folds, and that makes it look like her eyes are off. But, he wants to see us again in 3 months (after the helmet is off) to remeasure and make sure her far-sightedness is still in the normal range. If we need treatment then, Lynlee will get glasses. I am glad it was such good news!

on the way out, we found this turtle

Channeling BJ

2011-08-10T22:24:00.003-06:00

P.S. Ellie is saying "ay-yi-yi."
P.P.S. Does anyone know what BJ stands for?

Downward Dog

2011-08-09T23:18:00.000-06:00

After the pediatrician, we headed downtown for yet another helmet fitting. While waiting for the helmet doctor to come and see us, Lynlee had a lot of fun doing downward dog. It was the first time she has ever done that!

We had a ward temple night tonight in preparation for Ward Conference, and Brayden was nice enough to come play with the girls. They love him! We will really miss him when he leaves on his mission to South Dakota next week.

Doctors Appointments

2011-08-09T22:53:00.001-06:00

Lynlee

Length: 26.5 inches ~ 25th percentile

Weight: 21 pounds 12 ounces ~ 90th percentile

Head Circumference: 44.8 centimeters ~ 75th percentile

Ellie

Length: 34.75 inches ~ 75th percentile

Weight: 25 pounds 2 ounces ~ 25th percentile

Head Circumference: 48.8 centimeters ~ 75th percentile

Ellie was so good for Dr. Vargo. We had to bring her new doctor kit with us, and she loved doing everything the doctor told her to do. She opened her mouth and sat patiently for her ears and eyes to be looked at. Very successful.

Lynlee did awesome when the nurse pricked her toe to get a drop of blood for an iron count -- she didn't even cry. She did not like it when the doctor looked in her ears; that started tears that continued until her turn was over.

Ellie was excited to get shots, because she loves to pretend to give shots and we watch videos of herself and Lynlee getting shots. The excitement quickly wore off when the actual shots were administered...

Doctor's Appointment Video

2011-08-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

Ellie wanted to watch "shots" (of course) but after seeing herself get the shot and cry, she got a little nervous. When I asked if she wanted to watch it again, she said, "No! I watch Barney."

Lynlee is 9 Months Old

2011-08-08T18:36:00.000-06:00

At 9 months old, Lynlee

~ is wearing size 4 diapers, size 2 shoes, and a combo of 18 month and 24 month clothes.

~ rolls all over, especially in her crib. I will lay her down one way, and after her nap she will be somewhere else, and usually on her tummy.

~ does the bum scoot to get places. Will get in to the "crawl" position, but has not crawled yet.

~ is so curious, and loves to touch and reach for everything.

~ understands the words: eat, milk, more, shake, and tongue. When she is eating, she will open her mouth when I say "more" for another bite. A few times, when she has been all done eating her cereal, she has opened and closed her fist trying to sign "milk" (since we always drink milk after eating).

~ loves balls and balloons right now -- definitely her favorite toys

~ is pretty flexible. If she misses a nap, or gets woken up early, she will be happy, and just sleep longer on the next nap.

~ will laugh longer and harder at Ellie than at anyone else.

~ is so sweet and lovable!

Tayler's Birthday Party

2011-08-07T23:13:00.000-06:00

Since we had Ellie's birthday party on Tayler's birthday, we invited Tayler to come over for dinner the next day and have another little celebration with us. We had some yummy food, complete with watermelon (one of Tayler's favorite foods), and opened more presents. Tayler got Ellie a doctor kit, and Ellie has played with it almost every waking minute since. She loves to examine her lambie and baby dolls and stuffed Barney. She looks in their ears, and tells them to say "ahhh" while looking in their mouths, and (of course) she gives them shots. What a perfect present!

Ellie is always a little cranky on Sundays (cause her nap schedule is so crazy), and it was probably a good thing for Tayler to see. I know that I always look for the positive to put on the blog, but life is not all roses, and both girls do cry -- sometimes a lot! Ellie had many mini-meltdowns while we were together. The good news is that she is distractable, and by the time Tayler gave her a bath, life was fantastic again.

My favorite part of the night was after bathtime, when Ellie snuggled Tayler and they read stories. Ellie loves to turn the pages and say "the end." It was so sweet to watch them together.

Ellie's Birthday Party

2011-08-06T21:58:00.004-06:00

Ellie's official party started with a bang! Ellie was in heaven talking to her favorite people, and performing, and laughing. She had kind of a tough afternoon as I was making her cupcakes, because she could not have any until the party. Once everyone had gathered, we put her in the chair to take some pictures, and then got her down to sing Happy Birthday to her. That was tough, too, because she still had to wait for a cupcake!

what a pretty princess!

Lynlee had fun at Ellie's birthday party. Lulu was fascinated by the balloons and had a lot of fun playing with them.

Tylan, Cassie, Andrew, and Ellie spent a lot of time playing in her bedroom. When it was time for presents, Ellie would not let Tylan put her down -- he had to carry her to the family room.

Princess Ellie opened lots of fun new things!

Thanks to Grandpa & Grandma, Uncle Todd & Aunt Rachel and kids, Aunt Tanya & Uncle Dave and kids, Mom-Julie & Hailey, and Russ, Elizabeth, & Davis for helping us celebrate. We also loved having Tayler stop by for a few minutes in the middle of the chaos. Everyone was excited to meet her and see her in person, and wish her a happy birthday (since we were having Ellie's party on Tayler's birthday). We are surrounded by so much love, and we feel very blessed.

Tylan's Baptism

2011-08-06T14:46:00.016-06:00

We had the opportunity to attend Tylan's baptism this morning. It is crazy that Todd & Rachel's youngest is now a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and their oldest is leaving on a mission in 11 days. It was a wonderful service, with talks by Grandpa and Uncle Paul. Tylan is so sweet and loving and it was awesome to be with him on his special day.

Todd, Rachel, Cassie, Jace, Clayton, Brayden, and Tylan

Back Row: Grandpa, Todd, Rachel, Clay, Brayden, Paul, Dallin, Staci, Greg, & Lynlee; Front Row: Grandma, Daniel, Cassie, Kyralyn, Jace, Tylan, Ellie, Parker, Andrew, Dave & Emily

Ellie is 2

2011-08-04T20:11:00.004-06:00

Ellie loved "driving" the car

At 2 years old, Ellie

~ is in 24 month or 2T clothes, size 5 shoes (barely) and size 5 diapers

~ is so bright and articulate. The other day when we were going to visit Lynlee's birth family, we were running a little late. The girls and I picked up Greg at work, and Greg was moving a little too slowly for Ellie's taste, so Ellie told him, "Daddy, chop chop!" (Thanks to Tammy for teaching her that one.)

~ my favorite sayings right now: actually more OR actually yes OR actually no; BJ says ay-yi-yi; ca'mere, baby (come here); Lynlee, you OK?; baby crying, I help her feel better; I snuggle Mommy; oh, man!

~ is not very good at sharing (and we don't expect her to be) but she is getting really good at trading. Lynlee doesn't seem to mind having a toy yanked out of her hands, as long as a new toy is given to her.

~ can sing, by herself, the Happy Birthday song (and loves to sing it to Barney, BJ, Baby Bop, Rachel, Alex, and Leah) and Cuckoo, Cherry Tree (a Kindermusik song)

~ can name a song within a measure of it coming on the playlist, and tell me definitely if she wants to hear it or not (yeah! BINGO! -or- no MY HOUSE)

~ loves to call people on the phone (for pretend). Her favorite people to talk to right now are Madelin, Sadie, Daddy, and Kaysen
~ is so sweet when she says her prayers, and likes it to be her turn. Her prayers usually go like this: "Hev-ly Fadder, thank you daddy, mommy, lynlee, Jesus name, Amen."

singing Happy Birthday to herself - she knows all the words

For Ellie's birthday, we did a lot of her favorite things. We played with Davis, and we went to the park to swing and slide, and we played with Hailey. AND she got to eat cake. She mostly ate the frosting, but that was pretty good. We missed Daddy, who was at Youth Conference, but we had a fun day.

While at the park, Ellie made a friend with a girl who was maybe 7 years old, and they would take turns going down the slide and then hold hands to walk around to the stairs. It was so sweet! Ellie loves to climb the 2-rung ladder to get to the slide part. She would try to drop her friend's hand, and would say "sorry, sorry" (which is Ellie code for you stop that) and the little girl would say, "oh sorry, do you need help?" and boost her up. Ellie got a little frustrated with that, but let her do it anyway. (As a side note, we played at the park again the next day, and Ellie tried to make friends with 2 five year olds, but they rejected her offer to "hold hands?")

Russ & Nikki

2011-08-02T22:16:00.000-06:00

Russ & Nikki were married tonight. It was extra-special for me because they asked Greg to perform the ceremony. He did great with his first marriage. He channeled his inner Virg and was articulate and loving. Not to take away from the happy couple, but Greg was the star of the night for me!

Bobi played the piano and Lyssa turned pages

Exchanging rings. Because of the backlight, I had a hard time getting my camera to do what I wanted...

Maid of Honor, Nikki & Russ Taylor, Best Man

Nikki's brother and parents, Nikki, Russ, Aunt Chris, Uncle Steve, Ryan & Bryce

Hello Mini-Me! Patrick is darling