Sweet Sounds

Since I am just wasting time listening outside Elyse's room to some of the sweetest sounds in the world, I figured I might as well grab the computer and write it down. Hmm...do you think I'll be able to access my blog in 18 years? Have you ever taken a nap and been awakened by a very rude alarm, just as you fell into the deepest of sleeps? Typically, that's my Sunday afternoon nap. I'm so aware of my limited time, so I set an alarm to prevent one of my greatest fears: oversleeping. Naps like those are miserable to wake up from. I love waking up on my own without a rude alarm. Jordan and I have both experienced being a "rude alarm" to Elyse in the middle of the night as we've gone to check on her before going to bed. Without even a peep, her eyes would pop open, and she would let loose a horrible, sad scream.

I intended to write about sweet sounds, so we'll focus on what's going on now in my house. Some of the cutest sounds I hear are the noises Elyse makes when she wakes up. Perhaps she's still too little to be frustrated by not being heard, but I really think she is as happy as a lark in there! Her first awake sound in the morning is usually a big, "gurgley" squeal of delight. I usually let her go for a while until I'm fully ready for the day to begin, and I'm so entertained by the funny noises that follow. Her awake sounds from naps are usually really happy little "words" like "ma-ma" (not often enough), "ba-ba," "va-va," and now "fa-fa." Interspersed are little noises that I know I'll hear in a few years as she's playing with her toys and her imaginary friends. Sometimes, it sounds like she's doing vocal exercises in there! Are any of you secretly giving her voice lessons?

I know nothing feels better than waking up on your own, happy, so I can imagine she is feeling the joys of good sleep in there already! :) AND, if she's like us, she will appreciate her sleep very much as she gets older, too! These are some of the things I hope I won't ever forget. Though I'm sure I'll be sad for many other reasons when she outgrows her naps, I know I will miss these sounds. I tried to post a video, but the upload was too ridiculously slow... You'll have to use your imagination...

On being picky...

At one time in my life (at least 22 years of my life, actually), I was a very picky eater. My family will attest to the fact that I found a reason to dislike just about anything. The short list includes: tomatoes, onions, peppers, any white sauce at all, mustard, sour cream, mayo, beans, ... The list seriously could go on and on. Jordan and I laugh frequently about the first time I went to his place and he forced me to try "solomon gundy," which is a name for pickled herring, dipped in sour cream. I objected "nicely" to tasting it, but since we were dating, I wasn't going to lose him over it! Though I despised it (and still do), it is funny how Jordan can take the credit for introducing me to the wonderful world of food I used to hate :) I can only imagine what he thought of my cooking those first few months of our marriage when I took the opportunity to cook only what I liked...? Soon after getting his input on meal plans, I quickly learned I had better switch it up a bit! I realize now how much my poor mom must have hated my horrible reactions to good food growing up. Of that previous list, I have learned to like most of those items, including tomatoes. I have been loving the beautiful tomatoes that my husband grew in our backyard. Our one plant has yielded us at least 20 tomatoes already, and several more are ripening as we speak. I also have red peppers growing and have had lots of rhubarb. My generous neighbor has showered me with fresh produce again this summer (squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, beans), and I appreciate it so much more now than I did before I stayed at home! One of my favorite meals to make when I'm alone for dinner is mac and cheese. My dear sis-in-law Anneke introduced me to it, and although I don't have a recipe, it usually turns out as long as I put cheese in it! I know, it's so healthy... I'm going to miss summer produce. There is nothing like a fresh, homegrown tomato! Oh, how much I used to miss...

8 Months Old!

Happy 8 month birthday, Elyse! I can hardly believe I'm writing another post like this so soon! Elyse is getting big, literally! She is pretty pudgy all over, and there's nothing more squeezable than baby fat :) She's eating three solid meals a day now, and mealtimes are full of NOISE (thankfully, happy noises). She now has two bottom teeth, and she loves "feeling" them with her tongue and lips. It makes for some pretty funny facial expressions. She seems to have grown so much more aware of her surroundings in the last month, and she likes her toys more than she used to. I'm thankful she'll still let me rock her, but it's sad to see her legs hanging down so far. Last August, we found out we were having "pink," and I had no idea how fun this little girl would be. She makes me laugh every day, and I still can't believe we're parents! Here are some of my traditional fun's and not-so-fun's for this new stage:

fun's:

* Her feet twirl all the time like little windmills. When my mom saw it last month, she commented that I twirled my feet all the time when I was a baby. What a great trait to pass on, huh?

* She seems to try to give kisses. TRY is the key word there.

* I love watching her eat. She loves everything she tries and acts as though she could not possibly live without the next bite! I'm thankful we don't have to have food battles yet!

* She has a little "smug" face that she pulls out when we praise her for something.

* She sings a lot, especially when I have music on or when I play the piano.

* Bedtime is still really fun for her, and I love to see her grinnin' as she stretches in her crib when I put her down.

* She loves to hold something in her hand as she sucks her thumb. That something could be your shirt, her blanket, a toy... I'm going to hate this someday, right?

* She loves to play games with us: peek-a-boo or anything involving Daddy...

* She's taking shorter naps, and it really frees me up more when we want to get out or run errands.

not-so-fun's:

* She's still not moving around much, which only concerns me because she's getting HEAVY!

* Her temper- yuk!

* She'll laugh/sing so hard that she'll gag herself.

* Does anyone else believe in teething diapers?

* We had a deal in the hospital that she wouldn't grow up, but she's obviously still not keeping her end of the bargain!

I LOVE MONDAYS!

I never thought I would enjoy Mondays. Traditionally, Mondays were the days I would dread as I anticipated trudging into work. Now, Mondays are beautiful, since it's the one day of the week that we have the option to be together as a family from the crack of dawn until nightfall. Yesterday, we spent a beautiful morning at the beach with some of our family. It was a perfect day, and we were reminded again of how beautiful the ocean is! By nature, I'm not a big fan of sandy messes, but these three little messes were the cutest on the beach. Here are some pictures of my baby and my adorable nephews. Elyse sat in the waves for the first time, and she loved it!

Notice the water droplets on her face? This was taken after her initiation :)

Daddy introduced Elyse gently to some waves...

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Prettiest girl at the beach!!!

Goofin' with Aunt Anneke...

Happy girl after naptime

Peek-a-boo!!!

What am I doing today?

Today I'm celebrating my husband. Today is his birthday! He has finally caught up to me in age... *cough, cough* Elyse and I made him a cheesecake & cinnamon rolls last night, and Elyse's help consisted of singing to Mommy while she baked. She hit some very interesting notes, and she really enjoys gagging at the end of each song, much to my dismay. I'm not sure how that feels, but it must be entertaining!

This week has really made me thankful for my man. I was dreading our first week home from vacation, because the calendar was looking quite crowded. Wednesday, I had to spend the day in Williamsburg to complete a certification for my job... even though I work at home... sometimes in my pj's... sometimes only a couple of hours a week. Yes, I am still struggling with my attitude. All that to say that Jordan covered for me smashingly. I had my first (I sure hope last!) bout with vertigo this week. I assume it was a result of our recent flights, but I do know it was awful. I couldn't walk a straight line to save my life or manage to keep food down, but Jordan took care of everything. I didn't have to ask him twice to do all the little things I get done during the mornings before he headed off to work. Yesterday morning, he took care of Elyse so I could go to the chiropractor and get some shopping done. She fought her morning nap most of that time, and though I'm sure it wasn't pretty, he didn't complain once. He even said they had "fun" together :) I was reminded this week again that I don't tell him nearly enough that he means the world to me, and not just because he helps me with Elyse.

He puts love to action verbs every day.

It was TEN years ago this month that we met in the first class of our college career. We were assigned seats next to each other alphabetically, and I vividly remember him sitting down next to me for the first time. Funny thing is, he remembers each detail, too :) It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but it was the start! NINE years ago this month, we started dating. We both love to laugh about our first goofy conversation and the fact that ten years later, we're spending life together. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect husband, and I'm so thankful that we're able to take this journey together. SO, today I'm celebrating my husband.

Happy birthday, Jordan! I love you!

(He's going to kill me when he sees I posted this picture!!!)

First tooth!

After months of drool, we finally have a tooth to brag about! It made its grand appearance on our vacation, which explained some bizarre behavior during the week. It's sharp as a razor, and I'm expecting its little neighbor to pop out anytime. This is the best picture I could get, and you can barely see the little bugger, but it's there. OWW! Is it true that if we had to cut teeth as adults, we'd pass out from the pain? I heard that somewhere, but have no idea if it's true. Teeth are definitely something I take for granted!

A vacation from my problems!

Okay, I couldn't resist that line from a favorite movie of mine, but we indeed got a vacation last week, and it was wonderful. Wonderful. Last Saturday, we headed up to northern Minnesota for a week with my family. My grandpa is gracious enough to take us all up to a cabin on a lake every year, and we love every day of it, even though we have done everything and have seen every square inch of that resort. Yes, we're a very traditional family, and we love it :) Certain "adopted" members of our family (I won't name any names, Nate & Jordan) get a big kick out of how we start taking about the next year's vacation the day we get home, but we just ignore the outsiders. This year was special to us because we were able to take Elyse with us on the OUTSIDE of me! It really did make vacation interesting (I'm beginning to realize that moms never really get a true vacation). We spent the week eating, playing games, trying to catch fish (which we didn't succeed at very well this year), eating, talking, relaxing, eating.... you get the picture. Though it's nice to be unpacked and settled back at home, I still wish we could just hang out for one more week. Here are some pictures of our time, a select few of the many :)

Yeah, I know...

...this story should embarrass me, but instead it makes me laugh. You see, I've always been a big fan of storms. Having spent a few years in the tornado basins of Illinois and Indiana, the news of funnel clouds and touchdowns is not terribly upsetting to me (though, perhaps it should be!). SO, last night when we were under a tornado warning, I should have been able to continue my evening routine, but I just couldn't. You see, two things prevent me from fully relaxing during a storm these days. The first is being surrounded by huge, wobbly pine trees. You get the picture, right? The second is now being a paranoid mother. The combination of those two is extraordinary. Elyse was taking her evening nap yesterday when the weather got a bit crazy. I checked the news, only to see that we were under a tornado warning. Yes, I woke my daughter up. Yes, as these pictures indicate, I took her into the innermost room of our place, the bathroom. Yes, she still had to eat. Yes, I fed her in her bumbo on the bathroom floor. Yes, she sneezed carrots and giggled. Yes, I took pictures. End of story... except for the fact that my neighbor did have a tree branch fall through their roof!

"Mom, why am I in the bathroom?"

"I don't get it!?"

"Ha! Clean that up!"

7 Months Old!

Yes, another milestone post :) The months just keep getting more fun. I will try not to blubber on and on this time about where time has gone, since it's going somewhere for everyone. Instead, I'll just give you the facts. Elyse is really into slapping lately (not violently, thankfully!). She slaps at my shoulder when I hold her, at the table when she's in our laps, at Daddy's face when he gets close to her, at the water during bath time... She also has this new mischievous look when you call her name and she's purposefully not going to look at you. Maybe we're seeing some personality? I almost captured the look in the first picture. She's still not rolling at all, but she really loves sitting up, doing her modified crab walk, and chewing on everything. Here are my traditional fave's and not-so-fave's :)

Favorites:

* She wanted an earlier bedtime, so I complied. We're up to 13 (sometimes 14) hours of sleep, folks! *aahh!*
* She is thrashing all over the place, in a funny way... dancing out of her bumbo and out of our laps...
* Saying "ma-ma" and "ba-ba"

* She's still cuddling with us.

* She likes "playing" the piano with me, adding so much expression to the song!
* Chubby, chubby thighs & arms
* Summer clothes that bare those chubby thighs and arms!

...not-so-favorites:

* She's starting to lose interest in her beloved evening nap. How long can I make it?

* Now that she's getting more curious, naps are not near as happy.

* Will the teeth ever come in?
* Seriously, why does it take so long?
* Drool :-/

The "I'm not smiling at you" look :)

Sheer innocence, right?
Yea, I thought not...

$.97 well spent

I am by no means a bona-fide bargain hunter, but Jordan and I hit the jackpot last August. In fact, I've probably told all of you about it because I think it may have been the only real bargain I've ever found in my entire life. Seriously. That's why this story has to live on.... in case I never find another one. I remember this shopping trip vividly, since it was the afternoon we found out we were having "pink" and not "blue." We decided to buy an outfit on the way home in celebration, but we had no idea that we would come home with an armload! We walked into JCPenney's and found a rack of clothing (NICE clothing) for $.97 apiece. This included dresses, pj's, onesies, rompers, etc... We had so much fun that afternoon, all the while wondering if we'd kick ourselves for spending $19 on clothes :) Ha. I think it was well worth it. SO, all that to say: I love this dress. BUT, not nearly as much as the pumpkin wearing it. Period.

Say Cheese!

We took Elyse the other Monday to get her 6 month pictures taken... a little late. I had scheduled the sitting, and as you know, it's hard to schedule a child's mood! Elyse woke up that morning a bit cranky after a busy Sunday, and in her crankiness, she scratched up her face (lovely). Thankfully, Jordan was able to come with me, and any smile the photographer captured was to his credit this time :) Daddy can always coach out a sweet smile! They charged $ to have access online to the proofs, but I was too cheap to buy that. These are the pictures we chose, after some minor hassling :)

A Workin' Man...

I've been struck this week especially that having a great husband & father to our baby is such a blessing from God. Yes, it does sounds quite obvious, but some things aren't appreciated as much until circumstances accentuate the truth. This week, Jordan has been able to resurrect his painting business (laid to rest in October 2008, RIP). It is such a mixed blessing for me, and I'm learning to be grateful for God's provision in even "non-ideal" ways. This extra work will meet some needs pertaining to some very expensive paperwork that will get us moved to the great north someday, but it does require my husband to be out early every morning and home late every night for a few days. These days are long for me, but even longer for him. I've had lots of time to talk to myself and talk Elyse's ears off (I'm sure she is really BEGGING to go down for her naps to shut me up), but I've also had lots of time to reflect on God's provision for our family and his greater plan for us. I'm so thankful for a husband who is not afraid of work, and who misses us as much as we miss him during the week. I'm thankful that the extra work is only a temptation for him when it comes to meeting our needs, and that he's not a lover of money. I'm thankful that he misses Elyse and wants to hear every little thing she's doing in his absence. I love that he takes advantage of any time with me & her during the day to remind us of his love. Men like this are hard to find, so Elyse had better learn now to be picky! :)