What a beautiful and fun wedding! Exhausted, but my little brother is married and we have a wonderful new member to our family. What great memories! Any night that ends with me smoking my brothers and my husband in go carts is a good night. Bonus points for me too, I was in my tea-length dress trying not to flash anyone and keeping my feet from slipping off the gas pedal.
Ella did great. She was a trooper getting passed back and forth, and was a constant charmer! Plus, she looked positively adorable.
More later, plus more photos.
Congrats to Justin and Brandi! Enjoy your honeymoon!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
So Tough
Man, my heart is breaking this morning. Today was a new first for Ella. She cried when I handed her off to Liz and as I turned to head out the door. Her face just screamed, "mom, don't go." She definitely recognized that she was staying and mom was leaving. I was devastated. My heart plummeted. Bonnie, the daycare director, could see in my face that I wanted to grab her, comfort her and run. She intervened by taking Ella from Liz, walking her deeper into the play area and quietly saying, "Amanda, you just have to go. She'll be fine."
It took all my strength not to cry as I walked out to the car (or as I write this.) My heart always broke a little at drop offs but today just stunk! It was a new emotion for me, and one I'll probably have the pleasure of experiencing multiple times over.
It took all my strength not to cry as I walked out to the car (or as I write this.) My heart always broke a little at drop offs but today just stunk! It was a new emotion for me, and one I'll probably have the pleasure of experiencing multiple times over.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Getting my 8 glasses
Glasses fascinate Miss Ella. She loves to grasp them, pull them to her mouth and take a swig. She thinks she's so grown-up.
Not to worry there's nothing but water in the glass.
Not to worry there's nothing but water in the glass.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
C'mon Guys, I'm not happy
Ella isn't typically this unhappy, but I just love this photo of her.
Off to find Mike a new outfit for my brother's rehearsal dinner.
Took our first family photo this weekend for our church directory, and $57 later, we're not happy. I think I may need to cancel the order and try another time.
Off to find Mike a new outfit for my brother's rehearsal dinner.
Took our first family photo this weekend for our church directory, and $57 later, we're not happy. I think I may need to cancel the order and try another time.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
My husband, what a good man
My husband is so good to me. I am fortunate enough that I can say this on almost any day, but Tuesday night he was a saint.
I woke up around 4 am Tuesday morning with my stomach sending me an eviction notice. Something I had eaten the night before was not welcomed any longer by my digestive system. So I spent the next hour commuting to my bed and the bathroom. I’ll spare the gory details, but I can appreciate how my daughter feels with stuff coming from every end. If I had any sick days to use, I most definitely would have spent the day in bed, but without any remaining for the rest of the year, I dragged myself to work. I also had a “must attend” off-site, brainstorming meeting with our firm’s communications company in the morning.
After making it through a very long day, Ella and I returned home to watch the minutes tick by until Mike got home. I optimistically hoped she would find enjoyment in us laying in bed playing games. After multiple tickle, talking and singing sessions, she made it clear it was time for a change in scenery. Mike came home to find us in the living room with her in the jumperoo and me curled in the fetal position in front of it. He then banished me to the couch and handled all our evening responsibilities. Unfortunately for him, it was not Ella’s best night. Our normally happy, giggling little girl was MIA. Her other bottom tooth appears to be pushing through and causing her great pain. Nothing pacified or calmed her for long. After 3 to 5 minutes, she’d start up again. Mike tried the exersaucer borrowed from our neighbors, frozen bagel, teething toys, a bottle, rocking, cereal, but she was just miserable.
I felt extremely guilty, but so relieved to just relax and veg. I laid there at watched tv, something I almost forgot existed! He ordered me to bed around 9:30. I attempted to help him clean up, but he heckled me and put me to bed. So thanks sweetheart for letting me rest, allowing me to shake that nasty bug. Fever disappeared by Wednesday.
As for the little one, she’s now 5 months old as of July 14. She's a riot and just a joy. It's so much fun watching her grow and develop. Tonight, she got a taste of sweet potatoes and just loved it. Takes after her uncle Scott, my brother.
I am still amazed at her existence. I wonder if I'll ever really process it.
I woke up around 4 am Tuesday morning with my stomach sending me an eviction notice. Something I had eaten the night before was not welcomed any longer by my digestive system. So I spent the next hour commuting to my bed and the bathroom. I’ll spare the gory details, but I can appreciate how my daughter feels with stuff coming from every end. If I had any sick days to use, I most definitely would have spent the day in bed, but without any remaining for the rest of the year, I dragged myself to work. I also had a “must attend” off-site, brainstorming meeting with our firm’s communications company in the morning.
After making it through a very long day, Ella and I returned home to watch the minutes tick by until Mike got home. I optimistically hoped she would find enjoyment in us laying in bed playing games. After multiple tickle, talking and singing sessions, she made it clear it was time for a change in scenery. Mike came home to find us in the living room with her in the jumperoo and me curled in the fetal position in front of it. He then banished me to the couch and handled all our evening responsibilities. Unfortunately for him, it was not Ella’s best night. Our normally happy, giggling little girl was MIA. Her other bottom tooth appears to be pushing through and causing her great pain. Nothing pacified or calmed her for long. After 3 to 5 minutes, she’d start up again. Mike tried the exersaucer borrowed from our neighbors, frozen bagel, teething toys, a bottle, rocking, cereal, but she was just miserable.
I felt extremely guilty, but so relieved to just relax and veg. I laid there at watched tv, something I almost forgot existed! He ordered me to bed around 9:30. I attempted to help him clean up, but he heckled me and put me to bed. So thanks sweetheart for letting me rest, allowing me to shake that nasty bug. Fever disappeared by Wednesday.
As for the little one, she’s now 5 months old as of July 14. She's a riot and just a joy. It's so much fun watching her grow and develop. Tonight, she got a taste of sweet potatoes and just loved it. Takes after her uncle Scott, my brother.
I am still amazed at her existence. I wonder if I'll ever really process it.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Yum Yum
So much big news around here, but work for both of us is insane.
Will post more later, but a few big highlights
*She has a tooth and another one is not far behind. These are here to stay.
*Mike and I spent the first night away from her. It was fun, but I'd rather have her with me.
*She loves to gum frozen bagels.
*She weighs close to 17 pounds.
*I lost the nail on my big toe nail. Man, does it hurt.
*Less than two weeks to my brother's wedding, another reason life has been so crazy.
Off to work.
Will post more later, but a few big highlights
*She has a tooth and another one is not far behind. These are here to stay.
*Mike and I spent the first night away from her. It was fun, but I'd rather have her with me.
*She loves to gum frozen bagels.
*She weighs close to 17 pounds.
*I lost the nail on my big toe nail. Man, does it hurt.
*Less than two weeks to my brother's wedding, another reason life has been so crazy.
Off to work.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
She knows what she likes
A new picture of the family, taking our poor daughter on another terrifying boat ride. This is from our evening cruise during the 4th of July weekend.
Ella is doing great, but we've had some feeding issues the past two days. She downright refuses to take a bottle at daycare, but does great at home. At daycare, she gets fussy, pushes the bottle away and just cries, but when given cereal, she gobbles it up. I think she only had 10 ounces of formula Monday and Tuesday during daycare. Yet, when we got home, she attacks the bottle. She drank 15 ounces of formula last night between 6 and 9:30. So, she's getting plenty of nutrition on a daily basis, but is cluster eating at home. I'm beginning to wonder if she associates cereal with daycare and bottles with home.
Ella is doing great, but we've had some feeding issues the past two days. She downright refuses to take a bottle at daycare, but does great at home. At daycare, she gets fussy, pushes the bottle away and just cries, but when given cereal, she gobbles it up. I think she only had 10 ounces of formula Monday and Tuesday during daycare. Yet, when we got home, she attacks the bottle. She drank 15 ounces of formula last night between 6 and 9:30. So, she's getting plenty of nutrition on a daily basis, but is cluster eating at home. I'm beginning to wonder if she associates cereal with daycare and bottles with home.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
I pulled an Amanda
Background: As a child, I was very clumsy. I always seemed to be dropping things, tripping over my own feet, you get the picture. Well, when anyone would do a clumsy act, my family started calling that you pulled an "Amanda." (A great builder of self-confidence, I know.) A few of my more significant clumsy acts included flipped over an entire large pizza as I tried to tear away the pizza box, and spilling a full bottle of creme de mint on new carpet.
Well, this week I definitely pulled an Amanda. The pediatric office finally gave Ella a prescription of amoxicillin for her horrible cough. I was walking down the hallway to give her a dose on Thursday morning and went to shake the bottle. Well, I quickly learned that the lid wasn't on tight. So, her pink, bubble gum flavored medicine ended up being dumped all over the carpet in the hallway. What a fun mess it was to clean up. Of course, it didn't really clean up. Mike tried as best he could. I knew having a kid would leave a mark on our house. I figured it would be the kid not me leaving the mark.
Well, this week I definitely pulled an Amanda. The pediatric office finally gave Ella a prescription of amoxicillin for her horrible cough. I was walking down the hallway to give her a dose on Thursday morning and went to shake the bottle. Well, I quickly learned that the lid wasn't on tight. So, her pink, bubble gum flavored medicine ended up being dumped all over the carpet in the hallway. What a fun mess it was to clean up. Of course, it didn't really clean up. Mike tried as best he could. I knew having a kid would leave a mark on our house. I figured it would be the kid not me leaving the mark.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
What I did during my 4th of July weekend. . .
Four days away from work and four days to spend with my girl and my husband, oh what fun we had.
It was a relaxing weekend. We divided our time between being lazy at home and camping with the Bowling/Davis crew at Pomona. Okay, not so much camping, rather Ella's first RV experience. Ella did great. When the heat got to be a bit much for her, we'd escape to the cool comforts of the air conditioning now and then. She also endured a boat ride on ole yeller. It meant a lot to Mike to have Ella in that boat. Another sweet memory tied to the historic yellow boat. I doubt Larry expected when he purchased the boat many, many years ago that his first grandchild would enjoy that boat.
Ella also was entertained by her cousins Tacy and Gena. Both are very eager for Ella to grow up, so she can play with them. They are such sweet girls and provided endless enjoyment as well.
We only stayed one night, and Ella slept so well. Mike and I honestly expected a marathon evening, but she did great in an unfamiliar setting. We considered staying another night, but home is such a comfort zone that we headed back after dinner on Monday.
Ella continues to grow like a weed. I so enjoy watching her mind learn new things. Right now, she loves to roll from her back to her stomach. She practiced her skill quite a bit this weekend. She was rolling now and then before this weekend, but always got frustrated because she couldn't free her arm. She has that skill mastered. In part because she's practicing so much in her sleep. Now, she needs to learn to roll the other way, so mom and dad don't have to wake from their slumber to do it for her. Over the alternative to listening to her scream, I'll drag myself out of bed.
Speaking of bed, that's where I need to be.
It was a relaxing weekend. We divided our time between being lazy at home and camping with the Bowling/Davis crew at Pomona. Okay, not so much camping, rather Ella's first RV experience. Ella did great. When the heat got to be a bit much for her, we'd escape to the cool comforts of the air conditioning now and then. She also endured a boat ride on ole yeller. It meant a lot to Mike to have Ella in that boat. Another sweet memory tied to the historic yellow boat. I doubt Larry expected when he purchased the boat many, many years ago that his first grandchild would enjoy that boat.
Ella also was entertained by her cousins Tacy and Gena. Both are very eager for Ella to grow up, so she can play with them. They are such sweet girls and provided endless enjoyment as well.
We only stayed one night, and Ella slept so well. Mike and I honestly expected a marathon evening, but she did great in an unfamiliar setting. We considered staying another night, but home is such a comfort zone that we headed back after dinner on Monday.
Ella continues to grow like a weed. I so enjoy watching her mind learn new things. Right now, she loves to roll from her back to her stomach. She practiced her skill quite a bit this weekend. She was rolling now and then before this weekend, but always got frustrated because she couldn't free her arm. She has that skill mastered. In part because she's practicing so much in her sleep. Now, she needs to learn to roll the other way, so mom and dad don't have to wake from their slumber to do it for her. Over the alternative to listening to her scream, I'll drag myself out of bed.
Speaking of bed, that's where I need to be.
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