Ellie, Jan - Apr 2012

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I thought I'd start with the one who has changed the most - Ellie! She's had an eventful few months, and I was going to write about all her medical procedures but that would be long and boring, but if anyone wants to know I'll tell you! The pictures are all out of order, and I can't figure out how to change it so it's staying the way it is. And I can't figure out how to type before the first picture! But it is a picture I was trying to take of Ellie when she turned 18 months (April). I love the dress she's wearing, and I thought she'd look adorable in her rocking chair. She wasn't all that cooperative in staying in the chair, or smiling, but this picture got her personality! In January Ellie was one year from her due date (but 15 months old). By April she was 18 months old but only 15 months past her due date. No, I haven't let her go to nursery yet, I think I'll wait until she's 18 months past her due date. Perhaps she'll be walking by then and have less chance of getting run over by the big boys in there!

This next picture was from March. Ellie had to have several tests done at the hospital where she was born, to try and see what's going on with her stomach. For one test, we had to wait an hour and a half before the next step so I let her crawl down the NICU hallway. Yes, I let her crawl on the hospital floor. What else do you do with a mobile toddler who has been strapped into a carseat for two hours, onto a board for one more, and has to be strapped down for a two hour car ride back home? So yes, her socks and pants were nearly black and I washed her hands as soon as I picked her up, but it kept her quite happy. And, we ran into her primary NICU nurse!

I only have pictures from one test (in March), she is in there, under the machine, getting imaged.

Ellie loves her car, and Ian loves to play with her (March)!

Levi likes to read books to Ellie, she loves books (March).

She likes books so much she pulled them all off to read (February) :).

Ellie is very helpful with the dishes (February).

Levi the engineer was taking Ellie for a train ride (January).

In January Ellie could get to her knees - that's an accomplishment for her!

And then to standing (January)!

Daddy's shoulders is just about Ellie's favorite place to be. Which is good, since she has to be kept upright after eating and at bedtime it's sometimes hard to keep her happy (February)!

Ellie's 18 month bear picture (April). When Ellie was born, she was about as long as this bear. But skinnier. She certainly has grown!! She's 9 lb 6 oz! And 30.5" long (at 19 months). At 19 months old Ellie can walk holding onto furniture or someones hands, can walk between two people, can crawl super fast, is saying about 8 words spontaneously, eats at about an 8 month level, is on 3 medications for reflux related problems (although at the doctor today she will start back on a fourth), loves books, loves her brothers, and is the cutest, happiest, most fun little girl we've ever had around our house :).

I just thought this was cute (April)!

 I was trying to get a picture of Ellie's wild hair (April). She usually doesn't leave her hair bands in for too long so her hair looks like this most of the time! She really needs to grow some hair on the sides soon! When I leave it down, without hair bands, someone always calls her a boy - even if she's wearing a pink shirt!

And Easter (April). I had to have a picture of her first Easter dress! Yes, she was alive last Easter, but didn't go to church so I didn't get her a dress.