She came at a perfect time for our family. Right when Patrick's Dad's parents, Nanny and Pa, were both having some health issues we found out we were pregnant! And a month after Nanny finished chemo and radiation for the cancer in her shoulder, Ellie was born! And in September, when Ellie was a little over 2 months old, we found out Patrick's mom, Wendy, had breast cancer. She had surgery a few weeks ago and just started chemo this week. We have been able to stay here in NC for about 10 days with Patrick's family. It has been a good time to see them before we head out west. Ellie has been such a blessing and joy in the middle of a hard year for our family. She has been a great reminder of God and His goodness. Please keep our family in your prayers. Wendy has a long road ahead of her in this process of treating the cancer and she and Bill will need your prayers for strength, endurance, hope, and lots of extra grace for the next 6 months or so.
We have had a great time witnessing a huge burst of development in EG over the last few weeks. It is so amazing to watch her grow and develop and learn new things. Here is a glimpse into what she has been up to lately!
- She has rolled over from tummy to back on a few occaisions
- She LOVES playing! This girl lives to play. Her "happy place" is her bouncer. She could bounce and kick and play all day! She had her first attempt in a jumperoo at Aunt Laura's the other day. She had a great time jumping around and wiggling her little legs (Uncle Jon helped by putting a thick book underneath her feet since she still wasn't quite able to touch the ground).
- She also lives to sleep! She is my awesome napper. She generally stays awake for 1.5-2 hours during the day and then crashes for anywhere between 2-4 hours at a time! Its been a nice break to get stuff done.
- She loves grabbing her toes.... while in her bouncer, laying down in her play gym, in her car seat, in the bathtub... anywhere and everywhere! She even managed to get a toe in her mouth the other night during bath time!
- She started noticing Watson, following him with her eyes, and will even reach out her hand and pet him! He LOVES it. Just wait until she starts pulling your hair Watty!
- She has laughed some (most of the time when she is overtired and a bit delirious)
- She can hold onto toys and usually puts them straight into her mouth
- She loves chewing on her hands/fingers
-She loves babbling/talking/squealing! We have even woken up a few times in the morning to her squealing in her little bed. Pretty funny!
Overall, she is doing really well. As long as she can nap, she is a super happy baby! We have had her on acid reflux meds for the past month and it really seems to be helping. No more screaming at the bottle and arching her back! She is doing great at night. Lately, she has started a trend of waking up only once at night. Sometimes around 3am, but usually around 5 or 6am. Her final wake up time has been 8am this past week, which is GREAT for me!
Well that's all for now folks! I will post again on our journey out west!
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| Ellie in her "happy place" and sticking out her tongue! |
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| Ellie napping with Grammy! (Wendy) |
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| Ellie, Aunt Laura, and Abram hanging out! |
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| Ellie visiting Uncle Jon, Aunt Laura, and Cousin Abram |
