Potty Time!

The sweet in-laws are in town for a visit right now, and we're loving every minute of it.  I'm savoring the company and all of the breaks from mommy-hood.  Ellie's Grandma Borchard, "Mimi," suggested that, "because Ellie's so smart"(her words, not mine, I promise=)), she might be ready to start potty training.  I have NO idea where to even begin!  I went to Target, though, and bought her her own potty, and she's certainly taken to it.  We haven't yet tried to go to the bathroom in it yet, but she LOVES sitting on it!  And the way she lifts up her dress when she sits on it assures me that she kind of knows what's going on, too.  Wish me luck!  I'm in no rush, though.  I like the whole diaper thing...no need to rush off to find the restroom all the time.  We'll see how motivated I get.

Some Big Shoes To Fill

Like I think I've mentioned before, Ellie is obsessed with shoes.  "Shoe" was one of her first words, and she is really into taking her own shoes off and on and testing out everybody else's.  Daddy's size 14s seem to be the best fit of all!

Big Boy!

Holy cow!  I think I grew over night!  This baby boy is sticking straight out...and getting so big and heavy.  I'm almost 34 weeks now...my, how time flew this time around!

This is the first belly picture we've taken with this baby.  Poor guy...he's getting gipped!  With Ellie, I took a picture of my tummy every week.  That was a little much, I know, but I feel like I've hardly paid any attention to this little guy this time around.

We have a follow-up ultrasound this coming Monday, so that will make it all just that little bit more real and exciting.  

Looks like I'll be having this baby in Pasadena....aaaah, home sweet home!  Joe will be studying and rehabbing from his elbow surgery up at Stanford, so we'll just have this baby with all of our families around.  Crazy to not be at home with all of our gear and just the comforts that home brings, but this will be great in its own adventurous way.  Wish us luck!  Off to go find some Bay Area housing now!...ugh!

Wow!

For some reason, right before we leave for church is when Ellie does all of her goofiest stuff.  As I was getting dressed this morning, I noticed that my bra had been snatched from its place on the bed.  Hmmm, where could it have ended up?!  Amazing...she even knew exactly how to put it on!  I know I'm pregnant and all, but that bra on her looks HUGE!

Make a Wish!

Ellie and I killed time by walking around the mall yesterday.  We just people-watched, "choo-choo-ed" at the little train that carries people around the courtyards, and played in the fountains.  I taught her how to throw pennies in and make wishes.  Well, I don't think she caught onto the wish part, but she sure did throw a heck of a lot of pennies into that fountain!

Nerd Girl!

It makes me so happy to see that Ellie is taking after her momma...what a nerd!  She absolutely LOVES to read.  She will sit on the couch for up to an hour at a time just reading out loud to herself.  I will be so sad when she stops all of the baby gibberish.  That time is quickly approaching, though, as she learns a new word almost every day.  She's my little sponge these days, and it is just so much fun.

Super Eleanor!

Ellie never wears her bib when she eats....grrrr!  But she LOVES to wear it around the house as a cape!

Welcome Home, Dad!

Joe just got home recently from a really LONG road trip...10+ days...and by the way Ellie greeted him that first morning of having him home, it was pretty darn clear how much she'd missed him!  

Mother's Day with the McAlpins

We have the dearest, sweetest friends in Charlotte, the McAlpin family, who have become the closest thing to family that we have out there (well, besides John and Annie, of course!).  Ellie and I were home in Charlotte for Mother's Day, while Joe was on a ten-day road trip, and the McAlpins spoiled us by inviting us to spend Mother's Day evening with them over a fabulous dinner at Beppo's.  What a relief to have such wonderful company, instead of being alone on that special day.  Ellie hung in there over our two-hour dinner, but she certainly had her nasty toddler moments.  Cindy McAlpin was THE greatest help in distracting her and keeping her happy.  Thank you, McAlpins, for a fantastic Mother's Day!

Fun at the Chidren's Museum of Richmond

I took Ellie to the Children's Museum of Richmond yesterday, and we had an absolute ball!  We'll surely be back there again in no time at all.  It was such a great way to wear her out in an afternoon without having to do much parenting at all....aaaaah, relaxing for mommy.  The best was watching her play in the water spigots.  At one point, she ended up standing right in the middle of one soaking herself, and she just froze...she totally forgot how to just walk away from it.  She just looked at me with this horrified look on her face and whined for help.  It was hilarious; mean mommy totally laughed at her=)!

Paging Dr. Eleanor!!

Poor baby girl was sooooo sick last week.  We went to the pediatrician 4 times within 6 days!  She had a nasty, nasty ear infection that had to be treated with three separate shots of big-time antibiotics.  And to follow that up, she had her 18 month check up, where she had to have three more vaccine shots!!  Anyway, she got really into the whole stethescope thing.  On our ride home to Charlotte from Richmond, she wore her plastic stethescope for the entire first hour of the drive!  Pretty cute.

Flip-Flop Fanatic

Ellie is OBSESSED with my flip flops!  One her first words was "shoe," and it's becoming very apparent why that is.  She LOVES shoes!  This totally reminds me of wearing my mom's bright blue high heels around the house when I was little...like mother, like daughter??=)  The best is when the flip-flop ends up between her third and fourth toes...sometimes that REALLY makes her mad, though.

Ready for Church

This is Ellie getting ready for church this morning.  Beautiful baby girl, yes?!  And then she got a hold of Daddy's beer box... oops!

TOP: I bought Ellie a cup of vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles while we were walking around the mall the other day, and she refused to eat it!....until, I let her feed herself!  Miss Independent ate the whole darn thing herself.  She shared some with me, though, and even fed me from her spoon...too cute.

MIDDLE: Ellie came with me to the car wash yesterday, and she loved holding the tip money and hanging out in the leather lounge chairs like a big girl.

BOTTOM: "Mr. Bill" (Bill Blackwell), the GM of the Richmond Braves' stadium, is Ellie's FAVORITE person.  She asks to go to him every time she sees him, and she even snuggles his shoulder.  Don't know what it is about him.  He sort of looks like my dad with grey-er hair, so maybe that's it.  Anyway, he took her over to see the mascot, Diamond Duck, at the game last night.  She thought he was HILARIOUS!..though she refused to let him touch her.  We're having so much fun here in Richmond.  There's nothing quite like the family feeling of being on a minor league team.

Little Miss Personality

Ellie's been trying to put her own shoes and socks on lately.  She's mastered saying the word "shoe," but getting one on her foot is another story.  She usually tries to put her toe in the heel.  She has fun for about three minutes, and then frustration sets in, and all hell breaks loose!  

She's also big on putting her blankie over her head while riding in the car these days.  At first we thought she was trying to play "peek-a-boo;" she'd humor us and play along, but really she just wanted to relax with her blanket around her head.  And if she can't get it up there just right...watch out...someone gets really mad!  She even sleeps in her crib every night with her blankie somewhere up around her head.  Hmmmm, reminds me of Grammy Molly!