Adria and Elliana's Blog

Recent Videos

2012-02-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ellie was having so much fun playing on the floor today at Grandmama's that I decided to surreptitiously video her. Please excuse the fingers over the lense at times, that was all due to attempted stealth.

After uploading the above, we realized that we never posted the second video of Adria crawling. She mastered forward motion and then all hope was lost of keeping her contained. It is a little long but you can also hear Ellie's talking in the background.

Helping Mama

2012-02-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

After a very difficult week or so, Mama was about to go crazy from lack of sleep and baby-related stress. On Tuesday night, Adria seemed to be doing better and slightly more cooperative so I thought I'd try to do something for myself. I decided to try out a new cake technique using sugar sheets for a Valentine's theme.

I was pretty happy with the end result and will definitely be trying this stuff again.

While I was busy decorating, Adria alternated between the floor and the ergo. We unfortunately haven't resolved the Mama hostage situation (i.e. I refuse to be put down for any length of time if Mama is in my eyeline.) but we are working towards a a peaceful resolution. She is at least willing to sit near me for short periods of time, of course assuming she has proper incentive. Luckily, I found it in some cookie cutters that Ellie had been playing with last week.

Adria had a great time taking them out of the box and attempting to put them back in.

Oooo, shiny!

Hmm...what's this?

Oh no, are there more?

This bought me at least 45 minutes to finish up my cake. Granted, she spent most of the rest of the night in the ergo but something is better than nothing.

Bakin' in the Kitchen

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend with everyone sick, we tried to find some fun activities that Elliana could do (besides TV) that weren't too taxing. The end result was baking with Mama!

Cake Mama, Ariel cake!

On Friday when we stopped at the cake decorating store, Elliana saw some Little Mermaid cupcake holders that she just had to have. Those became the inspiration for making cake!

Ellie got to do a lot of it herself now that she's getting bigger.

After watching Mama fill the cups, she decided to try it herself.

Granted, it was definitely messier when she did it but she did manage to get some of the batter in there!

Since we're on day 8 of the Mama hostage situation (AKA Never Put Adria Down)...

Snark. I need Mama's undivided attention!

She supervised the whole endeavor. I'm not sure she was impressed.

Yummy, yummy

2012-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Adria is growing up so fast! She started eating some finger foods recently and we found a great way for her to have some fun with them.

We set up the bumbo chair with a tray and let her go to town.

These are kinda funny looking, but I'm definitely interested.

After a little practice, she easily got the hang of it and had a ball feeding herself puffs and yogurt melts.

Yum, yum. I'm liking this food business.

So far, she's had puffs, yogurt melts, cheese, and cherrios. She's also tried some yogurt and declared that a hit. Hopefully she'll continue to be a good eater since she's definitely off to a great start.

The Plague House

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

We have spent the entire month sick which is about as much fun as it sounds.

Poor Ellie has had two colds and now an ear infection...

Last Thursday night, Elliana had a complete meltdown about 2 hours after bedtime. After about an hour of crying and fussing, she told me that her ear hurt. I told her that in the morning, if her ear still hurt she just needed to tell me and we'd go to the doctor.

With that, she decided to give in and go back to sleep. However, the next morning the first thing she told me was "See doctor Mama. Ear hurt, doctor now." With a little apprehension at taking both girls to the doctor for the first time, I made an appointment for them since Adria had been coughing pretty badly. Before we left, we practiced checking Elliana's ears and listening to her heart so that this time would hopefully go better than the last few visits.

I shouldn't have worried though since Elliana did fabulously. She was a total champ and didn't get upset at all. She needed a little comfort from Mama when the doctor was examining her but other than that she was a perfect angel. After the doctor diagnosed her with the ear infection, she checked out with Adria and determined that she had RSV. My heart dropped a bit since I've only heard really bad things about that with babies but the doctor reassured me with normal-term babies that are a little older it is typically not that dangerous. She told me that Adria would most likely be better by Monday and thankfully, after a very, very, very difficult weekend with very little sleep, Adria is doing much better.

Here's for hoping that we have ZERO illnesses in February!

We Like to Start 'em Young

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Adria is always happy to play with Mama so she often hangs out near my computer. Apparently, she's already figured out that touching the keys makes it do something. I left her sitting on the couch for just a moment and came back to this:

Wow, this is fun!

I wonder if I have my own email yet?

At least I know Mama will be back since I'm in her way!

I Love My Sister

2012-01-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

We just love seeing the girls playing together. They already have so much fun and love each other so much. Ellie loves to give Adria kisses and that often devolves into tickles now that Ellie knows how.

Kisses!

Oh no, tickles!

Giggles!

I'm sure as Adria gets bigger they'll start playing together even more! We can hardly wait to see how much fun they have in the future.

Just because we were very impressed with what Ellie did on Thursday, I thought I'd include this totally unrelated pic. She got bored with her blocks and decided to find something else to stack while Mama was trying to work.

I turned around and saw a stack of spices. I'm was pretty shocked that she was able to do this but also very glad that she hasn't mastered opening lids yet!

Horses!

2012-01-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

Elliana's obsession with horses got a bit bigger in the last few weeks all due to Papa!

Papa decided to take her and Adria to see some horses on campus and pretty near our house.

While there, Elliana also discovered something that she thought was one of her other favorite things....

rocks!

After careful inspection though, she was convinced this was actually something different.

It was still pretty cool though.

After that brief distraction, she decided to get back to the horses

and was quite happy to talk to and play near the horses for quite awhile.

Papa also took this video and even though Ellie was distracted by a little girl nearby, you can still hear her ever improving talking skills.

Baby in a Box

2012-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

You may remember Toddler in a Box from awhile back of Elliana playing around in the ottoman and this cute Baby in a Box when she was a tad younger. Apparently, Adria wants to carry on the tradition (with a little help of course!).

Hello!

The other day she kept trying to get in the box after Ellie took the lid off. Granted, since she can't pull herself up at all, it was a bit of a challenge for her. After she got frustrated, Mama saved the day and helped her out.

Hmm...I'm not sure why I wanted to be in here but oh well.

She wasn't 100% sure that she liked it at first, but after a little bit she got quite happy. It didn't hurt that Ellie joined in the fun all decked out in the princess regalia.

Yes, I am adorable and ever so happy!

All in all, I think Adria's first foray into boxes was a success.

I'm Really Good at Smiling!

2012-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

I think the photos pretty much say it all!

Toddler Super Model

2012-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Some things never change...

Smile for Papa!

Elliana still loves to pose for the camera!

Again, this game is lame!

Granted, she usually gets bored far sooner than Papa does when they're playing with the camera.

Oh wait, I changed my mind.

Unless she can do something silly, and then all is well again.

Toddler Burrito

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Elliana is a huge fan of being all wrapped up. When she was a baby, she LOVED being swaddled which made it very easy to get her to go to sleep. We quickly learned how to make baby burritos she couldn't escape from (since the escaping always led to crying and an awake baby!) which made her quite happy.

Can I add some cheese to that toddler burrito?

Now that she's older, she's found new and inventive ways to wrap herself up! Right after bath time is her favorite and the big bath sheets work great on covering her from head to toe.

Where do I sleep?

2012-01-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

With Mama of course!

It's a good thing Adria is so cute and cuddly because she refuses to sleep alone. She has to be attached to someone in the ergo or close enough that she knows you're there on any other surface.

If I don't sleep with her, I generally try to find something I can do so my new Kindle keyboard has come in very handy! Now, if I finish a book I don't have to risk waking the sleeping baby by getting up to get another one.

There is very little sleeping involved though once Elliana is involved...

but they certainly have fun playing together!

I'm Officially 6 Months Old and...

2012-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I think all the Sci-Fi is rubbing off!

One of Adria's favorite activities is watching Star Trek with Papa while strapped into the ergo. Apparently, all the sci-fi watching is rubbing off on her since she immediately knew what to do with the Star Wars Light saber Santa brought Papa and Elliana for Christmas.

This isn't the baby you are looking for.

If you strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Hai-yah

I definitely think Papa will get his wish for some non-traditional girl activities in the future. Between Ellie's SWAT team and Adria's light sabers, they're both well on their way to greatness.

Adria went to her well-baby visit today and was again deemed adorable and perfectly healthy! She grew quite a bit and is now closer to Ellie's comparable height. She also got FOUR shots today and did very well. We also got the ok to start her on more textured foods since she's doing so well with her baby food.

Here are her new stats:
Height: 27 1/2 inches (95th%)
Head: 43.5 cm (76th%)
Weight: 15 lbs 10 ounces (40th%)

Adria This and That

2012-01-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Adria is definitely mobile now though she still isn't actually crawling. She somehow manages to scoot/roll/wiggle her way around the whole room. She can go backwards the best though so she often gets stuck. The other day, I left her in the middle of the floor and went to go do something with Ellie. When I came back in the room I didn't see her. I looked around to see

Adria hidden under the couch!

Umm, can I get some help here?


No, not a picture. Some actual help would be nice though.

If she can master forward-motion she'll be totally set before she even learns to crawl!

She is also a huge fan of grabbing anything and everything she can get her hands on. This of course, includes Mama's hair!

Yes, I am adorable. It doesn't matter that I'm ripping your hair out, does it?

And of course, anything with Mama involved is pretty much guaranteed to make her smile!

Princess Elliana

2012-01-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Elliana's love affair with all things princess started with Cinderella. She gradually moved on to Belle, Aurora, Tiana, and a variety of others. Before Christmas, she made do with whatever she could find to complete her princess ensembles. Now though, she's got all the supplies to do it even better.

She's got dresses and tiaras

Yes, I am a Princess with a capital P.

She has a few sceptors

I proclaim it is "Watch George Day!"

On Christmas Day, when asked what princesses do, Elliana immediately bowed and attempted a curtsey!

I dub thee Princess Elliana of all the lands! And yes, I'm wearing a crown.

Luckily, all these supplies have a home in a magic chest that is often the first thing that Elliana pulls out in the morning.

When Papa grumbles about all the princess paraphernalia, I just remind him of how adorable she looks!

Uh Oh!

2012-01-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

It all started in Redding...

Adria discovered the Ipad!

Now granted, she can't really get it to do anything yet but the simple fact that it lights up and responds to her touch is enough to keep her entertained for awhile. So we often see the following sequence when she can get to it:

Hmm...I wonder if my sister is paying attention to me?

Guess not....great, I get some play time then.

Why can't I get it to work? Oh well, maybe biting it will help.

We're already anticipating the fights and the bickering about sharing the Ipad but figure its bad enough that Elliana has one at 2.5 so we can't even imagine both girls having their OWN at 2 and 4. I guess it will be good sharing lessons but I'm thinking I should start preparing now for the drama!

Happy Birthday Grandmama and Grandpapa!

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas, the girls and I ventured up to Redding to help everyone celebrate Grandmama and Grandpapa's 82nd birthday. I got recruited to make the cakes and decided to try out some new skills I recently learned.

With cake #1, I got to make a chocolate ribbon bow and place a chocolate border on the outside of the cake. That was all topped off with a white chocolate snowflake.

The larger cake was my first attempt at a sheetcake and though it didn't come out perfectly flat, it was still somewhat acceptable. Once it was decorated, it looked even better.

The chocolate cake, caramel filling, and chocolate icing were a HUGE hit!

An even bigger hit though, was the Ipad that we got Grandmama and Grandpapa! Everyone went in on it together for their birthday and Christmas so that it would be a huge surprise. I think the present was a huge success since Grandmama had to immediately start playing with it. By the end of the evening, she was happily playing solitaire and listening to Elvis Christmas music while Adria snoozed on the couch beside her.

And a picture I never thought I'd see...Carson with a baby! I did manage to get him to call Adria "the baby" instead of it on this trip. Maybe next time, she'll even get to graduate to her name.

Sisters Playin'

2011-12-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Now that Adria is getting a little older, she and Elliana are starting to play together more. Earlier this week, they both learned how much fun they could have with tickling!

One of Elliana's favorite games is "more tickles", as she calls it, but she soon discovered it was even better when she got to do the tickling.

I'm pretty sure Adria enjoyed it just as much though!

Adria's First Christmas

2011-12-30T23:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was fairly traumatic for Elliana. She snuck into the bedroom while Mama was trying to finish a few things up and caught a nanosecond glance of one of her stocking stuffers. Of course, this was Bullseye the horse (from Toy Story) which apparently she's been desperately and secretly wanting. She completely freaked out when we wouldn't let her have it and this set the tone for the rest of the evening. Needless to say, we were glad when bedtime came around!

The next morning though, she was all smiles when she realized that she could get up and that Santa had come!

I've been waiting forever to see what Santa brought me.

She immediately found the stockings and Bullseye was perched atop her stocking. We probably could have stopped there as she was completely and totally happy with that one toy.

Horse! Horse! Horse!

Alas, we had a mountain of presents to open!

Not that I think Ellie minded.

Presents are awesome!

One of the first things she opened was a pillow that Grandma Lynne made her with a puppy from one of Papa's childhood items.

Cool, a perfect Ellie-size pillow.

She then got to open a very awesome (and loud) jewelry box from Aunt Becky that she totally enjoyed.

Yeah, something else to torture Mama with!

All the while, Adria was mostly unimpressed with the goings on. Mama helped her open her stocking and a few presents but she mostly just wanted to hang out on the floor and hide under the couch.

I'm very confused. My sister is even more crazy than usual though.

Elliana then opened one of her bigger presents from us and immediately had to put the outfit on. Mama got her a Belle doll with a matching dress for Ellie!

Pretty dress!

And a doll! What could be better?

She then helped Mama and Papa open some presents from Grandpa Eric and Grandma Pat. They weren't exactly Ellie-friendly but she was so excited I don't think she even noticed!

She also got to open several presents from Grandpa Ken and Grandma Jeanette, including a new George book! Mama was very excited since she had searched for this book everywhere and had yet to find it. Plus, it went along with the George theme of Christmas since Ellie received 3 new George DVDs and a stuffed animal George! The new DVDs were from Santa who must have realized that Mama and Papa were quickly going insane from watching "George Goes Green" and George's Rocket Ride" for the millionth time!

At this point, Adria was tuckered out so she had to go down for a nap. Mama took over her present duties so that the show could go on. This adorable outfit was from Aunt Becky and was very timely since we needed a pretty new outfit for Adria to wear for her 6 month photos later in the week.

Just as Ellie thought we were finished, we told her to look under the table for one more special present...

Wow, princesses!

Lo and behold, she found a fabulous chest of princess dress up clothes that are sure to occupy her for hours and hours in the weeks to come.


Princess Elliana at your service.

After her nap, Adria was more than happy to enjoy the rest of her 1st Christmas by playing in the main present that Mama and Papa got her....

a new jumperoo and music table!

Wow, I can make so much noise with this ALL BY MYSELF!

Jessie and Bullseye played with Cinderella and her horse to complete the day.

And in the end, our living room looked like a toy store exploded even after all the wrapping and boxes were gone!

We can't wait until next year when Adria will be older and more involved which is sure to double the fun!

Visiting with Grandma Lynne

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Shortly before Christmas, Grandma Lynne came to visit. She had lots of fun playing with the girls and getting to spend some more time with Adria.

She even got an Ipad lesson or two from Elliana.

The girls had a great time hanging out with Grandma and we can't wait until they get to see her again.

Our little sitter

2011-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

Adria has started trying to sit up recently with some success. The other day, Bret put her on our new couch to see how she would do. He put her on the crack between cushions and she was able to support herself pretty well.

Well, this doesn't seem too hard.

I think I can even lean forward a little.

Oh wait, now I'm sinking. I wonder how if I can move now?

We also decided to use some of the Christmas money from Grandpa Eric to get Adria a bumbo chair. After Ellie outgrew hers we got rid of it since they take up a decent amount of space and anyone who has seen our apartment recently knows how little of we have. Of course, when I saw they had a purple one, I just had to get it for Adria. She took to it right away but as usual was just a tad confused.

I feel like I'm sitting but I'm not so sure.


I may be stuck here, but at least I can still reach my feet. I wonder if I can get them in my mouth though?

All in all, we're amazed at Adria's motor skill development. She is definitely beating Ellie on every milestone so far and can already navigate the floor quite well. Over the holiday she improved her crawling/scootching skills and can now go sideways and backwards. Though she hasn't mastered forward motion, she has discovered that rolling works just as well. Since she can roll from front to back and from back to front, she can pretty much get anywhere she wants now.

Funny girls

2011-12-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few recent pics that made us laugh!

Say what? I'm confused.

Hmm...I'm not sure why, but my chin feels funny.

Our little gamer

2011-12-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Bret decided it was time to introduce Elliana to the wonderful world of video games. At first she wasn't too sure about it but as soon as she saw that the game included a boat, water, and swimming, she was all for it. She quickly mastered the buttons and figured out how to make the characters move.

Shh...I'm concentrating.

Wait, what happened?


Ok, now I can look at you and smile. Just don't interrupt my game.

I'm sure now that Bret got a new Zelda game for hisbirthday, they'll have hours more enjoyment of learning to fly the giant bird.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

This post is a little belated but I thought you would enjoy it nonetheless. Between all the visitors, cake decorating, and Christmas preparations, I have definitely gotten behind.

When I first brought out the Christmas stuff, Ellie quickly discovered an alternate way to use the stockings...as boots!

Look at my cute shoes!

The next night, we actually got to decorate the tree and Ellie did most of it. This year, I opted for toddler friendly decorations - hence the Buzz Lightyear and Disney Princesses you may notice in the pictures.

Say cheese, of course.

If I smile real big, will Santa come now?

Don't bother me Mama, I'm decorating!

Adria tried to help us while she tried on a 1st Christmas bib, but supervising is pretty hard work for a baby...

so she quickly fell asleep.

Even though we revamped our decorations, we still made sure to put up our special ornaments.

Ellie's 1st Christmas ornament

Adria's 1st Christmas ornament

Ellie's 1st Christmas picture ornament

Ellie's 2nd Christmas ornament

2011 picture ornaments with accompanying monkey.

I've decided to make a tradition out of picture ornaments so that we have one for the girls each year. They're pretty easy to make and I think down the line we'll really enjoy having them. All in all, the new decorations were very pretty and Ellie did a great job decorating the tree. I do however hope that someday we'll be able to go back to pretty glass ornaments as much as I love Toy Story and Disney Princesses!

Sleepy Time

2011-12-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

While we have been attempting to get Adria to sleep in her crib, she still isn't a hug fan of it. This results in her spending a lot of time in the bed. She typically goes to bed in her crib but ends up in the bed at some point during the night. Since she likes to sleep later than Elliana does, we have to make sure that Elliana doesn't wake her up whenever possible. We've come to the conclusion that Elliana may terrify Adria by looming over her at times and eventually Adria may have nightmares regarding a very loud, very rambunctious figure running towards her!

Our mornings usually consist of Elliana trying to sneak into the bedroom so she can climb in bed with Mama and Adria. This is often done stealthily until she reaches the bed...

Yawn, I swear I'm tired.

Elliana then lies down with us, typically waking Adria up by "whispering"


Mama, baby awake? BABY AWAKE!!!

Which of course, wakes up the baby!

Yeah! Now we can go play right?

And that of course is the whole point Mama thinks....

Elliana simply can't understand why anyone would want to be asleep when SHE'S awake!

My pretty crown

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Elliana has been very into dressing up lately and has gotten quite inventive in her outfits. The other day, she grabbed a dress from her closet and then added some accessories. By the time she was done, she had a crown made out of a necklace, a ring made out of cake decorations, and a bouquet made from a vase we have.

Don't I look beautiful?

Say cheese!

Oh, do you want these back Mama?

Elliana then decided that Adria needed a crown too and found something that would work...

a glow stick! These were a definite hit on both Adria and Ellie since they stay on their heads pretty well and they glow!

However, even more successful was the crown that Mama brought home a few days later...

I'm a pretty princess.

Ellie decided almost immediately though that she wanted Adria to wear the crown more than she wanted to wear it herself.

My Gingerbread House

2011-12-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, Elliana built her very first gingerbread house! She had some help from Kim but she did a pretty good job of managing the construction on her own.

This is kind of weird, I wonder what it is?

A large portion of our time was spent trying to keep Ellie from eating the icing. She didn't quite grasp the concept that the icing what was holding her house together so she would try to lick it off every time we put it on the house!

Yummy, sugar!

Once we got the walls up, we had to put it away for awhile so they could dry. This of course caused an all out meltdown which was quickly averted by decorating the rooftop.


Look, I can put my hand inside the house.

The meltdown of course necessitated a snack break where Ellie enjoyed one of her new favorite foods - squeezable applesauce!

Can I help you? I'm sort of busy right now.

We then started on the decorating and once Ellie realized the decorations were candy, she got even more excited! Needless to say we again had a tough job of getting the candy on the roof and later the house instead of inside Elliana's mouth.

More sugar, I'm going to be craaaazy when I'm done with this!

Here's her completed gingerbread house....

complete with goldfish!

And of course, any picture is better with Ellie's smiling face!

Time for Santa

2011-12-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Look who got to see Santa!

Last week, I took the girls to see Santa and it was a pretty decent success. Adria was totally fine and didn't seem bothered at all by some strange man holding her. Elliana though wasn't a fan at first. She refused to sit on Santa's lap or even next to Santa. I thought we were going to have to scrap the photo and call it a day with just Adria. Then Kim got the brilliant idea to let Ellie hold one of the giant ornaments if she agreed to sit next to Santa on the stool. Apparently bribery was the solution because Ellie happily sat there, holding the ornament that was almost as big as her head, and smiled away. You can't even tell from the picture that she was even slightly perturbed even though there was a definite movement towards meltdown just 2 minutes earlier.

My new big girl room!

2011-12-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

Lately, Elliana has found a new place to sleep....

the floor in front of her door!Apparently, the new freedom she has makes it very challenging for her to sleep in her bed.

Back around her birthday, we tried transitioning her to the toddler bed in anticipation of Adria's arrival. We had pretty decent success until we brought Adria home from the hospital. At that point, Elliana decided the crib belonged to HER and there was no sleeping anywhere else. Since she was so good overall about adjusting to her little sister's arrival, we decided to let her have the crib for awhile and work on getting her in the toddler bed after the summer. As Adria got bigger, that time quickly approached and we decided over Thanksgiving to switch things up a bit.

Here's the end result:

Since Elliana had gotten so used to having a fort over her crib, we knew we'd be in trouble without a fort over her bed. I tried to find a fort we could buy but they were just too expensive so Bret had the brilliant idea to make a fort base out of PVC pipe. This worked perfectly so I found some curtains at Ikea to finish it off.

We created a great little sleeping arrangement for Elliana that she loves to hang out in but rarely sleeps in of course!

At the same time, we moved the crib into our bedroom and got rid of the second bookshelf and some other random stuff (yeah Papa!!) so that Ellie could have some more room. I still have to take some outgrown baby clothes to the resale store but overall, Ellie's room is much more spacious. She really likes playing in her on her own now and has taken to shutting the door on us so she can have some quiet time.

Just another sign of how much she's grown up already!

Crawling already?

2011-12-07T21:54:00.001-08:00

At just under 6 months old, Adria attempted to crawl for the first time tonight! Overall, Adria is definitely developing her motor skills much more rapidly than Elliana did. Elliana didn't really attempt crawling until she was over 8 months old. Elliana finally accomplished her crawling feat at 9 months. Maybe Adria will crawl by Christmas, wouldn't that be a great present?

Time to Pose

2011-11-22T22:46:00.001-08:00

Elliana loves to dress up and play. She found one of Mama's shawls and decided to try it on for us.

Don't I look beautiful?

Smile, smile, smile, this is such hard work!


But I can do it all day if you want me to!

I think this darling girl will thoroughly enjoy some of her Christmas presents that involve dress up clothes. I can't wait to show them to her in a few weeks.

Somebody's All Smiles

2011-11-22T22:43:00.001-08:00

Adria is a very smiley baby, but unlike Elliana, she isn't a huge fan of the camera. This makes it rather hard to get a good shot of her adorable smiles. Since Adria likes to hang out on her back (and flail like a turtle according to Bret), I thought I'd try to get a good shot of her smiles. Some of the shots are adorable while some are a little funny or a little strange!

Scary baby

Confused baby

Smiley baby, but why would I look forward?

Really scary baby

Laughing baby

Here's the adorable smile!

All in all, I think it took about 15 shots but I finally got the adorable smile that we get to see so often. We are so blessed that Adria is such a happy, easy-going baby. We just can't believe how lucky we are to have two such wonderful girls.

Hanging out with Mama

2011-11-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

The other day, Adria decided to join Mama on the couch and show off some of her new skills.

She's gotten very good at sitting up, as long as she has some help!

Adria has also started holding her own bottle, though it is typically only for a short period of time.

This tends to exhaust her though and one of her favorite places to sack out is the couch.

A few days later, she decided to hang out on the floor near Papa's desk.

Of course, she needed company in the form of Ellie's new night light.

Doesn't she look happy!

Who needs sleep?

2011-11-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

This last time we went to Redding, since Papa went with us, we opted to get a hotel room. Little did we know that hotels and pickles don't mix! Ellie decided that sleeping was entirely optional when there was so much to do in one room.

After playing musical beds, Ellie finally decided on sleeping with Adria and Mama...

though I'm not sure sleeping was on the itinerary. I basically gave up and just ignored her.

She eventually gave up torturing me and went to sleep.

The next day, we spent some time at Grandmama's house.

Adria spent some time hanging out with Grandmama before Ellie stepped in.

Elliana decided it was high time Grandmama learned about how great Angry Birds is to play!

Look, we can make the birds fly...

And we can crash into the cages and free them all!

Isn't this hilarious! I just love showing you how to use my Elmo! I can even teach all this without any sleep.

P.S. Ellie lovingly refers to the Ipad as "my Elmo"

Wilson takes Ellie for a walk

2011-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Halloween, my friend Kelly came over with her older weiner dog, Wilson. Every year she dresses him up for Halloween so they can go visit her grandfather but this year Wilson got to come visit Ellie in her costume too!

Ellie happily put her SWAT team costume on again and Wilson showed off his caterpillar costume. The idea was for Ellie to take Wilson for a walk but what happened was a little different...

Wilson took her for a walk instead!

Ellie quickly discovered that when Wilson runs away, the best way to stop him is to step on the leash...

After that discovery, Ellie decided to try and use her handcuffs

since you never know when it might come in handy to tie up a puppy.

They also went around the complex to investigate together and see what they could discover.

They also stopped at the playground for a quick break.

Before they returned to the apartment, Kelly took some great pictures of both little ones' costumes.

Here's some they are:

Next year, maybe Wilson will take Ellie AND Adria for a walk!

My First Wedding Cake

2011-11-15T23:34:00.001-08:00

The anniversary party also prompted me to tackle a new challenge....

making and decorating a wedding cake!

I went with three tiers in gold, silver and blue to represent Grandma and Grandpa's 25th anniversary (silver) and 50th anniversary (gold) and added the blue since it is Grandma's favorite color.

Here's the top tier with the gold focus:

Here's the middle tier with the blue focus:

And here's the bottom tier with the silver focus:

Bret decided to snap some photos during the THREE days it took to construct the cake. Man, I wish we had a bigger kitchen!

Grandma got to cut the cake after dinner and during a break in the rain.

After a smart alec remark from Grandpa, Grandma threatened him with the cake knife...

I guess after 60 years they certainly know how to push each other's buttons.

After that, we all got to eat the cake. And of course, no post is complete without at least one picture of the girls. Ellie thoroughly enjoyed mooching cake off of Mama first and then Papa. The sneaky little pickle managed to get quite a bit of cake before we caught on!

Sadly though, Adria wasn't able to sample the cake due to her young age so she'll just have to wait until Mama makes another one!

Let's Party Part 2 !!

2011-11-15T23:16:00.000-08:00

For most of the party, Adria stayed inside with the other babies. At one point, we had 4 little ones under 6 months and 4 toddlers between 2-3 years old all hanging out in the living room. Grandmama spent some time holding Adria so Mama could eat...

We attempted to get a picture with all the great grandchildren but we didn't have a lot of success.

We were able to get one good shot though of Grandma and Grandpa Morris just before we went to cut the cake!

Let's Party!

2011-11-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

On November 5th, we attended Grandma and Grandpa Morris's 60th wedding anniversary party. The girls got to wear their adorable matching dresses for the first time...

We got these great dresses from our friends, Tasuku and Miki, and then I found the cute sweaters and shoes to finish the look.

While Ellie wasn't super cooperative on the couch, she did stand demurely in the hall so I could snap a pic!

Meanwhile, Adria was mesmerized by the ceiling fan.

Hmm...were you talking to me?

We also got a cute family pic before the rain became to heavy.

Stay tuned for me details on the party and the wedding cake I made!

Just Playin'

2011-11-13T10:24:00.001-08:00

As Elliana gets older and gains motor skills, she enjoys playing at the park more and more. Here are some recent pics that Papa took at one of the many playgrounds they visit.

Crawling through this tunnel is hard work! I need to concentrate.

You want me to pose, right?

Look, I can touch my chin!

Cupcakes!

2011-11-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

Two Thursdays ago, Elliana had her first cooking adventure with Kim. When Grammy Trina and I came home from some errands, we were greeted with cupcakes. You can see which ones Ellie decorated since they're a little messier and splotchier but they still looked pretty good for a 2.5 year old!

The next day, I went to an Arts and Crafts Fair at the Senior Center in Davis. There were tons of sewing and knitting projects so I was definitely excited to pick up for the girls' Christmas gifts. One thing I decided just to give Ellie right away was an apron!

Whenever I wear my apron, Ellie has always wanted her own but I haven't been able to find one in pickle size that I liked. This one was pretty darn cute and inexpensive. It also covered her whole front which I really liked! She had a lot of fun wearing it around the house and putting things in the pockets. I've already gotten some more requests for baking so I'm sure this is an activity we'll continue as she gets older.

Solids!

2011-11-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

After Adria's 4 month WBV, we got the ok to try some solids. I've gotten a little behind with posts but we tried this on November 1st and got quite an interesting response.

She immediately took the spoon and was eating the food fairly easily. However, she didn't seem to like the spoon itself. Every time I put it in her mouth she got the sour look on her face but once it was removed, she was fine with the food.

She just sort of placidly ate the food without really showing if she liked it or not. I decided since she wasn't spitting it all out or having a fit, I'd just soldier ahead.

All in all, her first attempt at solids went pretty well. She ate almost the whole serving and didn't seem to have any issues with the food. Her tummy took to it just fine and now that I got some softer spoons, she's happy as a clam to eat solids. She does still get a funny look on her face when she swallows that I have yet to capture on film but it is definitely a sense of surprise and shock that is pretty darn cute.

A Tribute

2011-11-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Some 60 years ago, my grandparents married in Iowa before moving to California in 1949.

It was here that they started a family that I would eventually become a part of. My step-mom, Jeanette, is their oldest daughter and when she married my dad they all welcomed me with open arms. I was a toddler at the time so I never knew a time when Grandma and Grandpa Atwood weren't a part of my life. We usually got to see them at least once or twice a year but I always knew they were a phone call away. Grandpa was quite the talker and Grandma was always a bit more quiet, but showed her love nonetheless.

Here is a picture of them from my wedding in 2006.

Many people are not lucky enough to introduce their children to their grandparents. Though Grandpa Atwood was never able to meet either Ellie or Adria, I was blessed enough to introduce them both to Grandma Atwood.

Here is Grandma Atwood with Ellie last year at Christmas.

And here she is with Adria just a few weeks ago.

Grandma Atwood passed away November 1st with all of her children around her. I am so glad that I was able to bring Adria to meet her in her final days. Grandma fought her cancer valiantly for 5 years and is an inspiration to us all. I hope that someday I will be lucky enough to meet my great grandchildren and impart some of the wisdom I gained from Grandma Atwood.

My Little Monkeys

2011-11-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to a pajama pancake breakfast with our playgroup. The girls wore their somewhat matching monkey pjs and looked ever so cute.

Ellie wasn't super keen on the idea of getting her picture taken, until she realized it meant she got to play with Adria.

"More cameras, Maaaama."

"Hmm...maybe this is a good idea. Adria's right here."

"Kisses!"

And since it was so cold, Adria had to wear her jacket for the first time. She doesn't look quite so happy but the duck jacket definitely looks cute!

My New Fort

2011-11-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Papa made a fort for Ellie that she absolutely adores. Every day at naptime and every night before bed, we have to create her fort when we tuck her in. Sometimes, if its not too cold, we even use another blanket at the bottom to really close her in. Its those little things that really make her so happy!

I Can Roll Over!

2011-11-05T01:07:00.000-07:00

Look at me! I learned to roll over!

About 2 weeks ago, Adria rolled over on the couch but we decided it didn't entirely count since the couch helped her out quite a bit. Well, apparently she decided that she had to prove us wrong because just after her 4 month WBV she started rolling over on the floor. Her gross motor skills are improving almost every day. She has already had some success at getting her paci back in her mouth. She has also figured out how to scoot herself across the room. At this rate, she'll probably be crawling by next month and walking not too far after that!

All Ready for Dance Class

2011-11-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Elliana started dance class. Here she is all dressed up and ready to go...

So far, she seems to enjoy the clothes and the idea of dance more than the actual class itself.

Both Bret and I think she's just not quite ready for the dance class which is a bit more regimented than gymnastics. I plan to sign her up for more gymnastics in the Winter and Spring since she liked that so much. Perhaps we'll try dance again next year when she's a bit older. Even if the class isn't a huge success, she's still having fun and looking cute!

I'm 4 Months Old

2011-11-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had Adria's WBV on Monday so here are her new stats:
Height: 25 inches (74th %)
Weight: 13 lbs 9 oz (33rd %)
Head: 42 cm (75th %)

She did absolutely great with her shots and spent the whole visit flirting with her pediatrician. She is the most adorable, happy baby ever and we are so lucky to have her. Since she is doing so well with her head control and seems interested in food, we get to start solids this week so be sure to keep an eye out for those adorable pictures!

Halloween, CSI Style

2011-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

For Halloween, Ellie was a SWAT team member and took the costume to heart. She attempted to investigate the mystery of the missing sticker and was quite successful in finding it.

We started the afternoon with a new toy.

Elliana earned a toy from her reward board and picked out the Elmo camera. She promptly used it to start documenting evidence.

As we started our trek through downtown,

she paused to smile for the camera and show off the entire costume. She then discovered that all the stores were passing out CANDY!

This distracted her for a bit but then she realized that her sticker was still missing.

We had to take a break on the stairs so she could contemplate the clues.

We then took off down the street so she could investigate her last location on the sidewalk.

Adria kept her company but was not very impressed with the outing.

She seemed rather put out by the interruption to her normal naptime routine.

Ellie wondered if she could call the sticker to her with the whistle.

Alas, it didn't work and Elliana spiraled into a tantrum

But just as she was almost out of hope, a window held the final clue...

a dragon!

And then she sawthe sticker and all was well!

Giggles and Kisses

2011-10-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Bret shot this video last week of Elliana getting some love. Hope you enjoy!

Adria plays!

2011-10-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Now that Adria has gotten a little older, she's starting to play a bit more. While we were at Grandma Atwood's, I got some cute shots of her trying to roll around.

Hmm...I like laying on my back but I wonder if I can get all the way over.

So close....

Oh well, at least I know how to scoot around in circles!

She also spent some time hanging out in the bouncy chair...
much to her dismay and grumpiness at times.

Until, of course, she figured out how to pull the music toy!

Then we got some good smiles

and even some giggles!

On the way home, Adria played a bit at the airport

by hanging out in a chair.

She was happy to stretch out and enjoy some kicking before we got on the plane to head home!

When we got home, we got to see Elliana and Papa who we missed immensely!

Meeting new people

2011-10-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

This last week, Adria and I made a quick visit down south to introduce her to some more family.

She got to spend some quality time with her Great Grandma Atwood..

that I think they both enjoyed.

She also got to visit with Grandma Jeanette again in the process!

And she go to meet Aunt Becky who also happened to be there for one of the days.

It was a super short visit and very exhausting for Mama but I'm glad I go to introduce Adria to Great Grandma Atwood and to Aunt Becky. While we were there, Adria had a ball trying to roll over and perfecting her grabbing skills (more on those later!)

Visiting

2011-10-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

Adria, Elliana, and I went to Redding at the beginning of October for the weekend. We got some cute shots while we were there...

Why does Adria get the comfy chair?

Oh well, at least she's right next to me!

Tickles!

In case you can't tell, Mama is hard at work...

with babies, computers and movies in tow!

Look, I'm tall enough now to eat at the table

like a big girl!

Look what I can do!

2011-10-13T13:53:00.001-07:00

Not only can I terrify my sister by looming over her, now I can also document it with photographic evidence!

Papa taught Elliana how to take pictures with the Ipod and the camera. Now, whenever we can't find them we know to look where Ellie might have put them!

Pumpkin Painting

2011-10-11T22:33:00.001-07:00

Not the greatest pictures, but we did some pumpkin painting today! Elliana had a blast decorating her two pumpkins and making a general mess of herself.

Now that she's getting older, we're starting to do more arts and crafts activities in addition to learning activities. She's learning her letters and her speech is becoming more and more clear every day.

Gymnastics

2011-09-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Elliana started gymnastics on September 16th
and had an absolute blast!

This is the first organized activity she has participated in so we had no idea how she would react. Since Elliana tends to be a bit more adventurous with Papa, I thought it would be best if he took her. At the first class, Elliana wasn't a huge fan of following directions so she ran off on her own several times. By the second class though, she was doing much better at listening to the teacher and waiting her turn. She has had so much fun so far that I can't wait to see how the next three weeks go.

The class spends a lot of time on the trampoline largely just running back and forth.

There is a several part obstacle course that includes a variety of things....

a ball pit that's fun to jump into....

blocks to kick over...

a lovely tunnel to crawl through...

a balance beam...

a variety of mats to climb on...

a ladder to climb up....

and of course a place to attempt somersaults on!

So far, I'd declare the class a huge success and am very excited that the City of Davis offers such great opportunities for the little ones. After we finish the gymnastics class, we'll start a dance class. The plan is to let Elliana show us what she likes better and then sign her up for a few more of those. It is hard to imagine anything she'll like more than gymnastics but I guess we'll see!

Grandma and Grandpa come to visit

2011-09-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Jon came to visit this month! Grandma immediately had to get some love from her adorable granddaughters.

But she also spent lots of time giving Adria love!

She helped put Ellie to bed several times...

with stories and everything!

They also spent time playing with cookie cutters.

Ellie also had a blast using the building blocks with Grandpa Jon.

They had a lot of fun building things that Ellie then got to destroy!

Double bath time!

2011-09-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Bath time is now a double affair on occasion. While Elliana needs a bath pretty much every night due to her general messiness, Adria is still pretty immobile so doesn't need a bath quite so often. We also can only give the double bath when we're both home. However, last week, the stars aligned and we were able to give both girls baths at the same time which led to joint Mama cuddling after effects.

Mmm...I'm not sure I like sharing Mama's lap.

Oh, here's an advantage...

I get to give Adria kisses!!

and get kisses in return!

Going to the Dentist

2011-09-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Ellie went to her second dentist visit. We decided to dress up for the occasion so she wore one of her favorite shirts and a pretty bow.

Doesn't she look grown up?

When we got to the dentist, she was doing great. I was expecting a freak out since we usually can't even get into the doctor's office parking lot without a meltdown. Apparently the dentist's parking lot isn't as scary! She happily played with the toy they have and talked to the office staff until the dental assistant came to get her. At that point, she headed straight for the door and said "bye, bye!"

After a little negotiating, we got her back to the room and laying down in the chair with Mama. She was pretty fussy at first but then discovered a special mirror that she got to hold. After that, things dramatically improved and we were able to do a lot more this time. She let us count all her teeth, get a few really good looks at her two year molars that are coming in, AND polish her teeth!

I was very encouraged at how well the appointment went and think her 3 year appointment will go much smoother. The whole point of the first two appointments was really just to get her used to going and to feel more comfortable when we attempt to do her first x-rays and cleaning at 3 years old. Wish us luck in April for that!

Chipmunk Cheeks!

2011-09-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

I think the title pretty much says it all :)

Ellie's Rewards

2011-09-18T23:49:00.000-07:00

How does a 2 year old earn a fabulous new toy like this?

Well, with a reward board of course!

A few weeks ago we started a new reward board with Ellie in an attempt to curb some of her less than attractive behaviors. She gets a magnet every time she does something good in one of four categories: using her words/not hitting, listening, being helpful, using potty without fussing. She can lose a magnet if she has really bad behavior. The idea is to both reward the good behavior and teach that bad behavior has consequences. Apparently, this is just what Ellie needed because within a week she had already filled up the board.It was as if our little demon child was replaced by a cooperative little angel. Now while the initial enthusiasm is sure to wane a bit, the reward board has done amazing wonders for our household. Ellie is a lot more behaved, she listens and has stopped attacking Mama during every time-out attempt. All in all, the reward board was a perfect fit for Ellie.

And when it elicits smiles like these, who could possible disagree!

More Baby Faces

2011-09-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Adria and I went to run some errands while Elliana stayed home to play with Grandma. I put her in this cute little dress and shrug since it was a little chilly. I thought she looked so adorable that I had to take some pictures.

Hmm, I thought we were leaving?

Oh well, I guess I should just hold tight.

Later, after an outfit change and nap, Papa started playing with her and we got some huge smiles.

She really loves her baby gym and will now play in it contentedly for an hour or more! This is a great change for Mama since it lets me get more stuff done.

My First Ice Cream Cone

2011-09-17T14:31:00.001-07:00

On Elliana's trip to Yosemite, she had her very first ice cream cone. I'm pretty proud of the fact that she was almost 2.5 before she had her own serving of ice cream but I definitely think we'll need to be careful she doesn't get to have it to often because she LOVED it!

She had a lot of fun eating the ice cream but was a tad confused when she got to the cone.

I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do now Papa?

Ok, now I get it...

This is awesome

there's twice as much ice cream this way! I get to eat all the ice cream that's in the cone too!

Baby Faces

2011-09-16T21:43:00.001-07:00

Adria is such a good baby that we are just amazed everyday by her smiley, happy disposition. This week, Bret was talking to her in the rocker while I did the dishes and took this adorable series of shots that highlight her smiles.

Little smile, I'm not sure about this flash.

Oh, but I hear people talking to me so I think I'll smile REAL big.

Hmm...there's that flash again.

Well, then!

Oh well, I'm so happy the flash can't keep me down for long. I'll give Papa another big smile so he'll hopefully go find Mama for me.

Saying Adieu to Yosemite

2011-09-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

After a long hard day, Ellie got a ride back from Papa!

While I think Ellie understood the concept of riding on Papa's back, I'm not sure she wholly accepted it. From Papa's description of it, she kicked and screamed for quite awhile before finally accepting that she wasn't getting down.

She was thoroughly placated though by getting to "drive" the car!

The second night in the hotel was a lot more successful sleep-wise, probably from sheer exhaustion on Ellie's part!

Isn't she cute?

Then, on the final day, an exhausted and worn out pickle who fell fast asleep on the way home from Yosemite.

I can grab!

2011-09-14T23:11:00.001-07:00

Normally, Adria will only hang out in her baby gym for a few minutes at a time. If I'm lucky I can usually milk 15 minutes out of her. However, yesterday, she stayed in there for over an hour! We saw this look pretty much the entire time:

All because she discovered the ability to GRAB!

She was able to coordinate her grabbing hands and moving arms to hold onto the blue elephant for quite awhile.

Maybe there is more time in Mama's future!

Yosemite Part II

2011-09-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

After Ellie removed her jacket and hat, she immediately took off on the trail. Bret was amazed at how quickly she walked up the hill and how determined she was to follow the trail.

However, she quickly discovered one of her favorite items:

ROCKS!!!

She spent a long time tossing rocks into the nearby stream, which always elicits the touchdown move!

Eventually though, Papa said it was time to leave and Elliana decided she didn't like that idea very much.

She refused to follow the trail at this point and wanted to go her own way...

but she got tired and needed a break.

After a short respite, Elliana decided to go onwards and upwards and imperiously informed Papa of this fact.

While she explored, she paused for a photo-op with Papa.

All while looking adorable of course!

She even offered to share her orange with Papa, a truly gracious act since oranges are her favorite.

The first day of exploring was exhausting and exhilarating. Elliana did fabulous and Papa was very proud of his little girl.

Yosemite!

2011-09-09T22:06:00.001-07:00

At the end of August, Bret and Ellie took a trip to Yosemite. After an exhausting and very drawn out packing process, Ellie decided to dance down the stairs.
4 long hours later in the car and they arrived at the hotel. Ellie quickly displayed her growing strength and mischievousness by figuring out how to open the hotel door. Papa came back from grabbing the first set of bags to find her walking down the hall to find him. At a loss as to how to keep her safe in the room, he simply used the chairs to create a barricade in the hopes she wouldn't be strong enough or have time to move the chairs before he got back.

Who me, I love to get in trouble!

The next day, Ellie was anxious to get to their first adventure:

She happily put her jacket and hat on...

and then took the first opportunity to remove them both when Papa wasn't looking.

Once those annoyances were removed, she was ready to go!

Stay tuned for more of their adventures.

Exploring the Domes

2011-09-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Close to our apartment is an alternative living community known as the domes. Occasionally, Bret and Ellie will go exploring over there since they have some animals, gardens, and flowers. On their last trip, Papa took some beautiful flower shots:

Including this one with our darling girl!

Ellie met some chickens
And of course, enjoyed taking Papa's hat off almost immediately.

Sharing

2011-09-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Now that Adria has started tummy time we got a cute little baby gym for her. She's doing well with her head control but she still can't last very long so she spends most of her time in the gym on her back. She loves lying under the toys and looking at all the colors. I really like it because it gives me about 10-15 minutes to get stuff done without Adria attached to me in some fashion.

The other day, Adria was hanging out looking at the toys and Ellie decided to join her.

Apparently Ellie decided it looked like Adria was having fun so she wanted to join in. Ellie was super sweet and helped Adria see the toys by making them shake and she also put Adria's paci back in for her several times. Isn't sharing fun?

My Favorite Place

2011-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Adria is a big fan of the ergo...

It lets her have her head back the way she likes and she gets to be close to Mama. I'm not a fan of having her head back that far but according to the pediatrician it is a very classic position for babies with acid reflux because it takes the pressure off their tummies. Apparently that's true for Adria because she wants it back like that whenever possible. At least in the ergo there's some support for her neck and I can have my hands free.

Bath time!

2011-09-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

The other day I heard Elliana playing in the bathroom and got a little concerned as to what she was doing. When I came in though, this is what I discovered:

Baby bath time!At first, she thought she was in trouble but when I told her it was ok she got very excited. She then showed me how she could successfully give her baby a bath.

I guess she was just practicing for the real thing because today she helped me give her sister a bath. Ellie was a huge help with rinsing Adria off and handing Mama all the necessary tools. She then, of course, wanted to give HER baby a bath so she proceeded to use the sink to get her baby all clean while I got Adria dressed.

I'm Two Months Old!

2011-09-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Adria had her two month appointment last Monday and got her first set of shots. She screamed for about 2 seconds and then was fine. Mama was very prepared this time for shots and had a paci and a bottle all ready which really helped. Our new pediatrician said Adria is doing great and growing like a champ. Here are her new stats:
Weight: 11 lbs (50th percentile)
Height: 23 1/4 inches (80th percentile)
Head circumference: 39.5 cm (67th percentile)

I'm a Big Girl

2011-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

It is hard to imagine that just two years ago Ellie was helpless like Adria is now. When we look at Ellie we still see our little baby but she is becoming such a big girl!

She got her very first backpack over the weekend and couldn't wait to put it on

She wouldn't hold still long enough to get a good shot but that is the Disney Princesses on the backpack. Yes, princess fever has begun to set in!

She figured out how to blow properly on the recorder Papa bought her so she has to play it now whenever she comes across it.

She loves to help out with Adria in any way Mama will let her.

And she's just generally adorable most of the time....

Reading to Adria

2011-08-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

On Sunday after a very long drive home, Elliana was pretty rambunctious and ready to play. Luckily, Papa came home shortly after we did and was up to the task. Papa played on the floor with the girls for a bit while I started unpacking. As I was putting the girls' clothes away, Papa yelled for me to come out to the living room. When I got there, this is what I saw:

Elliana had grabbed a book from the basket and started reading it to Adria.

Elliana started pointing out all the pictures and details to Adria as she jabbered away to her little sister.

Elliana looked so cute reading to her sister that we just had to share it with you!

Meeting Grandmama and Grandpapa

2011-08-18T16:02:00.001-07:00

Last week, the girls and I headed up to Redding so that Adria could meet Grandmama and Grandpapa. Adria took to Grandmama right away, especially since she had a bottle!

In between Adria's uncharacteristic screaming fits, she was all smiles...

that we just loved getting on camera.

She also looked kind of surprised that she liked the bouncy chair

since the one we have at home isn't so successful.

She also had fun hanging out with Aunty Grandma again

and even agreed to be babysat so that Mama could go out to dinner with Grandma Jeanette, Grandpa Ken, Grandpapa, and Grandmama.

We had a great visit and enjoyed introducing Adria to her first set of Great Grandparents as well as getting to spend some more time with Aunty Grandma, Grandma Jeanette, and Grandpa Ken. Even though she was pretty cranky and screamy due to the acid reflux we diagnosed this Monday upon our return, she still seemed to have fun and enjoy all the new scenery.

My First Haircut

2011-08-07T11:46:00.001-07:00

Elliana got her first haircut on Friday! Her hair was starting to look pretty ragged on the ends and her bangs were constantly in her eyes so I decided it was time to clean up a bit.

Luckily, Elliana had just watched Tangled the night before (courtesy of Kelly) so when I mentioned a haircut she seemed pretty excited.

Once we got to the salon, she was a bit apprehensive about sitting in the big chair and having some weird person touching her hair. However, we thought ahead and brought her ipad and a paci. Plus, I had reinforcements since our new babysitter Kim came just in case Adria acted up.

Soon, the paci and the ipad did their trick and Ellie was quite happy.

Since she still doesn't have a ton of hair and we were barely cutting any off, it was super quick. The hardest part was timing the scissor cuts right since Elliana was quite interested in everything else but holding still!

After her haircut, Papa was happy to see we didn't cut any real length off since that was his primary concern. Mama was happy because Elliana's hair looked a lot cleaner and neater. Elliana was happy because she got to go play outside with chalk!

I'm One Month Old

2011-08-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

We continued the tradition of a special outfit and baby's first shoes for Adria's one month birthday. We even managed to catch a tiny bit of a smile in this shot. It is hard to believe that Adria is already over a month old but we're so excited at what an integral part of our family she's already become.
All about me:
1. I sleep really well (most of the time).
2. I'm a good eater, but only if it is the right kind of formula.
3. I like pacis, but only the right brand and only sometimes.
4. I'm not a huge fan of clothes, especially when Mama has to put them over my head.
5. I'm definitely a Mama's girl though I'm starting to like Papa.
6. It is a good thing I'm a sound sleeper because my sister is really, really loud.
7. I may be shorter than Ellie was but I'm still tall and very strong.
8. I have pretty blue eyes and way more hair than Ellie did!
9. My favorite place to sleep is with Mama, though occasionally I'll agree to the swing or the rocker.
10. I love my family!

I'm a Great Big Sister!!

2011-08-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

Elliana has adjusted amazingly well to being a big sister and has become a fabulous helper. She loves to bring Mama diapers, bottles, and pacis whenever I need help. She also loves to kiss Adria and give her back her paci when needed. Elliana spends a lot of her day making sure that Adria hasn't disappeared too. Her new favorite phrases are "where's sister?" or "where's baby?" These questions get asked with amazing regularity whenever Adria is not in the same room as Ellie. Bret and I are both so proud of how wonderfully Ellie is doing and what a great big sister she already is!

No wonder you're crying, you lost your paci!

I can help with that, I'm an expert at putting pacis in.

Don't cry, I can hold your hand too if you need it.

I'm Skeptical

2011-07-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

So far, Elliana and Adria have a lot in common even though Adria does tend to be a lot more mellow and easy going than Elliana. One thing they definitely share is skepticism. I swear that Elliana looked at us almost from day one with a look of sheer disdain when we didn't do something she wanted. Adria seems to be following in her footsteps.

I don't know that we've captured the look in all it glory but it is certainly one we see fairly often, especially when we're too slow in getting her bottle!

I'm so inventive!

2011-07-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ellie always finds interesting ways to play, often with very non-toy like things. Just the other day, she decided to play around with the baby bath.

She started by just hanging out and bouncing her ball on the floor...

but she soon started trying to lay down in the bath and prove that she could still fit in it!

Later that same day, Grandma Jeanette managed to keep Ellie's hat on her had for more than 30 seconds and we got quite a smile too!

Sometimes though she does like to play with her actual toys...

especially in her pretty dress! She was pretty grumpy about being interrupted until she realized that cameras were involved.

Then, we got another beautiful smile!

I think Ellie will definitely take after Bret and me with her love of reading.

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa

2011-07-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jeanette and Grandpa Ken came to visit last week so they could meet Adria and catch up with Ellie. It was great to see them and to get to spend some time with them! Grandma Jeanette was a huge help with Adria and filled our freezer with food again in addition to making dinner each night. We're very grateful and very excited to eat the frozen dinners in the coming weeks! They also watched the girls on Saturday night so Bret and I could go out on a date. We went out to dinner and then went to see Harry Potter.

Grandpa Ken did a great job of entertaining Ellie while Grandma Jeanette helped with Adria so Mama could get some rest. On their last day, they took Ellie out to play in the park with her new ball and we got some pictures.

Grandma Jeanette and Grandpa Ken with their newest granddaughter

Grandpa Ken, Ellie, Adria, and Grandma Jeanette

Ellie stopped the photos so she could give Adria a kiss!

Elliana then got bored and decided to play with her new ball instead.

We had a great visit and we can't wait to see them again in a few weeks. Thanks for all your help Grandma Jeanette and Grandpa Ken!

Beautiful Needlework from Grandma Lynne

2011-07-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Grandma Lynne sent us this beautiful piece of needlework awhile back but I just had a chance to photograph it. I can't wait to find a place for us to hang it up and it is sure to become a staple piece of decorating for years to come!

Thanks Grandma Lynne!

Presents from Russia

2011-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jeanette came to visit this week and brought some adorable presents for the girls from her recent trip to Russia. She brought a bright blue dress for Ellie with a ballet theme.

This was absolutely perfect for Ellie since she loves to dance and twirl around the living room.

She brought Adria this very bright sleeper with a cute chicken on it!
It is so bright I think Adria would glow in the dark but I really like how unique the outfit is compared to what we usually see.
The girls will surely enjoy their pretty clothes from Grandma via Russia and they'll make good additions to their special item boxes.

Bee Cute

2011-07-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, before Ellie's surprise fever, Adria and I went to Starbucks to interview two potential babysitters. I decided to try on one of the few new outfits I had purchased for her. Since we knew we wanted our two munchkins to be close in age, we saved everything from Ellie in case we had another girl. Luckily for our pocketbooks, the ultrasound did reveal another girl and Mama set out to organize it all. Most of Adria's clothes will thus come from Ellie's hand-me-downs but I did get a few new things for her.

I tried to show off her outfit holding her but she wasn't really very cooperative, although she apparently tried to wave at the camera.

You can see the otufit a bit better in this shot even though she was really not pleased about being put down. I just loved the cute bees on the top and the socks that I broke down and bought it at a huge Gymboree sale I stumbled upon.

I Look so Pathetic!

2011-07-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, Ellie had a little bit of a fever but when she woke up yesterday she seemed fine. She spent most of the day smiling and laughing, all while wearing her birthday dress that she requested from the closet.

However, after I left for a quick trip to Starbucks to interview two potential babysitters, I returned home to a very sad and pathetic little pickle. In the hour that I was gone she spiked a fever of over 102 and seemed to be favoring her knee like she was in pain. She then proceeded to lay on the floor in her new favorite spot....

the mat on the kitchen floor!

She did however manage to look up when Papa called her name...

though it was pretty obvious she wanted nothing to do with having her picture taken.

I'm Officially Two Weeks Old

2011-07-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is a little belated but, Adria had her two week visit and got some new measurements!Weight: 8 lbs 9 ounces - 54th%
Height: 20 3/4 inches - 63rd%
Head: 37 cm - 70th%

My Fun New Dresses

2011-07-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

We got some more surprises in the mail last week and one was this adorable dress for Elliana. Bret's friend, Mel, sent the dress for Ellie and a cute outfit for Adria that she'll hopefully fit into when it cools down. Of course, Ellie had to immediately put her new dress on and it just so happened to match the water shoes she got that day so she was quite happy!

So happy in fact she wanted to wear it that weekend to a birthday party. Here are the girls all ready to go......

Elliana had a blast at the party and after a long nap got up ready to play some more.
She got creative and improvised some new "dresses"...

first was the bed sheet that was great to roll around in.

Then she discovered Mama's apron is great for dancing and twirling!

All in all, I think Ellie loved her new dresses!

Elliana Plays

2011-07-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

We've been working hard to keep things as normal for Elliana as possible which involves giving her one on one attention and letting her play with her friends. A new favorite activity of Elliana's is laying on the linoleum floor in various places. We think she likes to do this because the floor is cool even in our current summer heat. Plus, when she lies on the rug in the kitchen it is nice and squishy. Here she is giggling with her friend Yuta!

Then today, my friend Kelly came to visit and take Elliana on a walk with her puppy Wilson. Ellie, Kelly, and Wilson all went for a walk around the complex and had some fun. Kelly got to see Ellie's new skills and adorable little habits like picking up numerous rocks and carrying them all around. Ellie can never carry just one thing at a time but rather has to carry 5 or 6 regardless of how difficult it can be at the time to hold them all.

Here Ellie is trying to share her juice with Wilson after they all returned hot and sweaty...

then she wanted to show him her room and all her toys...

Elliana also enjoyed getting kisses from Wilson

and tried to give him kisses back but more licked him than anything else.

One of the goals of this expedition was to try and tire both Elliana and Wilson out. While Ellie first resisted her tiredness (as usual), once Wilson and Kelly left she sat quietly and ate her dinner. She definitely got a lot of energy out and had a blast! Wilson was much more immediately tired out and crashed in the car the whole way home.

My First Bath at Home

2011-07-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening, just before Grandma Trina was getting ready to leave, we decided to give Adria her first bath at home. She was sort of a fan...

at least until she realized it meant getting water on her head. Both girls apparently don't mind water unless it goes on or over their heads.

Here she is all fresh and clean...

and asleep, of course!

Adorable Adria

2011-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

It has been so hot lately that we've had to run the A/C a lot and sometimes that means Adria has to be a little bundled up. We were digging around for a hat and found this cute little pink one I made for Elliana. Ellie never actually got to wear because her head was too big even as a newborn. I took a chance and tried it on Adria since her head is quite a bit smaller....

and it fit! I'm so excited that at least one of my girls will get to wear it.

We also got this shot of Adria sleeping in one of her favorite positions - arms raised above her head. If she's not trying to sleep on her side, this is the way she can often be found sleeping. It's so cute we just had to snap a shot of it.

Coming Home

2011-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday afternoon, all the tests and observing were done so we were able to bring Adria home. Mama got her dressed in her adorable coming home outfit and wrestled her into the carseat while Papa loaded up the car.

When we got home, Papa carried Adria upstairs and called out to Ellie....

who immediately came running to great her new little sister!Once we put Adria down, Ellie started showing us all of her body parts. Apparently, Adria's feet were much more entertaining than her own.

She also practiced giving her kisses....
which are surprisingly hard to get a picture of but you get the idea at least.

Then, the highlight for Ellie was probably her new toy that Adria got her.

This occupied Ellie for quite a bit and gave Mama a chance to relax with Adria on the couch.

Ellie then spent some quality time hanging out on the bed with her sister...

and we got this funny shot where the baby doll is sharing Adria's pillow. I guess Ellie wanted to point out that they're almost the same size :)

Papa and his girls!

I may be little but.....

2011-06-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

I can still take up the whole bed by myself!

Adria wasn't a fan of sleeping alone in her little bassinet so she ended up in the bed with me. She started out off to the side near the railing but by the morning, she had migrated towards the middle. She also decided apparently to sleep diagonally (which I should have anticipated given that Bret loves to do that!) so she could take up even more space. I just had to snap a pic since it was so cute that such a tiny little thing was able to basically take over the entire bed.

Adria Elizabeth

2011-06-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Adria Elizabeth Beheim
Born June 25th, 2011
7 lbs 11 ounces
19 3/4 inches long
14 inch head circumfrence

All in all, the best 5th year anniversary present that Mama and Papa could ever ask for!

Adria meets her big sister!

2011-06-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Adria met Elliana on the day she was born and we tried to make sure that it was a soft introduction. We had heard some horror stories about introducing older siblings to new babies, so we wanted it to be as gentle a transition as possible. First rule: the new baby wouldn't be in mommy's arms when Ellie first saw her (cue Grammy Trina). Second: we give Ellie presents at the hospital and when she gets home that are "from" Adria (how nice!).

It turns out that we had nothing to worry about - Ellie loves her little sister! After Grammy Trina told Ellie that they were going to visit Mama and her baby sister in the hospital, Ellie immediately demanded to wear her pretty party dress. I'm not sure how she knew it was a special occasion but she wanted something to twirl in!

When we first brought her into the hospital room, Ellie got all shy and hid behind the privacy curtains.

Until of course she realized they made a great peek-a-boo tool!

This game of course made her giggle...
with glee!

She kept running up to the baby, looking at her, and then running back behind the curtains and poking her head out. Eventually she worked up the courage to touch Adria, and then she started patting her and giving her love.

After Ellie did so well with Grammy Trina holding Adria, we decided to see how she'd do with Papa holding the baby.

She really didn't seem to mind, especially since she got to say "Cheese" about half a dozen times! I swear that phrase must cause a Pavlovian response in her by now.
She was a little more skeptical though when we mentioned Mama holding the baby...

I'm not so sure I like the idea of MY mama holding some other baby!

Eventually though we passed Adria to Mama and Ellie seemed to want to help take care of Adria. She also enjoyed pointing out the baby to her new baby doll. For some reason, she liked to make the distinction as MY baby vs THE baby. When we asked where the baby was, Ellie would point to Adria but my baby elicited a very emphatic point and hug of the baby doll!

Ellie kept asking for "UP" and kept trying to help Mama pick Adria up so e rounded out the visit with Ellie holding Adria for the first time. She looked so enthralled by her baby sister we all couldn't help but sigh with relief.

Elliana and Adria's first meeting simply couldn't have gone better and we are all thrilled that Ellie is already excited to be a big sister.

Adria's Labor Liveblog

2011-06-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Continuing in the tradition of Elliana's first post Bret kept a liveblogging record of when Adria was born.

2011-06-25

2:52 pm
Tressa's been admitted, almost certainly having baby soon.

3:02 pm
Tressa was admitted about half an hour ago, after the midwife measured her at 5 cm of dilation. Tres has been having contractions since about 11 am, and called me to come home because they were so strong. After she started having a few screamers, we decided it was time to come into the hospital. Right now we are waiting for an epidural to relieve the pain of the contractions.

Grandma Trina is watching Ellie right now, who was happily watching Little Mermaid when we left and now went down for a nap.

Tressa right now: "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

3:27
baby's coming right now
[[ random midwife quotes inserted chronologically ]]

Midwife: "Don't argue with me. I'm old enough to be your mother. I take that as impertinence."

Midwife: "There's no crying in baseball."

Tressa: "I can't do 3 and a half hours of pushing."
Midwife: "3 and a half hours? Try 3 pushes - I can already see the baby's head!"

3:52
Adria came out at 3:33 pm on June 25, our anniversary!

The experience was not pleasant but it only lasted a little while; after a very hard, painful contraction the midwife measured Tressa at 8 cm, too late to give her an epidural to numb the pain (Tressa was NOT happy upon hearing the news).

The contractions quickly turned into very very painful pushing. Our midwife certainly kept Tressa calmer but it was probably the worst experience of Tressa's life. ETA: though certainly worth it!

As soon as Adria hit the bed she looked around and started screaming (in comparison, Ellie was pretty woozy when she came out and didn't cry for a few minutes).