Ellie has really started to test out her voice in the last few days and I don’t mean screaming and crying either! =) I think she is going to be a talker just like her sister. I love those happy squeals and baby noises. Hope you enjoy them too!
Thank You Nancy!
I want to say a special thanks to Nancy Mason! She is the lovely mother of my dear friend Mackenzie. If you have followed my blog for a while now you probably recognize the name Mackenzie, although we generally call her Auntie Kenzi. She, along with Tommie and Kelli, are honorary Aunties to Abby and Ellie.
After my sister left to head home, Mackenzie came over several days in a row to help me with Abby so that I could have a little more time to recover. On one of those visits, Nancy came along to visit and take some pictures of Ellie. She loves photography and loves to photograph babies and in my oppinion she had an adorable subject to work with. Her pictures were adorable and I wish I could post all of them on here, but that takes time. Time is something I don’t have a lot of. Instead, here are four of my favorites. I will try and post more when I can. Thank you again Nancy!
Melts My Heart
I am so lucky to be Abby’s mommy. Today has been a less then perfect day, with Abby a little more cranky and needy then usual and I was probably a little less patient then usual. There were some tantrums and some tears and I thought I was about to pull my hair out. But then a moment comes along so precious (to me), that all the issues of the day seem to slip away.
I sat down on the couch to feed Ellie. Abby was distracted with a movie so it was perfect timing. As I sat there I closed my eyes and just relaxed as Ellie ate. It was finally quiet, aside from Elmo in the background rambling on about his blanky. Then it became too quiet so I quickly opened my eyes to figure out what Abby was up to. Instead of getting into something, there in the arm chair by the window sat Abby. In her lap was the baby doll that Grandma and Grandpa Taylor gave to her when Ellie was born. She had her baby wrapped up in one of Ellie’s receiving blankets, very meticulously I might add, and she was feeding her baby just like mommy was feeding Ellie. She had not noticed that I was watching her as she sat there, talking in whispers to her baby doll. She brushed the dolls head with her fingers just like I do as I feed Ellie and talk to her.
It was a moment that left me with joyous tears. Just when I think she isnt watching or listening to me at all (due to her defiance to pick up her toys or come with me to change her diaper), I watch her mimicing something that is so special to me. She melts my heart when she does things like this. I certainly feel lucky to be her mommy.
‘Tis The Season
And so it begins my friends… Fire Season in Southern California. Luckily this one was out within an hour or so, but that was probably due to the fact that this area burned heavily 2 years ago. I remember it very well as I was home recovering from my C-Section with Abby and Simi Valley was dark with smoke, my Aunt, Uncle and Grandmother had to take a detour to come visit, Grandma Zoe had to evacuate from her house, and Shaun nearly got stuck in Box Canyon because it was so smokey.
Anyway, I digress. This fire was in the hills behind Porter Ranch at the top of Tampa Avenue. We spotted it on our way home from Thousand Oaks off of the 118 on Monday. As I watched, I think my only real concern was that it was close to a Gas Company facility. Now I am generally not a looky-loo, but Abby was having a grand old time watching the fire trucks wiz by. So, we headed over to the park near Grandma Zoe’s house and sure enough, all of the fire department helicopters were landing there to fill up for water drops. Its pretty amazing to watch. One would land, fire fighters would run a hose from a nearby hydrant to it, fill up and it would take off. The cool part is that it only took minutes to do. Abby just loved to watch them. I think should have cared less about what they were doing. All she knew was that they were there and it was pretty neat.
I am beginning to think that those of us living in Southern California are getting a little too used to fires. Within minutes of us parking to watch, the street was swarming with people, with their cameras poised, ready to take pictures. I can say I was one of them, although I did use my cell phone to snap a few photos. After living through so many of them in the last ten to fifteen years, I know I am in awe of them. I am always respectful of the fact that they can cause so much devastation and heartbreak for many. At the same time, its amazing to see what fire can do and how, all too often, we have no control over it. I have a respect for fire and a very healthy fear of it too. I think if everyone was that way, so many of the major brush fires of the last ten years could have been avoided.
California Drivers….
Is it me or are the drivers here getting worse?! Ever since the handsfree law was passed here in California I have noticed that the driving has become worse then before. Did we all lose IQ points the minute they made us take our cell phones away from our head?! Or is that all the hands-free devices have made us complacent and give us a false sense of safety on the road?
I think I am going to have to go with the latter of the two. Since that law was passed I have had more close calls then ever. I am not saying I am a perfect driver but good grief! In the last week I have seen people make unprotected left hand turns from the far right hand lane across 4 lanes of traffic, U-Turns where it seems as though one wouldn’t even be possible, slamming onto the breaks and stopping in the middle of the road for no reason whatsoever (there is literally nothing there… no animals or children running out into the road, no cars ahead of them… NOTHING), waiting until you are no more then 20 feet away to finally decide to pull out of a driveway of a shopping center onto a busy street as they look directly at you and stopping and parking the car in the middle of the road… the list goes on.
Now that I have the girls I think I notice these things more then I did before, but it still scares the snot out of me. I hate driving places especially here in the valley. I will literally go out of my way to avoid certain areas or even making an unprotected left hand turn on some streets. Gotta love driving in California!
Relaxing the Weekend Away
This past weekend was busy but relaxing. You might be thinking to yourself, “Is that even possible?” Well it is, at least I think so. The 9th of September was grandpa Patrick’s birthday, so on Saturday we went over to their house for a birthday dinner and some time to hang out. We had a great time! Abby had the chance to play with Uncles James and his girlfriend Sammy, Shaun and I got a break while grandpa snuggled and held Ellie and we all had a great time just talking and watching Abby play. Fiona even has me addicted to the Bubble Burst game on my phone now. Don’t worry everyone, I haven’t touched my phone to play that game since yesterday afternoon. I don’t need an addiction help group yet. Stay tuned on that though! I was finally able to snap a picture of Ellie that didn’t involve her sleeping in her stroller/carrier or her bouncer. Yay!
Beautiful Ellie
Uncle James and Abby, and Grandpa Patrick and Ellie just hanging out in the back yard.
Grandpa Pat’s birthday cake from Porto’s. Yummy!!
Abby couldn’t resist putting her finger in the cake… it was too yummy looking and she couldnt wait for her own piece to taste it!
Abby finally gets a piece of her own… and boy did she love it!
On Sunday we decided just to take a drive and enjoy the day out. It was a beautiful but hot day. Luckily we didn’t have any plans of getting out of our nicely air conditioned car. Ellie definitely had a better time in the car. She didn’t cry much, if at all. We were literally down the street from our house when she started to scream and that was really because it was time to eat. Once she had been fed, life was better again. That is, as long as she is in someones arms.
Ever since the hospital its been impossible to put her down, but I have to. I have Abby and myself to care for as well as things that need to be done around the house. So most of the time she has to cry it out. Lately the crying fits have only lasted a few minutes and then she either falls asleep or calms down for a bit. All of that being held, snuggled and worried over at the hospital (and rightfully so) spoiled her a bit. I also think she hates laying down. I love her and dont want to rush this time along, but I cant wait until she is strong enough to sit in her Bumbo chair and see the world around her. I have a feeling that she will be a happier baby then. At least for now, my fingers are crossed.
A Good Laugh…
If you like cake decorating, you like laughing when things go wrong and you like both of those combined, then you need to check out Cake Wrecks. Its a hilarious blog dedicated to cake decorating that goes bad. I will say that this blogger also takes the time to give kudos to some really amazing cakes, but for the most part she is creating some great laughs for some pretty great cake wrecks. Check out the blog at http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com . Thanks to Shaun for sending this goody my way! Hope you laugh as hard as I do!
Finally Caught Up
Up until now I was really starting to dislike blogging, but that’s because I had started soooo many posts and then fell behind. I had started close to ten posts that needed proof reading and pictures but then bigger and far more important things were happening in our lives. So when I returned to blogging, I had a huge task in front of me. So over the last two weeks I sorted through pictures, uploaded them and completed each post. Now I am all caught up and actually looking forward to blogging more and keeping up with things. Look for plenty to come your way!
Labor Day Weekend 2010
Our Labor Day weekend was extremely mild. I think we were still trying to decompress and get back into a normal pattern. Rest and relaxation were the key words for the weekend. And we certainly did try to stick with it.
On Saturday we slept in and all snuggled in bed watching a movie. It was nice to just be there together as a family. Around 11 or so we decided to get up and out of the house… take a drive and get away. I think we really would have enjoyed taking Abby to the park again, but the 100 degree heat made that nearly impossible. Oh well, there are many other weekends.
We decided to drive out to Montrose, La Canada/Flintridge and then Pasadena. I got the chance to see where Shaun spent time as a kid with his dad and Fiona, before they moved into their house in Reseda. From there we drove through La Canada/Flintridge and into Pasadena admiring all of the beautiful homes along the way. Boy would I love to live in one of those homes! Maybe one day… although if I had that kind of money I would have a home in Santa Barbara or Montecito. When then visited with Grandpa and Nana for a bit and then headed home. Like I said, it was a quiet weekend.
On Sunday we decided to head up to Santa Barbara. We didn’t have much planned up there, but figured we could enjoy the drive up, stop by the zoo to renew our memberships and maybe hang out for a bit. However, before we headed up the coast I was able to stop by and visit my dear friend Allyson who had just given birth to her first baby… a handsome little boy!
Nathan Dean Vargas was born Saturday September 4th at 3:25am. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and 18 inches long. Allyson did a great job and when I came to visit looked great! She was tired, as every mom who just went through labor would be, but there was definitely a glow to her. I could tell through the sleepiness that she was so excited and in love with her little boy. Andy was holding him when I came in and I could certainly tell he was a proud daddy. Such a cute family. Thank you Allyson for letting me come to visit! It meant so much!
The drive up to Santa Barbara after my visit with Allyson was eventful. It was Labor Day weekend and who could have a holiday weekend without traffic?! I knew there would be some, but good grief! Despite the frustration of traffic we made the best of it and enjoyed the drive up. When we finally made it up to Santa Barbara we headed straight for the zoo. We renewed our memberships and then spent the next hour and a half hitting up the favorite spots. When we asked Abby what she wanted to see, her immediate response was “Monkeys!” So we headed over to see the Gibbons first. From there we walked past the elephants, who can miss them, and over to see the Gorillas. Lucky for Abby one of them walked right past the glass! After the Gorillas we headed straight to the giraffes, Abby’s other favorite animal at the zoo. She loves watching them and really did not want to leave. That was made very clear by the near meltdown.
When we left we decided to go for a drive through Hope Ranch. This area was once owned by Fess Parker (Disney’s Davey Crockett) who just recently passed away. It now is a secluded area of homes that are beyond amazing… if only I was filthy rich. Its nice to look though. I had hoped to enjoy a cone of soft serve ice cream from a nearby Foster’s Freeze as we drove through, but it was gone. That place had been there since I was a kid and I am sure before that… and now its gone! I hate change… I really do.
We drove all over Santa Barbara and Montecito mostly to enjoy the scenery but also to get around traffic on our way home. Our drive home once we ran out of alternate routes was a mess. Traffic was a nightmare and Ellie was fussy beyond belief. She was great up until that point but then as we hit traffic and just wanted to get home, she turned up the volume. From Ventura to Westlake Village she screamed and howled. I tried to feed her but nothing. She just wanted to cry and cry and cry and… you get my point. By the time we got home we were exhausted and went to bed right away.
Because of the long ride home, Monday was completely uneventful. We literally did nothing all day. Had breakfast, slept, watched movies with Abby and Ellie, napped while the girls napped. Ran to Target to get some needed supplies and then got dinner on the way home.
Like I said… easy going holiday weekend =)
ABC’s
Abby has learned her ABC song. Most of the time she gets it all except for TUV… for some reason that one seems a bit hard to remember. But, every now and then she gets it all. Day by day it sounds better and I can understand more of it. Here is a video of her singing for me…
Smiles and New Baby Sounds
Ellie is starting to give us some big smiles and testing out her sounds. I love all of her squeaks and cooing noises. Who wouldn’t?! Just watch this and see if you can resist smiling…
Two Months and One Month Shy of Two…
And another month has passed by quickly, although August flew even faster due to Ellie’s time in the hospital. It has barely been a week since she left, but she is doing very well. She continues to cough but they are shorter episodes and she never seems to have a problem catching her breath. At night she will cough in her sleep and it never seems to wake her up. That is a huge deal not just for her but for us.
Ellie, with the exception of a few nights here and there, is starting to sleep completely through the night. Often times she sleeps about 9 hours which is heavenly for us. It feels like those nights of barely two hour stretches are so far behind us. She is growing an changing each and every day. She smiles a lot now and is trying to coo and talk to us. She even tries to mimic Shaun when he sticks his tongue out at her. Its pretty funny if you ask me.
Ellie’s 2 month check up was today. Dr. Calig checked her lungs and so far so good… they sound clear. She is definitely on the mend. Everything else checked out with flying colors. Once again, she is a healthy baby. She received her DTaP vaccine as well as two others, so there was some crying involved and I am sure some crankiness to follow, but I am prepared. Its al worth it for a happy and healthy little girl.
Two Month Stats
Weight: 11 Pounds 4 Ounces
Length: 24 Inches
Length: 24 Inches
(Ellie has gained nearly 2 pounds since her last check up and grown almost 3 inches in length. She has now hit the 95th percentile for length… There must be miracle grow in my milk.)
This month also brings something special for Abby as well… Her LAST month as a one year old! This I really cannot believe and almost feel as though I am in a bit of denial. Next month Abby turns 2! Has it really been a year already?! Looking back at pictures from her first birthday and even from this past spring makes me realize how much she has grown and changed. She has changed more from one to two then she did from birth to one. Her looks, features, personality, mannerisms, and more. Abby can speak in nearly full sentences, she learns and understands things even without mommy or daddy teaching them, she is a parrot and says anything she hears and she definitely knows how to test our patience. Its those terrible twos! She isn’t too bad though and most tantrums only last a minute or two when she actually has them.
Abby has adapted well to having a sister and while there are moments of jealousy, they are short lived and Abby is on to kissing and loving her little sister. She tells mommy when Ellie is crying, gets concerned when Ellie is upset, laughs at her when she has the hiccups and likes to play with Ellie’s little toes. Ellie seems enamored with Abby too and often calms down and talks when she sees Abby. They have a bond already and that makes Shaun and I so very proud. Even though it can be tough at times having two little ones, watching them and knowing the special bond sisters can have makes all the difficult times melt away.
The Wharton Adventures 