Tag: Ellie

Ellie Is 4 Months!!

Leave a comment

Yet another month slips by us and now Ellie is 4 months old. Its really hard to believe. She has changed so much in just a months time. She is smiling a lot and now even giggles. They are still little giggles, not the belly laughs that I love yet but she is such a happy baby. As I am sure you can see in pictures, those blue eyes have not changed yet. In fact they seem to just get lighter and lighter.

Ellie is also very strong and wants to move around. For those of you who have held her in the last little bit, you know what I mean! We bought her a Bumbo chair for her to sit up in and learn to sit on her own, but that ended up back at Target after she nearly pushed herself out of it. Even though it seemed a little bit early, we then decided to invest in a play center for her. While I know she wishes she could run and jump right along side her sister, the play center allows her to be more of a part of things and interact with everyone until she can do it all on her own. I predict though, that she will be an early walker.

Ellie is also starting to try and grab at things. While she hasn’t quite learned to grip toys yet, she is trying. I will say, however, that she knows just the right way to grab hair and skin and twist it and pull it in just the perfect way to hurt. Her grip is a strong one!

Ellie also went in for her 4 month check up today. Despite her issues at 6 weeks old with Pertussis, she is doing great. She still coughs a bit because her lungs are still healing after the damage done by whooping cough, but she is a picture of perfect health now. Dr. Calig says so! We are so blessed and thankful that she is doing so well.

Ellie’s 4 Month Stats
Weight: 14 Pounds, 4 Ounces
Length: 25 and 1/4 Inches

Ellie is growing well and at a rate that she should be. She is a big girl in the fact that she is long. She is skinny and long. I am still waiting for chunkier thighs to come, but it hasn’t happened yet. Looking back at Abby’s stats, Ellie is is nearly an inch longer then Abby was at 4 Months but Abby definitely had her beat in weight. Its so much fun to see the differences between the two and all the changes that happen!


Mice, Pumpkins and Monsters… Oh My!

Leave a comment

Well Halloween has come to an end and boy was it a crazy but fun day. We did all that we had set out to do. Harrison’s Halloween Party…Check. Visit with Grandma Zoe…Check. Visit with Grandpa, Nana, Uncle James and Aunt Brittany…Check. We did it all within a span of 8 hours and we have survived!

Harrison’s Halloween Party was a big success and I know for a fact Abby had a great time. Harrison and Abby have become good friends and as we walked up to their building I we could hear Harrison asking for Abby. That absolutely melted my heart. Our time was spent eating yummy snacks, talking about the kids and of course the Kings, and watching Monsters Inc. In all actuality, Monsters Inc was meant for the kids but they disappeared to play in Harrison’s room, leaving the adults to enjoy the movie, and we did. Abby and Harrison played and ran and played some more. When it came time to leave we literally had to pick Abby up and tear her away from what they were doing. I hated having to do something like that as playtime with other children is so crucial, but we had family to visit with. So after many tears and a bit of a tantrum we were on our way.



Our next stop was Grandma Zoe’s house. We stayed for an hour or two showing off Abby’s Minnie Mouse costume and of course Ellie, looking adorable as a pumpkin. Grandma had a few snacks and surprises for Abby to eat and to take home. Mommy also attempted to take a picture with her two cuties, but as well all know… its tough taking pictures with children under the age of three. We did manage one good one, but at the same time… neither girl was looking at the camera.



Soon we were heading out the door and on our way to Grandpa and Nana’s house. We got there just in time to show Grandpa, Nana, Uncle James and Aunt Brittany our cute Minnie Mouse and Adorable Pumpkin before they were sick and tired of being in costume. Abby and Ellie got some Halloween treats as well and Abby enjoyed a bit of candy too. Boy was she a lucky girl. On a normal day she never gets candy and when she has had it, its never been consumed too close to bedtime. Tonight was the exception, but by this point she had barely napped so we knew bedtime would be easy even with sugar coursing through her veins.


Halloween was great and fun was had by all! Until next year!

A Little More Pumpkin Picking…

Leave a comment

Ok, I know we went to the pumpkin patch already, but we just had to stop here. Abby was a bit overwhelmed with Underwood Farms so we decided the following day to go to the first place Abby went to pick out pumpkins. We didn’t stay long, but we had fun. Unfortunately Abby was still pretty distracted by other things and pumpkins seemed to be the last thing on her mind. I swear she is an older person trapped in a two year old body. All she wanted to do was go on the carnival rides, bounce house and giant slide. All of which she is still way too young for. She did eventually pay attention to some pumpkins, just as it was time to go. I think I will have to plan things a bit differently next year. Regardless, it was nice to spend time out with my girls and Shaun.




Pumpkin Picking at Underwood Farms

Leave a comment

We decided to take the girls to Underwood Farms to look at pumpkins. I have to confess that there really wasn’t any intention to buy pumpkins while we were there. Ralph’s had large pumpkins for only $5 and small pumpkins for $.99, so I figured we would save some money while the girls were young and don’t really know the difference. In another year or two, the old bait and switch and diversion tactics wont work and we will have two sets of beautiful blue eyes looking up at us, begging for a “real” pumpkin from the patch.

We had a great time though and there was plenty for Abby to look at. Maybe a little too much to look at. We saw all of the pumpkins gigantic to small as well as animals and a lot of interesting people. Abby really enjoyed visiting with the farms chickens, turkeys, donkeys, alpacas, sheep, cows, pigs and goats. The goats at Underwood Farms are very lucky goats. They basically have their own skywalk through their section of the farm. No kidding, hahaha (no pun intended)! I just had to remind myself not to stand underneath them, other wise I might get a special surprise from the sky.


Shaun did buy Abby a small pumpkin that she was pretty attached to but she also managed to come home with a cute little butterfly on a stick. Abby has now deemed it her “kite”. She absolutely loves it and I now find myself having to hide it, you know the whole out of sight out of mind thing, because she would literally take it with her everywhere. I think she liked that butterfly more then anything else at the pumpkin patch, including the pumpkins. That is saying a lot. We had a great time and Ellie managed to stay happy the entire trip, which was also a plus. I cant wait until Ellie is a little bit older and understands more, I know she will love the pumpkin patch as much as her sister does.


Our First Vacation as a Family of Four…

Leave a comment
Our first vacation as a family was a relaxing one. Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary were kind enough to let us use their condo for the weekend, so we headed up to Mammoth. Much of our plan was to plan nothing and that is pretty much what we did.

We hit the road on Thursday night after Shaun came home from work. The girls were all ready for the car ride and dressed in their jammies. We traveled under a bright moon and listened to the radio as the girls slept. We didn’t pull up to the condo until after 2am, but it was a fun drive. Once we had unpacked the car it was off to bed for us.

The next morning we were up late but to a beautiful day in Mammoth. Shaun made us a yummy breakfast and then we were off to explore. We decided to head up to Yosemite National Park to see if the leaves were turning colors up in Tuolumne Meadows. The drive up was beautiful. The moutain sides had patches on red, orange, yellow and green from the groves of Aspens and Dogwoods turning colors. It was beautiful. Unfortunately the trees up in Toulumne had not started to turn yet but we still enjoyed the drive. We even spotted a coyote on our way through. If there had been enough time we would have driven down to the Valley, but it was getting late and we wanted to head home. That night we ate a wonderful dinner and slept well. Must have been that mountain air!

View from the condo.

Autumn Leaves, Gull Lake , October 2010


The next morning we woke up to a yummy pancake breakfast and then headed out to explore again. The day was pretty but cloudy. A big storm was starting to making its way over the moutains. Shaun and I certainly were not complaining. We drove around the lakes, stopping to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. From there we drove up to June and Gull Lakes. We stopped at the Gull Lake Marina where Abby and I took a walk down the boat ramp area. She wanted to see all of the birds swimming out on the lake. As we watched a mama duck came swimming up to us. It was obvious she was hoping to get a hand out or two. She quickly jumped out of the water and onto the ramp. Abby was as happy as a clam and excited to be so close to a duck. Mommy was having fun too, although she was doing her best to keep Abby from getting too close. From there we decided to head back to Mammoth. We drove up to the Canyon Lodge, the Minarets overlook and Reds Lake. After that we headed back for another yummy dinner at the condo and to enjoy a cozy evening. We even had a nice rain storm blow through.

Ducky Kisses


The following morning we woke up and headed home. It was hard to leave but we had to. On our way out we drove up to Convict Lake. It was gloomy but pretty and a nice end to our trip to Mammoth. The drive home gave us some rain and pretty landscapes. All I know is that I hope we are back very soon!

Kings Hockey Officially Begins!

Leave a comment

Today was the first game of the season for the Los Angeles Kings. Since we decided not to go to the game, we thought it would be fun to have a small get together with our friends Byron, Erika and Harrison to watch the game. If you didn’t already know, they are Kings fans too! We got all dressed up in our T-Shirts and Jerseys, had some pizza, salad, plenty of game time junk food and watched the Kings play the Vancouver Canucks. Erika even made some yummy Kings themed cupcakes and they were super delicious.


The game really didn’t get exciting until the end. In the third period the Kings tied it up 1-1, took it to overtime and then a shoot-out. The Kings won in a shoot-out and we were all very happy campers. During the down time in the game we all had the chance to talk and watch the kids play. Abby kept stealing all of the toys from Harrison, who really just wanted to escape from this aggressive little girl and play on his own. Shaun and I were constantly telling Abby to share with Harrison and to give back the Buzz Lightyear toy that he chose to play with. AH two year olds. The concept of sharing is nearly impossible to teach. But, by the end of the night they were playing together… chasing each other around our house. It was a great night and a great win! We need to do these parties more often!




More Milestones and Updates

Leave a comment

Today we took both Abby and Ellie in for their check-ups (2 Year and 3 Month). Abby hasn’t been since she was 18 months, but she seemed to remember it pretty well and better yet, didn’t seem too apprehensive about it. As we sat in the Well Child Waiting Room, Abby met a friend and they played and chattered as we waited. And we waited for quite some time. Unfortunately I made the appointment for a Monday and it was a zoo! Monday walk-in hours are miserable, even if you are one of the lucky ones waiting for an appointment.

When we were finally called in Abby was still happy and calm. Shaun and I were both very proud. Dr. Calig took a look at Ellie first. Once again she received a clean bill of health and her chest and lungs still sound clear. Always good news!

We then placed Abby up on the table to be looked over. Dr. Calig checked her heart, her ears, her throat and more. Abby sat still for all of it and even giggled a few times. She too recieved a clean bill of health from Dr. Calig. Then came the part that I was truly dreading, her vaccinations. She received 4 of them today and I was super worried that she would flip out as she does with so many little things these days. I had talked with her about them and didn’t hide the fact that she was getting some shots today, not that she really knew what that meant. But when it came down to it, Abby was amazing! She didn’t even flinch and there wasn’t a single tear shed! I couldn’t have been more proud of her and more relieved all at the same time. What I thought would be a rough day at the doctors office turned out great! Shaun and I are so blessed to have two healthy little girls.

Since they are both growing so fast, here are some of their stats!

Ellie’s Three Month Stats
Weight: 12 Pounds 13 Ounces
Length: 24 and 1/4 Inches

Ellie has gained nearly a pound in one month and grown a quarter of an inch. It doesnt seem like a lot but for an infant that is, in both respects. Abby and Ellie are such different babies. At 3 months Abby was 13 pounds 9 ounces and 23 1/2 inches, so now Ellie is slowing on her weight gain a bit but still measures longer then Abby did. Ellie is now smiling, cooing, and chattering with us a lot. She has on several occasions rolled from her tummy to her back and is lifting her head very well in all situations, including tummy time. She is growing and changing all of the time, its so hard to believe! I am sure there will be a lot more to tell in just a months time!

Abby’s Two Year Stats
Weight: 31 Pounds
Height: 34 and 3/4 Inches

Abby is growing so fast as well. I swear she gets taller and taller each day. She is such a happy a cuddly little girl. We have our terrible two moments, but its nothing we cant handle and certainly something she will eventually grow out of. Abby loves to sing and has a remarkable ability to remember songs, mainly the tune of a song. The words still come and go but she knows the tune. She loves to sing her ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Fruit Salad by the Wiggles, Rock A Bye Your Bear by the Wiggles and quite a few more. Abby can also count to 10 and loves to show her knowledge of animal sounds and body parts. Currently she likes to show off her belly button to strangers when we are out shopping and I think sometimes those strangers think they are being flashed by a two year old if they don’t pay attention to what Abby is saying.

Boy do they change a lot in such a short time and learn so much. Thats why this age is so bittersweet. You can see them changing and learning and gaining even more of a personality but it all happens so fast. Before I know it, both girls will be off to college! Until then I will enjoy each and every moment that I have with them!

Ellie’s Rolling Along

Leave a comment

Last night we went over to Grandma Zoe’s for dinner. Before everything was ready, I decided to pull out Ellie’s elephant blanket and put her down for some tummy time. She has been really working hard and can lift her head up and is now pushing her chest up off the floor with her arms. Did I mention that Ellie is very strong? If she’s there long enough and fairly happy she can use her legs to push herself around. Its pretty funny.

As she was pushing herself up and smiling, having a grand old time she suddenly decided to roll over onto her back! She didn’t fall, she put her chest back down on her blanket and rolled over! I couldn’t believe it! Shaun and I were so proud of her. Unfortunately, Grandma Zoe was in the kitchen when it happened and did not get to see it but I am sure Ellie will do it again for her. I tried while we were still there, but she got too fussy and agitated with being on her tummy. I also didnt get a picture or video of her actually rolling, but I do have a picture taken just before. She has a big smile which is unusual for tummy time. She doesnt like it… her sister was the same way.

Tummy Time smiles before the “big roll”.

Abby is trying to get Ellie to play with the toy. I love these matching outfits too! Perfect for summer! Thanks Mom… Grandma Taylor!