Crawling and much more!

I've been meaning for some time to sit and list all the new things Ella Reese is doing. It seems like it is happening so fast now. The other night an exhausted mommy and daddy were trying to recall when she became so mobile. We sat trying to remember when she really started crawling. It was a little after Easter. So two months later, here we are with a little monkey on the move, into everything, and eating everything in site..literally.

Here is a brief list of new things that ER is doing that is only reminder to me that our baby is turing into a toddler!

She crawls/walks. Crawls with her left leg and walks with her right. At the end of the day all the outside of her toes on the left foot and also her left knee are black with dirt, while her right bottom foot is black. She is eating all kinds of fruits, veggies, pasta and bread. Like a little puppy she will follow me around the house from room to room. She is pulling onto everything, grabbing anything she can reach and pull down. She has discovered doors and closets, loves to take stuff out of our food pantry, remove all items off her changing table and crawl into the bottom shelf, she gets a kick out of putting her face over the air vents, she shakes her head back and forth when we tell her "no,no",.....whew, and the list goes on.

After planning a time for Ryan's mom to watch ER, Brenda said, "It'll be nice for me to get some things done while she plays.". To which I let her know that the days of just watching her play are over. It is more like being a human baby proofing machine. And that is not just when she plays, but anytime she is awake. Still, never the less, she is a constant joy to us. And what a privilege it is to care for this little one!

Can you tell she doens't like hats? I have been trying to get her to wear them since we are going to the beach for our family vacation the end of June. I will once in a while put one on to try to get her use it it. But it is a fight, and they almost always end up like this...a crying, fussy fit. It's actually funny to me...

Ahh,..still... but for a moment.
About a month ago she became fascinated with her sound machine. Anytime we were playing in her room, that would be the first thing she would go to. Then with her little finger she would spin the knob till it turns on, but not just on, but ALL the way to the loudest vloume. And we keep it on the ocean-beach setting, so a deafening noise of waves and seagulls fills the house. I will then go to turn it off, and she would turn it back on again...and to the loudest volume. She loves that thing. It is so funny to watch her turn it on first thing really loud and go off and play. Then once I turn it off she will stop whatever she is doing and come back to turn it back on again. We do this the whole time we are in her room. Then soon I just get use to what sounds like seagulls attacking me. I guess she's addicted. I wonder if she'll love the real thing when we get to the beach??? What is it with babies and electronics? Ahh,..her favorite toy, the telepone.
She loves it so much she didn't notice I put a hat on her.

I may just bring that telephone to the beach with us so she will keep her hats on in the sun! She loves helping me with the laundry. And when I say "help" I mean trying to climb into the dryer and shutting the doors to the laundry area on me.
Stephanie S. gave ER this cute cowgirl onsie. I found it this weekend and put it on her. It is a 6 months size and she sqeezed into it. But I probably will not be squeezing her into it again. She is little but not that little anymore.

She's saying, "Yee- ha, cowboy!"At the end of the day when we all pile onto the couch together with a clean baby snuggling herself into her blankie, I am reminded as we kiss her little face and listen to her coo and hum what a precious gift she is and how I am so thankful to God for all his grace and kindness to me. First in giving his Son's life as a ransom for MY sin, and now giving me a husband and now a family that I can simply enjoy and love.

With snot smeared onto my shirt and Desitin forever under my nails, dirty and still in my workout clothes, laundry half folded on the floor and my dinner dishes in the sink, with crushed cheerio remains under my foot and a house litered with toys and tuperware...I am so thankful.
We love you buga boo.

note: For you pregnant moms... and Mel...everynight is not a mess and I am not always dirty. I am thankful that Ryan bathes her or helps with dishes. But I have had to get use to a very messy house and a very dirty mommy some nights.