Booger sucker

There's nothing quite as satisfying as sitting in a cardboard box and clearing the sinuses.

The Wicked Giggle

You look at a photo of sweet little Elianna like this one, and you would never in a million years guess what she sounds like when she laughs. See, Ellie's never been a huge giggler. It takes something really big or really bizarre (like when she was 5 months old and couldn't stop laughing at a ping pong ball) to get a real genuine laugh out of this kid. Smiles and shrieks are without number, but gut-busting laughs are few and far in between. So Ellie's decided to over-compensate and has made up something that to her, sounds just like everyone else's laughter...what I like to call the wicked giggle. And it sounds exactly like that. Imagine say, a gobblin's giggle, or a wicked little mouses giggle...add a bunch of manufactured force and a growling effect and you have Ellie's laugh. Her face even turns red with exertion. And she does this all the time. In fact, she's doing it more and more each day, I think because of the reactions she gets from anyone who hears it. Anyhow. I'll have to try to tape it and get it online because words don't really do it justice. The wicked giggle. What next?? :)

Regan and Ellie Celebrate Summer

My sister and I took the girls to Nana's house the other day for a little pool party. We learned that Ellie enjoys lots of water with a little bit of grass (she ain't crazy about the stuff), whereas Regan likes the grass with small quantities of water (preferably ingested).

(Just had to throw in some photographic proof that the child is indeed walking :)

Just dryin' off.

It's official!

Yesterday, two days shy of turning sixteen months, we realized that it is finally really true: Elianna is walking. She still crawls, but boy, does she ever walk. Today at church she was running around with her little friend Chloe, who also just learned to walk. And the other day we were visiting briefly with our neighbour when we realized that Ellie had walked off to the other side of the parking lot! This is going to take a bit of adjustment! But it's very exciting. My wrist is particularly relieved as it will get a chance to rest up a bit before the next baby comes along (tendinitis). So wahoo! Next stage of parenthood, here we come!

Jews...Juice...All sounds the same to her!

The other day Ellie was on my lap and I was reading her a little bible story about Esther and the Jews. Ellie suddenly turns around and looks at me and asks 'Juice? Juice?'. Esther and the Juice! Sounds like a best-seller to me!

I wish MY bedhead would look this cute....

An afternoon at the park

Yesterday we discovered a perfect, Ellie-sized play structure at the park in Mitchell. She can climb through the whole thing herself, which makes her feel pleased (she's exhibited several monkey-like tendencies lately) and mom and dad feel rather rejuvenated. Anyhow, I love taking photos at the park. Here's a few:

This maneuver is accompanied by Ellie's over-emphasized grunting.Picking stones off the bridge. We pick up stones every. where. we. go.

Wahoo!

"Da? Da?" (translaton: "Again? Again?"

"Br br br" (translation: "Vroom vroom")Cool as a cucumber.

"Boo!" (no translation necessary)"It doesn't FIT!"
(I included this photo just for those who want to see me getting fat :)

No news is good news!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and, well, there's absolutely nothing to report! Which is all right with me. He said that I am definitely measuring 20 weeks (yesss!!) and there are definitely NO twins in there (double YESSS!) and my bloodwork is perfect, my weight is great, and the baby's heartbeat is awesome. (Although...I'm definitely noticing that this baby's heartbeat is slower than Ellie's was. Like, distinctly slower. Hmmm....different gender? Maybe! Wouldn't that be something else?) Anyhow, just thought I'd give you all (*cough* Kristi) an update at my halfway mark to being a mama of 2.

The day is near...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe Ellie's crawling days will be ending in weeks, if not days (maybe even hours??) Yesterday in the middle of reading stories, Ellie suddenly went into her upside-down position and then proceeded to stand up! In the middle of the room! And then walk to me! And she did this several times! Something in my head says that this is the step that was needed in order for Ellie to make the move to walking. Now, like her crawling up onto the couch skills (which she still has), she learned this new trick while hopped up on sugar (hey. we're on vacation here! :) but I'm encouraged. She's got two weeks to master this walking thing if she wants to keep up with her mama (I started walking late as well- at 16 months). Anyhow, as always, out came the camera:

The upside-down position.

This move is accompanied by much groaning. :)

Voila!