"rice cream"

When we went to Ellie's four-month appointment, about three weeks ago now, the doctor said that she was looking completely normal.  She was meeting all of her milestones, she seemed strong enough, and she was tall enough.

There was just one problem.

She didn't weigh enough.

Twenty-three inches long.  Ten pounds, three ounces.

She hadn't even gained a pound in two months!

Our doctor recommended starting her on rice cereal, and no other solid foods, for at least a month.  I think we went to the store that night and got everything we needed.  The very first time she tried it, she, um...didn't love it.  She ate it.  But she didn't love it.  See for yourself:

I am probably unduly obsessed with these pictures.  Even when she's upset, she's the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Anyway.

We spoon-fed her the first few times, but she wasn't actually swallowing much of it.  I know it takes them a little while to get used to being fed like that, but we were just concerned about getting some extra weight on her.  Tim's mom mentioned that one of his sisters, Brigette, put the rice cereal in a bottle for one of her sons.  We decided it was worth a try.  We made it runny enough and gave it to her in a bottle and it was love at first sip.  Now it's been almost a month, and she drinks a few ounces a couple of times a day like that.

I bought a digital scale last night just so I could try to gauge whether or not she's gaining enough weight.  I stand on it by myself and then stand on it with her in my arms and subtract the difference.  If the scale is correct, she's gained about a pound-and-a-half in three weeks!

We are getting so excited to try some new solid foods next week - and to actually use a spoon now that we're not so paranoid about her gaining enough weight.

Any suggestions for what to try next?

p.s. Have you seen this video?  Because we still quote it all the time, Tim always calls her rice cereal "rice cream," in a pretty spot-on Herman Cain impersonation.  Maybe you have to be there, but we laugh every time.

4 and 5 month "birthday" pictures

I never posted Ellie's four and five month "birthday" pictures [something about being too busy to tell you],
so here they are now.

[cannnnn can you do the can can] 

Hot dang, if she isn't the prettiest little thing I ever did see, I'll be codswaddled.

But seriously.  Isn't she beautiful?  I'll never get over it.  Just when I think I can't love her any more, my heart grows a few more sizes and...I do.  I love her more every day.

And speaking of my favorite little girl, she seems to be calling my name at the moment.  Or, you know...crying it.

Until we speak again!

too busy to tell you that...

I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Actually, no.  No, I don't.  Gross.

But we have been real busy 'round these parts, y'all.

Like, did you know that two of my sisters-in-law had their babies this month?

cute little Talon

and precious little Burton [who shall heretofore be known as Gus]

No.  No, you didn't know.  Because I have been too dang busy to tell you.  And too busy to tell you that another one of my sisters-in-law is due in November, which will make for four grandbabies in 2013.  Three little ones for Ellie to boss around in the not-so-distant future.  Win.

And you probably didn't know that we have been painting our house.  And putting in new flooring downstairs.  And working on our yard.  And slowly unpacking.  And giving talks in church.  And having visits from my parents and Tim's parents and Tim's sister and nieces and nephews.  

And going on our first date in a couple of months, thanks to two of our favorite grandparent babysitters:

Thanks, Wayne and Priscilla!

And going on lunch outings with our favorite little girl:

Who, unexpectedly, has been loving going out in public lately.  My little social butterfly.

And maybe you didn't know that my sweet little four-month-old turned into a five-month-old yesterday.  [And that I still need to post both of those pictures.]  Or that she started eating rice cereal a couple of weeks ago and is loving it.  [More on that later.]

And, quite honestly, my life feels like a fairy-tale right now.

Maybe not everyone's version of a fairy-tale.

But definitely mine.

let freedom ring

Tim and I like to keep things exciting.

We packed up our little apartment, moved everything into our new house [with lots of help!], cleaned the old apartment, fixed some sprinkler-heads in our new yard, and drove out to California for the Fourth.  All within about a week.

It's been a busy time 'round these parts, but we did it!  You know, except for the unpacking part.  Baby steps, friends, baby steps.

It was a fun introduction to home-ownership when the ceiling fan in our room broke the night we moved in on one of the hottest nights so far this year.  Sometimes I think God chuckles down from heaven when we think we've got it all figured out.  Ah, small joys.

Anyway, the Fourth.  It's a tradition in my family to celebrate Independence Day at my grandma's in California.  It's lovely.  Great company, beautiful weather, tasty food, and endless fireworks.  Really.  It's the night after the Fourth and it still sounds like a war zone outside.  And the dogs run around like chickens with their heads cut off after each and every bang.

It was a nice change from last year, to be sure.  Last year I spent almost the whole day throwing up from morning sickness.  And after an entire morning of nauseousness, I finally decided that a Sprinkles cupcake sounded good and made Tim drive me the 30 minutes out to Scottsdale so that I could partake.  As we sat in the parking lot outside Sprinkles, my stomach suddenly told me that a cupcake no longer sounded good but that the frozen yogurt next door did.  The moral of the story is that it's always a good idea to make your husband drive 25 minutes longer than was ultimately necessary to fulfill your pregnancy craving on the Fourth of July.

This year I got to hold the real deal.  The sweet baby that made all that nauseousness worth it.

Yes, Tim and I are wearing matching shirts in true senior-citizen fashion.  Three dollars each at Old Navy.  Holla!

Look at that face.  Just look at it.

My, oh my, has she been full of smiles this trip.  It's the best feeling in the world seeing that little face light up.

My contributions to our feast were the Devey Cilantro-Jalapeno Dip, sprinkle-covered cake-mix cookies, and some festive strawberries I saw on Pinterest.  They, um, didn't turn out quite like the ones on Pinterest but they were still cute.  Good enough for government work.  Maybe I'll show you the pictures once I find the cord to transfer them from Tim's phone.  Until then, exercise your imaginations.

Ellie, Tim, and my cute Grandma.  Seriously, does she even look old enough to be a grandma, let alone a great-grandma?!

The family dog begging for food.  But we don't spoil dogs around here.  No siree.

My mom, beading.  Her newest obsession.

Ellie and Tim enjoying a survival show together.  Who knew such an, ahem, interesting show could be so entrancing for a four-month-old.

Tim holding our little sweetheart during the fireworks.  She liked the pretty lights but as soon as they started crackling too loudly she would shake her head back and forth and then start crying.

My dad, uncle Paul, and grandma.

My aunt Ginny and brother Eric.  Ginny was our Master of the Fireworks.  And Eric...well let's just say that his face doesn't normally look like that.  Enough said.

Today was spent trying to find curtains for our new house and a bedspread for our new bed.  It always makes me feel strangely stressed trying to figure out exactly what I want.  I'm not very good at making decisions.  But I love it too.  It's a love-hate thing.  You know how it is.

Hope you all had an amazing Independence Day!  It is truly an anniversary to celebrate in the biggest way.