Our Family

Our Family

Friday, September 27, 2013

5 Months.

Spuni. Best prodect EVER. 
Homemade leg warmers and Vikings gear.

Note: improv double stroller does not work. 

Helping daddy write. 

Bear Hat from my dear friend.

Not a happy 5 month birthday. 

two words. Hood rats. 

This is typically how my heart feels and how the apartment looks. CHAOS. 
Figured out how to eat her toes this month..

Sitting up and playing!




Really, I find myself loving my daughter more each day. Sometimes at night I want to just sneak in a few more minutes of cuddling.

This month she learned to sit up all by herself! Rand and I were talking about who she is yesterday and it just seems to like people a lot.  We've noticed that when she wakes up from any sort of nap she is ready to go and start interacting, she quickly gets fussy when "left out" of whatever is going, and
she tends to light up when she is in large groups


Loves being with you engaged and playing.  She enjoys watching Micah and likes to laugh at him.

Has gotten a ton more hair. Pretty soon we will have enough of a tuff to put in a clip!

She is a super heavy wetter at night and we are still trying to figure out a strategy to keep her dry overnight. Almost always her morning "suprise" includes a blowout, not sure if its her pent up force from the nightime or what! Moms getting pretty good at taking at stains.

She likes to sit in her bumbo and hit her heels on the table.  We're not sure if she likes the noise or what, but Rand always thinks it sounds so painful

She likes to put everything in her mouth and things that krinkle, make noises, are tags, and that are cold.

Rand says "she's such a lady" and I say she is "just dainty"

She enjoys talking.

She likes to do this thing, especially after her dinnertime feeding, where she sucks air in noisilly through her mouth and kind of coos. Its always ironic because before she eats she seems just wiped, but afterward she has her second wind.

Seems to get into a trance on walks, mesmerized by life outside.

She can officially be in carts at the store. On our last Target trip I caught her sucking on the germ infested handle... Pretty sure she is now getting her first cold.

While I can definitely say I have gotten stronger, Ellie in her car seat makes for around 30 pounds. We have started leaving her car seat in the car and taking her out, which is a lot easier for us.

She has no interest in standing or her being on her belly and hey, I don't blame her ;)

Enjoys thursdays with Nana and Papa while Rand and I go on dates. Which usually consist of some sort of a drive with the windows down and dreaming.


For Rand and I this season of life has seemed a lot more challenging. Work has been a lot more stressful for Rand and for me having another child around has been an adjustment.  It is really easy to feel like a larger income, a house, a new vacuume, or a food processor will make things better.  We have found ourselves caught up in feeling those things and I can't blame us, but we are both recognizing that those things may distract us for a bit, but the feelings we have will come back. Were learning to feel the rawness of those things and just offer them up to God.

Some things that have filled the month for us have been

Loads of laundry. I cloth diaper and for a while I only had a few inserts, covers, and a baby that has pretty consistent explosions making for the perfect combo of many, many loads and quarters. So excited to have a washer and dryer one day.

This week we did get more cloth diapers. PRAISE THE LORD. I had started using disposables again for a few days because I was so incredibly burnt out.

We have spent some time figuring out what we like and don't like in houses. We have an agent. That just sounds fun to say. A few weeks ago we spent the afternoon looking at 8 different houses and falling in love with one. Perfect neighborhood and beautiful home, but after going back to look again, didn't seem to be the right fit. So, were back on the prowl, and spend some time each week staying on top of what comes onto the market.

I started coaching a little boys soccer team. They are wild and fun. I enjoy the chaos, it ironically fills me up after a long day. We do all sorts of crazy things during games and practice. At a practice last week I was playing show and tell and having each of the boys show off a move and name it. One of the kids, who is about 3.5 feet tall and 40 pounds, showed off his move; you set the ball on the ground, put your hand down, and spin around the ball before kicking it. He named it the dinosaur 3-D 2000. I just about died and while watching the other kids act it out, told them the best time to try that one out during a game would be maybe if they fell down? The kid is just so full of energy.

I've made a few pairs of leg warmers for Eloise out of women's knee high socks. It is a lot easier to change diapers this way.

Rand and I started a new couple's biblestudy through church. Another one of the couples has a little boy who is 6 months name Henry. I know. Cutest name. And his mom cloth diapers! I think we might end up being friends.

I wrote a blog recently about some of the latest internal thoughts. Check it out if you would like.
http://anendlessdialogue.blogspot.com/2013/09/latest-thoughts.html?token=RgF8XUEBAAA.LCl9GnqP-4IkZsoXTOL-Yw.6hkqKE1G1TVfSvUAcc6Pqw&postId=5748952187513974306&type=POST


Here's to a wild october.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

4.5 Months. Weeks 16-19.


This little lady is so precious to me! The past few weeks she has seemed to have changed so much. The biggest thing I have noticed is that she really enjoys being with people, she loves to move, and when she wakes up in the morning or from naps, she is just delighted... usually.  She is still waking up about 4 times a night either hungry or needing to be soothed, leaving me pretty tired in the mornings.

Some of the other latest.

When I first pick her up, she tends to squeeze my hips with her legs and grip my shoulder tightly. Our morning hug is one of my favorite parts of the day :)

On labor day, we had a BBQ with family and a few friends and she was in her zone. She giggled, squealed, and thoroughly enjoyed playing with everyone.  Usually she takes naps, but she was awake most of the day and was more interested in interacting and observing then eating.

When she is pooping or farting she likes to hold her breath and push ;)

She has an infatuation with water bottles and is always trying to drink from Rand and my Hydroflasks really.

She has been getting her first tastes of foods.  I let her suck on apples and grapes and have attempted feeding her some tastes of brown rice. Shes not a fan of the brown rice right now.

Her voice is getting much louder.  She loves to squeal, makes noises and giggle.

She likes to throw things. She has a pretty good arm.

I have noticed her get frustrated and angry. She tends to flail around and its kind of cute. She really can kick pretty hard though!

She likes to play kind of agressively. She enjoys airplane rides, sitting in her bumbo and hitting the sides, being shaken from side to side, being held upside down, playing Horsie with daddy, and being hugged tightly.
She loves to bounce!
Favorite Cloth Diaper. Beyonce Bootay

Trying Out her high chair from Grandpa Racine
Nana Laureen's Swing on their new deck



Still loves her pacifier
Bedtime!


Lovin Her Bow.
First time in a swimsuit and at the waterpark


Loves glasses!
Time with Auntie Alys.


Enjoys being outside
Loves her daddy.


Welcome to meal time. 
Just tyring to eat milk jugs. 


Trying out Fruit. 
New Bib.


Likes to raise her hand. 






She attended a few of her first sporting games. She watched her first soccer game at Central cheering on her uncle while he coached ;)

Her first UND game was Women's Volleyball and she seemed to enjoy all the movement and noise. I'm super excited to have another fan by my side this fall.

While the month of July was full of travels, we stuck around Grand Forks and recharged for most of August. Rand's sister Alys was in town from Georgia (and the rest of the world), for a month and we enjoyed our time with her. I miss her already and savored our walks, talks, and time together. What a sweet woman she is!

UND sports have started and Rand, Ellie and I have had the pleasure of going to some volleyball and football games. Can't wait for the first home women's soccer game on Sept. 11!
I am going to start coaching a 1st and 2nd grade boys sunflake soccer team and I am incredibly excited to meet the little nuggets tonight.
Next week I am going to start watching a 1.5 year old little boy named Micah 3 days a week. I'm sure it will have its learning curve, but I am really excited for the adventure that will bring and another playmate for Ellie and I.
Rand recently redid his website and is enjoying learning more about web programming and design. You can check it out here: www.randseay.com
I recently started baking more and have found some creative, fun, and healthy recipes using a website I am in love with www.weelicious.com. This one is fun too, I learned how to can salsa!

We are enjoying the recent cool temps, excited for the upcoming weeks, and for our first fall with our little girl!