tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46888828531706405682024-03-05T04:59:03.358-08:00Seay Family Tales. Our family started on July 15th, 2011. Ellie joined the party on April 13th, 2013 and Reid on November 13th, 2014. We live in America's secret haven, North Dakota.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-83667938509705089982015-03-26T12:01:00.001-07:002015-03-26T12:01:59.595-07:00New website!I moved to a new site. http://www.jessicaseay.wordpress.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-60830766086781574912015-02-18T19:55:00.001-08:002015-02-19T10:59:21.575-08:00February: 22 Months & 3 MonthsSo, I'm going to just say it how it is. Of course of piece of blogging for me is part of a bigger dream. Not so secretly I hope to one day have a post thats bold enough, hipster enough, sarcastic enough to make it big enough to be featured on the huffington post or be featured in a number one spot in a search on Pintrest.<br />
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It's safe to say that a tension exists between that piece & just wanting to share me and my family. So my confession to you all is just that and it's likely that that tension will always be present, but I'm batteling it because somewhere I feel like just getting to offer myself and my heart is enough.<br />
<br />
I'm struck this month by the courage Jesus is giving me. Fear and insecurity have lived so long underneath a mask of performance. Exposing and facing those things have forced me to confront the question of am I enough, Jesus? Its bringing me down a path that feels like such death. Feeling vulnerable. Feeling awkward. Feeling ehhh. HUMAN.<br />
<br />
Man, I hate it. But I have hope that the walls of self-reliance and pride that I have built up, can be not only torn down, but redeemed by Jesus.<br />
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I'm finding he is producing a softness within. Even though the end goal isn't perfection, I'm finding that where there was once anger, there is sometimes a gentleness.<br />
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Example, Today's Victory. Please note that evidence of change isn't because I neccesarily didn't freak out.<br />
<br />
Today.<br />
Both the kids were up on and off every hour between midnight and 6.<br />
Ellie is sick with a nasty cold, poor honey.<br />
Rand left for work earlier then normal and we didn't get time to connect in the morning like we normally do.<br />
Ellie's nose was a fountain and she needed a lot of extra loving.<br />
Lunch came... and went.<br />
Reid did happen to sleep for a 3 hour chunk (by the literal grace of God)<br />
Rand came home just long enough for me to get to the bank before leaving for his bball game.<br />
I was left to finish up supper, feed myself, and the kiddos, and get them to bed.<br />
<br />
OLD ME.<br />
Would've shut down internally. Gone through the motions of putting the kiddos down while replaying the zillion reasons why I was a victim and Rand was the cause of this.<br />
<br />
WHAT HAPPENED.<br />
I entered it all.<br />
I felt sad. Sad that his game was earlier and we didn't get to enjoy supper together or have a team mate in the night time routine.<br />
I allowed myself to stay present with my feelings and found myself sturdier then I expected. While I would've liked a team mate, I felt like okay in the process of flying solo and even enjoyed the sweet snuggles before bed.<br />
I got to speak. I told Rand why I felt sad instead of silently punishing him for his offenses.<br />
I had self care.<br />
Kombucha. Popcorn. Chocolate. Law and Order SVU. Blogging.<br />
<br />
I would call that process a victory. But I want my heart to know that even if it would've looked like even messier that that would have been okay too. I guess, it just felt good to be in a place where I got to enjoy that process. I think that was the invitation I was praying to get to see and accept today.<br />
<br />
Another thing that struck me is how serious I can get.<br />
I find that I go into "Mom" mode pretty quickly. Now there is nothing wrong with guiding and teaching a child, but I find that I can get caught into an unequal power "bossy" or "queen bee" mode with Ellie pretty quickly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLxaEJIFE9-CFhlUkAdyTmPVQyC6hcZ5dzFrfkHkkrjlGx3EymW93ny-2U-ZvoFNCRC6a7RI6hOS5VAbmeIYL3yk8tVMq8VpnTv1zyGrzWnYJ5GzsytNy6xPc2MC-Jma4bUopymuSC_Q/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLxaEJIFE9-CFhlUkAdyTmPVQyC6hcZ5dzFrfkHkkrjlGx3EymW93ny-2U-ZvoFNCRC6a7RI6hOS5VAbmeIYL3yk8tVMq8VpnTv1zyGrzWnYJ5GzsytNy6xPc2MC-Jma4bUopymuSC_Q/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE THEM!</td></tr>
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I long to be in a place where I can more fluidly fluctuate between "mom" mode and just being me. I mean it is chaos, a lot, so it would make sense that I would put on Mom mode to create a self-protective allusion of sanity. But I don't want to wear that mask either.<br />
And the truth is, the control I feel is an allusion that keeps me safe, but robs me of the ability to get to be present with the things I dismiss; the diapers, naps, potty training, meal times, coloring, and naps.<br />
The truth is somewhere admist those things is an invitation too. An invitation to enjoy my precious babies. An invitation to be me and have that be enough too.<br />
And I want to offer that to my kids.<br />
It makes me sad that often, they spend their days with someone who sometimes feels like she is just trying to keep her head above water. I long to enjoy them in the way they were intended to be enjoyed. It makes me tear up writing this. My heart breaks that often they aren't rejoiced in and celebrated for their preciousness in all aspects of who they are.<br />
<br />
So thats that.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSpHBEAYP5AKQ8_31Qylxg0eHUG41afKHIktBnS27b4LumT4F3R5CTkzX4JPJckt6sj_UUy8ontYMHT1orttmZceJneR6EuvkLf4FAI1skUNpL-favNsLKZNttbv0oHYRpnRxxsg6AaI/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSpHBEAYP5AKQ8_31Qylxg0eHUG41afKHIktBnS27b4LumT4F3R5CTkzX4JPJckt6sj_UUy8ontYMHT1orttmZceJneR6EuvkLf4FAI1skUNpL-favNsLKZNttbv0oHYRpnRxxsg6AaI/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After her doctors trip. </td></tr>
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Earlier this week my team mate to this life thing, Rand, spoke something that really struck me. I dubbed it our families vision. In my own words, he spoke about hoping to create a place (our family unit) that is sturdy enough to handle one another. Where we all can go out and freely "be" who we are.<br />
<br />
AMEN TO THAT. Can I just say how much I love that man and his strength?<br />
<br />
Other big things this month:<br />
<br />
Ellie had her first big trip to the doctor. She was "helping" Rand unload the dishwasher before work and slipped while holding a plate and cut her hand. She had a two inch gash near her left thumb and we would've had an ER trip, but our doctor had an opening right away. She was such a brave girl! The actual fall freaked her out, but the gash didn't seem to bother her. I was grateful for her reaction and the peace that I felt to be able to do just the next right thing. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54wEudA9SzB31S0uc7Xwn12xvMoIDXydkJNd3rxyI_qLtWEdQUB2oeDP2785Z4JIGMjkoqoVLzZHIUYKdt02qHTskzyfrBxo_SB1dNNovNDzB_qpb_P2jdDT5X1CI5iMFBtiPlgC0ry8/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54wEudA9SzB31S0uc7Xwn12xvMoIDXydkJNd3rxyI_qLtWEdQUB2oeDP2785Z4JIGMjkoqoVLzZHIUYKdt02qHTskzyfrBxo_SB1dNNovNDzB_qpb_P2jdDT5X1CI5iMFBtiPlgC0ry8/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapped up in a blanket like "Auntie Alys"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kpLJoOljAI2hKJaESnKiR2figo52zjgAqZl28N5FKQeq4YqWZyliIDhIyxGhm-2OQe-bQw9t1veEiw2jndJ5_FieCGJldaPzTg-NwS6AW_6sR2SjDWdPk5oTV_CHlTuhTFM-ra5KIJ4/s1600/IMG_0897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kpLJoOljAI2hKJaESnKiR2figo52zjgAqZl28N5FKQeq4YqWZyliIDhIyxGhm-2OQe-bQw9t1veEiw2jndJ5_FieCGJldaPzTg-NwS6AW_6sR2SjDWdPk5oTV_CHlTuhTFM-ra5KIJ4/s1600/IMG_0897.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hair stylist, toolman, boxer. </td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Ellie pooped in the Tub. AND THE TUB WAS HAVING DRAIN TROUBLE BECAUSE A RAG HAD GOTTEN SUCKED DOWN IT. it was not fun, as you can imagine.<br />
<br />
Whenever Ellie gets excited she sort or struts around and says dah dah and points to thing, eager to invite you into her world.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ellie really likes to salt and pepper things. And really likes soup.<br />
<br />
Reid. Well I still feel like I am just starting to get to know the kiddo.<br />
<br />
He can hold his head up pretty well now when you hold him and is starting to grab at things.<br />
<br />
He still seems to have a lot of gas, still. I am trying to take more dairy out and probiotics to help out a bit, which seems to be helping some. But typically it just makes for a babe that likes to be held in very specific positions and almost never the snuggly, nestled into the crook of your elbow type of way.<br />
<br />
The kid can be as stiff as a board some times, but I guess it makes for excellent posture. During the superbowl, his soon-to-be Auntie Cor was lifting him up and he was straight planking.<br />
<br />
He has dimples that are just the cutest.<br />
<br />
Ellie was helping him clap the other day. She seems to have more of an interest in him.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3CWOXycg0yEef0D0VNpjYzpP9zpxvTnDw91vyk-wOPV6KNFju_Tdnt2uAGa8y6w5pzDZ8I8Sk7wONLuQi94EyZocSCNci-Ic-okztcnKu0SNwe9X7ldc581Vh220tvAtiHseLifT1zE/s1600/IMG_0891_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3CWOXycg0yEef0D0VNpjYzpP9zpxvTnDw91vyk-wOPV6KNFju_Tdnt2uAGa8y6w5pzDZ8I8Sk7wONLuQi94EyZocSCNci-Ic-okztcnKu0SNwe9X7ldc581Vh220tvAtiHseLifT1zE/s1600/IMG_0891_2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this guy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuIDLfpAcvRk_85NPl1PEw1QFdUwIzcGx_krRC2oA3Hq8FHI2tURGV-1HOdsnEuBqst31qc0wZgwUQjcoOtlUZKZ_Wt5gUgdqE6xocBxPQG-pxH93uXIJEO3Ew7Kpo5c6tBe-J7FxC9Q/s1600/IMG_0896_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuIDLfpAcvRk_85NPl1PEw1QFdUwIzcGx_krRC2oA3Hq8FHI2tURGV-1HOdsnEuBqst31qc0wZgwUQjcoOtlUZKZ_Wt5gUgdqE6xocBxPQG-pxH93uXIJEO3Ew7Kpo5c6tBe-J7FxC9Q/s1600/IMG_0896_2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cardigan & V Neck. Oh man. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k-dhbd3yBAsFX8xHqIqSnzDTDm4WtaN2rkp8RgL_xiZ0E7eUHMb_lEuj87IjIQSR23OrO6ygMpQbhoWfsupMZpzOMT4demKAlsmrobnYaBd3h9jpuOeypwc6YubxFM13pR_wZznmZyQ/s1600/IMG_0901_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k-dhbd3yBAsFX8xHqIqSnzDTDm4WtaN2rkp8RgL_xiZ0E7eUHMb_lEuj87IjIQSR23OrO6ygMpQbhoWfsupMZpzOMT4demKAlsmrobnYaBd3h9jpuOeypwc6YubxFM13pR_wZznmZyQ/s1600/IMG_0901_2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a typical day looks like...</td></tr>
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We hosted a few little shin digs. Lately, I have had a taste back for being in the kitchen. It's led me to get excited about trying out new meals and healthy twists to things. Eating together with others feels biblical. And my heart "runeth over" when there is good food and good people, so thats what we have been doing.<br />
<br />
Rand turned 25. We ate strawberry cake and had spegettie carbonara per his request.<br />
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I started working a saterday shift back at Amazing Grains. I really enjoy the culture there and have enjoyed getting some time away.<br />
<br />
I had surgery to repair a tear that hadn't healed properly after our home birth. Lets just say a second episiotomy isn't ideal, but neither was the alternative. Recovery has gone surprisingly well and I'm confident I will be pain free soon. Not being able to exercise this last week hasn't been very fun, though, but I'm excited to be able to get back to it and do all the jumping and stretching I want again.<br />
<br />
Something about training for something has been on my mind lately. Anyone need a training partner for something? The fargo marathon? A triatholon? Starting a summer adult soccer league? But seriously on all of those. Especially the adult summer league. The summer before Ellie was born I started one through the Grand Forks Park district with the help of a few folks and it was really fun!<br />
<br />
So thats that.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-50199428207082969242015-01-28T19:01:00.000-08:002015-01-28T19:37:41.243-08:0021 Months // 10 Weeks<br />
Its hard for me to believe or remember life before our family of 4 right now. It is all starting to feel so normal to me.<br />
<br />
My favorite memory from this month took place at Oh For Heaven's Cakes, in town. I wanted to get out with the kiddos and so showed up to this event. Once I got there I realized it was an event hosted by a specific group that I am not a part of.<br />
<br />
Whoops.<br />
<br />
Ellie wasn't all too interested in watching them decorate so we toddled about the store. I went to tend to Reid, who had started screaming and Ellie darted out the store and into the mall hallway.<br />
The dreaded scenario was happening.<br />
<br />
AND<br />
IT DIDN'T FEEL VERY BIG!<br />
Holy.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C5CyKHlyMXw9RrGzWBQWmBUxxx0v88GJEH0N1-DXSzkGCO6i02c_JQ0pf1AhaOUeH0zJwn2lBEUegy7F264yd29gNwJfiJaJqefSCIufrejaYpgEGVJMHcH7qKx7xCBViSVlkPWRpyk/s1600/IMG_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C5CyKHlyMXw9RrGzWBQWmBUxxx0v88GJEH0N1-DXSzkGCO6i02c_JQ0pf1AhaOUeH0zJwn2lBEUegy7F264yd29gNwJfiJaJqefSCIufrejaYpgEGVJMHcH7qKx7xCBViSVlkPWRpyk/s1600/IMG_0886.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a>So, like any good mother would do, I left my infant child alone with a group of mother's I had never met to chase down my daughter who was delighted at the game we were playing.<br />
After wrangling her, I stumbled back in to start to take very hungry Reid out of his car seat, only to glance up and see Ellie dart out again.<br />
Uffta.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love his face!</td></tr>
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In the end, Reid enjoyed his meal, I got to enjoy and experience the help of a few other understanding mothers, and Ellie, well she enjoyed her game, as well as a delicious cupcake and handful of free cookie samples.<br />
I was struck by my growth here. I did it! I was okay. Ellie and Reid were okay. And I was able to not only accept help, but enjoy it and not feel judged. <br />
AND I had only sweated on my nose a little. (My not so secretive typical anxious reaction I can have)<br />
<br />
<br />
Our little guy is so precious. Were figuring out life together. His schedule seems to be naturally unfolding and aligning to Ellies. I feel really happy about this one.<br />
<br />
He is around 13 lbs now and 25in.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzUz4jztq7DcG_AMMZPpetWyELYyJ00MCojrqsA5C0iPGvx7KG2q8fVfsEmQPPcn0ahBq1ot90h4pErhOohXQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
He sleeps in his room and typical is starting to look like sleeping for 6 hour chunks at night. PRAISE THE LORD!<br />
<br />
He has two of the most precious dimples on his cheeks.<br />
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Often, people will ask who he looks more like or what Ellie thinks of him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZlP3W2Hk2QUEOcJmswZqNSpb4pXPOuPtKVUZ8oLvQH_82jpOrPeVtPEyklNEQmzu6roMidhYowC74Dgk0L_bkuZcwuirFcPk2Z7jGcWI5jwqkADvA2RbO2Hd0WAzbXcJ9Ssxqb3yFgg/s1600/IMG_0858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZlP3W2Hk2QUEOcJmswZqNSpb4pXPOuPtKVUZ8oLvQH_82jpOrPeVtPEyklNEQmzu6roMidhYowC74Dgk0L_bkuZcwuirFcPk2Z7jGcWI5jwqkADvA2RbO2Hd0WAzbXcJ9Ssxqb3yFgg/s1600/IMG_0858.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First smile!</td></tr>
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I really don't know! And peoples responses have been everything from he looks exactly like Rand to he looks exactly like you. So thats no help. What I do know is he has very dainty and small features. His cheeks are loads smaller then Ellies were at her age. His hair is lighter and he doesn't have much. He seems to have Rand's ears and my eyes.<br />
<br />
He likes to smile and coo.<br />
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His favorite spot in the house is his diaper changing station. If he's having a hard time, 99% of the time that will cheer him up. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-QRqqPpaAZhrRsMyOskALYm9BUNXUcCig_QVpYgJZ_3tjcAibYiGG6ptKzpjxRhyphenhyphensNr8DkFMnnWic3kfvcT_rF2w9eSjkVjB8he1uQ-fWt57hF1mzq7AeRhNCgcxOJPUg1tFlkFxqEE/s1600/IMG_0871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-QRqqPpaAZhrRsMyOskALYm9BUNXUcCig_QVpYgJZ_3tjcAibYiGG6ptKzpjxRhyphenhyphensNr8DkFMnnWic3kfvcT_rF2w9eSjkVjB8he1uQ-fWt57hF1mzq7AeRhNCgcxOJPUg1tFlkFxqEE/s1600/IMG_0871.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scheels one morning. </td></tr>
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<br />
Ellie is such a little girl now. I still call her bug, short for love bug.<br />
<br />
She really gets into coloring at her little table Rand built her. She likes to invite you into it, but typically tells you what colors you can use and when you can use them. She recognizes the color blue, I think it may be her favorite.<br />
<br />
She loves her Elsa dress and is incredibly proud of it. She loves to show it to people when she is in it and gets sad when she has to take it off.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-gGIspHxghxK7qbfSJvAH5iwum0eNrH9sVSHYrXD11dVmee3R7mjgRua5VYo_HCZQBTN0Rwz_VpVxYvoDDlNce6wipW9fDNbq5H1q4d4TH-FogR8L7Yne_NkJQvfG1owLndaiRrXvr0/s1600/IMG_0874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-gGIspHxghxK7qbfSJvAH5iwum0eNrH9sVSHYrXD11dVmee3R7mjgRua5VYo_HCZQBTN0Rwz_VpVxYvoDDlNce6wipW9fDNbq5H1q4d4TH-FogR8L7Yne_NkJQvfG1owLndaiRrXvr0/s1600/IMG_0874.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her hair is getting so long!</td></tr>
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She really likes to invite you into things.<br />
<br />
She is down to one nap a day.<br />
<br />
She peed on the big potty for the first time this month! We haven't started potty training yet, but I think this one is right around the corner.<br />
<br />
She is starting to "read" books by herself.<br />
<br />
We have started going to more play dates and I notice that, in large groups, it takes a bit for her to feel comfortable. She sort of scopes things out before she starts to engage.<br />
<br />
She is becoming more and more independent and can fairly easily entertain herself.<br />
<br />
Rand taught her to touch Reid's nose and go "boop". She really enjoys doing it to Rand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXGcuvnNh3g574moYr5JCam1Qg5KnbreqjfC0mhPDyXIzIcB4HwqOZIA2y7YJWfqMa_40tS3Tet6QAxm67xfilobgxuswfVtdMZEQs6rY_J4r32keYj6zodNZC1YHADzZhrnelvp3mdU/s1600/IMG_0847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXGcuvnNh3g574moYr5JCam1Qg5KnbreqjfC0mhPDyXIzIcB4HwqOZIA2y7YJWfqMa_40tS3Tet6QAxm67xfilobgxuswfVtdMZEQs6rY_J4r32keYj6zodNZC1YHADzZhrnelvp3mdU/s1600/IMG_0847.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sass.</td></tr>
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Her word of choice when she is excited it "hi". She loves to come into our room in the morning and shout Hi! Hi! Hi!<br />
<br />
Were on day 3 of cold turkey for the pacifier!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoAAbahPMd6gtjS8yBzx6bCYyaz395jDM1Gxwfa67rQevZsOJc-TPPhirRtWtePjWIyouBuulDWCzuP4iYANBSqxiVMoTyHiB_IwKHyew-Y74pVe3CxEyf8m4sSKdwlkK4LDkN_l5ulQ/s1600/IMG_0878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoAAbahPMd6gtjS8yBzx6bCYyaz395jDM1Gxwfa67rQevZsOJc-TPPhirRtWtePjWIyouBuulDWCzuP4iYANBSqxiVMoTyHiB_IwKHyew-Y74pVe3CxEyf8m4sSKdwlkK4LDkN_l5ulQ/s1600/IMG_0878.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcCDhu3-U-yEpE5RcboxWuG5WTuOOrPbaoYU0rcFdoBQsoYMIoleuhRzWldpHGvTWssPXVGv7ZIUgr2zQtr0HipuB7qh_VAhKPc4xs1kT9abKhLNZceRuLO1aNWHwAq5GQDnRlNz9dX8/s1600/IMG_0882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcCDhu3-U-yEpE5RcboxWuG5WTuOOrPbaoYU0rcFdoBQsoYMIoleuhRzWldpHGvTWssPXVGv7ZIUgr2zQtr0HipuB7qh_VAhKPc4xs1kT9abKhLNZceRuLO1aNWHwAq5GQDnRlNz9dX8/s1600/IMG_0882.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packed and loaded van! </td></tr>
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We haven't left Grand Forks in the past 6 months and took our first trip as a family of 4 to the Twin Cities for a long weekend. Our van is freaking heavenly for traveling. We savored sweet time. The kids got to spend a lot of time with my parents and Rand and I got to enjoy sweet and precious time together. My hands down favorite memory of the weekend was going on a run around the town I grew up in with him and sharing my memories of growing up there. Our very first run together. It was heavenly. I also enjoyed sweet time with a few precious friends and time with some extended family. Outside of that trip, things are starting to feel pretty normal. Rand has been working around 50 hours per week, balancing his day job and work for his business. I started back on Saturdays at Amazing Grains and really enjoy the treat it is to get some time with limited distraction. Also, ITS JANUARY and we have enjoyed a handful of walks OUTSIDE. What a treat the nice weather has been. I've also continued to try lots of different classes at Choice and the YMCA. My current favorites are a spinning class, kickboxing, Yoga, and Nubody. Self care is ever so important!<br />
<br />
I think this second go at being a mom has allowed me to feel so much more hopeful. We are doing it! We are alive, the kids are alive, and I'm not sure I have ever felt more in love with the man who is by my side. If this paints any sort of picture of us having our lives pretty, orderly, and wrapped in a pink frilly bow, well, that is far from true.<br />
But, admist the chaos I feel this taste of hope.<br />
I know my God has us. Not in a silencing my soul and feelings kind of way, but The Guy really has us. I trust him and from that place I'm learning to trust and rely on my husband, and other people too. It's really this neat thing. I feel like I am going into battle each day. Against myself, mainly, but I'm starting to feel like I have warriors fighting before me and alongside me instead of more obstacles. He is transforming me. My heart. My desires. My love. My relationships.<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh, PS, I wrote some about my homebirth story, but if anyone is every interested, intrigued or would like to hear more, feel free to ask!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-39471046445910758852014-12-29T18:48:00.002-08:002015-01-24T07:04:29.001-08:0020 Months & 6 Weeks<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rMVJccNjbhp_6HC2oPOX5mO8mESrIYAZBJWpqkM8xifqT9q0T94NIA7pIyc2APjj4GRrWZ2KJHjxhRUAZuHNZREezCh0uiCkovqEOI3_A9Gs-4RzbdPLm3PGDO0k7jCk0_gpq3VNex8/s1600/IMG_0843_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rMVJccNjbhp_6HC2oPOX5mO8mESrIYAZBJWpqkM8xifqT9q0T94NIA7pIyc2APjj4GRrWZ2KJHjxhRUAZuHNZREezCh0uiCkovqEOI3_A9Gs-4RzbdPLm3PGDO0k7jCk0_gpq3VNex8/s1600/IMG_0843_2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit A.</td></tr>
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I'm sipping on starbucks. Snuggled into my new eddie bauer funnel neck hoodie. Loving the jangle of my new bracelet from my mom clanking against my shiny watch.<br />
<br />
OH. And my kids are peacefully resting<br />
<br />
I'm still gawking over our new used Mini Van and proud of officially becoming new members of the mini van family status.<br />
<br />
I feel blown away that my brother in law (randomly) bought us a new washer and that myself, and my family, now have clean socks and undies.<br />
<br />
Surprisingly, I feel grateful that this season of life means that finances are typically pretty tight. I'm tasting the sweetness and getting to experience new depths of trusting. I'm getting to see, slash being forced to see, God provide in ways that aren't tainted by my own manipulation and control.<br />
<br />
I'm not BSing you when I say that reflecting on God's provision leaves me sort of in awe, gawking, really.<br />
<br />
His goodness truly doesn't make sense to me, most often, but parts of my heart are really starting to believe his word is true and he is who he says he is.<br />
<br />
I'm starting to not feel as freaked by the lack of sleep, big medical bill(s), new unknown realm of parenting, imperfect marriage, and mess of toys.<br />
Yes, marriage and toys are categorically next to each other there.<br />
A lot of my life feels out of place and a lot of times I frantically spin to get it all back together. Really, I feel like the spinning is more of the norm than not.<br />
Normal is sort of emmerging, yes. Also rising up is something small, that believes that admists it I will be okay and am okay, but not because everything is okay.<br />
<br />
And then, whoosh, something else swoops in that forces me to face an even deeper meaning of all that.<br />
<br />
Eh. Maybe this idea of "whats for supper" really is starting to make sense.<br />
<br />
Okay. My babe is already 6 weeks old. I feel like I am just gettting to start enjoying him. He has not been the happiest of babies this past month and a half. That coupled with trying to give to both him and a full fledged toddler, and it's been surprisingly difficult to bond and feel close to him. That and working through the PTSD of having him emerge, unmedicated, from my body. But holy, the longest six weeks of our lives have really flown by.<br />
<br />
He loves physical touch. Being held. Kissed. Having his fingers held.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPcWVUkvWM09NtoYW6-5iHKn8iG43mkISvkFsAnYdgfGXZDLtNQtNftkpNtG8SbbPBsb3CKjaFh1BRXNjxwx2qCrvXNmctIDR4OBWzxsYRu4TS02Khl5n_QoSTLINQdDlkkooYuOpXHc/s1600/IMG_0751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPcWVUkvWM09NtoYW6-5iHKn8iG43mkISvkFsAnYdgfGXZDLtNQtNftkpNtG8SbbPBsb3CKjaFh1BRXNjxwx2qCrvXNmctIDR4OBWzxsYRu4TS02Khl5n_QoSTLINQdDlkkooYuOpXHc/s1600/IMG_0751.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
He snorts. So much. Like he sounds like a pig on the farm, snorts.<br />
<br />
He will randomly stick up a hand when he is laying down and hold it there.<br />
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He wiggles, a lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37UFzK95OoacNmaxKr_Fjd0hzNg86u0CekSO_E5Drq6UHFkbd3LJm06M0UqiRA_04UOgAzNnCtFsL5ONcUJ96WHKerNZOvSUtv2NtTVMwRF_DzB-L_-6nVoQ6DzHpN2z6yKVU-zDvPWE/s1600/IMG_0836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37UFzK95OoacNmaxKr_Fjd0hzNg86u0CekSO_E5Drq6UHFkbd3LJm06M0UqiRA_04UOgAzNnCtFsL5ONcUJ96WHKerNZOvSUtv2NtTVMwRF_DzB-L_-6nVoQ6DzHpN2z6yKVU-zDvPWE/s1600/IMG_0836.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite picture of him. This is totally "his look" </td></tr>
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He gets worn in the Moby frequently by dad and sometimes mom.<br />
<br />
He is a healthy little guy- gaining weight, doing an awesome job nursing and is quite good at expressing his voice.<br />
<br />
Storytime:<br />
Infants have a startle reflex. One day Kia was barking at the ghosts outside. Every bark, Reid would throw up his hands, startled. By the time he would put them down, Kia would bark and again and he would throw them up. It was quite funny.<br />
<br />
Ellie seriously looks like a little girl. I feel like I am going to be dropping her off at Kindergarten by my next blink.<br />
<br />
She loves to say:<br />
bubye.<br />
Nuh-nigh (Good Night)<br />
Mimi and Bapa (Grandma and Grandpa Seay)<br />
Da (every object on planet earth)<br />
The noises for cow and horse<br />
PooPoo<br />
Ouch<br />
Ap-pull (apple)<br />
MO (more)<br />
beas (please)<br />
potco (popcorn)<br />
And is learning to put two words together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiO8SgEl0Fvj278x0SVwknJvWECy-c3wrAPx3A-wfA098ej30Ep6dp7kLzEY-XiK5BKuzOb8fAK99L2xVLzSkFgqMqldyiL_M5JB69j-8YtNFooEjXnxYITTL8XrcPuAFs_Gp-rp8dRw/s1600/IMG_0844_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiO8SgEl0Fvj278x0SVwknJvWECy-c3wrAPx3A-wfA098ej30Ep6dp7kLzEY-XiK5BKuzOb8fAK99L2xVLzSkFgqMqldyiL_M5JB69j-8YtNFooEjXnxYITTL8XrcPuAFs_Gp-rp8dRw/s1600/IMG_0844_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love's elsa and this dress. </td></tr>
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<br />
She understands so much and it is crazy to think we will be having conversations soon.<br />
<br />
She is still off the charts in her hight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bUNdoJZqTq1TFjHZGXgCQEA_AIvyVXzYjoyuEWKgnqrbmyt-v36EFvR5M657I1BRj5CJ7kWWcfEZz5qU1XI4gA6DHm_r0XUncnQDFAFfrPjdG8gi7FFQDYrumDhGd9X801LSMvBqAzA/s1600/IMG_0764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bUNdoJZqTq1TFjHZGXgCQEA_AIvyVXzYjoyuEWKgnqrbmyt-v36EFvR5M657I1BRj5CJ7kWWcfEZz5qU1XI4gA6DHm_r0XUncnQDFAFfrPjdG8gi7FFQDYrumDhGd9X801LSMvBqAzA/s1600/IMG_0764.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She insisted on this hat at breakfast. </td></tr>
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<br />
Her favorite foods are apples and popcorn.<br />
<br />
She loves Daniel Tiger, Frozen and Tangled.<br />
<br />
She loves to invite you to do things and will tap the spot next to her if she wants you to join.<br />
<br />
Before Rand puts her to bed she will give me a kiss and tap heads with Reid.<br />
<br />
She has gotten so good at playing by herself and with Kia while I am with Reid. It is such a treat to watch her become independent and to get some time with my babe and know she won't fall down the stairs if I am not there. </div>
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Two stories this month.<br />
I let her hold my face lotion and I came out to her having opened the jar and her having put all of the lotion in her hair. She was litterally brushing it in. We went straight to the bath. After her hair dried it was still pretty oily. I twisted her pony upward and it stayed put.<br />
<br />
She also peed on the potty!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFYvzkzLJ0gkFywkI3GjpPqLBJNCY6-POLByjPGYmHw3ghv9wKCseJjio8gM80dAlFYlt8mMuvtz6qo6kJOb0pQSnWb2hjUZbdg4xXfoCwf3aU0r4qKKl594cFkCoEAHzzS9PshNdSkM/s1600/IMG_0831_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFYvzkzLJ0gkFywkI3GjpPqLBJNCY6-POLByjPGYmHw3ghv9wKCseJjio8gM80dAlFYlt8mMuvtz6qo6kJOb0pQSnWb2hjUZbdg4xXfoCwf3aU0r4qKKl594cFkCoEAHzzS9PshNdSkM/s1600/IMG_0831_2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lotion in her hair. EEK!</td></tr>
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This month has felt crazy in some ways. We are starting to adjust to normal as a family of 4. We moved our TV downstairs and did some rearranging in our house and are now able to use both the up and down. It leaves me feeling a lot less confined and I have also enjoyed having the upstairs be more of a relational reprieve and the downstairs a place to be both messy and creative.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PRcMme0JQo-RllKnUkyrY2pZbByLq6e0oEYqEO8UOGOUHJWpPnP45RTeySPYtw7zYEezWt_5OKplvwNsqvI8w2ruRKb25GSHIxlsTWpVHLBh68c-WNThyphenhyphen1__bsVPvOxP6qQLfDYFdDk/s1600/IMG_2953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PRcMme0JQo-RllKnUkyrY2pZbByLq6e0oEYqEO8UOGOUHJWpPnP45RTeySPYtw7zYEezWt_5OKplvwNsqvI8w2ruRKb25GSHIxlsTWpVHLBh68c-WNThyphenhyphen1__bsVPvOxP6qQLfDYFdDk/s1600/IMG_2953.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo at our Christmas Party. Oh the Chaos. </td></tr>
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The holidays were fun. Rand and I both finished up the classes we were taking at UND. I just have my internship left! Kia ate about 1/12 of our ornaments and chewed on a few presents. Ellie took delight in her kitchen set and Rand and I are proud new owners of coats. We enjoyed Christmas Eve as a family and spent Christmas day with Rand's parents, sister, and my parents. It was really a sweet time. I re-learned to sew and enjoyed fixing our curtains and finishing a few pillowcases. I also have enjoyed re-exploring classes at the gym like spinning, yoga, pilates, and PiYo (I literally felt like a little ballerina this one!). <br />
<br />
more pictures to come next nap time. Cheers.<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-2226302768733727822014-12-03T11:51:00.000-08:002014-12-03T11:58:07.983-08:00Family of Four. So we had another child on November 13th at 4:45. Reid Stephen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reid Stephen. </td></tr>
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He weighed in at 7lbs 5oz and was 21.5 inches long. I don't really have the energy to write all I would like about our birth. I'll stick to a sarcastic summary.<br />
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It hurt like hell. </div>
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It was intense and fast. Contractions were consistent from 6pm Wednesday night but things didn't get unbearable until 1pm that day. </div>
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Unbearable means on the floor feeling the most intense pressure in your bottom half that you have ever felt. </div>
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It was in our living room, in a tub, so yes at home. </div>
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The moments my eyes were open I was staring at Ellie's farm set. </div>
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At 3:19 I looked at my watch and was desperate to be rescued. I had no idea how I was going to make it because there was no other option at this point. My voice had brought me to this unmedicated place and I was forced to fully face the painful reality of child trying to emerge from my body. </div>
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I had a sevenish minute break before I transitioned to the pushing stage. </div>
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The moment of bliss moms describe in pushing didn't really happen for me. Love my kid but meeting him was not what was getting me through.</div>
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It was my only option to stop the pain. However when I pushed his head out and felt the rest of him inside me still wiggling it was sort of cool. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">He was born at 4:45. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's been a crazy whirlwind since.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQq48I6HbPmoNUwNzAFsJuuCGFMcKo0FssnfiDUBdHI1XAcyRH7tbtw6-qR82XqRgTULISlAfAhr_YlP7tlCmZJZMH8QNIe0V6TFBKRZWCpqhPTKSyNr8vfnWDh9BH_tPAErDKhCP8rc/s640/blogger-image--617577377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQq48I6HbPmoNUwNzAFsJuuCGFMcKo0FssnfiDUBdHI1XAcyRH7tbtw6-qR82XqRgTULISlAfAhr_YlP7tlCmZJZMH8QNIe0V6TFBKRZWCpqhPTKSyNr8vfnWDh9BH_tPAErDKhCP8rc/s640/blogger-image--617577377.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best look at our life. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I asked rand shortly after. How many kids do you think we will add. "Two" he says. Ha. Lets just say I get the idea of not talking about having children right after birth now. </span></div>
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What has life been like since?</div>
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Well,</div>
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I wrote (most) of this blog from my phone while breastfeeding.<br />
<br />
I am now almost on season 3 of Grey's Anatomy. </div>
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Ellie has watched way too much frozen, tangled, and Daniel tiger.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At our first doctor appointment Reid was peeing all over me and the scale. The nurse asks, "where is Ellie?"</div>
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Good question....</div>
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<br /></div>
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This morning it looked like two poopy diapers, no sleep, and applesauce up in everything.<br />
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This one doesn't fit with the sarcastic underwriting, but the women in our family started a new tradition of high tea during the holidays. YUM!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Inn at Maple Lake. 7 sandwhiches and 7 deserts!</td></tr>
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So... You could say we're adjusting. My new bedtime is 7pm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjWqEM9WxARTwUuE5l36N2P_bkXl79XKpqygW2eTsECNaE55iJM5D_a3P1gyx3dX6jsTyBLyg5ET1rOUeOIjoQW9nYhkL25qu1CTvIsz5iF6CbdNW1KtwGkAMRSITga_f2M3jQeotjLI/s1600/15694577467_e29d58d939_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjWqEM9WxARTwUuE5l36N2P_bkXl79XKpqygW2eTsECNaE55iJM5D_a3P1gyx3dX6jsTyBLyg5ET1rOUeOIjoQW9nYhkL25qu1CTvIsz5iF6CbdNW1KtwGkAMRSITga_f2M3jQeotjLI/s1600/15694577467_e29d58d939_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie holding Reid for the first time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many poopy diapers. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog8u5VQWEMgeU04bwQgaf3J_70J0HYhYg5cbj3Fq-6un5tIZ2-aehkj2W8QIqc9QnbW8P8x9ZC1QXhdVhFirTLpufe2gnmLQkPo9LCDfOYzVdXHT76_cpBa-NOsK2qkvkZn_380orY9U/s640/blogger-image-1397628959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwORpS7axoNgObAYoIM2qHTC-5b_Wh88FyKMX4RhYsL1Cm3hwCgB-YPQQYsbPqEf-EBWacNq7BOQJCB5IVKlHfDIVkP8N7V3DvcO1XmJI-z6AGePySYOYjh05fSJ3OnjjOyDZo3ajflY/s640/blogger-image--2143950166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwORpS7axoNgObAYoIM2qHTC-5b_Wh88FyKMX4RhYsL1Cm3hwCgB-YPQQYsbPqEf-EBWacNq7BOQJCB5IVKlHfDIVkP8N7V3DvcO1XmJI-z6AGePySYOYjh05fSJ3OnjjOyDZo3ajflY/s320/blogger-image--2143950166.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A classic look. </td></tr>
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Yes, I know that I should treasure this moment, but I'm just going to be real about what the moment is. </div>
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So honestly, </div>
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This whole two kid thing has reall sent me spinning. I didn't realize how much control i felt like I was in and fought for when it was just Ellie. I also didn't realize how irrational I am and haven't wanted to fully face the fact that my messyness will affect my children, is affecting my children, and will continue to affect my children. </div>
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So I'm having to face first face the reality of the paradigm of being a parent (and supposedly in control) with the reality that I'm not in control and that most often control is what separates me from others relationally. My husband my kids my friends. </div>
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So I spiral into wanting the solution for this chaos. Trying to better understand my perfectionism and codependency is where I swing to. More control. A wanting to hash things out with myself. </div>
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All I can run to is something that says grace. Something that is gentle and soft and loving.<br />
That's all I have.<br />
OtherwiseI'm helpless to my own rigidity, impatience, harshness, and control.<br />
I'm bashful of my deep emotions and powerful tongue and desperate to hide beneath my mask of control and strength.<br />
I need the compassionate strength of others and most desperately Jesus to face this monster. A tender embrace amidst the chaos.<br />
I still believe that embrace will only come after I've tamed this prickly porcupine.<br />
But my head knows that that isn't true. Amidst the mess of it all is where grace is supposed to meet me.<br />
<br />
Amidst the impatience.<br />
Amidst the pout.<br />
Amidst the 3rd episode of Greys.<br />
Amidst the anger and frustration of Ellie not listening and me being too short with her.<br />
<br />
I think I can meekly say the best part of having two kids so far is getting to come closer to tasting his bountiful grace. It defies me, but it is what my soul craves.<br />
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Jesus help me to see your love here for me. Almost the control and chaos and harshness with my children and self. I'm desperate for your gentle words and grace. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-85445923427044527432014-11-12T12:46:00.002-08:002014-11-12T14:11:37.668-08:00November: 19 Months & Full TermThe end of pregnancy is a wild thing. I feel a fusion of many things that both confuse, excite, and make me feel crazy.<br />
No, you don't have to tell me to enjoy these last moments with just one, I am aware it will be harder with two. Trust me, I have already used this line on myself in an attempt to manipulate my emotions.<br />
The truth is, I feel eager to meet this new little face and discover what loving a little man's soul is like.<br />
AND<br />
I feel eager to not have someone else invading my body and bladder.<br />
To be able to turn over in the middle of the night without fighting with the thousands of pillows that invade my bed.<br />
Be able to use my abdominal muscles again to move, pick things up, tie my shoes, snuggle my little girl, and bear hug my husband.<br />
Be able to wear AND zip up my fuzzy winter snuggly zip ups.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2noCeu7M2KvPPLH12eis3UM2CnnZshHL6nnm-_LCFUbPFAV_Ah9IpcfNhoaBGvoY1DuiGEc5b3JnGe7P-Z_t89i_2yj9Tc5c2OgfEyK537iwhouc8R_1LU-Dq8k28nnVzhD5Kb0vwFU/s1600/IMG_0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2noCeu7M2KvPPLH12eis3UM2CnnZshHL6nnm-_LCFUbPFAV_Ah9IpcfNhoaBGvoY1DuiGEc5b3JnGe7P-Z_t89i_2yj9Tc5c2OgfEyK537iwhouc8R_1LU-Dq8k28nnVzhD5Kb0vwFU/s320/IMG_0589.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">39 weeks. </td></tr>
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Ellie was born a few days early, so I had predicted that he would be here at some point over the weekend. Its been odd to sit in and wrestle through the levels of disappointment there. Typically, contractions would be some sort of precursor to the real deal, but this trimester has been full of them. There have been countless nights I have gone to sleep thinking and certain that:<br />
<br />
"Tonight, its going to be tonight"<br />
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Only to wake up, still pregnant, and cranky.<br />
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Today has been one of the first days this wave has seemed to not feel as big. We had an appointment with our midwife last night and baby and I are still very healthy, so that has eased my concern and helped soothe my soul.<br />
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So, now we just continue to wait for our little man. Crazy, but I have even found myself to be enjoying parts of the past 24 hours.<br />
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So cheers to continuing enjoying our newly put up christmas decor, wicker candles, one on one time with my gal, lots of walking, figure eights on my yoga ball, squats, and eating pineapple.<br />
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Here are a few things that come to mind when I think of Ellie this past month:<br />
She likes to point to her ear when she hears an airplane, police siren, or ambulence.<br />
She points to just about everything and says "da"<br />
She has discovered her yelling voice.<br />
She has a variety of new dance moves and loves to spin.<br />
Classic her this month is wearing 5-6 purses on her arms and neck, her thanksgiving necklace, a hat, her boots, and bracelets pushed up past her elbow. The girl loves accessories.<br />
Picking out a purse to bring to target<br />
She seems to think that any sort of flying bug is a bee.<br />
Rand taught her how to tell if she has her shoes on the wrong feet.<br />
She is really interested in rings and likes to point to both mine and Rands.<br />
She refers to her belly button as "bebe".<br />
She is finally letting me do her hair! This one is a treat for me :)<br />
On mondays we enjoy Target trips with Laureen (she calls her mom-I right now) and Aunt Alys. Often Laureen will treat us to Starbucks and Ellie will get a pink cake pop to chew on.<br />
She really enjoys wrestling with Rand, spending time in the garage working on projects, and the extra snuggles when he tucks her in at night.<br />
She is starting to pick up on routine. When we pray at supper we will each touch her arms or hands and she seems quite intrigued by it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic. Loves putting on socks. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melts my heart. Loves to help her dad. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working in the shop. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwyGitXZUAqb1LH_sez9o83mCF8zbj0yxaY_L4M2wPsHrxccDNrvzmhjAaalV88IiSj68arBXxynDXFCUEBtyZhLAz6gOFRasxE1Yp0qg43vYljHnqHOoKmlla90RB9H_pQSd2rq4X7I/s1600/IMG_0564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwyGitXZUAqb1LH_sez9o83mCF8zbj0yxaY_L4M2wPsHrxccDNrvzmhjAaalV88IiSj68arBXxynDXFCUEBtyZhLAz6gOFRasxE1Yp0qg43vYljHnqHOoKmlla90RB9H_pQSd2rq4X7I/s320/IMG_0564.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was a scuba diver for halloween. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z8YRjM8rYH7wTtqVePvKLD92C90cIDmBtBHCKqBtORvfP-S0Qe59mT0BrfvIPfvKFUaQMOTtq76CHd8vea3CTIpjjv3d8h4TEzhYNu3cttLLwbqs35AOjHCRMVnndtv7g4lggypEEQM/s1600/IMG_0572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z8YRjM8rYH7wTtqVePvKLD92C90cIDmBtBHCKqBtORvfP-S0Qe59mT0BrfvIPfvKFUaQMOTtq76CHd8vea3CTIpjjv3d8h4TEzhYNu3cttLLwbqs35AOjHCRMVnndtv7g4lggypEEQM/s320/IMG_0572.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked around at Rands work and the mall for our trick or treating. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_wdT7m9rMBSzEQJ-fO_zvCwaONuPiTp7LGJWtJG-DdYbmGtIfXzs3UAeqnQ56hbTqWQw-pYOSGCAO2gOk-fV0WQC5nQVnsQlyI8tLtE0kt-XKSw-PfJGFRDIkdX2d3yd5Lu8MtvQ5nY/s1600/IMG_0585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_wdT7m9rMBSzEQJ-fO_zvCwaONuPiTp7LGJWtJG-DdYbmGtIfXzs3UAeqnQ56hbTqWQw-pYOSGCAO2gOk-fV0WQC5nQVnsQlyI8tLtE0kt-XKSw-PfJGFRDIkdX2d3yd5Lu8MtvQ5nY/s320/IMG_0585.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teaching me about tools. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1GMAsjvRz6mKjnbPR9Jg7JXzTq9TCbQBbhyphenhyphen-ydrZgm1xEbJsBe-Pg4Ya4KevskImvYi_IvdtbREsnK2yK0kDbz5B_1KCkRwUgmDHPFxhoxIKMufVHSPLNlYTeRthghsUCcg0JDTiy28/s1600/IMG_0597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1GMAsjvRz6mKjnbPR9Jg7JXzTq9TCbQBbhyphenhyphen-ydrZgm1xEbJsBe-Pg4Ya4KevskImvYi_IvdtbREsnK2yK0kDbz5B_1KCkRwUgmDHPFxhoxIKMufVHSPLNlYTeRthghsUCcg0JDTiy28/s320/IMG_0597.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes, boots. She loves em.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52mbWO_slWEU3h1L8jcl9-OQWe7jUgC-QG0jobWyCUtJqCmmS9HZ2PCe0miY2SDG0XZkDRWzXO8UGAk7O-oG2y4qhPt-VWkH6Dr5QCWFvje4KhEYAD90ai8z3izapbmvEWdPZBGgLnHc/s640/blogger-image-1523665824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52mbWO_slWEU3h1L8jcl9-OQWe7jUgC-QG0jobWyCUtJqCmmS9HZ2PCe0miY2SDG0XZkDRWzXO8UGAk7O-oG2y4qhPt-VWkH6Dr5QCWFvje4KhEYAD90ai8z3izapbmvEWdPZBGgLnHc/s320/blogger-image-1523665824.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helped me put up christmas decor a few weeks early ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKhCk9S5xV2Rk8q5zx8nvIQ6-c5xUleVP-vSklQBglQ2tHS20ZKmBhHzbVKHK7xYUb7591MzKjdCoZMBPMN9vsky0mOZKAbQRm6D3sPGN5EMWW1A0Wxg4gwvh9N0BP15eUlHBiauS9Vw/s640/blogger-image--170257673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKhCk9S5xV2Rk8q5zx8nvIQ6-c5xUleVP-vSklQBglQ2tHS20ZKmBhHzbVKHK7xYUb7591MzKjdCoZMBPMN9vsky0mOZKAbQRm6D3sPGN5EMWW1A0Wxg4gwvh9N0BP15eUlHBiauS9Vw/s320/blogger-image--170257673.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand thought she looked like nacho Libre.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxhzxc8ZRNlsngtiWmLnXF48HToC1NzWlVKf-9DEzwX3VtclRmZoFxTcvivkTystcaVRz8w0UE9To7uiCucqCXNThLzAyKd-tBxv_AkCwadoCpnMXl3O9SdL1Xr42tp8kr4sE7mYf_Sg/s640/blogger-image-332676073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxhzxc8ZRNlsngtiWmLnXF48HToC1NzWlVKf-9DEzwX3VtclRmZoFxTcvivkTystcaVRz8w0UE9To7uiCucqCXNThLzAyKd-tBxv_AkCwadoCpnMXl3O9SdL1Xr42tp8kr4sE7mYf_Sg/s320/blogger-image-332676073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accesorizing at it's finest. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3lQoR7J67iwligVM1Z_JRnVc0qULH_u43HHQJlKSVTRrLMENckDYItFx7SM00__R01ikSV2kVFITxd-nYTLulsQ4hqncrZeCBltKOQgbGzDp92ghesK0fxFcfIhHDygy-mtBAhfH8jg/s640/blogger-image-604831616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3lQoR7J67iwligVM1Z_JRnVc0qULH_u43HHQJlKSVTRrLMENckDYItFx7SM00__R01ikSV2kVFITxd-nYTLulsQ4hqncrZeCBltKOQgbGzDp92ghesK0fxFcfIhHDygy-mtBAhfH8jg/s640/blogger-image-604831616.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving my vest. </td></tr>
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Parenting is a constant learning curve. I'm grateful for my teamate in this. I started to see this month how my lack of sturdiness was starting to create a pretty demanding and controlling little gal. I don't like sitting in that tension, but I started to feel a movement in my heart towards what I desire that to look like. I feel more valuable as a human when I know and can meet Ellie's needs but I am starting to see a pattern of rescuing her and robbing both her and I of opportunity to "suffer" and taking away her soul's dignity. She gets to know that mommy loves her but if she chooses to not eat supper, that she will get hungry. Or that it is okay if she wants to throw a tantrum after her nap and I love her, but I am going to keep doing life. I want her sweet face to know my love, but also know that she gets to choose and make decisions and learn she can "sit in the mess" and "make it".<br />
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So this idea of suffering and hope come to mind. I knew it was a verse somewhere in the bible and found it in. It's been on my heart these past weeks.<br />
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Romans 5:3-5<br />
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<span class="versetext" id="ro5-3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Not only so, but we<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="c"></a> also rejoice in our sufferings,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8"></a>because we know that suffering produces perseverance;<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="9"></a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span class="versetext" id="ro5-4" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">4</span> perseverance, character; and character, hope. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span class="versetext" id="ro5-5" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">5</span> And hope<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="10"></a> does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="11"></a> into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="12"></a> whom he has given us. </span></div>
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I feel like I have just begun learning how to suffer. Suffer through my agenda not being met. Suffer through unmet longings of my heart. And wanting to choose that, not because I claim Jesus as my savior and he tells me to, but having a real desire awakened. And I'm noticing that trusting in Jesus over myself, doesn't take away the pain, but it does allow me to turn to him and sit in my mess---persevere. And I'm noticing a sturdyness beginning to emerge. In my marriage, in parenting, in working through the muck and pain of my heart, in loving my daughter, and other relationships. And I'm starting to hope. What a sweet taste that hope is. It's the taste of a more sturdy hope then I have known and I'm certain it's the eternal hope Jesus speaks of.<br />
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So cheers to more suffering right? ha. Remind me of that after this kiddo's born.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-21446430384835484182014-10-07T09:34:00.003-07:002014-10-07T09:34:25.734-07:00October Update: 1.5 Years//35 Weeks//Maternity PicturesWell, its pretty real feeling. We are going to be having this child in about a month! That is probably the thing that is talked about most in our house this month, as we prepare for Him. Another big highlight this month were family photos. My friend Hailey has runs a photography business with her husband. This is the second time she has gifted us with her talent and precious pictures of our family.What a serious treat. Here are a few favorites. If you live in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area check them out here: <a href="http://oakandivyphotography.weebly.com/">Oak & Ivy Photography</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiAPNhTsZb5AOag-PwtUrjzJwo3gXhsa1FPyNUoI9yH-FoOxugNoW__Od3snIVH5W0jSa_dPPQTNaWPUV0TfRnnIfo_Aq_OHrP-N_V4rdB4abcOwmmPxR6QGvIoxNj40txMp1HkXb_nU/s1600/_IVY0961copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiAPNhTsZb5AOag-PwtUrjzJwo3gXhsa1FPyNUoI9yH-FoOxugNoW__Od3snIVH5W0jSa_dPPQTNaWPUV0TfRnnIfo_Aq_OHrP-N_V4rdB4abcOwmmPxR6QGvIoxNj40txMp1HkXb_nU/s1600/_IVY0961copy.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that we captured her smile here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nSXwp_2jqOe3w4EOVCuKyVsv1JIqhuKbYEN2LHq9yAxzRPxIKyUyGtPmsDxGeVVDODnK1sfOiXasvuCbceMC8KYf28Bq7F1BN8BqIQ4Abgf1MGu6HKBiAZ0wASqszR4EAGJ9WELh444/s1600/_IVY1008copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nSXwp_2jqOe3w4EOVCuKyVsv1JIqhuKbYEN2LHq9yAxzRPxIKyUyGtPmsDxGeVVDODnK1sfOiXasvuCbceMC8KYf28Bq7F1BN8BqIQ4Abgf1MGu6HKBiAZ0wASqszR4EAGJ9WELh444/s1600/_IVY1008copy.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bench where Rand and I officially started dating. </td></tr>
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<br />
Eloise is a full fledged toddler these days.<br />
Honestly, some moments feel incredibly difficult.<br />
Typically, those days are a reflection of my internal world and I am starting to savor getting the opportunity to enter that. She is helping to produce things in me that I didn't think I was capable of, well, really Jesus is, but Ellie seems to be a huge catalyst in the process.<br />
Other moments feel like pure bliss. I look at her and am completely blown away by her.<br />
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Here are a few memories from the month:<br />
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She loves to say dadddd--ddy. It's a delight to hear.<br />
Her independence is ever growing. She really likes to try and put her clothes on and absolutely adores shoes. Her shoes, my shoes, boots, heels, helping me put on my shoes, helping Rand put on his. Getting dressed tends to be a drawn out process in the morning.<br />
She will randomly walk on her tip toes at different points.<br />
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She loves to run through the house, especially during playtime with daddy and Kia. </div>
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She really loves her little tike car. It was going to be a christmas present but....</div>
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She likes to say "one, two, three, go" it comes out a little different but is adorable. She does it especially when she is about to go down the slide at the park. </div>
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She prefers to not eat the skin of apples. </div>
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She has been crawling on her hands and knees to play with Kia.<br />
She understands a lot of different things, but has started being a little helper. She likes to help with dishes and throwing things in the garbage. </div>
<div>
Sometimes she will walk around with her hand clasped behind her back.<br />
Her favorite body part is the eye. She likes to point at her eye and other peoples when she hears someone say eye.<br />
She loves to eat Kia's dog food.</div>
<div>
She loves popcorn.<br />
She loves to find cutips and put them in her ears "like mommy". Oh boy.<br />
The biggest transition this month has probably been her sleep patterns. She started having a really hard time sleeping in her big bed, so we had to put her back in her crib. The past few weeks her wake up time has been between 5:30 and 6. We are both hoping this is just a phase because were starting to get pretty tired! She is still doing two naps a day, but they are slowly getting shorter, as well. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe_CWLkBJ-TJPrssLSMYjmM8Ti-YorcUzO9x8YAgVpEAhzHE0OTdPpHNp7DC_fiM3MAqy7Ylryh7c8XjLhE2sLbsII9a8Usbi5eL3tLpEyyT9Kdn_BxIVDiLSIYIWEalNJR6I68aGznQ/s1600/IMG_0432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe_CWLkBJ-TJPrssLSMYjmM8Ti-YorcUzO9x8YAgVpEAhzHE0OTdPpHNp7DC_fiM3MAqy7Ylryh7c8XjLhE2sLbsII9a8Usbi5eL3tLpEyyT9Kdn_BxIVDiLSIYIWEalNJR6I68aGznQ/s1600/IMG_0432.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor girl's eye swelled shut from a bug bite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFSMKU8gusYeOVr7tD0clBdlqQDLsOKXpFA9bEtxfIm7PT3SZikFy4oVTB0OXb5vLY-ARBHA2ZLuSKJsC6bAzZvURuJz6e1dv4Eu6lyO8JQ2sKLuU-p3LfT3dHQR5_x4SmB4BSYGBcxk/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFSMKU8gusYeOVr7tD0clBdlqQDLsOKXpFA9bEtxfIm7PT3SZikFy4oVTB0OXb5vLY-ARBHA2ZLuSKJsC6bAzZvURuJz6e1dv4Eu6lyO8JQ2sKLuU-p3LfT3dHQR5_x4SmB4BSYGBcxk/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shes into eating apples. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzpByXzsnkN9cCxytCfKRgMpFEyDhYr0YFrZKywqAxnM-znEzRszUgQfN_VM9qkpfr-xnDpeUcLxXTmq8iOPPGWfnJ1oECUBC0dhAnL8r_DZpZv65zDG-l7KDQnCRxb9gqGTuxqeKtAs/s1600/IMG_0459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzpByXzsnkN9cCxytCfKRgMpFEyDhYr0YFrZKywqAxnM-znEzRszUgQfN_VM9qkpfr-xnDpeUcLxXTmq8iOPPGWfnJ1oECUBC0dhAnL8r_DZpZv65zDG-l7KDQnCRxb9gqGTuxqeKtAs/s1600/IMG_0459.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">her and daddy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHZgl3V2lDJ3Iruw1K1FPUmquvTDtSDt8_OktNuzsx6K2OeUmdPcWRz_U6r4flBQjsNyV0fxlrEwMzCNCI7BojTIduTuFBUXCveKLNjsHwa4b9xGpq_cQAGvhfGDPYzVKpLP481Vj1rA/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHZgl3V2lDJ3Iruw1K1FPUmquvTDtSDt8_OktNuzsx6K2OeUmdPcWRz_U6r4flBQjsNyV0fxlrEwMzCNCI7BojTIduTuFBUXCveKLNjsHwa4b9xGpq_cQAGvhfGDPYzVKpLP481Vj1rA/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UND football game. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvWZKbm95MrqCJ082lCPWMI2DyLaa4MYd5gEuMklSiqr3VPZr-pOQaqytYRwyhTHROwj85YliMFirz9_-X5XlPKnVY0yMf9aih0Aa9jDHaHMyJOKlo6eok2DBMDJpMnRSuBlpN4guRmU/s1600/IMG_0473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvWZKbm95MrqCJ082lCPWMI2DyLaa4MYd5gEuMklSiqr3VPZr-pOQaqytYRwyhTHROwj85YliMFirz9_-X5XlPKnVY0yMf9aih0Aa9jDHaHMyJOKlo6eok2DBMDJpMnRSuBlpN4guRmU/s1600/IMG_0473.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her new reading stance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2xbrz9VoTDtSnQFxfMKFrDYnZfuIurgSm6j4ZsoWZ68I_z6DOYXAWsOaZXuxbxZsESS4vKhBHa0Ec7XVSuql4PPs6AKbBUc6Jx7P8G59A5jR5tYZlI2LaYFzkLM-FxzsgxgWvl6olCA/s1600/IMG_0476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2xbrz9VoTDtSnQFxfMKFrDYnZfuIurgSm6j4ZsoWZ68I_z6DOYXAWsOaZXuxbxZsESS4vKhBHa0Ec7XVSuql4PPs6AKbBUc6Jx7P8G59A5jR5tYZlI2LaYFzkLM-FxzsgxgWvl6olCA/s1600/IMG_0476.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We shoot for biweekly baths...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKvbhwZ7T-NN-nkawrSfLxbkh-hDYpyk3L_Kb_3sQ2lhp4cCEbp-xpLsRi5mfz9XC-Bztm0zY24_VMZLJV6VVysBzWUFImb7KtTTQtTM88fGnRl_s2FcNJPdGCd1p8D9EthKORUdZhAc/s1600/IMG_0480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKvbhwZ7T-NN-nkawrSfLxbkh-hDYpyk3L_Kb_3sQ2lhp4cCEbp-xpLsRi5mfz9XC-Bztm0zY24_VMZLJV6VVysBzWUFImb7KtTTQtTM88fGnRl_s2FcNJPdGCd1p8D9EthKORUdZhAc/s1600/IMG_0480.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8r3yK331gDTbtYwhbY54qKdTq3faD0LhqA43cRbEcLP2LSLpZJTaEn6oHpuewfP05TCn3Czo54Hxt6PQ1ZDmDx6EbYPl6H1l5Gx_Tf_pyF5aJWvDPu7VJpkWnaV0byCQium0WhvBpCMM/s1600/IMG_0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8r3yK331gDTbtYwhbY54qKdTq3faD0LhqA43cRbEcLP2LSLpZJTaEn6oHpuewfP05TCn3Czo54Hxt6PQ1ZDmDx6EbYPl6H1l5Gx_Tf_pyF5aJWvDPu7VJpkWnaV0byCQium0WhvBpCMM/s1600/IMG_0486.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with our change. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZRym5OS-Ma3YljUCaNde8TRtNbjnm4DinBbrYr2uG589lX0HOh3Y0eKV4B42FlMcQ6CVAbDxsrwqvRmvDlWELk6IoQt-cpYnWvWv08q1fX2S6PPd-1tGA9thS2gB4bFOEY_v_hvtsrY/s1600/IMG_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZRym5OS-Ma3YljUCaNde8TRtNbjnm4DinBbrYr2uG589lX0HOh3Y0eKV4B42FlMcQ6CVAbDxsrwqvRmvDlWELk6IoQt-cpYnWvWv08q1fX2S6PPd-1tGA9thS2gB4bFOEY_v_hvtsrY/s1600/IMG_0504.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Therapy for mom and Ellie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DoiIVpzK5egbHrYNxWFc_U7-agDA3IGO_i29ZneBDB_nL4vQrBwXoiD34fH2WJrELayZeqOc4VLcM9wMiSYzvAUkgTnOkTV5ZDNf1tY79ZJWPub1je3VPlr07VkdE90-BCuhyAKItio/s1600/IMG_0507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DoiIVpzK5egbHrYNxWFc_U7-agDA3IGO_i29ZneBDB_nL4vQrBwXoiD34fH2WJrELayZeqOc4VLcM9wMiSYzvAUkgTnOkTV5ZDNf1tY79ZJWPub1je3VPlr07VkdE90-BCuhyAKItio/s1600/IMG_0507.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand thought she looked like Nacho Libre ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sassy at the park. </td></tr>
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<br />
As a family it seems we are adapting to our fall schedule. I feel like as soon as we have fully adapted well be transitioning again.<br />
The words that come to mind for it are "It's the eb and flow babbbee".<br />
<br />
Other big things this month have included trying to determine if we would like to make some big transitions to our birth plan.<br />
We had a more traumatic birth experience with our emergency C-section with Ellie that have caused us both to spend a lot more time researching and determining what would be best for our family for this birth. Just when we thought we were all set in our plans we have had new things come up that could change what we have planned now. It's getting down to the wire, but knowing I have a Plan A helps me to feel at peace. Plan B gets to be the fun part!<br />
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These things that I am talking about are huge things for me. As a recovering perfectionist and codependant the idea of sitting in the unknown and making decisions with Rand are like huge. I clutch control like gum to a shoe. Its incredibly exciting for me to enjoy the process of decision making and the unknown. Oofta. It still feels like ... I have my shoes on the wrong feet, most days, but things that were big no longer seem quite as big. Praise Jesus.<br />
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Other fun things this month for me has been exploring organic produce more, enjoying having more fun through managing our budget, making meals and cooking, buying Ellie a pair of Bogg Boots, purchasing a Boba Baby Carrier, going on fall walks with Ellie and Rand, enjoying the next season of Park and Rec on Netflix, and spending time making decisions with Rand. Rand seems to be enjoying some tinkering. He recently redid a full size ping pong table and purchased a few tools he had been searching for from some garage sales. As a family we have gotten to enjoy a few UND games and had a blast last weekend going to a local Pumkin Patch.<br />
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I BET BY MY NEXT BLOG POST BABY SEAY WILL BE HERE. AH!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-61409962075716676742014-09-10T08:14:00.004-07:002014-09-10T08:14:34.643-07:0031 Weeks// 17 MonthsI'm finding there is more consistently to my day then I may have thought.<br />
I can almost guarantee that Ellie will want to watch Frozen and I can pretty much guarantee that I will be extremely uncomfortable most of the day. We had a streak over the last few weeks of watching frozen 12 days in a row. I remember seeing it in theaters and thinking it was the most amazing disney movie of all time, but if it was possible, I would probably strangle Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. The joy that movie brings Ellie is insane, though, so I think I would have to keep them all alive. She literally lights up and is glued to the show. Definitely her favorite thing this month. I'm hoping to make some alternative Frozen purchases so we don't end up watching the show everyday. <br />
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Other things we have noticed...<br />
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She loves to spend time with her baby. She pronounces it bee-bee and likes to bring it with her around the house and pushing it in the stroller.<br />
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Lately, she enjoys laying in her bed after her nap and when she wakes up snuggling with her blankies and burying her face in the softness.<br />
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She still loves to play with water in the sink.<br />
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She enjoys dancing to music. She associates my iPhone with music and will try and find the right app so she can start playing it and then move her head back and forth.<br />
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She learned to say the word "hot" and interchanges it with any sort of temperature change.<br />
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She has taken a few really rough tumbles. She enjoys parks and going down slides a lot. The other day we were at the park and she was a bit tired. When she gets tired, she acts similiar to someone heavily intoxicated and tends to stumble a lot. So she tried sitting at the top of the stairs a bit too early and fell down four stairs. It's so hard for me when she falls, my heart breaks! She was crying a ton, but determined to go back and do it again. Her determination is fierce. Her second time down she was still crying a bit and took a second tumble off a small step and onto the concrete. Bedtime came pretty quickly after that.<br />
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She really enjoyed the french fry feed and looked really intrigued during the potato bowl parade. She enjoyed watching the bands, especially, and tends to really enjoy soaking things in and saying "hi" to everyone.<br />
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Her hair is getting so long! Laureen gave her her first trim this past week.<br />
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She is really lengthening out. Put her next to your typical 2.5 year old and you may not be able to tell who is older.<br />
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My soon-to-be-sister-in-law took a few photos of our family in the middle of July. She is such a fun gal and I am really enjoying getting to know her more. Here is her website https://www.facebook.com/corinnenoellephotography and few of my favorites from our shoot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">25ish weeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUF5TiK6bM1ij3sm1GFDCem1D6bjaJJzEF4R8tQQgiFxFTF0pGfb4JyFS5RlqRAwerCkpjmfGMRGaFguDU4-zPonvwQnY9wD1gADWc_azXqfAANOEoc93Nt2BYeqzYvSDAkC2W2nnv3U/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUF5TiK6bM1ij3sm1GFDCem1D6bjaJJzEF4R8tQQgiFxFTF0pGfb4JyFS5RlqRAwerCkpjmfGMRGaFguDU4-zPonvwQnY9wD1gADWc_azXqfAANOEoc93Nt2BYeqzYvSDAkC2W2nnv3U/s1600/9.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves pushing her stroller and "bee-bee"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIGynkFbhskMK7PlUFg3FNrNdSw0dktpALw2FJHdJR6BCcGUmqI_TOLJxWDz_4Ecw3aTCQMCeU4oaZTLopCdJYF4E519veO_oRaOwTqHzbPWL8kFLz_2kwGGTSdK_o0X34UJYhfLY3pY/s1600/IMG_0352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIGynkFbhskMK7PlUFg3FNrNdSw0dktpALw2FJHdJR6BCcGUmqI_TOLJxWDz_4Ecw3aTCQMCeU4oaZTLopCdJYF4E519veO_oRaOwTqHzbPWL8kFLz_2kwGGTSdK_o0X34UJYhfLY3pY/s1600/IMG_0352.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She stashed her milk in the cabinet one day. Luckily, I found it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8VaBI-hmMjqr2RHuQaKW1gSXLSsP9UqTuDhZv5Q1504f_PhN7KKNuji9PkSlW2eK6yx9JIxD7D_fSzXJs_nyAIERC8tNgVW2NjdN05WpTNvUaJ55IQReI5PSwmDBTZqsppgmoypzgwk/s1600/IMG_0354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8VaBI-hmMjqr2RHuQaKW1gSXLSsP9UqTuDhZv5Q1504f_PhN7KKNuji9PkSlW2eK6yx9JIxD7D_fSzXJs_nyAIERC8tNgVW2NjdN05WpTNvUaJ55IQReI5PSwmDBTZqsppgmoypzgwk/s1600/IMG_0354.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves to wear the dog's leash around her neck.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rWnmGcjk03o6bbkBNQxaFv6mrNt3ggcB7Iq5UvVrAw00oZnzNK6Rytig10ZVwgFiLwKwBC6Zeo-s6bOCBsSN13iQ1xHruwGiVr9-OgT6re6wq9WGVTpusJGhBMk2hq1sUS8ORxS9Vk/s1600/IMG_0364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rWnmGcjk03o6bbkBNQxaFv6mrNt3ggcB7Iq5UvVrAw00oZnzNK6Rytig10ZVwgFiLwKwBC6Zeo-s6bOCBsSN13iQ1xHruwGiVr9-OgT6re6wq9WGVTpusJGhBMk2hq1sUS8ORxS9Vk/s1600/IMG_0364.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lounging, watching frozen. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg287pW0k-PJaSHluDsNE4SWT0cLO0cCqVwV1BqPeNf0Z1Bkuet-l1REakSyvffZqTtX7Qa-gCuFGS0_6CdxniNNn77p-ywF06fQPJJmuVEaaoxvEblKfZz73D0PilvdeZnxmcdaZBEY/s1600/IMG_0366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg287pW0k-PJaSHluDsNE4SWT0cLO0cCqVwV1BqPeNf0Z1Bkuet-l1REakSyvffZqTtX7Qa-gCuFGS0_6CdxniNNn77p-ywF06fQPJJmuVEaaoxvEblKfZz73D0PilvdeZnxmcdaZBEY/s1600/IMG_0366.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rarely will she let me do her hair, but when she watches frozen, I can get away with just about anything. </td></tr>
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The biggest delight for me this month has been watching her and Rand spend time together. I started working about 15 hours a week during a few nights during the week and on weekends, which means Rand gets a lot more individual time with her. During this transition, I have noticed it move me in a direction I hadn't even seen prior. I've been facing the reality that I do feel more valuable if I am with Ellie the most. I feel more secure and in control.<br />
Not always.<br />
But I am starting to differentiate my motivation on the daily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmQm42jO95e9w9PEybphqepHGPAY77ij2m_uptlqFgxul0-jdXb1gdAwJk6S_dIEEn1zrt8ES_UusjjhpnLNq9xMXxljoDyDyb7mmZF0gAOHt_u_VUbFhzdj86Z03RqBVAtXYnAmx5SY/s1600/IMG_0420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmQm42jO95e9w9PEybphqepHGPAY77ij2m_uptlqFgxul0-jdXb1gdAwJk6S_dIEEn1zrt8ES_UusjjhpnLNq9xMXxljoDyDyb7mmZF0gAOHt_u_VUbFhzdj86Z03RqBVAtXYnAmx5SY/s1600/IMG_0420.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato Bowl Parade. </td></tr>
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The other day I realized that part of my motivation as I was sitting with her, wasn't to just be with my babe, but because that I felt by entertaining her meant I was doing a "good job".<br />
So that discovery exists. It makes me sad that I feel more value based on these codependent tendencies. But eh. I'm human, right?<br />
I want my heart to truly know that my value isn't based on Ellie's mood that day or her needs. But I also want to learn what love looks like in the midst of her tantrum and her neediness.<br />
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Truly, it has been a treat to surrender some of that control. I find a deeper sense of trust and team emerging between Rand and I through it. Getting to taste Interdependency vs. codependency is like tasting that first bite of fresh cheese curd. Hmhm. It tastes good.<br />
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So cheers to more of that, I'm certain of the bounty of future opportunities that await me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ015AVWx8_5sBMV3I9VNfhFKw_vVPTOlkVhWSK6Kh4E85cENhYOw0u0YR3HxMoKYc8bvkg6wAji18mbtXUVCVbI-fytiDdioksDKJk2MwFqPQ5e_0qk3ocalIy0xF0syOo2yeQwIJgVo/s1600/IMG_0390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ015AVWx8_5sBMV3I9VNfhFKw_vVPTOlkVhWSK6Kh4E85cENhYOw0u0YR3HxMoKYc8bvkg6wAji18mbtXUVCVbI-fytiDdioksDKJk2MwFqPQ5e_0qk3ocalIy0xF0syOo2yeQwIJgVo/s1600/IMG_0390.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 Weeks. </td></tr>
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Our fall transition is going okay. It seems like there is always an appointment, a project or something broken around the house. I'm getting more okay with being in the midst of those things. <br />I have a wretched time sleeping most nights. If I am not up going to the bathroom, I feel like I am tossing and turning trying to cushion my belly or ease the tension in my back. I don't remember this starting so early with Ellie or being this difficult.<br />
I'm also noticing patterns in when he is awake, which is new for me. Lets just say this kiddo can move! We both can't really conceptualize what an addition to our family will be like. It doesn't really freak us out, but it's surreal to try and visualize another face joining us. We have a name picked out that we both feel we will choose. I get this intuitive feeling that he is going to be arriving a bit early, but I'm still not sure if that is just because I'm so uncomfortable or if it's mother's intuition.<br />
Either way, I'm excited to meet him.<br />
I've started nesting and began working on decorating his room and taking inventory of what we have and need still.<br />
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Cheers to our two month countdown to you Baby Boy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-12938517240576972932014-08-11T13:10:00.000-07:002014-08-11T13:42:17.826-07:00Third Trimester Swagger // 16 MonthsI love watching our precious girl sleeping lately. I just snuck a peak at her peaceful little face before writing this. Her features are so dainty, soft, and full of a childlike innocence. This weekend we shifted things around a bit, namely, we moved her crib out and her twin bed into her room! Her crib seems symbolic of her fleeting babeyhood and her twin bed seems only fitting for the toddler of a little girl that is emerging. We want to slowly introduce change for her so that things aren't too drastic for when her little brother arrives. <br />
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Another more precious memory is the time she gets to spend with her daddy. It seems like every time they are together he teaches her something new. His patience with her and desire to give her both independence and creativity captivates me. He was the one who got her to learn her bed was a place to sleep instead of a toy, showed her how to play basketball, climb up and down the stairs "safely", and go down the big slide by herself this month.<br />
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So... this last month.<br />
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She had her first hair cut after a fruit snack settled itself into her hair during her nap time. She likes to savor her last fruit snack or really last favorite item of anything and we have found this to be quite challenging at times!<br />
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She still enjoys playing in the toilet. She likes to stick her hands in and play.<br />
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She loves to try and help put her shirt and shoes on. The girl will sit contently for anywhere from 10-15 minutes on this one. I'm on a shirtless kick lately with her because it can often be easiest with all her waterplaying, but a few times she will have put her shirt on over her head and just have it dangling around her neck like a scarf.<br />
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Her favorite book is a doggie book. She loves hearing all the ways a dog can bark.<br />
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She has learned the word no. I'm not sure how many times a day I have to scold Kia and one day it just stuck. It comes out more like n-oooooo, heavy on the vowels. It is neat that she can express her will and I will often catch her scolding Kia when she does something she doesn't like.<br />
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Likes to color on the mail and help open it. Mail time is a serious event around here. </div>
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We've noticed she continues to react to mosquito bites. They get pretty swollen and puffy just like they do on me.<br />
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She enjoys finding her belly button, mine, and Rand's. She also knows where her eyes, nose, and mouth are and is starting to catch on to other things.<br />
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She isn't a fan of getting her hair done... she tolerates bows, but despises it when I put her hair up in a pony.<br />
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Well often catch her standing behind her table in the living room where she has a more private area to go #2.<br />
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She really likes parks. When we are in the front she will often take off down the road wanting to walk to the park where her favorite things to do are go down the slide and eat the pebbles.<br />
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The last day of July she took a tumble down our basement stairs. No broken bones or bumps at all, just some tears. Pretty amazing!<br />
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Her all time favorite activity is playing with water. She loves buckets and dumping water from one to the other with all sorts of dishes. She can get really focused on this task and it is neat to watch her be so determined.<br />
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I enjoyed having her be my helper a few times in the kitchen with cookies and muffins. We got all sorts of messy, but it was good for us both!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_SxtYDq54FA3y2jHP_WeDlXnN75RBVYEmZ3e3mpqoaOk6QXXUAAAAnF51WbzqDoMm5PYXUVGWRziGKmgkirZCOGSawK3ulMcF3bpZC0vWYi1IuuHVF_SFWH-Jd67T_NFZYxY8kZ8_o/s1600/IMG_0318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_SxtYDq54FA3y2jHP_WeDlXnN75RBVYEmZ3e3mpqoaOk6QXXUAAAAnF51WbzqDoMm5PYXUVGWRziGKmgkirZCOGSawK3ulMcF3bpZC0vWYi1IuuHVF_SFWH-Jd67T_NFZYxY8kZ8_o/s1600/IMG_0318.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves being in the kitchen and playing with water. Styling her double shirt look. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-AMPPcAjog5nc-7Wdt619l4zlzv-A0-_zBxPJER6YmGtQ0BWjUV2z7hidrOZCa5_MXpXFwDp8hSv781nW7-DVQjkHKzwJ_6j4hpZnCI-J__0EBtWNDi7paVKQzRz9mIc_WFq1m9_Dyo/s1600/IMG_0322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-AMPPcAjog5nc-7Wdt619l4zlzv-A0-_zBxPJER6YmGtQ0BWjUV2z7hidrOZCa5_MXpXFwDp8hSv781nW7-DVQjkHKzwJ_6j4hpZnCI-J__0EBtWNDi7paVKQzRz9mIc_WFq1m9_Dyo/s1600/IMG_0322.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping me make some muffins. Getting messy is good for both of us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPr8GiP839adh4mZPVHyHUYHOtXRbWD7HRQrS2dFXllhPiwFYIN5IQnWexuQ6krklMx6cKFQWXh_DW1xlbnk1ZBCGL4k5rcadHbUDoeM7s695wEun9fYt6vBY-dvPXb5kBwpU5GbcPww/s1600/IMG_0326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPr8GiP839adh4mZPVHyHUYHOtXRbWD7HRQrS2dFXllhPiwFYIN5IQnWexuQ6krklMx6cKFQWXh_DW1xlbnk1ZBCGL4k5rcadHbUDoeM7s695wEun9fYt6vBY-dvPXb5kBwpU5GbcPww/s1600/IMG_0326.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet lady. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4Ti6xyFqdJxaNn6zxoNYgDx86lXIT7j0QcGt50Jn_DNo8PsA9sZZ_2r8dUjDKIn8pDDRp7BdPwJKZVE99AtRLDstAKuEvjizOoBrMfdqHJ6cIKMT60z-1c0OHrj57pzGPzZEEeMzTNQ/s1600/IMG_0329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4Ti6xyFqdJxaNn6zxoNYgDx86lXIT7j0QcGt50Jn_DNo8PsA9sZZ_2r8dUjDKIn8pDDRp7BdPwJKZVE99AtRLDstAKuEvjizOoBrMfdqHJ6cIKMT60z-1c0OHrj57pzGPzZEEeMzTNQ/s1600/IMG_0329.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves her fruit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GQKQotC8dSqiO9wZFX43nnJi5dF3m1qlmunoMPHx6KfBdt1cXOw4eBRXvf96Lql3czsSJ8U9FVazT8akFLgS0lHmHHpDiitWwoxnCaDVgPrW7P4I7rHDtgmpquLfvVBZHnwpTV2A_YM/s1600/IMG_0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GQKQotC8dSqiO9wZFX43nnJi5dF3m1qlmunoMPHx6KfBdt1cXOw4eBRXvf96Lql3czsSJ8U9FVazT8akFLgS0lHmHHpDiitWwoxnCaDVgPrW7P4I7rHDtgmpquLfvVBZHnwpTV2A_YM/s1600/IMG_0333.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How kia enjoys the summer. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At our good friend Omega's Wedding Fiesta. </td></tr>
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Summer really seems to be flying by for us. I'm savoring these next few months of long walks, trips to the park, flip flops, t-shirts, and swimsuit for clothing. Weekends like this last give me glimpses of the soon arrival of fall and eek, the babe! The month of July was full of summer travels. We enjoyed two pleasant trips to the twin cities for back-to-back weekends of family and fun. We enjoyed seeing my sister and brother in law from Arizona the first weekend. Croquet, a pro soccer game, and some outings for meals were all part of the fun. The following weekend we enjoyed a car-packed sibling ride with Alys, Bryn, and us. We got to see Bryn and his fiance Corrine almost every day. It's so exciting to have a growing family!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQB0UN_80PJXc5b_KjprnWVu63nad8vwhTMIVJ270QvYHBaJX3LN4NlqvctPpmCYVjs6180ZGHZkAWmVFx2KahfZzcEldnSuHcIVq58WSW2NaexzOdPaclXqq3OZ-J-XEFiwU9zRZrfAk/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQB0UN_80PJXc5b_KjprnWVu63nad8vwhTMIVJ270QvYHBaJX3LN4NlqvctPpmCYVjs6180ZGHZkAWmVFx2KahfZzcEldnSuHcIVq58WSW2NaexzOdPaclXqq3OZ-J-XEFiwU9zRZrfAk/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diva Dash 5K. </td></tr>
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The past weekends we have enjoyed getting things in order around the house and spending time with Rand's parents and Kia. What sweet family we have. Ellie, Baby Seay, and I even got to enjoy a 5K together. Were grateful for our evenings and a littler girl who sleeps from 8pm-8am pretty consistently. Rand typically has a project or two he is working on and I ... stay occupied, most of the time. I've been trying out some new yoga stuff, finished seasons 1 and 2 of Orange is the New Black (judge me), watched my first season of the bachelorette and began experiencing withdrawal, reading some Larry Crab or stuff on Labor, and jump starting my nesting instinct through Pintrist. I've also been intrigued by human sexuality and why it is such a hush, hush topic, especially in Christian communities.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JvJ-oL1QEVMxiE3xECSN2JVt6VFwhFzLSL81utBH2h-gmtlQM53cpN6ASpQV7T_u8cta-kx1X1BWsCHxZXFZx9D4SyVEmf49UgTo0zTI2UjMKgDx_8TMJv-7DGJlEg-Tp1iapbsm68Q/s1600/IMG_0323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JvJ-oL1QEVMxiE3xECSN2JVt6VFwhFzLSL81utBH2h-gmtlQM53cpN6ASpQV7T_u8cta-kx1X1BWsCHxZXFZx9D4SyVEmf49UgTo0zTI2UjMKgDx_8TMJv-7DGJlEg-Tp1iapbsm68Q/s1600/IMG_0323.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This beach ball look accurately describes how I feel as I enter this third trimester. </td></tr>
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The fall will transition us to a new schedule. Rand and I will both be taking a class on campus so our evenings will shift a bit before the baby arrives. I also just started a part-time gig at the local health foods store, Amazing Grains. It's a great change for me and a breath of fresh air to get to interact with the locals in the community and get to learn more about healthy living. It's just been a week, but I am pretty excited about it. The fall will also include intermural basketball and weekly business meetings for Rand, classes at the YMCA and some La Leche League meetings for me, homework, and lots of baby appointments. Were hoping to have some more details about my internship soon too so that we can finalize childcare for the upcoming Spring/Summer semesters of next year. Ellie just ate a bunch of wax candles, so I must scoot. Cheers to the end of summer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite people. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6791sfrnytDxQbr9Jvw7fxHtqJjvsSGkpYsHmQQwJ6joYRmiB7YmwdV9PdDtngdiN6FIgDAM7zBZlW5bE56SV-QYFsURmKoV99LXYlKn2SRkk2OLzRuneBZBvb6uvCxl_GATydT5r1K0/s1600/Family+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6791sfrnytDxQbr9Jvw7fxHtqJjvsSGkpYsHmQQwJ6joYRmiB7YmwdV9PdDtngdiN6FIgDAM7zBZlW5bE56SV-QYFsURmKoV99LXYlKn2SRkk2OLzRuneBZBvb6uvCxl_GATydT5r1K0/s1600/Family+Photo.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet family photos from Corrine. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-85207080295770438602014-07-15T14:19:00.000-07:002014-07-21T14:04:35.931-07:003 Years// 15 Months // 23 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ellie and I like to take morning strolls together. Yesterday's walk was quite odd. Its the middle of July and the weather was cold enough that I had on a sherpa zip up, over my sweatshirt and I was wearing gloves. What the heck, right? But it was beautiful and I was blown away by the flood of memories that fall weather brings for me. I found myself lost in these and thinking about Rand and my upcoming 3 year anniversary.<br />
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Today marks that day for us. Truly, I am blown away by how far Jesus has brought us in our marriage. We were young little twerps, just 21, and in love, committing to this thing called marriage. I don't anyone can ever be "prepared" for marriage and we sure were not prepared for what the cleaving process would look like for us. I could have never known the incredibly, "strong sense of self" that I have nor the incredible amount of relational idolatry that was in my life. Thats just a brief overview of some of the baggage that I brought into marriage and I am certain that Rand has a few that he brought in too ;)<br />
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So here we are 21, married, in college, and figuring out not only this thing called marriage, but really figuring out adulthood together. We were still in college and navigating that as well. Then I graduated. Started my first social work job. Ellie's conception. New apartment. Rand's graduation. Starting graduate school for me and Full-time work for Rand. Baby. Stay at home mom transition. Rand starts a new job. Rand starts an LLC business with Nick. First house. First puppy. Baby boy's conception. Pregnancy round 2.<br />
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HOLY CRAP.<br />
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Just looking at that makes me feel overwhelmed.<br />
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I don't know how we've made it through sometimes. Brutally honesty with myself. Brutally honesty with each other. A wonderful counselor who allows us to see God's mercy and grace. Truly.<br />
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So back to my walk.<br />
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I'm reflecting on all this then as I am today and almost mesmorized.<br />
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The journey we have been on has been more heartbreaking and pain saturated then I could have ever thought possible. But for the first time, I feel like I am more whole then I have ever been and more myself then I was ever before. The grace and mercy that I have encountered has brought life to words like grace, mercy, forgivness, repentance, and love. They aren't empty as they once were, but alive and giving me breath each day when I am certain all air is gone.<br />
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I was blind, and in many ways am still blind to the bondage that I was in. But I feel like I have new eyes to see. The new sturdyness that is emerging is giving me an ability to not only love myself, but love others. My husband. My daughter. Our crazy dog.<br />
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I feel hope as I never have felt before. For our family, future, my dreams.<br />
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I am so excited for the years to come, but both Rand and I agree that slowing down this rollercoaster ride we have been strapped into would be ideal...<br />
We laugh at that only because I am certain that there will be no slowing down for quite a few years.<br />
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SO CHEERS TO THAT BABE!<br />
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Other things that come to mind this month is our little girl. She keeps amazing me more and more. Her ability to understand and comprehend the world just continues to grow and it is so fun to watch her independence emerge.<br />
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One of her favorite things to do is go on a walk. Right around 9 am she will bring me her shoe or my shoe and grunt or point to the door. She always goes into a trance on our walks and likes to help and hold Kia's leash.<br />
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She gets this intensity sometimes, like her dad. She will sit and try and put on her shoes for 20 minutes. Put caps on objects. Try and put covers on waterbotels. Dump water from one bucket to the other. Wrap her baby in her blanket. Dump little squishy balls out and put them back in the bucket. Push her baby around in the stroller. Open the screen door over and over.<br />
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She likes to walk down the sidewalk towards the park almost every day and equally as much likes to eat the pebbles at the park.<br />
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She can be devious and likes to get our attention by throwing food on the floor at meal time. This month we have started bed room time outs and I think she is picking up on consequences because she will shake her head after she throws her food on the floor.<br />
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She LOVES fruit snacks and couldn't get enough of the sugar snap peas from our garden today.<br />
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She loves her nana and bapa. When we turn onto their street she will start saying nana over and over.<br />
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When I get the mail in the afternoon she likes to color on the junk mail with her crayons.<br />
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She is starting to not be a fan of sharing her toys, but always likes to share her food.<br />
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She learned the sign for please and will feverishly sign this for the food that she loves.<br />
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She still LOVES kitties and her puppy.<br />
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She really enjoys using utensils and has gotten quite good with them.<br />
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Whenever she goes to her grandparents house she often go to her high chair and want to eat. They have trained her well.<br />
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The hardest memory from this month was this past weekend. We were spending the night at a friend's lake house and even after a hard day of playing, she skipped her nap, went to bed late, and was up from 1:30- a little before 6 in the morning. Rand wasn't with me and so I was just exhausted! I think being in a new place must have made her nervous.<br />
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As a family we enjoyed spending the fourth with family on Devils Lake. This upcoming weekend we will be spending time with family at my parents house with my sister and brother in law from AZ, younger sister, and parents and then we will be celebrating a dear friend's wedding the following weekend. Lots of time on the road. We also had some trouble with water in our basement this month. The eves over flowed over fathers day in june and we had to rip up the carpet to dry it out. Lately we have been having a hard time with our downstairs drain that attaches to the washer and that the garbage disposal and dishwasher flow into. Not very fun! Our budget allows seems to be tight since we just have one income coming in, but I'm grateful that my view of finances are changing and that they are turning into a team effort. To cut back on some expenses we started cloth diapering again and I have enjoyed the challenge, in some ways.<br />
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This month I also decided to cut my hair off. Pixie cut it is! I have never felt more liberated and love my new cut. My belly is growing quickly with our little SON and I often feel him fidget and kick through out the day. I am still able to do all the activities I could do before pregnancy and I am still enjoying exercise classes. I even tried bad-ass yoga ;). The idea of another one joining our family makes me so excited. I have been spending a lot more time learning about the birthing process and choices within it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">23.5 Weeks baby. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First set of pigtails!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves caps. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proved to her dad that chips could be eaten with a fork. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our son!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves to eat with her Bapa! </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-65114664685663078692014-06-26T08:37:00.000-07:002014-06-26T08:37:12.059-07:0014 Months// 20 Weeks.This month. Hmm. Ellie is rapidly becoming a toddler. Its fascinating to see her personality emerge and see her become who she is. <br />
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So here are a few Ellieisms.<br />
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She likes dog food. She gets this look and then goes at Kia's dog bowl. I think she likes the crunch.<br />
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She enjoys sitting in the dog's bed and wrestling with her.<br />
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She likes to dip her food. She doesn't like to dip and eat her food. Just dip it and eat the sauce off.<br />
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She likes to eat things out of the wrappers. String cheese. Fruit strips. You name it. Except suckers. She doesn't like to eat the wrapper then. She enjoys ripping those off. She got quite good at that this month when I had some suckers out at the garage sale for kiddos.<br />
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She likes to brush her teeth. There was a bit when flush and brush sounded the same to her. We figured it out.<br />
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She likes to stick things in the toilet. Yesterday, I found cutips.<br />
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She likes to help with the dishes. So far we have only had 3 broken plates. No knife stabbings yet...<br />
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She likes to color. This one is cute. She is really just starting to figure it out but it can keep her entertained.<br />
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She is expanding her television and movie interests. We snuggled watching frozen today and clifford, sesame street, and another show has interested her.<br />
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She loves her grandma and grandpa seay. She calls grandma mam-ma and grandpa bapa.<br />
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She really likes to go outside. She likes to walk, push things, point at ants, pull dandelions, and sit in the stroller. She grabs her shoes and brings them to me almost every morning to communicate this. She has learned she can go outside on the deck without me and doesn't try to climb down the stairs anymore!<br />
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She likes her dolly's. Alys gave her a waterbaby one she had and she really liked that. I got her another one that has a little stroller she likes to push. She likes to hold the "baba" up to her head and really likes it!<br />
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She likes hair clips...or taking them out. Apparently she put her little bag full in grandpa's hair the other day.<br />
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She enjoys headstands and is learning somersaults.<br />
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She learned the sign for fan this month and enjoys to stare up at our fans and make the sign with her double jointed finger. It sort of looks like a hook.<br />
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She is starting to take to milk again.<br />
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She likes to hold hands.<br />
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She is babbling a lot more on her own lately and even in her crib. She is able to entertain herself more where in the past she has usually just jerked awake and started crying. She can soothe herself more!<br />
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She is not into reading so much this month and still hates her face being wiped.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of outdoor time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headstands with dad. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves to go in and out unto the deck. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping with dishes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We attempted a pony tail. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6wBFAJb_cxGZFqUlMqq04ATDkEu7aR_qsOnlfgpCMFyrLOJj8vuKCuPKVX1DldQL75gAPOdveAI8AO0vLHMOFp-73WTV8gOwypuXWCLNGnY6lr3UlYIX5uLrMI1fhyphenhyphenfIQc4QtILe54w/s1600/IMG_0173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6wBFAJb_cxGZFqUlMqq04ATDkEu7aR_qsOnlfgpCMFyrLOJj8vuKCuPKVX1DldQL75gAPOdveAI8AO0vLHMOFp-73WTV8gOwypuXWCLNGnY6lr3UlYIX5uLrMI1fhyphenhyphenfIQc4QtILe54w/s1600/IMG_0173.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor girl reacts to mosquito bites. This one got infected and we had to get antibiotics. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BexxEdT3UkUAAdk1O18ic9uewTlT_l8Oqyu9SmvWwFfG9jeC3lJpqIdHan_zIbGfOVbLwbhEau2MbiKybD7JkcctQ2WLdTbr900uffeOekz9j9J69HZKEr_FIXjSb9JDANb8Bb5oueM/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BexxEdT3UkUAAdk1O18ic9uewTlT_l8Oqyu9SmvWwFfG9jeC3lJpqIdHan_zIbGfOVbLwbhEau2MbiKybD7JkcctQ2WLdTbr900uffeOekz9j9J69HZKEr_FIXjSb9JDANb8Bb5oueM/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Fest. Love that she enjoys holding hands. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWafW_WFGKS6FVNAGBTPNHApcvP7G-5-jY0ozlWfXvkbEJoQXvU8aj9rCH15XV5uIdoIeu6jl8SUHy3vCo7_iYQZtZmoZtRnuDoiD5pzr-5pl68oBW9zDwGH3yeBB3wY30hGyr2wSxEIM/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWafW_WFGKS6FVNAGBTPNHApcvP7G-5-jY0ozlWfXvkbEJoQXvU8aj9rCH15XV5uIdoIeu6jl8SUHy3vCo7_iYQZtZmoZtRnuDoiD5pzr-5pl68oBW9zDwGH3yeBB3wY30hGyr2wSxEIM/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likes to color!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWex56z5SkvSuqElx1DQx8cZryAc01s4RGqNUu4fiK2fef1sCSSDjQjWBJohmsAOvJXRcqy0oKtf4nrshFeHs4FR0Fuqyyi8qZYlnD1MBqmJllY_HasWMczl8ga3hkRNXDvVmkXtMItY/s1600/IMG_0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWex56z5SkvSuqElx1DQx8cZryAc01s4RGqNUu4fiK2fef1sCSSDjQjWBJohmsAOvJXRcqy0oKtf4nrshFeHs4FR0Fuqyyi8qZYlnD1MBqmJllY_HasWMczl8ga3hkRNXDvVmkXtMItY/s1600/IMG_0191.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our morning walk. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgGPvgKJDW4Mn3QbPLrvXeK_6Xtj0b9g0qCSiJVZG_fLHkt6-ROXlrJdHg710WAxrNutUOE9iQK361Gtyb2vw5JWph9HsBlaGltDfbosieXk1oAAufGj5MOVAIJGGdhgl7K2bdwHcccM/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgGPvgKJDW4Mn3QbPLrvXeK_6Xtj0b9g0qCSiJVZG_fLHkt6-ROXlrJdHg710WAxrNutUOE9iQK361Gtyb2vw5JWph9HsBlaGltDfbosieXk1oAAufGj5MOVAIJGGdhgl7K2bdwHcccM/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolly love. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdGqm-ASYu8CgCIhHt1rVr4_UfaitEUGF42gSbNb46tfDc23Kcz6XT9FZ5jfpy4tIWf1JiOchF3LPslFPTiWEOu8sVo6WYhDCoH_SNh5zzvEWmruOCF7Yq-CxJnq2fPHJVIp-SKl2-Fg/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdGqm-ASYu8CgCIhHt1rVr4_UfaitEUGF42gSbNb46tfDc23Kcz6XT9FZ5jfpy4tIWf1JiOchF3LPslFPTiWEOu8sVo6WYhDCoH_SNh5zzvEWmruOCF7Yq-CxJnq2fPHJVIp-SKl2-Fg/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xHwABYBedeXlAh5hiBBI5ILKzcaFNMzcOwBFRsmqfX1GCZ1HFnatn65_RUV5bx7s3sRxJchdZuQO33CwDc6liFGMxa-AT9T1gLsf-Koqk04CxvaxpJt60-zCU7kTChfmBM4DuVhvzxU/s1600/IMG_0209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xHwABYBedeXlAh5hiBBI5ILKzcaFNMzcOwBFRsmqfX1GCZ1HFnatn65_RUV5bx7s3sRxJchdZuQO33CwDc6liFGMxa-AT9T1gLsf-Koqk04CxvaxpJt60-zCU7kTChfmBM4DuVhvzxU/s1600/IMG_0209.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She has been enjoying these gloves lately. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_t2Gb-2P4QrR3GgWAyuARaxqmSiU6XfHkilu6ehPAJGip-YNpaUPf2h5gIaAyZZ3RErolTWddBqItRAXH_TOlXLo2LCytzLo4NPNix7UjQXtASd9PcpEfGWO4kMz0Th9YEDUQ684Phw/s1600/IMG_0210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_t2Gb-2P4QrR3GgWAyuARaxqmSiU6XfHkilu6ehPAJGip-YNpaUPf2h5gIaAyZZ3RErolTWddBqItRAXH_TOlXLo2LCytzLo4NPNix7UjQXtASd9PcpEfGWO4kMz0Th9YEDUQ684Phw/s1600/IMG_0210.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spent all of about 45 minutes fascinated by pulling the cord in and out of her nightlight. She also made her doll's box into a chair. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1vn6qQUWgjg-BlbhfWedWLQhDD7L_qTJQLB7goXYkZBOUR-1SEPvxNXIQwRqxXTkN2egyo2RIo5fVpZfRCIOBRi1B0OnJ1HWid-GmnsBvSaaj_sn8EKcLRrfiiIH3j5v0G3JyN309vI/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1vn6qQUWgjg-BlbhfWedWLQhDD7L_qTJQLB7goXYkZBOUR-1SEPvxNXIQwRqxXTkN2egyo2RIo5fVpZfRCIOBRi1B0OnJ1HWid-GmnsBvSaaj_sn8EKcLRrfiiIH3j5v0G3JyN309vI/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fighting over the dog bed. </td></tr>
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<br />
What else has been going on?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH3sGB28tCD4jtbDbLAOf0CHUyHAbaeWp5M4s8hxnIhh3O5CJbCM5vRapAL6TqkMUXGG8EoFZpNjgwchjpem9b1pKUjaEVtp1KBQrIIq9qukkMKnhVsCPUcvLTUVc465LP6Z6S45fppE/s1600/IMG_0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH3sGB28tCD4jtbDbLAOf0CHUyHAbaeWp5M4s8hxnIhh3O5CJbCM5vRapAL6TqkMUXGG8EoFZpNjgwchjpem9b1pKUjaEVtp1KBQrIIq9qukkMKnhVsCPUcvLTUVc465LP6Z6S45fppE/s1600/IMG_0195.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost halfway!</td></tr>
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I'm about 20 weeks and starting to pop. Today we go in for our ultrasound. I'm really savoring the sweetness of this pregnancy. I feel more of a sense of trust with my body and intuition that is allowing me to trust myself. I desire a more empowering birth experience and it has been super exciting to explore options like doulas, the business of being born, and just decide what would be best for me and our family based on who I am as and individual. I also have started being active in finalizing plans for my internship next spring/summer. It is exciting that I have been able to pull apart the strings of the knot that I have felt it has been. I still feel a bit scared, but it doesn't feel quite as big. I have begun getting the baby room ready! And I have been enjoying sweet times with friends and my sister in law, Alys. We had a garage sale this month and were able to raise half of an emergency fund that we are hoping to store away. It was difficult in some ways, but overall it really was a blast to have my own small business for two days. We sold a bunch of stuff we didn't use, or wear, and I made a bunch of treats to sell. We went to a few weddings this month. One was in Fargo and Rand made it into a little weekend getaway. It was fun. We also have enjoyed watching our garden grow. Everything has survived so far!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUyp_QddM-HoYictvOrs6L5YqcgIjwzkxmOaFNilPjcSFKwy8yIOLXI959M5mGInWvzS5afw3YlCLKG2_feqUvUh3IdKgRaXo1pST8s3QFv__dZ-d43WrLWhqhqvXAu1JnjuFYlyY0Xw/s1600/IMG_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUyp_QddM-HoYictvOrs6L5YqcgIjwzkxmOaFNilPjcSFKwy8yIOLXI959M5mGInWvzS5afw3YlCLKG2_feqUvUh3IdKgRaXo1pST8s3QFv__dZ-d43WrLWhqhqvXAu1JnjuFYlyY0Xw/s1600/IMG_0158.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gal got married!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZQIH_zEE626LuTaaZMjRVN1q66tX0FERBrCORL320IHD6ZF8RoypyyNn88oiqC8Ab-yvS0fq8ILHotQ7WDjvKaPYX6-Zi6Tz1ElqKL5B9LFaLS41vd3W9eXn7ZlL23CtWP6nRuldahc/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZQIH_zEE626LuTaaZMjRVN1q66tX0FERBrCORL320IHD6ZF8RoypyyNn88oiqC8Ab-yvS0fq8ILHotQ7WDjvKaPYX6-Zi6Tz1ElqKL5B9LFaLS41vd3W9eXn7ZlL23CtWP6nRuldahc/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMGsVaqii7jhpnOI9meuL3RIuS8Hf4-TM_eMc8KpUJUpfL_LlsSMGSzXJasP5o_CRWAhYwA8DI6ywTxppEZTl3Xf0n4wn50X2x0Km73t6V7XNtw2s6CYyBzBOK4GfHkwes4ytK_FmPm8/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMGsVaqii7jhpnOI9meuL3RIuS8Hf4-TM_eMc8KpUJUpfL_LlsSMGSzXJasP5o_CRWAhYwA8DI6ywTxppEZTl3Xf0n4wn50X2x0Km73t6V7XNtw2s6CYyBzBOK4GfHkwes4ytK_FmPm8/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding selfie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My latest adventures include exploring what it would look like to rip out the upstairs carpet, attending some yoga classes, taking wheat out of my diet, booking a hair appointment for a little bit of a change, and exploring our family finances.<br />
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I'm hoping to find childcare next January-August for 4 hrs. each day, Mon.-Thurs. We are hoping for a nanny, but open to other options. The time is not completely set for what hours those days we will need, but if anyone has any feedback, referrals, or interest, please let us know!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-52717660281849827952014-05-14T10:02:00.001-07:002014-05-20T08:02:14.453-07:00Updates: 14 Weeks & 13 MonthsAs I start to type I am struck by a desire to perform. To write the things I think you might want to hear or even to preform for myself and write the things that I think I should write about.<br />
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Those things really suffocate my soul. My true self gets lost beneath that performance and it makes my heart sad to think about.<br />
<br />
So here are some things that I would like to share:<br />
<br />
Rand and I really enjoy watching The Voice on Monday and Tuesday evenings. We laugh and joke and pretend like we know something about music and singing... we don't, although I think I am able to carry a tune. I find myself rooting for everyone really hardcore. Sometimes, when the people are voted off I start to tear up. Maybe I am more emotional this pregnancy, but I like to think that my heart for other's dreams are growing.<br />
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I really enjoy my NuBody Class at the YMCA. It's like zumba on drugs. One thing that I notice is that typically when I am headed to the gym I want it to be really apparent that I am pregnant. Part of it is because, hey, I'm pregnant and proud. But the other part that I notice makes me sad. I feel like when I start showing I will have more value as a person. That people will notice me and think more highly of me. I want this to look like feeling damn good just for being me not feeling good just because I'm going to be a mother of 2. So, thats a process that I am in right now. I notice that I don't try and feed the voice that wants to preform as much for other's sakes. Instead, I sort of tell Jesus whats going on in my heart and confess it. Then I start doing my thing again.<br />
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As for the rest of pregnancy. It's going just fine. Really feeling grateful for an OB that I trust and that is honest. We have gotten to have two ultrasound's done so far and the baby is healthy! It was even moving around on our last one. I have lost about 5-8 pounds so far, but I am slowly regaining my apetite. My morning sickness is all gone!!! And my bump is starting to pop.<br />
<br />
The proudest accomplishment I may have personally had this month was finishing up all my in completes from last spring when I had Ellie.<br />
More then finishing, perhaps, was feeling like I wrote my final two papers from my heart.<br />
Not just writing what I knew would satisfy my professors, but writing from the soul of what I was learning and translating it into academia.<br />
My first paper was on Existential Theory in Treating Codependency & my last paper was creating a legit Non-Profit business plan.<br />
The pace of completing my Master's Degree feels painfully slow at times. But I am learning how to stay alive in the process and I find myself getting to savor my experience instead of sprinting through it. One more elective, an independent study project, and my internship are all that are left!<br />
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I noticed that this was the first year that any sort of celebration has felt so sweet.<br />
My birthday and mother's day were two events this past month that went down and they contained really precious memories. In the past I felt a heavy pressure whenever something like a birthday came up. It felt like it was the one day of the year where my voice and longings could be heard and were desired.<br />
But as Freedom is becoming more real for me I'm noticing that the other 364 days of the year are special too.<br />
That my voice is important then too and that I have choices and decisions. I'm tearing up as I write this because I feel like as Jesus as brining me towards that I have the ability to receive.<br />
Receive from Rand.<br />
Receive from others.<br />
Experience intimacy.<br />
Picking out flowers on mothers day. Working in the garden. Getting dirt under my nails. Getting a family canvas on my birthday and eating ham and cheese mac'n'cheese. Sitting in the sweet sunlight in the yard watching Ellie kick the soccer ball and reading a book. Having a picnic. Treats. They were just treats.<br />
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Another thing. A month is a really long time. It goes by so fast and so slow! I realize that this month I have had quite a few of those sob-on-the-floor-in-the-corner-and-cry moments. There is a lot of pain in my heart. There is the big stuff, like maybe childhood losses that are triggered by simple phrases or moods. But this month I have discovered an even deeper loss that grieves my soul. I'm reading this book by Larry Crab called "Finding God". I'll preface this quote with some background knowledge. I've heard from some people I resepect that Larry Crab is a pretty wise man. I started reading his book and got so angry with it I had to stop, only after some pretty choice words. I digested what I thought he was saying before proceeding to the next chapter. Here I encountered something that both broke my heart and put words to my pain:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Rather, it is the pain of someone who wants to enjoy pleasure he cannot find and who fears that misery seems inevitable and perhaps deserved. It is pain that makes us stand still and think about something outside of ourselves, something ore important and more interesting than our concerns about who we are and how we're getting on. It is pain that compels us to ask terrifying questions about life and God" (page 30).</div>
<br />
I heard in this so many things that I am tasting now. Even if my childhood and life up until this point would have been perfect, my heart was created for a pleasure that I cannot find here. In my family of orgin, in my husband, in school, in our children, in a nicer car, a bigger house, the most hipster mom clothes, a perfect body, or in the way that I desire relationships. And that, that is a pain that I feel heaviest in my heart. I can get bits that provide some pleasure, but never near what I was designed for. The loss of that is heartbreaking. And that stirs a hopelessness inside of me. That pain is wretched. But it is that same pain that is compelling me towards something even bigger -- God. I find myself so curious about him lately. And I find myself getting tastes of something that offers that is far more and bigger then what I imagined he was capable of. As the wounds in my heart grow bigger then I ever imaged He is also growing bigger and sweeter than I ever imagined. And that, that is The God that I want and who is worthy of receiving all of me and everything about me.<br />
<br />
So I think those are the things that I want to share. Oh and that my dreams at night are crazy weird. I can't even begin to talk about them.<br />
<br />
Ellie is just a gem. My favorite memories were probably from today and this past weekend this month.<br />
She desperately wanted to help us paint the wood for our garden so we through her in some junky clothes and gave her a little paintbrush. She was just delighted. It was so sweet. She would dip her brush in the paint and try and paint the wood, just like mommy and daddy. Then she started dipping it in the water and not the paint and we had to modify a bit. After, she enjoyed a naked run through our sprinkler with Kia. It is incredibly strange how similar she is to that puppy. I think at one point they were both peeing in the yard. And today, she walked up to Rand and gave him a huge kiss and then gave me one. The open mouth kind.<br />
<br />
Other big things we are noticing this month:<br />
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Not only does she understand a lot of words, but she is starting to use a lot more words. Her babbles are changing to a more conversational flow and she responds to our questions in some form. She likes to say, "Bubye", baba (Baby), Hi, Momma, Dadda, Up (for up and help), ba (sheep), Kiitt (Kitty) and she has a clear understanding of snack, eat, water, farm, Kia, Puppy, outside, shoe, lets get dressed (she runs away), lets change your diaper (she runs), Flush and Brush she mixes up because they are both in the bathroom. This development has been the most exciting because she seems that much more independent.<br />
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She really enjoys Kia and they will laugh and play together during the day. She started kicking the soccer ball around this month and enjoys it when I play against Kia with the ball.<br />
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She enjoys shoes and carrying things in bags. She has her own kitty bag that she totes around and a green purse she likes to fill. She loves to take out shoes and likes to carry them around or try and put them on.<br />
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She had her 1 year check up and they noticed that the tubes in her ears aren't shaped how they should be. This could be what is causing her ear infections so we are continuing to monitor that. Poor girl! She is close to the 90th percentile for both her height and weight. She is also getting her 5th and 6th teeth right now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6-XuY_UsoePQ8Jgd7W2c-UutXNAH8tYVSpdn4svVWzn8u2lJT5Mbb5NFYV1JBwPAN9TdEqibYg9KTE5yfhNHKgZPttVaI_msTtXt3hPkQgF85S1WU5FLjhGNZpZBSl9mkK9EKADpQ7s/s1600/IMG_0047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6-XuY_UsoePQ8Jgd7W2c-UutXNAH8tYVSpdn4svVWzn8u2lJT5Mbb5NFYV1JBwPAN9TdEqibYg9KTE5yfhNHKgZPttVaI_msTtXt3hPkQgF85S1WU5FLjhGNZpZBSl9mkK9EKADpQ7s/s1600/IMG_0047.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes to carry her blankies around and snuggle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yoRVgAAXi3hniK-_23zL_Dj9v1B8U_-PUmZ6mCJbxDQiiTMdqgEtI0jlLZSx21OzY-4QugHaqtbBMjdWNYGFeUB9LkPlkeNTRcg2NYJ_UNtE71IhNpMCelrAorwA-GwjXBF1-hdF35U/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yoRVgAAXi3hniK-_23zL_Dj9v1B8U_-PUmZ6mCJbxDQiiTMdqgEtI0jlLZSx21OzY-4QugHaqtbBMjdWNYGFeUB9LkPlkeNTRcg2NYJ_UNtE71IhNpMCelrAorwA-GwjXBF1-hdF35U/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Came home to this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnC0Buq6knrlr-g19S4Poa7j70xFeF_wUnYTV9ZotKfbrXfNzbMZerqJaoA08QmJqUcI-iWpXEEa2GoGT5QabVk3C_aPg6RoUxgRUfKQn_QNVhUwgI7C2ryP8m9zgvXKYBAFh1Do_BnI/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnC0Buq6knrlr-g19S4Poa7j70xFeF_wUnYTV9ZotKfbrXfNzbMZerqJaoA08QmJqUcI-iWpXEEa2GoGT5QabVk3C_aPg6RoUxgRUfKQn_QNVhUwgI7C2ryP8m9zgvXKYBAFh1Do_BnI/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves her farm set. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAg_F0DNjEfPoLgV9fId1yndiqkPHBQHN_zLeP1p43f97-J25adD3xMUq-KUq1F50QJalJ7dE3ZDQr28lQjjS64opKp-fhzHuS4enP0dPGmPZjC4AAHBFIZMEZA09ZHneN2aW-lw4ZRg/s1600/IMG_0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAg_F0DNjEfPoLgV9fId1yndiqkPHBQHN_zLeP1p43f97-J25adD3xMUq-KUq1F50QJalJ7dE3ZDQr28lQjjS64opKp-fhzHuS4enP0dPGmPZjC4AAHBFIZMEZA09ZHneN2aW-lw4ZRg/s1600/IMG_0056.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time she fell asleep on her own watching a t.v. show. So out of character!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjN8vwLKD90Z9d1rPjZuTCkzgiAUUkA1a_q88x-xmGNSopW9ecTxhs0g5NphV0Dyxhdw4o0FIknPv6pLngZvgvbHAn9RdyjEEFHnHMbdniGPu0ER_vhgNcAYHkkoAmdljNqXQpUOYtIk/s1600/IMG_0061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjN8vwLKD90Z9d1rPjZuTCkzgiAUUkA1a_q88x-xmGNSopW9ecTxhs0g5NphV0Dyxhdw4o0FIknPv6pLngZvgvbHAn9RdyjEEFHnHMbdniGPu0ER_vhgNcAYHkkoAmdljNqXQpUOYtIk/s1600/IMG_0061.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is into feeding herself like mom and dad...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0Rw-mTv0z3YtzI8EbSGPBSU5Ra78JB2_A-zKdWPQarSVJJKDzojFU0uYA9ZQDUCGEcY2k7HNOaxIA-aPWM3valWRk_oLY6spPoqEcZAs9j9Zzpj4mRsrvNTmwhsZWyfPedSUcSd-sWA/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0Rw-mTv0z3YtzI8EbSGPBSU5Ra78JB2_A-zKdWPQarSVJJKDzojFU0uYA9ZQDUCGEcY2k7HNOaxIA-aPWM3valWRk_oLY6spPoqEcZAs9j9Zzpj4mRsrvNTmwhsZWyfPedSUcSd-sWA/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her scrunch face. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjed7X5qlVIC8YRgRR2Dx994iSyes6MnWnKu8AcRMMh4BctRIl_19nLAZ4J5UIL1sk51KuOB1Qq4dY7hWgami6mhuSmmPp8rLVqnpZabntq7OtPhq-Ytg8iAKV_MIJ1EKn05Ot0cEIVEY/s1600/IMG_0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjed7X5qlVIC8YRgRR2Dx994iSyes6MnWnKu8AcRMMh4BctRIl_19nLAZ4J5UIL1sk51KuOB1Qq4dY7hWgami6mhuSmmPp8rLVqnpZabntq7OtPhq-Ytg8iAKV_MIJ1EKn05Ot0cEIVEY/s1600/IMG_0073.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birthday breakfast. Made me cry. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjjpTE4_riO3yF3t3jp8yG8x6Xp0qb5UYxpeRX7sO8sFJoCAHqkHdnpXrnuBszrblu821_h65Te6gbKPzllQzfgKsAqK2oW8JpfKd1VWcmHQRTkeWnx_N2jwRMa9Jxum68nIQbqMC4WI/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjjpTE4_riO3yF3t3jp8yG8x6Xp0qb5UYxpeRX7sO8sFJoCAHqkHdnpXrnuBszrblu821_h65Te6gbKPzllQzfgKsAqK2oW8JpfKd1VWcmHQRTkeWnx_N2jwRMa9Jxum68nIQbqMC4WI/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest of my morning after garage saling and Ellie napping. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8VlpF6r__90G5qqYCtStf3y2zdv1CnzkvH8Xd1Xp_RGbrEz6xQ8o10nGdFbvEI1R_rkxAsX-TEjMBy9LjhMgkRQ_pU9wIn2dWRjjhCKa-nLO-ubR007MWUx9lWCr4PMgWhVOv5hPXf4/s1600/IMG_0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8VlpF6r__90G5qqYCtStf3y2zdv1CnzkvH8Xd1Xp_RGbrEz6xQ8o10nGdFbvEI1R_rkxAsX-TEjMBy9LjhMgkRQ_pU9wIn2dWRjjhCKa-nLO-ubR007MWUx9lWCr4PMgWhVOv5hPXf4/s1600/IMG_0078.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playmates.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-xiOfkaZaSfrfKfg5NKN2-14rUiFJYdwVOTlWn07EexR9GcWy8OK5_P_lsIqkBOm_628_9s_e8m_SGkvhBZGU5roGjouw5fMNPwq8TXC2P_zIVmEnhXsI8uZk8cvpY2c-19dULnzxc/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-xiOfkaZaSfrfKfg5NKN2-14rUiFJYdwVOTlWn07EexR9GcWy8OK5_P_lsIqkBOm_628_9s_e8m_SGkvhBZGU5roGjouw5fMNPwq8TXC2P_zIVmEnhXsI8uZk8cvpY2c-19dULnzxc/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves this red ball.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuv8oCoqTU3BXCSmyvYh52oZVJc9kVqn9YCn-3x05uzQCU2JbHwifLUoKoew1imnABI4aQqgjyRcqbcQeG9VEG1LTRz6i4YYgAL1rdFQN8J93oelDrK6lLCxxfauZZFkbGesXhKGfSsc/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuv8oCoqTU3BXCSmyvYh52oZVJc9kVqn9YCn-3x05uzQCU2JbHwifLUoKoew1imnABI4aQqgjyRcqbcQeG9VEG1LTRz6i4YYgAL1rdFQN8J93oelDrK6lLCxxfauZZFkbGesXhKGfSsc/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing some soccer with her hands. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsCuvXJhIlDcAlfQ3RJMEaaThLkln5qn75Z9-dRR2sbeybIbnsI5W3eXuuRJovgWF4i7vf_0wUuXA1zztXj9vlqL-cH0sFxKx7yYmKZo0DwRi8XbIk7nFiSNkIhXSwlZsHW7Wb1uy0G0/s1600/IMG_0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsCuvXJhIlDcAlfQ3RJMEaaThLkln5qn75Z9-dRR2sbeybIbnsI5W3eXuuRJovgWF4i7vf_0wUuXA1zztXj9vlqL-cH0sFxKx7yYmKZo0DwRi8XbIk7nFiSNkIhXSwlZsHW7Wb1uy0G0/s1600/IMG_0095.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twerkin'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5vfoMQHoC1Pxx3DtLssYJkCK2FtXInnKWAVTkJkqqWGtPh07_p9KLOCU3p43iyCjy6hyphenhyphendM6HQDTjLbj1eLqEVeFx261eIJdWkgD1x5Q6SpinTOZ3rSIDP5J9bvvljBeFp5r2QJX6NXA/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5vfoMQHoC1Pxx3DtLssYJkCK2FtXInnKWAVTkJkqqWGtPh07_p9KLOCU3p43iyCjy6hyphenhyphendM6HQDTjLbj1eLqEVeFx261eIJdWkgD1x5Q6SpinTOZ3rSIDP5J9bvvljBeFp5r2QJX6NXA/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likes to put grass in a plastic bag like mommy does when she picks up kia's poop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc87OZ_CyUAvvMYf18mbB4TibXuzt96MiITMpH5zbylZyWtEgFit1UUZGBLG3K4kvzGAMPci1GI9ZYRN4UM4SOQewmOk5Solpsfra4fuiiwydowoEDB7HehauHJdDV4YwArMg4MKZZwtQ/s1600/IMG_0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc87OZ_CyUAvvMYf18mbB4TibXuzt96MiITMpH5zbylZyWtEgFit1UUZGBLG3K4kvzGAMPci1GI9ZYRN4UM4SOQewmOk5Solpsfra4fuiiwydowoEDB7HehauHJdDV4YwArMg4MKZZwtQ/s1600/IMG_0103.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playtime in our new grill's box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooWCfVe7l5yipQnqqGJQgyLTpYMikpZdo3LZtNE4TTgDm17JBvevLU2szeHS7Y1Gt-_0Y6k5wIni_7cAv27R-SPA9X3SzGNY6CPaWMZUSMvBuaUbFACuh9_GescAE3WwFjFtscZ7YBj8/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooWCfVe7l5yipQnqqGJQgyLTpYMikpZdo3LZtNE4TTgDm17JBvevLU2szeHS7Y1Gt-_0Y6k5wIni_7cAv27R-SPA9X3SzGNY6CPaWMZUSMvBuaUbFACuh9_GescAE3WwFjFtscZ7YBj8/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family workday.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD75B95RGDt6DKvNNhKdnNMHMdgFwouRq7GNPcc8iaLd2Fib4Ir9DsQMxRSK0CIQleRfbulMyv9zkAJeJIDcjW5Das0MZCvi_gFfa4w7N-UEcbt5MpKdawpF50fBeT1YxZOnygPp8XNg/s1600/IMG_0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD75B95RGDt6DKvNNhKdnNMHMdgFwouRq7GNPcc8iaLd2Fib4Ir9DsQMxRSK0CIQleRfbulMyv9zkAJeJIDcjW5Das0MZCvi_gFfa4w7N-UEcbt5MpKdawpF50fBeT1YxZOnygPp8XNg/s1600/IMG_0107.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJmSzaUalEyUR48uTAVOdm-3U3FNOF8zSEXAhgOLVcl6TxwigcBoqm1fzzjhkaw0DGSzc30lvNuuXSLVGV6u4sIBrpUrhrUBzGfqvi0_mX0knbLvU5qpWL7Jw8FvqJR2CamA2P5MjuQA/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJmSzaUalEyUR48uTAVOdm-3U3FNOF8zSEXAhgOLVcl6TxwigcBoqm1fzzjhkaw0DGSzc30lvNuuXSLVGV6u4sIBrpUrhrUBzGfqvi0_mX0knbLvU5qpWL7Jw8FvqJR2CamA2P5MjuQA/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head bonk on the cement.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping us paint!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naked Baby!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-19613517569465680512014-04-15T10:54:00.000-07:002014-04-15T10:59:20.580-07:00ONE YEAR: Birthday and Baby #2!Ellie seems like a full blown toddler now! My favorite nickname for her is Bug, short for love bug. She walks everywhere, sometimes even runs, and is really showing her personality. She loves walking up to new people and just staring or being near them. We celebrated her birthday the week before and had some of her favorite foods, friends, and family. She enjoyed the cake, but wasn't very interested in opening up presents. Her dad made her own table and chair set and one of her new favorite gifts is a farm set she got. She likes to try and make the noises the animals make that I think she learned from all the times we have read her Favorite book Moo, Ba, Lalala<br />
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One big thing this month is that we have fully transitioned to whole milk. We're learning some new thins in this process, like how quickly whole milk can spoil. She has been given sour milk a few too many times!<br />
We have had a few more ear infections this month and some high fevers because of the new tooth she is getting.<br />
Lots and lots of head bruises. If Rand could put her in a helmet, I think he would! Lots of head bonks into the wall corners and other objects.<br />
She seems to really enjoy her time at the YMCA with friends while mommy works out. Sometimes I'll get a wave goodbye, but most of the time she just starts to play! I'm really thankful that it's easy for both of us now.<br />
Before bed she has snuggle time with dad with her purple blankie. She hugs onto his shoulder and just want to be held, rocked and sung to before sleepy time.<br />
She loves to dance to the only movie she will watch, baby einstein. She rocks back and fourth and shakes her head.<br />
She is learning how to play hide and seek and a sort of tag game.<br />
She likes to hide under her blanket and say "where is Ellie" until she takes of her blankie.<br />
Her communication style is a variations of grunts, ahhs, and pointing. I have a feeling when she starts to learn more words she will have a lot of them. She has started to say dadda and ba, for bye. She really likes to wave bubye.<br />
She really enjoys playing with kia. They laugh and play together. Sometimes she will grab her and put her face into her fur.<br />
She is starting to run away from me when it is time to get dressed, put her coat on, or change her diaper.<br />
She is learning lots about electronics. She loves to hold the xbox controller, turn the t.v off and on, take my phone, and play a game on my iPad.<br />
She still doesn't like pulling herself up to standing, but she is getting the hand of it. She still doesn't crawl, but she is learning this butt scoot thing.<br />
The weather is finally getting a bit nicer and one day we spent the afternoon outside. She couldn't stop laughing! She thought it was hilarious to walk off the curb and splash in the puddles.<br />
She also spent some time trying to bond with my parents cat. Loui is a pretty scared, overweight kitty and was not a fan of all the attention she wanted to lavish on him. He would hiss at her and pretty soon Ellie was hissing back. Super entertaining interaction. Whenever she sees a cat she will giggle and squeal with delight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Kitty Shirt, SHE LOVES CATS!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table and chair set Rand made. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Amelia Earheart"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading with Dad. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday party!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unsure about Quedoba..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-ze__25B4XOooTeHKCdqDuDIxLmRAcR0teIkMpB-ASFF0xk0JvXcfz__pNswe924B5DOs6I0hoekb1TPc3NSjC5Ap3c4C7msgaIRWiDopFVSnoBbrqTw5ME2bpC9RuGQXGXQgXHD49k/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-ze__25B4XOooTeHKCdqDuDIxLmRAcR0teIkMpB-ASFF0xk0JvXcfz__pNswe924B5DOs6I0hoekb1TPc3NSjC5Ap3c4C7msgaIRWiDopFVSnoBbrqTw5ME2bpC9RuGQXGXQgXHD49k/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multitasking in Grandpa's new wagon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT92zPQawgD2gX6huPLaNF5Z_DXNeXTqLPK7YMm1Yj33fQ8akIU-K0wK5wGadKCO7yJNMn0IPAfuFG-yTEj3mTW_oEaS15sANXPWL5x7PRXShYbRgzbALhAIlpPSB95bxLlE4ML95r62g/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT92zPQawgD2gX6huPLaNF5Z_DXNeXTqLPK7YMm1Yj33fQ8akIU-K0wK5wGadKCO7yJNMn0IPAfuFG-yTEj3mTW_oEaS15sANXPWL5x7PRXShYbRgzbALhAIlpPSB95bxLlE4ML95r62g/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of her favorite passtimes-taking all my cards out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlxM-STP_X-csuzZmU5ubxY_dOuhGLnOFugKAZB_hzoa_cfPCnzV-JPobQIxKMJYHq_Ioy9OHZI5YunC0AO6OU9vjl-h1QPBMDXOGksyblwkNC8A4rerPzU10DTK3bSM5B6H-Cj9UrAE/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlxM-STP_X-csuzZmU5ubxY_dOuhGLnOFugKAZB_hzoa_cfPCnzV-JPobQIxKMJYHq_Ioy9OHZI5YunC0AO6OU9vjl-h1QPBMDXOGksyblwkNC8A4rerPzU10DTK3bSM5B6H-Cj9UrAE/s1600/IMG_0039.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday smiles on our roadtrip home from the cities. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry Berry to celebrate turning one!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casual Dining. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJgZpalXV41ryIrgGIM8TCLE6rzh7LcOdBqoZFtO22VjZTtzdFJFmaGSW-zTd3jSjdL6VpyvNP_gVoF06fUhv4YH7cq7gUEBnbHTc0eDVoaP9GhU7bnMhwCx09J1g6ZG1m9-Kgvfypko/s1600/IMG_1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJgZpalXV41ryIrgGIM8TCLE6rzh7LcOdBqoZFtO22VjZTtzdFJFmaGSW-zTd3jSjdL6VpyvNP_gVoF06fUhv4YH7cq7gUEBnbHTc0eDVoaP9GhU7bnMhwCx09J1g6ZG1m9-Kgvfypko/s1600/IMG_1441.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attitude. </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This month has seemed so long! We have gone from winter, to spring, to winter, to spring. Rand just got back from a week long conference in Montreal for work and so Ellie and I spent some time, just the two of us. I was petrified to be alone with her that long, but I found myself very surprised through out the week. I was able to figure out activities that would be honoring for me and was able to ask for help so that I could have some mommy breaks. It was really neat to build that confidence and see that I was capable of doing things I didn't feel capable of even 6 months ago. Rand's parents provided a lot of support and one night they did an overnight with Ellie. It was our first night apart and it was heavenly to sleep in past our normal routine. I also savored some sweet time with friends, a trip to the cities, some meals out, and a pampering getting a mani and pedi. One thing that struck me as I sat in tears after Rand left was seeing how much of an idol he is to me. While intimacy with my best friend is something I think is a huge dimension of marriage, I realized how much I turn to him to meet all my emotional needs in a way that he wasn't designed to fill this side of heaven. I savored some sweet time with Jesus confessing that, sharing some deep parts of my heart with him and basking in the love, comfort, and peace he offers.</span></div>
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Another event we enjoyed this month was finding out that we are expecting baby #2 on November 11th, making me 10 weeks along this week! So cheers to reproduction, this season of morning sickness, puking after changing diapers, sensory overload, and the pendulum of craving everything under the sun to not being able to eat anything at all. The reality that we are not entitled to a healthy pregnancy or child has really struck me this pregnancy, making the sweet moment meeting our tiny person over ultrasound and hearing it's heartbeat one of thanksgiving and joy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt32AwpTjSBN7Czsjh9kk04GGnfcSiywERQ-zSOxSFXh7C8RwQbWelp916lU6wV26mpax3tScgeEgcRAgiGxN_4R20NsmhdPp_vX8ZMsxbTgBT4dsdZ-akmKoW76xRKs6bFhzgncgFKPA/s1600/IMG_0043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt32AwpTjSBN7Czsjh9kk04GGnfcSiywERQ-zSOxSFXh7C8RwQbWelp916lU6wV26mpax3tScgeEgcRAgiGxN_4R20NsmhdPp_vX8ZMsxbTgBT4dsdZ-akmKoW76xRKs6bFhzgncgFKPA/s1600/IMG_0043.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little arms and legs! </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-30739652652653431402014-03-15T17:15:00.000-07:002014-03-15T17:15:06.318-07:0011 Months: Almost a Year!This morning Starbucks didn't have decaf, so I am currently fritzing out under the caffeine of a Venti iced coffee, the fumes of nail polish remover, the scent of the gold sparkly nailpolish I put on, and the new prescription of my Burke Warby Parker glasses. I'm pretty sure the equivalency of this would be expressing yourself while on... crack. Bear with me on this one.<br />
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My favorite memory this month was on Valentines Day. Her dadd got her a single red rose and a pink bear. A man who is romancing his sweet little girl, it melts my heart.<br />
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She loves ketchup packets and hot sauce packets from taco john. We have some in a drawer and she has proudly pulled them out and placed them in her favorite spots throughout the house; on her mini-table, in a few boxes, and given them to Kia.<br />
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She does this affectionate head bump thing where she taps her forehead to yours.<br />
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She has her top two teeth in now, along with her bottom too. She is weighing in at 22 # and is 31 inches long.<br />
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Takes a lot of steps on her own now. She can cruise, pretty much all over. Sometimes she will still look back at us, with this look of can I do it? Watching her build that confidence is just so incredible. Were so proud of her!<br />
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She really doesn't like her socks. She enjoys pulling them off.<br />
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Loves to feed Kia food especially Cheerios.<br />
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Favorites this month: Kitties, Her books I love you through and through, Goodnight I love you, brushing her teeth, baby Einstein movies. </div>
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Felt like this month has had the most sleepless nights. Between teething, a few ear infections, and getting a virus, we've all been sleepy and more cranky.<br />
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We're transitioning from nursing to whole milk. I find myself more on guard during our nursing sessions this month. With her top two chompers, we're both learning how to adjust, so that mommy doesn't get bitten. Learning this has been pretty painful for mommy! Ouch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRVtgHhr1il5grPkuKhEjjwKNCmHZF8NKmDBNCHVonEl80EQ0p7NM7M_Dkd1ucsjDw5UQqV7VoilaBqaadvf9aurfpqfOGTIpeHmadk9jHQAgYawyTSd9exJ5f_2_Niqt7mBhFeQtbqA/s1600/IMG_1386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRVtgHhr1il5grPkuKhEjjwKNCmHZF8NKmDBNCHVonEl80EQ0p7NM7M_Dkd1ucsjDw5UQqV7VoilaBqaadvf9aurfpqfOGTIpeHmadk9jHQAgYawyTSd9exJ5f_2_Niqt7mBhFeQtbqA/s1600/IMG_1386.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves wearing mommy's glasses!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eSzGPTE-u8BZhT-m5iSE08alk98vA4qTdUJbZsWI2rztgazWFeuF4L2Bal2dlS-DLZj4Pz_WD4Hzzb7PpcuOWEx78_INu2T6QkbzMfXrXbrL2LM-M1PGg-_T1ZfLw_B4J4P7xUgw8pM/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eSzGPTE-u8BZhT-m5iSE08alk98vA4qTdUJbZsWI2rztgazWFeuF4L2Bal2dlS-DLZj4Pz_WD4Hzzb7PpcuOWEx78_INu2T6QkbzMfXrXbrL2LM-M1PGg-_T1ZfLw_B4J4P7xUgw8pM/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sick baby!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading her favorite book in bed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew boxes could provide so much entertainment. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How she feels about her pony tails!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New shirt. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnNowhz9KgYRDIFClrFspazCeTZSTXMNO35mmQ2MSaPy5bUpzs0oDFvR6Gh0GWNpaKQbhUEy9LUtXkaMZkc-EI_rfYv6FfPWpSO8XUZ_mrNQTOkV_wnuSPh1r7BVs_WNE_fxA5d-NU-s/s1600/IMG_1433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnNowhz9KgYRDIFClrFspazCeTZSTXMNO35mmQ2MSaPy5bUpzs0oDFvR6Gh0GWNpaKQbhUEy9LUtXkaMZkc-EI_rfYv6FfPWpSO8XUZ_mrNQTOkV_wnuSPh1r7BVs_WNE_fxA5d-NU-s/s1600/IMG_1433.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoyed cheering on UND to a Big Sky Conference win!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auntie Angie came for a visit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHGWzhTgzbJ6fPp2p7bDFY7jW_wggstBBkcFRJoWmRKX1T1uH3XxeO83R7WzWb4E7QcDtb1jQLtCv5V4tgXemQzIBsoZ6-q_Q7gDhyphenhyphen5wOFGGr4wHjcqCQ7SHTrtIelYkablxW3LPeQts/s1600/IMG_1426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHGWzhTgzbJ6fPp2p7bDFY7jW_wggstBBkcFRJoWmRKX1T1uH3XxeO83R7WzWb4E7QcDtb1jQLtCv5V4tgXemQzIBsoZ6-q_Q7gDhyphenhyphen5wOFGGr4wHjcqCQ7SHTrtIelYkablxW3LPeQts/s1600/IMG_1426.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Ellie</td></tr>
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We really savor our weekend and have started to fall into a routine on Saturday mornings. I get to slip off and enjoy exercise classes at the YMCA. There is a dance class I absolutely love, but I am starting to explore others, like swimming and cycling. Exercise really speaks to my soul and I find is the best way to refuel my tank, nothing like sweating and being with people. Sometimes afterward I will take my time getting ready for the day, grab coffee, run an errand, or catch up with a friend. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy this time. Ellie gets to spend time with her two favorite men, her daddy and grandpa. They typically all head out to a local breakfast place to eat and catch up on each other's lives. <br />
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The space we have in the basement is starting to turn. Rand has enjoyed setting up his shop in the basement and has enjoyed building things and having the space and tools to tinker. Likewise, I have started to set up space to paint and sew, two things that often terrify me. I can easily turn a small pinterest project into the feelings one might have when trying to develop a plan to save America. Often, I am able to catch myself in that process and have gotten to taste and enjoy the freedom of expression. Rand and I are currently working on a fabric bookshelf and a wooden table and chair set. I've found new inspiration as I plug away at my master's degree, dreaming more about what it will look like to finish, and Rand has continued to work with his partner on their business. With more daylight and warm weather I have a feeling the dreams will keep flowing and the dreary feeling winter brought will be gone soon!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-32949666260622533502014-02-11T13:15:00.001-08:002014-02-12T13:45:22.181-08:00Month 10: WalkingOur little girl is walking! She took her first steps on January 27th and the first one's all by herself on February 5th. She really did skip the crawling phase. It has opened up a new world for us of adventure, played, pretend, and longer naps! She went from 45 minute naps twice a day to 1.5-2 hour naps twice a day. Walking around is tiring work. <br />
Her favorite things to do are:<br />
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Open and close doors boxes, taking things out and putting them back in<br />
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Walk around the furniture throughout the main floor of our house. She is especially fascinated by the gate to the kitchen and spends so much time opening and closing it. </div>
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Share her food at the table and pull food out of her bib.<br />
Pass around "invisible food" to mom and dad.</div>
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Listen to me tinkle and flush when I go to the bathroom. She gets this huge grin. </div>
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Have convos with Kia. They will bark back and fourth at each other.<br />
Snuggle in on mom's soft "animal skin" jacket before her naps.<br />
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Mom's Favorite things to do with her:<br />
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Cuddle with her in the mornings when we are all just waking up.<br />
See her excited face- she scrunches her face, snorts, and inhales and exhales loudly.<br />
Watch her learn to do new things. Whenever Rand and her spend time together it seems like she learns something new! I feel so proud of her as she accomplishes new things and discovers what she is capable of.<br />
Her her say Momma.<br />
Family hugs with her and Rand.<br />
Meal time games.<br />
Dancing with her to the latest tunes.<br />
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<br />
This month I have felt more weary and I have felt desperate to gulp in deep breathes of grace to make it through some of these long winter days. It seems like there is always something to grieve each day. It could be Ellie waking up early or multiple times during the night and grieving not feeling rested. It could be Kia and her regression in potty training. Having it be too cold to want to leave the house. Not getting to connect with people in the way I long. It could be not getting to connect with Rand in the way I long because we are just wiped. Those just feel like the small daily things, but they are usually in tandem with other deeper griefs. I feel grateful for a heart that is being transformed and that has been able to treat myself with gentleness and compassion this month. My beautiful family is so precious to me and I feel so grateful that my ability to love is growing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loves putting things on her head. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrunchy/I've got teeth on the top now face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Big Little Girl. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDAFleH2QXVnWibECa01Rl8ZbY9fEztUbSS6qAxU1xn8pNfCct2NXBvkTjWj4_LhuzzVQqWO3BM3RB2O9ZkzE77VMCHM9M1mkDNN8kAW4G0xkmkG4FKeFepYPNbc2CNKOAmQ3HP5ENWw/s640/blogger-image-1003348479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDAFleH2QXVnWibECa01Rl8ZbY9fEztUbSS6qAxU1xn8pNfCct2NXBvkTjWj4_LhuzzVQqWO3BM3RB2O9ZkzE77VMCHM9M1mkDNN8kAW4G0xkmkG4FKeFepYPNbc2CNKOAmQ3HP5ENWw/s320/blogger-image-1003348479.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casually walking from the living room to the kitchen. NBD.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-83742512693204241072014-01-20T19:59:00.003-08:002014-01-20T20:09:04.999-08:00Month 9: Growing, Growing, GrowingI didn't know that it was possible to have the amount of love I have for Ellie and to only have it continue to grow. I am so proud of the little baby she is and the little toddler she is becoming. I have tears even as I write that, just thinking of our sweet girl.<br />
<br />
She loves to eat her vegetables. Broccoli is her favorite, but she seems to eat up any of the mixes we give her.<br />
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She delights in walking around everywhere. She grasps your hands above her head and walks forward, pulling you, with her precious little head leading the way. Her new favorite spot to bring you is to the toilet, so she is starting to get acquainted with the words "No" and "ishta", as her daddy says.<br />
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We like to yell at the table together as a family. Ellie will grunt, then me, and then Rand. It gets progressively louder and slowly more out of control with dance moves, hand shakes, and songs emerging.<br />
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She is such a healthy little girl and a superb eater. She set a new meal time PR, clocking in over 60 minutes of steady food intake at lunch. 'Atta girl!<br />
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She adores pulling books off the shelf and "reading" them. This typically looks like her pulling them off and turning all the pages while humming and then starting all over--warms my heart.<br />
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She's getting fast! Rand mentioned that faster than he could grab it, she had snagged a piece of lint and put it in her mouth.<br />
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She likes to throw her food on the floor when she is all done eating. Kia is starting to get the hang of it too and snatches up the scraps.<br />
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She is learning high fives and likes to shake her head back and fourth.<br />
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She has mastered the words "Ba Ba" and "mama". Still working on the dada thing.<br />
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She has figured out how to turn when she is sitting on her butt! Were thinking she is going to skip this whole crawling thing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bath time bible character. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas giddup.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Hat and... bag.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Skating"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auntie and mommy's hat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning "real talk"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling wipes out while watching daddy play bball.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie "selfie".</td></tr>
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She will play with my hair and snuggle into my neck when she is tired or when she wakes up. Honestly, I cannot tell you anything that is more precious to my heart.<br />
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She has discovered technology. She enjoys swiping her hands on my phone and iPad.<br />
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Her favorite book to read is "I love you through and through" and we often read it before bed time.<br />
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This month included vet trips, flu shots, wisdom teeth removal, Rand battling with a long cold, and the renewal of our weekly evening routine that includes a graduate course, bible studies, basketball, exercise classes, dates to nana's and papa's, a Thursday date night and business meetings.<br />
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How are our hearts doing? Well, mine at least feels pretty lively. I'm getting to experience the true emotion this life brings--it's dips and rises of both grief and joy.<br />
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Rand and I often speak of our deep love for our little girl. Nothing seems more precious to us both! The idea of adding more little tikes to our mix skirts between the actions of jumping up and down and melting. I can't wait to fill our little house full of precious little hearts. Bunkbeds, mini-vans, and creating a space where little souls can develop into their destinies are what my heart desperately longs for.<br />
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I can't tell you the amount of times this month where I have sobbed over the heartbreaks a broken world creates. "These precious, vulnerable children who have nothing to offer but themselves-their need, their trust, and their love. "<br />
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Stories of miscarriages, stories of molestation, shopping trips where I see a child being shamed, a broken welfare system, the suffering of children facing disease, my own childhood pain-- these things make my heart cry out. Why suffering?<br />
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We were created for perfection and this world is not that place and it brings my heart to a place of question.<br />
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<i>"God you say you use all things for your good, but this? How can you use this, My Lord. These innocent children."</i></div>
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There seems to be no response enough that I am able to wrap my head around the raw pain of this world, the raw pain in my own heart.<br />
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A quote I read recently struck something in my heart:<br />
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<i>"One of the most profound effects of being deeply connected to God is a renewed sense of our own preciousness. When I know and can believe God cherishes me as a beloved child, I can know and believe in my worth as a person. A young child learns to place value on whatever his or her parents value. Self-worth is a product of consistent love from one's parents or other significant adult children can't generate it themselves." </i></div>
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<i>(Bondage to Bonding pg. 144)</i></div>
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How I am seeing the father renew my preciousness to him. <br />
Where shame wants to seize and once seemed to have such power in my life, he is filling with hope.<br />
I am beginning to realize that <b>I am enough. I am his beloved. I am so valuable. </b>That reality seems to grip my soul in a new way and is creating an ability to love in new ways.<br />
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How my heart longs to be sturdy enough for our children that they too too can know their preciousness to us, yes, but to God, as well. This side of heaven I know that as parents, Rand and I won't do that perfectly, but I am confident in the work Christ is doing. <br />
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Amist the broken realities of this world He truly does make "<i>all things new</i>". <br />
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I will continue to offer him the tears that the losses and griefs this broken world bring. I trust him with my heart and I trust him with our heart as a family. I am eager to see where he continues to bring us, the areas of our lives that he continues to redeem, and for us to MULTIPLY in number ;)<br />
Cheers to more babies.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-20807493386622197112013-12-26T13:29:00.001-08:002014-01-04T04:40:50.614-08:00Month 8: The holidaysWell, we're fully moved into our new house. After coming home from our latest travels we walked into the house and I thought "man, is this really ours?" I guess you can say it still hasn't quite set in, but it also feels oddly normal. I don't really understand how both of those can exist, but they do. Ellie is changing so much. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">My sweet girl seems to have changed the most these past few weeks and even past few days. She is such a delight.</span><div><div><br></div><div>Her favorite thing to sag is bah bah bah In a high pitched voice. She really exentuates the mouth movements, puckering her upper lip and opening her mouth really wide. </div><div><br></div><div>She learned to blow pretend bubbles after watching her nana chew her gum. </div><div><br></div><div>She gives me beautifully sloppy open mouth kisses on my cheeks and greets me with wonderful hugs if I have been gone for a while. </div><div><div><br></div><div>She laughs and squeals when rand and I smooch. I think he's the most thrilled about that one ;)</div><div><br></div><div>She treats her baby walker like a bumper car. She is such a hoot in it, motoring around everywhere, chasing Kia, and charging at people. Watch out!</div><div><br></div><div>She is learning to walk and fall. I've noticed this has been the scariest development for me so far. Letting her learn to fall is so hard, I really want to encase her in bubble wrap so she never feels pain. So slowly I have been able to let her experience the joys of independence. Rand suggested we try a helmet. I said, what about her face. Then he suggested a face mask. Ha. </div><div><br></div><div>She can say Momma! It's so incredibly sweet to have that name fall from her lips!</div><div><br></div><div>She recently got a pair of crocs so we both match. Hers are a lot purple and mine are purple. </div><div><br></div><div>She really has taken an interest in reading books and enjoys flipping the pages.</div><div><br></div><div>We have been teaching her to sign but she hasn't really caught on. When she is full she moves her head to one side and won't open her mouth back up. </div><div><br></div><div>We're teaching her to high five and she is staring to catch on! </div><div><br></div><div>She loves holding your hand and speed walking to different parts of the room. </div><div><br></div><div>She is starting to be able to focus on things and tasks for longer periods of time. She enjoys playing with her close pins and blocks, dumping them out of containers and putting them back in.</div><div><br></div><div>Her favorite foods are avacados and bananas, </div><div><br></div><div>She enjoyed her first ice skating experience with us. We were in skates and she was in a sled and then... She fell asleep, staring up at the sky!</div><div><br></div><div>The holidays were wholesome. We enjoyed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Grandma and grandpa seay, uncle Bryn, and auntie Alys. Such sweet memories. games, food dipping, a fondue night, yummy food, communion, toasts, Christmas light watching, monsters university, and skating were just a few of the fun things we did. Our dear friends Whit and Kyle visited us for a short and very wholesome weekend too. </div><div><br></div><div>A trip to my parents house in the twin cities capped everything off. We enjoyed shopping trips to ikea, trader joes, the mall of America, yummy meals prepared by my mom and our our favorite Chinese takeout and punch on New Year's Eve. such a sweet time with family. Especially my younger sister. What a sweet lady she is. My favorite part of the weekend was a quick escape one morning to dun bros where I spent some time journaling and reading.</div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It felt like a whirlwind of a holiday season. Moving, Christmas, friends, and family. I find myself still processing these past 4 weeks. My heart feels heavy grief over the time being over and return to normal life. Goodbyes are hard especially with those we love and I find my heart feeling heavy over the departures experienced this past month. I would never take any of the sweet memories of this past month back. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There is such beauty with my heart coming alive to that grief. I finally get to taste the sweetness of true relationship with others. To be loved and to love. That is the source of this love sweet Jesus. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> So I have allowed myself to sit in the pain of that grief today and letting the tears fall as they will.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> And I would do it again and again. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNIqOVFXUwKOAs8_scJD76ECbOGj_WtJZ8KwD02_mZqh8ELibAVlBtJCfP1TtlOulPZuKBJmh4I7ssH54QWYXSPEgrmH4qo2xf4PF1EvCN9bmTgFUOazNNUVFP-euI14X6RKQWu4375w/s640/blogger-image-1883264371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNIqOVFXUwKOAs8_scJD76ECbOGj_WtJZ8KwD02_mZqh8ELibAVlBtJCfP1TtlOulPZuKBJmh4I7ssH54QWYXSPEgrmH4qo2xf4PF1EvCN9bmTgFUOazNNUVFP-euI14X6RKQWu4375w/s640/blogger-image-1883264371.jpg"></a></div></span></div>
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</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-80089228900636062312013-12-02T13:03:00.001-08:002013-12-02T14:08:53.791-08:00Month 7. Teeth & Moving Day Around the CornerI love this nugget more and more each day. Seriously, she blows me away.<br>
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Her bottom two teeth are coming in! No crazy stories to go along with it either. They just sort of popped through.<br>
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She doesn't seem to like to be touched as often. She despises putting on clothes. She has started pushing your hand away if you try and touch her tummy or hair.<br>
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She fights sleep. Most days she takes two twenty minute naps. Sometime three, but honestly, I don't know how she's not more exhausted during the day!</div>
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Her new favorite food is a rice cake. She goes crazy over them. I started pureeing my own foods this month too and it has been fun. Squash, pumpkin, banana, are just a few. </div>
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She is learning to play differently with her toys. She's able to interact with them more purposefully. It's so exciting to watch this part of her change.<br>
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She hasn't quite figured out how to roll around and crawl, but she is starting to figure it out. Her world is getting bigger. </div>
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Daddy likes to sing his good morning song to her when she wakes up. It goes:<br>
"Good morning, Lou, how are you? I hope your doing well. We hope you slept real good and your ready for the day 'cause its morn-ing time!" </div>
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Shes been waking up again more in the night. It will be refreshing to let her cry it out more often when her bedrooms neighboring wall isn't the neighbors.</div>
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She likes to talk to herself more while she is playing. Sometimes it seems like she is saying hi or all done.</div>
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We're teaching her signs for words like milk, all done, more and change. Rand had been teaching her more and we thought she had caught on some, but most of the time she doesn't seem to notice.</div>
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After her early morning feeding, she has been coming into our room to snuggle with us while we wake up. Probably my favorite part of the day.</div>
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A friend of mine was soothing her the other day by having her sway back and fourth standing and she seems to really enjoy that. Now she's starting to add little steps to it, which is fun. </div>
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She started pooping solid! In some sense it's a plus because it's not as messy, but MAN does it smell.</div>
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Her hair is starting to get a lot longer and thicker. Today it was tussled and going all sorts of directions. Were not sure if she is going to have wavier hair like her dad or not. </div>
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She went the the a YMCAs child are for the first time while mommy worked out the other day. It was really exciting for both her and I!<br>
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I sort of realized how my image is so import to me and I have felt my sin carry over unto Ellie, with more of a weight being put on how she looks to...well you reading this blog, the people at Target, or my instagram followers. <br>
Little things like, headbands, cute baby clothes, the latest and greatest stuff, often come from a place of image management and making sure that I come across in a hipster mom sort of mom way. <br>
So, basically, I have noticed that operating inside me.<br>
Cute baby stuff, nope, not wrong at all, but I have started to sense that energy behind my instagram pictures and latest purchases. <br>
It typically is accompanied by a sort of panicky feeling or not feeling okay if ___. <br>
The longing in my heart is for her to know she is treasured<i> just as she is because she is</i>.<br>
So, as Jesus has started showing me this, it has been neat to watch him lead my heart into his confidence and security of who I really am and watch that overflow unto how I interact, and well, dress Ellie. So there is some heart stuff for you. </div>
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Were closing our house TOMORROW!<br>
By Sunday night, we will be out of our apartment and in our own home. It feels crazy. It's been incredible to reflect on the process, together, Rand and I. It feels really neat to have accomplished such a feat as a team, leaning together, alongside each other? Asking for help, when needed, but allowing ourselves to sit in the process of being first time homebuyers together has allowed a new strength and confidence to emerge in our marriage, It's been messy. We've felt, well a lot of things ranging from obscenities to tears of happiness, but it's nearly here at the doorstep and were overjoyed!<br>
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I recently joined a fitness center and have truly been loving my me time of exercising and burning off steam. A membership gets you access to both choice fitness and the YMCA, but I am noticing I favor the Y more. The atmosphere seems a lot more relaxed and less showy. AND. The child care is free. I am eager to continue to find classes that I enjoy and enjoy fulfilling the movement my body seems to crave by the end of the day. Going to new classes can feel intimidating, but I find my heart more ready to enter that anxious feeling. It's neat to see Jesus teaching my heart to trust him.<br>
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We spent Thanksgiving in the cities with my parents and savored some time with extended family, playing games, and eating lots of yummy carbs. My sister got back from Italy on Thanksgiving day and it was incredibly special to get to spend a lot of time with her. Another highlight was gettting to go to Trader Joes. Seriously, if they were only in Grand Forks...Ellie is a pretty good traveler and the trip there and back were wonderful. Hopefully someday soon we will be making the commute in a killer van. But seriously, I really want a van. Sliding doors would be heaven.<br>
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First thing that is going up in our house is the Christmas Tree and hopefully the next thing is a kitty. OUR HOUSE! Eek. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy's warby parker try ons :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat Pie Party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfpDehpFVl8Ue4PJUa0JhrLMGLPsF140UJ1xoKcKfk8BgdV6jNdlVKjAIkf2UukSvyja4zs4eJumqcij4A7BboqMZ7dv_UyIbARQWSBseCej84xMF-z7vJMnHh9zjVhaNuKleHlYKQLo/s640/blogger-image--586518874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfpDehpFVl8Ue4PJUa0JhrLMGLPsF140UJ1xoKcKfk8BgdV6jNdlVKjAIkf2UukSvyja4zs4eJumqcij4A7BboqMZ7dv_UyIbARQWSBseCej84xMF-z7vJMnHh9zjVhaNuKleHlYKQLo/s320/blogger-image--586518874.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Time in Stillwater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrRD6tGc44NsJ1XvEqAOXbuHRsjrrnRt08HIMRjdQ2Nf9SyhJJYjemBi_npYVgZ4txaWKhF1VwhewcsGgRkKUH8WUwEglv-eD49RmC7ktksruUWAzpEE2VMG4BFzbnPXks8tXw3__ick/s640/blogger-image--375230912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrRD6tGc44NsJ1XvEqAOXbuHRsjrrnRt08HIMRjdQ2Nf9SyhJJYjemBi_npYVgZ4txaWKhF1VwhewcsGgRkKUH8WUwEglv-eD49RmC7ktksruUWAzpEE2VMG4BFzbnPXks8tXw3__ick/s320/blogger-image--375230912.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubble Vest. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaxhy9IKEfabA_R957J2I-hDq4Wrfgcwq3_ef7ov0vR0WIMw2Q-Pub5sUxYCWqDevH2pzWfjiPBLRAuRB0iouaH_kgmBhTlKzXXY1cLGoiq9jFMQpZx4jHcOsGPj4hOpW6eatqjm9xtE/s640/blogger-image-430327128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaxhy9IKEfabA_R957J2I-hDq4Wrfgcwq3_ef7ov0vR0WIMw2Q-Pub5sUxYCWqDevH2pzWfjiPBLRAuRB0iouaH_kgmBhTlKzXXY1cLGoiq9jFMQpZx4jHcOsGPj4hOpW6eatqjm9xtE/s320/blogger-image-430327128.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Halloween.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A66irnOdRpUWgGdkf22AdfXxc2oCOdcM4tL9mwpIHzLg76D7Ap7vpjQMiA-Y9dQXZbb5hc32eLS_Z10BUKjI2sEcdZVCrvqOWeRUxMSJ2qKj6jQTh8OvjJk-ehkNkVplzw_PHMlKX_8/s640/blogger-image-775105846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A66irnOdRpUWgGdkf22AdfXxc2oCOdcM4tL9mwpIHzLg76D7Ap7vpjQMiA-Y9dQXZbb5hc32eLS_Z10BUKjI2sEcdZVCrvqOWeRUxMSJ2qKj6jQTh8OvjJk-ehkNkVplzw_PHMlKX_8/s320/blogger-image-775105846.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa Time at Thanksgiving. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KAaulPDTKYC14KGYqkZL0TRes0qZAiioqP6MUChc-W0l1lhERMqQTz0ONgFuXEQhIa4ZPlKDv_w6DZqkOkVnzb0VNRADrnExhIUZ9iH5EEtmvITsJXOiHau4t9tlxPCMO-yQbX2I_RQ/s640/blogger-image-1011388716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KAaulPDTKYC14KGYqkZL0TRes0qZAiioqP6MUChc-W0l1lhERMqQTz0ONgFuXEQhIa4ZPlKDv_w6DZqkOkVnzb0VNRADrnExhIUZ9iH5EEtmvITsJXOiHau4t9tlxPCMO-yQbX2I_RQ/s320/blogger-image-1011388716.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auntie Time. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-88299735076941361532013-11-04T12:48:00.000-08:002013-11-05T06:37:43.904-08:006.5 Months: House!We have a closing date on a house! I'm sure Ellie's cuteness is what sealed the deal ;) The story goes like this. We were working with a realtor for about 2 months and really didn't find much. One day, I went on craigslist and this house popped up.<br />
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4 bedroom/2 bath. 2000 square feet. large, fenced in yard, with a deck. In a prime spot near Starbucks... and an elementary school, park, and pool. And it was move-in ready, with all of our must-haves and a few bonus wish list items, like an attached garage, laundry shoot, and fireplace. Just a sturdy, solid little, home. The kind you can imagine your kids growing up in for the first 10 years of their lives.<br />
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The lady and her husband have two young kids and wanted to find a cute young couple they could envision living in it. And, we just so happen to fit that bill and had the bonus of an adorable baby, with a poncho and sparkly shoes. In all honesty, they really are good, trustworthy people. So they have accepted our offer and we're in the process of the other junk, like the appraisal and working on loan stuff. While there still are some contingencies, basically meaning things that could happen to make the contract no longer valid, we will hopefully be moving into a home before Christmas, on December 5th.<br />
<br />
Its weird, I thought I would be more ecstatic.<br />
Don't get me wrong,<br />
I FREAKIN CAN'T WAIT,<br />
but I found myself thinking the last few weeks, man, I sort of like our apartment. Who knew. So I'm really praying things go smoothly and work out with this home so we don't have to start all over, but Rand and I are feeling pretty at peace about it. Also weird.<br />
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Ellie is doing just great. My favorite thing about her is that she loves fuzzy things, namely, cats. She comes uncorked when she sees one. She likes to grab a big tuft of hair, if she is left unsupervised with one, but we can usually pry her hand off ;) Our plan is to get her a cute little kitty for Christmas and I can't wait.<br />
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She is starting to stand up on, supporting herself on her own against things.<br />
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Her dad likes to call her snuggums and squirrel because she is such a good cuddler and because she squirms around so much.<br />
<br />
Were finding out that she is really tall for her age. We went to the doctor and a little one year old was sitting nearby and she was the same size as her. She tops the chart over the 95% tile for both height and weight.<br />
<br />
When she gets excited she opens up her mouth and kind of smiles and squeels.<br />
<br />
If you catch her when she is getting sleepy, she is super cuddly. If you are holding her upright, sometimes she will squeeze you with her legs and arms and put her mouth on your shoulder, kissing you. I basically melt.<br />
<br />
She really does not like it when you with hold her ability to exert her will; which all and all means, that she doesn't like it when you get her dressed for the day or bedtime, diaper changes, or wiping the squash off her face.<br />
<br />
Her preference is to sit in her car seat on walks over sitting in the stroller. I think it's because she likes to see our faces.<br />
<br />
She likes to eat Micah's car toys. I thought it was the metal for a while, but she likes any of them these days. It's pretty precious.<br />
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She is still primarily nursing, but we try to give her baby food at lunch and dinner. She also has had her first bites of puff popcorn and halloween cookies.<br />
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For halloween she starred Wilson, the volleyball from Castaway and won us the prize money; $12 that will hopefully make it into her college or counseling fund ;)<br />
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On Sunday, without thinking I said something to the effect of "We need to take more pictures of Ellie, we don't have enough from the fall". Rand sort of chucked and then I started laughing too. It would be rare that I wouldn't take a picture or video of her a day.<br />
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We hosted a few fall events over the past weekends, including a pumpkin decorating party and a halloween party. This last weekend we took a spontaneous trip to visit the twin cities. By spontaneous I mean, like at 7pm, I threw out the idea and Rand, was in. So we packed a few things and took off. It was a sweet memory I will savor for a while. The spontaneity of it all allowed for limited expectations, making everything a treat. The leaves hadn't all changed yet, so we caught the tail end of their fall, took a little drive down to Stillwater, took the sweetest morning walk at sunrise, did some yoga, and got to visit our dear friends, the Onyshuk's, and catch up over the Vike's game.<br />
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It felt like Rand and I were able to process through the whirl wind of life that we have found ourselves caught in these past two and a half years. Marriage. A kid. New jobs. A house. YOGA. ha. Part of us has been waiting for a breather, but I'm not sure that's in the agenda. A new peace is starting to fill us and I really am praising Jesus for the work he is doing. He really is making us new creations. And experiencing it is instilling a new hope and trust in who He really says I am and who He says he is.<br />
<br />
I am not taking on as much of my mess and he, gently, continues to uncover more and more layers of fear, control, and my brokeness. It's scary-- seeing so much of your stuff; your control and desire to make sure your child is safe, emotionally, and physically, your fear in wanting to pursue your dreams and the things that make you light up.<br />
But it's happening.<br />
I'm seeing it. I'm confessing it. I'm not resisiting as much. I'm honoring me heart in ways I never thought I would be big enough to. I'm allowing myself to have a voice, in ways that I never thought I could and it's terrifyingly wonderful. My heart is softening to his love and truth. He is healing my wounded heart. I'm starting to believe he can handle me.<br />
He is good.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-91091219699266390872013-10-11T08:35:00.001-07:002013-10-11T08:36:09.340-07:006 Months.Ellie learned how to stand! It is super precious and I feel so proud of her. Her stance is similiar to a sumo wrestler. She has sort of skipped the stomach lying and turning over phases.<br />
<br />
Shes starting to be able to play by herself and is content with some of her big blocks and wooden toys.<br />
She loves tags, strings, and hair<br />
She likes to grab your face.<br />
She likes to smile and giggle<br />
She likes to eat her feet.<br />
She likes to chew on metal trucks.<br />
She is a wiggle monster when we change her diapers. For some reason, this has lead us to a latest nickname of "squirrel". Maybe it's her cute cheeks, maybe its because her latest fall book has a picture of one, and maybe its those wiggles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZxsuiOWwaFAd67obX9ZQ7fdm9Fn_Pwuko66_BBFrXDPm9c6lwEHPGBFXVl7JFaUCpPpARpbZhDwAYgSadTGL4mpj0U_sQAaMQS-Hfw7gnDWXoKow700-MN_4xwJzsnLJN9ZHVOo5p2U/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZxsuiOWwaFAd67obX9ZQ7fdm9Fn_Pwuko66_BBFrXDPm9c6lwEHPGBFXVl7JFaUCpPpARpbZhDwAYgSadTGL4mpj0U_sQAaMQS-Hfw7gnDWXoKow700-MN_4xwJzsnLJN9ZHVOo5p2U/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They play really well together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqXQo1_q4zKCqkEqIlCQsvFNYSHmdJRyYTwoZ21NQWRb-AQ8YfI0sNIizk_EWWrtiuc5C4hAMKcsadmVAF3eXKH6qUBjDx9WJazpEv298q0P9sjTqnrA4MPpzOjU1Pa-_5mv7ZBe_3VQ/s1600/IMG_1009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqXQo1_q4zKCqkEqIlCQsvFNYSHmdJRyYTwoZ21NQWRb-AQ8YfI0sNIizk_EWWrtiuc5C4hAMKcsadmVAF3eXKH6qUBjDx9WJazpEv298q0P9sjTqnrA4MPpzOjU1Pa-_5mv7ZBe_3VQ/s1600/IMG_1009.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her favorite blue block is in the background</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyO0S-FvPgM9MMrdqVd49cNP8OzZZ9D9ET1qdy8GZa_s1mc89IU0bojpVGRbcXNHa4K28RDbTKznmaEc5Lj2xhFz0Tmgqi6hE1hP37EYSjzPPTptiyRyZir_4lTQ6lPC9epv1255XB-w/s1600/IMG_0992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyO0S-FvPgM9MMrdqVd49cNP8OzZZ9D9ET1qdy8GZa_s1mc89IU0bojpVGRbcXNHa4K28RDbTKznmaEc5Lj2xhFz0Tmgqi6hE1hP37EYSjzPPTptiyRyZir_4lTQ6lPC9epv1255XB-w/s1600/IMG_0992.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNk2ece4JTF99yisF4rsfi-7y2oVlhaCwApBovyEH8Ak5oWT7RMz-R8ZkcrOy_iWbP4FmwW_dXGtIye9MrSoJ5R5lObbGoKPnjPg9KwXbZxZQop8TZj6kWeZEIwGpKh990dNNwgLo2C4/s1600/IMG_0994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNk2ece4JTF99yisF4rsfi-7y2oVlhaCwApBovyEH8Ak5oWT7RMz-R8ZkcrOy_iWbP4FmwW_dXGtIye9MrSoJ5R5lObbGoKPnjPg9KwXbZxZQop8TZj6kWeZEIwGpKh990dNNwgLo2C4/s1600/IMG_0994.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNez4gGqHNSaDLT4zzXLjK9YN97_aecmz1ua7mtG-b4tnJ_vskIG6ntxUPjnJegfSsY8TOslHnIBedhNJ0i2xmVxz-x5L4zBlIS6ONIeCh011QrhcI0A_9gO_62YGE1RLJn0a1-BiT2t8/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNez4gGqHNSaDLT4zzXLjK9YN97_aecmz1ua7mtG-b4tnJ_vskIG6ntxUPjnJegfSsY8TOslHnIBedhNJ0i2xmVxz-x5L4zBlIS6ONIeCh011QrhcI0A_9gO_62YGE1RLJn0a1-BiT2t8/s1600/IMG_0995.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time standing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdguDg-2VooI8bfAR5E_nch8H6B64P9L7FYT1FRywFqOBy992zE0nk5oD0ktochyphenhyphenzYpMmYhvhYF5RqVH-16Ip_XUHAOE0vzrK_4gEFx9fkhkkm1mH5aPsEYlB5zVWyGbxsSLdkm4bBqY/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdguDg-2VooI8bfAR5E_nch8H6B64P9L7FYT1FRywFqOBy992zE0nk5oD0ktochyphenhyphenzYpMmYhvhYF5RqVH-16Ip_XUHAOE0vzrK_4gEFx9fkhkkm1mH5aPsEYlB5zVWyGbxsSLdkm4bBqY/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dad during their visit last weekend.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying chewing on cars lately. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bought her a new hat.</td></tr>
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Rand got hired with the North Dakota University System as a web developer. Their office is located on UND's campus. The position has fully paid health benefits. That means if we wanted to have 18 children, we could. He has two days left at his current job and will be starting this Monday. Our spare time has been filled with viewing houses. "We went to a lot of houses". Anyone seen that clip? Anyway.<br />
Hopefully we will be in a house before winter, or sooner. I have an inkling we will, there is one particular house we are pretty found of right now and have decided to put on offer on!<br />
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Rand is free to pursue work on the side now and is working with a partner on a design and web development company. So far, they have enough business to keep them busy for a while. They will be forming an LLC soon, which is pretty exciting for them both. I'm sure there will be an unveiling of more details soon.<br />
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I don't know if I have any updates on life for me. It's oddly normal. Oh, we have a double stroller now. Thats probably the biggest life changer so far. I no longer strap a baby to me and push the single stroller. That season of life may have been the most exhausting thing;when your caring so much weight on you and pushing a child, it can be pretty harsh. The last time I was this strong surely was when I was playing soccer at UND. Mom shape is pretty intense. Walks seem to be a highlight of my day. I seem to have adjusted to life as a part-time mom to two. Micah, seems to mesh right in and I'm starting to learn what it looks like to love and care for a 1.5 year old; lots of apologizing and confessing my sin. I really am growing fond of him.<br />
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Oh, and lately I have taken to crock pot recipes and a roation of about 4 different favorite shirts and pants. It feels, well, nice. <br />
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Maybe it's the fall weather, but I'm getting into another cooking/baking kick this week. Who knows where it will take me. But being we now have a red, mini-food processor, I would imagine things to get cray cray up in here.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-51538849463808524512013-09-27T12:26:00.000-07:002013-09-28T06:52:11.757-07:005 Months.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ucmTx-7QFJniQpYHYBNzLzxBY07g-8H0ePWmMiKk5RUkLJrFRmlqugCKvC2kYGug3y0dFWzzFYT4y6G_va1Q-MWCqmVAiX5b1pQqM_iEvdR-3hpz02JBLop5YyEuK5xJaq33BVXSGgI/s1600/IMG_0920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ucmTx-7QFJniQpYHYBNzLzxBY07g-8H0ePWmMiKk5RUkLJrFRmlqugCKvC2kYGug3y0dFWzzFYT4y6G_va1Q-MWCqmVAiX5b1pQqM_iEvdR-3hpz02JBLop5YyEuK5xJaq33BVXSGgI/s1600/IMG_0920.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spuni. Best prodect EVER. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLKQ-2eO8mTlEivQuzLjQIKwjoG8fF_Jnd0GMvNselnuH5DqUUPTEigEvRg7HlJhMEDsuVCUdKgcv3kidaHwIY6o-bVCjkkKBsBMttPI08dSf1pHY47h77H_hwytX2gx2_4wXexkfiM8/s1600/IMG_0926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLKQ-2eO8mTlEivQuzLjQIKwjoG8fF_Jnd0GMvNselnuH5DqUUPTEigEvRg7HlJhMEDsuVCUdKgcv3kidaHwIY6o-bVCjkkKBsBMttPI08dSf1pHY47h77H_hwytX2gx2_4wXexkfiM8/s1600/IMG_0926.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade leg warmers and Vikings gear.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRUsZBGf3hH-_uTHhayUEtjx_e3qrXnP-BAFzym6VphfeD60v3eeEA0qoew9Pdhwq0hxw8F6_OocwZBh2dU1YZHxVjdl31VfVw768oJNT_Ueo_pnyaB1JveSAg7ex9suPsSzPvcuMec8/s1600/IMG_0866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRUsZBGf3hH-_uTHhayUEtjx_e3qrXnP-BAFzym6VphfeD60v3eeEA0qoew9Pdhwq0hxw8F6_OocwZBh2dU1YZHxVjdl31VfVw768oJNT_Ueo_pnyaB1JveSAg7ex9suPsSzPvcuMec8/s1600/IMG_0866.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note: improv double stroller does not work. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCMrO4qg1tQDz0MeyAlKo_zFBiSdSlVf1rSfMRfx9mGyraTOE8yzLy7HZOx7c4Vla5UdxlB4_E9kNsMr6zFy21CS78ri6N-VQ7jcajXZ7_K6zOIoEIbeJ6Oj2CMR1Qmde6Gy1P74lJgQ/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCMrO4qg1tQDz0MeyAlKo_zFBiSdSlVf1rSfMRfx9mGyraTOE8yzLy7HZOx7c4Vla5UdxlB4_E9kNsMr6zFy21CS78ri6N-VQ7jcajXZ7_K6zOIoEIbeJ6Oj2CMR1Qmde6Gy1P74lJgQ/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG" height="320" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping daddy write. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn43VWHkhyphenhyphentBEJiuPFtyWkeDdrnn5txFWwlRwoBAOdzMFVX0Ue2Egg1EmflurLD9tqSaYIk2rqCNhJBurrs7mT1LmiJ78odys4Zg8kOjVX7Fq9XZMuN26bpba6qmAy9F43E3Kj7sNzy1Y/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn43VWHkhyphenhyphentBEJiuPFtyWkeDdrnn5txFWwlRwoBAOdzMFVX0Ue2Egg1EmflurLD9tqSaYIk2rqCNhJBurrs7mT1LmiJ78odys4Zg8kOjVX7Fq9XZMuN26bpba6qmAy9F43E3Kj7sNzy1Y/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" height="320" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Hat from my dear friend.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjiI9bFOznY_xwTRLnOJNEqc8j0v9fMDm-i5-FOJtt5kOEhjNcF4GB88ycdRbfSGDm9YzGQpc02OH-1_asN2Pn6wQQzJl879t5V23rxl4D2z8iosCqYPj4FXLUQ5Sfrn3F4mL2OdonsE/s1600/IMG_0887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjiI9bFOznY_xwTRLnOJNEqc8j0v9fMDm-i5-FOJtt5kOEhjNcF4GB88ycdRbfSGDm9YzGQpc02OH-1_asN2Pn6wQQzJl879t5V23rxl4D2z8iosCqYPj4FXLUQ5Sfrn3F4mL2OdonsE/s1600/IMG_0887.JPG" height="320" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a happy 5 month birthday. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBXn5PEHrHGQQYUQccCKvtDdt61XMattB6KR25OJnftNRhztoUib4-lsjdEYS9UQ3xLOZmL9UmaRkA5c7yONJknixaBNcneLICD_D8LIpCHT2H36NhHakJr0gxucGGcsPjp0YNlJTkHM/s1600/IMG_0890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBXn5PEHrHGQQYUQccCKvtDdt61XMattB6KR25OJnftNRhztoUib4-lsjdEYS9UQ3xLOZmL9UmaRkA5c7yONJknixaBNcneLICD_D8LIpCHT2H36NhHakJr0gxucGGcsPjp0YNlJTkHM/s1600/IMG_0890.JPG" height="320" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two words. Hood rats. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaumNHDf7KwfdN214kwd33r54AHcp9SpJyInS94mxLHp7g-kYO3ut-y91zaZj0isXOI261MVGAX8osnnWssxU9PFIxgMEhIp1Tsn2CJm2N6aJhUg_L7QMWVL0ZTuIIsGmn4kbVjulvmA/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaumNHDf7KwfdN214kwd33r54AHcp9SpJyInS94mxLHp7g-kYO3ut-y91zaZj0isXOI261MVGAX8osnnWssxU9PFIxgMEhIp1Tsn2CJm2N6aJhUg_L7QMWVL0ZTuIIsGmn4kbVjulvmA/s1600/IMG_0922.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is typically how my heart feels and how the apartment looks. CHAOS. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCIBBSLSA4ZUdocv6695LXP6edMSUQyQtBmPTOG2b0fjnN7l9EjIiAA9hcAGW4z6Hd4h-qlbuH1sVeQHaDsre2xgkt3bLGu7DsfnwgYk2nD1Mknzm-dTwPe9axEkqpJH-hzG-Wz65ITo/s1600/IMG_0862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCIBBSLSA4ZUdocv6695LXP6edMSUQyQtBmPTOG2b0fjnN7l9EjIiAA9hcAGW4z6Hd4h-qlbuH1sVeQHaDsre2xgkt3bLGu7DsfnwgYk2nD1Mknzm-dTwPe9axEkqpJH-hzG-Wz65ITo/s1600/IMG_0862.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figured out how to eat her toes this month..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPwTvh0Ux9WlgBQ8I-MRMuIs24yrqst7-tdzcmpAGnw9zyNdSdfyvfFAWRywE_yOWkp5iOIHBFMJ_RpsnxKvjAu4Ur94bjH-GxghkoUTmiGdLwqJaviXRycwEUmKWSe8W6uO2uCQlvS4/s1600/IMG_0863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPwTvh0Ux9WlgBQ8I-MRMuIs24yrqst7-tdzcmpAGnw9zyNdSdfyvfFAWRywE_yOWkp5iOIHBFMJ_RpsnxKvjAu4Ur94bjH-GxghkoUTmiGdLwqJaviXRycwEUmKWSe8W6uO2uCQlvS4/s1600/IMG_0863.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting up and playing!</td></tr>
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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.<br>
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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<br>
she tends to light up when she is in large groups<br>
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Loves being with you engaged and playing. She enjoys watching Micah and likes to laugh at him.<br>
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Has gotten a ton more hair. Pretty soon we will have enough of a tuff to put in a clip!<br>
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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.<br>
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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</div>
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She likes to put everything in her mouth and things that krinkle, make noises, are tags, and that are cold.<br>
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Rand says "she's such a lady" and I say she is "just dainty"<br>
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She enjoys talking.<br>
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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.<br>
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Seems to get into a trance on walks, mesmerized by life outside.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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.<br>
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She has no interest in standing or her being on her belly and hey, I don't blame her ;)<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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Some things that have filled the month for us have been<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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I wrote a blog recently about some of the latest internal thoughts. Check it out if you would like.<br>
<a href="http://anendlessdialogue.blogspot.com/2013/09/latest-thoughts.html?token=RgF8XUEBAAA.LCl9GnqP-4IkZsoXTOL-Yw.6hkqKE1G1TVfSvUAcc6Pqw&postId=5748952187513974306&type=POST" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">http://anendlessdialogue.blogspot.com/2013/09/latest-thoughts.html?token=RgF8XUEBAAA.LCl9GnqP-4IkZsoXTOL-Yw.6hkqKE1G1TVfSvUAcc6Pqw&postId=5748952187513974306&type=POST</a><br>
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Here's to a wild october. <br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-5323240545080164812013-09-03T13:43:00.005-07:002013-09-26T08:03:53.423-07:004.5 Months. Weeks 16-19.<br />
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.<br />
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Some of the other latest.<br />
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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 :)<br />
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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.<br />
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When she is pooping or farting she likes to hold her breath and push ;)<br />
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She has an infatuation with water bottles and is always trying to drink from Rand and my Hydroflasks really.<br />
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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.<br />
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Her voice is getting much louder. She loves to squeal, makes noises and giggle.<br />
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She likes to throw things. She has a pretty good arm.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_Uwr239dyFlsx6vQC6Ady7b60AOnAjxN9yNcXmMAbHOoo3ay5otFKTc027oHSYmVyIkOnJJKrV-mNWeu0lpZyQfvIPcEkxt2Tiu8tNJTT-HKQre-k0UUb8UpzUXL6fDezFp2nLhxuLs/s1600/IMG_0758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_Uwr239dyFlsx6vQC6Ady7b60AOnAjxN9yNcXmMAbHOoo3ay5otFKTc027oHSYmVyIkOnJJKrV-mNWeu0lpZyQfvIPcEkxt2Tiu8tNJTT-HKQre-k0UUb8UpzUXL6fDezFp2nLhxuLs/s1600/IMG_0758.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">She loves to bounce!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FucfszxH4ZsGUR0JYO-1gkHXhbUtm5FyVgMYu_vh5r5zX6KstEzXEO-fzN_WVRJGIQnLxbW_AmS_y2CCDAbpcItEmiWxLCLblMak25R0dFJcv_OGZGPkXi6VLiIpmROmx1ihp4q3hvU/s1600/IMG_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FucfszxH4ZsGUR0JYO-1gkHXhbUtm5FyVgMYu_vh5r5zX6KstEzXEO-fzN_WVRJGIQnLxbW_AmS_y2CCDAbpcItEmiWxLCLblMak25R0dFJcv_OGZGPkXi6VLiIpmROmx1ihp4q3hvU/s1600/IMG_0756.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Favorite Cloth Diaper. Beyonce Bootay</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi_rUZzK28hOqvrAryZKaq9-glI_CZbSbQr9jxpxMLYQUBcvOgsYZffqbFTFOJ7H1LEhmgRdwiKMf003JSQA0raYmQsI86fON9C05vDS00NtmAM8_XEm6Tj9PW8X2DqWoROu3ePJ3OEg/s1600/IMG_0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi_rUZzK28hOqvrAryZKaq9-glI_CZbSbQr9jxpxMLYQUBcvOgsYZffqbFTFOJ7H1LEhmgRdwiKMf003JSQA0raYmQsI86fON9C05vDS00NtmAM8_XEm6Tj9PW8X2DqWoROu3ePJ3OEg/s1600/IMG_0772.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Trying Out her high chair from Grandpa Racine</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4sgQ8LnBKRwiT3VwhORvdegXjJpH9MwlcpEZVz2IcmF2XrnXLltFlDzXabcyEYVB6Pfz2dDMnl2wf5gxrd8S_DD5MQCkqzIFW8uh3ed5E7hi1j-SAMYa7Vcw4_27mjYwzm2otwv9GHE/s1600/IMG_0773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4sgQ8LnBKRwiT3VwhORvdegXjJpH9MwlcpEZVz2IcmF2XrnXLltFlDzXabcyEYVB6Pfz2dDMnl2wf5gxrd8S_DD5MQCkqzIFW8uh3ed5E7hi1j-SAMYa7Vcw4_27mjYwzm2otwv9GHE/s1600/IMG_0773.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Nana Laureen's Swing on their new deck</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06L3ACmREGWjV6jRNPkcuBLXiUu0eOdmsWEjPUVRGAwNRldHeAMd3AI9Cs0X7Vs3aIEugb-EGquzFDpHk96n-MTYCYTOaEbYZoE2bXBajxlONLKMl2SIPweCNAa9Sx-uF9x1J0QnRrZc/s1600/IMG_0767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06L3ACmREGWjV6jRNPkcuBLXiUu0eOdmsWEjPUVRGAwNRldHeAMd3AI9Cs0X7Vs3aIEugb-EGquzFDpHk96n-MTYCYTOaEbYZoE2bXBajxlONLKMl2SIPweCNAa9Sx-uF9x1J0QnRrZc/s1600/IMG_0767.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Still loves her pacifier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C6ysj4qoJsdEmkUPoEujVPG8CfbEpIcxHfuKzJomHkhp-iwgNwETqDiwYIevbZT4_ob7YHJI7iqysjeEioJoQjxj3yNSDt27vrEyz9ktIcYDCwKpABdU0La-JmeLqRJAUWruspXrY8g/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C6ysj4qoJsdEmkUPoEujVPG8CfbEpIcxHfuKzJomHkhp-iwgNwETqDiwYIevbZT4_ob7YHJI7iqysjeEioJoQjxj3yNSDt27vrEyz9ktIcYDCwKpABdU0La-JmeLqRJAUWruspXrY8g/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Bedtime!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNJrhi5deMP4Bjnm9_hcpua1s6kARYkJSbiFJXLUehuhXqxO70ri148s0k5Zhyphenhyphen4F4CvFQSdVoAP9W_BU-MAgrz4q1f_acVSxbx0dpEINStR38A1DtRhypqlc4lHVf3hxa6dj_JZpNnoM/s1600/IMG_0782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNJrhi5deMP4Bjnm9_hcpua1s6kARYkJSbiFJXLUehuhXqxO70ri148s0k5Zhyphenhyphen4F4CvFQSdVoAP9W_BU-MAgrz4q1f_acVSxbx0dpEINStR38A1DtRhypqlc4lHVf3hxa6dj_JZpNnoM/s1600/IMG_0782.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Lovin Her Bow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDn-BmBwsoGg4KYDKGhrnjSiUm_YGtVDXwo283Djqh5DWF92kEcbx5eFHZFLQb05HLIxo39qc26mO5LkcreoQwLXCibOf1VaLZog6OpwpIQGvXE9h5CbsmGhYXVvGE1LHoSfqGHW3Z0LE/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDn-BmBwsoGg4KYDKGhrnjSiUm_YGtVDXwo283Djqh5DWF92kEcbx5eFHZFLQb05HLIxo39qc26mO5LkcreoQwLXCibOf1VaLZog6OpwpIQGvXE9h5CbsmGhYXVvGE1LHoSfqGHW3Z0LE/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">First time in a swimsuit and at the waterpark</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG21lI4sHTvW_A3D_g1FtGUcwtIgYAAo-KLq8R45YqW1CkMMAYXtX4VU1pR4aEL1ADP7KFv_vBgymm-wmw6wy0emqOdC0XGswKjUSrhkVkdSnej0203pFObq1-NCG_u0_sIdzobQH3erk/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG21lI4sHTvW_A3D_g1FtGUcwtIgYAAo-KLq8R45YqW1CkMMAYXtX4VU1pR4aEL1ADP7KFv_vBgymm-wmw6wy0emqOdC0XGswKjUSrhkVkdSnej0203pFObq1-NCG_u0_sIdzobQH3erk/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loves glasses!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPggOOTKZIqkpF-7Z2KPlAq_0c3uFuCS3KYTSKjzGOC44IqcYhRoBS4c3Zyw8QV5RB7QdLQcTJgFve77F9R4NwMRtoIjt5607M15_DqNk_f8Oa3XBaPyDZL9oF1UwmxLGoS-eUGGkBqk/s1600/IMG_0796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPggOOTKZIqkpF-7Z2KPlAq_0c3uFuCS3KYTSKjzGOC44IqcYhRoBS4c3Zyw8QV5RB7QdLQcTJgFve77F9R4NwMRtoIjt5607M15_DqNk_f8Oa3XBaPyDZL9oF1UwmxLGoS-eUGGkBqk/s1600/IMG_0796.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Time with Auntie Alys.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i71qquOfRJv-6VMtd9OFWbStFgPYrzGpcQhId5ldi5C59S5Ad8AS7QbxdCi7oz8l_SA8_vaNSa5i8EsDYoVC-CrFsPXFlONmEDQPfUiHC3sKef6LfQvOOHRjQirnOhqqBjW4jozI1oE/s1600/IMG_0798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i71qquOfRJv-6VMtd9OFWbStFgPYrzGpcQhId5ldi5C59S5Ad8AS7QbxdCi7oz8l_SA8_vaNSa5i8EsDYoVC-CrFsPXFlONmEDQPfUiHC3sKef6LfQvOOHRjQirnOhqqBjW4jozI1oE/s1600/IMG_0798.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Enjoys being outside</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNel9kB64625Ydb_B-LBbwLlKS1ZqRhqlVCvDOCcUJjyH6U-0PfX5QUGd1fw6cdP08-M-qZ-Igjyb6QUvyKXWhki8nO2D-NLgDS-pqrh36659X6G5lcLlWV0MGKESncfFY-jpfPJuUo0o/s1600/IMG_0799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNel9kB64625Ydb_B-LBbwLlKS1ZqRhqlVCvDOCcUJjyH6U-0PfX5QUGd1fw6cdP08-M-qZ-Igjyb6QUvyKXWhki8nO2D-NLgDS-pqrh36659X6G5lcLlWV0MGKESncfFY-jpfPJuUo0o/s1600/IMG_0799.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Loves her daddy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_hZOi0yQzntVPqRe8oTKOqtzc7DePsdaL5loenmVS6mRX6YXgUNcSVXl4RsiB_xgrYIt-oXRnrZ6wR21OHxThqwTwijINs7Iu46WA27skPEF3FKVZDUyBGn7m1XQOO25DIcSI95M050/s1600/IMG_0806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_hZOi0yQzntVPqRe8oTKOqtzc7DePsdaL5loenmVS6mRX6YXgUNcSVXl4RsiB_xgrYIt-oXRnrZ6wR21OHxThqwTwijINs7Iu46WA27skPEF3FKVZDUyBGn7m1XQOO25DIcSI95M050/s1600/IMG_0806.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Welcome to meal time. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72Wa5lxQwI8j3VsCyD6JFyiYlOlYMQUlFTgL9WmJOzNKUGpka8UgFa4gRpgywZkFMgNVJ9PGmjg5qqiCJdk3BYaCVlKwdIU9VVaB2JGbkSUUaVscYqPSukXKew3ELsSdU_0NpDwdRx_w/s1600/IMG_0807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72Wa5lxQwI8j3VsCyD6JFyiYlOlYMQUlFTgL9WmJOzNKUGpka8UgFa4gRpgywZkFMgNVJ9PGmjg5qqiCJdk3BYaCVlKwdIU9VVaB2JGbkSUUaVscYqPSukXKew3ELsSdU_0NpDwdRx_w/s1600/IMG_0807.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Just tyring to eat milk jugs. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4w-yU10OxeM2QOtaW_96NCiwcd_9Z82dvLlSnV9H0IpXTay12Ue2V7YLJp2lqu76rYipsDd-R2-76l-VBJ-TpujkSyCxDtxykn7yADj9BuR2KT4BEAVytxuMP260D_kpOMDnf4Y3UaU/s1600/IMG_0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4w-yU10OxeM2QOtaW_96NCiwcd_9Z82dvLlSnV9H0IpXTay12Ue2V7YLJp2lqu76rYipsDd-R2-76l-VBJ-TpujkSyCxDtxykn7yADj9BuR2KT4BEAVytxuMP260D_kpOMDnf4Y3UaU/s1600/IMG_0815.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Trying out Fruit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlk1P4Qhp7EonDtynvj8SZ_H3DmC5JyPfynl4x1_5A8yMqg-gyAgNeA39eJERYuerqVitG29g5V1mfTCMN8clTIngjtdqD4Ipr5D1SBiinhL5q8DxmvhSUgO8NaU2-_oxkhH43gbrsU/s1600/IMG_0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQlk1P4Qhp7EonDtynvj8SZ_H3DmC5JyPfynl4x1_5A8yMqg-gyAgNeA39eJERYuerqVitG29g5V1mfTCMN8clTIngjtdqD4Ipr5D1SBiinhL5q8DxmvhSUgO8NaU2-_oxkhH43gbrsU/s1600/IMG_0814.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">New Bib.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sGiqtw4me5g7r5XTquoajAftwE0hSa8kkkY3rwodFOaUF9CniFyrCcJ_rw2hk0Qedob0VIKFTFAOK-J6wQF0jLu0I_mglrh2lvIhBwNanb5uoWDEp71TPnrOj2ooM4Lmz3MErBKDeZI/s1600/IMG_0823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sGiqtw4me5g7r5XTquoajAftwE0hSa8kkkY3rwodFOaUF9CniFyrCcJ_rw2hk0Qedob0VIKFTFAOK-J6wQF0jLu0I_mglrh2lvIhBwNanb5uoWDEp71TPnrOj2ooM4Lmz3MErBKDeZI/s1600/IMG_0823.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Likes to raise her hand. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFlgthbj0IfHRhsE_kOXCm6U1V4Wsse4KWSpRpNrPcH666cJa2qhi7o0cEuT0yUDytws_44avYrDZW9lrwgE0Mc2szo049NjA8bgFENbaBHKYXMVu0tvSxHnlJ1Y07sFcMX6c7CFcPNU/s1600/IMG_0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFlgthbj0IfHRhsE_kOXCm6U1V4Wsse4KWSpRpNrPcH666cJa2qhi7o0cEuT0yUDytws_44avYrDZW9lrwgE0Mc2szo049NjA8bgFENbaBHKYXMVu0tvSxHnlJ1Y07sFcMX6c7CFcPNU/s1600/IMG_0821.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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She attended a few of her first sporting games. She watched her first soccer game at Central cheering on her uncle while he coached ;)<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
Rand recently redid his website and is enjoying learning more about web programming and design. You can check it out here: www.randseay.com<br />
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!<br />
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We are enjoying the recent cool temps, excited for the upcoming weeks, and for our first fall with our little girl! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-3856179495738629592013-08-09T12:38:00.004-07:002013-08-09T12:38:22.826-07:00Month 4: Weeks 13-15.<div>
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The month of July was filled with travel. A lot of time was spent visiting with my parents, family, and friends in the twin cities. Rand surprised me and we took a spontaneous trip over the fourth to visit my parents and celebrate America. Ellie and I stayed for 10 days and vacationed. And we went to a few weddings. One of which included a wedding ceremony at a real life vineyard. Yes, we were in minnesota. Yes, it was so incredibly beautiful. No, it was not the same as you see on I love Lucy. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a quieter month.<br />
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We all grew fairly accustomed to the five hour stretch. Strategic Rand would ration his water intake and use the salt in sunflower seeds to soak up the liquid and help limit our pit stops. Ellie would typically have the most say in this, though. She makes it pretty known when she is hungry. I was pretty impressed with how tolerable she was in the car. Whenever you hit 65, it kind of intensely vibrates, so I can't blame her. Three side notes I want to say about our car. It is my favorite and I seriously feel cool in it, ha. It is a ford focus 2000 <i>WAGON</i>. Not the back seat rear facing I grew up on, but still a wagon. It has those family stickers on it, a dad, mom (with a ponytail), and baby.<br />
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Here are a few of the latest.<br />
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She likes to eat...everything. It has been neat to watch her go from being a non-active participant in the world to someone who interacts, speaks, eats, and watches everything. My favorite development so far.<br />
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A favorite memory was the first time I heard her really laugh. My dad had told an horribly lame joke involving not-cho-cheese and started laughing. Ellie proceeded to cackle along with him and pretty soon we were all dying.<br />
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She is beginning to laugh and chuckle, more frequently. Sometimes I will leave the room and come back to her cooing and carrying on a conversation...with herself.<br />
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I attempted to try and document her sleep and feeding times to create a more predictable schedule, but lately it has seemed to just fall into place. I am still waking up at least twice a night with her, but I find it a lot easier as of late.<br />
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She is now completely able to sit in her bumbo chair. She can sit in her bouncer, play thing, but hasn't quite caught the hang of it.<br />
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Her favorite book is a rubber animal book that lists like 6 animals. She lights up when I take it out. The bird page has a thing in it that tweets and she goes ecstatic when I push it.<br />
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Her favorite toy is a plastic seahorse. She loves to rattle it and eat its face.<br />
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When she is pooping she grunts and makes a face. Not so sly.<br />
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She had her 4 month check up and now weighs nearly 15 lbs and is more then 25 inches long!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vommitted in Auntie Angie's Hair</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand's impersonation. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonnet from Auntie Michelle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minnie Mouse Ears from the Disney Store. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister night out on St. Thomas's Campus. Angie had too many one-liners to count. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVqxHeqCzyoca6Oq26i-cq-aClQZHrXNioHzQAJ_fIcuabwyVSBNByC7bofCFuzjwnvcoPvnwjhl720ce8ybLTN-sSS0L9M9zFzXurOFIX0BxlvFMw9YoJ6C1GlBWNLYUqQubHrsr5AE/s640/blogger-image-1095781912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVqxHeqCzyoca6Oq26i-cq-aClQZHrXNioHzQAJ_fIcuabwyVSBNByC7bofCFuzjwnvcoPvnwjhl720ce8ybLTN-sSS0L9M9zFzXurOFIX0BxlvFMw9YoJ6C1GlBWNLYUqQubHrsr5AE/s640/blogger-image-1095781912.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Mary Magdalen </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matchy Matchy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEHn6vUobA4TKvuzMR5AhGwiP2_EsRg1pRpr1zyJiFdsoIsywnWuxqFBI1ux03_CQvfJ5adKkUN2odoUwiPHDY7SarpihsaKHEBmbYyfWT5XkNSxs2TrveHRqn19sRBORYlbo8cFDZWk/s640/blogger-image--1825009096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEHn6vUobA4TKvuzMR5AhGwiP2_EsRg1pRpr1zyJiFdsoIsywnWuxqFBI1ux03_CQvfJ5adKkUN2odoUwiPHDY7SarpihsaKHEBmbYyfWT5XkNSxs2TrveHRqn19sRBORYlbo8cFDZWk/s320/blogger-image--1825009096.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Bean Smile. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi_EUERCJ_vcX3DU3LkRsJQukbn3p0mHd5O2QRACTGhITvoBLoddAp59Aq3uuAhp0d646qxTBFg0v529FEomVVBxVN4H_rVdgvO2lED1ozJkN4LVoeC0j-BGNo6eVY1wj_EubbWSLwG8/s640/blogger-image-1098551390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi_EUERCJ_vcX3DU3LkRsJQukbn3p0mHd5O2QRACTGhITvoBLoddAp59Aq3uuAhp0d646qxTBFg0v529FEomVVBxVN4H_rVdgvO2lED1ozJkN4LVoeC0j-BGNo6eVY1wj_EubbWSLwG8/s320/blogger-image-1098551390.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her bouncer. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsP0A4bhBK_IitkwyfvWFDXO0dEjdO_Ehy6Mt2KUTvRnswykwHj04WSfK86qrteQF_mZZlBaB-jie1VD1YCA9vEWxi0KC-z1yFBcJAytsMjDV2tkEQEPwY9W20TzpKToQnmSjXCaIBmgM/s1600/IMG_0839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsP0A4bhBK_IitkwyfvWFDXO0dEjdO_Ehy6Mt2KUTvRnswykwHj04WSfK86qrteQF_mZZlBaB-jie1VD1YCA9vEWxi0KC-z1yFBcJAytsMjDV2tkEQEPwY9W20TzpKToQnmSjXCaIBmgM/s1600/IMG_0839.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes to chew on it more then jump right now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZgOT-zLMX3T8-2huK3nm84UpOYFzs638KR0gVwrWw31bzHANy3X96uLZUoo340f24F_sux-BNe-dLSqbuSe3Hna8tx6Kr9WmfmV2ffmOiYh6cCN9qBLw8VAd3jmjLen0uyzUUdEkZlk/s640/blogger-image--952946829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZgOT-zLMX3T8-2huK3nm84UpOYFzs638KR0gVwrWw31bzHANy3X96uLZUoo340f24F_sux-BNe-dLSqbuSe3Hna8tx6Kr9WmfmV2ffmOiYh6cCN9qBLw8VAd3jmjLen0uyzUUdEkZlk/s640/blogger-image--952946829.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her favorite book... she likes to eat it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love playing with my sweet gal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhsB2dcshH-2r2sX9ghtEsfbYKN4YkahqC0cBJPt2kMu3sDLM1fKSVPXzXAizGJEu01-NUysCAc7FfE8CMCJxfzUgkfRMawUourL6HekYIKS6fctVT3SGv1IbwdYmaGm8_YXV_XXhVJA/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhsB2dcshH-2r2sX9ghtEsfbYKN4YkahqC0cBJPt2kMu3sDLM1fKSVPXzXAizGJEu01-NUysCAc7FfE8CMCJxfzUgkfRMawUourL6HekYIKS6fctVT3SGv1IbwdYmaGm8_YXV_XXhVJA/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousin Hannah's Wedding>> at the vineyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2_OjPpO4-fhgGo6BY9GEvgx0DrwDNTIzrIx4XlJ7Eipckmxa77UFXQRuM3_7lzQ_mwbKR423uDje1GkZeMa61DNR1ZITYd9AiDv5YAiQixjASvT8T-_jw9B5SgBYMnRCC_DJEdN5Kgk/s1600/IMG_1590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2_OjPpO4-fhgGo6BY9GEvgx0DrwDNTIzrIx4XlJ7Eipckmxa77UFXQRuM3_7lzQ_mwbKR423uDje1GkZeMa61DNR1ZITYd9AiDv5YAiQixjASvT8T-_jw9B5SgBYMnRCC_DJEdN5Kgk/s1600/IMG_1590.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angie and Joe >> leaving for Italy soon!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisC5Ucjf0QXaJVUzWyNT1sFGJ2v_y3MU-MJKKNQdle8f2tRqHCZGgNmNeEV9Zi-0gcwMlxNxum_02Tya4Is-pBKyeVhVyq3w3kqv-rq9IaKqWWmj24lLxwMJFJzwFPlKImg61afsi-LYY/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisC5Ucjf0QXaJVUzWyNT1sFGJ2v_y3MU-MJKKNQdle8f2tRqHCZGgNmNeEV9Zi-0gcwMlxNxum_02Tya4Is-pBKyeVhVyq3w3kqv-rq9IaKqWWmj24lLxwMJFJzwFPlKImg61afsi-LYY/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand parents and Great Grandpa. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZiyZckb5MdozoDS8rEZWB2aFCVXMJq04n8iZyDxngjxKLXVsmU1kTDpeEAuJOqqflBxh0rG3titIhDAkkG9ajHD03LdJMb2zPCSfQaRr_Td8OBOVLEDbDoBO5r-zYEIA3R3Xe1yjsRI/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZiyZckb5MdozoDS8rEZWB2aFCVXMJq04n8iZyDxngjxKLXVsmU1kTDpeEAuJOqqflBxh0rG3titIhDAkkG9ajHD03LdJMb2zPCSfQaRr_Td8OBOVLEDbDoBO5r-zYEIA3R3Xe1yjsRI/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger face. >> Sis and Bro in Law</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfghyhzz6ux1xBk61Rdkenqjs5_fZ_2RRI9BNrx5c56zTMKzIZRBHZvX0BN1KYsg3XlhigfZal-ToRi3ekVRie1hKlpUnzAsoPKNHSi6Z4gC3itE4NLb7kyOIt8rIkFR_JjkGVqDgYe2s/s1600/IMG_1556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfghyhzz6ux1xBk61Rdkenqjs5_fZ_2RRI9BNrx5c56zTMKzIZRBHZvX0BN1KYsg3XlhigfZal-ToRi3ekVRie1hKlpUnzAsoPKNHSi6Z4gC3itE4NLb7kyOIt8rIkFR_JjkGVqDgYe2s/s1600/IMG_1556.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take 2. </td></tr>
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Rand and I have been enjoying this season.<br />
Rand has continued to learn more and more web design stuff and he really likes it.<br />
I am undertaking the adventure of cloth diapering through trial and error. Trial being spending hours researching inserts, covers, and laundry detergent and making my first purchases. Error being, staining multiple inserts, handwashing the especially poopy diapers, and having a few explosions. I also decided I wanted to start coaching sunflake soccer. So starting in September I will get to do that. I am so excited! I have also been enjoying starting to purchase more eco-friendly household products, like soaps and cleaning products and fresher produce from places like the farmers market and amazing grains, a local health foods store. </div>
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We both feel like we are going to be entering into a new season soon and are excited to see what it brings! ... no I'm not pregnant ;)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-3264544426933540242013-08-09T10:58:00.002-07:002013-08-09T18:40:43.603-07:00Typical Day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UaDSPDLRRMyiBpEWEXuYV-NAH3CnKHfyKLkpAybuxXuJd3iewcbhQfAavjiAAKpPZXwDBfU9VidEMthn0MXy1ihAinidOMcREm3aT683-u8xkUGGmz3jp-zpqMtqZ3EHVvcAK4bWyu0/s640/blogger-image-944238082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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I want to share a little blurb of what goes on in my heart in a typical day.</div>
I'm a recovering legalistic. What this often means for me is:<br>
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I like rules.<br>
I like plans.<br>
I like schedules.<br>
I like black and white.<br>
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Are these things wrong? Heavens no. But often, as I examine my motives behind them, they come from a messy place. These things help me to know that I am okay and that I am safe. They point to me wanting to know deep in my soul that I am valuable as a person. Well and can you blame me, who doesn't want that?<br>
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Some days my heart feels the freedom found in Jesus, who says "You are my beloved" "You are my treasure" "You are precious."<br>
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Other times there is fear. Especially in this new season in being a stay-at home mom.<br>
Fear that I really am not okay. That I am not doing enough to justify why I can be at home with Ellie.<br>
Panic and scrambling usually follow. Then I can start to spiral. Here would be some of those thoughts that hit me just this week.<br>
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I need to find a job. I need to finish my five papers. I need to scrub the tub. I need to vacuum. I need to sweep the floor. I need to make dinner. I need to go on a walk. I need to figure out a routine for cloth diapers. I need to organize our finances. I need to organize all my photos on my computer. . I need to figure out a way to upload my instagram videos on my blog. I need to organize how I blog. I need to spend more time playing with Ellie. I spend way too much money. Why can't I be more content with what I have? Why can't I just start running, its only like 30 minutes of my time? Why can't I be a better listener? Why can't I just get my homework done? Why am I scared to call that person back? Why can't I just figure out a schedule for Ellie? I should have by now. Why can't I love my family or my friends better I should. <br>
...and these are just a few.<br>
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Can you feel it? The panic. The harshness. The weight of those things on my shoulders. I sure can. It's exhausting reading all that gunk, let alone trying to put my soul through attempting to get it done. Its not freedom and Jesus has more for me.<br>
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Im reading this book bondage to bondage which spoke to my soul the other day.<br>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"Trusting in grace feels more demeaning than earning our salvation. Coming alive to hope is more painful and cruel than being dead to our emotions. </span><br>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">BUT IT IS LIFE. "</span><br>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And once we've tasted being alive, we can't go back to being dead. Aliveness in God is addictive."</span><br>
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My desire. Whelp. I want to feel free to fail. I want to know the depths of His grace and taste the warmth of His love in my core. I want to discover the real Jessica, the Jessica free from the bondage and chains of who I should be or need to be. I have begun to taste this grace, lately. Is it scary? Yeah, the freakiest. It means I actually will fail. But it means I will actually get to taste this Grace stuff. And I want to be alive as a a person, mom, and wife. And as I am tasting this stuff more and more. I'm discovering a few things.<br>
<br>
Im discovering I actually don't like a spotless apartment. I prefer to not do the dishes right away... or for a few days. I don't really want to unpack immediately when I get home. I think my daughter is freaking adorable and my husband is beautiful, in a manly way. I can be crafty. I do not like scrubbing poopy diapers in the tub even though it is more economically then doing multiple loads in the dryer to save money. I cry and get angry with God when I don't understand why children are starving or being mistreated I like a good light read more then a christian theology book. I actually would prefer getting a C in a class to putting my soul through the torture of having to right a paper in this beautiful weather. I would prefer cuddling with my husband to going to play tennis... some nights. I want to coach little nuggets who want to play soccer. I still enjoy swearing, shit. I want to make banana bread for my new neighbs. I really am curious about people, differently. I feel less inclined to schedule out my time and day. I enjoy making homemade pizza sauce. I don't need to put a smile on for the checkout lady at target... but I can if I feel like it. Things are more gray now then ever. I like my nose piercing because its sassy. I like to paint?! I just decided I want to try to make leg warmers for Ellie, like as I typed those words.<br>
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Yeah, this stuff is neat. I feel softer. I'm more ... me.<br>
"It is for Freedom that Christ has set you Free"<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglZ2VfYf5o4DR3QCv_pjW-AqPMXcDpK7utS19fMiSdk9GEjVaxWREUdbQrDgGHiFXM9YWNYQDE0t8Lv6jlb0V52BEMBNls_iZJJyNL0hIDP8Ph-qdjWSR0dYgJAIIYCrCpTYPPdihZvM/s640/blogger-image-1868727030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglZ2VfYf5o4DR3QCv_pjW-AqPMXcDpK7utS19fMiSdk9GEjVaxWREUdbQrDgGHiFXM9YWNYQDE0t8Lv6jlb0V52BEMBNls_iZJJyNL0hIDP8Ph-qdjWSR0dYgJAIIYCrCpTYPPdihZvM/s640/blogger-image-1868727030.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I painted. Yes, these are my favorite colors. Yes, that is a paper bag. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04231801101745567122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4688882853170640568.post-58650297958948927052013-06-30T17:26:00.001-07:002013-07-17T09:28:52.550-07:003 Months Old: Weeks 10-12<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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3 months old. This is craziness. It is so neat to watch little Ellie change and grow. She is getting so much bigger and seems really "long". She definately knows Rand and I well, but in the last few weeks I have noticed her, well notice other people too, differently. She seems to notice her enviornment differently and I can just see her soaking it all in. She often is content sitting on your lap and just watching what is going on. She likes to be included in things and will often "join us" for dinner, sitting on either of our laps while we eat or sit in her bumbo while I work on the computer. <br />
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I'm certain if she could choose to always be held and bouncing, she would, but I don't think that that would be good for either of us. I have often gone to Rand these last few weeks asking him what it looks like to know what she wants, but not immediately meet her needs. I want her to feel secure in my love for her, but I also know that that security isn't dependant on our world stopping when she is crying. I've finding there is no black and white answer. What I do know is that I just want her to know that I love her like crazy, but that sometimes I mess up in and don't love her how I would like to mom. I feel big enough right now to admit these things to her know and say sorry and hopefully, one day when shes much older, we can talk about that stuff. </div>
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It's been exciting for me to give myself grace in this whole parenting thing and not feel like I have to take on the weight of figuring out things like her schedule. We are starting to adjust her to and adjust to her wake times and nap times. I've been setting up nap times during the day and bed time and sometimes we even follow it. Those days feel like bonus days. She moved into her own room three weeks ago after I bought monitors and the transition has gone pretty smoothly. I wish I was sleeping a bit better, but were still not quite there yet. She wakes up 2-3 times a night, but Rand has started waking up with her in the mornings, which helps. </div>
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So here are a few new things I have noticed about her:</div>
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+She is sitting up so much more and can support her neck. This development is super exciting and fun because I am able to play with her more. I'll put her on my shoulders, do airplane rides with her on my feet, carry her on my hip, and stick her in her bumbo during my morning routine </div>
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+She is starting to like her tummy time because she is figuring out she has more control and can see more when she is on her tummy. </div>
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+She has little dimples coming in on her sweet cheeks.</div>
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+She likes to point her feet when she kicks. We tend to notice this when she is in her carrier. </div>
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+We started noticing this little tuft of hair that sticks up on the back of her head</div>
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+She likes holding your hand. Definately one of my favorite things!</div>
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+She likes to touch her hair and feel fuzzy things</div>
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+We had our first successful nursing experience in public, sort of, at a rest stop in the car. </div>
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+She has been giggling when we play peek-a-boo</div>
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+She can hold things so much better and will hold on to her toys, our mail, my necklace, my hair, and she has starting grabbing at plates and the table at supper. </div>
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Grandma got her a few new gadgets that we will hopefully be using soon like an activity center and johnny jumper and I have found quite a collection of new outfits for her at garage sales and second hand stores. </div>
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Rand and I celebrated our two year anniversary yesterday and enjoyed a fun meal at the toasted frog and an episode of the office. We're a few years off the mark, but we are definately enjoying the character development in the show. Rand caught me off guard one day and was pretending to be dwight ;) Rand has been working really hard at creating a new website to feature his work and it is looking good. Outside of The Office, we've enjoyed reorganizing our limited storage space, discussing repayment plans for student loans, a few bike rides, long walks, and a few tennis matches in the last few weeks of the summer. </div>
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We have continued dreaming about a home and I recently have taken an interest in healthier eating, cloth diapers, and Martha stewart stencils. The concept of dabbling in things is new for me. My typical pattern is to discover something new and then feel the need to figure it out, develop a system, or just do it, which is typically exhausting, overwhelming and anxiety provoking. Needless to say, I have had quite a few days of taking on things new things, but I am learning to "put them on the shelf" when they start to feel big and taking them out when I want to. The words that best describe why are "it is for freedom that christ has set you free". Slowly, I am becoming more ok with my sin and my mess as I fight the daily battles and weighted tugs of cleaning, grocery shopping, thinking about business ventures, exercise, and being a mom and wife. I feel grateful for a husband that is there to listen and fight the battle with me! </div>
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The next month we are planning to be in the cities nearly every weekend and I am going to be spending a week at my parents house in the twin cities and get to see my dear sister, Michelle, and other family. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Al0B-gDGYqCuZk3lVETHfR4CdxzBiP8xA2Z0K4y5fMzASXiJp0iK-6heKG1seY7SfG4AIhyphenhyphenkSnYmM6jU7S6_lH7mivKmuIxKlokCTO7QuQuPUeLaoOfLcxkFRcP9E7yKhcW7b9X1nHg/s640/blogger-image-1075782001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Al0B-gDGYqCuZk3lVETHfR4CdxzBiP8xA2Z0K4y5fMzASXiJp0iK-6heKG1seY7SfG4AIhyphenhyphenkSnYmM6jU7S6_lH7mivKmuIxKlokCTO7QuQuPUeLaoOfLcxkFRcP9E7yKhcW7b9X1nHg/s640/blogger-image-1075782001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first time holding her toys</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrp6Hex2T-u6j0HOu6pToM7ezpCX8OJ6yJOIpconMzfrYixpbzHaabdrDlO-i5Sa3zGKO9Vm-K9ohBL6KeODEl_j-duzTEMi-jdMjwSdPfMOZNqJByNm6WrD9DglKXTFdr2Q3pNenirw/s640/blogger-image--1076835758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrp6Hex2T-u6j0HOu6pToM7ezpCX8OJ6yJOIpconMzfrYixpbzHaabdrDlO-i5Sa3zGKO9Vm-K9ohBL6KeODEl_j-duzTEMi-jdMjwSdPfMOZNqJByNm6WrD9DglKXTFdr2Q3pNenirw/s640/blogger-image--1076835758.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is mom's favorite headband, still too big!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFhXgVKSSjG-YyPvf9NGGVRy98mcEBKFkfPj4iFy3vt6xd34NnvAtM3DmaptvKXECD0exvUsG9U-xm5z2Jl5G3C_jKoY4iAAWdALyLwfChfYt6-mNw4jOlb-2GOHU_4uVmlYnRCmOFtA/s640/blogger-image--1626035260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFhXgVKSSjG-YyPvf9NGGVRy98mcEBKFkfPj4iFy3vt6xd34NnvAtM3DmaptvKXECD0exvUsG9U-xm5z2Jl5G3C_jKoY4iAAWdALyLwfChfYt6-mNw4jOlb-2GOHU_4uVmlYnRCmOFtA/s640/blogger-image--1626035260.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She will usually sit in here while I work or make dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbOB1v27CZ4_P2uFbRFj9I8f9eQ3API5TslinSMB34cosgBOoCN0Yx44GpMyaqsFuYzBlKYbC74c149Lxwo9lz_jxNMN-G5PMK7UL-_inR7V2z1jrNFZsrdT1vjI_XIf8Ofam6jAVxgI/s640/blogger-image-948323559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbOB1v27CZ4_P2uFbRFj9I8f9eQ3API5TslinSMB34cosgBOoCN0Yx44GpMyaqsFuYzBlKYbC74c149Lxwo9lz_jxNMN-G5PMK7UL-_inR7V2z1jrNFZsrdT1vjI_XIf8Ofam6jAVxgI/s640/blogger-image-948323559.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourth of July. She loves america. Mom lives stripes. Rand, well I picked out his shirt. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAsE73dRW9BDb91U-f1aBx-jI5y3x5pwUnNoSsS-Aa4eUK-A8hFo6Ja7ZQH2rt6Zj065I52ADCE1ETYtdsNZLxwByAmCPXYUk4NVsf65JhvBZKGKQzSw_UiVyeWzv0rxKeg55nrpkU6k/s640/blogger-image--1688231076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAsE73dRW9BDb91U-f1aBx-jI5y3x5pwUnNoSsS-Aa4eUK-A8hFo6Ja7ZQH2rt6Zj065I52ADCE1ETYtdsNZLxwByAmCPXYUk4NVsf65JhvBZKGKQzSw_UiVyeWzv0rxKeg55nrpkU6k/s640/blogger-image--1688231076.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Long hair don't care". Ha, wig, courtesy of Auntie Angie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yepgC062ImmKtfgZ_fOWw-7mByj2d910tUgiGbSQ1sNjlHEobVEG9iSG82KVJeBhnUyJcWHjfUBFEJpVWVG5z4rgm3YirSpeRQB2-0gyTBBwW7AIZ2DUPQqsNqZCFNgcWIWfF3J85TQ/s640/blogger-image-1630743618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yepgC062ImmKtfgZ_fOWw-7mByj2d910tUgiGbSQ1sNjlHEobVEG9iSG82KVJeBhnUyJcWHjfUBFEJpVWVG5z4rgm3YirSpeRQB2-0gyTBBwW7AIZ2DUPQqsNqZCFNgcWIWfF3J85TQ/s640/blogger-image-1630743618.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma Gutierrez's purchases after a trip to once upon a child. Yes, that is a toy horsie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4vK5prWN_VwEq0TeewBjFP9zThAsEIG72CaWDYzdbTmbtQXvol_5pYX6UbCDi5QEGTfrJhQCDtBbdhrWpEcMAhtlhzSKLduWljOk3oR6sR-4RkoaOXu6rpGS4Yrj7HBMnDZ2uYbbQc4/s640/blogger-image-1549419501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4vK5prWN_VwEq0TeewBjFP9zThAsEIG72CaWDYzdbTmbtQXvol_5pYX6UbCDi5QEGTfrJhQCDtBbdhrWpEcMAhtlhzSKLduWljOk3oR6sR-4RkoaOXu6rpGS4Yrj7HBMnDZ2uYbbQc4/s640/blogger-image-1549419501.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time in her Johnny Jumper. She was more entertained by the padding then actually jumping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMjWkv1F5eD77f0g-JJeL0PWbxhS4SR_WIeMc6S7dr6jgmcc6oxo8eKZxKMxmR1ZW8ABomcMXvRAZzp3rkGnBCOKGoHVz6pEcFYNAyVl6f9h9KOHYaq1ErsOHlZq7xBO0G9vykkJvcZ0/s640/blogger-image--1561911192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMjWkv1F5eD77f0g-JJeL0PWbxhS4SR_WIeMc6S7dr6jgmcc6oxo8eKZxKMxmR1ZW8ABomcMXvRAZzp3rkGnBCOKGoHVz6pEcFYNAyVl6f9h9KOHYaq1ErsOHlZq7xBO0G9vykkJvcZ0/s640/blogger-image--1561911192.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time on mom's shoulders. She really just enjoyed eating my hair. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmcHRfZdZNGxjIpvvJ90E-U3L8xE-mCaNz5EcrfM0o2649A7ESTNpGY0RZxr83c3SQ3bcyyDbknnihF7Zwg8JM-DCmF4v9qXChIU5djhqKrbeIu6XTUdBp8Hy5S2oVO5PY1Elsxut95M/s640/blogger-image--565155178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmcHRfZdZNGxjIpvvJ90E-U3L8xE-mCaNz5EcrfM0o2649A7ESTNpGY0RZxr83c3SQ3bcyyDbknnihF7Zwg8JM-DCmF4v9qXChIU5djhqKrbeIu6XTUdBp8Hy5S2oVO5PY1Elsxut95M/s640/blogger-image--565155178.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmer's market with the carrier. We realized that we had been wearing it wrong for a long time and then read the directions. So much easier to use!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfAcsDZVR0O9YL-G7Hpxr1tDxVTSprnkN9-esP0Q2tnEHwNQnomZSL0kxI-_2n6NKFEOhehxLUFcihyphenhyphenawseWK-2HxYk2K6W5ARQ4S1As58Y2B7fkLjxaTTG3WojBBj4vNpAwDxgolaU4/s640/blogger-image--1315153099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfAcsDZVR0O9YL-G7Hpxr1tDxVTSprnkN9-esP0Q2tnEHwNQnomZSL0kxI-_2n6NKFEOhehxLUFcihyphenhyphenawseWK-2HxYk2K6W5ARQ4S1As58Y2B7fkLjxaTTG3WojBBj4vNpAwDxgolaU4/s640/blogger-image--1315153099.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping at Grandmas. Still loves to stroke her hair before she sleeps. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEszcHXYdngQmij1PA2dA4vwsfucJNsK2aWmvtirbYf7W1k35dpK1LdZFRjtVcmB_O2I3ki0kRUFHR5Ei5YiKjVgzMGrzEEPYK4W_vdnUHZNWheTxRu6Ob7kS80P-zQbKhHMel9tp7-j8/s640/blogger-image--968748943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEszcHXYdngQmij1PA2dA4vwsfucJNsK2aWmvtirbYf7W1k35dpK1LdZFRjtVcmB_O2I3ki0kRUFHR5Ei5YiKjVgzMGrzEEPYK4W_vdnUHZNWheTxRu6Ob7kS80P-zQbKhHMel9tp7-j8/s640/blogger-image--968748943.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is starting to enjoy her tummy time. These are my favorite jamies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0tKtTEcK9zwPO9hnZeHdc8wuxv51otZr0tkdJdbzY7QjHH25PL6clJy5ouT0Rt2Ip2EfhB7pKsqy0W9OhwDGmTEpqTsQlzCmMyL38-M_VZv3NP1d0lTlwU7nkIDf9s0OzKXWc8ULr_4/s640/blogger-image-1189535114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0tKtTEcK9zwPO9hnZeHdc8wuxv51otZr0tkdJdbzY7QjHH25PL6clJy5ouT0Rt2Ip2EfhB7pKsqy0W9OhwDGmTEpqTsQlzCmMyL38-M_VZv3NP1d0lTlwU7nkIDf9s0OzKXWc8ULr_4/s640/blogger-image-1189535114.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes to sit sideways typically in her bumbo. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTZkcGZqi4VmDqm01Eft8wDHkWJV_otEWb0DDML2xzJG_iIsrA0qdYsKZma_g6WQ-ow4L7IcdUfx4vcTCr0rYWcw-VyHyR1NxHIHN0X_UnUY_RiaTC5mxPZkluVKGFJ74okDQr9mCoNs/s640/blogger-image-1224683425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTZkcGZqi4VmDqm01Eft8wDHkWJV_otEWb0DDML2xzJG_iIsrA0qdYsKZma_g6WQ-ow4L7IcdUfx4vcTCr0rYWcw-VyHyR1NxHIHN0X_UnUY_RiaTC5mxPZkluVKGFJ74okDQr9mCoNs/s640/blogger-image-1224683425.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New favorite bedtime snuggle partner. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyoRHz3jIP78sgVfLbCSBGrfjWx9olokO0JlALSZkL-cAdO1StWFl02V6PobVFCCAGrQi3M047YkJEfEm7GupFFZOPg4lYN-HSe6hCQVKX9VtC8g6QKN40NBs25owjhzhfDwAcPBi_1w/s640/blogger-image--688249889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyoRHz3jIP78sgVfLbCSBGrfjWx9olokO0JlALSZkL-cAdO1StWFl02V6PobVFCCAGrQi3M047YkJEfEm7GupFFZOPg4lYN-HSe6hCQVKX9VtC8g6QKN40NBs25owjhzhfDwAcPBi_1w/s640/blogger-image--688249889.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Typical dinner time. </td></tr>
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