6.5 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.

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.

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 While there still are some contingencies, basically meaning things that could happen to make the contract no longer valid, we will hopefully be moving into a home before Christmas, on December 5th.

Its weird, I thought I would be more ecstatic.
Don't get me wrong,
I FREAKIN CAN'T WAIT,
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.

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.

She is starting to stand up on, supporting herself on her own against things.

Her dad likes to call her snuggums and squirrel because she is such a good cuddler and because she squirms around so much.

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.

When she gets excited she opens up her mouth and kind of smiles and squeels.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ;)

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.

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.

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.

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.
But it's happening.
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.
 He is good.

6 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.

Shes starting to be able to play by herself and is content with some of her big blocks and wooden toys.
She loves tags, strings, and hair
She likes to grab your face.
She likes to smile and giggle
She likes to eat her feet.
She likes to chew on metal trucks.
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.

They play really well together. 

Her favorite blue block is in the background

First time standing!

My Dad during their visit last weekend.

Enjoying chewing on cars lately. 

I bought her a new hat.

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.
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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

5 Months.

Spuni. Best prodect EVER. 

Homemade leg warmers and Vikings gear.

Note: improv double stroller does not work. 

Helping daddy write. 

Bear Hat from my dear friend.

Not a happy 5 month birthday. 

two words. Hood rats. 

This is typically how my heart feels and how the apartment looks. CHAOS. 

Figured out how to eat her toes this month..

Sitting up and playing!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She enjoys talking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some things that have filled the month for us have been

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Here's to a wild october.

4.5 Months. Weeks 16-19.

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

Some of the other latest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She loves to bounce!

Favorite Cloth Diaper. Beyonce Bootay

Trying Out her high chair from Grandpa Racine

Nana Laureen's Swing on their new deck

Still loves her pacifier

Bedtime!

Lovin Her Bow.

First time in a swimsuit and at the waterpark

Loves glasses!

Time with Auntie Alys.

Enjoys being outside

Loves her daddy.

Welcome to meal time. 

Just tyring to eat milk jugs. 

Trying out Fruit. 

New Bib.

Likes to raise her hand. 

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

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

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

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

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

Month 4: Weeks 13-15.

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.

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 WAGON. 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.

Here are a few of the latest.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Her favorite toy is a plastic seahorse. She loves to rattle it and eat its face.

When she is pooping she grunts and makes a face. Not so sly.

She had her 4 month check up and now weighs nearly 15 lbs and is more then 25 inches long!

Vommitted in Auntie Angie's Hair

Rand's impersonation. 

Bonnet from Auntie Michelle

Minnie Mouse Ears from the Disney Store. 

Sister night out on St. Thomas's Campus. Angie had too many one-liners to count. 

Meet Mary Magdalen 

Matchy Matchy. 

Green Bean Smile. 

Her bouncer. 

She likes to chew on it more then jump right now.

Her favorite book... she likes to eat it. 

Love playing with my sweet gal. 

Cousin Hannah's Wedding>> at the vineyard

Angie and Joe >> leaving for Italy soon!

Grand parents and Great Grandpa. 

Tiger face. >> Sis and Bro in Law

Take 2. 

Rand and I have been enjoying this season.
 Rand has continued to learn more and more web design stuff and he really likes it.
 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. 

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 ;)