6 Year Anniversary

Jesse and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary this year by spending it with Alexandra and Jasin at Jazz on the Lawn. They wanted to spend time with Ellie and us so we met them out there for a picnic and some music. It was a great time with them!














We lined up some babysitters for Monday night so that we could go out to dinner alone to celebrate. Where else would Jesse and I want to go than good ol' Joe's Crab Shack! We love eating there and I hadn't been there since before I got pregnant. It was a YUMMY dinner and we enjoyed the time together. We can't believe it's been 6 years already, and we have a child. Ellie has changed our lives in so many ways, but the one thing I'm thankful for is the love that Jesse and I have for each other and how it grows every day. Learning to be parents together has created an even deeper bond for us and I love him for loving Ellie and I unconditionally. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with a God-fearing, loving husband! :)

6 Months Old!

I can't believe she is already 6 months old! It is crazy how far she has come compared to 1 or 2 months of age. There are many new things she can do:

1. She has her 2 bottom teeth coming in! Oh man, what a discovery by Jesse when she bit down on his finger! The teething is even more intense now (thanks to whoever invented the teethers that can be frozen or chilled for them to chew on)
2. She has transitioned from breastmilk supplemented with formula to all formula and solids.
3. She started with rice cereal and oatmeal and now eats some veggies and a little fruit.
4. She is 15 lbs 14 oz (50%) and 26.25 inches long (75%) and is up to date on her shots.
5. She can pull herself up to stand when holding our hands and she is quite proud of herself when she does it.
6. She rolls like a maniac, not letting us keep our eyes off of her for very long at all.
7. She is an amazing night sleeper, usually down for 10-11 hours each night.
8. She gets bored easily if she doesn't have a toy or Callie isn't walking around her.
9. She is taking a short morning nap and a longer afternoon nap pretty regularly now.
10. She is a travel trooper! With all the trips to Knoxville, she has done extremely well. There have only been a few times of being sick of being in the carseat, but overall she has done very well. She sleeps in her pack-n-play like a champ.
11. She smiles at visitors very quickly and loves the attention of others.
12. She giggles with her daddy before bathtime when he blows on her belly.
13. She loves to jump on anything - our laps, the couch, our bed, you name it - especially when she is excited.
14. She is growing her hair back, slowly but surely! We love how spikey it is right now until it gets a little longer. Trying to get bows in her hair is nearly impossible so I just don't try very often.

It amazes me how much you can love a child more and more each day. I am quite biased, but I have an adorable little girl and I am so blessed to be able to be home with her and watch her evolve. I think she looks totally different from when she was born and I hope that I am doing an ok job as her mother. You always wonder if you are doing everything you should be doing to help them be the best they can be. I am loving the little moments with her that only a mommy can have. I LOVE watching her light up when her daddy comes in the room and when he takes care of her. What blows my mind is that just when you think you have a grip on this parenting thing, she changes again and you have to adapt quickly. There is no telling how much she will change in the next month! Keep on praying for our little girl to remain the healthy, beautiful one she is.

Father's Day Weekend

We spent Jesse's 1st Father's Day over in Knoxville. We got in on Thursday and went to Parker and Taylor's 2nd Swim Meet to visit with everyone. Ellie, of course, was so excited to see her cousins and all the other action going on at the pool. She even dipped her feet in the pool again with Aunt April, but got a little upset when she wasn't allowed to sit in it! I got a few fun pictures of Ellie playing on her blanket while there.











We spent some time working on the house and unpacking our stuff from our partial move we did Memorial Day weekend. We get more and more excited about actually living in our house every time we go there - it's really coming together! We are also learning a lot as we do most of the updates ourselves. Guess that's what happens when you are finally a homeowner. :)

We spent Father's Day with Jesse's family, first at the Dunn's house where Ellie put on her 1st swimsuit and got in the water with her counsin, Parker. She wasn't too sure about what to think of the water and eventually she wanted out of the Bumbo. We let her sit in there with Parker for a bit, but then she had enough!

That evening, we spent some time at Jesse's parents house for some time for Jesse to watch sports with his dad. Ellie got some quality time with her grandfather and daddy to wrap up a good day! Happy Father's Day to a wonderful husband who gave me a beautiful daughter who loves to smile at her daddy! Ellie is truly blessed to have you as her daddy.

Ellie & Callie

Callie is used to Ellie being around. Now that Ellie is more mobile and is starting to reach for her, Callie isn't sure what to think. When Callie comes in the room, everything stops in Ellie world and she just can't help but watch the cat. She gets excited and wants to touch her, but touching means grabbing right now. Callie has no idea what's coming! :)

Grammie's Visit

Something very important to Jesse and I is for our kids to know their grandparents so any chance we get to spend with them is always valued. Grammie (my mom) passed through on her way up to the Illinois house for a visit (an excuse to see Ellie) and spent the night with us. She was able to be here for Ellie's first big girl solids (sweet potatoes) so I had her feed her that night. Here's a little video of Ellie eating her solids:

Mom also came back through on her way home and we were able to get some great pictures of her with Ellie. Grammie has a phrase that she says to Ellie and she immediately recognizes her voice "I see you! Yes, I do!" My mom says that to her over Skype as well so it has become a way for Ellie to associate Grammie with that phrase. So, that's my mom's "thing" with her. Thanks for the visit, Grammie!

Ellie's 1st Swim Meet

We happened to be in Knoxville when Ellie's cousin's had their first swim meet, so we decided to go and let Ellie watch...and see a swimming pool for the first time. She was so excited to see Parker and Taylor and put her feet in the pool with Aunt April. Here are some pictures of all the excitement!

Grandmommy & Ellie's "Thing"

Each person in Ellie's life tends to have a "thing" they enjoy to do with Ellie. Grandmommy (Jesse's Mom) has developed a fun little activity that Ellie enjoys doing when she comes to their house. She takes her into her bathroom and fills up a sink with water to let Ellie kick her feet in it. No matter how many times she does it, she loves doing it with her! I took a little video of it b/c I thought it was so cute (sorry for the direction of the video - not sure how to fix that)!