Sunday, July 18, 2010

7 Months Old



Well, today our baby turned 7 months old - time is passing by so fast! I write this with such joy that she is alive and safe after the past week (will post on that topic later, once it's all settled). Ellie is a fantastic baby and we just love to show her off to our friends and family. So here is an updated list of things about her:
  1. Her two teeth are much more noticeable and are sharp when she bites down!
  2. She is 17lbs now, about to be upgraded to size 3 diapers once we finish up her size 2's.
  3. She can get on all fours and rock back and forth (yep, about to crawl) but she can definitely roll and scooch forward to get wherever she wants.
  4. She still loves to jump on people's lap and in her jumper.
  5. She is still a GREAT sleeper at night and during her naps in the morning and afternoon.
  6. She's become a travel trooper and takes great naps on our trips to Knoxville.
  7. She eats 2 ice cubes of fruit and 2 ice cubes of vegetables every day.
  8. She has started to learn to drink out of the sippy cup.
  9. She recently has started making the "da da da da" sound so I think I'm out of luck on getting her to say "ma ma" first.
  10. She giggles out loud a lot more and can amuse herself with toys and books.
  11. She has graduated to the sitting position in her tub, but she's not yet able to sit completely on her own - still working on that one. She likes to stand more than sit.
  12. We have lowered her crib so my nightmares of her falling out are relieved.
  13. She is about to graduate from her 3-6 month clothing into her 6 month clothes!
  14. She likes to smile at men - a lot quicker than smiling at women other than from her family. Not sure what to think of that!

God has blessed us and we are so thankful to have Ellie in our lives. Jesse can't wait to heal so he can get back to being more involved with her (I can't either!). She still loves to smile at her daddy and loves to be held by her mommy. The past week I have held her more than usual just because I can. We love our baby girl and can't wait to see what this next month holds! :)

6 Month Pictures

In mid-June, we were able to have Abby Berg take photos of Ellie again but this time in Knoxville. We wanted to share some of our favorites from that day.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

July 4th - Hardwick Style!

For July 4th weekend, us kids (Jonathan, Jennifer, Jesse and I) wanted to do something special for my parents since they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year. So we used the long weekend as an excuse to get us all together (which is rare) and surprise them with a little dinner party. We ended up doing it at my brother's house in Cincinnati and it turned out to be such a great weekend. We all arrived on Friday night and spent the evening with Jennifer (Jonathan didn't get home from work until late that night). Saturday was a relaxed day of just hanging out together and letting Ellie get to know my side of the family. She took a quick liking to Jonathan. That afternoon, Jonathan got our parents out of the house for a bit so Jennifer and I could decorate and get the food ready. We had YUMMY ribeye steaks, roasted asparagus, baked potatoes and rolls (courtesy of Jonathan and Jennifer). We were able to decorate using the color red for the 40th year and even used some of Jennifer's beautiful hydrangia's for a centerpiece. Mom and Dad were very happily surprised for the dinner party and we enjoyed it outside on my bro's beautiful patio. The night was topped off with a delicious cake and Graeter's ice cream. :)




For the 4th, we all went to church in the morning and then came back to the house and grilled out hamburgers, hot dogs and brauts (grody). We also made the famous Hardwick vanilla ice cream to enjoy with fresh peaches mom and dad had picked up on the way to Cincinnati. Jonathan pretty much stayed outside to shoot off fireworks from mid-afternoon on until the evening. I don't know how he does it for so long, but every year he can't get enough. Ellie got to see her first fireworks (in the form of sparklers and some spinny things Jonathan had) and she liked watching, until Jonathan broke out the noisy ones that screech when they go up in the air. We put Ellie down for the night (yep, she slept through the fireworks that were going off all around the neighborhood) and enjoyed the neighborhood fireworks and ate some smores. It was a great time, just sitting around talking and being together.



On Monday, we all parted ways, but not before taking some family pictures while we were all together. It was a great way to cap off a fun weekend together. I loved how Ellie got to know my family a little better since she's not around them very much. Thanks for hosting, Jonathan & Jennifer! Your house is beautiful with all of your renovations!

Ellie

Lilypie Third Birthday tickers