Our Overnight Date

Thanks to Bill & Cindy Mason and all of Jesse's family for watching Ellie in shifts, Jesse and I arranged to have an overnight baby-free (1st time since before we had Ellie). Since Jesse will be deploying soon, an evening and day away was much needed for quality time and fun together. We decided to go to Gatlinburg and live it up - just far way enough to have some separation, but close enough to not have a long drive. We headed down Friday afternoon and went by our favorite store (Eddie Bauer Outlet) because we had $20 of free clothes. Of course, it was a great shopping trip. Then, we drove on it to Gatlinburg and checked in to our hotel (Bearskin Lodge). We got an awesome King bed suite that was right on the river and had lots of perks. We were in walking distance to the "strip" so we walked to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner. While waiting for our table, we went across the street and did a taste testing of moonshine - man, I did not like it! Once our table was ready, we enjoyed a yummy dinner. Afterwards, we randomly decided to go up the sky lift (something we've never done) to see all of Gatlinburg before it got too dark. It was a little nerve-wracking going up, but coming down was a lot easier. Once we got our feet back on the ground, we did another traditional thing that we always make fun of tourists for doing - old time photos! We laughed so hard while doing them - it was super tough to do a serious picture. We topped off our night with ice cream and relaxation back at our hotel. The next morning, we had a big breakfast out on our balcony over the river. Once we finished, we headed out to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to hike up to Rainbow Falls. Thankfully, the government didn't shut down so we could get in to the park. It was a tough hike up, but well worth it. It was such beautiful scenery - we were so glad to do that hike together! This little trip was extremely refreshing and much needed and we are so thankful that we had so much help to be able to do it. This next year is going to be rough, but this quality time together only strengthened our marriage and love for each other.

Day at the Zoo

Before Jesse left for his recent time of training, he got a day off so we decided to make it a family day and take Ellie to the Knoxville Zoo for the first time. I was so thankful to have family time like that and for him to be able to see her reactions to the animals she has seen in books all this time. It was amazing weather and Ellie had a blast! What I also loved about the Zoo is that it was FULL of other moms with their kids in strollers and it was a great place to just walk around and stimulate the kids without much work. Because of this, we are seriously thinking about getting a year's membership so that I can use it to get out of the house with her. PLUS, the membership is good in other cities at participating zoo's, aquariums and parks. Once Jesse is gone and the semester is over, I will be looking for lots of ways to make the days go by faster. I love that I can do that by showing and educating Ellie on all the many animals that God has created. PLUS, her Daddy was there for a great family day. Here are the pictures from our adventure:

15 Months Old

Another milestone reached - 15 months! Ellie is still changing each month and it never ceases to amaze me how she develops. A few notable facts about our little girl:

• She has 4 molars now = 12 teeth!
• She is 23lbs, 9oz, 31 1/4 inches tall
• She can turn in circles (a new dance move)
• She loves to walk, especially outside
• She is still napping for me 2x a day (Praise God!)
• She loves to dance while her dad plays the guitar for her
• She's starting to climb on the playground equipment at her school and LOVES slides
• She isn't crying nearly as much when I take her to her program 2x a week
• She is getting along well with Callie and they seem to have an understanding :)

I am loving her comprehension of things we say and how she catches on to new things quickly. Jesse has been spending lots of time with her, prepping for his time away and strengthening his bond with her. We cherish every moment we can spend together!

Spring Break Trip

For my Spring Break with work, I decided to fly down to my parents and spend a good week down there for a break from K-town, good food, old friends and some sun. We thought Jesse couldn't come due to being in Haiti for his job with One Vision, but that trip ended up cancelling and deployment training started, allowing time for him to come down with us for 2 days. Jesse hasn't been to FL with me in almost 2 years so having him with me, even for a short time, was great. We flew down Friday morning and got there in time to drop Jesse off in Lakeland for the last few innings of a Detroit Tigers spring training game that my dad went to. Mom and I went on home and got Ellie down for a good long nap after all the travelling we did. We went out to dinner at a local restaurant called Mike's that our family has gone to for years - YUMMY! We ended the night with a stop at Dairy Queen for a sweet treat.

The next morning, we planned to meet up with some friends - Mark & Becky Wright (kids are Grace and Hope) and Jenny Doyen (who's hubby comes home from deployment any day now) and her daughter Macy - at Funtasia, an indoor playground for young kids. Ellie had a blast! She immediately started playing with Macy and loved going down the slide. Then, we took them over to a ball pit and Ellie loved it. She eventually learned how to climb up to get to the slide and then would crawl down face first. It was so neat to have our kids play together while we were able to visit.

Jesse and I did a little shopping and then returned to my parent's for a birthday steak dinner and Publix Cake!

Papa and Ellie grilling steaks outside by the RV

Just look at that cake....YUMMY!!!!

I took Jesse to the airport Sunday morning while my parents babysat so we could go on a Waffle House breakfast date and have some quality time together before he left (he had training at Ft. Jackson, SC all week). That afternoon, Mom and I went to Bealls (FL dept store) and also took Ellie outside to let her explore the yard. We ended the day with Pizza from ABC's and more Publix Cake.

Monday, Mom and I took Ellie to my Uncle Whit and Aunt Cathy's beach house at Anna Maria to visit and let Ellie swim in their heated pool. Definitely was a good day! We even were able to fit in a little outlet shopping on the way home and finished the day with Checker's for dinner.

Tuesday, I was supposed to go to lunch with my friend Hayley but she came down with the flu, so I stayed home and layed out in the sun while the weather was awesome. Mom made one of my favorite casseroles for dinner and of course we had Publix cake for dessert!

(above) Ellie playing on a toy that mom had for me as a kid
(below) Ellie LOVED playing with the oranges in the backyard

Wednesday, I took Ellie to see my dad and his co-workers and then met up with my friend Shari for a kid-free lunch at the Stanford Inn (the house in the movie "My Girl"). I had caviar for the first time ever (in Bartow - even more shocking) but the lunch was awesome. Our mom's were watching the kids and we met up with them afterwards for a visit. Mom and I went to Kohl's for a little more shopping and then we came home and had a pork chop dinner. Thursday, I treated myself to a pedicure and ran a few errands, but pretty much spent some time at the house due to the rain. We ended up getting Red Lobster take-out for dinner that was awesome. Mom and I flew back to Knoxville on Friday, but we had an hour delay before boarding our plane. That was quite interesting for a toddler! As soon as we got back, we had lunch at the country store down the road for some catfish and then we put Ellie down for a nap. Jesse got home shortly after and Mom and I headed out to the Jack & Jules consignment event to look for toys. Our week ended with a good dinner at Jason's Deli (mom had never eated there). I had a great week off and it was full of good food, help with Ellie, visits with friends and family and of course shopping! I was so pleased with how Ellie did in all the travel and how quickly she adapted to the crib my parents had. It made me more prone to visit there longer this summer, knowing how well she did.

31 Years Old

Since Ellie gets all the updates on this blog each month, I thought I would take time for an update on me! March 5th was my 31st birthday. Once I turned 30 last year, this birthday just isn't that exciting. BUT, it was still MY DAY and I had a great one! Growing up, my parents always made a big deal of our birthdays by letting us have parties with friends (taking turn each year), making our favorite meals and finishing the day off with a glorious Publix Cake! They also went all all since my brother and I share the same birthday and we aren't twins (perfect timing). So, my parents delivered by flying our little family down to FL and having a yummy steak dinner with Publix cake for dessert (shared with Jesse since he'll be gone on his birthday)! Another year has passed, and I look at what I have become: a well-educated professional, a wife, a mother, a sister, a soon-to-be aunt, a daughter (in-law too), and a friend to many! That adds up to 31 productive years! I love my life and I wouldn't change a thing. God has blessed me with wonderful friends and family and I consider my little world to be my true happy place!

Valentine's Day

Ellie's Valentine from her Daddy

My Valentine from my Hubby

Our Family

Ellie's Valentine's Cookie from her Grandmommy & Grandaddy

The Cragwall Cousins

Ellie reading her card from Grammie & Papa

Ellie reading her Valentine from her parents

14 Months Old!

Ellie amazes me every day the things she learns and picks up on - you can teach her a new song or word and she will remember it an hour or day later. I am still loving being able to teach her new things and hang out with her during the day. My 2 days of breaks with her Mother's Day Out program have truly been a blessing, but I'm always excited to pick her up and be around her again. Some changes since the last update for Ellie have been:

1. She has some molars that have come in - no wonder she was a fuss bucket and waking up a TON at night in the last few weeks! I thought it was just some normal sized teeth coming in but low and behold, it was some HUGE molars! It all makes sense now.

2. She is walking up a storm! Her independent streak is coming out because she wants to walk wherever we go instead of being held.

3. She has added in a meal during the day - she now wants breakfast immediately after her milk instead of just a snack in a while. So, she eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day now with some milk before bed.

4. She's still a great eater for me - not as many veggies as she used to when I made her baby food, but she still eats pretty much what I give her. I can always disguise the veggies mixed in with something else or with cheese.

5. We have finally turned her carseat around to face forward. We waited to do this until she was just too big the other way around because all the research shows that it's actually safer for them to be rear facing longer than just 1 year. Plus, Ellie was totally fine being faced that way. BUT NOW, she's a big girl and can see so much more in the car.

6. She still LOVES books. Every day at some point she brings me several to read to her and if there is anything unique about that book, she remembers to do it on her own (like feel the page or point to something I have pointed out to her).

7. I have introduced her to a few good kids videos recently and she really enjoys them (shocker). My favorite (and hers) by far is the Boz series (Christian series made by the creator of Barney and endorsed by MOPS). The other favorite has been Baby Einstein and I will be the first to admit that Boz and Baby Noah have helped me watch Ellie while I make dinner a few nights or two!

8. She is starting to grow out of some of her 12 month clothes but she's not quite ready for 18 month. Her "Ellie Belly" is still huge and adorable. She's now wearing shoes every day (thank you Lord for Robeez), but she's still wearing the 6-12 month size, on the verge of wearing her 12-18 month size.

9. Her recognition of people and places is getting better and better.

10. She loves to be around cats and dogs and loves watching other kids, especially ones bigger than her. She does well at her program with the other kids and is a good independent player.

11. She's been laughing more and interacting more with us, adding words to her vocabulary like "Buh Buh" (bubbles) and "Yeah" and "No" when we ask her questions. She also is picking up well with sign language words that have come in handy during meals and bedtime (see below - she is saying "bed" in sign language!)

It's amazing how she changes so much in a month! We sometimes stop and look at her and thank God for giving us such a cute, silly little girl. Until next month...