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.

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!

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! :)