Most days I feel overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. Most days I question if I can really be the wife and mom that I so desperately want to be for my family. Most days the enemy finds a way to attack my resolve to stand in the gap for my family. Some days I foolishly let him win, and some days I refuse to let him think he has a chance with my family through the great power of the Holy Spirit.
Then, I have a day like today. A day where the only thing I am overwhelmed with is the grace that God chose me. ME. to be in this family. He chose ME to be the wife of the most amazing man I've ever known. He chose ME to be the mom to a baby in heaven and two precious little girls. It's a beautiful gift and I get to do it. Not anyone else in the whole world gets to be John's wife or these babies mom.
I come from a broken family. My two main adult influences growing up were my mom and grandmother. Both single women. One from divorce and the other separated by death. I didn't grow up learning Bible verses or about how much God loved me. I don't have any siblings so I have no personal experience regarding Ella and Charlotte's relationship. The list can continue and grow more detailed, but you get the idea.
Some days the enemy tries to trick me into believing that I have a long list of things that disqualify me from being the prayer warrior wife and mom that is my heart's desire.
But, today? No, he doesn't get to whisper those lies to me today. Instead, I am choosing to be amazingly overwhelmed with God's grace that He chose me to be the wife and mom in this family. He chose me with all of my junk, my shortcomings, my failures, and my sin.
I don't deserve to be John's wife and receive the most meaningful, fairy tale style love I've ever had, outside of my relationship with God. I don't deserve to be the one to show TWO daughters how to love the Lord and grow up to be women that bless others.
But, regardless of what I do or don't deserve, I will spend the rest of my days crying out to the One that lavished this type of grace over my life. May He be glorified through me and the most beautiful family I could have ever dreamed!
About Me
- Jennifer
- I'm just a 28 year old woman that married the man of my answered prayers on July 18, 2009. We have our sweet Ella that was born in September of 2010 and our precious Charlotte that was born in February of 2012! On March 24, 2013, our first son was born, Josiah Warner. After a complicated pregnancy, he was born very prematurely and lived less than an hour before going to be with Jesus. Through life's ups and downs, I'm trying to figure out how to follow Jesus. I mean, really follow Jesus. The kind of following where things start to change. It's time to put action to the passion
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Ella is ONE!!
On September 11, Ella turned one year old!! Does anyone else feel like that's crazy?! Because, I sure do!
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| Her party invitation |
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| Our new birthday tradition started with Ella! Every time someone has a birthday in our little family, the wreath will come out for the week! |
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| Dessert table! All pink desserts (including the yummy strawberry filled Oreos in the back) I made the table skirt with various ribbons, streamers, and tulle. I loved the way it turned out! |
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| The pom-poms! I adored these and had a really hard time taking them down! A few are in Ella's room now :o) |
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| Her birthday banner! I started out making one idea I had and then changed it to this one! I really love the way it turned out (even free- handing each letter, ahhhh!!). The backdrop is the same as the tableskirt, ribbons, streamer, and tulle. |
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| Pretty pink flowers and ribbons instead of a table runner! |
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| Garland made from Ella's 1-11month pictures. In between each picture was a tulle puff as I called them, haha |
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| The favors...Good & Plenty! We liked the idea of the pink and white candy, so we made up a little tagline to go with it! |
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| Our family! |
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| Showing off her birthday outfit! The hairbow and tutu are the same she wore in her 1-11 month pictures. |
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| I just love this picture! We let her go to town with the ribbons and streamers after her party! |
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| On her actual birthday the next day! We went to church and then the zoo! Here she is with her Nana (John's mom) |
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| At the zoo!! |
Ella's birthday was full of such precious moments that I hope we never forget! Including all hands on deck to get everything set up before her big party! I am so glad both John and I's mother's were in town. Plus, John is always such a huge help with stuff like this and I honestly couldn't be more grateful.
In the days leading up to Ella's party and birthday, I continually prayed that she would feel overwhelmed with love by everything that was put into it. And, through our love that she would get even just a small glimpse of God's love for her. That's why we stayed up late making pom-poms or garland or making my crazy table skirt because I had the idea at the last second. And, you know what? I think she did experience some of the depth of the love we have for her. Of course we pray she sees it everyday, but I think her birthday weekend was full of reminders for her!
Thanks everyone that came to the party and of course, our family that helped out SO MUCH!! Our little girl has been the biggest blessing of our lives and thanks for helping us to show her that in a new way :o)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ella Update and Baby Update!!
Two rather fun milestones shared a day today!! First, is that sweet baby Ella is ELEVEN months old today! Bahhh! One more month until the big one year...so excited! And, the second fun thing of today is that we got to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time...yay!
--We really think she gets sweeter every day! She still has her fiery/strong-willed streak in her, but she has calmed down a whooole lot the last few months. She giggles and smiles and gives kisses now. I just love that little laugh!
--She is loving her some finger foods! Anything soft, mushy, and dairy-free will be eaten up in a snap! We've actually had to resort back to breaking up her puffs and making even smaller pieces of food than before. Girlfriend likes her food and thinks it's a challenge to shove as much food in her mouth at once as possible. Therefore, after she choked and changed color a couple of times, I decided I would much rather break everything into the smallest pieces for the rest of her life than be a freakazoid that she's going to choke. She has since started to slow down a bit, so maybe we'll try whole puffs and bigger pieces again...maybe :o)
--No crawling! But, for the first time in her life, she is actually seeming like she might be interested. She's been putting herself on her tummy a lot lately (which has NEVER happened before). She's pumping and sometimes seems like she's about to crawl. But, then she either stops or rolls over, haha. But, regardless, she's been getting around by scooting on her bottom which is hi-lar-i-ous. I've always thought she'd skip crawling altogether, but she may just give it a go!
--She's still rather hairless. But, her hair is definitely still dark and her eyes are most definitely bright blue. She also has a little curl to her hair during bathtime. Of course, that makes me so happy!
--Little Miss talks and talks and talks. I really think she believes she is talking in full sentences and telling us stories. She will babble on and on and on. Her most frequent words are: dada, mama, and baba (maybe for the baby brother or sister she will have in February?! Can I get a what, what??)
--Still taking 2 naps a day (thank you, Jesus! Sickly mama needs her morning nap still, hehe). And, sleeps 11-12hours a night. She's a great sleeper and still loves her crib. We don't take it granted for a second!
--She is SO girly. Her noises, her squeals, her tone, the way she crosses her legs, the way she holds her hands, etc. She is just the girliest baby I have ever met! You take the pink away from her, and the hairbows and simply by her voice and mannerisms, you would KNOW she's a girl. And, can I tell you something? I totally love it!!
--This pregnancy has been completely different than my one with Ella. The biggest difference being my sickness level. This first trimester has been what I would assume most women mean to be "bad morning sickness". I throw up, I've lost 2 pounds, smells make me cringe, and all around just feel nauseous 24/7. I have begun to realize that my sickness level with Ella was just flatout not normal. The doctor's weren't kidding, I really did have hyperemesis and it was terrible. With her, I had already lost 10 pounds at this point, not two! With her, I couldn't get food, drink or stomach bile to stay down. Already I am feeling the sickness escape me (not 100%, but definitely getting there!) and with her, I was able to at least function again around 18 weeks. But, I was sick the entire. time. with her! I was very nervous about being sick for another 9 months, since I just went through that. But, it looks like the Lord may just spare me from that this time around!
--With Ella I was definitely a salt craver, but this time around, I don't seem to be biased toward either, haha! Time will tell which taste I crave more (especially since I am slowly getting to the point where I can eat again!)
--Today we heard the heartbeat for the first time and it was more difficult on me than I anticipated. If you remember, that's how we discovered we had lost our first baby. Since I didn't know what to expect that first time around, it didn't seem a big deal to me that the doctor kept looking and looking and couldn't find it. Then, couldn't on the portable ultrasound and ultimately nothing on the big ultrasound. I didn't think anything bad was going on until that big ultrasound (because our first ultrasound was just fine). There have been a lot of similarities of this pregnancy with our first baby and that's been hard on me. Then, today came and the doctor had to search for our precious baby's heartbeat. The look on the doctor's face wasn't very reassuring. I felt my whole body go weak and my brain hit overdrive. With the first baby, I had begun feeling much better but just assumed it was because the first trimester was ending. I have also thought the same thing this time around. So, when it took a minute to find the heartbeat, I was immediately back on the table, in my old doctor's office, in Orlando. But, this time, I wasn't naive and thinking everything was fine. Rather, this time, my mind ran right to the worst place in a split second. But, thankfully, he did find the heartbeat and everything was perfect. Nice and strong at 158 bpm.
It's been a strange day for me so far. Joyful for the life that God is growing within, but sorrowful over what happened almost two years ago now. It's amazing how something similar can take you back so quickly. I'm also sorrowful because hearing Ella's heartbeat for the first time and now this precious baby's were more of relief in the moment rather than abundant joy. But, I was just telling a dear friend today that I think one of the reasons that the Lord allowed us to lose our first baby was to teach me to cherish every single moment of my future children. And, that is what I am choosing to do today.
I will cherish the fact that my daughter is 11 months old and I love her more than I ever thought imaginable. I will also cherish that the Lord is allowing me to experience pregnancy one more time and Lord-willing, have another precious baby to cause my cup to runneth over even more!
Ella Tidbits:
--She is loving her some finger foods! Anything soft, mushy, and dairy-free will be eaten up in a snap! We've actually had to resort back to breaking up her puffs and making even smaller pieces of food than before. Girlfriend likes her food and thinks it's a challenge to shove as much food in her mouth at once as possible. Therefore, after she choked and changed color a couple of times, I decided I would much rather break everything into the smallest pieces for the rest of her life than be a freakazoid that she's going to choke. She has since started to slow down a bit, so maybe we'll try whole puffs and bigger pieces again...maybe :o)
--No crawling! But, for the first time in her life, she is actually seeming like she might be interested. She's been putting herself on her tummy a lot lately (which has NEVER happened before). She's pumping and sometimes seems like she's about to crawl. But, then she either stops or rolls over, haha. But, regardless, she's been getting around by scooting on her bottom which is hi-lar-i-ous. I've always thought she'd skip crawling altogether, but she may just give it a go!
--She's still rather hairless. But, her hair is definitely still dark and her eyes are most definitely bright blue. She also has a little curl to her hair during bathtime. Of course, that makes me so happy!
--Little Miss talks and talks and talks. I really think she believes she is talking in full sentences and telling us stories. She will babble on and on and on. Her most frequent words are: dada, mama, and baba (maybe for the baby brother or sister she will have in February?! Can I get a what, what??)
--Still taking 2 naps a day (thank you, Jesus! Sickly mama needs her morning nap still, hehe). And, sleeps 11-12hours a night. She's a great sleeper and still loves her crib. We don't take it granted for a second!
--She is SO girly. Her noises, her squeals, her tone, the way she crosses her legs, the way she holds her hands, etc. She is just the girliest baby I have ever met! You take the pink away from her, and the hairbows and simply by her voice and mannerisms, you would KNOW she's a girl. And, can I tell you something? I totally love it!!
Now for some Baby Phillips tidbits:
--This pregnancy has been completely different than my one with Ella. The biggest difference being my sickness level. This first trimester has been what I would assume most women mean to be "bad morning sickness". I throw up, I've lost 2 pounds, smells make me cringe, and all around just feel nauseous 24/7. I have begun to realize that my sickness level with Ella was just flatout not normal. The doctor's weren't kidding, I really did have hyperemesis and it was terrible. With her, I had already lost 10 pounds at this point, not two! With her, I couldn't get food, drink or stomach bile to stay down. Already I am feeling the sickness escape me (not 100%, but definitely getting there!) and with her, I was able to at least function again around 18 weeks. But, I was sick the entire. time. with her! I was very nervous about being sick for another 9 months, since I just went through that. But, it looks like the Lord may just spare me from that this time around!
--With Ella I was definitely a salt craver, but this time around, I don't seem to be biased toward either, haha! Time will tell which taste I crave more (especially since I am slowly getting to the point where I can eat again!)
--Today we heard the heartbeat for the first time and it was more difficult on me than I anticipated. If you remember, that's how we discovered we had lost our first baby. Since I didn't know what to expect that first time around, it didn't seem a big deal to me that the doctor kept looking and looking and couldn't find it. Then, couldn't on the portable ultrasound and ultimately nothing on the big ultrasound. I didn't think anything bad was going on until that big ultrasound (because our first ultrasound was just fine). There have been a lot of similarities of this pregnancy with our first baby and that's been hard on me. Then, today came and the doctor had to search for our precious baby's heartbeat. The look on the doctor's face wasn't very reassuring. I felt my whole body go weak and my brain hit overdrive. With the first baby, I had begun feeling much better but just assumed it was because the first trimester was ending. I have also thought the same thing this time around. So, when it took a minute to find the heartbeat, I was immediately back on the table, in my old doctor's office, in Orlando. But, this time, I wasn't naive and thinking everything was fine. Rather, this time, my mind ran right to the worst place in a split second. But, thankfully, he did find the heartbeat and everything was perfect. Nice and strong at 158 bpm.
It's been a strange day for me so far. Joyful for the life that God is growing within, but sorrowful over what happened almost two years ago now. It's amazing how something similar can take you back so quickly. I'm also sorrowful because hearing Ella's heartbeat for the first time and now this precious baby's were more of relief in the moment rather than abundant joy. But, I was just telling a dear friend today that I think one of the reasons that the Lord allowed us to lose our first baby was to teach me to cherish every single moment of my future children. And, that is what I am choosing to do today.
I will cherish the fact that my daughter is 11 months old and I love her more than I ever thought imaginable. I will also cherish that the Lord is allowing me to experience pregnancy one more time and Lord-willing, have another precious baby to cause my cup to runneth over even more!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Another Baby!
Little Miss is about to become a Big Miss! That's right, we are expecting another Phillips baby :o) Ella and our little peanut will be 17 months apart (oh. my. word.) and we couldn't be more excited! More details to come, but we had our first ultrasound yesterday. And, everything looks absolutely perfect! We fell in love with the peanut pretty stinkin' quick and come February, the Phillips house is going to be a little bit cuh-razy. And, weeeee love it!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day, John!!
One of the things I absolutely knew I wanted in a husband was for him to be a great father to our children. And, I can honestly say that John surpasses even my highest hopes for a great dad for my children. He is ridiculously selfless when it comes to caring for me and baby girl.
He is such a hands-on dad and Ella absolutely loves him for it! He knows I am not a morning person (and, well, he's not either) and eight out of ten mornings, he is the one to get Little Miss up in the morning. He gets her up, snuggles her some, changes her diaper and brings her on downstairs. When we go out to eat and if Ella is not a happy camper, he will insist (despite my tries to intervene) that he can take care of her. He'll let his food get cold or eat one-handed, just so I can get a small break and enjoy some food. If we are headed out, he will always be the one to lug her carseat in and out of the car. He loves wearing her in the baby carrier on walks and out and about. He even made her baby food one evening (steamed sweet potatoes and then pureed them up) because I was a little sleepy.
John, we love you so much and hope that you have an amazing father's day!!!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
All Things Ella!
I figured it was time for another update on the princess of the Phillips household!
--She will be 9 months in less than 2 weeks! So crazy to think we're not too far off from a birthday party
--She's eating pureed solid foods, but still figuring out finger foods. She hasn't quite connected the fact that when she grabs a chunk of food she can put it in her mouth. It's rather comical because everything else in the world she picks up goes in her mouth, but not actual food!
--We are still staying away from everything that is dairy. I plan to talk with the doctor more at her 9-month check-up to try and figure out how we determine in the future if she has a true dairy allergy or not. We tried her on a dairy formula when she was 7 months (we supplemented for just under a month) and she broke out like a mad woman. So, it was kind of a nice little test to see if the dairy would still cause her to get crazy eczema. But, now I'm wondering more about the future. I don't want to expose her to anything that could cause her throat to close up or something terrifying like that! So, we'll see what the doctor's advice is on that one :o)
--She likes to sit up for a little while, but for whatever reason, likes laying on her back better. I've tried to keep her from laying back down before and she'll throw a mini-tantrum and push back on my hand as hard as possible to get back laying down. Some days she'll sit up and play a whole lot, while other days, she's on her back a lot.
--She is babbling away these days. Mama was her first word and her new word is Dada. She is also so very loud in her babbling. And, I. Love. It. She loves to talk and it's pretty much non-stop these days. It's my favorite sound in the whole world!
--Her current favorite toy is a plush doll of Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) that she got for Christmas. Even today she was crying because John was holding her and she wanted me to hold her (I had to throw that in there, because she is such a daddy's girl), then John grabbed her Aurora doll to show her and she instantly had a huge grin. But, she was still crying. So, John and I were cracking up at the smiles mixed with tears
--Speaking of princess stuff, any time she sees anything Disney princess she starts smiling! Her favorite book at the moment is Tangled, she smiles the whole time! I'm so excited to take her to Disney again, because I think she would be a smiling fool over meeting the princesses
--She has gotten so ridiculously sweet. She has always been a sweet baby, but lately she just seems to be getting sweeter. So many smiles, giggles, flapping her arms in excitement, and enjoys a good hug!
--She still sleeps great and I couldn't be happier about that! I don't take it for granted at. all. And, tonight, for the first time she is sleeping with no sleep sack! She fell asleep just like normal, so I am hoping she snoozes just like normal. With the weather being so much hotter outside, it was time to ditch the added warmth.
--She is getting more hair! I can clip a small hairbow in it while we're at the house. I don't trust going out into public with a bow clipped straight to her hair, because it falls out pretty easily, haha. But, her hair is still pretty dark and looks curly when wet!
Those are all of the highlights I can think of for now! We are loving her more and more every day. It's hard to believe there was a time when she didn't exist in our lives. But, it's also hard to believe that she's our child! So funny all of the random emotions and thoughts that parenthood bring. She is such a joy and most certainly the greatest blessing of my life!
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| "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning" Here is our "morning"! |
--She's eating pureed solid foods, but still figuring out finger foods. She hasn't quite connected the fact that when she grabs a chunk of food she can put it in her mouth. It's rather comical because everything else in the world she picks up goes in her mouth, but not actual food!
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| Giggly baby! |
--We are still staying away from everything that is dairy. I plan to talk with the doctor more at her 9-month check-up to try and figure out how we determine in the future if she has a true dairy allergy or not. We tried her on a dairy formula when she was 7 months (we supplemented for just under a month) and she broke out like a mad woman. So, it was kind of a nice little test to see if the dairy would still cause her to get crazy eczema. But, now I'm wondering more about the future. I don't want to expose her to anything that could cause her throat to close up or something terrifying like that! So, we'll see what the doctor's advice is on that one :o)
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| Why scoot around on your tummy if you can do it while on your back? |
--She has no interest at all in crawling. Seriously, she could care less about it. She still HATES being on her tummy. I can amuse her for a minute or two on her tummy before the screaming starts, but then she screams and rolls over. Haha. But, every once in a while, during her brief tummy time, she'll make some moves that lead us to believe she's about to crawl! Personally, I'm just enjoying the immobile time while it lasts. Because, I know it'll be a whole different ball game soon enough!
--She likes to sit up for a little while, but for whatever reason, likes laying on her back better. I've tried to keep her from laying back down before and she'll throw a mini-tantrum and push back on my hand as hard as possible to get back laying down. Some days she'll sit up and play a whole lot, while other days, she's on her back a lot.
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| Whenever she's doing something funny and we pull the camera out she immediately stops and gives this face! |
--If the sitting up versus laying down thing doesn't prove she's strong-willed, then spend a day with us and you can see all of the other little things she does that proves her strong personality :o) She keeps things interesting and I love it!
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| She loves to get into everything! So, she's helping mommy go through coupons :o) |
--Her current favorite toy is a plush doll of Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) that she got for Christmas. Even today she was crying because John was holding her and she wanted me to hold her (I had to throw that in there, because she is such a daddy's girl), then John grabbed her Aurora doll to show her and she instantly had a huge grin. But, she was still crying. So, John and I were cracking up at the smiles mixed with tears
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| She seriously melts my heart |
--Speaking of princess stuff, any time she sees anything Disney princess she starts smiling! Her favorite book at the moment is Tangled, she smiles the whole time! I'm so excited to take her to Disney again, because I think she would be a smiling fool over meeting the princesses
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| She loves her daddy! |
--She still sleeps great and I couldn't be happier about that! I don't take it for granted at. all. And, tonight, for the first time she is sleeping with no sleep sack! She fell asleep just like normal, so I am hoping she snoozes just like normal. With the weather being so much hotter outside, it was time to ditch the added warmth.
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| I'm beginning to notice in a lot of the pictures I chose, she's in her carseat |
Those are all of the highlights I can think of for now! We are loving her more and more every day. It's hard to believe there was a time when she didn't exist in our lives. But, it's also hard to believe that she's our child! So funny all of the random emotions and thoughts that parenthood bring. She is such a joy and most certainly the greatest blessing of my life!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Yeah, What She Said!
Read this blog right now! Yes, click on the link and read my friend Elizabeth's blog.
I agree with everything in it and just take out the whole Texas part and the Elizabeth part and insert with Georgia and Jennifer. Got it?
Friends, please come visit the Phillips house. We are always stocked with Oreos and if that's not enough to bribe you to visit us in Hotlanta, then here's a sure way to get you to make the trip...
I agree with everything in it and just take out the whole Texas part and the Elizabeth part and insert with Georgia and Jennifer. Got it?
Friends, please come visit the Phillips house. We are always stocked with Oreos and if that's not enough to bribe you to visit us in Hotlanta, then here's a sure way to get you to make the trip...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Lent to the Lord
"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord."
-1 Samuel 1:27, 28b
The above verse is one that I prayed and prayed before becoming pregnant with Ella. I prayed that if the Lord would grant my petition asking for a child, that I would do as Hannah and give my child to the Lord. Then, after finding out I was pregnant and the anxiety of the entire pregnancy, I pleaded these verses.
And, now she's here. She's strong-willed like her mother. Yet, loving like her daddy. And, y'all she is the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on. Sometimes, I just stare at her and wonder how in the world a baby so pretty came to be mine. Her laugh is ridiculously contagious. As soon as she starts, I can't stop, which in turn, makes her laugh harder. I couldn't ask for a greater blessing than Ella.
But, then comes the pesky second part of that Scripture. The whole, giving her over completely to the Lord. That seemed much easier when I prayed it before she actually got here. I know all of the spiritual answers and agree with them, but that doesn't make it any less difficult.
If you want to know the truth, a little window into the last 8 months, my struggle with the Lord has not been an easy one in this area. I know what it's like to hand your baby over to the Lord and then things end in the way you never expected. I also know that doesn't hold a candle to the pain of parents that, for whatever reason, the Lord called their child home far sooner than they ever planned.
And, here I am, clinging to my baby scared that the Lord may not know what's best. What if I miss a step when going up or down the stairs with Ella and something bad happens? What if I lay her down for her nap and she doesn't wake up? What if she chokes while eating? What if I'm driving on the highway and something starts to happen in the backseat and I can't get to her in time? What if...?
Unfortunately, I can give you lots of different stories from my life where I trusted the Lord and things didn't turn out how I planned for them. And, some days I truly struggle in handing over my baby to the Lord. Does He really know best? Do I really, truly believe that God is good?
Tonight, I cried my eyes out to John and explained how sometimes I feel that I am just waiting for something to go bad with Ella. We discussed a lot of it and traced back the roots of the fears. Half of it being the loss of our sweet first baby. But, after we talked some, we decided to sneak into Ella's room to watch her sleep (one of my favorite things!).
Well, she heard us (oops!) and awoke, crying. I picked her up and held her close. She instantly fell back asleep. Then, as I was swaying her, I looked up and noticed the above verse that is painted above her crib. I instantly got teary and felt the Lord whisper, "When are you really going to lend her to me?"
Wow.
Don't get me wrong, the Lord gave mother's an instinct to protect their children. It's amazing how He crafts that within a woman that has a baby. It's okay to be careful and to protect my little one. But, there is also the point where if it's done out of fear and worry, that is in no way trusting the Lord with my baby.
I am learning what it means to hand over my baby.
Every. Single. Stinkin'. Day.
I am ridiculously, unbelievably, immeasurably, beyond blessed to be given the gift of Ella. And, I will spend the rest of my life handing her over to the Lord and praising Him for letting me care for His creation in her!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Adventures at the Zoo
The zoo is one of those places that I hear about and immediately connect with children. I've only been to a zoo once before taking Ella this past weekend and it was when I was a nanny during the summertime. Therefore, I was really excited to take Little Miss to the Zoo Atlanta! She was excited, too and put on her party pants (aka, her ruffly shorts which I didn't take a picture of, because I am a terrible mother, but I digress).
We are bit of Disney snobs, so we weren't holding high expectations for the zoo after being to Animal Kingdom about 500 times. But, this zoo was so nice! It was really big and we didn't even see everything in this visit! We are definitely planning to make this a regular hot spot for the Phillips crew. We got to see lots of things, like a baby panda, a baby gorilla, elephants, tigers, giraffes, etc, etc.
We also came home with lots of funny stories. So, the first one? I'll start with this picture...
So, right before this picture was taken, I was telling John how we needed to get a picture of the three of us since my mom was with us to take it. Then, soon after I exclaimed how we need more pictures, I spot this lovely gorilla statue. The best part was that no one even cared about it. No line, no crowd, nada. Perfect.
Well, not so much. The second we get ourselves situated, which, included me trying to balance Ella on the gorilla's leg, John trying to help, me exclaiming in an irritated tone that he "doesn't understand what I'm trying to do" (aka, I thought it was the coolest idea ever to get her positioned on there and I was too tired and blazing hot/sweaty to think rationally about how I was reacting to his help when he didn't know "my plan"), 10 million people form a line to get a picture with the gorilla statue.
Immediately, some child ran up to the gorilla to touch it (you think it's the kid in the above picture? you'd be wrong). The parents quickly yelled at the child that we were "trying to take a picture", which let's face it, I'm still trying to dangle my child off of the gorilla leg and my husband is getting snapped at because he just doesn't understand my artistic expression. But, yeah, we're trying to take a picture, kid. The perfect picture (in my brain anyways).
So, that kid instantly obeys and returns to the line. Then, out of my peripheral, comes the kid you see in the above picture. Does this child get reprimanded like the previous child of literally two seconds before? Nope. His dad immediately drops down to one knee, with his khaki cargo shorts on, and starts snapping 80 pictures a second of precious little Jimmy playing with the gorilla statue. Nevermind the family of 3 in the background trying to get the perfect picture of their little girl's first trip to the zoo.
Here's my favorite picture of the day:
Don't be fooled, precious little Jimmy is still playing with the gorilla, my mom just cropped him out of the shot. His dad has already made the complete half-circle around the gorilla snapping photos of his playdate with the statue. He also made sure to get 2,400 pictures in 30 seconds while getting down on one knee, back up on his feet, back down on both knees...every angle was going to be shot. Regardless of the family of three looking for the perfect picture.
As you can see, John is angry, Ella is staring at statue (thankfully, oblivious), and I am clearly mid-sentence. But, what am I saying, you ask? Promise not to think I am as terrible as I feel? I yelled, staring straight at the mother in this scenario, but I was really "talking to John". You know how that move goes? Yeah, well, I yell, "C'mon! Let's get out of here! If these people are that rude to not wait their turn, I don't want the picture!". As soon as we walked away, we started laughing. It was like a, "wait, did all of that just happen in 3 minutes or less?" moment.
So, there it is, the Phillips' family in all of their glory. I think I am going to go pray for that family right now, to try and counteract my yells at them...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
iPad 2 Contest!
Hey everyone! Can you do me a BIG favor?
So, John has entered into a contest to win an iPad 2. It's legit and I know he would be over the moon if he won. Can you be the most perfect blog follower in the whole wide world and spare 60 seconds of your time to vote for him? Pretty please?
Can you deny this face?
I didn't think so ;o)
Therefore, just click on over to Elexio's Facebook page and first "Like" Elexio and then find "John Phillips" post (it's a video and Elexio said they love his beard, haha) and then just "Like" John's post.
Thank you times a million!!
So, John has entered into a contest to win an iPad 2. It's legit and I know he would be over the moon if he won. Can you be the most perfect blog follower in the whole wide world and spare 60 seconds of your time to vote for him? Pretty please?
Can you deny this face?
I didn't think so ;o)
Therefore, just click on over to Elexio's Facebook page and first "Like" Elexio and then find "John Phillips" post (it's a video and Elexio said they love his beard, haha) and then just "Like" John's post.
Thank you times a million!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Shelf and Some Clothespins
I never, ever expected in my whole life that a few items on a shelf and a package of clothespins would bring me to tears. I was always the girl that never cried at the sappy movies or at anything sentimental (still am, but babies can bring a woman to a few more tearful moments than usual). But, over the last week, the Lord has brought some tender moments that I hadn't really prepared for myself.
Little Miss started solids last week and the first couple of days were horrendous. To put it lightly, Ella abhors anything new. When we first got her an infant swing, she cried and screamed and cried some more. But, within a few weeks, it was one of the only things that could get her to calm down. This process has been repeated several times with several different things. I don't know why she hates change and new things so much. I mean, I don't know anyone (named Jennifer, perhaps) that hates change. I guess it will always be a mystery. Anyways...
After day three of screams, I was ready to throw in the towel. But, guess who showed up on day four? Miss McSmiley Pants! She was giggling and eating solids like a champ! Couldn't get enough of it! I was beyond thrilled. But, at the same time, there were intermittent moments where I had to hold back tears. To start solids, we've been sititng Ella in her Bumbo on top of the dining room table rather than in her highchair (it's just easier for now). And, on the wall by our dining room table, we have two shelves. One shelf contains some trinkets and photos, while the other contains some memories of our first baby. Remember this post? We do still have the shelf up and I love it. I love that our first baby has a place in our home. I love that I can look up at on that shelf and remember that the Lord has blessed us with two children, not just one.
And, just last week, Ella discovered the shelf. We showed her once before and she stared at it for a while, but this was the first time she found it on her own. She would stare at the shelf, get one more bite of food, then stare at the shelf. This process continued until she was done eating. And, ever since that day, most times when I feed her, she looks over at the shelf. Just seeing her stare at the ultrasound picture of her older brother or sister, was one of the most amazing moments for me since we've had Ella.
Then, yesterday, I did our diaper laundry (have I mentioned we are doing cloth diapers full-time now? So far, we've loved it! Another post on that later). To save on some electricity and to help naturally bleach out the diapers, I hung up our clothesline. I have never used a clothesline before, but thought the diapers would be a good reason to start. I set up the line and knew that I had brand new clothespins somewhere. The only thing I could remember is that I bought some one time for some type of craft. I dug through all of my craft supplies and couldn't find it.
Then, to the laundry room. Nope, not there.
Then, to our junk drawer. Nada.
To the cabinet with the tools? Nope.
The garage? Not there, either!
Then, it hits me. I remember what I used them for now....
to surprise John that I was pregnant with our first baby. I used them to hang up baby clothes as a decoration.
I stopped in my tracks. Then, I thought how cool it would be to use something of the first baby's for his or her younger sister. I went upstairs to the guest room closet where the bag full of stuff from the first baby lives. I pulled it out and there it was. The ribbon I used for the decoration still had the clothespins attached and the package of unused clothespins were in the bag, too. I took the unused ones out and went to my clothesline.
As I hung up each diaper, I remembered our first child. It's amazing how a little baby that never even entered the world alive, can have marks all over my home and in my heart. I was reminded, once again, that God does not create living things without a purpose. That baby had a purpose and I feel like month by month I get another glimpse of it.
My sweet Ella has a purpose in this life, too. My job as her mom is to help her unravel it and to prepare her to fulfill what God has for her life. And, may I keep letting the shelves and the clothespins in my life remind me of the continuing work that is to be done in my sweet, second baby.
Little Miss started solids last week and the first couple of days were horrendous. To put it lightly, Ella abhors anything new. When we first got her an infant swing, she cried and screamed and cried some more. But, within a few weeks, it was one of the only things that could get her to calm down. This process has been repeated several times with several different things. I don't know why she hates change and new things so much. I mean, I don't know anyone (named Jennifer, perhaps) that hates change. I guess it will always be a mystery. Anyways...
After day three of screams, I was ready to throw in the towel. But, guess who showed up on day four? Miss McSmiley Pants! She was giggling and eating solids like a champ! Couldn't get enough of it! I was beyond thrilled. But, at the same time, there were intermittent moments where I had to hold back tears. To start solids, we've been sititng Ella in her Bumbo on top of the dining room table rather than in her highchair (it's just easier for now). And, on the wall by our dining room table, we have two shelves. One shelf contains some trinkets and photos, while the other contains some memories of our first baby. Remember this post? We do still have the shelf up and I love it. I love that our first baby has a place in our home. I love that I can look up at on that shelf and remember that the Lord has blessed us with two children, not just one.
And, just last week, Ella discovered the shelf. We showed her once before and she stared at it for a while, but this was the first time she found it on her own. She would stare at the shelf, get one more bite of food, then stare at the shelf. This process continued until she was done eating. And, ever since that day, most times when I feed her, she looks over at the shelf. Just seeing her stare at the ultrasound picture of her older brother or sister, was one of the most amazing moments for me since we've had Ella.
Then, yesterday, I did our diaper laundry (have I mentioned we are doing cloth diapers full-time now? So far, we've loved it! Another post on that later). To save on some electricity and to help naturally bleach out the diapers, I hung up our clothesline. I have never used a clothesline before, but thought the diapers would be a good reason to start. I set up the line and knew that I had brand new clothespins somewhere. The only thing I could remember is that I bought some one time for some type of craft. I dug through all of my craft supplies and couldn't find it.
Then, to the laundry room. Nope, not there.
Then, to our junk drawer. Nada.
To the cabinet with the tools? Nope.
The garage? Not there, either!
Then, it hits me. I remember what I used them for now....
to surprise John that I was pregnant with our first baby. I used them to hang up baby clothes as a decoration.
I stopped in my tracks. Then, I thought how cool it would be to use something of the first baby's for his or her younger sister. I went upstairs to the guest room closet where the bag full of stuff from the first baby lives. I pulled it out and there it was. The ribbon I used for the decoration still had the clothespins attached and the package of unused clothespins were in the bag, too. I took the unused ones out and went to my clothesline.
As I hung up each diaper, I remembered our first child. It's amazing how a little baby that never even entered the world alive, can have marks all over my home and in my heart. I was reminded, once again, that God does not create living things without a purpose. That baby had a purpose and I feel like month by month I get another glimpse of it.
My sweet Ella has a purpose in this life, too. My job as her mom is to help her unravel it and to prepare her to fulfill what God has for her life. And, may I keep letting the shelves and the clothespins in my life remind me of the continuing work that is to be done in my sweet, second baby.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Circles
So, Ella has been going in circles lately. No, really. In circles.
Ella sleeps in a "blanket sleeper" over her PJ's because it can get pretty chilly in her room. See her pacifier? Yup, John came up with the genius idea to take her WubbaNub and clip it to her using the little piece of material at the top that snaps over the zipper. Beautiful, I tell you. No more giving her the pacifier back=no more treks upstairs for me or John in the middle of sleep-times.
But, anyways, I digress...as you can see her little feet aren't exposed. They are inside of the blankety sleeper. Well, the little mastermind has figured out how to maneuver herself around anyways. Who needs exposed feet to do cool tricks? So, now she likes to scoot around to her heart's content. I woke up this morning to her in that same position trying to roll over to her tummy (then, quickly thrusting herself back because she hates her tummy, remember?). She would cry for 2 seconds for me to come get her, but then she would be quiet for 5 seconds as she scooted around her crib for fun. Goober is one of my many nicknames for her. Goober.
Tummy time these days equals even louder screaming, but lots and lots of circles. And, much quicker at rolling back over to the safety of her back. She firmly believes her tummy can't be trusted. Oh, the goober. Although, she doesn't quite understand yet that all of the circling and pumping legs are making her that much closer to crawling. I try to explain to her that she'll be that much closer to world domination. But, she figures she already has John and I wrapped tightly around her fingers, so why take on any more yet? :o) What a goober.
Maybe I should put her in the blanket sleeper, with no available feet, on her tummy and she'll learn how to crawl? Hmmm. Goober child of mine always makes me laugh.
Ella sleeps in a "blanket sleeper" over her PJ's because it can get pretty chilly in her room. See her pacifier? Yup, John came up with the genius idea to take her WubbaNub and clip it to her using the little piece of material at the top that snaps over the zipper. Beautiful, I tell you. No more giving her the pacifier back=no more treks upstairs for me or John in the middle of sleep-times.
But, anyways, I digress...as you can see her little feet aren't exposed. They are inside of the blankety sleeper. Well, the little mastermind has figured out how to maneuver herself around anyways. Who needs exposed feet to do cool tricks? So, now she likes to scoot around to her heart's content. I woke up this morning to her in that same position trying to roll over to her tummy (then, quickly thrusting herself back because she hates her tummy, remember?). She would cry for 2 seconds for me to come get her, but then she would be quiet for 5 seconds as she scooted around her crib for fun. Goober is one of my many nicknames for her. Goober.
Tummy time these days equals even louder screaming, but lots and lots of circles. And, much quicker at rolling back over to the safety of her back. She firmly believes her tummy can't be trusted. Oh, the goober. Although, she doesn't quite understand yet that all of the circling and pumping legs are making her that much closer to crawling. I try to explain to her that she'll be that much closer to world domination. But, she figures she already has John and I wrapped tightly around her fingers, so why take on any more yet? :o) What a goober.
Maybe I should put her in the blanket sleeper, with no available feet, on her tummy and she'll learn how to crawl? Hmmm. Goober child of mine always makes me laugh.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Ella's Greatest Disobedience
I knew the day would come when this would happen. I greatly feared it. I explained to Ella in the hospital that she had only one rule that she could never break.
And, the day came just a few weeks ago where she figured out how to accomplish what will always be the greatest act of disobedience in our house. I snapped a picture to show you all the grave decision Ella has been making quite frequently. With much hesitation, I will show it to you...
And, the day came just a few weeks ago where she figured out how to accomplish what will always be the greatest act of disobedience in our house. I snapped a picture to show you all the grave decision Ella has been making quite frequently. With much hesitation, I will show it to you...
I know you are probably as horrified as I am that she has figured out how to pull out her hairbow. Sigh.
Does she fuss or scream or cry like her mother does when she pulls it off to land right over her eyes and keeps it there? Nope, she doesn't. My sweet, precious fussbucket baby cries at most inconveniences, but not when she's pulled her hairbow down over her eyes. Blinding her. But, at the same time, at least she doesn't cry when I put it on her, either.
I am deeply saddened to report this new development to you, but it had to be done. And, it would have been reported sooner, except that I have continually forgotten to take a picture because I usually yank it back on her head as quick as possible, to its rightful, perfect, beautiful place. On her head. Not over her eyes. Or around her neck.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
House of Screams
Ella has screamed a lot today. Actually, she's screamed a lot this week. I think a tooth may be on its way, a lot of signs are pointing towards it, but it's hard to tell. I think being the mom of a baby is like being a detective! Never truly knowing what's going on ;)
Today when she woke up less than halfway thru her nap, screaming and then continued to scream for the rest of the afternoon, it all finally caught up with me. Three days, in a house alone, with a screaming baby. And, girlfriend got some lungs. I put her in her swing, in front of the TV with Praise Baby playing. And, stepped away for a minute.
I got all huffy with the Lord.
Seriously, Lord?? A third day of screaming?
I don't have any help, why do you let her be so fussy for days on end??
I have given all of the love and grace I can give.
Then, I stopped being huffy and puffy. And, the tears started. I picked up Little Miss, held her close, cried and sang along to the Praise Baby DVD thanking the Lord that He has never run out of grace for me.
He HAS given all of the love He can give. Even when I am screaming in His face, over nothing, He has more love and more grace to give to me. And, I pray that despite my own fussiness, that Ella will one day be able to see the true love and grace from the Lord by my love for her.
Today when she woke up less than halfway thru her nap, screaming and then continued to scream for the rest of the afternoon, it all finally caught up with me. Three days, in a house alone, with a screaming baby. And, girlfriend got some lungs. I put her in her swing, in front of the TV with Praise Baby playing. And, stepped away for a minute.
I got all huffy with the Lord.
Seriously, Lord?? A third day of screaming?
I don't have any help, why do you let her be so fussy for days on end??
I have given all of the love and grace I can give.
Then, I stopped being huffy and puffy. And, the tears started. I picked up Little Miss, held her close, cried and sang along to the Praise Baby DVD thanking the Lord that He has never run out of grace for me.
He HAS given all of the love He can give. Even when I am screaming in His face, over nothing, He has more love and more grace to give to me. And, I pray that despite my own fussiness, that Ella will one day be able to see the true love and grace from the Lord by my love for her.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Ella Update!!
I've realized recently that I have not updated the world on the craziness that is Ella! So, here are some tidbits on our sweet Ella girl!
--Little Miss is a take charge, independent, and vocal thang! I wish I could say I don't have a clue where she gets it from, but, more times than not, I see myself in her (scary and cool at the same time!). She is what we like to affectionately call a screamer. I, in no way, mean that to sound like a bad thing. But, she just screams a lot, haha. The second night we were in the hospital she screamed all. night. long. Not a few whimpering cries as we heard from our neighboring babies, but full-out cried for hours on end with no ceasing. I remembered sitting there thinking I had never seen a baby like it after all of my years of babysitting and nannying, haha. Because of this, I have the feeling she is going to be a non-stop, loud talker! Once again, I have no clue where she gets that from...
--I must admit that a lot of Ella's screaming has piped down since I cut out all dairy from my diet (can you say hardest thing ever after being nauseous for 9 months??). Her eczema is gone (I wish we would have taken some pictures at it's worst, because it was pretty yucky), she doesn't scream all the way through eating now, she actually wants to eat, and overall just seems much happier. Time will tell if it's a true allergy, but for now, no dairy has worked wonders for our family!
--Ella said her first word a few weeks ago! Drumroll please...it was mama! Now, let's be clear, she says it everyday (usually while crying), but she doesn't have a clue in the world what it means. And, I am sure my incessant, "mamamamama" all up in her face had nothing to do with her learning how to say it
--She HATES tummy time. The fastest way to hear how loud she can scream (once again, I have no clue where she learned volume control...) is to put her on her tummy. It's like she screams to tell us that she knows we are sending her to her doom. So, she gets most of her tummy time right before bedtimes because we can send her straight to bed where she'll snuggle up, calm down, and fall asleep, rather than spend 30 minutes during her waketime trying to reassure her that we won't send her back on her doomful tummy.
--She's officially rolling over from tummy to back! John and I pretty much cheer like freaks when she does it. Maybe that's why she's scared of tummy time? Hmm. Also, we firmly believe she can roll from her back to tummy, but refuses to do so because why would she throw herself in the position she hates?? Seriously, she gets like a half-inch from rolling to her tummy and instantly pulls herself back. She knows, that little booger, she knows. And, if I try to help her in that mid-roll to her tummy, with all of her might, she pulls herself to the opposite direction, keeping herself firmly planted back to the ground. But, really, I have NO idea where she gets her strong-willed nature...
--She officially turned 5 months this past Friday! She's almost a half a year!
--She is slowly growing out of her 3-6 month clothing and is already in some of her 6-9 month stuff! She's a long little girl!
--Her laugh is SO contagious! Once she gets going, it's like she can't stop. Her whole face squishes up and she laughs to the point where then it gets hard for her to breathe, haha. We took her to see Tangled and she loved at all of the funny parts!! John and I were just cracking up, because she even laughed at the funny parts before the crowd started in. Any time there was physical comedy (when the guy gets hit on the head, etc) she was cracking up! I don't know that John and I have ever been more proud of our daughter than when we realized she understands humor :o)
--She loves her some Mickey and Minnie Mouse! If she's screaming past the point of any solace, we turn on the TV to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and she is g-l-u-e-d. As soon as Mickey invites her to his clubhouse, she's trying to dry up the tears.
--Anything she can get her hands on, goes in her mouth. There's two spots in her mouth where I have thought for sure that a tooth would come bustin' out soon. But, nothing so far! But, she loves to chew on any of her toys, her hand, my hand, her pacifier, and even her clothes if she can grab a piece of it, haha.
--I am falling more in love with her every day. One thing I didn't realize as being a new parent is that sometimes it takes a little while for the bond to mature, and that's okay. Don't get me wrong, I loved her from the beginning, but now that she's blossoming into her very own self and not just a screaming bump on a log (I mean, seriously, newborns have always been kinda bump on the log-ish to me), I am loving her beyond what I thought I could. Every day that love for her grows a little more. I just wish I could hold her and squeeze her all the time! I didn't want to put her down for her morning nap today because she was just so yummy (John doesn't understand that term, but whatever). Under all of that strong-willed personality, she is just the sweetest little baby that loves to giggle, smile, and hold on tight for a good hug. We are so glad the Lord gave us her, even on the tough days!!
I think those are enough Ella tidbits for now! I need to do better at keeping up with some of her shenanigan's on here, so I can remember them!
Ella at 4 months. John's computer has more pictures on it! I will try to update with them soon :o)
--Little Miss is a take charge, independent, and vocal thang! I wish I could say I don't have a clue where she gets it from, but, more times than not, I see myself in her (scary and cool at the same time!). She is what we like to affectionately call a screamer. I, in no way, mean that to sound like a bad thing. But, she just screams a lot, haha. The second night we were in the hospital she screamed all. night. long. Not a few whimpering cries as we heard from our neighboring babies, but full-out cried for hours on end with no ceasing. I remembered sitting there thinking I had never seen a baby like it after all of my years of babysitting and nannying, haha. Because of this, I have the feeling she is going to be a non-stop, loud talker! Once again, I have no clue where she gets that from...
--I must admit that a lot of Ella's screaming has piped down since I cut out all dairy from my diet (can you say hardest thing ever after being nauseous for 9 months??). Her eczema is gone (I wish we would have taken some pictures at it's worst, because it was pretty yucky), she doesn't scream all the way through eating now, she actually wants to eat, and overall just seems much happier. Time will tell if it's a true allergy, but for now, no dairy has worked wonders for our family!
--Ella said her first word a few weeks ago! Drumroll please...it was mama! Now, let's be clear, she says it everyday (usually while crying), but she doesn't have a clue in the world what it means. And, I am sure my incessant, "mamamamama" all up in her face had nothing to do with her learning how to say it
--She HATES tummy time. The fastest way to hear how loud she can scream (once again, I have no clue where she learned volume control...) is to put her on her tummy. It's like she screams to tell us that she knows we are sending her to her doom. So, she gets most of her tummy time right before bedtimes because we can send her straight to bed where she'll snuggle up, calm down, and fall asleep, rather than spend 30 minutes during her waketime trying to reassure her that we won't send her back on her doomful tummy.
--She's officially rolling over from tummy to back! John and I pretty much cheer like freaks when she does it. Maybe that's why she's scared of tummy time? Hmm. Also, we firmly believe she can roll from her back to tummy, but refuses to do so because why would she throw herself in the position she hates?? Seriously, she gets like a half-inch from rolling to her tummy and instantly pulls herself back. She knows, that little booger, she knows. And, if I try to help her in that mid-roll to her tummy, with all of her might, she pulls herself to the opposite direction, keeping herself firmly planted back to the ground. But, really, I have NO idea where she gets her strong-willed nature...
--She officially turned 5 months this past Friday! She's almost a half a year!
--She is slowly growing out of her 3-6 month clothing and is already in some of her 6-9 month stuff! She's a long little girl!
--Her laugh is SO contagious! Once she gets going, it's like she can't stop. Her whole face squishes up and she laughs to the point where then it gets hard for her to breathe, haha. We took her to see Tangled and she loved at all of the funny parts!! John and I were just cracking up, because she even laughed at the funny parts before the crowd started in. Any time there was physical comedy (when the guy gets hit on the head, etc) she was cracking up! I don't know that John and I have ever been more proud of our daughter than when we realized she understands humor :o)
--She loves her some Mickey and Minnie Mouse! If she's screaming past the point of any solace, we turn on the TV to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and she is g-l-u-e-d. As soon as Mickey invites her to his clubhouse, she's trying to dry up the tears.
--Anything she can get her hands on, goes in her mouth. There's two spots in her mouth where I have thought for sure that a tooth would come bustin' out soon. But, nothing so far! But, she loves to chew on any of her toys, her hand, my hand, her pacifier, and even her clothes if she can grab a piece of it, haha.
--I am falling more in love with her every day. One thing I didn't realize as being a new parent is that sometimes it takes a little while for the bond to mature, and that's okay. Don't get me wrong, I loved her from the beginning, but now that she's blossoming into her very own self and not just a screaming bump on a log (I mean, seriously, newborns have always been kinda bump on the log-ish to me), I am loving her beyond what I thought I could. Every day that love for her grows a little more. I just wish I could hold her and squeeze her all the time! I didn't want to put her down for her morning nap today because she was just so yummy (John doesn't understand that term, but whatever). Under all of that strong-willed personality, she is just the sweetest little baby that loves to giggle, smile, and hold on tight for a good hug. We are so glad the Lord gave us her, even on the tough days!!
I think those are enough Ella tidbits for now! I need to do better at keeping up with some of her shenanigan's on here, so I can remember them!
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