I know I've said it before, but since having Ellie and returning to work, I savor the weekends so much more than I ever have in the past. This weekend was so low-key, and I enjoyed every second of it! To top it all off, Ellie took four naps this weekend, all of which were over two hours long! Go Ellie!
Friday night was rather warm, so we decided it was a great time for Ellie's first dip in the pool. Well, it was really her bathtub, outside, with cool water, but still. You get the idea :)
I'm not so sure about this...
Ohhh...grass...
I think I'll climb out!
I'd better not!
Kirby! That tickles!
I LOVE my bath toys! (Oh sorry, my POOL toys :)
This is the life!
Saturday was really nice. We decided to go to the park to have a picnic. It was a little breezy, but relaxing nonetheless. After our lunch, we took a walk on the trail, and then took Ellie to the playground for the first time. She had a blast on the swings! Girlfriend is going to be FEARLESS!
The perfect picnic spot...
Ellie and Daddy on the picnic blanket...
One of my favorites :)
And another...
Kirby is thinking "if only they would look the other way..."
Now onto the swing! Apparently, we are pretty funny. I'll remind her of that when she's 15 :)
Pudge-kin face :)
What a big girl!
Playing BOO with Daddy!
Sneaky little face...
She's still such a peanut!
Anyone that knows me well know that I'm a pretty low-maintenance lady :) I love family and friends, and being with the ones that I love. Uneventful weekends full of walks, picnics at the parks, holding hands with my hubby, and snuggles from my girl are all that I need!
This last picture has no real significance to my weekend really, but is too cute not to post :)
I'm feeling the urge to write a sappy Mother's Day post, so here goes nothing... Almost two years ago, while lying on the beach in White Lake, NC, Dave and I decided that we wanted to be parents more than anything in the world. We got home from vacation, excited to embark on this new adventure towards parenthood, and three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. We were absolutely shocked and couldn't wait to tell anyone who would listen that we were going to be parents. Ten weeks after I found out that I was pregnant, our world was shattered when we found out that Baby "Bean" didn't make it. The months following my miscarriage were filled with uncertainty and doubt, medical tests, anxiety, and anticipation. I thought I was fine, but looking back, I realize that I went through a major bout of depression. Three months later, we were cleared by the doctor to start trying again, and to our absolute shock, three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant once again. I about fell on the floor. I had all these plans to tell Dave in some creative way, but I couldn't contain myself, so I just ran out and showed him the test. I had no idea what I was in for. The next nine months were surprisingly devoid of worry. I thought I was going to be a wreck given what we had gone through just a few short months before, but I was ok. What did take me by surprise was how sick I became. I'm not even sure I can describe in words how sick I was with Ellie. I threw up just about everyday from the time I was 6 weeks pregnant to the day Ellie was born. Heck, throwing up is what progressed my labor so fast! Go figure! On the morning of November 13th, 2009, I woke up feeling kind of funny and mentioned to Dave that I "might" be going into labor. He went into work, thinking that it would be awhile. About an hour later, my mom called him, and said that he'd better get to the hospital since my contractions were 3 minutes apart! I went from "feeling kind of funny" to being in the hospital dilated 4 centimeters within about an hour and a half. Two hours later, I got my epidural, and 2 hours after that, Ellie was born. It was quite the whirlwind experience. I'm not sure there's a baby in the world who was wanted more than Ellie. I've got tears in my eyes just thinking about how loved she is and is going to be as she grows up. My brother called me today and put it so well-"Nik, I wanted to call and say Happy Mother's Day. I know it's been a long journey getting here, but I know you'd do it all over again to get your little girl." How true is that? I would go through that pain a thousand times over to get my little angel. It's surreal to me that I am celebrating Mother's Day for myself this year. It's an emotional thing, you know. I feel like the luckiest woman alive. I've got an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, and family and friends that would do anything for us. Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. You've got quite the little blessings in your lives :)
Our journey towards parenthood...
Our "Bean"
Remembering our little one...
Ellie @ 7 weeks :)
10 weeks and looking more like a wee one :)
18 weeks...boy or girl?
Holy moly! It's a girl!
37 weeks cooked and more than ready to go!
Best Halloween costume ever! 39 weeks DONE!
November 13, 2009...Elizabeth Grace Welch...8 pounds 1 ounce...21.5 inches long...
We waited so long for her...
Newborn...
1 month old...
2 months...look at that grin!
3 months and beautiful...
4 months old!
5 months!
Here we are, 6 months later, loving our new life more than ever. I've had a great couple of days with my loves, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend Mother's Day weekend.
Some pictures from the weekend...
Look Mommy, I can read...oh wait, no...I just like eating the book :)
Sitting in the shopping cart like a big girl!
Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!!!
Oh...and what would one of my posts be without a new video of Miss Cuteness. She's learned to give kisses :)
I think anyone who knows me right now would classify me as a serious camera addict. If I forget to take the camera with me somewhere, I become overwhelmed with sadness because I might just miss catching some life moment on video or in a photo. How sad is that? I suppose you all don't mind because you gets lots of good looks at my #1 girl! Anyway, nothing too interesting going on this week so far, but here are some pictures and videos to enjoy :)
My "official" looking hubby :)
Ready for a night patroling the streets!
How cute am I in my new carseat?
Ahhh...so comfy!
Mommy! Daddy! That tickles!
Daddy's girl :)
I could just eat those cheeks!
Fingerpainting!
Making a fun surprise!
Go Ellie, go!
Ellie is loving oatmeal these days!
She thinks Kirby is the funniest thing ever. Keep watching and you'll see the "almost crawl!"
After 8 LONG, HARD months of basic training, Dave walked across the stage on Tuesday night and graduated from the Price George's County Police Academy. It was really neat watching him accomplish something so great! I was so nervous about the whole thing because of bringing Ellie and her being up WAY past bed time, but she was a trooper! She played, ate, stared at the lights, and made not one unhappy peep the entire evening. She stayed up just long enough to watch her daddy walk across the stage and then conked out.
Scrolling through class pictures before the ceremony...
Ellie "reading" the program during the ceremony...
Walking across the stage...
Great job, Dave!
Shaking hands...
With his diploma...
Dave and his mom...
Mingling with the "uppers"...
So proud of Daddy!
The other night after work and daycare, we decided to have a nice relaxing evening sitting outside. Ellie discovered the wonders of grass and dirt, and boy did she love them! She needed some extra hard scrubs under the fingernails that night!
Hmmm...not so sure about this...
Should I touch it?
Bubbles!
I do like it!
Mommy and Ellie in the grass :)
This one is entirely random, but too cute not to post :)
In other news, we started sleep training about two weeks ago. Basically, this consists of letting Ellie learn to put herself to sleep rather than being nursed, rocked, or bounced to sleep each night. It's a tough process, probably more tough on Dave and I than on Ellie. The first few nights involved about 40 minutes or so of torturous crying, the next few nights about 20 minutes of crying, and since then, it's been taking Ellie about 15-20 minutes to fall asleep, but with barely any crying at all! Dave and I now have so much time in the evenings. On top of the added time, she is sleeping so much better and her naps have even improved. Go Ellie!
We also started back up on solid foods this morning. I think she is ready for them now. She gobbled down a bowl of cereal this morning like a pro and even drank a half ounce of water out of her sippy cup! What a big girl!
Dave starts midnight shift tonight, so I'm sure it will be an adjustment! He's super excited though :)
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