traveler's rest

Home. It feels good. More than good, in fact. I walked in the front door after nearly two weeks of travel, and all I wanted to do was get in my own bed and take a nap. So I did. We've gotten to visit our families, and see lots of friends, so our trips were well worth it. But it's always so very nice to come home.

Ella was a good little traveler. I can tell she's exhausted, evidenced by her four naps yesterday. But she had a lot of fun seeing all her grandparents and aunts and uncles and playing her little heart out. Her love of the Johnny Jump-Up has reached a whole new level. The second you put her in there she starts shrieking with unbelievable delight. It's so fun!

She's reached some other levels, too. She's clapping now - her style is her right hand hitting her stationary left hand. Very cute. She waves as well. We're not sure if she knows she's doing it...but she's definitely looked at people and given them a little wave. So we like to think she does. The child's also going to be crawling any day. She gets on all fours and rocks back and forth. AND, she's started the ever-important babbling with consonants! hooray! it's sort of a cross between "blah blah blah" and "mlah mlah mlah."

That's about all the reports for now. When I've settled back into real life and reflect on just how many pieces of pumpkin pie and chocolate chessecake I had, I'm sure I'll be back.

anything for a smile

Isn't it amusing how most adults will make just about any kind of crazy face, or speak with an amazingly high-pitched voice, for the reward of a baby's smile? Rightfully so. Being a recipient of Any baby's smile is about the sweetest thing I can think of...but especially when it's my own.

For some reason Ella Loves it when I sing "Cruella DeVille" - the song made oh-so-popular by Disney's 101 Dalmations. I don't really know why I started singing it to her one day. Maybe because it has "ella" as part of the name. Which led me to hope that my own Ella isn't called that one day by her peers - especially if it's warrented. Anyway, back to the song. She loves it! And this week she's been experimenting with her tongue. As in, sticking it out as part of her smile. Not like a dog, or like Michael Jordan when going up for a dunk, or like a little kid being mean, but she sticks her tongue out between her lips as she's giving a big grin. If she gets extra excited, she purses her mouth, scrunches her nose, and closes her eyes. And on a very rare and wonderful occassion, she gives a little laugh.

The other song which (this one I Really don't know why) I have been singing is the "Happy Birthday" song, but the "Christian" version. I don't know where I learned it, or when I sang it, or why I started singing it to my child today, but I did. She likes it, too. She was playing in her ExerSaucer, and her eyes got really big, and she smiled and leaned forward in excitement. Then we had a sing-along, which consisted of me trying to figure out what she liked best about singing (as in, when she would smile and "sing" along) and discovered it was when I held a note out for a really long time and used extra vibrato. I am Very glad that no one came to the door during this time.

So now she's napping, which I Think is getting better. I can never tell if we're finding a pattern, or what makes some days better than others. But I do know that yesterday we rocked for a long time (we actually hadn't done that in a while) and I made use of the time by reading. I learned a new word, in a children's book of all places. Of course, this isn't your typical modern-day children's book. It's "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge. One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. It's on Ella's bookshelf, so I thought I would re-read it. Anyway, I came across the word "salubrious." Maybe it's a common word that all children know, but I thought not. It means "conducive or favorable to health or well-being." Which makes perfect sense now in the story. Which everyone should read. Or at least one book by Elizabeth Goudge before they die. Because she's that wonderful. One day I will read her children's books to Ella, and then hopefully she'll want to read the rest when she's older. And I can almost promise they will make her smile.

for your viewing pleasure

ok, party people, we've finally put some new pictures up of ella on our little family blog. the link is on the right (i still need to learn how to put links in my actual post). enjoy!

you are Such a tease

First you take forever to let a cool breeze in, then after everyone gets excited and pulls out sweaters you promptly return in full force. Excuse me, Heat, it is October 18. I should not be in a tank top and shorts. My baby shoud not be sweating in her crib while sleeping in a sleeveless onesie sporting fish. She needs to be in a sweatshirt like she was last week.

Even the two, pretty pumpkins I literally climbed into a huge barrel to buy (don't expect me to hope for cool weather with ugly pumpkins) did not persuade you to go. You laughed and your breath made it hotter. Do you not smell the incense I burn (well, my Hazelnut Cream and Baked Apple Pie candles)? Don't you think you should kindly comply and go your merry way?

You have the entire Southern Hemisphere waiting for you - is that not enough? Are you really that insecure that you won't let your coveted cousin, Cold, come (and doesn't my alliteration impress you? or at least scare you away?)? Heck, just let your half-brother, Cool, visit us.

I no longer want to see my neighbors watering their yard. I no longer want to wear flip-flops, or if I do, I want my toes to be cold. I no longer want to sleep under our Summer covers. I want the big guns. I want the down comforter. I no longer want to order caramel frappucinos (decaf) - I want mochas (decaf)! I no longer want to use air conditioning in my car or my house. These are my heartfelt pleas.

All I know is that you'd better be packing your bags for at least 4 months (that's not too much to ask, is it?) by October 31. My baby will be a bunny, and although bunnies Do frolic during the warm months, her costume is furry and warm and I don't want a sweaty, sad bunny.

Don't you worry, I'll be calling on you soon enough. But I need my space. Too much of anything is not a good thing, right?

Daydreaming

When I was little, like most children, I had a bedtime. I had to abide by this set time, regardless of my level of tiredness - sometimes I was sad about it, but most of the time I looked forward to lying in bed, and letting my imagination take over. I often think longingly back to those days, where I would look up at the picture hanging above my bed, and make the characters come to life. The picture was of all the woodland animals making their way to school - which was held beside a tree, of course. I would give them names, backgrounds, conversations and friendships. Many winter nights I would lie under my flannel sheets in my flannel nightgown and create "lightning" by flapping my sheets up and down. But mostly I would just daydream, even though it wasn't really day.

I never daydreamed in class. The great Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes was always going on some crazy mind adventure during classtime. Not me. I was too afraid of getting into trouble, like the way it always ended with Calvin. I was definitely more like Suzie. Perfect example: the first time I ever got my name written on the board was in seventh grade. The troublemaker in the class kept poking and pestering me, until I finally turned around and violently exclaimed, "Leave me ALONE, Mark!" Instantly our names went on the board, and I was devastated. It was everything I could do to not cry. So, no daydreaming for me. Plus, I might have missed something really important that might have been on a test, or just plain interesting (yep, I was That kid).

As I got older, the nights grew later and I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow. I am still an insta-sleeper, and that's okay by me. I'm not exactly sleeping in anymore these days. And I've never taken the time to just Space Out. I'm always occupying my time. Even if it's actually enriching my mind, it still isn't Just my mind chewing on whatever's floating around in there.

I have been pleasantly surprised, however, by the re-entry of daydreaming in my life. As I've mentioned before, I have a baby who doesn't like to nap apart from me (the more time goes by and I try to figure out her personality, I think she just doesn't want to miss anything, and if I'm with her she feels like nothing must be going on so it's safe to sleep. I think. But of course I don't know. I've only been a mom for seven months, and Ella can't talk. But I'm pretty sure that's it.). So we spend a lot of time in the rocking chair, as I've talked about before. I've come to really love time in the rocking chair. Ella squirms for a while, but then she always makes her way to the crook of my neck. Once she's there, I know she's sleeping - or pretty darn close. And my body instantly relaxes.

It takes a few minutes for my mind to follow suit. I first have to scroll through all the logistics of the day, get things sorted out and put in their places. And then the Wandering begins. I don't even know really what I think about, but isn't that the point? Pretty soon it's been half-an-hour, and we're still rocking. Ella's happily sleeping, I'm happily wandering, and my knees beginning to protest. But still we rock. And sleep. And wander.

teeth, scullery maid, & a rearranged room

Lots of things are happening at the Osenga homestead. It seems like Ella is just growing before our eyes. Okay, that's really cliche', but it's true! Every day there seems to be a new development or change, and her smiles are getting bigger and bigger and pretty much constant (which is awfully fun). I feel like she's almost a whole new baby then she was just a couple of months ago. She makes me laugh all the time, and I like to laugh, so that works out nicely.
Last Sunday I was feeding her applesauce, and I put my pinky in her mouth so she could lick some off....lo and behold I felt something sticking out from her bottom gum. Today I am happy to report that she has two little teeth growing in, and even happier to report that she doesn't seem to be affected too negatively by the whole process. I even have a slight suspicion that a third bottom tooth is starting to crown, but that may be just a little too crazy.
Of course I have happy and sad moments about the tiny teeth. It's very exciting, and her teeth are just in time to be little snags for Halloween...but then she'll never have that all-gums baby smile again. It's silly, I know, but now I'm a mom so I have to be overly sentimental, right?
Speaking of, we rearranged Ella's room tonight, so that her crib wouldn't be in the direct middle of her drafty windows. I love that it's colder, but the poor thing can't sleep with a blanket, so we've got to keep her environment as pleasant as possible. I like the way everything is set up, but, again, I'm currently all nostalgic for the old way. It IS how the room was arranged when we brought her home from the hospital, and now there are the all-important questions like, "where do we put the night light?"
Her verbal repertoire is steadily growing. And by verbal, I mean, the craziest noises you could ever imagine. Her current favorite is what seems to be a very proficient gargling of saliva. This takes place most often when she's lying on her back (I guess that Would make it easier) and especially if people are talking and not paying attenting to her. The other day my mom and I were talking in her room - she was on her blanket nearby - and she started gargling. That soon changed to her new squawk. This is not an unhappy sound, to her anyway. I think it's hilarious, and total strangers think I'm pinching her (like one man in Subway asked). My friend, Melissa, said if her head started spinning she's outa there. It's pretty disconcerting if you've never heard it. It's like some sort of call of the wild. And it's awesome. Anyway, if that sound doesn't get your attention, she promptly rolls onto her stomach and performs "the airplane." This is a common baby move where they lift their head and all limbs at the same time, looking like they are flying. It's pretty great. If a toy is nearby, she picks it up with her mouth during the whole thing. Impressive, actually. And, of course, if you look over during any part of her performance she instantly rewards you with a huge smile displaying her two little ridges.
Also this past week, my friend, Adrienne, put a burp cloth on Ella's head - I mean, why not? So she did, and the result was something very reminiscent of a scullery maid back in the olden days. We promptly told Ella to get cracking on that stew and to scrub the floors, but she decided she'd rather play the piano. I'm glad she did.

And here she's pondering the perfect song to play.

Life is good.

Coming to the table

Our responsive hymn to the Lord's supper today, was "In Christ Alone." I first heard this song at a wedding. I was three months pregnant and overwhelmed with awe at the miracle that is life. The line "From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny" brought me to tears, and it still does.
I was surprised that I wasn't familiar with it, and it wasn't until today that I realized it was written just a couple years ago. Proof that there is such a thing as the modern-day hymn.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light my strength my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled when strivings cease!
My Comforter my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid:
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till he returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!


-Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

please don't be dead!

i just don't think i could deal with it if vaughn was dead. i don't want to get my hopes up. Alias does have a way of pulling off grand schemes. but tonight i was a very sad girl. vaughn is one of the best parts about the show. maybe even The best part. i can't even handle it. Alias, be good to me. i've invested a lot in you.

the Tipley Team

Lifelong friendships, I'm learning, are a rare commodity. There are, of course, the college friendships, the high school friendships, occasionally the grade school friendships that have lasted through the years. And a lot of people probably had to play with the kids of their parents' friends - but those mostly end as the years go by - a quick "hello" and a catch-up if you happen to pass them somewhere along life's path usually suffices.
I have been given the gift of a true lifelong friendship. Well, I'm not dead yet so time will tell, but I am confident that no matter where our lives lead, we will always come back together in some way, shape or form.
Of course it started out with us being friends because we were born into our respective families. She came into the world seven months after I, a couple years followed and our younger siblings were born, two more years and our group was complete.
Our families did everything together. No really, everything. Our dads worked (and still work) together, we went to the same church (even switched churches around the same time), we lived two miles apart growing up, played together constantly, went on family vacations together, spent the night together (all 5 of us) too many times to count, put on plays, made music videos (which means we have amazing blackmail on each other)...basically experienced childhood together. We became much more than friends - we were truly family. The body.
At one point the five of us gave ourselves a name. The Tipleys. It's a combination of our last names (apprently I'm obsessed with that) - we even made a rap about it (bear in mind, this was like 1991). We got really zealous and wanted to do projects to raise money for ourselves (who knows what we would have spent it on) but I think all we did was rake their yard once and sell lemonade to golfers a few times (which resulted in me drinking lemonade up my nose - it stung really badly - but I tried to convince the others to do it anyway. I don't think any of them did).
I can't begin to name all the memories we've made together. I think about it and my mind starts swirling. And what I love the most is that it all runs together. We are all ages in my memories. Sometimes when I think about one of them, she is four years old, and the next time she's twenty. Of course we've all changed, but we have this bedrock - our joint childhood - holding us together. The three girls were all bridesmaids in my wedding - the eldest my maid of honor. I didn't have a sister of my own, and they didn't have a brother. Poor Clay got roped into doing more things than any of us would divulge, for his sake. Sitting here and remembering literally puts a smile on my face. I actually laughed out loud, causing Andy to ask what was so funny.
So I reshared the memory of us playing "pioneer days" (this was a favorite of ours). This specific time we had an infant sister (played very effectively by a doll). Apparently we were holding a church service out on "the prairie." I might have been playing the mother this time - or maybe we were all orphans (we usually were) - and I think we had just learned that worship song "Sanctuary." We sang it very seriously as I held the baby. Apparently, the western frontier was just too much for said baby - she died halfway through the song (this was up on the "morbid moments scale"). I looked down and let out a wail, then the rest of them joined in, sobbing into their bonnets and kerchiefs - Clay, most likely, standing sentry holding a (play) rifle. Very dramatic. I was the oldest and could not have been more than nine.
I just now phoned the one closest to me, and we howled with laughter at our antics. She informed me that the creek, where we spent many an hour constructing a raft that we could never get to float, has dried up. This makes us sad. And then we get sidetracked, talking over one another, trying to retell all the stories that we can summon up at the moment. We are instantly giddy just Remembering.
As I think back on those times and how they shaped me as a person - not just us children's friendships, but getting to watch our parents love each other and be in one another's lives - I wonder if my own children will have that. Babies are being born by the millisecond around here, but will one of them be Ella's bosom friend? Are my future children's kindred spirits being knit in their mother's wombs right now? I deeply hope this kind of friendship for them.
One of my very favorite authors, Elizabeth Goudge, voiced this sentiment perfectly:
"No one year is ever quite the same as any other year, and the souls whom it cradles through their first months on earth are of a particular vintage and know each other when they meet."

Rock-a-bye, Ella

The Tiny does not like to nap. I've tried everything. You name it, we've done it. Today I even turned a drive from a friend's house that usually is about 2 minutes to a tour around our neighborhood lasting 45 minutes, just because I knew a nap would ensue.
Now, if you read me a couple of stories, rocked me for a few minutes in a dark room humming tunes I've heard from the womb, and placed me in bed with the sound of waves rolling gently beneath me, I would be out in a little less than 10 seconds. Not my sweet baby. And I do mean sweet. She is one of the most docile, easygoing babies I've ever been around. Many people have even commented on her calm demeanor. But when this child is put down for a nap, we aren't quite as happy as we are the rest of the day. Pretty much the moment she realizes she's alone and supposed to be sleeping, the wailing begins.
ALONE being the key word, here. This afternoon, after 20 minutes, or so, of dramatic crying, I went to check on her. I rubbed her belly, which usually calms her down. No no, she had worked herself into a frenzy and rubbing was not enough. I picked her up. Instant silence. It's like she's so happy to be held, she doesn't want to do anything to mess it up. She's been like this since the day we came home from the hospital. So I sat in the rocker, and we rocked. And rocked. Of course, she instantly snuggled into me and fell asleep. For my Ella's a cuddler.
I've had a hunch about her cuddle tendencies since she resided in my belly. I would rub my stomach constantly when I was pregnant, and ever since I was able to feel her, she would move to wherever my hand was rubbing. That has carried over into some major cuddle sessions, which I love. I hope it lasts forever.
However, this does not bode well at nap time. As much as I love to sleep, I can't take EVERY nap with my baby. For nothing else would get done, ever. We've got to get this baby napping solo!
Now when it's bedtime, it's a whole different story. Tonight she had her nighttime feeding, we rocked a few minutes, I put her in her crib, and she rolled over and fell fast asleep. I won't hear from her til morning. I know, I don't get it, either.

soundtrack of our lives

When you spend most of every day by yourself in the house with a baby, there's not much talking going on. Actually, I do talk to Ella all day long, but there are only so many one-sided conversations you can have. So we listen to a lot of music. I try to pick songs and albums for the occassion, and since I'm in list mode, I thought I'd document what's in our rotation these days...

Mealtimes: now that Ella's eating in her highchair 1-2 times a day, I like to have something in the background. Not too crazy, mind you. I don't want to be like Hard Rock Cafe, where they play really fast and loud music so you eat faster and can't really talk. Not that I know the last time I've eaten at a Hard Rock, although I have a pretty impressive international t-shirt collection...
The Far Country - Andrew Peterson
Jill Phillips' self-titled
Station Wagon - Sara Groves
Kierstin & Jeremy's Greatest Hits (a wedding shower party favor - good times - esp "She Will Have Her Way" by Neil Finn)
Long Gone Before Daylight - the Cardigans

Playtime: her "i'm awake and excited about playing" music - this includes dance parties both in the Johnny Jump-Up and with Mommy and/or Daddy...
Redemption Songs - Jars of Clay
Rainy Day Music - Jayhawks
Greatest Hits - Jackson Five
the Indelible Grace records
the Bees
Pet Sound Sessions - the Beach Boys
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill (esp Doo Wop (That Thing))
Outkast - mostly the song "Rosa Parks" (nothing like a hoe-down in the middle of a hip-hop song)

Chillaxing: usually takes place on Ella's "frog" or in Mommy's arms or in the car
anything Classical
For the Road - Matthew Perryman Jones
Joshua Judges Ruth - Lyle Lovett (North Dakota is a great rock-your-baby-to-sleep song)
The Road to Ensenada - ole Lyle...he also fits in the "playtime" category
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
Souvenirs & Postcards - the great Andrew Osenga
1000 Kisses - Patty Griffin
Glow - the Innocence Mission

Of course, mixed into all the fun, are Daddy's most excellent ditties he comes up with on the spot. It almost always elicits a big smile and little shimmy from the tiny. Oh, and sometimes she "sings" along, which is highly enjoyable.

happy one-half!

ella is 6 months today. one-half of a year. she's a half. my little baby is not quite so little. she's definitely forming opinions and attachments. i'm sure i don't have it all figured out, but this is what i've deduced as to her likes and dislikes.

THINGS ELLA LOVES
cuddling - especially when she's sleepy
rolling over
putting her feet in her mouth
"the wheels on the bus"
looking out windows
her caterpillar
her frog play mat
her multi-sensory clutch cube
her pacifier
grabbing people's noses
feeling her daddy's scratchy face
baths
getting her diaper changed
her bouncy seat
having daddy play the guitar to her while she's in her crib
playing with mommy's cellphone
the bell hanging from her carseat
putting everything in her mouth

THINGS ELLA DOES NOT LOVE
getting her nose picked
getting her fingernails clipped
taking naps in her crib
being put to bed by anyone but her mommy

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LOVE ABOUT ELLA
her smile
her little "cough" laugh
her fat rolls
the way she pats my face and hair when she's tired
her sneezes, and the sigh at the end
the way she sleeps on her side, or with her arm over her face
how she smacks her toothless gums
how she scrunches her nose
how she plays Very seriously with her toys
blowing raspberries
how she blows through her pacifier right as she's about to fall asleep
how she studies everything and everyone
her "old woman" face
her hands
well, ok, everything...but those are the things i'm currently thinking of that make me extra happy

HOW SHE'S LIKE ANDY
her eyes
her toes (yeah yeah, she has all of them)
her yawn (it lasts several seconds)
how she crosses her ankles (it's girly on her, but not on him)
she puts one finger in her mouth (he bites his fingernails, but it looks the same)

HOW SHE'S LIKE MOMMY
her lips
her fingers, including the way our pinkies slightly curve in at the top
that's all, i think

my baby's daddy

i miss him. i'd like to the think ella misses him, too, but she just may have no idea. she sure gives him a big smile when he comes home, though. i know it would be ridiculous to compare myself to a single parent - let's see...i don't work, i talk to my husband on the phone several times a day (he gives really good advice, by the by), and i know there are about 8 million other differences. however, i Do know what it's like to be the sole caregiver for several days on end, and that is no fun. i mean, i LOVE ella and playing with her and being with her and kissing her most huge cheeks. but there's no reprieve at 6pm when andy's out of town. the master early-morning-diaper-changer is not there to be gently nudged (ok, sometimes kicked) awake to do the honors. the house gets amazingly cluttered (which i usually hate) and i start to mind less and less, cause what does a baby that still doesn't see 20/20 care? of course, what i MOST miss is my husband, not just a joint-caregiver. 2 more days...
speaking of single parenting...who wants to bet the newest mom on the celebrity block will be on her own within the next couple of years? that's right, your pop icon and mine, ms britney spears, birthed her bundle of joy yesterday. preston michael spears federline, welcome to the world. lord help us. but mostly him. he'll probably have a cigarette in one hand and a frappucino in the other on their way home from the hospital. maybe he'll be sporting corn rows, if he's been blessed with hair. he'll at least have some nice bling, i'm sure. do they make louis vuitton snugglies? keep your eyes peeled, people - life as you know it has ended.
onto another VERY important celebrity topic...ole brit and kev have not been blessed with the highly annoying "celebrity couple moniker" - not that i know of, at least. for those of you blissfully out of this loop, basically some gossip columnist comes up with an easy and oh-so-clever way of refering to a couple, and the world catches on. the following are examples:
BENGAR - sounds like some sort of ointment, but really it's ben affleck and jennifer garner (ooo, alias in 2 weeks!)
BRANGELINA - as sad as i am for jennifer anniston, ole brad pitt and angelina jolie seem to be the real deal. she Does have cute kids, and "Mr and Mrs Smith" is a very good time.
TOMKAT - there are so many things i can't deal with about these two. tom cruise and katie holmes, please stop. just stop.
VINCEFER - this one just makes me laugh. out loud. vince vaughn and jennifer anniston aren't even a couple and they have a name! i mean, who knows what'll happen. and the bigger question, who should really care? for some reason, i do.
BENNIFER - the now-defunct couple that was ben affleck and jennifer lopez. both remarried, and one even got into another scary couple name (see above). however, they Did start this annoying and ridiculous craze. so i guess they should get some credit. even if it was because they were beyond-belief barfy and over-the-top. matching bentleys? i'm so sure.

but even as i rant and rave, i must point out a glaring fact. my blog address is, in fact, an homage to the pairing of andy and my's last names. shipley and osenga. to credit myself, i said it, in passing, while we were engaged. it stuck. ok, maybe just in my mind. i thought it was funny. i even signed the church registry pad at my parent's church "andy and alison shipenga" when we were engaged. we got a welcome letter. anyway, i am guilty too, i guess. except for the fact that neither of us are celebrities, and I gave us the nickname and not a gossip columnist. and we don't have bentleys. old volvos, yes, but not bentleys.

shots and snots

so the hardest thing i've had to endure since being a mom is watching my baby in pain. and since she doesn't really move enough to hurt her own little body, it's been when she gets shots. it's horrible. she's just laying (lying? i never remember) there on the table all happy and smiling, and then, she looks confused, shocked, and somewhat betrayed. that sweet little mouth of hers lets go of the pacifier and she lets out a howl. i never really got differentiating my baby's cries until she received her first shot. then it all made sense. her cry when she's in pain is the worst thing i've ever heard. not that it's obnoxious, or really even that loud; it's just pitiful. of course the first time she got her shots i was crying along with her. but it's amazingly seeming to hurt less each time. maybe it's because she's getting chubbier. and i like chubbier.
in other exciting news, baby ella had her first fruit today...wait for it...pears! i've never really been a huge fan of pears myself, but i think she's digging them. i think i can tell when she likes the food of the day. as i'm scooping up a new spoonful, she'll bang her right arm on the high chair tray. she also uses her right hand to "help" feed herself. a right-hander, perhaps? i, myself, am a proud southpaw (um, i've never called myself that before, but there it is).
well, i was going to write some more about our breathtaking events of the day, but i'm just too plain tired. however, "the tiny" (as i often refer to ella) has had her first stuffy nose tonight. it's very sad. i just got over a nasty cold, so i figured it would just be a matter of time. i will say, the tiny does NOT like her nose being messed with. usually i'll just pick her nose (which i find way more fun than it should be) and she hates it. she balks. there are sometimes drama tears. but tonight the big gun came out - the nasal aspirator. oooo, she was mad. but it was effective. for now, at least.

And so it begins

Here I am, the 800 billionth online journaler, and I'm sure I will say something incredibly important that no one has ever conceived of. Perfect, I end my first sentence ever with a preposition. I'm off to a good start. And I don't ever type with capital letters, but this being official and all, I thought I'd give it a whirl. It might last to the end of this entry if we're lucky.
I truly don't have that much to say - well, I'm sure I have a lot to say, but nothing I've ever thought worth sharing with the entire world. But I won't think of it that way (for the most part - don't worry, I'll do my best not to do too much soul-sharing, that could get scary). I'm here more because I have a crazy life right now, even though most of every day is spent in my house, and I want to be able to remember things that are happening. My husband has written an amazing song that speaks to me - screams to me, really. "These days, they are a river we're all floating down...Let us not take this for granted, let's not waste this second hand."
So as I go through the daily ritual with my husband and baby girl, I want to capture every moment and keep it close. I've learned in just a few short months that even the most subtle of changes adds up to almost a whole new person. I'm speaking mainly about our 6 month old, Ella. Of course, we've gone through some pretty major changes ourselves. So here is where I hope to document the exciting, mundane, and everything in-between.
A word of warning: if you stumble across this and have no interest whatsoever in reading about an incredibly squeezy baby and her goings on, I'd suggest moving on. There are no promises, but most of what I write about will most likely be filled with amazing adventures where we find our hands, stick feet in our mouths, work on cutting teeth, and are still trying to figure out what the heck that seat hanging in the doorframe is supposed to do and why does my mom keep putting me in it and looking at me with excitement and expectation?!?!
Welcome.