two weeks

I've been meaning to document the goings-on of the past two weeks - really, I have. But something always happens, and...you know how it is.

But I feel like a lot has happened in Ella's world. She's acquired two new and Very favorite things. Alas, I don't have pictures to prove her absolute bliss with each one, but hopefully soon they'll be up here. The first is her swing. The child Loves to swing, and it's been a crying shame that she hasn't had one until now. But now it's here, and hanging from our big tree in the front yard, where she has a front row seat to all that is happening in the neighborhood.

She waves at cars, she points to planes, she Especially loves it when a city or school bus passes down the cross street two houses away. But soon she gets a starry look in her eyes, hunkers down in the swing, and experiences Tranquility. I have never seen her so calm and serene and utterly content.

We swing for literally thirty minutes at a time, and just when I think she's about to fall asleep, I take her out and she cries and begs for more. It's amazing.

Her other new and favorite thing is her baby stroller. A gift from Andy's parents, it's the perfect size for her 19-month-old self, and she loves loves Loves to push it around the house and around the neighborhood. Her doll and Care Bear get the most rides, but my child does not discriminate. I'll look over to see her sippy cup going for a spin, or some Post-It notes out for a tour of the kitchen. On our outside walks she'll put a leaf in with her baby doll - but only one leaf at a time. She makes sure to remove the existing leaf so the next one can have the full stroller experience.

One of the things Ella loves most about her new things is the whole buckling process. Pretty much anything with straps and a buckle she's all over. This includes her wagon, high chair, booster seat, swing, toy ride, stroller...you name it. This afternoon the rain kept us inside, so Ella didn't get her fill of "moving things with buckles." Soon enough she had crawled up into one of her strollers, attempted to strap herself in, and make it Very clear to me that she wanted to go.

So, the next twenty minutes we strolled around and around the house. It reminds me of "Pride and Prejudice" or other Jane Austen moments when the ladies would "take a turn" about the house. I don't think I found it as delightful and refreshing as the ladies of yore, but I know Ella did. Ah, my little gentlewoman.

Ella also has three new words that she Loves to use. My newfound theory is that she could probably say whatever word she wanted, it's just the words that she deems important for her daily life she latches onto. Currently those words are "Bus" "Cheese" and "Shoes." She's obsessed with all three concepts - although we can't really distinguish between a bus and a big truck. Come to think of it, a city bus and and semi look pretty similar.

My pregnant brain is officially reaching the fuzzy point, so I'm going to go flip through my latest issue of "Real Simple" and garner all sorts of clever holiday ideas that I'm sure I won't use.