Say cheese

About 3 weeks ago, Ellee started smiling for the camera... so cute. Whenever the camera is pointed at her, she smiles... but it has to be our little silver digital camera... if I try it with our big black camera, she just looks at it trying to figure out what it is. Again... so cute!

Mmm... I'll what you're having

Funny little girl. She sits and stares at us while we eat. She follows the spoon from our plates to our mouths with her eyes and then looks at us as if saying... "Did that taste good? I bet it did. I sure wish I could have some too." After a while you can't help but feel a little guilty.

So we gave it. We bought a highchair and some infant food and started. She opens her mouth as wide as it will possibly open and lurches after the spoon as far as the highchair will allow. She then proceeds to mush it around in her mouth, grimace and gag. Then as she swallows, she shakes her head as if to tell me that it took everything she had to not throw up. I do recall doing that myself with my vegetables as a child... teenager... okay fine, I still do that. Anyhow, it is a riot to watch. Then she proceeds to open her mouth for more... as if it was the best thing she ever had... or may she thinks it will taste different this time. After we get past this first bite ritual, however, she could eat for hours.

To date she has now sampled (in no particular order) rice cereal, squash, peas, applesauce, pears, and a pink candy heart (thanks to her father... you couldn't even have given her the white one?), and Mountain Dew (yup, thanks again Devn!). As of now she shows no particular preference (except I'm told that she really liked the candy heart and she really didn't like the Dew).

She doesn't much care for water, but sure loves to suck and chew on her sippy cup!

My Poor Baby

I can always count on either Devn or myself to be sick during Christmas. Well, other than the staying up too late playing games and eating junk food induce colds, we made fairly healthy... that is until New Years. Well Devn got really sick with the flu and bronchitis and an ear infection... luckily I didn't get it. Unfortunately, on January 2, the same day Devn flew home to get back for school, Ellee started coughing. That same day I drove down to Salt Lake to hang out with my parents for another week.

That first night in SLC, Ellee woke up at 12:30 am panicking... luckily I hadn't yet gone to bed, so it wasn't too obnoxious. She was so congested that she couldn't breathe. After sucking out her nose a few times she went back to sleep but this time in her car seat so that her nose would drain a bit. Suffice it to say that is was a very long night. Welcome to UT! It seems like the last few trips we've had to UT haven't been all that pleasant... e.i. stolen car... I won't get into that though...

Anyway, really long introduction made short... Ellee was so congested and coughy (is that a word?) that she wouldn't eat so she got a bit dehydrated and since Devn was so sick and likely passed whatever he had on to our baby, I was a bit worried. My mom, a nurse, was even a bit concerned and she is never concerned, so it concerned me even more.

So we took her to the hospital and after 3 1/2 hours & 2 failed IV attempts in her hands... Ellee was pumped full of liquids through an IV in her head and sent home. Thanks Mom, Dad & Kate for waiting so patiently! Sorry, I didn't think it would take that long... and I certainly don't think that it had to anyway. So at least Ellee is okay and by the time flew home, she was already doing a lot better. And at least we got some cute pictures for the scrapbook!

Perfectly content in her oversized hospital gown...

But after 2 hours of sitting doing nothing and 3 needles later... we have not so happy baby.

Generations

Its so neat that I can have pictures that include 4 generations of family. While I was in Utah visiting my parents, we got to spend some time with my mom's parents, Nana and Grandpa Wheat and my dad's mom, Grandma Barlow and it was great to introduce, a.k.a. show off, Ellee to them.

It is amazing to me that because of the faith of my Grandparents, who had faithful kids, who had faithful kids themselves, who are now having their own kids... who we hope will be faithful, you end up with, well I've lost count, but its a lot of people! But the whole family tree thing is so neat and it all stems back to their roots... and I am grateful that my roots were planted in the gospel soil.

Grandma Barlow & Ellee

My dad, Grandma Barlow, me and Ellee

Ellee & Grandma Barlow

Grammy Dette (my mom) & Ellee

Papa Walt (my dad) & Ellee

Me, Nana Wheat, Ellee & Mom

Me, Mom, Ellee & Grandpa Wheat

Ellee & Grandpa Wheat

The best present under the tree!

Just thought I needed to share these great pictures of Ellee in her new outfit she got for Christmas. Luckily Santa surprised me with a new digital camera since my old one broke early November, hence the lack in pictures and blog posts... sorry. So I am repenting and kicking off the new year with a whole bunch of blogs... okay mostly pictures, but that is all you want to see anyway isn't it.

We are a Happy Family!