Hi Cousin!

Well here Ellee and I are in UT visiting my family... we made it safe and sound. Our flight on Sunday was cancelled as was church, so we had a lazy day... just perfect. So we flew out on Monday morning and arrived at the same time as my sister in law Laura and her 2 girls, so in a car full of girls we made our way to my parents new house in Centerville. Here we toured and admired the house and new furniture and then we all had some time to get reacquainted. Claire loves looking at another baby and gets really happy.


Ellee too loves seeing another baby but mostly wants to put her in her mouth and eat her.


Best friends in the making.

Woe is me...

I won't get into any details, but let me just tell you... while these products may provide relief for some minor ailments... when the stomach flu hits, don't waste your money. Nothing works. Thus our sprite and saltines diet.


Even that didn't help, but it was the best I could do. The worst part was that Devn was sick too so how in the world are we supposed to take care of a baby when we can't even stand up straight? So I apologize for not blogging for a while... I've been otherwise occupied!

Happy Birthday Devn!

Another year has come and gone. Say goodbye to 27 and hello 28... it is going to be a great year! So to Devn... happy birthday... I love you even more today than yesterday... Just imagine how much I'll love you when your 50!

Because I Can

Hallelujia for digital cameras! While I was between cameras I was going crazy not being able to take any pictures... so I got out my old film camera and went crazy. I used 4 rolls of film in 1 day. It cost $24 to develop the film... and guess how many of the 100 pictures turned out well... maybe 10... yes I have learned my lesson. And may I just repeat... Hallelujia for digital cameras!

Anyhow, since I now have a digital camera again... I can take as many as I want... and since I now have a cute little baby... I will take as many as I want! And since this is my blog... I will do whatever I want... and I want to show off my Ellee! So here is a sampling of our last "photo shoot."

Tickle-Me El(lee)mo

This is why I truely love being a mom... moments like this!!!



This is only 1 minute of about 10... best night ever!

Go-To Meals

We all have our few favorite to eat or easy to make dinners that it seems we make ALL the time. We all get sick of them but somehow forget that we can stray from the usual. We call this a cooking rut. Happens to everyone.

I am interested in what your go to meals are. I need some more dinnertime ideas and I know you can help me fellow bloggers... post your meal... Please!
Here is mine!

Ravioi Lasagna Recipe:

1 bottle of spaghetti sauce (any variety)
1 bag of frozen cheese ravioli
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1 container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan


Heat oven to 350° F.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Cover with a single layer of ravioli.
In a seperate bowl, mix the mozzarella, ricotta cheese and eggs together.
Top with half the spinach, half the cheese mixure, and a third of the sauce.
Repeat with another layer of ravioli and the remaining spinach, cheeese, and sauce.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Serve with a delicious green salad and garlic bread.
Enjoy!

*I omit the spinach
*You can add browned hamburger to sausage if you want or just about anything else you want
*I soak the ravioli in hot water while I making the cheese mixture so that they aren't frozen so the baking doesn't take as long.

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!

Now what?

The worst part about Christmas time is when it all ends. You wake up the next day with nothing to look forward to anymore except just spending more time with your family. Then one by one people start to head home and face the real world again and this over-crowded, out of control crazy house is silent. I am sitting where while my sick husband naps, my baby naps, my tired out mother-in-law naps and the house all of the sudden feels very large and empty. Kind of depressing. Kind of peaceful. I am torn. But luckily it is not all over for me... I still have another week to look forward too. On Tuesday I am going to visit my parents who just barely moved to Centerville. They are not yet in their house so I will get to spend some time with my grandparents too and Ellee can get a bit aquainted with her Great Grandparents and reaquainted with Grammy Dette and Papa Walt. Yippee!

Well, I'd might as well post a few pictures from the first half of our Christmas adventure... enjoy!

Ellee with some of her Christmas loot!

Ellee's carpet angel (its kind of like a snow angel) after playing on the ground.

Ellee playing with Grandma Donna.

Ellee and her Cousin Amari Brown... 12 days younger.

Santa Baby

Hurray! No crying baby on Santa's lap! This time next year though I am sure she will be screaming! Devn's school had a party for the all the little elves. Ellee is too little to go play all the games but just little enough for her proud dad to show her off to everyone! Most people were just impressed that Devn could have anything to do with such a good looking baby! I think you're very handsome Devn... don't let anyone make you feel otherwise! Even if our kid is disproportionately cuter than her parents! Oh well... good for us!

Pie anyone?

For thanksgiving this year, we were lucky enough to have some family very close by and got to spend a few days with Devn's brother Justin and his family. His wife Meghan made her first turkey, and might I add that it was delicious... great job Meghan! And our assignment was a pie. Well anyone who knows Devn knows that he always brings the best treats... at least the most for sure. So I thought... well, we have to have a pumpkin pie cause its Thanksgiving and that is what you have, but I really like apple pie, so I thought I'd make both and we could have some leftovers... since it was just the four of us. But Devn insisted on 4 pies. Why 4 you ask? I have yet to figure him out... sorry. So Wednesday afternoon and night we made pies. Yup that is all we did.

Pictured below is the assortment... Coconut Cream; Apple; Pumpkin Chiffon; Lemon Merengue

Well we loved spending time with Justin, Meghan and the boys, they were great hosts. I am very thankful for such a great family... and grateful that Devn has a great family that he can share with me... and even more thankful for the tiny little family of my own including a wonderful husband and best friend and our dear little sweetheart Ellee! And I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of our Savior so that I can have an eternal family. And for this holiday season that helps us all reflect on the birth and life of Christ and draw closer to our friends and family.

tiny feet

Everyone likes feet when they are this little!

Line Rider

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/

I just spent a half an hour playing on this site. It is mesmerizing. Draw a line and the Line Rider will slide along it on his sled — with his adorable red scarf waving.

Baby Talk?

So I was informed today of the secret language of babies. Supposedly a woman with a photographic memory for sounds has cracked their code! All you mothers out there, you have to check out this video from Oprah when she had this lady on her show. She lists the cries and their meaning as follows:

Neh="I'm hungry"
Owh="I'm sleepy"
Heh="I'm experiencing discomfort"
Eair="I have lower gas"
Eh="I need to burp"

You can listen to them too if you follow this link... http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_101.jhtml

Anyway, I had just put Ellee down for her nap before I watched this. When over the monitor, after watching this video, I hear an "Eh... Eh... Eh." I had heard it before, but just ignored it hoping she would go back to sleep, but this time I went in and picked her up and burped her for a few minutes and got a really huge burp out of her! Then I put her back down and she went back to sleep! Amazing!

I am going to have to listen better to my baby!

Rub A Dub Dub

Well since about Ellee's third week of life, she has loved her baths. She just smiles away and just stares at me in an admiring sort of way... which I love by the way. But just in the last week or so, she has figured out that when she flails her arms and kicks her legs, funny noises are made, water is splashed and mommy gets really excited for her. So now, although still apprehensive as she's getting in the water (maybe mom is making it too warm or cold?) she takes to it in a matter of seconds and really loves playing.

However... Sunday night, we called Jeff to sing Happy Birthday to him... I know it was a day late, but he was gone all day on the real deal day, we tried I promise... anyway, I was in bathing Ellee and Devn came in and gave me the cue to start singing. Well, Devn thinks it is extra funny to listen to the key I am singing in and choose a totally clashing key for his own voice... I wish it was just him being tone deaf, but unfortunately he has a really nice voice and just likes to sabotage me into singing in a really awkward range and listening to me struggle to match him. I swear that is it!

Anyhow, Ellee normally smiles great smiles in the tub as she plays and I sing to her. However, she knew this time that whatever noise we were making definitely was not singing! It must have been the most horrifying sound ever because as we started, her bottom lip hit an instant pout. And it quickly grew from a cute little pout to a terrified wailing! And as soon as we finished our song, she looked at me, stopped crying, took a deep whimpering breathe and just furrowed her brow as if saying, "mommy, that was really scary... don't ever do that again!"

It was great! I wish you all could have seen her. Instead, I caught a pleasant faced baby bathing for you!

Talents & Blessings

What wonderful blessings come from sharing your talents with others. So many people just amaze me with the things they can do. Devn's mom, Donna, made Ellee this beautiful dress that she was blessed in on October 15th, 2006. As you can see from the pictures, the details are awesome. Every little tuck and pleat and stitch just flabbergasted me! What a beautiful dress! And how perfectly fitting for my tiny little beauty!

By the way, Devn pronounced a beautiful blessing on Ellee. It was so wonderful to have Devn's mom, his brother Justin and his family, my mom and dad and my cousin and his wife all there. All of those guys and a bunch of our wonderful friends from our ward here all participated in the blessing. How truly blessed we are. We have a super loving and supportive family and our friends here feel like family. It is so great to be surrounded by such support. Thank you all! We love you!

Baby Blue Eyes?

I am constantly fascinated by the fact that babies eyes change colors. From day one I have been trying to guess what color Ellee's will be. They look quite blue to me... no flecks of brown. In some lights they are the bluest of blues and other times a more subtle lighter blue. Devn sometimes thinks they look like they are turning brown... but I am not yet convinced.

You decided... do these eyes look like they have the least bit of brown in them???

Looks like Grammy Dette's eyes!