I'm still alive

So I know all of you blog readers out there can't stand it when so called "bloggers" don't update for weeks... frankly it isn't much fun checking blogs daily to not find anything new... and for almost 2 weeks! I know, I know... but it is my blog and I'll blog if (& when) I want to!

A few weeks ago I decided to take timeout from the computer that I live at all day and do some other projects and activities. That lead me to the idea that I would finally start scrapbooking all of the bazillion pictures of Ellee... so I got all pumped and in the mood (which is necessary in order to be productive and creative) when I realized that I didn't have any pictures printed.

That lead me to my next project... go through the 1200+ pictures I have snapped over the last 9 months and pick the good ones. Well that took lots longer than I planned. I had to scan each and every one... crop or edit or remove the red eyes from the ones I picked... upload them to website... make sure the website didn't crop them more than I wanted... visualize the future scrapbook page so I could decide what sizes I wanted these pictures printed... anyhow... it was quite the production and I just barely finished it yesterday. So now two weeks have passed and I still don't have anything to show for it. But when that package comes filled with over 400 pictures... I will be very excited! And very overwhelmed because that means I have to do something with them! That is a lot of scrapbooking!

Anyway... so here is my post... not very interesting that is for sure, but there all of you blog readers... this is for you! Are you happy!

Now for all of you blog readers who only come here to see pictures of Ellee... here are a few of her latest.

Update

So here is an update to the info on the previous post:

Ellee is now 15 lbs 15 oz... 10th percentile for weight (down from the 25th at her 6 month) and maintained her spot in the 50th percentile for height. Judging by the size of her feet (still wears size 1's and 0-3 month shoes are still rather roomy) it shouldn't surprise me that I have such a tiny little girl! At least she is healthy!

9 months!

Can you believe that it has already been 9 months since Ellee joined our family? Crazy how time flies! Last night we were watching some of the videos we took of Ellee when she was younger... I would say littler, but I think she was chunkier then... and it is amazing to me how much they change in such a short period of time.

She still isn't crawling or pulling herself up and "cruising," but she sure can sit like a champ! Her favorite thing to say recently is babababababab... so now her vocabulary consists of yayayaya's, dadadadadada's and bababababab's. She is an especially talented book reader and loves to turn the pages and read to herself. She is a wonderful smiler and a delight to have in our home! We are grateful everyday for her.

Yesterday was the official 9 month milestone so we celebrated with a few pictures. Happy nine months Ellee!

Tulip Time!!!

Yesterday we had to chance to visit another Iowa landmark... Pella. It is a cute little Dutch town and they host an annual festival called Tulip Time. There are typically over 80,000 tulips... but this year just after the trees blossomed and the tulips all bloomed we were hit with a week long freeze and random April blizzard. So there were a few tulip beds with 1 or 2 lone blossoms amidst a huge (sad) green bed.

However they managed to save some of them this year and we ventured out to tiptoe through the tulips. Below are a few of my favorites...

Ellee & her friend Owen

Ellee mostly wanted to eat these ones...

Ellee & Me

Ellee giving Dad kisses!
(behind us is one of the big Dutch windmills)

That's a very tired Ellee...
its been a long day!

Milestones

While some babies at this age are learning to crawl... others rolling after things they want... my baby has reached a milestone of her own...

Ellee's very first piggy... or pony or whatever you prefer to call them!

Due to the quite short, spiky nature of this hair style, we refer to it as a whale spout or horn. Though hopefully it will become a fully fledged palm tree.
We are still in the testing phase of the dual piggy and will post pictures as soon as it too is perfected. After much study I have found that the tools (aka hairbands) you are working with make all the difference. Thank you everyone for your support (especially Erica who I made perform the first procedure since I couldn't seem accomplish the task myself)!
But the best part of the pig is the post-pig do...

Let's go fly a kite!

So Friday we had a beautiful day outside and there was just enough wind for a perfect kite flying day. After getting myself untangled from the tangled up tails, I was ready for business.

And boy did it fly... so high in fact that it almost hit an airplane!!! Okay, so it probably wasn't that high, but when you are down on the ground looking up into the sky it sure seems to soar pretty far.


Even Ellee was enjoying the day... the sun on her face... the wind in her hair... whats not to like? Anyway, I love the warm weather and can't wait to get out and play more often!

My Birthday Blog

In honor of this special day… my 25th birthday, here are 25 things you may or may not have known about me…

1. I have a crush on Phil of the Future and have loved Hilary Duff since she was Lizzy Maguire.
2. I don’t care for veggies.
3. I can play violin/piano/guitar/recorder –Jack of all trades… master of none.
4. In 7th grade I was the shortest on my basketball team and in 8th grade I was the 2nd tallest.
5. I used to suck on the knuckle of my index finger and have a nasty scar.
6. I think I could be a hand model… if it weren’t for #5.
7. I’ve worn the same earrings for over 6 years (except for a few special occasions).
8. I was the cheerleading co-captain in 8th grade.
9. I rarely paint my toe nails… draws too much attention to my HUGE big toe (or tiny other toes depending on how you look at it).
10. I love dancing (all kinds)… and loved doing cool tricks when swing dancing.
11. Baby laughter is my favorite sounds… even before I had Ellee.
12. Any joint or moving part of my body I pop or crack regularly.
13. I have the Thriller Dance memorized.
14. I won the most improved dancer award on my dance team in 12th grade… not a difficult feat since I have never taken a real dance class in my life… I was bound to improve a lot!
15. I am an avid fantasy football player and can hold my own with any guy in a NFL conversation.
16. I took 21 credits one semester in college and 18 for 3 semesters.
17. I used to follow Devn into the backroom at RadioShack (where we met working there) just so we’d have to brush shoulders in passing cause of the tight quarters of the stock room.
18. I love to sing in the car… including the instrumentals! But I sing best to Moulin Rouge (Devn & I do a mad duet!).
19. I love to be productive. 20. I love to be lazy.
21. I love the smell of gasoline.
22. I have nightmares about snakes and once had to kill one by putting it in the toaster.
23. I know how many slats my parent’s shutters have and have counted/sorted them over 20 different ways and look for patterns in all things… weird I know.
24. I love playing games.

25. I love being a mom.

What do you get when...

...you cross a teething baby and a pen? (notice the ink lines above her lip) Whoops!




Don't worry, once I found her with the pen, I took it away, but had to give it back temporarily for the sake of the pictures.

*No babies were harmed in the making of these shots.*

I {heart} DVR's

Just for the record... I absolutely LOVE my DVR. You may be muttering to yourself "well then why don't you marry it?" My response to you would then be... "if you were allowed to marry inanimate objects... Devn might be in trouble (just kidding... but seriously... I'd have consider polygamy as the best alternative... seeing as I do not wish to live the rest of my life without either)."

For those of you a bit less tech-savvy... a DVR is a digital video recorder. Much like a VCR (though soooo much more wonderful than), it will record TV shows for you. However, it does not rely on videotapes or eat them either. You can set it to record multiple shows at the push of a button. It really is that easy.

Also if you are watching a live show (one you haven't previously recorded), you can actually "instant replay" the program or pause it while you walk to the kitchen (clear in the other room), get a bowl out of the cupboard, open the freezer, take out the ice cream, open the ice cream, get out the ice cream scoop, scoop the ice cream into the bowl, put the lid back the ice cream, but the ice cream back in the freezer, open the drawer to get a spoon, put the spoon in the bowl of ice cream, close the spoon drawer, turn off the kitchen light and carry the ice cream clear back into the family room and actually not miss one precious TV viewing moment. Priceless.

I rarely have to sit through advertisements and thanks to my previously recorded library (up to 100 hours worth) and there is ALWAYs something on that I want to watch... even during the day when soap operas own the airwaves. Now... this being said, I must clarify that I do not spend my whole day watching TV on my said DVR. In fact, I can now view my personal list of "must-see-TV" shows much more efficiently... in approximately 2/3 of the time that it would normally take to get through a show (since I can skip passed the ads) thus allowing me more time for all of the others loves in my life (or new shows as admittedly the case may sometimes be).

So folks... here it is... I present to you... the DVR.

It has truly revolutionized the way I watch TV. How did I ever live without it?

Honest Abe?

I stumbled upon this personality test today... kinda funny if you ask me. After answering 45 short questions, the results were in...

What famous leader are you?

Prodigy

Baby Mozart in the making...
Impeccable form but your missing the actual keys!

My final four

Here are my final four for The Bachelor Finalist Pool in Des Moines, IA. They aren't necessarily the girls I would pick if I were the Bachelor... but judging by the vibes Andy is putting out there... and the editting done by the producers... these are my picks.

So girls... here is it... here are the results... we might as well quit watching the show now.

*disclaimer* (Stephanie T. is only in my top four for the entertainment
value of the show... every series needs one of these "characters")

you have GOT to be kidding me!

Enough said.

Happy Birthday to Laura!

To a marvelous wife...

An adoring mother...


An unbelievably great dancer...

A domestic goddess...

A thoughtful sister-in-law and wonderful friend...
This one's for you!

Hope you are having a fantastic day!

Easter Best

Occasions like these make me sooooo glad that I have a little doll... I mean little girl!...now don't get me wrong, I can't wait to have a boy, but you sure as heck can't dress your boys up in frilly dresses, little white sandals and pink hair bows!

Ahhh the glories of a little girl... does my heart good.

(*side note* Ellee was not sure what to think of the cold poky grass under her... so smiling was not easy... this was the best we could do!)