Spoiled Pups

Since this blog is about Ellie and her dogs, I thought I'd share a little about them.

Our dogs are totally spoiled. I mean, totally! It's really Mauja's fault. OK, it's mine for spoiling Mauja. Presley only wants what Mauja has, so if Mauj wasn't so rotten, Presley would be fine. But here's the thing, for a long time it was just me and Mauj. She's my best buddy and has been with me through a lot. So she was already spoiled. And then when we moved in with Jeff, despite his best efforts ("I don't like little dogs," he said), he couldn't help but fall in love with her too. Since he was at home with her all day, and she was his only office mate (it's hard working from home when you're an extrovert!) the spoiling increased monumentally!

 

Then we got Presley who is a nut, but the most lovable dog in the world.  You wouldn't know it to watch her, but when no one else is around (she's not a fan of strangers, and anyone that doesn't live in our house, no matter how many times she's met them, is a stranger to her) Presley loves nothing more than to snuggle up and cuddle.  Mauja tolerates Presley, but mostly because it means more treats are available.  And Mauja loves nothing more than food.  I mean it, this dog is all about food.  Her favorites are bananas and bacon, but she's not picky and will take whatever you offer her.  Since Presley wants what Mauja gets, she also enjoys food and treats.  But she's no beggar, she'll come when called for a snack, but doesn't hop around and perform tricks for treats like Mauja. 

 

One of Mauja's favorite things is ice cream.  They sell doggie ice cream in the grocery store, but it's expensive, so they only get it on rare occasions.  Then I thought, can't I make my own?  So I did.  I mix one super-ripe banana (the kind that's only good for banana bread) with a container of plain Greek yogurt.  I add in one tablespoon of peanut butter and mix it all together. 

 

After it's Mauja taste-test approved, I spoon it into an ice cube tray and pop it in the freezer.  Once frozen, the dogs get their treats outside, since it can get messy.  Mauja likes to eat hers in two bites, then wait next to Presley to help clean up Presley's mess.  Presley chews hers slowly and thoughtfully, like she's savoring every bite.

 



Another snack I made for them is dehydrated sweet potatoes.

I belong to a group sort of like a CSA, called The Veggie Bin.  I get a bi-weekly box of local and seasonal produce.  Unlike a lot of CSAs, we can't pick and choose our veggies.  We get what we get, and if we don't like it, oh well.  I don't care for sweet potatoes, and while Jeff will eat them, they aren't his favorite either.  So when we got a lot of them the other day I didn't know what to do with them.  I made a batch of baby food (Ellie will start solids soon!), and still had 4 left.  My boss suggested I try making dog treats. 

I peeled and sliced the sweet potatoes, then put just enough olive oil on them so they wouldn't stick to the pan (maybe a teaspoon?).  I popped them in the oven at 175 degrees and let them bake at that low temp for about 5 hours.  I turned the oven off and let them cool in the oven overnight.  The dogs LOVE them. Can't get enough sweet potato treats!  And they're so pretty with their bright orange and purple colors (have you ever seen purple sweet potatoes?  They aren't as sweet as the orange). 

 Can you tell which dog has better manners?

Homemade Sensory Bag

I saw this idea on Pinterst, and read about it on this blog.  Ellie is really into touching things right now and feeling different textures.  So, I thought making a sensory bag would be good for her, since it's a new texture and with the little items inside, there's even more to touch.

Here's how I made it: I put hair gel in a quart sized Ziploc freezer bag.  I thought a freezer bag would be a little more sturdy than a sandwich bag, and that the quart size would be easier for Ellie to handle than a gallon sized bag.  After the hair gel was in the bag I added a few plastic shapes I got from Michael's.  Then I sealed it and put duct tape around the edges to prevent it from leaking.

I have enough supplies left to make 2 more of these, and it cost less than $4 for all of the supplies! 

Ellie had a lot of fun squishing the plastic toys around and looking at the different colors.  I'll definitely be making more of these in the future for her.

 

Happy Holidays!

It's true, the holidays really are the busiest time of year.  This year is no exception, but we have had just such a wonderful time celebrating Ellie's first holiday season. 

We started off with a FaceTime phone call to Ellie's Bubbe and Zayde, where Ellie opened her first Hanukkah present and got to see a piece of ancient pottery Jeff's dad and stepmom brought back from Israel and display at Hanukkah time (Ellie started crying around this time so I missed most of that story...).

I was supposed to have a surgery (wound debrisment) to hopefully repair my non-healing c-section incision on December 20th.  So, our plans of going to Jeff's mom's house for Christmas were changed and we decided to stay home so I wouldn't have to travel the day after surgery.  Fortunately, Jeff's mom was able to come down to help for a few days around my scheduled surgery.  So she was able to spend time Christmas time with Ellie, and was a great help to us!  Unfortunately, I started running a fever about 16 hours before my surgery and was still feverish when we arrived for pre-op.  They decided not to risk the surgery with the fever, and it got postponed.  That did allow us time to do more fun things once my fever finally broke on Friday afternoon. 

We took Grandma to see St. Augustine's Night of Lights, which is a beautiful display of Christmas lights in St. Augustine's historic district.  We also walked around and did some shopping, and stopped into a little Greek/Polish restaurant for perogies for dinner. 

Since we knew we would be in town for Christmas Ellie volunteered to be Baby Jesus in the children's Christmas pageant at our new church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.  So on Christmas Eve she got dressed in her pretty Christmas dress, and off we went to church.  Ellie really wanted to add to the realism of the pageant, and she knew that Baby Jesus would have cried (a lot) on the day he was born, so she decided that she would cry while playing him.  The poor teenage girl playing Mary tried everything she could to get Ellie to quiet down, but Ellie insisted on making sure everyone in the church could hear her.  As soon as she was off the altar (and with a clean diaper) she fell asleep.

On Christmas morning we had a chance to slow down and really enjoy the holiday. I made the Moreland family's traditional Christmas breakfast of sausage and egg casserole along with cinnamon rolls, and we had fun opening presents. Ellie's favorite part was tearing wrapping paper and playing with the tissue paper. 

 

 

Ellie got a lot of really great gifts, including clothes, toys, and books.  

 

 

 

Santa brought Ellie her first purse and her first cell phone in her stocking!

Like I said, she enjoyed the tissue paper more than anything else!

 

 

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and just enjoying our time together.  While we were disappointed that we weren't able to spend the holiday with family like we originally planned on (and that I didn't have my surgery!!!), it was really nice to spend Ellie's first Christmas at home, developing our own traditions for the holiday.  I know that Jeff and I had a wonderful Christmas, and we did everything we could to make sure Ellie did too!

 



5 Months

Dear Eleanor,

I'm sorry I'm doing your five month update a week late (okay, 9 days late!).  We have been really busy lately, and I'm just now finding the time to update everyone we love.  Actually, it was you who inspired me to write today.  As part of my PPD recovery, Daddy and I share one thing every night that we are grateful for with each other.  We're grateful for you every day, so we usually find other things to talk about when we share our gratitude with one another.  But last night, it was you, and only you, for which I was grateful.

Let me tell you why...Yesterday morning, after your breakfast, but before you were dressed for the day, you sat on my lap on the couch.  You were playing with a rattle and I watched as you deliberately passed the rattle from your left hand to your right hand.  A minute later, you passed it back into your left hand.  Now, you've passed things back and forth before, but never truly on purpose.  But this time was different.  You did that purposefully.  You wanted that rattle to be in your right hand, and you made it happen.  I was so proud of you.  And at that moment, I was struck by the enormity of being your mother.  It just hit me that you grew inside of me for 37 weeks and that the love that Daddy and I have for one another made it possible for you to be here, and thus, for you to learn how to deliberately pass that rattle from one hand to the other. 

Now, obviously, I knew you grew inside of me.  But this may have been the first time I really felt awe that you grew inside of me.  I made that happen.  If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here, and I would not be in this place.  And for that, I must thank you.  While the past five months have certainly not been without challenges, I wouldn't change any of it.  Here are some reasons why: You had colic the first 3 months.  Listening to you cry and scream for 3 hours every night taught me that Daddy and we can overcome any challenge you throw our way.  I'm still in a lot of pain and still have not healed from your Cesarean delivery.  Dealing with everything a newborn has to offer, plus medical issues for the past five months has shown me a strength I didn't know I possessed.  Every time you learn something new, or you do something for the first time, I feel such pride.  I'm so proud to be your mother!  Together, you, me, and Daddy are a family.  And learning the dynamics of our new family has brought me and Daddy closer and shown us a greater love and appreciation for one another than we had before.  Thank you, my little peanut, for forcing me to grow as a person, a mother, and wife.  Were it not for you I would not be who I am today.  And while we still have some work ahead of us, I can feel myself getting better every day. 

Here's some info on you at 5 months:

• You are 13 lbs, 12 oz and 24.5 inches long. 

• You had your first Thanksgiving (at home with me, Daddy, and Zach)

• We went to Disney World (EPCOT, with Leslie, David, and Drake)

• You went to your first wedding (Jolene and Brett)
• You love to watch yourself in the mirror
• Football is still your favorite thing to watch
• You are now an expert at rolling over, and are working on figuring out how to crawl.  You can get up on your hands and knees, but can't quite figure out how to move forward.  You manage to move backwards sometimes, but most often get frustrated that you aren't going anywhere
• Your favorite sound to make sounds like you're saying, "haha"

• You are very friendly, and love meeting new people
• You love to swing in the hammock
• You giggle when we kiss your tummy or your toes
• Daddy was disappointed this month when your "tongue button" stopped working.  For the past several months whenever he touched you in the space between your top lip and your nose you would stick out your tongue.  Now you just look at him or push his hand away
• You're starting to get more interested in the dogs, and watch them when they are around.  And they have been great with you. 

It has really been a joy to watch you get to this point.  Thank you, Ellie, for challenging me and giving me an opportunity to grow with you.  I love all the way to the moon and back, and Daddy does too!

Love,
Mama

50 Things I want to Teach my Daughter

I've been working on this list since Ellie was about a week old.  Now that she's almost 5 months, I think I have a good start.  This is by no means a complete list of the things I want to teach Ellie, but it's a start. 

What would you add to my list?

1.       Birthday cake makes an excellent breakfast

2.       You can’t move forward if you’re standing still

3.       A strong man won’t be threatened by a strong woman

4.       You are beautiful

5.       It’s ok to cry, just make sure you laugh too

6.       It’s ok to say no

7.       Your voice counts, make sure others can hear you

8.       Take pictures, but don’t be so caught up in capturing memories that you miss the experience

9.       Dove will keep your skin soft

10.   Don’t let anyone convince you do to things you don’t want to do

11.   A toothbrush is a great cleaning tool

12.   Your heart will probably get broken at least once.  Even though it won’t feel like it at the time, know that it will heal.

13.   Forgive

14.   Don’t be afraid to try new things

15.   Learn from your mistakes

16.   Be honest, but be nice about it

17.   The easiest way is usually not the best way

18.   Keep your promises

19.   Think of others before yourself

20.   You are loved

21.   You are worthy of being loved

22.   A dog is a wonderful friend

23.   Dessert is always better with chocolate

24.   A hammock and a good book are a great way to pass some time

25.   A good book does not always mean a great piece of literature.  A beach read, or a book about teenaged vampires can entertain you just as much

26.   Stand up for what you believe in, even if it means you’ll be standing alone

27.   Follow your heart

28.   You don’t have to eat everything on your plate, but you should always try at least one bite

29.   It’s your job to keep yourself happy, but you aren’t responsible for anyone else’s happiness

30.   Don’t be afraid to share your passion with those that you love

31.   Your perspective and opinion are valuable and valid.  Don’t be afraid to share

32.   You are stronger than you can ever imagine.  No matter what tests life throws at you, you will get through it.  Even if it’s so hard that you want to give up, you won’t, and you’ll realize how tough you really are.  I know this because I watched Nana be so strong when things were so hard.  I’ve had to be stronger and tougher than I ever thought I could be, but I did it.  You have this strength in your blood, and in time you’ll realize that you can get through anything.

33.   Life only gives you the challenges that you can handle.  You may sometimes think that’s not the case, or that you’ve been dealt a bad hand with too much to handle, but you’ll surprise yourself.  You can overcome any challenge you are given. 

34.   Learn to look at issues from more than one perspective.  Make your own decisions and opinions only after doing your research.

35.   Be an independent thinker.  Don’t do something because you think it’s what Daddy or I want you to do.  Do something because it’s what will make you happy.  We’ll love you either way.  Always.  No matter what.

36.   Don’t keep your thoughts and feelings bottled up inside.  You are allowed to feel however you feel, your thoughts are valid.  Don’t be afraid to tell someone if you’re upset with them. 

37.   Learn how to sort laundry

38.   Realize that while you may think your way is the best way, someone else might have an equally good idea.  Let them give it a shot.

39.   Put your clean clothes away before they get wrinkly.  Otherwise, you’ll have to iron, and that’s the worst chore.

40.   Travel

41.   Not every day is going to be easy.  Remember, though, not every day will be hard, either.  Take each day as it comes; Learn and grow daily

42.   You’re never too old or too smart to learn new things

43.   Appreciate opportunities

44.   Don’t give up when things are hard, that’s when you need to dig your heels in and keep going

45.   Sing and bop your head along to the radio in the car without worrying about what people who might see you will think

46.   Learn to drive a manual transmission (if Daddy doesn’t teach you, I will)

47.   Eat your veggies

48.   Find something you love for your career, even if it’s not the highest paid position.  All the money in the world won’t make you happy if you hate what you’re doing to earn it

49.   Surround yourself with good, happy, supportive people

50.   You’re never too old to need your Mama.  And I will always be here for you.  No matter what.

A Whale of a Tale

My cousin, Zach, works for NOAA in Fernandina Beach, FL.  It's about 30 minutes away from us.  He's been here since the spring and it's been so nice to have family close by.   His job involves education about and protection of Right Whales. 

The mama and baby whales come to our coast during the fall and winter months, where the water is still warm.  Unfortunately, they are an endangered species.  If I'm not mistaken I think there are only around 400 left in the world.

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Right Whale Festival in Jacksonville Beach.  We went mostly to support my cousin, though it was nice to get outside and walk around a bit.

 



It was the first really chilly day we've had in a while, and there was a lot of wind at the beach so we didn't stay long.   We walked around and looked a the booths.  We had our picture taken with NOAA's inflatable Right Whale.  There was also some live music being played, and some people dressed as whales, sea turtles, dolphin, and sharks walking around, which were fun for Ellie to look at. 

 

 Jeff was really excited when he saw the Coast Guard boat, and then disappointed to learn they were only letting kids climb on board.  He settled for this picture instead.  

 

Can you believe that we live 8 miles from the beach and this was our first time taking Ellie?  She was four months old before going to the beach!  I guess it's because with my open c-section wound I haven't much felt up for going to the beach.  Next summer, though, we'll be there all the time!  It was too cold and windy to take her out of the warmth and comfort of her stroller, so she didn't even make it to the sand, just to the walkway.  I definitely owe Ellie a day at the beach when I'm feeling better.

 

This picture has nothing to do with whales or the beach, but I thought it was really cute.  Ellie is modeling one of Nana's hand-knitted hats here.  We got a lot of compliments on her hat that day at the festival, and when I told my mom she said she'd give me business cards to pass out.  Since I don't have those cards yet, you can check out her Esty site instead: Nana's Petit Chapeaux. 

Going to the Chapel...

...Well, in this case a ballroom on a ship, but you get the idea.

 

 

My dear friend, Jolene, married her love, Brett, on November 15, so Ellie went to her first wedding.  It was a very small affair, with only about 25 guests, so the three of us were honored to attend.  Jolene and Brett were married on the Carnival Fascination, which sails from Jacksonville to the Bahamas.  They were married before departure while still in JaxPort, then went on the cruise.  Since babies must be six months to sail, I was glad they did it that way so we could be there.

 

 

We boarded the ship before any of the other passengers and had a few minutes to get ready (or pump, in my case).  Then they had a ceremony in a ballroom.  

 

Following the ceremony, we moved to one of the ship's lounges, where they had a reception complete with first dance, father-daughter dance, and cutting of the cake.  As you would expect on a cruise ship, the food was delicious and plentiful! 

Ellie had fun watching all of the people and showing off her pretty dress.  I had fun catching up with my friends. 

Jeff had fun keeping Ellie entertained during the festivities.

After the reception was over we had to rush to get off of the ship (not too easy getting off of a cruise ship about to get underway when everyone is trying to get on!) before they started the mandatory emergency information.
 

We were sad that we were unable to go on the cruise with all of my friends, but happy that we were still able to attend Jolene and Brett's wedding!  We wish Jolene and Brett a lifetime of happiness together!

4 Months

At the corn maze and pumpkin patch with Daddy

 

Wow!  Ellie is already 4 months old.  She is learning and growing every day, and it's such a joy to watch her.  She is 12lbs, 8 oz (25th percentile), and 24 inches (40th percentile).  She also has a labial adhesion, which we're having to treat her for.  Basically, her labia is fusing together.  For the past month we've been using Calendula gel (a homeopathic treatment) to keep it slippery, not sticky, so it won't stick together.  At her four month check up they said it's gotten worse so now we're on to prescription cream to try to treat it.  She has to wear disposable diapers while using this cream, too.  Good for the washing machine, bad for our wallet (those diapers are expensive!).  But we should be able to go back to cloth diapers in a couple of weeks.  Hopefully this cream works.  If it doesn't and it continues to get worse, she may have to have surgery to open the labia back up.

The major even this month was Halloween.  The weekend before Halloween Ellie went with us to a party.  Then, on Halloween we went to my wound care doctor (yep, c-section is still not healed!  I'm hopeful that it'll just be a few more weeks of regular wound care), and afterwards Jeff and Ellie came to my office.  She went "trick-or-treating" in the office (really just going around to show off her peanut costume).  Our students were trick-or-treating too, so it was loud and busy, and I think a little overwhelming for her.  But, everyone had fun seeing her!

Is this not the cutest peanut you've ever seen?

 

She has a very regular routine.  She is an excellent sleeper; Jeff sometimes has to wake her up at 9:30 so she won't sleep the day away!  She usually goes to sleep around 9 or 10, and sleeps until 8:30 or 9:30.  She gets up, eats, plays, then takes a long nap.  She spends her afternoons alternating between eating, playing, and napping.  She loves her exer-saucer (on loan from cousin Drake), and rolling around on the floor.  She also likes to watch TV, especially if football is on.

Watching football together

Here are the milestones we reached this month:

• Rolling over (front to back, and back to front -- usually toward her left side, though)
• Learning how to grab and guide items to her mouth (she's still learning how her hands work, so this is usually an accident)
• Reaching out for things
• Desperately wanting to learn to crawl (I watched her army crawl in her sleep, halfway up her crib, but she hasn't figured out how to do it on purpose -- or while awake! -- yet)
• Sitting up (requiring a little support from us)
• Recognizing Mama and Daddy by sight (nothing makes me happier than to watch her smile as she sees me coming into a room)

Hanging out with Mama!

 

Presley sleeps in Ellie's room most nights, but in our room once or twice a week.  Both dogs love to try to play with Ellie when she's on the floor.  They give her kisses and watch over her.  Yesterday Ellie was on the bed near where Mauja was sleeping.  She reached out and tried to crawl forward, succeeding only in grabbing Mauja's tail and then her foot.  Mauj just opened her eyes, looked at Ellie, then turned her head -- not even bothered by being grabbed at by a baby at all! 

Presley is not sure about this, but Ellie likes it!

 

Next up is the holiday season!  This will be a month of firsts for Ellie (first wedding, first Thanksgiving, first trip to Disney World...). Stay tuned to learn about all of our adventures!

Baby Fest 2012

On November 10, 2011 our friend and boss, Sonnie, lost her battle with cancer.  It was a sad, sad time in my office as we grieved together.  Sonnie was a wonderful, smart, funny woman that I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from.  She was my mentor during two internships for my Masters degree.  I was welcomed into my job at the school and immediately made to feel like a member of a large (and loud) family.  That was Sonnie's doing.  The office and the school iteself are not the same without her.  We miss her every day.

Around the same time that Sonnie passed away, lots of new life was happening for the women in my office.  I found out that I was pregnant a week after Sonnie died.  One of my friends and colleagues heard her daughter's heartbeat for the first time on the day that Sonnie died.  All in all, seven women in my office were pregnant together.  Most of the babies were conceived shortly before or shortly after Sonnie died.  We'd all like to think that she had something to do with it.  She certainly would have loved being around all of the babies!

On Saturday a group of us got together for lunch to remember Sonnie.  We cried a little, laughed a lot, and passed babies around.  It was so much fun to see the babies all together.  Ellie and Sicily even interacted a little bit (they are about 3 weeks apart), laughing together and communicating in their baby way.  It was a bittersweet afternoon.  Sad that we were there to without Sonnie, but so much fun to have the babes together.  Sonnie would have loved every minute of it! 

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

Ellie is rolling over now.  She really loves to roll over, actually.  She always looks so proud of herself when she does it, and she gets so frustrated if she's unable to do it.

The first time she rolled over was a few weeks ago.  She went from her tummy to her back.  Later that day we put her down for a nap on her back, and when Jeff went to get her, she was on her tummy.  Then, nothing.  No rolling over for over a week.

On Wednesday or Thursday of last week though, she just went crazy rolling over and over.  She'll roll from her back to her tummy to her back and so on until she runs out of room.  She still gets stuck from time to time, but is getting better at rolling every time she tries!

I have a video to post with this.  I think it might be too big because I haven't been successful in uploading it.  Maybe we'll try to take a shorter video and see if I have better luck showing you how good she is at rolling over!

Happy Halloween!!!

Our Halloween season this year was pretty tame.  A couple of weeks ago we went, along with cousin Zach, to a farm with a corn maze and pumpkin patch.  None of us had ever been in a corn maze before, and I think when Ellie is a few years older she will really enjoy it.

In the corn maze

Our first visit to a farm

On Friday of last weekend we went to our friends' house for their annual Halloween/FL-GA party.  The big FL-GA football game is played in Jacksonville every year the last Saturday of October, so it's a great reason to combine the two for a party.  Ellie did not wear a costume (because I wasn't done making it!), but she did wear some cute Halloween clothes Aunt Genevieve gave her.  Jeff dressed as a race car driver in his Mazda gear, and I was a gypsy.  Ellie was a big hit at the party!

At Meghan and Drew's Halloween/FL-GA party

 

 

Today (Halloween) Jeff and Ellie took me to my weekly appointment at the Wound Care Clinic.  My wounds are getting smaller very slowly, but they are making progress.  It'll still be a few more weeks before they close up entirely (of course, my doctor has said, "a few more weeks..." every week for the 8 that I've been going to him).  After the doctor they took me to work and Ellie was able to go trick-or-treating in my office.  Since she doesn't have teeth and is only eating breast milk, she really just went around to say hello to everyone, not to get candy.  Her Halloween costume is a peanut, since she is our little Peanut.

 

Our little Peanut

 





We had one pair of trick-or-treaters tonight (our next-door neighbors), and Ellie went outside to show off her costume and give them candy.  Next year I hope to be able to take her around a little bit in the neighborhood.