we're here, you just can't tell

"what ever happened to our friends todd, jeanette, and ellie?"

the story of updating:
we are here, and i have plenty of photos to prove it. a number of times i have tried to update our blog. i had the todd studying for the bar theme, the our summer fun photos, the us moving from omaha to utah story, then the our summer was... but, alas, it may be awhile before anyone gets to see any of that.
you see, todd's parents have generously let us live with them while we are in life limbo. it has been great getting to know them better and to save all that money on rent! however, all of our stuff is packed to the ceiling (truly) in todd's old bedroom in the basement [come winter, i'm not sure if i get to go on a shopping spree or if we are digging for winter clothes ;) ]. and, the internet isn't fast enough for the posting of blog photos.
so, i am sorry to say, our blog has been put on temporary hiatus. a big apology especially to our family we don't get to see often enough and our good friends back in omaha who i promised regular updates to. as soon as possible, i will update.

ellie's blessing

as an attempt to entice our family to omaha, todd and i decided to make a super weekend that they couldn't resist. we planned for ellie to be blest at church the same weekend as graduation. we had a couple bail (you know who you are and so do we), but many still followed through and we were so glad to have them in our home and to share with them this part of our lives.

todd gave ellie her name and a blessing may 17th. for those friends who are not familiar with our church, we believe in being baptized after the age of accountability (8 years old). so babies are not baptized. however, a priesthood holder (todd) gives the baby their name and a blessing. it was such a special opportunity where family and friends participated and showed their support towards our little family. todd gave a beautiful blessing to ellie.

ellie's dress was made by grandma melanson and her blanket was made by grandma karen. both were amazing, ellie looked like a princess. (i will add some photos that show this better later)

todd with ellie and todd's brother blake with his son ike (the first cousin ellie met)

ellie & ike

Graduation

todd graduated from law school may 15th and we are so excited! i am so proud of all that he has worked for. todd is an excellent example of preparation and dedication. he has worked very hard throughout the entire three years. it was a pity that he had to begin bar exam prep classes on the 18th- what a way to celebrate completing his jd!!! this is the only picture that we had on our camera, but when i get some from our parents, i'll add another couple.

i'm told it all began with conversation over the term "hooding."

we will be back

i have every intention on updating the blog: graduation, family visiting omaha, visiting family in utah/california/oregon, summer fun, anniversary, and of course... ellie updates! i no longer have my own laptop (had to give it back to the school when i retired), so i can only work on todd's laptop. that proves to be a bit tricky when he is away studying all day and evening. so, the only times i have ready access to the computer is when i have access to my husband, which i am learning to relish every last second more than ever! i will update, though, i promise!!!

catch up!!!

well, i'm back to work and things are busy, busy, busy! here is my attempt to catch loved ones up in photos....mommy and ellie time! (i actually got a photo of me with ellie).
ellie at the pediatric orthopedic's office, right after getting her harness removed. it took her a little while to move her legs out of the position they had been in for the past 3 weeks.
finally kicking her legs!!
out for a stroll- our favorite pastime. note: pants and socks are part of her wardrobe again;)
happy to be out of her harness.
ellie has taken up cuddling with stuffed animals. here she is with sprinkles.
so, i swore i would never put more than a small bow in my daughter's hair. however, even i could not fight the trend. this past week i learned how to make headbands with a friend.
it's a pity such a cute photo had to have this background. (when i went to take photos, todd insisted i take a couple with the utah utes blanket).
we love this sweater aunt darlene made and expect more in the future- in every color!

2 month check-up

ellie had her 2 month check-up on monday. that means shots- yuck! ellie did beautifully. she barely flinched on the first one, in her left leg. when the second one came along, in her right leg, her eyes got bigger than i've ever seen before and a tear came from her eye. then the last one, also in her right leg, made her cry. but by the time the nurse put the bandages on, ellie had stopped crying, and as i put her back in her carseat, she was cooing and smiling again. thank goodness!!! here are ellie's 2 month stats:
weight: 11 lbs. 7 oz. (75th percentile)
length: 23 1/2 inches (75th percentile)
head circumference: 15 1/2 inches (unsure of percentile)

todd and ellie enjoying some tummy time together:


ellie discovered her thumb a few weeks ago. it is so cute when she sucks on it, plus it buys me a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning! it isn't so cute, however, when she sticks her whole hand in her mouth and gags!!!
i can already hear todd's family cheering with her blanket and my family plotting their revenge!

good morning!

i tried emailing this video to ellie's grandparents, but it was too big. so, watch if you like, but it is over 2 minutes long and isn't required by any means. :)

ellie's new look

when ellie was born, the pediatrician discovered she had hip dysplasia. ellie had an ultrasound and met with a pediatric orthopedic, where it was decided we would wait a month to see if the socket improved. last week we went back for another ultrasound at childrens' hospital then went to the orthopedic again. while ellie's socket had improved from 51/52 degrees to 58/59 degrees (you want 60/61 degrees), the doctor thought it would be best to put her in a brace to help the progression.

so, this is ellie's new look for three weeks. we only take the top of her brace off to change her onsie & give sponge baths (typically babies don't get to wear the onsie underneath, but ellie developed a rash from the harness). ellie has been wonderful about all of it. after the three weeks, we will go in for another ultrasound. if all goes as planned, she will only need to wear the harness at nights for 2-3 months after the initial three weeks.
what is hip dysplasia? it is where the hip socket is shallower than it should be. this causes the hip to be unstable, due to the top of the femur (leg bone) not being properly located in the hip socket or not located where the hip socket is expected to develop. the pediatrician and pediatric orthopedic checked for a popping in her hip. it happens in 4 per 1000 births and is most frequently found in girls who are in breech position (which she wasn't) and are first-borns (which she is). if left untreated, it could result in a shorter leg & limp and premature arthritis & hip pain. we are so grateful it was discovered and is being treated now.

Sick Days

ellie had her first sick day(s). totally freaked me out. i am a nervous mother and having a baby under 2 months old with a fever and other uncharacteristic events just about made me pull my hair out. thank goodness for both grandmas, daddy, wonderful friends who live so close, and ellie's nurse. each has been a great resource for me for information, comfort, and wise advice.

in grievance for her sick days, ellie wore black on day 2. she loved snuggling up in her super soft white blanket.

by the end of the week, she was feeling much better.

the video above is for those who just like to watch ellie move. nothing spectacular like first words or walking- that's for next week! ;) oh, but on sunday night/monday morning, ellie rolled to her side completely! i layed her in the crib on her back, went into the hallway to grab lotion, came back in and she was on her left side. it really shocked me- is that normal at 5 1/2 weeks?! i'm sure it is, i had just been taken by surprise.

another week bites the dust...

todd's mom came to see us last week (okay, we no longer factor in for visits- she came for ellie). it was great having her here: she helped with cooking, laundry, cleaning, and holding ellie lots and lots. it was especially sad for me to see her leave because i felt like i was able to get so much more done while she was here.

since we just can't get enough of our ellie bear, we thought we'd share some photos from this past week (notice we get more photos on weeks when grandmas are in town!).

ellie with daddy

ellie Loves going on walks- she likes seeing the outdoors
(and hates it when we cover the stroller!)

napping in daddy's arms

i wanna pumP...you up!!!

she loves baths- although is looking a little guilty of something here...our cute little family

dear grandpa kent,

we are having so much fun with grandma karen here. in fact, i am so sorry to tell you that she will be unable to return home. we have arranged for you to instead pick her up when you come for daddy's graduation and my baby blessing in may. i know you are going to miss grandma lots and lots, but see- i have never had such wonderful naps and mommy gets so much done around the house. we have just decided to keep her. we look forward to seeing you in may.

love,
ellie

first bottle

in an effort to prepare ellie for my return to work, we have begun feeding her one bottle a day. it is her daddy's special time to cuddle and be with her. she did an incredible job for her first time- she took it right away. to date, she has taken the bottle 3 out of 3 attempts. dare i dream... a little freedom? maybe in a little while.

Ellie is 1!!!

one month, that is. i can't believe she is already a month old. she is such a joy to have as an addition to our little family. i may get nothing done other than feeding her, changing diapers, and holding her; but it is wonderful. we love our little peanut.

First REAL Bath!!!

Feel free to play the following game: spot the error in this video... ;)

Ellie's got the hiccups!!!

L is for the way you Look at me...

ellie is our little smiler. she smiles so often, i am just hoping she is one of those happy to be alive kids. it is fun to see those smiles, and i am not sure, but think i may have seen something that could resemble a dimple on her right cheek. i know many think it is just gas, etc., and that is what i thought the first few days, but i really am beginning to be a believer that she is a smiley baby.
i realize i have been posting a lot, but family keeps encouraging it. so, i continue. now that grandma melanson is gone, however, i think the photo sessions will decrease significantly. my mom left here with over 150 photos of our little peanut.






see?!!! cuteness, huh?

















last year todd had one valentine. this year he had three. the poor guy. but he pulled through getting something for each of his valentines and taking us out to eat to celebrate. i really did marry the very best man in the world. i could go and tell you all the reasons, but it would embarrass him, so you will just have to trust me on this.

weather

we had a pretty big snow fall friday. i'm not sure the exact amount, but when my mom went to measure outside our door, it was something like 9 inches. this is crazy because the first part of the week was sunny and warm with temperatures in the 60s. as one of the news anchormen said something like this, "some places have changing weather through seasons, ours changes through the week."

these photos are from right outside our door. in the first photo you can see the hill where todd went sledding a couple of times. we used kim's idea of a cookie sheet, as we don't have a sled. todd lucked out and a couple of friends were out at the same time and shared their equipment with him, so he didn't have to use his "ghetto sled" as much. in the second photo, to the left of the fence, is the ruler mom melanson used to measure.
mom melanson was so sweet and baked and baked friday morning. i was her assistant. we made a ton of brownies and rice crispie treats to give to neighbors and todd's work for valentines day.
well, then todd and i tried to get him to work. we had a very scary experience where our car slid down the hill a bit, turning 180 degrees, and he and one of our maintenance workers laid down dirt and pushed on the car while i gunned it in reverse to try to get back into our parking lot. needless to say, todd didn't make it into work friday. that left us with more treats than we had bargained for. i will have to catch todd's office on st. patricks day i guess.

Quality Time

ellie loves to cuddle with grandma melanson. she actually discovered her favorite position with grandma. ellie loves to lay against our shoulder. it nearly guarantees a great nap- boy, ellie is going to be sad when grandma leaves!

actually, ellie won't be the only one who is sad with grandma melanson gone. it has been so wonderful having her here. not only is my mom an incredible support and resource with the birth of our first baby; but she has also been cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, and so much more. it will be really difficult having her gone, but we look forward to when she will return with grandpa melanson in may for her blessing.

this is from ellie's first bath at home. while not her favorite thing in the world, ellie is getting better at them. last night we gave her one last bath with grandma melanson helping and having todd help, too. she actually didn't cry that much. she might actually like them once she can get into the warm water.

todd is reading miss spider to ellie. he read to her while i was pregnant many nights. i have loved and collected children's books since i was a teenager. it is wonderful to finally be using them with our own baby.

i'm so glad when daddy comes home...

todd has been incredible with ellie!!! he is totally into doing everything- changing diapers and cleaning breast pump equipment included. last night he took ellie during her two hardest times of the night- when she just cried and cried and cried some more. the last shift, from 11:30pm-12:30am (must apologize to our connecting townhouse neighbors) she just wailed. and todd took care of her the entire time without any complaints (and grandma and i slept).

i was able to feed ellie after that, and she slept beautifully. both she and i actually were able to sleep in our beds for consecutive hours- i was in heaven. i am so grateful to have married such a wonderful man who is showing what a wonderful father he is, too.

ellie in her camouflage mode with grandma karen's blanket.
she slept so beautifully last night and this morning- if only that is how it could always be! :)

home is where the heart is

ellie's coming home from the hospital outfit
our little family has expanded to three! (note the pretty pink roses from todd- i love them!)
we are so grateful grandma melanson is here helping!!! thanks for letting us have her, grandpa melanson... even if it isn't as long as we'd like! ;) ellie is also laying on one of our favorite blankets, which was made by grandma karen.
ellie is home now! she is doing great. a few of her favorite things so far: daddy reading to her, sleeping on grandma melanson's shoulder, pooping, eating, being sung/talked to. some not- so-much favorites: wardrobe changes and waiting on mommy to feed her.