Happy 10 Year Anniversary!

Aaron and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary yesterday!

It's incredible as we (a) don't feel old and (b) don't feel like an old married couple.  Ten years is a huge milestone and we're so thankful for the life we've built together. 

In the last 10-years we've had some incredible memories.  Aaron and I have traveled to Europe twice, Hawaii once, have our own home and 2 great pets, and share a beautiful baby-girl.  We're 'responsible' adults and have grown together as the years go by.

I'm very thankful to love and live with such a wonderful husband.

To celebrate, the 3 of us spent 2 nights in Tucson at our time share resort.  Aaron played golf, we swam in the pool, and all of us took several naps.  It was relaxing, cool, and very enjoyable.

Rolling Over!

Another first for little girl ... last night Elayna rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time!  I thought it was a fluke so I had her do it twice.  I'm very proud of her (although she didn't appear to understand the magnitude of the event) so we'll work on fine-tuning this new skill over the next week.

We leave for Tucson on Friday and Montana on Monday.  The weekend should be a nice relaxing break for our little family.  And the week in Montana will be a great opportunity for Elayna to meet the family.  I'm very excited for the next busy week.

4-Month Photos

I am trying to restrain myself when it comes to professional photographs of Elayna. She is so cute and it’s very tempting to spend a ridiculous amount of money capturing her every smile.
I cracked yesterday though and took her to Sears for a few shots. I was very good about BUYING pictures (I only spent $10!), but can’t resist posting a few of the better poses.
Stay tuned for her 6-month photos…. Coming soon!

Welcome Ducky Tub

Elayna takes a bath almost every night as part of her bed-time ritual. This is her favorite time of the day -- she loves to be naked and we sing fun songs.

Elayna has been bathed in her newborn/infant tub up until now. This was a great tub since it was small and didn't require much water. However, as she gets bigger and bigger, the tub is tighter and tighter.

Luckily, Dad found a 'rubber ducky' bathtub for her to graduate too. As we sing the rubber ducky song frequently (with made-up words), it is perfect for our water bug.

So here are two pictures of her old and new tub ... pretty funny to compare!

           

Pediatrician Visit

Elayna and I just got back from her 4-month check-up and I'm happy to report that she's doing GREAT! 

Her weight is now 14.8 lbs (which explains my sore back) and she's gone down to 75th percentile.  However, her height is now 26.5 inches which is off the charts. 

The doctor was impressed that she's sleeping through the night so well and all of her activities are normal or ahead of schedule.  Her legs are so strong, she tracks very well with her eyes, and she had a great conversation with the doctor (probably trying to tell all the horrible things her mommy and daddy do ... like making her ride in a carseat and eat her dinner.)

She had 4 shots today and that has completely wiped her out -- I expect she'll probably sleep most of the day.  Its a great opportunity for me to get some work done and play with the website!

Happy 4 Month Birthday, Elayna!!

Yesterday was Elayna's 4-month birthday and I find myself feeling rather nostagic. She has, after all, completely changed Aaron's and my life. I can't believe she's already 4 months old and yet I can't imagine my life without her. Such a wonderful baby....

Just a few things I love about my daughter:
1) Her laugh. It bubbles up out of her stomach and at the most unexpected times. She'll smile for anyone but her laughs are precious ... those you have to work for.
2) Her eyes. Elayna has beautiful blue eyes and she is so alert and attentive. Elayna will watch you from across the room and follow things extremely well ... very advanced for a 4-month old.
3) Her sleeping. Yes, Elayna is a great sleeper!! She'll go down at night at 8pm -- after a bath and song from Dad -- eat again at 10pm and then sleep until 6am. She has consistently done this with no problems since she was 11 weeks.
4) Her cheeks. So I can't stop kissing them. Especially the little hollow right below her jaw. She has to have the softest skin ever.
5) Her curiosity. While this may haunt us later, at 4-months curiosity is a darling thing to watch develop. Elayna will study even the smallest thing intently; this morning she inspected her shirt for a long time. I love to watch her learn about the world and watch her face in deep concentration.

Happy birthday, Sugar Bear!! We love you.

Last night we went to our friends Kathy and Terry Mandy's to celebrate Brandon Mandy's birthday. It was wonderful to be included in their family dinner and we had a great time. As an added bonus, Elayna fell asleep with NO ISSUES promptly at 7:45. Aaron sang to her, layed her in the play-pen in the backroom and she was content to drift off. This is a wonderful first and really builds my confidence that we can take her places now.

Belly Laughs and Jumping Beans

Ok, so I'm devilously pleased that Elayna saves her laughs for me. Well, until tonight when Aaron finally found her giggle-switch and sent her on a long bout of merriment. I did manage to capture most of it on video ....