Explosions

WARNING: THIS TOPIC IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART - you have been warned...

For about the last two weeks now Ms. Ellie has been having what amounts to diarrhea, but is really more of a middle ground between diarrhea and formed stool. We are guessing that it is because we have begun introducing some new foods into her diet, but I fear that this theory is growing old and tired. She is now eating "regular" foods that are diced, her formula, and some jar foods - perhaps it was too much of a change for her tummy but I am now doubting it is the culprit.

It started with her waking up with her jammies a total disaster, which made getting up in the mornings a particular treat!! I know there were days Justin and I laid there pretending to be asleep and hoping that the other would finally get up to go and fight the battle.

This morphed into a mid-day treat and finally an around 8 pm treat -- this has resulted in SOOOOO much laundry being done and SOOOOO many extra baths being given. It's pretty much all we do....wipe/gag/re-bathe/gag /re-diaper/gag/change her clothes/gag/clean up diaper/gather dirty clothes/hose off dirty clothes/launder dirty clothes/gag/hose ourselves off --- AND repeat!

This Monday she had her 9 month well child check and so I figured we'd ask her pediatrician about it. It was a cold and rainy day so I bundled her up in a cute pink outfit with pink elephants - very fetching. We drove to the office and arrived around 20 min early and I smelled a funny smell so when we parked I decided to change her before she had an accident. I was too late.....


I lifted her up from her car seat and her pink sweat pants were brown in color....I laid her on her back while I removed the soiled pants only to find a mess of astronomical proportions....There was poop EVERYWHERE...thick poop that resembled spaghetti (given that this is what she'd had the day before - the jarred kind). It was on the outside of her onesie...which then got on her legs...which then got on her socks...which then got on the seat....which then got on her hoodie...which then got on the diaper bag...which then got on her spare shirt....which was, of course, now all over me. I wanted to cry.....and it smelled....bad.





And as luck would have it....we were nearly out of wipes in the diaper bag. Great.


I cleaned her off and then used some antibacterial hand wipes to tend to the car.....


I looked down and we were late to her appointment...but she had only a spare pair of pants that were unscathed....so I got her pants on (which was no small feat given that I really had no un-pooped place to lay her) and took my hoodie off to wrap her in and rushed her inside. A few people were staring at me and I figured they were wondering why Ellie was wrapped in a hoodie, however I then remembered that I had put on a thin white T-shirt under my hoodie. Great.

We finally made it to see the doctor, and as usual (her pediatrician is not easily worked up given that she's been around a while) we were told the diarrhea was no big deal. The girl is not dehydrated, no change in diaper status (wet ones that is), she's eating well, drinking well, and no fever. So the doc just told us to give her some Activia and see what happens...

She also got 2 shots....and was told that her scream was the loudest the doctor has heard in all of her career - which means something given that the doctor has been around a while....At least now I know it's not just me being sensitive. I believe the descriptor was a "calling the dogs" scream......Great.

PS: I'm sorry Ellie that I reported this story about you.....one day you will understand....(Drum roll please....) when you have kids!!

I have nothing interesting to say....

I feel as if I only have things to say about Ellie...

.... but she's just so darn interesting......and cute!

Ellie Bellie Bo Bellie Banana Fanna Fo Fellie Me My Mo Mellie ---- ELLIE!!

It is just impossible to believe that 9 months have passed since we first laid eyes on little Miss Ellie. After 9 months of carrying her in my own belly she arrived and she has been the center of our existence since the day she was born. Many people have children and have those children fit into their lives, however we wholeheartedly agreed that when we had a baby we would fit into their life. This has definitely been the case, and what a blessing it has been.

Ellie has and is such a delight. We recently went out to eat and Ellie was the center of attention at this place. People coming to talk to her, people at other tables waving and talking to her, telling her that she made their night with her smile....and on and on as usually happens when we go out with Ellie. -- The waitress told us as we walked out, "You are a very blessed family. I am sure you know that, but I just felt like telling you that. You are very blessed."

Indeed.

Here are the highlights of Ellie at 9 months:

* You get into everything....EVERYTHING! You crawl, you stand, you climb....you exhaust us :)

* You can feed yourself with a spoon - very messily however the food gets from spoon to mouth and that is all that counts.

* You wave to people. People love it.

* You dance. People love it.

* You shake your head from side to side when you get excited - it is the cutest thing!

* You  still LOVE LOVE LOVE to jump --- and you could still jump for hours if our arms and shoulders could keep up!!

* Your STILL smile lights up a room!!!

* You HATE: having your diaper changed, getting dressed/undressed, going in your car seat, bed time being in your stroller for more than 3 minutes, sun in your eyes, when your dad feeds you too slow, not getting attention, things with strong odors, and loud noise. (This has remained unchanged from 8 months old)

* You are a superb eater!! (Loves) beef w/vegetables, lasagna, sweet potatoes, bananas and strawberries, mixed vegetables, peas, carrots, cinnamon oatmeal, carrots, turkey and rice, chicken and apples, puffs and lil' crunchies (Dislikes) nothing.

* You have toys you LOVE: your new Dr. Seuss character stuffed animal, lids, spoons, plastic bowls, your walker, DVD/VCR, Wii Remote, TV remote, books, Goldie Brown - Private I and basically anything that you can put in your mouth

* Things you love to try to play with but shouldn't: Electrical cords, leaning shelves, the laptop, the TV, the Wii

* Personality: Charming, Stubborn, Inquisitive/Nosey, Loving, Joyful, "too smart for your own good," - these have not changed in several months....Soooooo I think this means something :)

* Things we are working on: not yelling in restaurants, learning what "no" means consistently, and drinking from a sippy cup while sitting up

* Favorite things to "watch": Veggie Tales,Dora the Explorer, Arrested Development and Disney movies with lots of singing

* NEW archenemy: the vacuum and hair dryer

* Things you have broken: my IPhone, my laptop (shhhh!), and your dad's laptop cord

* Biggest "Places" you've gone thus far: Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Disneyland

* Holidays you have celebrated: Halloween, Valentines Day, Easter, 4th of July

* Nap times: 12 noon, 430 pm -ish

* Bed time: 930 pm

* Sign that you are getting sleepy: You start making a moaning noise, you start rubbing your eyes, you lay your head down, and you start acting "wacky"

* Favorite blankie: Flower print one with your name embroidered on it (this has not changed)

* You LOVE to go swimming

* You still love to splash around in the bath tub

* Fav sleeping position: on your belly with your little behind up in the air and now you also sleep on your back and side (or as your dad says, "Like a little adult")

* Big upcoming trips: Tucson!! San Diego!! San Francisco!!

* Favorite song: The ABC's as sung by mom, Ellie Bellie Bo Bellie as sung by mom and dad, Ellie Bo Bellie as written and sung by mom and dad.

* Nicknames: "Ladybug" "Lady" Ellie Bellie" "E. Sophia" "Bug" "Bugz" "Ellie Bo Bellie"

*Things you "Say": dada, mama, baba, gaga, nana, papa

I think these are the highlights of you Ms. Ellie Bo Bellie!!

  Of you, I still approve.

Happy Halloween!!

Our plans for this year's Halloween was going to be to take Ellie to the Zoo Boo at the Albuquerque Zoo, which is scheduled for October 30. This unfortunately is the day that we are moving out and therefore Halloween 2010 /Ellie's first Halloween was going to be ruined for all times. Her "dada" couldn't live with the thought of this.....so he came up with an ingenius plan - take the girl to Disneyland for Halloween!! I, of course, did not disagree with this plan and exactly 3 days after this thought we packed up and headed for sunny California.

We drove part of the way Tuesday after his class and stayed in Flagstaff at a really really beautiful Marriott, and it there were some snow flurries and it was just so beautiful. We headed out Wednesday morning for the rest of the trip, and checked into a Fairfield Inn (which is also a Marriott subsidiary) and after a few hours we packed up and left. This place was OLD and the pictures online did not tell the true tale of its age. It smelled weird (like dirty socks), there was a dog barking in the room next door, it was VERY close to the freeway (like walk onto it from the parking lot close) and the doors opened to the outside.

We ended up at a Marriott in Fullerton which was older but very updated and nice. This move moved us closer to Disney and was around a lot of major places. We then headed to Bubba Gump's and then called it a night. The following day we headed for, you guessed it, the outlet malls where Justin picked up a new watch (his dream watch to be exact!). 

We then spent some time switching over from AT&T back to Verizon (that's a story for another day and time), and then headed off to the Pumpkin Factory. This was a pretty cool little pumpkin patch that had a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and other fun games.

 

Ellie did the petting zoo and had a ton of fun....she then spent some time in the pumpkin "patch" area and picked out a cute little baby sized pumpkin for herself. We were all pretty tired so we headed back to the room to relax for the big day!!  

Friday was Disney day, and we had purchased tickets to Mickey's-Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party which allowed us free parking, admission into the park at 4 pm (The park closed to non -party-goers at 7 pm) free candy, a fireworks extravaganza and party time until midnight!! Prior to heading out we stopped in at a little hole in the wall restaurant called The Hungry Bear which was a steakhouse. It was ok, but not really the wow we were hoping for, and Justin was pretty disappointed that his sandwich didn't come with cheese. We got to Disneyland around 430 pm and the park was packed out!! We made our way to the Pizza Port where we picked up a few slices of pizza since we were still hungry after our Hungry Bear experience ($30 for 2 slices and 2 drinks and 2 soggy breadsticks) and we hung out until 6:30. They had begun checking wrist bands (which indicated you were a party goer) and if you didn't have one you couldn't ride or get candy. We headed for the It's a Small World Ride and after a short wait Ellie was on her first bonafide ride!! She LOVED it!! She rode 7 rides in all!! She did not get candy (1) She can't eat it (2) The lines at the candy stations were soooooo long (3) Justin said he'd rather buy her 10 bags of candy than wait in the line. We took advantage of the long candy lines and rode rides to our hearts content. Ellie rode: It's a small world, Mr. Toad, Peter Pan, The Haunted Mansion, the Carousel, Teacups, and Pirates of the Carribbean (which nearly summed up the rides that were open that night and didn't have a height requirement). She didn't get scared or freaked out - she cried once but she was hungry so that didn't count.

It was so great to see her little face light up, and to see her on those teacups was something special!! She was so excited and her face just beamed of utter joy!! It really made it worth the crowds, the 20-something year old girls dressed like naughty Disney characters, the adults walking around the PACKED crowds (many of them children) with burning hot LIT cigarettes, and overpriced Disney garb. We left after the fireworks, which was around 1030, and headed for the room. The girl was wiped out and we hit the room and she was out like a light. She slept all through the night and even was asleep after Justin and I had both woken up and gotten ready.

I just know she was dreaming of all the fun she had.....