Playtime

Playtime is more fun with Ellie now that she has discovered her hands, and really the world at large. She loves to grab toys and bring them to her face, and she is also content staring and trying to "pick" off the designs on her clothes or on her boppy pillow. Below are pics of her with her dog (the only dog she will ever get, according to Mom...Dad still wants to negotiate).

E & E

Elinore had a playdate with little Evelyn Rives the other day. Evelyn was kind enough to share her bed with Elinore. Jeremy is convinced that they will grow up to be BFF (For those who have forgotten adolescent abbreviations: Best Friends Forever). We shall see!

Imposter!

Which animal is not part of the baby gym in this picture??

Surprise Visit!

Yesterday, Ellie's Auntie Tara made a surprise visit to see her! Even though here she has a deer-caught-in-headlights look, Ellie had great fun with her Auntie...so much so that she pretty much refused to go to bed!

The Big Baby Club

Because of Elinore, I am now part of the Big Baby Club at our church. There is a small handful of women at CHBC (www.capitolhillbaptist.org) that have had 9 and 10 lb. babies. Here is Ellie with her buddy Jesse Ridlington (8 lbs. 15 oz., 21.5 in.) who was born about a the week before.

"Ellie Smiles"

Our little girl is generally a very happy baby -- Jeremy's nickname for her is "Ellie Smiles." She is particularly happy when we change her diapers, change her into new clothes, give her a bath (are you getting the point that she is a clean-freak like her mom?), or when she is just buck naked (but she didn't get that from her mom! :) ). Here is a taste of what we see every day:

Happy "Dol," NJ!

On Sunday, we trekked out to Potomac, MD to celebrate Nathan Jr.'s first birthday, or "dol" which is a big deal in the Korean culture. Apparently the next birthday that Koreans celebrate (I wouldn't know since I am not *really* Korean) with such a bang is the 60th, and I doubt I will be around to celebrate that one with NJ... But nonetheless it was quite fun, and it was good to see friends. Happy Birthday, Jr.!!

Coming Clean with the Truth...

Okay, by now many of you realize that while we advertised this blog as "The Peterson Family in DC" this site should really be called "Ellie in DC"... If you are a grandparent (of Ellie) or a relative (of Ellie), you probably have not minded that every post is about...Ellie. However, if you are a bored friend or colleague of Jeremy or Aeja, we promise that soon we will begin posting things about other realms of life...other than Ellie. But in the meantime:

"I Hate Tummy Time!!"

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Happy Anniversary, Nana & Grandpa P!

First Playdate

While in Idaho, Ellie had her first "playdate" of sorts: My parents' next door neighbor had a baby 2 days after Ellie was born. Now, granted little Seth was born 3 weeks early...but really! Look at their size difference. Ellie looks 6 months old, not 6 weeks!

The Long and Short of it....

Dueling Digital Cameras!

New Friends

Cousins Maddie and Seth were good new friends for Ellie. They read to her, drew pictures of her, and provided lots of entertainment and laughs.

Glorified Mobile

We have wanted to get Ellie a mobile for her crib. However it appears that her expectations might be big...literally! She is fascinated by ceiling fans.

Ellie's Staff

Here are some of Ellie's 24-hour staff from Idaho...

Grandma Stephanie a.k.a "Cinderella"

Primary Duties: Midnight feedings, bottle sterilization, on-site expert burper

Grandpa Mike

Primary Duties: Feeder, Resident "Pediatrician"

Maddie and Seth

Primary Duties: Entertainers

Auntie Kala

Primary Duties: Gassy/fussy reliever, Poop Patroler

Uncle Rocky

Primary Duties: Soother

Update

Last Wednesday, Ellie and I came out to Idaho to be under the full-time care of my family. It has been wonderful, and I am getting stronger and stronger each day. Thank you for the many prayers and kind words of encouragement over these past weeks. We appreciate your love and concern!

So now let me fill you in on our last week...

A Prayer Request

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday I was put on bedrest again, which marks week 4 of complications that I have had since the birth of precious Ellie. This time the problem is hemorrhaging, which is compounded by the fact that I am anemic due to too much blood loss during the c-section.

Please pray with us for:

• Full and quick recovery for my health
• Wisdom for the doctors
• Strength for Jeremy, and continued good health for Ellie
• Protection against discouragement
• Trust in the Lord and His good will in using this situation to draw us to to Him

Under His Mercy,

Aeja

"Who is in my bed??"

Today we just realized that we have not bought our little girl any toys (What kind of parents are we?!). So we took a trip to the local Babies R'Us and got a few items. The mirror seems to be the most intriguing for Ellie. However, she stares into it with this worried expression as if to say, "Who did you let into my bed??"

Unwelcome Guest

Thomas and Thadius, our two cats, want to know when this uninvited guest is leaving. In the meantime, Thomas has found a Sanctuary of Reprieve on the top of our staircase...

Sleeping Beauty

Ellie Entertainment

For entertainment, Ellie likes to play in her gym, sing and dance with Mom or Dad, and have special "tummy time" with Daddy.

First Bath

Ellie had her first bath recently. She was quite good during the whole process; however, she kept giving us this worried look as if to say, "Do you guys really know what you are doing?". To which we responded, "No, Ellie, not at all!"

"Leave me alone!"

More Hospital Pics

Proud Grandmas, Nanas, and Grandpas...

Family of Three