Sorry, Marci....

It has been suggested by a certain Someone that should I grow up to be a basketball gal, I should forgo my UConn roots and become a fan of lessor teams. Well, my daddy wanted me to convey the message that:

I am a Husky girl through-and-though!

U Conn Husky, symbol of might to the foe.

Fight, fight Connecticut, it's victr'y, Let's go

Connecticut U Conn Husky, victr'y again for the White and Blue

So go, go, go Connecticut, Connecticut U. Fight!

C-O-N-N-E-C-T-I C-U-T. Connecticut,

Connecticut Husky,

Connecticut Husky, Connecticut C-O-N-N-U. Fight!

Ellie is practising her dribble...

"You want to know what...??"

Here are some random facts about me:

THE NOT-SO-FUN-STUFF

• I have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) -- but my doctor now has me on some heavy meds that has made me eat and sleep much better. (I loooove my Prevacid!).


• I also have a mild case of torticollis, which means my neck "kinks" to one side due to the cramped quarters in my mommy's body (I know...I am a mess!). I begin physical therapy in a couple of weeks.

THE FUN STUFF

• I love reading books! I love grabbing at the pages, kicking at the pages, and squealing at the pages. Also, one of my favorite toys is a stack of books -- even boring ones like my mom and dad's dictionaries.


• I rock at Tummy Time now. It is actually embarrassing to remember that mom posted this of me awhile back...


• I sit up really well, especially in my fancy BebePod seat (see my picture up top!).


• I crack up when Mom or Dad help me to "walk" around the house. Pretty soon, I hope to be zooming about and trying to make them catch me!


• Listening to music makes me laugh and smile -- especially Bach's violin Sonata and Partitas.


• My new entertainment is to throw items off of my highchair: You know, rattles, teethers, etc.


• Often, my mom or dad will find me in my crib with my legs in the air and grabbing my toes. I especially like to wake up this way.

THE STUFF ONLY ADULTS ARE INTERESTED IN

• Yes, I am "sleeping through the night" -- 10 hours, in fact. (Why do you adults all obsess about this??)


• I weigh about 16 lbs. and am 26.5 inches long -- that is the 90% for weight, and off-the-charts for height. Perhaps Daddy and Auntie Tara will get their wish, and I will be a basketball girl.

I think that is all for now. Thanks for being my fans!

Love,

Ellie-Bean

CGSD

Today was a Crazy Growth-Spurt Day, or CGSD. On a typical CGSD, Ellie wakes up at the crack of dawn demanding food (she sounded the bugal call at 6:00 a.m. this morning), then she is up for 1 - 1.5 hours, then she gets fussy and sleeps for 45 min. - 1 hour, then she demands another full bottle, then she is up, then she fusses and sleeps, and the cycle goes on and on and on... This is quite a deviation from her regular 3.5 - 4 hour schedule. It is exhausting! But fortunately, Jeremy was home today and could help with the Little [growing] Miss, so that errands could be run and household chores semi-completed.

Size 9 month clothes, here we come!

Father-Daughter Conversations

Becoming a (bigger) Big Girl who's getting bigger

Elinore has begun to sample some solid foods, and she is having a blast! After watching us intently any time we were eating or drinking something, she decided it was time for her to become a Big Girl and eat with a spoon (She actually went on a nursing strike to implement her little plan...). Here she is eating her mama-made carrot puree:

Carrot Puree

(Can't wait for her next diaper change...)

Ellie is listening very carefully to instructions on how to eat like a Big Girl...

She not only wants to eat Big Girl food, but she wants to try to use the spoon like a Big Girl -- here she is "helping" Mom out.

"Mmmmm...yummy!"

While we are delighted that she loves eating solids, we are wondering how much bigger Ellie can get. As of her 4 month check-up, Ellie is in the 90th percentile for her weight (16 lbs. 12 oz.), and is positively off the charts for her heighth (26 1/2 in.). Even with her reflux/eating problems, her doctor stated, "She is certainly not wasting away!"

One of "Those Moms"

As I watched Jeremy wrestle the Fisher Price Step N' Play from the car, I realized that I had become one of "those moms." Pre-Ellie, I never understood why parents had so much stuff for their little ones. I mean, come on! Didn't we all play with Tupperware for hours on end when we were kids?? I even vowed never, ever to let an excersaucer step its garish, overstimulating foot in my home. Well...I am now one of "those moms." Here it is in all its glory:

JUSTIFICATION: It keeps her upright after feedings, in order to help with her reflux. (Doc's orders!)

Plus, look at how happy she is in it...!

Happy Baby Picture 1

Happy Baby Picture 2

Beware all of you who do not have kids yet, and don't understand why Elinore has all this stuff: One day, you might find (with shock!) that you have become one of "those moms" too...

"What a week!"

[Sorry for th PG-13 picture...]