I will share her height and weight on the 5th- she is far too active and mobile for me to pin her down for measurements anymore so, I will leave that with the nurse when she goes to get shots on the 5th.
This past month, Ellie got into some new things. She is officially a crawler!!! She is able to slowly crawl to wherever she wants to go! She gets up on her hands, and knees and pushes forward now "correctly" with her toes and knees. I am so happy for her and proud of her. It makes her so happy to crawl where she wants to go! When she gets tired, she holds her little hands and pauses to suck her fingers and then does a scoot and high plank type of crawl. That one looks hilarious!
She walks around the living room while holding my fingers, taking beautiful big strides. Sometimes when doing this she stops taking steps and starts jumping with both of her feet/legs and laughs so hard at herself! She has learned that the playful "pterodactyl sound" we make at each other is a fun little game, and she occasionally will chase me while sitting in the rolling chair of her play table, and make the sound at me with her hands out reaching for me. She thinks it is funny when I scream and try to run away. I see many games of tag in our future!!
She can pull-up and stand herself up with ease. She gets really wide eyes and very excited with herself when she is standing up tall!
Ellie waved at me one morning. It took me a minute to realize what she was doing and then I realized she was waving and smiling at me and she was working out in her mind how to do it like me! I was ecstatic. Later, she waved at Blondie...who thought Ellie was waving a snack at her. "Lick!" Haha!
She loves to have raspberries blown on her tummy, being tickled, playing airplane with daddy after their Butterfly Kisses slow dance, playing "Naked Baby" when getting ready for bath. Ellie loves to be kissed, to crawl, pretty shiny jewelry, picking out her clothes, petting Blondie and Cajun, outside, jumping, music, playing and being silly, sweet potatoes, toys, and books and story time with friends at the library. Ellie loves the "preaching" at church and likes to shout out her own little coo of "Hallelujah" and "Amen!" (This is why we are in the LC service, now, haha!)
Ellie and I joined a mommy and me type of hiking group. I love hiking, adventure, and being outdoors, as does Ellie. I strap her to me in the baby carrier and off we go. This month we hiked Paris mountain, Raven Cliff Falls, Jones Gap Falls, Jump Off Rock in NC, and Big Glassy Mountain, Flat Rock, NC where we also met some goats and chickens. Hiking with Ellie has been the most amazing thing. We have made wonderful friends with the most precious mamas and babies. Our drives out to our hikes are amazing times for praising and worshiping Jesus in the car with music, praying, and thanking God for the gorgeous views we see as we drive and explore. When we are in the mountains I feel the joy and warmth of the Holy Spirit even on the cold days and I talk to Ellie when we stop for lunch about how God created all that she is seeing! It is truly amazing getting to do this with her. It is an amazing bonding time with her.
Ellie had play dates with lots of her boy friends....not boyfriends...lol. Sam, Grant, Myles, Eli, and Asher! She loves watching them play and she loves to discover them. I notice she progresses more in her growth and skills during and after playing with her somewhat older friends. It is like she wants to try and keep up with them. It is so good for her to play with friends and we are so thankful for the invitations extended to us to spend tine with great friends. Ellie also got to hike Oconee Station Falls with Eli and Asher! So beautiful! I suppose you could say Ellie had a play date with her newest/ bestest girl friend growing in Lauren's tummy, who's name I'll not yet disclose as my friend Lauren has not made that public at this time. Those two will be two peas in a pod. Just like their mommies are!
Ellie got her ears pierced! It is so stinkin' cute and she did AWESOME!
(Ellie gives judgy looks, you have to earn her sweet smile, lol. In this case, she was like, " Lady- what do you think you are doing with my ears?!")
She got to go to the Upcountry History Museum for a free night of exploring the Jan Brett and Katherine Hepburn exhibits. Ellie showed interest in Katherine's fine jewelry and lipstick, and all the beautiful color of the illustrations of Jan. She was able to play in a large gingerbread house and go fishing with magnetic colorful fish. She got to have a story read to her at the museum and then Ellie got to pick out any book she wanted for free! What a fun and awesome night!
Ellie tried green beans, sweet peas, zucchini, avocadoes, and spinach. She hated them all except thavocados, and avocadoes and even those she simply tolerates. She has learned the color of green is not a good color to be near her mouth but orange is always welcome. I never ate greens unless my parents made me until my 20's when I decided to live a healthy lifestyle. So I blame me for her displeasure in taste of such. I had masked the greens with sweet potatoes just so she would eat, however, I felt upon research my sister and another friend gave me that I needed to stop masking the tastes. It takes 20 tastes to determine if the baby truly dislikes a particular taste. Masking food also can create a picky eater....so....I have stopped masking the greens and we will endure what I call the "Green War." It is a learning curve sometimes, knowing what is best for your baby and how to approach things, but I sure am thankful for my sister who has raised/ is raising 4 truly beautiful, very healthy, and wildly intelligent children, to help me out with my one precious little Flicker. Ellie is very blessed!! Soon, we will just be giving her table food. What I cook for Eric and I, so she will eat, also. Obviously, very finely chopped down or mashed.
Ellie celebrated Blondie's 2nd Birthday and wore a party hat!
She also got to go with me to the Upstate American Heart Association where Ellie and I were interviewed by FOX news about the Little Hats, Big Hearts Program. (This is a program that many volunteers with the talents of knitting or crocheting create little hats in red for all babies born in February to be distributed to all babies born in the month of February as to raise awareness to the number one birth defect affecting 1 in 100 births, Congenital Heart Defects.) Ellie was recorded with me during the interview. She sat in my arms while I spoke. I am pretty sure she pulled her hairbow over her eyes and I had to fix it while filming, and she probably drooled a lot...but it will add some character to the shots they got hahaha! Ellie and I will be aired along with the other volunteers who made the little hats and helped pack them up for these sweet babies, on February 2. Feb.2 is National Wear Red Day, again, as to raise awareness for CHD's and heart disease and stroke. Ellie got to help me pack bags with hats, too! Her first news interview and volunteering experience all at once!! I am so proud of her and so thankful I can share her love with the community and with other little babies to be born in February! Our goal is to raise Ellie with a heart for Jesus, people, and service to others. Love God, Love His people.
Other photos of Ellie in her past month:
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