Happy New Year!.....a month late

OK, so I realize I'm a few weeks late in posting this, but instead of starting over again I'm just going to finish this one and get it posted. I have such a hard time getting a blog finished and posted in a timely manner anymore...as if that wasn't apparent. Also, this post is very picture heavy, but that's what you get when I do a once a month post, so bear with me :)

31 December 2009
Here we are at the eve of another year. It's just amazing when I think back to all that this year has held for us. This time last year I was pregnant and wondering what it would be like to have a baby of my own. Now Ellyanna is almost 8 months old and such a joy. She gets cuter and more fun every day.

We're spending a quiet evening at home. Early on we talked about having some people over tonight, but after having a houseful for Christmas I just wasn't up for it again. One thing's for sure, we don't have to go anywhere to have a nice fireworks display here in Germany. We've been hearing them go off in our town for the last 6 hours and it's just a little past 11:00pm. At midnight we'll go up to the balcony and see the show. Elly is sleeping for now, but I expect she will wake up as the fireworks increase. Oh joy!

7 January 2010
OK...so now it's a week later and I'm just getting back to this. Elly actually slept better than ever on New Year's Eve. As I've said before, her sleeping has been messed up since returning from the states and I'm up with her every two hours most nights. Occasionally she gives me a wonderful night's sleep when she goes 4-5 hours before waking up. You never know how blissful sleep can be until you can't get it.

This last week I've been trying to work her back into her crib for naps. It hasn't been going real good. She just does not want to sleep in there. She much prefers our bed...can you really blame her?? Anyhow, my hope is that once she's used to napping in her crib then I can start putting her in there at nights. I believe if she was in a separate room from me that she wouldn't wake up every two hours and need to be nursed back to sleep.

What a little joy she is though! She's so much fun! She claps her hands all the time now and loves to get into the trash, open the kitchen cupboards, tear leaves off the plants and dig in the dirt of a big potted plant we have. Just this last week she's actually taken an interest in food. She really likes mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and banana. She's finally gotten the hang of drinking from her sippy cup too and threw her first fit the other night when I put it away. You would have thought the world was coming to an end the way she screamed. I'm already wishing I had more wisdom when it comes to raising Ellyanna. Like the other night when she threw that fit. I definitely told her "no", but it's sometimes hard to know what the right thing to do is. But I keep coming back to the thought of having a 3 year old terror on my hands if I don't discipline when she's this little. I believe it starts at this early age. Right now she's learning what is and is not acceptable and it's up to me to teach her.

12 January 2010
Once again, I didn't get this posted last time I was working on it. If I don't use my time wisely when Elly's sleeping I just don't get the chance once she's up.

We've been getting so much snow here for the last week. I think we were up to 6.5 inches when Sam checked last night. It's really beautiful and the weather's been staying cold enough so that it doesn't just melt off. I really enjoy having snow outside. The German road crews need to step it up a bit though. All the primary roads are clear, but if you get off of them you could likely get stuck. Sam and I took a back road to Obi on Saturday and were lucky we didn't get stuck. It was a day we should have been in the truck, but we haven't figured out how to fit Elly's car seat in there yet.

A few nights ago it was snowing quite a bit, so Sam decided to shovel the sidewalk and driveway that evening so there would not be so much to do in the morning. Elly and I got our coats on and went out with him. Actually, I wore one of Sam's coats and put her inside of it next to me. She really enjoyed our little outing. She's such a happy little thing. She's almost always smiling and laughing about something. She's just a little doll! I love her so much!

21 January 2009
Ok, so now it's been three weeks since I started this. Bad....I know. I need to at least do a monthly update, but I really do aim for more. Things certainly are not as simple with a baby, but I wouldn't trade her for anything :)

Ellyanna's finally taking her naps in the crib. That's a relief, because it gives me hope that eventually maybe we can move her in there at night and she'll sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. She's still up to that trick. A couple of nights she went for 3 hours at a time, but last night it was back to 2. Then today she would not take her normal nap. She only did 3 half hour naps. She was rather fussy all day too, so I'm wondering if she's not teething again.

I feel like I got nothing done today. My goal was to get the house cleaned. Some friends are coming down from Heidelberg on Saturday, so that's my motivation :o) It really shouldn't take that long, but it's amazing how little I get done when I keep having to stop to tend to my little monkey.

Well, I could ramble on, but the few people who read this blog are probably more interested in pictures anyhow, so I'll just get those posted so I can actually get this finished today. Here are a few pictures from the past month.

Christmas Eve in front of the tree. (I put the tree up right after Thanksgiving this year and will never do that again. It was so dry and ugly by the time Christmas actually got here.)

I love her toothy grin :o)

Christmas morning before opening gifts

Ellyanna's first stocking

She was more excited about eating the wrapping paper than seeing what was inside it.

Gabby hiding in the wrapping paper and ribbons.

Elly with her gifts

~I LOVE her~

Tummy time

Posing with the new slippers that Aunt Kristy sent for Christmas

She loves brushing her teeth. She's not so happy when I try to brush her two little teeth, but she loves chewing on the brush.

Pretty girl - all ready for church

Toothy grin

Playing with Daddy. She almost looks like she's posing for this picture.

Me and my sweet baby

Oma and Opa Thompson sent Elly a jacket for Christmas. She'll grow into it...

They also sent her first baby doll.

Little Steeler's fan

Bundled up together to walk out to the garage with Sam.

I think Elly's trying to give kisses these days. She comes at our face with her mouth open. I love her kisses :)

She loves it when Daddy gets home from works. She knows it's her time to play with him. If he doesn't come fast enough she starts yelling for him.

Ready for church and just waiting

The result of walking to the store for milk. She was cozy in her stroller and sound asleep by the time we got back home.

I love how she crosses her ankles when she' sitting.

We recently got quite a bit of snow. Sam was out shoveling the driveway.

Meanwhile, Elly and I stayed out of the snow and wind inside the garage.

Elly and I headed back inside, but Sam was still busy for awhile

Silly girl has learned how to pull herself up on the side of her playpen. That day I took the insert out, so she can't fall over the side.

Daddy and Ellyanna ready for church

Ellyanna and Mama ready for church

Trying to get up on her hands and knees.

Having fun in her playpen

~My sweet, sweet girl!~

Playing peek-a-boo with me

~Peek-a-boo~

Still trying to figure out this crawling thing

She is such a happy baby.

She loves getting into things while in her walker

We've been standing her by the couch. She loves standing, but hasn't quite figured out how to move around much....yet.

~My ornery little girl~

So cute and chubby :)

Gabby does great with Ellyanna, but usually just tries to stay away from her. She was hiding in a box in this picture. Elly loves Gabby and is thrilled when she gets close enough to touch her.

Playing with the laundry I was trying to fold. She managed to get tangled in one of my shirts. Silly girl.