A month in review

We've had a very busy month and it feels like I haven't updated this blog in the longest time. We had friends from Alaska visiting us for the last 3 weeks. We really enjoyed having them here. They just left yesterday and the house always feels a bit lonely after having so many people in it. Elly absolutely LOVED having them here. She's such a social little thing and just loved having more people around to play with and dote on her. She certainly soaked it up while they were here.

We're only here for a little longer then we'll be heading to Alaska ourselves. I can't wait to get back home for a nice, long visit. Sam can't stay long, but Elly and I will be there for 6 weeks. I'm looking forward to my family getting to know Elly better. She's so much fun at this age and I just can't wait for them to see her again.

The early part of this summer was pretty chilly. Lots of rain and colder weather. While I don't particularly like lots of rain, I never complained because the weather was comfortable. Lately though it's been really, really hot. I don't do hot weather very well and would rather it be cold over hot any day.

Elly has not been sleeping very good lately. I've been spending 2-3 hours a night up with her. I think it's mostly due to her getting her 12 month molars, which have been really hard on her, but the heat isn't helping any either. I'm also wondering if the medication I've been giving her has anything in it that revs her up. She sleeps good for 3-4 hours then she's up and doesn't seem to be able to go back to sleep. The last couple of nights when I go in around 2:00-3:00 she's holding on to her crib jumping up and down. I guess she's tickled to see me, but I'm less then enthusiastic to be in there at that time of night. I can't help but think she's adorable though. I sure do love that little girl!

She's doing so much anymore. She's saying new words all the time. Just about a week ago she came out with her first sentence. I was on the webcam with Mom and I'm always telling Elly not to touch the laptop, so she reached her little hand out very gently toward it and said "I touch it". It was so cute and she has not stopped saying it since. Just today I realized she's saying "up"when she wants me to pick her up (or put her down, for that matter) ~it comes out as "bup"~ and she says "doggy". She's been saying "daddy" for quite awhile now and still says it no less than 50 times a day and can't wait for him to come home at night.

A couple of weeks ago it was getting later in the day and Elly kept bringing me my shoes. I finally put them on and then she got her jacket and walked around for the longest time trying to put it on. I finally helped her with it and she walked over to the door saying "daddy". She was a little early, but knew it was around the time Sam should be getting home. We walked down the sidewalk and waited until he came home. She gets so tickled when she sees him drive in :)

Lately, he's been riding his moped to work alot, so now anytime Elly sees a scooter she waves and starts talking about Daddy.

Other words she says are glasses (LOVES glasses), eye (while poking her finger in your eye), ear (while sticking her finger in your ear then her own) and cracker. I know there are other words, but I just can't think if them right now.

She also signs for "more" (which to her means she wants something to eat) and "all done".

At night we have our routine of getting Elly's jammies on and brushing her teeth. After she's all ready I ask her if she's ready to go night-night. It's the cutest thing...she finds her blankie (which happens to be whatever cloth diaper is lying around) and walks over to Sam to give him a kiss then comes to me with her arms up. She knows her routine and never fights it. While the Helkenn's were here visiting she started throwing kisses at bedtime. She really got enthusiastic about throwing those kisses to everyone :)

She doesn't say "no" yet, but shakes her head all the time. She does it appropriately for meaning "no" too. Just today I asked her if I could change her diaper and she started shaking her head and backing away from me. If I ask her a question like "do you want a drink?", she'll answer by shaking her head. She uses that quite a bit.

Well, since it's been awhile I have lots of pictures, so I'll quit rambling and get some posted.

When the weather started getting warmer I asked Sam to pick up a small pool for the back yard. Just something that Elly could play in. Well, he came home with this gem of a pool. It's much bigger than I was thinking, but really nice. Elly totally enjoyed helping him put it together.

Daddy's little helper :)

Just missing the water...

16 June 2010
Bill, Michele and Elly while we were walking through Weil der Stadt.

17 June 2010
Bebenhausen Monastery

Walking on those cobblestone took real concentration.

Michele and Ellyanna

19 June 2010 ~ Stuttgart Stadtmitte
It rained almost everyday that first week they were here, but after the heat we've had since I wish the rain would come back.

We were trying to keep Elly dry in her stroller. She was using the rain to help soften her crackers before eating them. Silly girl!

19 June 2010 ~ Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Elly loves visiting with people...whether she knows them or not doesn't seem to matter.

We stayed for the Night Watchman's tour and it was past Elly's bedtime.

There are lots of paintings depicting this scene of Rothenburg O.B.T.

Nothing in my kitchen cupboards is in it's rightful place anymore....this is the reason.

Elly LOVES glasses, so the Helkenn's brought her a pair back from Italy.
Here she is modeling them for us :)

26 June 2010 ~ Titisee, Germany
This is a beautiful little town and it was much cooler there on a hot day.
That's a big plus in my book.

Daddy and Ellyanna

27 June 2010 ~ Dachau Concentration Camp
Elly's ready to go

We were in the shade trying to keep cool. We are so blessed with such a happy little girl :o)

After riding in the stroller for quite awhile, all Elly wanted to do was sit and play in the dirt.

Hot and tired....but Daddy's arms felt so good.

Too much excitement

Our little sleeping beauty

27 June 2010 ~ Garmisch, Germany
Taking the cable car to the top of the hill instead of hiking that whole way.



Daddy and Elly at the top

The Helkenn's on the way back down

28 June 2010 ~ Waiting for a train to start our trip to the top of the Zugspitze (the highest peak in Germany at 10,000 feet)

On the train....another HOT day...ugh

In the cable car looking down from where we came from. Even now it makes my stomach flip to look at that. I'm not a fan of cable cars...

At the very top of the Zugspitze

In the cable car on the way back down. You can see the peak we left from behind us.

Partway down we had to switch from the cable car to a train.
While waiting for the train Sam enjoyed a little sledding.

Flip flops in the snow...not such a great idea.

29 June 2010 ~ Neuschwanstein Castle

In the horse wagon on the way up to the castle.
It was hot and none of us felt like climbing that hill.

Walking back down, Elly enjoyed watching the horses pass us.



With having such hot weather, the pool got put to good use a day or two. Michele was so great with Elly in the water. She helped Elly try to get comfortable blowing bubbles in the water. She did it a couple of times.

3 July 2010 ~ Heidelberg Castle





What's with the finger in the nose???
She does this all the time anymore and I'm just hoping that it's a passing phase.



Castle courtyard

During the castle tour we were trying (not too successfully) to keep Elly from being too loud. At this particular time we were shushing her and she had to try the shush sound herself. Aparently, she thought it was pretty funny.

Elly has recently discovered that she can reach her toes to her mouth. Now she can bite her own toes. She has a thing with getting on the floor and trying to bite mine. She's a crazy little girl.

July 4th we were getting ready to go to Patch for festivities. This was the perfect little patriotic outfit for Elly, but I had to change her because the pants were too tight. Unfortunatly, that's a common occurance with her clothes. Gotta love those baby rolls :)

Second outfit..it was still red, but then we noticed the elastic was too tight on her legs. We finally just went with a dress...not necessarily patriotic, but cute :)

It was hot, but raining (that's even worse than just hot, because then we had the humidity as well). Anyhow, Elly didn't want to be in her stroller, so Daddy was giving her a ride while trying to keep her dry.



One of her favorite things to do anymore is play in the backyard. I'm so thankful we have a small space that she can play in.