well, i don't have any pics to download this time as i just haven't taken the time to pull them off the camera, but i figured i could post without pictures. right? grandparents, please don't revolt! :)
We've been busy lately keeping up with life and our sweet little 11 months old. i still can't believe that she is almost 1 year old. that just doesn't seem possible. but anyways....
maybe i can organize my randomness, i mean update, a little bit here.
Eliana
she is sleeping like a pro now. yeah! she goes down for two beatiful naps without a peep usually, is in bed by 7 most nights at 8 at the latest, and then doesn't wake up till 5:30-6. now, if we could get the wakeup time to be a little later, we would really be doing good, but that much time of continuous sleep is just a heavenly thing when you have gone without for so long. the downside of it though, is she is now starting to assert her independence now and even sometimes jumps out of my arms during our bedtime song/cuddle time to get in her bed. now, doesn't she know that you don't ever get too old for cuddling with mommy??
she is eating like a horse! she loves chicken, cheese, egg yolks, and cheerios especially, as those are all the finger foods she is currently eating and she loves to do anything independent. she still loves her veggies, and is starting to let us know her preferences as well. the other night, after i had already fed her, i sat down to have a sweet potato i had baked for my dinner. well, sweet potatoes are one of her favorites, so she started crying when i didn't start feeding her and doing her more sign so that i would give her some. i gave her some cheerios to see if that would distract her, but it didn't work. i moved us into the living room to let her watch her video, but it didn't work. finally, as she stood at my knees wtih the oh so sad "monkey face" i just had to give her a bite. she then proceeded to giggle as she ate my sweet potato, wiped it all over her face as she made sure none of it fell out of her mouth, and also wiped a good portion on my jeans!
she is doing okay with all the aunties, but she is starting to be a little introverted when we go out it seemed. i thought she was going to just eat up the attention and ham it up when she was really little, but now she is starting to pull away from it some. when we go out, she usually just spends at least the first half of our time out snuggled up to my chest checking it all out before she comes out of her little shell some. then, if she feels safe, she'll smile or start playing a little. but, aunties, you better beware! if you reach for her, she will pull right back into that shell!
last update on Elly Bean is that her momma is sooo ready for the warm weather to be here! if i hear from one more auntie that she is not wearing enough (even if she is wearing two pears of pants, a shirt, two jackets, a hat, mittens, and a partridge in a pear tree!) i will probalby scream and then come home and have to do some major confessing!! :) seriously though, some days i handle it okay, in a way that i feel honors the Father, but there are other days, when my heart just isn't in a good place to deal with the constant criticism. i don't think that is something i will ever get used to, but i do hope that the Father will help me learn to bite my tongue and not worry so much about what they say. i also hope that one day i will able to look past their critcism and see His Love for them and have that same Love for those who hurt me, even in what may seem like such a small way as this.
Vip and Carrie
We are doing good and staying busy. personally, i'm trying to get myself out there a little bit more. i have a few new goals, including more bus riding (i don't do this that much to be honest, so i need to push myself to do this as it is so cheap plus a great way to meet people), working hard to meet some friends for me and for Eliana, and getting back into some langauge study again. so, all that is to say, i'm tired! I'm still making Eliana's food, of course. i thought it might get easier as she got bigger and ate more of the same things we eat, but it really isn't. i guess, when it comes to me, i'll just eat whatever is easy, but with her, i want to make sure it is healthy and balanced, which just takes a little bit of time. so, i spend a lot of time in the kitchen these days!
we got a date night the night before my bday! yeah! our sweet friends watched Eliana so we could have some time together jsut the two fo us. we went to the steak restaurant here in town and had a nice romantic meal. since we frequent this place pretty often (they have a special for a sirloin steak with all the trimmings for about 5 dollars!), we knew what to prepare. first, order your steak and tell them to not put anything AT ALL on your steamed vegetables or baked potato. this is an IMPORTANT step since they will come with huge globs of mayo on them if you don't. then, when the bread comes, ask for extra butter to put on your plain potato. then, sneak out your tiny tupperware container of shredded cheese, homemade sour cream (whipping cream and vinegar...really easy), and bacon bits to put on your plain baked potato! we also brought our handy dandy itouch to tune out the background music of brittany spears in the background (the booths are all separated by walls and doors so that you wouldn't be disturbing the other diners with your nice relaxing tunes). anyways, that's how you do it here, and it was a very sweet time. we appreciate those times alone so much now as they are so few and far between!
we're also finishing up a few last things around the house as well. every window has curtains now, almost every picture has been hung, almost every pillow sown, and almost every bookshelf assembled! needless to say, it's been a busy six months since we moved in, so a few things just had to wait! i really hope to get pictures up eventually!
okay, i will close out this randomness for now. hope you are all having a great week and love hearing from you!
