Friday, October 31, 2008

Our Duck and What to Do with Stickers

I captured a few shots of Ella in her duck costume this morning. We dressed up to go to playtime at the library. This is such a wonderful break for parents and kids that they provide every Friday. At first, she didn't want to smile, but then I said the word "candy" and her face lit up. I'm beginning to despise the word candy and I'm so happy Halloween only comes once a year! I do love seeing her have so much fun in her costume, though!




Grandma Cathy also sent us a fun Halloween package - we can't wait to use the free frosty coupons! Thanks, mom! Grandma always remembers to send stickers and Ella loves to play with every single one. In case you weren't sure what to do with stickers, here's some instructional photos.




Monday, October 27, 2008

Halloween Decorating and Other Pics


We moved our computer, then we were without internet for awhile. Since then, I've been behind on uploading pictures. I know my mom especially loves the pics, so I wanted to post a few here. Mom recently sent us some Halloween window clings. Thank goodness - because I'm not sure where the other decorations are. Receiving a package in the afternoon is such a wonderful distraction. Ella and I had a fun time decorating our windows. Since then, she's made a habit of pulling them down and carrying them around.



Here are some other random pictures of Ella taken over the past month that I thought I'd share as well:

Hmmm...I think I'll try something new.
Just a little higher....
What happens if I let go?
Giddy yup, Horsey!
I wanted to capture a charming photo of Ella in this outfit, but only got her crabby face.



Saturday, October 25, 2008

Freedom!

I am so thrilled to (finally!) have a car of my own! Tim and I have been living with one car for 2 years or so now. He was wonderful while we lived in Washington and rode the bus to school and work for quite some time. This was not always convenient, but he had a free pass through school and he rarely complained. When we lived with my mom, I was able to borrow her car frequently, so things weren't such a big deal. For the past year that we've lived in Jacksonville, though, I haven't had regular access to a car. Tim did carpool for awhile, but that stopped a few months ago. It's been very humbling for me to ask for rides to appointments, friend's houses, social functions, etc. My friends here have been incredibly kind and accomodating. But, I've been feeling stir crazy and worried about having a toddler in this weather with no car to provide relief. We decided to just start looking a couple weeks ago (thinking we'd buy in late November) and ended up finding a great deal on a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. I am now a mini-van driver, something I've always dreaded, but I'm actually thrilled! It has the "stow and go" seats and it's so much easier to get Ella in and out. We love just running a quick errand to get out of the house and grocery shopping during the day! Hooray!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Some Headway with Names

Thanks for all your comments about boy's names! I was actually looking through some baby registry stuff last night and found a little book of names. They had the meanings next to them and I found a few that I thought were cool sounding and had interesting meanings. I read them to Tim and he was a bit more open. I guess we have 2 more months to decide!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Little Girl Giggles and Boy's Names

Ella woke up this morning, touched her ear, and said "it hurts." No fever, which is good, just needs a little tlc today. We read some books and had a bath so the steam could help her ear. Now she's relaxing in front of the Curious George movie and it just reached her absolute favorite part. I heard her giggling, looked over, and she's cracking up at George and Ted playing peek-a-boo. This gets her every time. I love to see her developing a sense of humor. Is there anything better than a toddler cracking up?

Remember this cute baby? I'm excited to think we'll have another little one soon!

I'm also divided this morning about boy's names. As many of you know, Tim is very difficult when it comes to boy's names...he doesn't seem enthusiastic about any of them. I also think they are 10x more difficult than girl's names. I really wanted to go with Eli and he finally warmed up to it. I still love the name, but now I seem to hear the name everywhere. Maybe that's just because it's on my mind - the same way I notice pregnant ladies everywhere I go now. I'm looking into other names, like Cade (love this name!) and Xavier, but Tim isn't warming up to any of them. I'd love to solidify this baby's name. Any baby name suggestions? I'm pretty picky too, and names are so personal, but it'd be fun to have some ideas.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Surviving Without the Internet

So, the past week and a half with limited internet access taught me an important lesson: I was addicted to the internet. I'd become one of those people who checked my email way too often, logged into facebook for no good reason, browsed the blog list for updates, and checked the news more than necessary. Without regular transportation, I think the internet became a bit of an escape from the mundane. Having a break from regular internet access actually turned out to be a blessing. I recognized that, while using the internet is a great addition to my life, I didn't need it as much as I thought.

Without the internet, I managed to accomplish much more, including reading a wonderful novel and beginning another. I'd heard a lot about "Atonement" and picked it up from the new book section at the library. The writing is gorgeous and I could barely put it down. I especially loved it while suffering from late-night heartburn. I also finally got my hands on a copy of "The Audacity of Hope". It's large print (all that was available), which is a bit strange, but I am absolutely engaged.

It's funny, because Tim's been reading his "Mars" books lately and telling me about space travel and space elevators, etc. I, on the other hand, am not interested in space and like to call them "space towers" to see if I can get a rise out of him. He's so interested in it and talks so animatedly about it, so I indulge him, of course. The tables are reversed now because I love to talk about and read passages from non-fiction. He's been humoring me as I get all excited about Obama's eloquence and his ability to so artfully articulate his views. Few things in this life truly match the pleasure of a well-written book!

Friday, October 3, 2008

3D Ultrasound Pictures





I went in for my regular check-up today. My doctor does a 3D ultrasound at this stage and gave us a CD of the pictures. I thought it would be fun to try out the Picasa slide show feature and post them this way on our blog. Ella and Tim came with me and we really enjoyed seeing the baby together. Ella said "It's a baby!" and "Cute" when she looked at the monitor. These ultrasounds are so amazing as you see your baby open and close his mouth and his features are so distinct.
Click on the picture to bring you to the slideshow link.
3D Ultrasound Pictures

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Pleasant Wednesday Suprise

So, the cable is still on. I know sometimes this is lucky and you don't want to tempt fate, but the phone's been on all day. So, I contacted the cable company to make sure we're not paying for it (the new cost is high!). We're not paying, but it's not officially turned off yet. Yeah for me! I appreciated the advice to try and get a deal, but the cable package we had was out of this world and the new offer is less service for $20 more! Anyway, it feels good to still be connected (at least for today). We'll see how long the luck lasts! Then it's just the delay until Verizon gets us connected.

By the way, my friend asked me about how to post slideshows on your blog. I am one of those people who always wants to find the answer if I don't have it, so I found this cool link. I haven't had a chance to try posting a slideshow yet, but I went to the picasa link and all of the pictures I've ever uploaded to my blog are already on it. So cool!Check it out at http://www.eblogtemplates.com/add-a-cool-slideshow-of-picasa-photos-to-your-blog/