Ellie's New Big Girl Room

Ever since we moved Ellie to a big girl bed, she has asked for a BIG girl bed. Last Sunday, I decided to move the guest bedroom bed in her room. She LOVES it. She hasn't slept better. Of course, I had to get new bedding for her new bed. I found this bedding set on clearance this weekend. The only problem, is that after washing everything I went to put it on her bed. I couldn't get the flat sheet to fit right. I looked at the tag on the sheet and it said Twin! Ugh! I am going to take the sheet back to Macy's tomorrow and hope they have another set where they can just exchange the sheet. If they don't, I am not sure what I am going to do! I made this padded headboard based around one of the pink colors in the comforter. I still have a few things that I need to do like curtains (the black is from the old bedding), hang pictures on the wall, and paint two nightstands white to add next to her bed.

Ellie has watched her movies in our room for probably a year now. Christian is always watching TV in the living room which lives me to go upstairs if I wanted to watch something. Well, for whatever reason I never have, so last weekend I also decided to move a TV into Ellie's room. We had two TV's sitting in our guest bedroom that work perfectly fine. Now Ellie watches her Dora movies in her room. Its great! She has been playing with more of her toys that were to big to drag out of her room. Best of all, the mess stays in her room instead of ours, and I get to watch what I want to watch!

Updates...

Here is Ellie in her new Dora slippers. She got these for Christmas. She is watching Dora. This is the dazed look that she used to get went she watched Shrek. Now its Dora!!

so tired......

Ellie's cheese face!






Two Sunday's ago, Braxton came to play with Ellie. These two are a complete mess when they get together. They play so hard and so rough! Denise and I just sit back and laugh at them. They are definitely entertaining! Uncle Richard would die if he saw Braxton on the pink bike. I didn't get any pictures of him in the pick helmet!!

Daddy took Ellie to the elementary school by our house this past Sunday, so I could go grocery shopping and finish cleaning the house. He said she did a great job driving. She used to not turn the stirring wheel. She would press the gas and go where it took her. He said she is learning to turn the wheel and drive a lot better.

She is also learning to maneuver her bike more. She could ride her bike last summer, but she wouldn't always steer the best, and she wouldn't use the brakes. Since it has been so nice here lately, we took her out to ride her bike. She was using her brakes and turning like a pro.

Christian took Ellie to her 6 week check-up for her ears. Everything looked good and her tubes were in place! Yay! I think we do have to take her back for a hearing check in the next couple of weeks and then check-ups every 6 months after that. Pray that these tubes stay in place and that she has no more ear infections!!!

Ellie is transitioning into her new class at school. Ellie has always moved to the next class earlier than the other kids. She wasn't supposed to move until she was 3...or closer to it, but she has met all of the requirements for this class. She does have 3 of her best friends moving with her. She will be in the class for 6 months and the other 4 classes for 6 months as well. Then its Kindergarten! Ugh! I cant believe she will be 3 in a few months! She is growing up way too fast!!

Big Girl Bed!

At Christmas, we moved Ellie's bedroom to our front bedroom. Her old bedroom backed up to our bathroom. We have always had to be some what quiet in the mornings getting ready. When we moved her, I wanted to go on and convert her crib to the toddler bed. Christian didn't want to because she was crawling out yet. So I left her in the crib.

Two Saturday mornings ago, Ellie woke up at 5:45 am. I went in and told her it was too early to get up. I left the room hoping that she would at least sleep until 6:30 am. At about 6:15 am, I hear a little voice say, "I have to go potty!" I was half asleep, so I wasn't sure if she was standing in our room, if it came from the monitor or if I was dreaming it. Well, she was in our room!!

Every morning around 5:45 am she would crawl out and come to our room. There was only one night when she crawled out at 1 am. Ellie was still not sleeping through the night.

This past Friday night, we converted her bed to a toddler bed. She has done so good. I am so glad we waited as long as we did. We don't get the excuses like I need to go potty, I need a glass of water, etc. She did start waking up at night again, but she just sits up in her bed. I will go in there and tell her that its okay and she goes back to sleep.

One more milestone down....

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Here is a video of her crawling out. This is a video of the video monitor in our room!

Cute story: If Christian or I hurt ourselves, Ellie will come up to us and say, "I'm sorry mommy. Its okay mommy." While saying this she will rub our head or back....which I might add is the sofest touch ever!! Last night Ellie noticed a cut on my thumb. She asked what had happened, and I say that I cut it while trying to cut an apple. She looked at me and started rubbing my back and said, "It's okay sweetheart, its okay!!" Christian and I looked at each other and just laughed! She is so stinkin cute and sweet!!

2 ER Visits in 1 Week

Ellie watches Dora in our room at night. I walked in and found her on her couch sitting like this. I thought it was so cute!!

I asked her to smile pretty, and then she started modeling for me!!

Mommy and Ellie

Ellie's "pocket"

The story behind these pics:

Christian bought me a mother's ring for Christmas. The ring box was sitting on the counter and Ellie asked for it. She started putting money in the slot where the ring goes. Then she put it in her panties as a pocket.

We have definitely had an eventful new year. Let me start off by saying Ellie has never been constipated. Even as a baby we were very lucky that we never had to worry about that. New Years Day around 12 Ellie start complaining about her belly hurting. Any time she has said this in the past, it was time for her to go the bathroom. We would ask her if she wanted to go, but she would say no. Every once in a while she would mention it and then move on.

About 4 o'clock she really seemed to complain about her belly hurting. Then she started crying uncontrollable. Christian thought she was doing it for attention. I wasn't quite sure at this point. We had some friends over and she hadn't had a nap, so I thought I would put her down for a nap and see if she was better when she woke up. She went down at 4:30 on our bed. At 5:15, I heard her crying. I walked into our bedroom, and she was still asleep, but she was rolling around the bed crying and holding her stomach. I knew at this point, she wasn't doing it for attention.

I called the doc on call. He called me back and I told him what she was doing. He said that we need to evaluate her and to take her to the ER. He said its not common for someone this age to need their appendix removed, but it was a possibility. I started getting her ready to take her to the ER and he called back and said that if she needed surgery to have the ER call a particular surgeons group. Okay, I know he was just trying to make sure she had the best doctors, but I lost it! Surgeons! What?!?!?

Christian stayed here with our friends. I called my mom. At this point, Ellie wasn't crying. I would ask her if her belly hurt and she would say yes, and then the next time I would ask her she would say no. I was confused. I didn't know if it was constipation or not. I met my mom at Sugarloaf Parkway and off we went to the ER.

We were in and out in an hour and half. They tested her for a UTI and did x-rays. She was completely fine just constipated!! Oh well, I am glad to know that it wasn't something more serious!!!

Second ER Visit:

Gene is a guy that works at our office and does our errands....sshh don't tell him I said that. He hates it when we say he does our errands. One of our work vans was at the shop and ready to be picked up on Wednesday. Gene and I got in the company Explorer headed to get the van.

I was driving. I came to a red light and slowed down like normal. All of a sudden, Gene and I hear someone slam on their brakes. I looked in the rear view mirror and realize we were about to get hit. Luckily, we were in the left lane and between the left lane and the left turn lane there was a space of white lines (not sure what they call this...median). I think I just let my foot off the brake and turned the wheel to go in this lane. The guy hit us and somehow, out of the grace of God, I missed the Expedition in front of us. It scared me, obviously! Keri and I think there was probably about 50 feet of skid marks. The guy said he turned around to check on his baby.

My back started hurting immediately! Not awful pain, but just hurting. Gene's neck was hurting, but he didn't want it looked at. The guy that hit us was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Keri and Gene both suggested that I have my back looked at. I didn't want the action of going to the ER in an ambulance, so Keri came and got Gene and I. She took me to the ER to have by back looked out.....which was a waste of time. I did get some pain meds that came in useful that night though.

Gene and I were definitely lucky that nothing more serious happened. I was told by several people that the next two days I would probably be really sore and hurting. I was sore on Thursday at work, but I took 800 mg of Advil and that helped until I could get home and take my "real" meds! Each morning when I would wake up, I would slowly move to see what state my body was in, but luckily I was good!! Very thankful!!!

I hope that the rest of the month and year for that matter are less eventful.....at least when it comes to ER visits.

Christmas with Mommy and Daddy

Cookies and milk for Santa

Ellie got a Tinker Bell suitcase with a blanket, pillow and flashlight inside. She also got new Dora slippers, crocs, books and movies from Santa.

Ellie also got a big kitchen from Santa. It came with lots of fun food, pots and pans. The stove make noises along with the phone and microwave.

Christmas with the Holdens

Braxton and Ellie

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Day. It was great watching Ellie and Braxton open the presents. They definitely know how to make a mess in a short time.

Christmas with the Fellers

Meme and Papa with the girls

Ellie got a tutu

Haedyn

Haedyn and Ellie

Ellie got a new baby doll that she can taken in the bath with her.

We had Christmas with the Fellers' at our house on Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful time with the family. Lunch was great....a little late though. Christian put 2 large lasagnas in the oven at 12 noon. At 2 o'clock, one was still frozen. I had told him the previous day that since we were cooking 2 he needed to allow double the time for baking them. He didn't listen. We were supposed to eat at 1. I think we finally ate at 3. It was a wonderful lunch just a little late.

Ellie didn't get a nap that day. She was so tired. She laid down in my lap at 6 pm. By 6:02, she wass OUT! I couldn't wake her. No matter what I did, she would not get up. I let her sleep for about 30 minutes. She was good to go then.