It's official. I am about to become the crazy athlete mom. We, like many others, have been obsessively watching the Olympics. The other night when they were talking about 17 year old Missy Franklin, the new swimming phenom, all I could think was "that will be Elizabeth someday." Not as in "maybe that will be my daughter," or "perhaps Ellie will grow up to love swimming," but "my daughter is going to grow up and win a gold medal because she is THE BEST SWIMMING TODDLER IN THE WORLD." It's sick, I realize.
Still, we had a great time at swimming today. She continues to have no fear jumping off the step to me. I keep telling her to kick her feet, because if she did, she might ACTUALLY be propelling herself through the water, i.e. swimming. She also loves to tell me to let her go, which I do. It's hilarious to watch the other moms basically poop in the pool at the sight of Ellie going down down down. She comes up smiling and begging me to do it again.
The best is that today, for the first time, she floated on her back ON HER OWN. Mr. Shane had his hand near her, but not on her. He was almost as proud as she was - she made that poor man WORK for it. She probably spent a good 6 months scha-REAMING any time he put her on her back. One lesson, he made her lay on the mat and cry for 10 entire minutes until she calmed down, did what he asked of her, and floated quietly. And now, it's all paying off.
Missy Franklin, we're coming for you! Elizabeth Ford, gold medalist, 2030!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Seven Year Itch.
Today is my and Tim's seventh holy weddiversary. No itches here, just a lot of love. He is such an amazing husband and an even better dad (which makes him an even better husband, because goodness knows, I need a lot of support in the parenting department.)
To celebrate, we went out to Le H'irondelle on Saturday night. It is our favorite place ever, and it's so nice to just sit and eat... and eat and eat and eat until we can barely walk! Mom had purchased me a new dress for my birthday and so I got to wear it out (and I didn't spill anything on it, which is the real victory) and the food was amazing, as always.
Even better was the fact that Mimi and Pa took Ellie for the night. I thought about getting Tim and I a hotel room, but the truth is, our bed is the most comfortable bed in all the land, and it was SO nice to come home, snuggle up with our own pillows and fancy sheets. It was even better to sleep without the baby monitor and lay around in the morning without a certain small someone jamming her face into mine and demanding breakfast.
We didn't even do anything super exciting, but it was wonderful just to laze around. And I know I'm supposed to say that I missed Elizabeth to death and was desperate to get back to her, but she has been a huge whiny machine lately, so she's not always that fun to hang out with. Spending time with a screamy toddler is somehow, just not as appealing as sitting on my butt watching Olympic cycling while also cutting pictures of beautiful dresses out of magazines. Truth story.
But Elizabeth had a great time with her grandparents, going swimming, riding her bike, making them walk around and around the house pulling a pull toy with a too-short string. And then this morning after our walk, I made her come with me to a house in the neighborhood with great sunflowers out front. It's true, I am turning into my mom.
To celebrate, we went out to Le H'irondelle on Saturday night. It is our favorite place ever, and it's so nice to just sit and eat... and eat and eat and eat until we can barely walk! Mom had purchased me a new dress for my birthday and so I got to wear it out (and I didn't spill anything on it, which is the real victory) and the food was amazing, as always.
Even better was the fact that Mimi and Pa took Ellie for the night. I thought about getting Tim and I a hotel room, but the truth is, our bed is the most comfortable bed in all the land, and it was SO nice to come home, snuggle up with our own pillows and fancy sheets. It was even better to sleep without the baby monitor and lay around in the morning without a certain small someone jamming her face into mine and demanding breakfast.
We didn't even do anything super exciting, but it was wonderful just to laze around. And I know I'm supposed to say that I missed Elizabeth to death and was desperate to get back to her, but she has been a huge whiny machine lately, so she's not always that fun to hang out with. Spending time with a screamy toddler is somehow, just not as appealing as sitting on my butt watching Olympic cycling while also cutting pictures of beautiful dresses out of magazines. Truth story.
But Elizabeth had a great time with her grandparents, going swimming, riding her bike, making them walk around and around the house pulling a pull toy with a too-short string. And then this morning after our walk, I made her come with me to a house in the neighborhood with great sunflowers out front. It's true, I am turning into my mom.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Stuff My Baby Says.
Ellie: Shhhhh! Baby sleeping!
Me: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake your baby. I know how tough it can be to get some babies to sleep. Babies are tough.
Ellie: Baby tough. Mama tough too!
Me: Yes, your mama is tough too.
Me: I love you! Do you love me?
Ellie: I love.... BABY LAH!
Ellie: I forgot my hop hop! Hop hop eat carrots.
Me: are you following Gigi?
Ellie: Change Gigi diaper!
Me: Gigi doesn't wear diapers.
Me: Do you want to go pee in the toilet?
Ellie: No.
Me: Okay, well, when you want to, you can. Big girls pee and poop in the toilet. Where does mama go pee? Does she pee in her diaper?
Ellie: No.
Me: Does she pee in her pants?
Ellie: No.
Me: Where does mama go pee?
Ellie: Over dere. [we were in the car when this was discussed, so I'm not sure where she was indicating.]
Ellie: No way Jose Dada!
Ellie: Mama, more run so fast? (this is after I've done my usual mile or so running down the trail)
Me: No, that's okay, that's enough running for me!
Sometimes, we also see a rabbit on the trail. They of course, hop away.
Ellie: Hop hop hop away so fast. Hop hop home. Mama hold him.
Me: That's right, he went home, to see his mama.
Ellie: Mama hold him.
Me: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake your baby. I know how tough it can be to get some babies to sleep. Babies are tough.
Ellie: Baby tough. Mama tough too!
Me: Yes, your mama is tough too.
Me: I love you! Do you love me?
Ellie: I love.... BABY LAH!
Ellie: I forgot my hop hop! Hop hop eat carrots.
Me: are you following Gigi?
Ellie: Change Gigi diaper!
Me: Gigi doesn't wear diapers.
Me: Do you want to go pee in the toilet?
Ellie: No.
Me: Okay, well, when you want to, you can. Big girls pee and poop in the toilet. Where does mama go pee? Does she pee in her diaper?
Ellie: No.
Me: Does she pee in her pants?
Ellie: No.
Me: Where does mama go pee?
Ellie: Over dere. [we were in the car when this was discussed, so I'm not sure where she was indicating.]
Ellie: No way Jose Dada!
Ellie: Mama, more run so fast? (this is after I've done my usual mile or so running down the trail)
Me: No, that's okay, that's enough running for me!
Sometimes, we also see a rabbit on the trail. They of course, hop away.
Ellie: Hop hop hop away so fast. Hop hop home. Mama hold him.
Me: That's right, he went home, to see his mama.
Ellie: Mama hold him.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Girlfriends.
Then, because we haven't seen the knitters in what feels like a million years, we swung by to meet them for lunch, and Kristen and Lexi came with too! The ladies really seemed to love seeing Ellie and Lexi together, basically because they are the cutest. When Lexi arrived, Ellie ran over to her screaming "baby Lah!" and there was much chitter chattering and following each other around. It's so fun to see them really playing with each other, after 21 months of playing next to each other. On Sunday night, we'd hung out with Lexi and her family, and for the first time, while the adults were prepping dinner, the girls were playing quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) BY THEMSELVES! I mean, occasionally we had to break up a fight and redistribute toys, but they were mostly content to sit and play at their picnic table and chase each other around. And the cutest ever - when we had them hug goodbye, Lexi goes "see you in the morning!"
It's so nice to have a friend like Kristen (and a friend like Lexi.) I was so worried when we moved to Orange County because none of my college friends are here, and none of our friends were starting families. I feel so lucky that one of the first moms I met has become one of my closest friends. Her husband is also great (as is my husband) so we can just hang out, goof off and enjoy ourselves. It's so fun to watch the girls talk to each other now; I can't wait to see them at 5, 10, or 15, knowing they've been friends for their entire lives.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Cousin Time!
Today we went down to Oceanside to visit with our little twin cousins, who are getting SO BIG! Sadly, the nap schedules meant that the girls only got about a half hour together, but they were in love. Ellie kept calling both of them Nina, but then as soon as we got in the car, she started crying for Thalia. Both girls thought Ellie was the bees knees, and it was so cute to watch them crawl after her as she wandered around, whining for things and generally getting into trouble.
"I especially enjoy sitting if I can have an item." (Nina on the left, Thalia on the right.)
"Some sugar for you, baby Nina"
"Would you like some sugar, other baby Nina?"
"Learn how to walk, because I'm off to play with your toys!"
The downside of all the fun was that Beans took a terrible nap, which we dealt with by throwing her in the pool for almost an hour. It was HILARIOUS. First, there was a great deal of splashing each other in the face with me, Dad, Sara and Ellie. If you can't rough house, you can't hang. Then we convinced her that it would be fun to float in the duck again, which of course, it was. Especially with me and Dad swimming up to her and pretending to be sharks. Please note: while Ellie is NOT a flower, she is in fact a shark. So am I, and so is Grizz. There was also a lot of jumping - off the step, from arm to arm, and then she wanted to do like the big girls, go up on the back wall of the pool (which is about three feet from the water level) and jump in. Our video recording had some technical difficulties, but suffice to say, it was pretty awesome. Grizz was up there holding her and helping lower her part of the way into my waiting hands, but I usually let her whole head submerge when she jumps - the swim instructor has talked about how you want to be close to your kids in the water, but when encouraging them to jump in, let them go under for a beat before scooping them out, otherwise they'll always expect you to have their hands on them the entire time, and no kid swims with their parents hands underneath them nonstop.
We did however, manage to get Ellie doing some business calls on video.
"Hello, Ellie here."
The downside of all the fun was that Beans took a terrible nap, which we dealt with by throwing her in the pool for almost an hour. It was HILARIOUS. First, there was a great deal of splashing each other in the face with me, Dad, Sara and Ellie. If you can't rough house, you can't hang. Then we convinced her that it would be fun to float in the duck again, which of course, it was. Especially with me and Dad swimming up to her and pretending to be sharks. Please note: while Ellie is NOT a flower, she is in fact a shark. So am I, and so is Grizz. There was also a lot of jumping - off the step, from arm to arm, and then she wanted to do like the big girls, go up on the back wall of the pool (which is about three feet from the water level) and jump in. Our video recording had some technical difficulties, but suffice to say, it was pretty awesome. Grizz was up there holding her and helping lower her part of the way into my waiting hands, but I usually let her whole head submerge when she jumps - the swim instructor has talked about how you want to be close to your kids in the water, but when encouraging them to jump in, let them go under for a beat before scooping them out, otherwise they'll always expect you to have their hands on them the entire time, and no kid swims with their parents hands underneath them nonstop.
We did however, manage to get Ellie doing some business calls on video.
Friday, July 20, 2012
So Smart!
Ellie's teeth continue to hurt, so we treat them with our old reliable friends - baby ibuprofen and lots of cold toys. And we do the best we can to get sleep when we can. For example, normally I wake her up from her nap if she goes past 4pm, but her night sleeping has been so terrible that today I couldn't bear to wake her up (she squeaked on her own come 4:05.) When she woke up, I was there with a cold toy and some snuggles - she is just the best little cuddle bunny when she wakes up in the afternoon.
Today she started crying a little and asking for "poppieco," which I thought meant popcorn, and told her no, we were not going to have popcorn. She kept whining and finally I realized that she wanted a popsicle! Such a smart little egg. So a dose of motrin and two popsicles later, she was ready and raring for the rest of our afternoon.
Today she started crying a little and asking for "poppieco," which I thought meant popcorn, and told her no, we were not going to have popcorn. She kept whining and finally I realized that she wanted a popsicle! Such a smart little egg. So a dose of motrin and two popsicles later, she was ready and raring for the rest of our afternoon.
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