We are still celebrating around here and in awe that our sweet princess is the big TWO! And when Ben and I were on our cruise in late August, Grandma and Grandpa Weber helped Ellie master saying "two" and holding up two fingers. Granted they aren't two fingers like the peace sign, but holding both pointer fingers up at the same time totally counts!
Ben and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary with a 7-day cruise to the Western Caribbean (Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico). It was great to get away and swim in some beautiful blue/clear/teal water. Snorkeling was my favorite in Cozumel.
Like I said before, Ellie got some quality time in with Grandma and Grandpa Weber on the farm in Iowa helping Grandpa pick and can tomatoes, make cookies, go to see cousins Wyatt and Garett. Better known as Wa-Wa and Rit. And of course, we can't forget Aunt Wendy (neh-nee). Apparently they became buds real quick. AND...we're still calling and pointing to every woman we see with dark hair "neh-nee." I just smile and say "Ellie, can you say hello." She actually has become quite the social butterfly lately...really depends on her mood though. She will wave at people until they wave back. She will say "ello." But then sometimes, like when we do our Welcome Visits for our CARES Team job, she will be super shy and duck down into her daddy's chest or immediately cling to a leg of a parent. So sometimes, I think she's like her mama - will talk to anyone pretty much....but then she has her dada moments where she's gotta observe and then we'll see.
Ellie LOVES pictures. Now that she's recognizing people, we're working on family members, and wedding party members - yes, we're still sporting the wedding picture on the wall. Her best ones so far are (other than mentioned above): Bodee = Boo; Anna (she actually says that really well); Grandma (ba ma) Grandpa (ba pa) Gramkow (Cah-coe) and Weber (ba-ba); Caryn = Car; Wade = wee; Micah = bi-cah. Carrie = Tee; I really should get it on video. I'll put that on my to do list! I do feel kind of bad when she goes into our bedroom. It's pretty much a picture of Ben and I on each wall from our wedding. She'll turn and say Mama, Dada; turn a few degrees and again; and again. I guess I'm glad she still recognizes us from our wedding 5 years ago!
Ellie has really stared saying more phrases lately. Some of her frequent (at least that I can understand) are as follows: "I want my da-da" "Open this" "I want wa-wa" "I want Elmo" "I want down" "I want up" Seriously with all this I want business...is this normal? And when she doesn't get what she "wants" she brings out the quick swipe. Naughty Ellie. We've been working on not hitting mama and becoming familiar with the word time-out. She's become quite the "opinionated" eater. She likes to tell me "no" when she doesn't want to eat something, and if that doesn't get a response, she moves right on to all done. On the contrary, her yes sounds like "yesh." That's pretty funny!
After our cruise, I actually flew home to pick up Ellie from the Northland. We decided to celebrate with some family and friends at my sister's in Minnesota. Since she's in love with Elmo, we decided Elmo themed party it is! I made the cake and Ellie said it was Elmo when she saw it finished, so that was all that mattered! HA! So thankful that we could celebrate with her there.
I have yet to still organize a birthday party here with her Fort Worth friends. Yikes! I'm running out of time! When we got back home, Daddy was super happy to see his girls. We three celebrated with Ellie by going out to eat and making cupcakes. We had an enjoyable beginning to Labor Day weekend. Ellie decided she was going to express interest in the pee pee and poo poo. And actually DID go in the big girl potty twice pee pee and once poo poo. SO we thought, maybe you're ready? Bad decision. Hind sight is always 20/20. First time parents: Be warned: Just because your child decides to go pee pee or poo poo randomly doesn't mean they are necessarily ready for the real deal. After 3 1/2 days of trying the potty training queen's 3-day method, we decided Ellie just wasn't ready. Gotta work on the motivation. She'll get it eventually. We're not going to try again anytime soon. This mama needs some space from that experience!
Back to a routine! YES! Our Summer was wonderful, but turned out to be REALLY busy! I'm so glad we're back into a routine. Just last week was our first really routine week. I am starting to watch a little boy from our church, Jonathan, that is a miracle 18 month old, on Mondays. We have Women's Bible Study (We're going through a study called, Me, Myself, and Lies - a thought closet makeover...it's good stuff) on Tuesdays, MOPS on Wednesdays, and then Ellie is going to a Mother's Day Out on Thursdays with just 5 other little friends in her class. She did great. I think she really likes playing with little people her size!
Appointments Week. Ellie had her second visit (after 6 months) to the pediatric dentist. She still has enamel missing from her teeth due to prematurity, but it hasn't gotten any worse (or any decay/cavities). Praise Jesus. We'll keep on brushing her teeth religiously, and still no juice. THEN, last Wednesday, Ellie had her 2 year pediatrician appointment with Dr.Mercer. Everything checked out GREAT! He even gave her the "You're all caught up from preemie-hood" speech. I could have screamed I was so filled with joy. Filled with joy, thankfulness, and relief that she's come this far. What wonderful words for this mama to hear. She did not like the shots so much. She got another dose of Pneumococcal along with the flu/H1N1 vaccine. Glad we have that out of the way! Dr. Mercer said she is long and lean! She weighed 24 lbs 4 oz. (although when Ben weighed her on the wii, she was more like 26), was 34 3/4 inches tall, and head circumference was 50.2 cm = 19.76 inches if google math is correct.
So that's the long, overdue update from Team Gramkow. We're so proud of how far you've come little Ellie Jo Gramkow. I still can't believe you are TWO!
This was a picture from one of our CARES events at the Texas Rangers Game!
Well, I’ve done it again...this time the blogging sabbatical was way TOO long! A lot of changes are in store for Team Gramkow in 2011. So here’s to 11 updates representing the new year!
1. We moved again. We’re still in Far Far Away Fort Worth, but just moved about 15 minutes away. It’s a bit closer to Ben’s work, and it’s even closer to my work.
2. Yep, you read it right. I’m starting a job in January at Texas Christian University (TCU) as a hall director for the apartments there. Go Horned Frogs! It’s a live-on position, so yes, Ellie is the only 2-year-old now living amongst college students. I’m really excited to start this new journey for my professional career. It will be a challenge, but rewarding as well. Ben’s super excited that we’ll get to go to all the TCU home football games. We’re all very excited to keep purple in the wardrobe!
3. Since my office hours are flexible 10 am-4 pm, we were able to find care for Ellie through a 5-day/week Mom’s Day Out program, and then are having a sweet gal watch Ellie for a few hours until I get off work. I think it’ll be a great adjustment going from being a Stay-at-home mom. The place we found is WONDERFUL and I just love the staff. She’ll be in a small class (only 5 kiddos) and I just think she’ll love being in “school.” She’s been going to a MDO once a week this past semester, and has just loved it. I love all the crafts she brings home for me to see! So thankful we found a great place that Ellie can play while we’re at work.
4. We did step down as a CARES Team at the apartment complex, and are really going to miss the staff and residents there. It was a hard decision, but I’m excited that I’ll get to do similar things...just with college students instead. They already have a new CARES Team in place, and we get to be their mentor team. They are going to do great!
5. Ben is still doing well at his job! He really enjoys it and works with a great group of people. He’s looking forward to spending every other Friday with Ellie...a little daddy/daughter time.
6. Enough about us, now about Ellie. She is SO smart! I’m sure every parent says that, but I am just so proud...and extra proud with her being a preemie and all. She knows her alphabet! Letter recognition! She’s such a sponge about learning right now, and I love it. We have a puzzle with the alphabet that she loves, and now she will just point out letter that we see in signs out and about. We’re working on numbers, and she’s starting to count too. Most of the time for counting she just says “three, four, three, four.”
7. Ellie knows her colors! Everything isn’t just yellow anymore. Ben made flashcards with colors and numbers for our long car ride to Kansas. She knows “white,” but then said “white” even for the flashcards that were actually a number! Hard to teach when technically that flashcard is indeed white. Ben’s starting to teach her to recognize words: dog, cat, Ellie, mama, daddy, pig. I told him he needs to start teaching her equations!
8. Ellie is talking SO much more lately. The other night she told Ben, “Daddy, sit on couch.” Other frequent phrases are “all done eating” and “open it”
9. Ellie loves Baby Signing Time DVDs. She knows quite a few signs, and actually more than I do! She has to remind me what the correct signs are. My favorite is “bird.” I’ll try to get a video posted soon.
10. We spent Thanksgiving in Kansas City with Ben’s family and had a great time. Ellie became best friends quickly with all her relatives because they read books to her! She’s really into books these days.
11. We are spending a White Christmas in Iowa with Mandy’s family. Ellie so far has LOVED playing with her cousins Kahle and Bodee. They played out in the snow today! And then tonight, Uncle Micah (who is a football coach) taught her the three-point stance, which looks pretty good. However, she does need to work on a more aggressive tackle. LOL!
To be continued...
