Something to be Thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving... (a day late)!! 

Hope you all ate tons of turkey and all that good  stuff. As for us? We just hung out with Mike's family. It was so good to spend time with everyone and I am so grateful that we have family just a few hours away. Anyway, here are some pictures of our day... and then a little six month letter to Elsie bear.

Dear Elsie, 

You're six months old now and I seriously can't believe it! I know I say this all the time, but it really does just feel like I just found out that I was pregnant. Anyway, you are as cute as ever - super long and lean at 27 inches and 13 lbs, 11 oz. I'm so glad that you've started "chunking out" a little bit - I seriously thought you were almost 29 inches by now... suffice it to say that I was wrong. :)

Anyway, you are so talkative, so aware, and so smart! You say "da da" when we tell you to, but I'm pretty sure you're not really aware what it means. You can sit up without support and go from sitting to your tummy (or your back, but that's usually because you've lost your balance and have fallen over). You really have no desire to crawl, and we're okay with that for now (less work for us). You don't really enjoy being on your tummy for more than about ten minutes at a time, so you tend to just get mad and roll right back onto your back.

You started solids about two weeks ago and so far your absolute favorite is Thanksgiving mush (turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, peas, corn, and stuffing put into a blender). You love bathtime, reading stories, and music. You've got quite the temper and can be a little brat when you don't get what you want - it's not the most endearing quality, but I'm sure you'll outgrow it by the time you're 30.

Love you more than anything, stinker!

Love, 

Mom

Sometimes I Wish I was a Polar Bear

Happy Tuesday! Long time, no see. Sorry I've been completely absent from everything. I haven't read blogs in who knows how long, and I really miss you guys! Maybe I'll get the chance to do some catching up over Thanksgiving break - we'll see!

I will have a 6 month update on little Elsie-bear, but her well child check-up isn't until this afternoon, so I don't have her stats yet. I also don't have her pictures done because, well.... I've been lazy pants.

Anyway.... back to the title of this post. My office mates were sitting here watching a polar bear video a few minutes ago, and I thought to myself, "How flipping awesome would it be to be a freakin' polar bear?!" 

Answer: really flipping awesome. 

1. I could drink all the coke I wanted, and I'd get it for free in exchange for the occasional commercial appearance. 

2. I would not be freezing my butt off when it's 0 degrees out. In fact, I might even like the cold weather.

3. I could have a pet penguin. Sure, the penguin would be terrified of me and try to run away every chance he got, but that's not important.

4. I would be cute and cuddly, but absolutely terrifying at the same time. Not even Bigfoot can accomplish this, you guys.

5. I could stay underwater for up to 9 minutes at a time. Think of how awesome that would be!! I mean, really.  

And.... that's all I've got for you on this chilly Tuesday morning. Drink some hot cocoa for me!

Elsie 5 Months

Hi Guys! 

So... this blog has been pretty neglected, but I guess that's what happens when you're a full-time mommy and grad student with a photography business on the side. Anyway... it's time for my monthly update on little miss Elsie. Yeah... sorry that almost all of my posts lately have been more for me than anyone else. I promise that if I can get a routine down, I will try to get into blogging a little more next semester.

Dear Elsie, 

At five months, you are still just a long, skinny thing. I'm not exactly sure how long you are or how much you weigh, but my guess would be that you're around 28 inches long and almost 14 lbs. You're wearing 3-6 month onesies and 0-3 month pants. You're getting close to moving into the 6 month onesies, but I get the feeling that it'll be a while till you fit 6 month pants.

I'm a little disappointed - I lost count of how many diapers you've gone through. I know, I know - I'm a failure of a mother.

You've now got TWO teeth! You're a bit of a grumpy pants when your teeth cut through, but can I blame you? No, not really - it seems like it totally sucks. You laugh at everything and are so, so alert. You talk constantly (just like mom), and it's so fun to have conversations with you.

You're a daddy's girl through and through, but you still have days where you just need your mom, and I'm totally okay with that. Your cuddles are rare, but when you give them, they instantly brighten my day and I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

We've tried solids a few times, but you don't really seem to be a fan. I think you just like secondhand ice cream and tacos WAY better than nasty mushed carrots or rice cereal. I can't blame you - I'm almost 25 and I still don't like carrots. They're icky.

Anyway, you're awesome and I love you lots. Keep on growing and learning, little monster!

Love, 

Mom