Winter Break

We had a fabulous trip out to Park City. It was so nice to get away for a little vacation. We had a few days with Betsy to settle in and then the rest of the family started to arrive. It was really special to have everyone in one place.

Ellie had a lot of fun playing.





The rest of us had a lot of fun skiing! Ben managed to get in six days in a row, due to the fabulous storms that brought in lots of snow. Betsy and Grandma Etta took care of Ellie, so I could get some skiing in too. It was such a nice break. I tried out my new skis and they were wonderful!







All that playing and skiing can make a person very tired!



We celebrated Mike's birthday on Friday in style with drinks at the St. Regis.



Grandpa and Ellie entertained themselves blowing bubbles.





It was so special that Ellie got to meet her great-grandmother! We are so glad that Grandma Etta could come out to visit and very grateful that she took care of Ellie while we were off skiing. It was a much-needed break!





On Saturday, we all had lunch together at Deer Valley. Ellie fit right in and I'm sure that she'll be skiing before we know it.





All in all, the trip was a great success and so much fun. Here's our little snow bunny!

Happy Half-Birthday, Ellie

What a difference a year makes! I can't believe that this time last year I had the tiniest of baby bumps and was sneaking in some forbidden skiing. This year we have an adorable 6-month old with us on our ski trip.



This has been a big month with lots of changes. The most exciting one was starting Ellie on real food. We are on our second week of solids and she has been largely unimpressed. She much prefers chewing the spoon to eating the food on it. We have tried rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, carrots, avocado, and peas. I think that the squash and avocado have been her favorites, although it's hard to tell if she's actually swallowing anything. It's certainly not filling her up but it's fun to experiment. I love the high chair that Betsy and Brian got Ellie for Christmas. She already loves dropping her toys off the edge and watching mommy and daddy bend down to pick them up.







Earlier this month, Ellie had a little growth spurt, and she couldn't eat or sleep enough. We had some trouble getting her to fall asleep at night and she was back to waking up in the night to eat. She would be fussy and obviously tired at bedtime but wouldn't go to sleep. I was sure that the blissful sleep stage was over, but after about a week, she settled down again and has been back to sleeping about 10-12 hours most nights. I am definitely counting my blessings! We have a nice little bedtime routine established, and with a few exceptions, she goes to sleep about 7:30 or 8 pm and wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning. She is going down for a morning nap of about 45 minutes, which doesn't leave me much time to do anything but it's good that we are establishing a schedule. She will often take two other short naps during the day, but they're hard to predict.



She has made lots of progress developmentally too. She is so close to rolling over from her back to her front. She kicks her legs and thumps them up and down. She can roll to her side. Within the last week, she figured out how to sit on her own. She has really good control and balance and can lean over to pick up toys in front of her and then get herself upright again. We're still doing lots of tummy time, and she is really working hard at trying to push herself up. She can turn herself about 90 degrees and sometimes she even pushes herself backwards a little. She is going to be zooming around the house before we know it. She loves to grasp her feet, which makes diaper changes a little more challenging. She is a wiggly little thing and can twist her head and upper body right around to see things above her head.



Everything that she can reach now goes right in her mouth. I think that she might be in the early stages of teething since she just wants to chew everything and is drooling a lot. Within the last week she has started grabbing my hair and jewelry and she loves to explore faces. For a couple of weeks she was grunting all the time, which wasn't the most beautiful noise and was actually a little embarrassing in public. But she's back to cooing now and she can really talk up a storm.



We have been working on teaching her baby sign language but so far she doesn't really understand. I do think that she recognizes the sign for "daddy" since I do it whenever Ben comes home and she will look toward the door. She hasn't started using the sign for "eat" yet either, but she has come up with her own. When she's hungry, she will wrap her arms around my neck and give me a little nuzzle. It is the most adorable thing!



Overall she is just such a happy, easy-going baby. She smiles all the time which is a real treat. She and Ben have such a fun time playing together when he is home. They have such a different relationship and style of play than she and I do. I'll be excited to find out her stats at the doctor next week. I think that she is about 15 or 16 pounds now and she's getting heavy to cart around in the car seat all the time. We are having lots of fun together and I can't believe how quickly she is changing and growing.

Park City Time Lapse

Here is a short time lapse video of park city shot earlier this week. Click on the youtube logo in the bottom left to watch a larger version.

Winter Favorites

It's been a while since I've done a non-baby related post. So, in the interest of writing about something other than Ellie, here are a few things that have been making me happy this winter.

Mild Weather: How could I not start with this one? It's crazy to think that this time last year we had already had several snow days and at least 60 inches of snow. This year, I don't think that we've even made it to 6 inches. I am very grateful because it means that Ellie and I have been able to get out of the house for nice long walks. It's also a lot easier to get us out of the house when I don't have to worry about slipping on snow and ice (never mind shoveling off the car and driveway). I can't say that I miss the snow yet. It just makes winter in the city a little bit easier, although I know that Ben is missing the wintry weather.

Music Together: I love the music class that Ellie and I are taking. It's walking distance from our house and uses the Music Together curriculum. Our instructor is great and I think that Ellie enjoys the class, even if she is the youngest one there. I really like that we have added some new songs to our repertoire. I'm off to buy her some baby-sized maracas next month, so she can rock out at home.

Winter Salads: We are still getting our organic vegetable box a couple times a month, although in my effort to avoid cabbage, we have switched to a non-local all-vegetable box. It's still providing us with a nice assortment of fresh veggies and I have been experimenting with different recipes to use them up. I've made two salads recently that I really love: Roasted Beets and Citrus with Feta and a Winter Salad with Lemon-Yogurt Dressing. I sometimes find that homemade dressings don't turn out that well but these were both delicious. They have spiced up our salad routine and I like that they make use of fruits and veggies that are in season.

Baking Soda: This is going to seem weird, but I am in love with the miraculous powers of baking soda. I have used it to freshen the fridge and freezer for a while now and also to make my kitchen sink shiny and bright. Now I'm on a mission to discover greener ways to clean the bathroom, since I don't like the idea of exposing Ellie to the harsh fumes and chemicals of regular bathroom cleaners. Enter baking soda. I think that it cleans the tub even better (and with less effort) than the bubbling cleaner I have often used. It is so satisfying (in a perverse way, I know) to make the bathroom so clean with something as simple and cheap as baking soda. And I feel much better not having harsh cleaners in the house.

Downton Abbey: Yes, I too have been absorbed in the melodrama that is Downton Abbey. It's just like a soap opera but with fancy clothes and historical details. I'm sure that you're already watching, but if not, now is your chance to catch up on the first two seasons. I can't wait for the next one. Luckily, Mad Men will be back soon to keep me entertained.

Afternoon nap

Ellie and I were both very happy to have Ben home for the entire long weekend. Between several call weekends and our trip to Charlotte, it was our first weekend at home together in a while. Ben and Ellie got some much needed daddy-daughter time in!



What a nice life!

Audrey meets Ellie

While we were in Charlotte, we were lucky enough to have Audrey drive down from Durham to visit us! I am so glad she did. It was great that she could meet Ellie and we could have time to catch up. She arrived mid-day on Monday and we left Ellie with my parents for a little while so that we could go out to lunch and do a little shopping. It was so nice for both of us to have a little time away from our responsibilities!





On Tuesday we went to explore a fun toy store in town and then went out to lunch. Ellie was in a great mood all day and kept us entertained at lunch with her lovely noises and tongue tricks. She is so funny! After lunch, it was time for Audrey to head back to Durham. It was a quick visit but a great one, nonetheless!





My parents and I had a nice rest of the trip. We stayed close to home, but it was really nice to see each other and the time went so quickly. I know my parents loved having their granddaughter visit. Ellie got to play a lot on the new quilt that my mom made her. Isn't it pretty?





On Wednesday morning, Ellie and I headed back to Boston. The trip went smoothly but it was a lot trickier to travel on my own. We survived though and Ben met us at the airport. We are glad to be home but we had a great time and I know that this will be the first of many flights and trips for our little family.

Jetsetters

Ben and I finally braved the skies and took Ellie on her first flight this month. It was a special occasion and definitely worth the trip. My dad turned 60 last week, so we went down for a surprise weekend trip. Matthew met us down there and we just showed up at the front door of my parents' house. My dad didn't suspect a thing and was very surprised to open the door and see us all there!





It was well worth the trip and everything went so smoothly on the way down. I'm not sure why I was so nervous! We got through the airport without a problem and Ellie did really well on the flight. She actually slept almost the entire time, which was completely unexpected but just fine with me.





On Saturday evening, we left Ellie with a family friend and went out for a nice birthday dinner. We came back to the house for dessert and libations. Ellie was glad to see us. She was exhausted from the busy day and the trip, so she went to bed quickly and easily.



We had a quiet day on Sunday: my brother made omelets for breakfast, we went for a short walk, and then the boys headed back to the airport to go home. Ellie and I were lucky enough to stay for a few extra days. The whole trip was great and it was so fun to surprise my dad. I can't believe how easily Ellie adapted to all the changes. She's such a trooper and it was so fun to have her at home in Charlotte. Happy birthday, Dad!! It was great to celebrate with you!