Updates

Ella will be 2 1/2 on December 9th, so I thought it was time for a few updates before I forget them.

One is hurting my heart a little--Ella is calling me "Mom". "Mommy" is long gone these days. "Do you like this flower, Mom?" "What do you think, Mom?" Sometimes I refuse to answer until she calls me "Mommy"--is that so wrong?? Don't actually give me your answer, because I'm going to keep doing it anyway. :)

She sings AT THE TOP OF HER LUUUUUUNGS most of the day and definitely any time I can't be playing with her and she has to entertain herself. Her faves are "Hakuna Matata" and the Wonder Pets theme song, but she's working on Jingle Bells. I'll see if I can get Hal to upload her Candid Camera singing moment...

She's been cracking us up lately with the phrase "That was a good trick, guys." This is employed after something she means to do--showing off her dance moves, as well as after something she doesn't meant to do--jumping on the couch, falling off, and getting embarrassed that she made a tactical error.

We are officially in the process of redoing her room, complete with twin bed, new dresser, and lots of cute accessories. She is less than enthused about it--she's been sleeping with us for a looong time now. BUT she understands that Santa doesn't come if you don't sleep in your own bed like a big girl (somewhat cruel, but effective).

Some other things I can't think of at the moment, but those are the main points that I don't want to forget. She is silly and spunky and I'm so thankful for her. We are having the best time hanging together and learning from each other.

Potty trained

Yep, Ella is potty trained. It. Is. Amazing. We started on a Monday, and it took about three days for her to figure out that she HAD to go to the potty every time. Then another week to figure out how to realize ahead of time that she needed to go. It's been about a week now with no accidents, and yesterday she went into the bathroom, pulled her pants down, and went to the potty all by herself while Hal and I sat on the couch and watched in awe. Sidenote: The things that evoke awe as a parent are so different than before having kids.

Listen, I know that girls are easier than boys most of the time, and I am NOT trying to be braggy about this. I just want to note how awesome this transition has been, and how much Ella is proud of herself and what a big girl she feels like now.

However, I do have to note in excitement the $50/month we will now save on diapers. Score!

Bigger, bigger

Sometimes when trying to explain something to Ella, I find myself repeating the important word more times than necessary, in an attempt to have her understand my point. I forget, in these moments, that she is actually two and really does understand what I say to her.

Example: Ella wants to try a drink of my Coke.
Ella: I have some Coke, Mommy?
Me: Oh, no, honey, that's for adults--mommies and daddies. But when you're bigger, you can try it. When you're bigger (emphasis word)...

So, for the last few days, Ella has begun to list all of the things I have told her she can do when she's bigger i.e. drink Coke, jump off the diving board at the pool, play with big kids at the park who are doing stupid, dangerous things that I actually really hope she forgets she's ever seen, etc.

The way Ella explains these things to me is as follows: "Mommy, I do (this) when I bigguh, bigguh...? When I bigguh, bigguh Mommy??"

So, I've taught my very intelligent daughter to repeat herself because I thought she couldn't understand me. Oops.

On a sidenote that actually somewhat correlates with this story, I had one of those mom, emotional moments yesterday when something makes you suddenly get a true moment of nostalgia or realization of how fast time is going. We were at the pool and Ella wanted to sit with a group of older kids and teens who were eating pizza, and as they took off to go swim, she went to follow them. We were leaving the pool at that point, so I took her by the hand and just casually said something like, "You can do that someday, too, when you're a big girl. Soon enough, baby." And as the words left my mouth, I got a weird twinge of emotion. In the span of a lifetime, it will all come and go so soon. I really have to savor each moment as much and as best as I can.

Summer Sleep Schedule

This post is really just to chronicle Ella's new sleep schedule, so no fun pictures or anything.

However...
I would like to remember that Ella went through a pattern of sleep that is actually working really well for our family (insert triumphant music). For the last two weeks, she's been going to bed between 9:30-10:00 PM and waking up just after 7:00 AM. Now, the late bedtime on its own wouldn't be ideal, but here is why it works so well: she isn't waking up and crying out at night (huge plus) AND she is taking anywhere from a 2 to 3 hour nap every day! Yeeeeess! This basically means that from 7 AM to 1 PM we play, play, play, and then she falls asleep until around 4:00, gets up, eats a snack, and then Hal gets home. Talk about an easy two weeks for me!

I tried to figure out if this is something she would have done all along, and maybe I just had dropped the ball, but the fact of the matter is that she has grown into this pattern in the last few months. I thought by two that all sleep patterns would be figured out, but I see now that as Ella grows, she will continue to adjust her sleep to fit her needs--so I'm living it up until it changes again!

Fourth of July weekend

This weekend was nothing short of amazing.

On Saturday, Hal had to work a half day so in the morning Ella and I hit up the Cedar Park Farmers' Market and Home Depot. On the first Saturday of the month Home Depot sponsors a free "do-it-yourself" type project for kiddos, and this month was coaster-making. Ella enjoyed attempting to hammer nails into the plywood, although she would have much preferred to stack all the pieces on top of each other and have her own abstract piece of art. After lunch at Chipotle with my mom, we headed home for a nap. By the time Hal got home, we were up and ready to head to the Hill Country Galleria for their 4th of July extravaganza. Rosie and the Ramblers were playing--never heard of them, but they were awesome!--so we searched out some shade and ate pizza and danced. Ella fell in LOVE with the bouncy castle.

Sunday brought a wonderful sermon at church. We had a guest pastor, and to be honest most of the time I am not enthused about another pastor speaking (creature of habit right here). However, this sermon really spoke to me, and I left feeling energized and very peaceful at the same time. Then we went home with a crazy, full-of-energy Ella (now that she's finally well, she's a completely different kid--so crazy all the time and never seeming to slow down. So fun!) Of course, after a very full Saturday and an early Sunday morning, she proceeded to crash and take a 3 hour nap-woo hoo!! So, of course, we were so pleased to already have made plans to visit Hal's parents in Liberty Hill for dinner and let Ella run around like a wild banshee out on their property.

Then came the fourth of July today. I love this holiday. My parents, Ella and I participated in our neighborhood's bike/stroller/wagon parade. We decorated the BOB with red, white and blue ribbons and bows sort of last minute, but it turned out pretty cute. We all decided it was our new tradition--with one catch: each year, we have to step up our participation a notch or two. We're thinking kazoo band next year. :) Ella waved her mini American flag proudly and wore a red sparkly party hat because that's what HEB had left at 8:30 this morning. When we got home, Hal had set up her new slip-n-slide, and they played in it until lunchtime. After her nap, we three headed to our neighborhood pool for its annual pool party, and Ella wore herself out trying to keep up with the big kids. Hal spent all morning making his famous pulled pork, so we had my parents over for an uh-mazing dinner of pulled pork sandwiches and brownie sundaes. So delicious that I couldn't even allow myself to feel guilty.

Man, I realize nobody probably wants to read this entire novela I just wrote, but I'm so glad to chronicle this great weekend. Ella is healthy and happy, and literally every person that has been around her in the last two weeks has commented on what a different child she is now that she feels good. She's a crazy toddler, and I now understand how tiring it has been for all of my friends with toddlers! :)

Spring is here!

Ella has a book about a bunny who is searching for a new home. The opening page is a groundhog shouting, "Spring is here! Spring! Spring! Spring!"

Well, for the past three months, Spring has NOT arrived at the Denbar house. My sweet Ella had been so sick for so long, and we could not figure out what was wrong. We even had her adenoids out, which allowed her to breathe through her nose finally, but did nothing to help her feel better.

Finally, I forced my way into a late Friday afternoon appointment with her pediatrician (the THIRD doctor's appointment in a week-one with the ENT, one with another pediatrician because ours was booked, and this one). I demanded that something be done to make her feel better. I explained in detail the lack of sleep, the intense amount of coughing, the two-week-long fever, and her generally unpleasant mood and zombie-like appearance. She was in a rough way, to be sure.

Turns out, Ella needed breathing treatments every 4 hours for her asthma (which they finally admitted she has) AND a strong antibiotic (apart from the amoxicillin and steroid she was already on!) for a...get this...lung infection.

Now, I have chronicled all this so that the next time she is mildy (or intensely) sick, I can look back and have a gauge to go by. I thought I was losing my mind for a few weeks there, and I thought Ella was literally never going to sleep again. It turns out, we both had cause to be so distraught. She was really sick.

The real point of this post, however, is to acknowledge that Spring has arrived at the Denbar house! Ella has finished her meds, and she is a brand new girl. She is so happy and playful, and she is sleeping through the night. Today she took a two-hour nap. That's never happened before! She is loving to run and hop and wrestle. She is eating well and thriving in a way I had forgotten she could do. We are joyful and thankful for our healthy, happy girl.

"See ya" adenoids!

Adenoid surgery went remarkably well. I expected two or three full days of recover, lots of sleeping, not very much eating, lots of fussiness. First thing this morning, Ella hopped out of bed, and she has been non-stop ever since! In fact, Hal and I have both commented that we've never seen her so energetic.

PLEASE let this be a sign of things to come! Plus some better sleep couldn't hurt. :)

Adenoids...yuck!

Quick update on the adenoids: We will be having Ella's adenoids removed this Friday. It's a very routine procedure, but it does require general anesthesia, so of course, I'm a little nervous. They say children her age will recover very quickly, in just a few days, so I expect it to be a rough weekend, and hopefully for her to feel better by early to middle of next week.

Reasons for this procedure are plentiful, but in a nutshell, she has never breathed through her nose. Her enlarged adenoids make it impossible for that. She was also diagnosed with mild asthma and allergies (which make asthma worse). So...combine constant runny nose with cough, serious congestion at the same time (didn't know that could happen), wheezing as she breathes whenever there's pollen in the air (hello...we live in Austin) and the fact that all of this has been going on for at least 2-3 months at this point, and surgery was our next option. We tried nasal steroids to open up her passages, but they didn't work. And the doctor said that the only other option for opening up her nasal airway was to remove the obstructions (adenoids). He did talk to us about the fact that this may or may not clear up Ella's breathing problems, but it will at least open up her nasal passage so even if she still has asthma and allergies to deal with, she'll be able to better breathe and pass mucus, etc. through her nose and clear out her sinuses easier. I'll update after the surgery. Prayers, please! :)

Kissing Cousins

Or best friends.

This is Ella's best friend, Helena. They have a love/hate/love relationship. They love each other until they both want the same toy, and then it can get a little awkward. But mostly they just want to spend time playing and riding in Helena's wagon.

Swimsuit pics

Swimsuit #1: Tropical
theme

Swimsuit #2: Nautical theme

Curly hair: 100% natural

P.S.

Pics to come of E in her new swimsuits. Plural because a girl can't have just one.

Spring

It's been too long since I've updated, so although this will be quick, I'm hoping I can fit the good stuff in.

I wish I could explain adequately how much fun Ella is these days. I know there may be rough waters ahead, the terrible twos, etc. but so far, this rocks!

Lately, Ella:

is speaking in full (4-5 word) sentences. Not always, but definitely with frequency.

is playing independently so much more. I watch her take her dolls and make them kiss, hug, talk to one another. She covers them with a blanket and says, "They seeping (sleeping), Mama."

is eating more meat (yay!) and trying more foods so we can move on from beans and rice.

loves going to "school" twice a week and being Ms. Becca's helper.

loves Mickey Mouse and The Incredibles ("Cwedbulls")

loves helping Mama cook with her own mini-cooking set, but prefers to use real food (hassle)

The biggest change has been how much she will play by herself and how much time that frees up for me to get things done.

On a not-so-great note, the docs think she has asthma and enlarged adenoids. She has been sick for about two months with a runny nose, awful cough, and constant congestion. They hear a wheezing when she breathes--not a good thing. We've tried a few different medications, but none work without pretty bad side effects. So, off to the ENT tomorrow to see if she'll need her adenoids removed. Updates to come.

Mama

Until just recently, Ella wouldn't say mama. Not that she was unable to say it, she just thought it was funny to say everyone else's name but not mine. She'd look at Hal--"Daddy!", at my dad--"Pop!", and at me--"Daddy!" followed by laughter. Until a few weeks ago, I had only heard her say mama about 3 times, and all three were crying out in her crib when she didn't want to take a nap. "Maaaaaaaammmmaaaaa". Soulful. Gut-wrenching.

Then, one day she just started saying it. Now she says it all the time. She puts her hands up in the air and says, "Up, Mama." She giggles her way through the word while I'm tickling her belly. She comes up and gives me a hug and wants to love me so hard that she'll pretend to bite my shoulder because biting is the only way to express the size of her emotion. (Luckily, she hasn't figured out she can bite when she's mad yet.) And then, "Mama, mama, mama" and a huge smile.

Then, yesterday I had an epiphany of sorts, an Aha! moment, if you will (shoutout to Oprah). We were in the car on our way home from preschool, and Ella was in her carseat chanting my name over and over. Mama, mama, mama, mama, etc. I'd turn back and smile and say, "You're a silly girl," and she'd point to things out the window for me to look at. And I realized in that moment how lucky I was to have waited so long to hear her say my name. I've heard many mothers tell me (in moments of frustration, which we all have) how annoying it is when their toddler constantly walks around poking at them and saying, "Mama..this, Mama...that, Mama..why?, Mama...up!" No doubt, months spent with this level of neediness is exhausting, speaking from experience. But I can honestly say that after 18 months of never hearing my daughter call out to me, except in frustration a handful of times, I don't know if I will ever tire of hearing it.

A friend of a friend of mine passed away this week from a 6-year battle with breast cancer. She left behind a husband and a 6-year-old boy. She found out about the cancer while she was pregnant, and the doctors gave her less than a year to live. She lived 6 more. Another friend of the same friend of mine was diagnosed while 3 months pregnant with lymphoma. She gave birth right before Christmas, and just found out two weeks ago that it has progressed to stage 4 and has entered her brain. She is awaiting a clinical trial and undergoing radiation. The odds are very much against her. Her baby is still in the NICU.

I can't stop thinking about these women. I can't even describe all the thoughts in my head surrounding their battles and lives and loss. They're just like me in so many ways. But did they or will they ever take for granted hearing their child call for them in the night? Or run to them and hug their neck? So many moments missed or lost. I can only say that today, because of their fight, I'm going to hug my little girl tighter and longer, and let her say my name as many times as she wants.

Preschool

I have been looking into Mother's Day Out programs and preschools for several months now, trying to determine when would be a good time to start Ella on one. Several start at 18 months or 2 years, and I was happy to wait until she was two. If it doesn't work out, I'd still be happy to wait. But we thought it might be time to give it a shot.

Today was her first day, and she LOVED it. Granted, it took her about 30 minutes to warm up to the idea. She was not happy when I left her. But I called a few hours in and they told me that once she hit the playground, she never looked back and was having a ball. What made me feel even better was that she took an hour and a half nap while there! For anyone who knows about Ella's sleeping journey, she has NEVER taken that long of a nap, unless someone was holding her (which we did for a LONG while, until our arms got really buff and we decided that we liked the way they looked enough to put her down). :)

When I went to pick her up, she had to show me all of her toys and take me around all the places they went for the day. It was very cute and comforting for Mommy who had been worried about her most of the day.

Another plus, which should be noted because it's too good of a deal to not mention, is the fact that I have from 9-2 to myself twice a week. Sweet!

We're gonna see how it goes, but hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.