Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ellen's baptism
On Sunday we had the joy of baptizing Ellen. Well, not us exactly...we left it to the professionals, Rev. Erika and Father Jim at our church. :-) For all of you who were with us in spirit, and especially Ellen's special godparents, Katie and Adam, we're thankful we have such wonderful family and friends! Sean said this was his best birthday yet, and was more than happy to celebrate all the occasions: his birthday, Ellen's baptism, and Valentine's Day! Here's the edited version of Ellen's baptism. For those who are REALLY interested, we hear the church is going to give us a DVD of the whole service. I also plan to post photos to my Facebook account, so keep an eye out there, too!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Almost 6 months
Six months. Half a year. And so hard to believe. Ellen turns six months next week, and I remember her being six WEEKS like it was yesterday.
I got mixed reviews on my last post...some people liked it, some people thought it was overload on the sap and under-delivery on the photos/videos/general Ellen-ness. So, we'll switch gears back to updates, photos, and videos (which I'll upload separately from this entry).
Although it was only a couple of months ago, it seems like so much has happened since Christmas! We had a wonderful extended visit with Jim, Robin and Grandma Joy and couldn't have asked for a better first Christmas for Ellen. Activities included an evening luminaria tour through the Desert Botanical Garden, meals at some favorite restaurants and the luxury of having Ellen at home for a week with her grandparents instead of having to do the daycare drop-off routine. Pictures are posted on my Facebook account for those of you who are my "friends" on there.
January seems to have completely flown by, as it's now basically mid-February! It would truly be a shame for too much time to pass between visitors for Ellen, so we are very excited to welcome Katie and Adam this coming weekend as we celebrate Ellen being baptized and Sean's birthday--both on Valentine's Day! We asked Katie and Adam to be godparents way back in November, so we're thankful they cleared their calendars when a baptism date was finally (and quickly!) set. Although we won't have a ton of family down, we know you'll all be with us in spirit.
Every day I'm so happy and feel so fortunate that Ellen is so healthy. She's changing all the time and is such a happy baby. Over the holidays she mastered rolling from her back to her stomach (although has yet to demonstrate the stomach-to-back roll). Her neck is still really strong and she's always so curious about what's going on around her, always craning her neck to take in the view. She has also started to grow back more hair and, interestingly, when in direct sunlight, it shows hints of red.
We've also started taking more "family outings" on the weekends lately. Robin and Jim got us a membership to the Phoenix Zoo for Christmas, so we've made a few trips with Ellen. We think she likes the monkey village the most, as you can go directly in the enclosure with the squirrel monkeys and watch them leap around. Recently, we've also taken Ellen to a couple ASU sporting events--basketball and baseball. And of course, it wouldn't be the weekend without a trip to Costco. Now she's big enough and strong enough to sit in the little seat at the front of the cart, with a much better view for her curiosity.
I'll leave you with a photo of Ellen at the ASU baseball game. I just got her sunglasses last week in anticipation of future baseball outings. So far, she tolerates them. I think it's only a matter of time before she discovers she can pull them off and shove them into her mouth.
I got mixed reviews on my last post...some people liked it, some people thought it was overload on the sap and under-delivery on the photos/videos/general Ellen-ness. So, we'll switch gears back to updates, photos, and videos (which I'll upload separately from this entry).
Although it was only a couple of months ago, it seems like so much has happened since Christmas! We had a wonderful extended visit with Jim, Robin and Grandma Joy and couldn't have asked for a better first Christmas for Ellen. Activities included an evening luminaria tour through the Desert Botanical Garden, meals at some favorite restaurants and the luxury of having Ellen at home for a week with her grandparents instead of having to do the daycare drop-off routine. Pictures are posted on my Facebook account for those of you who are my "friends" on there.
January seems to have completely flown by, as it's now basically mid-February! It would truly be a shame for too much time to pass between visitors for Ellen, so we are very excited to welcome Katie and Adam this coming weekend as we celebrate Ellen being baptized and Sean's birthday--both on Valentine's Day! We asked Katie and Adam to be godparents way back in November, so we're thankful they cleared their calendars when a baptism date was finally (and quickly!) set. Although we won't have a ton of family down, we know you'll all be with us in spirit.
Every day I'm so happy and feel so fortunate that Ellen is so healthy. She's changing all the time and is such a happy baby. Over the holidays she mastered rolling from her back to her stomach (although has yet to demonstrate the stomach-to-back roll). Her neck is still really strong and she's always so curious about what's going on around her, always craning her neck to take in the view. She has also started to grow back more hair and, interestingly, when in direct sunlight, it shows hints of red.
We've also started taking more "family outings" on the weekends lately. Robin and Jim got us a membership to the Phoenix Zoo for Christmas, so we've made a few trips with Ellen. We think she likes the monkey village the most, as you can go directly in the enclosure with the squirrel monkeys and watch them leap around. Recently, we've also taken Ellen to a couple ASU sporting events--basketball and baseball. And of course, it wouldn't be the weekend without a trip to Costco. Now she's big enough and strong enough to sit in the little seat at the front of the cart, with a much better view for her curiosity.
I'll leave you with a photo of Ellen at the ASU baseball game. I just got her sunglasses last week in anticipation of future baseball outings. So far, she tolerates them. I think it's only a matter of time before she discovers she can pull them off and shove them into her mouth.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Gravity
I remember one day, riding in the car with my brother Joel, a long time ago...I think it was during the summer...and a song came on the radio that made him smile. He looked over at me and said, "isn't it funny how songs can just transport you back in time? You can recall the exact period in your life that the song reminds you of." And then he went on to tell me about how this particular song reminded him of junior high and why it did. I kind of shrugged it off, agreeing that I suppose he was right, but not really thinking much of it. Then, some time in high school, I had The Moment. The Moment where I heard a song on the radio and time instantly rewound 10 years. The first house I lived in had a beautiful oak tree at the end of the driveway. It was perfect for climbing up into and just sitting. When I was little I would sneak my one of my brothers' Madonna tapes and take my little cassette player and listen to Madonna in the oak tree. Away from the house, away from anyone's watchful eye, I was free to be a "big girl," singing along to my Madonna tape, daydreaming about the future. When I had The Moment, I remember silently thanking Joel for bringing this to my attention and smiling, thinking of my six year-old self.
Since I had my first Moment, I've had many similar moments, always smiling and thinking back to that time in my life. Sleepovers, summer camp, high school dances. And you can never predict when a Moment will happen. They have a way of sneaking up on you.
Such a Moment happened this week. I listen to Pandora, an internet radio application that chooses songs for you based on artists you've told it you like. I was just sitting at my desk at work, and "Defying Gravity," sung by cast members of the TV show "Glee" came on. Before I knew it, it was October and I was home on maternity leave with Ellen. I was holding her, walking around the house because she loved motion and hated being put down. I was doing laps around the family room trying to catch bits of the show each time I passed the TV. But I stopped and watched as the characters Kurt and Rachel sang "Defying Gravity" to see who would earn the solo.And then Kurt purposely flubbed the high notes so he wouldn't get the solo--a solo meant for a female--to avoid embarrassing his dad, with whom he was struggling to connect. Kurt was trying so hard to defy gravity by auditioning for a part he loved SO much, but bowed out because he loved his dad even more. And it wasn't until "Defying Gravity" played yesterday on Pandora that I truly thought about the gravity of "Defying Gravity."
Maybe it's because I'm now a mother, but as "Defying Gravity" played, my heart ached for Kurt. And my heart ached for Ellen. I found myself wanting to give the TV show character a hug, reassuring him that his dad loves him no matter what, and to always go after your dreams. Words my parents always told me growing up. I thought back to my days sitting in the oak tree, listening to my little cassette player, daydreaming about all the possibilities of my life ahead. I wanted to hold Ellen and tell her all those things.
Ellen isn't even six months old yet, but I have so many hopes for her. I hope she has her own Moments to reflect on, and her own dreams to aspire to. I hope she knows, above all, that Sean and I love her no matter what. I hope she tries to defy gravity.
Since I had my first Moment, I've had many similar moments, always smiling and thinking back to that time in my life. Sleepovers, summer camp, high school dances. And you can never predict when a Moment will happen. They have a way of sneaking up on you.
Such a Moment happened this week. I listen to Pandora, an internet radio application that chooses songs for you based on artists you've told it you like. I was just sitting at my desk at work, and "Defying Gravity," sung by cast members of the TV show "Glee" came on. Before I knew it, it was October and I was home on maternity leave with Ellen. I was holding her, walking around the house because she loved motion and hated being put down. I was doing laps around the family room trying to catch bits of the show each time I passed the TV. But I stopped and watched as the characters Kurt and Rachel sang "Defying Gravity" to see who would earn the solo.And then Kurt purposely flubbed the high notes so he wouldn't get the solo--a solo meant for a female--to avoid embarrassing his dad, with whom he was struggling to connect. Kurt was trying so hard to defy gravity by auditioning for a part he loved SO much, but bowed out because he loved his dad even more. And it wasn't until "Defying Gravity" played yesterday on Pandora that I truly thought about the gravity of "Defying Gravity."
Maybe it's because I'm now a mother, but as "Defying Gravity" played, my heart ached for Kurt. And my heart ached for Ellen. I found myself wanting to give the TV show character a hug, reassuring him that his dad loves him no matter what, and to always go after your dreams. Words my parents always told me growing up. I thought back to my days sitting in the oak tree, listening to my little cassette player, daydreaming about all the possibilities of my life ahead. I wanted to hold Ellen and tell her all those things.
Ellen isn't even six months old yet, but I have so many hopes for her. I hope she has her own Moments to reflect on, and her own dreams to aspire to. I hope she knows, above all, that Sean and I love her no matter what. I hope she tries to defy gravity.
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