5-30-6-5

 So much has happened in just one week! Ellie keeps getting stronger and stronger and more playful! School ended for Jeremiah, so he is home with us now during the day! So much more fun that way... Ellie is now "talking" more and more, she is picking up objects not only when she is given them, but also when she's not (like when I was out to lunch and she decided to pull my entire plate forward... caught it just before the food toppled over in my lap!) 

The most amazing thing happened the other day when we were visiting with Annabelle... she is one and is able to walk around... well, while watching her, Ellie started to literally push herself off of my lap by straightening her legs. I couldn't really resist the motion, and before I knew it, she was STANDING! She held onto my hands, but other than that, she fully kept her balance and didn't let her legs cave in from under her - totally out of the blue! And really amazing for me to see! Guess Annabelle inspired her! Since then (that was on 6-3), standing seems to be all she wants to do! (Forget crawling then?) 

Well actually, she has started to scooch a tiny bit when placed on her tummy - she actually lasts longer on her tummy now than she ever used to (she used to scream right away!). Now she raises herself up on her forearms and lifts her head up. I tried to place her down on her tummy one night to sleep (with our doctor's permission), and instead of relaxing into the mattress, she propped herself up and tried to crawl in her crib - I thought this was really funny...

 She LOVES this bunny! 

 So much for keeping the cell phone away from her! I use it as my camera sometimes, and Ellie has started reaching for it when I pull it out. 

 Ellie had her cardiologist appointment yesterday (June 4th) and Jeremiah came with me! He hadn't seen Dr. Coll since she came in to tell us of Ellie's heart condition at Kaweah Hospital on day 2 of her life...

Here she practices her standing pose as her wonderful daddy loves on her! 

 And yes, she actually took a step! :) 

 

Bathtime! 

 Today is my birthday and to make it special, both Jeremiah and Ellie got me beautifully written cards... I was given them while still in bed this morning, cuddling with both of them! - what an awesome way to start the morning! 

We then went to the dermatologist, and Ellie practiced her standing skills in the doctor's office - it occurred to me that I may need to start putting shoes on her feet! 

 She fell asleep at some point during the day, and I covered her up with this pink blanket to block out the sunlight - but her cute little feet stuck out and I just couldn't resist this picture! 

 We had a photo shoot after my birthday lunch at the yummy Olive Garden! We sat down under a nice tree just outside the restaurant so Ellie could practice her new skill...

 So photogenic (my daughter...)

 A strong breeze came by and we bundled my baby doll so she wouldn't get cold! 

 This picture was taken at my friend Diana's house. Her son Jaden is 4 months older than Ellie, so the two babies can use some of the same toys... Ellie felt right at home!