Mary and Elliot

January 2 and 3

2012-02-20T14:27:00.003-05:00

January 2

Asleep in his car seat:

At the kitchen table:

January 3

New Year's Photo 2012

2012-02-19T22:54:00.006-05:00

As you know, I can't post pictures of our foster kids online. It's really too bad, because they're super cute and wonderful. I had to block them out of the family photo that we took on New Year's Day so that I could share Elise and Clark's picture on this blog. Just imagine twice as much baby adorableness.

We've taken a family photo on New Year's Day every year for the past 3 New Years. It's our family tradition. That and we bake cookies together. :)

December 31

2012-02-18T22:56:00.003-05:00

Good night little babies! When you wake up it will be a whole new year...

Happy 1st Birthday, James!

2012-02-17T23:47:00.002-05:00

Happy 1st birthday, cousin James! We love you!!!!!

December 30

2012-02-16T10:52:00.002-05:00

Clark smiling (kind of):

Elise does a very good job of drinking from a cup now. This was one of her first attempts:

December 28 and 29

2012-02-13T22:51:00.004-05:00

December 28

Elise loves yogurt. And this picture should make it obvious why she must eat it with her shirt off.

Hush little baby...

December 29

Elise was going though a messy phase during the end of December.

Clark holding his head up like a big boy during tummy time:

December 27th: Ready for Bed

2012-02-12T22:52:00.003-05:00

Clark just before bedtime:

Elise sleeps with anywhere between 2 and 5 stuffed animals every night:

December 26th?

2012-02-12T22:46:00.003-05:00

Ugh. Don't know where our December 26th pics are. Trying to document your vacation when you forgot your camera at home is harder than you would think in today's technological age. Or maybe it's just me. Anyway, I'll post them when I find them.

Here's another picture of Clark from Christmas day:

December 25th: Clark's First Christmas!

2012-02-11T23:35:00.006-05:00

Clark's first Christmas! YAY!

We still need to get copies of Christmas pictures from this year-- Elliot and I forgot our camera at home when we traveled. The ONLY picture that we had on our phones from Christmas day is the one of Clark posted above. But there are more pictures in existence somewhere, and I will post a picture of Elise and hopefully a better one of Clark as soon as I can.

December 24

2012-02-09T23:34:00.004-05:00

Clark and Grampy:

Elise coloring:

Note: Elise day 655; Clark day 81

December 23

2012-02-08T23:16:00.004-05:00

Note: Elise day 654; Clark day 80

December 22: Getting Into the Holiday Spirit

2012-02-07T22:56:00.004-05:00

Aunt Katie, Clark, and Mommy. Clark looks like a baby doll sitting on the couch next to Caleb's toy monkey.

Elisey the red-nosed reindeer:

Note: Elise day 653; Clark day 79

December 20 and 21

2012-02-06T22:27:00.005-05:00

December 20

Happy Baby Clark!

Silly Baby Elise!

December 21

Note: Elise days 651, 652; Clark days 77, 78

December 17, 18, 19

2012-02-05T23:07:00.006-05:00

December 17

Messy food face:

Observant baby:

December 18

Baby smile!

Elise wearing her new Elmo backpack:

December 19

Passed out on the couch:

Elise's art project for the day on December 19th was a mask. I showed Elise this picture on my phone right after I took it-- the mask was still in her hand-- and she looked at it for a long time and then said to me, "Who dat?"

Note: Elise days 648, 649, 650; Clark days 74, 75, 76

December 16th: Early Christmas

2012-02-04T22:51:00.003-05:00

We traveled to visit family for Christmas this year, so we celebrated Christmas in our house early, on December 16th. We took some pictures of the present-opening event, but they're mostly group photos, and unfortunately we aren't allowed to post pictures of our foster kids online. So the picture posted above is cropped all weird, but it was the best I could do.

Note: Elise day 647, Clark day 73

December 15th: Elf Night

2012-02-03T23:59:00.004-05:00

On December 15th we took all of the kids to a local holiday event called Elf Night. One of the parks in our city is filled with lights and fake snow machines and people in costumes. They serve cookies and drinks and you can see Santa. It's all very pretty, very festive, and of course, very crowded. The kids had lots of fun... until we wanted to take some pictures to remember the night by. Then they all cried. Except for Clark, who slept through the whole thing.

Note: Elise day 646, Clark day 72

December 14

2012-02-02T23:58:00.004-05:00

Clark's profile:

Elise's tongue after she licked a marker:

Note: Elise day 645, Clark day 71

December 12 and 13

2012-02-01T20:57:00.006-05:00

December 12

Elise tucked in to her new big girl toddler bed. (She doesn't actually still sleep swaddled-- Daddy was just being silly for the picture.)

Sweet Baby Clark:

December 13

I can definitely see a resemblance...

Note: Elise days 643 and 644 ; Clark days 69 and 70

December 10 and 11

2012-01-31T23:10:00.003-05:00

December 10

You can't really tell, but Clark and Mommy are both wearing dinosaur shirts.

Another thing you can't tell from the picture: Elise's toothbrush lights up. I didn't know that when I bought it, but it has turned out to be a big incentive in getting her to brush her teeth.

December 11

Note: Elise days 641 and 642; Clark days 67 and 68

December 7 and 8

2012-01-30T21:23:00.004-05:00

December 7

Serious Elise:

Seriously sleeping Clark:

December 8

Another selection from the Fashion Elise winter 2011 collection:

Look at that chubby little hand!

Note: Elise days 639, 640; Clark days 65, 66

December 4, 5, 6

2012-01-29T20:53:00.005-05:00

December 4

Big girl!

Clark's eyes started changing colors from newborn baby blue to a greenish-brown pretty early on. Notice in this picture that Clark's eyes don't look blue at all anymore:

December 5

This picture melts my heart:

December 6

Note: Elise days 636, 637, 638; Clark days 62, 63, 64

December 1, 2, 3

2012-01-28T12:50:00.003-05:00

December 1

Elise chillin' like a villain:

Clark catching some z's:

December 2

The Dynamic Duo:

December 3

Cheese!

Cheese!

Note: Elise days 633, 634, 635; Clark days 59, 60, 61

November 30

2012-01-26T22:51:00.004-05:00

Babies sleep a lot.

Elise loooooooooooooves dressing up.

Note: Elise day 632. Clark day 58

November 27, 29, 29

2012-01-25T21:06:00.004-05:00

November 27

Snoozing:

I told Elise to show me her teeth when she smiled, and this is what I got:

November 28

Our kitty Radar went to the vet's office on Nov 28th and Elise and Clark came along.

Here is a picture of Elise attempting to console Radar while we waited for the vet to come into the room:

Since you can't see her whole outfit in the picture posted above, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows what it looks like when you let a 20 month old pick out her own clothes:

November 29th

Elise let me give her pigtails!

Daddy and Clark:

Note: Elise days 629, 630, 631; Clark days 55, 56, 57

November 26

2012-01-24T22:46:00.004-05:00

Our bundle of joy:

Our ball of snoot:

Note: Clark day 54; Elise day 628

November 25

2012-01-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

Here's what I'm thankful for:

Note: Elise day 627; Clark day 53

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-22T23:13:00.005-05:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving at home this past November. This is the first year that Elliot and I didn't go visit with family and instead we stayed home and prepared Thanksgiving dinner ourselves. It was nothing fancy, but we did okay-- fake turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and pumpkin pie. I forgot to cook the stuffing. Fortunately, all of the kids are under the age of 3, so no one complained. :)

The ultimate mini-sandwich is made by taking a roll and opening it up like a hamburger bun, then stuffing it with a piece of (fake) turkey, mashed potatoes, and some cranberry sauce. YUM! I must a have made 3 or 4 of those little sandwiches while I ate dinner.

This was Clark's first Thanksgiving. He was just an observer this year, but he did get to wear a cute bib anyway.

Elise, however, enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal. No bib for her. No clothes at all. We've found that the easiest way for us to deal with toddler meal mess is to just let them wear nothing but their diapers and then wipe them from head to toe when they're done eating.

Note: Clark day 52; Elise day 626

November 21, 22, 23

2012-01-21T23:07:00.005-05:00

November 21

One of Elise's favorite snacks is raisins:

Clark sleeping:

November 22

Clark close-up:

Princess Elise putting her crown on backwards:

November 23

Elise gets so excited when any of her clothes have pockets:

Clark stretched out:

Notes: Clark days 49, 50, 51; Elise days 623, 624, 625

November 18, 19, 20

2012-01-19T21:40:00.005-05:00

November 18

Elise loves holding her little brother. She asks, "Hold him?"

November 19

Clark in profile:

Elise just before bedtime:

November 20

Babies look so cute in overalls.

Elise, wearing nothing but socks, streaking down our hallway:

Note: Clark days 46, 47, 48; Elise days 619, 620, 621

November 15, 16, 17

2012-01-18T21:20:00.005-05:00

November 15

Elise likes to make art projects. Here she colored paper, we cut out shapes, and she glued the shapes onto another piece of paper. It was a learning experience because we talked about colors and shapes, and Elise also got to express her creative self. This is her "if-you-don't-understand-it-I'm-not-going-to-even-try-to-explain-it-to-you" face.

Mommy and Clark:

November 16

Size comparison! Elise is 20 months old and Clark is 1 month old.

November 17

Sleepyhead:

For a while, Elise carried her glow worm around in this Halloween bucket everywhere she went. I think she was copying me carrying Clark in his infant car seat.

Note: Clark days 43, 44, 45; Elise days 616, 617, 618

November 12, 13, 14 Pics

2012-01-17T20:48:00.003-05:00

November 12th

Elise and Daddy:

Cute Baby Clark:

November 13th

Sleepy Clark:

Elise gets pigtails:

November 14th

Big sister and little brother:

Note: Clark days 40, 41, 42; Elise days 613, 614, 615

11-11-11

2012-01-16T22:21:00.004-05:00

My beautiful sleeping babies:

Clark was discharged from the hospital the evening of November 11th. Thankfully, he only had to stay for one day during his second trip to the hospital. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him (other than the fact that he had a fever), so they said it was probably just a virus and he would be okay. We were so glad that his second hospital stay was much shorter than his first.

Note: Clark day 39, Elise day 612

Baby Clark Laughing

2012-01-15T22:49:00.000-05:00

From 1/15/12:

November 9th and 10th

2012-01-13T23:42:00.004-05:00

In early November we had a round of baby sickness in our house that included fevers. Elise wanted to make sure that no one escaped monitoring. Here she is November 9th, pretending to take Applesauce's temperature:

Clark holding Elliot's hand while he sleeps:

On November 10th, Clark finally caught the fever and ended up back in the hospital because he was still so young. Elise had to come along with us to the hospital before Elliot could pick her up and take her home. I tried to get a picture of Elise, Clark, and myself but Elise kept making a funny face every time I'd start to snap the picture. She's a total ham sometimes.

Note: Clark days 37, 38; Elise days 610, 611

November 6th, 7th, and 8th

2012-01-11T22:19:00.005-05:00

Elliot, Elise, Clark, and I went to the park on November 6th while the foster kids had a visit with family members. Elise loves to swing...

... and Clark loves to cuddle next to Mommy in his baby carrier.

Elise copying Clark during his tummy time, November 7th:

Big, strong baby Clark, November 8th:

Elise is still an avid reader.

Note: Clark days 34, 35, 36; Elise days 607, 608, 609

Elise and Clark, November 5th

2012-01-10T22:07:00.004-05:00

Clark all stretched out on our bed. See how his left foot is turning in? Babies get all squished up in the womb and their feet and ankles and legs can look kind of crazy after they're born. Elise's feet turned in a lot, too, but her feet straightened out pretty quickly. Clark's took longer to correct themselves. I was starting to get worried, but then I read that it can take months before everything looks normal. Clark was bigger than Elise and consequently more squished, so I guess he needed extra time for his feet to straighten out.

Elise in bed. Elliot took this picture while the lights were out, so his cellphone flash made Elise blink her eyes really quickly. She looks like she has ghost eyes in this picture.

Note: Clark day 33, Elise day 606

Elise and Clark, November 4th

2012-01-01T22:27:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! New Year's resolution #1? Get caught back up on my daily pictures of the kids!!!

Clark crying in his car seat on his 32nd day of life (one month birthday!):

Elise playing with some red Playdoh on her 605th day:

E 602, 603, 604; C 29, 30, 31

2011-12-31T23:02:00.002-05:00

Elise eating lunch, November 1st:

The thinker, Nov 1st:

Elise and Yoink, Nov 2nd:

Clark sleeping, Nov 2nd:

Monkey jammies! Nov 3rd:

Elise Day 601, Clark Day 28: Halloween

2011-12-29T21:59:00.002-05:00

We did take all four kids out trick-or-treating on October 31st, but we can't post pictures of our foster children online and all of the pics of the kids in costumes are group pics. I like this picture, though-- Clark and Elise look sweet together. Elise was happy that Clark and Mommy were home.

Elise Day 600, Clark Day 27: Home Again

2011-12-28T22:09:00.004-05:00

Clark was discharged from the hospital on October 30th. Yay! His second homecoming.

Elise:

Elise Day 599, Clark Day 26

2011-12-17T22:55:00.003-05:00

Clark chillaxin' in the hospital on October 29th:

Elise asleep in bed:

Elise Days 596, 597, 598; Clark Days 23, 24, 25

2011-12-12T22:00:00.005-05:00

Elise in the hospital playroom, October 26th:

Clark yawning, October 26th:

Clark has always had a very strong neck. He could hold his head up for a long time ever since he's been born. (A long time relative to his age, of course.) One of the nurses in the ICU even commented on how strong he is and how long he can hold his head up. Here he is looking around his room, October 27th:

Elise participated in a Halloween party at the hospital. She got to keep this fluffy blue princess crown and a whole bucket of goodies. October 27th:

The pediatric floor of the hospital has a little room with refreshments for the families of children who are admitted to the hospital. Elise loved going to the room and getting herself some graham crackers. Here she is enjoying her snack, October 28th:

Mommy and Clark, still hanging out in the ICU, October 28th:

Elise Day 595, Clark Days 21 and 22

2011-12-11T22:02:00.003-05:00

There was one day while Clark was in the hospital in October that we failed to take a picture of Elise. I'm pretty sure it was October 24th. Things were so crazy with Clark going back and forth to the ICU and Elliot having to work from home. I'm sorry that we didn't get a picture of Elise that day, but we were doing our best to keep all of the kids on a good schedule and invariably some things got overlooked.

Here is a picture of Clark from October 24th. Still in the ICU, but off the CPAP machine and now on high-flow oxygen.

October 25th:

Mommy and Elise, October 25th:

Elise Day 593, Clark Day 20

2011-12-07T22:12:00.002-05:00

October 23rd:

Elise Day 592, Clark Day 19

2011-12-06T21:31:00.004-05:00

October 22nd:

Sleepy Elise

After making progress recovering from the RSV, Clark then developed pneumonia. He was moved back to the pediatric ICU and was put on a CPAP machine to help him breathe. Looking at this picture makes me so sad.

Elise Day 591

2011-12-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

A picture for Elise from October 21st has magically appeared! Yay! It's a cute one, too. :) Elise in her Halloween jammies:

Clark Day 18 (No Elise Day 591)

2011-12-05T21:48:00.003-05:00

Mommy and Clark, October 21st.

Elliot and I don't have a picture for Elise on this day. Sorry, Elisey. :(

Elise Days 588, 589, 590; Clark Days 15, 16, 17

2011-12-03T22:27:00.005-05:00

Clark remained in the hospital during the middle of October. Here is a picture I took of Elise and me while she visited her little brother on October 18th:

Clark sending a message to his Daddy, October 18th:

Clark resting, October 19th:

There were toys in the pediatric section of the hospital that Elise could play with in Clark's room. She especially liked this super LOUD Sesame Street toy:

October 20th:

Elise asleep in the car as she returns home from visiting Clark and Mommy in the hospital:

Elise Days 585, 586, 587; Clark Days 12, 13, 14: Hospital

2011-11-30T13:20:00.005-05:00

I've taken a while to post these pictures, I guess because I don't enjoy looking at them. They break my heart. Having Clark in the hospital with RSV for over 2 weeks was hard on everyone in our family, but poor baby Clark had it the worst by far.

This picture was taken the first day Clark was in the hospital, October 15th. An IV was inserted into his scalp because they couldn't find a big enough vein anywhere else on his tiny little body. He has an oxygen tube under his nose, heart and breathing monitors on his chest, an oxygen monitor on his right foot, and a blood pressure cuff on his left leg.

Here is Eliseypoo in bed after a long, stressful day on October 15th:

Clark on October 16th, still in the pediatric ICU:

Another sleepytime pic of Elise:

Clark was moved out of PICU and onto the regular pediatric wing of the hospital as his breathing seemed to improve. Here he is on October 17th in a hospital crib:

Elise and Daddy, visiting with baby Clark in the hospital on October 17th:

Elise Day 584, Clark Day 11: Neighborhood

2011-11-21T15:13:00.006-05:00

Elliot, Elise, and I took Clark for his first walk around the neighborhood on October 14th:

Elise Days 581, 582, 583; Clark Days 8, 9, 10

2011-11-17T22:48:00.002-05:00

Elise and Daddy at Baby Story Time, singing along with a song. October 11th:

Baby Clark sleeping on October 11th:

October 12th:

New babies sleep a lot. October 13th:

Elise doing a hula hoop dance in music class, October 13th:

Elise Days 579, 580; Clark Days 6, 7

2011-11-16T10:12:00.003-05:00

October 9th:

Elise is already a helpful big sister. October 10th:

Elise Days 577, 578; Clark Days 4, 5

2011-11-14T21:01:00.003-05:00

On October 7th, Clark had his first doctor's appointment. He was healthy and wonderful. Elliot came along and (hands-on daddy that he is) took over diaper duty.

Elise sleeping on the night of October 7th:

Clark in the park, October 8th:

Elise and Mimi, October 8th:

Another Trip to the Hospital

2011-11-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday Clark was admitted to the hospital for a fever. Because he's still so young (5 weeks old), getting a fever pretty much automatically meant that he had to be in the hospital for a day or two while they ran tests and held him for observation. Fortunately, the blood tests, urine tests, and chest x-ray all came back clean, so Clark's doctor said that he probably just caught another little virus. His body was likely still kind of weak from dealing with RSV recently.

The fever didn't last for long and since Clark's breathing wasn't compromised this time, we were able to go home after staying just one night. He's still a little congested, but doing well overall.

Hopefully we're done with trips to the hospital for a while!

Elise Day 576: Music Class

2011-11-13T21:09:00.002-05:00

While Elliot, Clark, and I were preparing to leave the hospital after Clark's birth, my mom took Elise to her music class. Action shot! Taken October 6th.

Clark Day 3

2011-11-09T21:00:00.003-05:00

October 6th was Clark's homecoming day. Before we were discharged from the hospital, we took a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.

This is Clark with Kim, the midwife who delivered him:

Clark in his extra cutie pie going home outfit:

Daddy, Mommy, and baby Clark:

Elise Days 574 & 575, Clark Days 1 & 2

2011-11-07T22:32:00.002-05:00

I think that this is the first picture ever taken of Elise and Clark together. My sister Sara is holding Elise and Elliot is holding Clark. It was taken about 2 hours after Clark was born, according to the clock in the background. October 4th:

Even though Clark's face is still all puffy and red, you can see the strong resemblance between him and his big sister. October 5th:

Days 572 and 573

2011-11-05T20:56:00.003-04:00

Is it just me or does that butterfly Elise is stepping on look a little perturbed? Oct 2:

Oct 3rd:

Days 570 and 571: Pink Boots

2011-11-03T21:44:00.003-04:00

Elise studying and discussing a stick, September 30th:

For the longest time Elise had a phobia of balls, balloons, and anything round that was roughly a similar size. And just as suddenly as the phobia appeared, it was gone. October 1st:

We're Back!

2011-11-03T12:55:00.002-04:00

It's been a little while since we've made any new blog posts because Clark was in the hospital recently. He's okay now, thank goodness, but having a newborn in the hospital DOES shake things up quite a bit. It was a scary and exhausting experience, and I'm so glad it's all behind us now.

On the morning of October 15th Clark woke up with a fever. We took him to the emergency room because when a newborn gets a fever something is usually very wrong. He was diagnosed with a respiratory virus, RSV, and he also eventually developed pneumonia. Clark had to be put on oxygen to help him breathe. He bounced back and forth between the regular pediatric section of the hospital and the ICU.

Elliot's sister Katie and my mom came into town to help Elliot with Elise, Caleb, and Ingrid while I stayed with Clark in the hospital. Clark was in the hospital for over two weeks and was finally discharged on October 30th.

We love you so much, Clark, and we're glad you're okay!!!

Days 567, 568, and 569

2011-10-13T21:12:00.003-04:00

Elise shows off the consequences of her new found love of coloring with markers (as Nana bravely holds Elise on her lap while wearing a white shirt). September 27th:

Daddy bought Elise this fancy rainbow dress months ago and she finally fits into it! Also, notice the pink boots-- Elise's favorite new accessory. September 28th:

Elise's music teacher lets her play the piano before her real music class begins. Elise LOVES it. September 29th:

Clark!

2011-10-10T11:47:00.002-04:00

Clark was born on October 4th, 2011 at 5:57 pm. He weighed 9 lbs 5 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. Healthy and handsome! He's a wonderful baby and such a good eater. I can't believe how BIG he is! His newborn clothes don't even fit him-- he went straight to 0-3 month sized clothes.

Clark, we're so glad you're here! We all love you so much!

40 Weeks Pregnant

2011-10-02T22:46:00.003-04:00

40 weeks pregnant! I still haven't gone into labor yet. I'm 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant as of today.

Days 564, 565, 566

2011-10-02T22:37:00.004-04:00

September 24th:

Elise likes to put on her shoes by herself. September 25th:

Elise was terrified of the snakes at the zoo on September 26th. Notice how she's even holding her foot as far away from the rattlesnake as possible.

Days 561, 562, and 563

2011-09-26T22:07:00.003-04:00

Elise lounging in bed, September 21st:

Very messy snack time, September 22nd:

Just a few hours into donning the uniform, the pressures of being a train conductor cause Elise to snap. September 23rd:

Days 559 and 560: Nana and Elise

2011-09-24T21:46:00.004-04:00

Elliot's mom visited with us recently and Elise had a great time with her Nana. They did lots of fun things together including coloring, reading books, and playing with puzzles. Elise's pregnant Mommy sure appreciated the extra help, and Elise loved having another playmate!

September 19th:

September 20th:

Days 556, 557, and 558

2011-09-23T07:40:00.002-04:00

Elise had her 18 month doctor's check up on September 16th. She was 32 inches tall (50th percentile) and 21 lbs 7 oz (15th percentile). Here she is playing in the waiting room:

Elise wants ice cream cake! September 17th:

September 18th:

38 Weeks Pregnant

2011-09-22T22:09:00.004-04:00

This is the longest I've ever been pregnant! Elise was born at 37 weeks. Clark is hanging in there, though, and I've got a GINORMOUS belly to prove it! I literally have strangers say to me "You look like you're about to pop!" (To which I say, "I hope so!") And people that I see on a weekly basis at the library and the grocery store and so forth have started saying, "I can't believe you haven't had that baby yet!" (To which I say, "Neither can I!")

We can't wait to meet you, Clark!

Days 553, 554, and 555

2011-09-21T13:39:00.003-04:00

Elise with her teddy bear and a "bucky" (blankie?) on September 13th:

Enjoying baby story time at the library, September 14th:

After music lessons on the 15th, the teacher let the kids play with a drum set. Elise was a natural!

Days 550, 551, and 552

2011-09-18T22:48:00.002-04:00

September 10th:

Elise makes friends with an owl, September 11th:

Elise figured out how to blow bubbles on September 12th:

Days 547, 548, and 549

2011-09-11T22:52:00.003-04:00

Elise and Mommy at story time, Sept 7th:

Elise wanted to wear earrings like Mommy, so we hung some bracelets off of her ears. She loved it. Wore them for a long time. Sept 8th:

Bashful Elise, Sept 9th:

Elise the Baby Model

2011-09-09T13:31:00.002-04:00

Elise is now a baby model! My talented and crafty friend Amber started a blog to share some of her cool ideas-- crocheting patterns, recipes, etc. There's a picture of Elise in Amber's cutie pie monkey hat posted on the website. You can see the blog post here.

Amber's blog is called Bright and Shiny-- Lovely and Good. Here's the link:
http://brightandshiny-lovelyandgood.blogspot.com/

Days 545 and 546

2011-09-08T16:29:00.003-04:00

My baby Picasso, September 5th:

Daddy's baby gamer, September 6th:

36 Weeks Pregnant

2011-09-07T22:30:00.005-04:00

I was in the middle of a Braxton-Hicks contraction during this picture. The slightly dazed look on my face is actually a this-is-uncomfortable-but-I'm-still-trying-to-smile look.

Click here to see me 36 weeks pregnant with Elise.

My belly definitely sticks out more with Clark. I joke sometimes that he must be laying horizontally in my belly rather than vertically. I guess I'm just carrying him differently than I carried Elise. Or he's a lot bigger than Elise was. Or I'm actually having 1 1/2 babies.

Days 542, 543, and 544

2011-09-04T22:05:00.003-04:00

September 2nd:

Yum! Smoothie snack. September 3rd:

Elise feverishly looking thorough "Guess How Much I Love You" for a kangaroo. Elise has several books that have kangaroos in them, but "Guess How Much I Love You" is not one of them. September 4th:

Days 539, 540, and 541: The Many Faces of Elise

2011-09-01T22:06:00.006-04:00

As much as Elise loves accessories (necklaces, bracelets, hats, shoes...), she isn't too fond of clothing. Except for undies. She loves her undies. As this picture that Elliot took shows, Elise is happiest in nothing but a necklace and undies. August 30th:

I love nerd babies. You pull it off perfectly, Elise. August 31st:

Cuteness. September 1st:

35 Weeks Pregnant

2011-08-30T13:37:00.004-04:00

How I manage to stay upright when I walk is a mystery at this point. Clark will be here soon! I don't think my belly can stretch much more than this!!!

Click here to see my belly when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Elise.

Days 537 and 538: So Silly

2011-08-29T22:01:00.003-04:00

Elise almost never poses for pictures anymore. I'll take picture after picture after picture until I get a halfway decent one for the day. And a lot of the time they still aren't very good pictures, I've just run out of patience. Well. Now I know the secret to getting Elise excited about having her picture taken. New yellow undies. Who knew? August 28th:

This morning I told Elise, "Get ready to go to the vet's office!" and this is what I see when I walk back into the living room. Weird baby. August 29th:

Days 534, 535, and 536

2011-08-27T23:06:00.004-04:00

Well, Elise, I guess that's ONE way to read a book. (Side note: Elise calls kangaroos "kaloos," which I find adorable. I mention this because there's a kangaroo in the book she's reading, "The Tawny Scrawny Lion," and she always points to it and yells, "ka-LOOOOOO!" Even if she's standing on her head.) August 25th:

Now that Elise is done for the summer with swimming lessons, she's started taking baby music classes. Elise had her first music class on August 26th and she LOVED it! As you can see, music class includes lots of dancing. She also played different kinds of instruments, clapped along to songs, and listened to a story. The teacher was impressed that Elise could keep a steady beat on her own, and she could even stop her movements on command. Good job Elise!

August 27th:

Days 531, 532, and 533

2011-08-25T22:31:00.004-04:00

August 22nd:

Elise and Mimi, August 23rd:

Elise playing video games, August 24th:

Day 530 and 34 Weeks Pregnant

2011-08-22T10:30:00.004-04:00

Elise showing Clark some baby love. August 21st:

Click here to see me 34 weeks pregnant with Elise.

Days 528 and 529

2011-08-21T12:02:00.003-04:00

August 19th:

Jellyface, August 20th:

Days 525, 526, and 527

2011-08-18T22:47:00.004-04:00

Elise listening intently at Baby Story Time, August 16th:

Good morning kisses, August 17th:

Look at Elise's baby tan lines! Believe me, I COVERED her in sunscreen for her swimming lessons. I guess she has more of Daddy's complexion that we realized! August 18th:

Days 522, 523, and 524

2011-08-16T13:50:00.002-04:00

Elisey Sock-hands, August 13th:

Elise sees a "duck duck" at the duck pond, August 14th:

When Elise helps Mommy grocery shop, we NEVER forget the yogurt! August 15th:

Days 520 and 521: Out and About

2011-08-12T21:23:00.002-04:00

Elise had her final swim lesson on August 11th. She did a great job in the course of her 4 weeks of lessons! Elise learned how to kick her legs, climb up onto the edge of the pool once you push her to the wall, dunk under the water without coughing or choking, and she even floated by herself! We're so proud of you, Elise!

On August 12th at the vet's office Elise tried to free the kitties waiting to be adopted. Her Grampy suggested that she might be an animal rights activist in the making, but I won't be convinced of that until she stops harassing our cats by pulling on their tails.

32 Weeks Pregnant with Clark

2011-08-11T22:38:00.004-04:00

Nothing you can't see at the beach! In fact, I took this picture while I was getting ready to take Elise to her swimming lesson.

Isn't my belly huge?!? A little over 7 weeks left to go...

Click here to see me 32 weeks pregnant with Elise.

Day 519: Pucker Up

2011-08-11T21:31:00.003-04:00

This is how Elise puckers up for a kiss (August 10th):

Days 516, 517, and 518: Chatterbox

2011-08-10T07:51:00.004-04:00

Elise seems to be learning new words every day. She finds something she likes or is interested in, and then talks about it non-stop. On August 7th, it was "sky":

On August 8th, her word for the day was "undies." Elise is starting to wear underwear for a few hours at a time in the afternoons now, and she's doing a good job of keeping herself dry.

Another favorite word lately is "happy." Elise was very happy when she found this tiny pine cone on August 9th:

Days 513, 514, and 515

2011-08-08T20:47:00.004-04:00

Elise always wants to smell the flowers at the grocery store. She likes lilies and carnations but roses are her favorite. August 4th:

Elise and Daddy came with me to Clark's prenatal checkup on August 5th. Clark is doing fine and he's in the head-down position... 8 more weeks until Elise is a big sister!

And what a silly big sister she'll be. August 6th:

Days 510, 511, 512

2011-08-04T22:12:00.003-04:00

August 1st:

Pretending to have long, curly hair, August 2nd:

Pretending to go night-night. All of the kids play this game where they say, "Night-night!" then lay down for a second and act like they're going to sleep. Then they jump up and laugh. They think it's very funny. Here, Elise even collected some stuffed animals to make the ruse more convincing. August 3rd:

Day 509: Natural History Museum in Gainesville

2011-08-03T21:38:00.004-04:00

We took the kids to the natural history museum in Gainesville last Sunday and met up with Elliot's dad and sister during our trip. It's a nice museum, and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves! Of course, Elise, Ingrid, and Caleb like looking at anything new, but there is also a kids play area in the museum that they spent time exploring.

Here is a picture of Elise and Papa Lee... I think Elise was trying to swipe a souvenir from the trip:

Days 506, 507, and 508

2011-08-01T22:00:00.004-04:00

Snack time! Elise has lots of food words now. She can say milk, juice, cracker, bread, banana, apple, waffle, cheese, egg, food, eat, spoon, and bowl. She says these words on her own, not just when she's copying someone say them. Not bad for a 16 month old!

July 28th:

Elise helps me feed the cats in the morning by carrying their food bowls to each cat's special feeding place. She loves doing this little chore and she carries the bowls so carefully, held very straight out in front of her body. Here is a rare picture of Elise and Clotilda together, taken July 29th:

July 30th:

Days 503, 504, and 505

2011-07-31T21:40:00.003-04:00

Mommy! There's a monster under my... oh, wait. I know that monster. July 25th:

Looking for coupon deals, July 26th:

Waiting for swim lessons to start, July 27th:

Day 502: The Ocean!

2011-07-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

We took the kids for their first dip in the ocean on July 24th. They LOVED it! The waves! The sand! The seashells! Caleb, Ingrid, and Elise all had a great time.

30 Weeks Pregnant

2011-07-29T21:37:00.004-04:00

We're in the final countdown! 10 more weeks to go-- 11 at most. Let's see how far my belly can stretch!

Click here to see me 30 weeks pregnant with Elise.

Baby Shower and Elise's Day 501

2011-07-28T20:55:00.003-04:00

Elliot's step-mom threw Clark a baby shower on July 23rd. Yay! Thank you so much, Candi! We had a very nice time with family and a few close friends. Unfortunately, we can't post pictures of our foster children but there were definitely some cute pictures of the kids playing in the ball pit that we set up in the living room.

Here is a picture of Elliot, his sister Katie, and Elise taken during the shower:

500 Days Old!!!

2011-07-27T22:08:00.003-04:00

Elise turned 500 on July 22nd! Best 500 days of my life :)

Day 499

2011-07-22T07:52:00.004-04:00

Elise did not appreciate being spied on yesterday morning. July 21st:

Applesauce and Elise, snuggle bunnies forever. July 21st:

Days 497 and 498: Instruction Needed

2011-07-21T07:56:00.003-04:00

I guess we'll need to have a talk about how Legos work. You stick one Lego to another Lego, Elise, not one Lego to your own hands. July 19th:

And here is Elise reading a baby instruction manual of sing-a-long nursery rhymes. July 20th:

Pregnant Belly Weeks 26 and 27

2011-07-19T08:53:00.008-04:00

I almost forgot to post these pictures of my pregnant belly!

Here I am 26 weeks pregnant:

At first my belly with Clark looked so much bigger than it did with Elise, but I think that now it's starting to even out. Click here to see my 26 week pregnant belly with Elise.

And I'm 27 weeks pregnant in this picture with Elise. Not the best belly photo, but you get the idea. This is the first picture they took of Elise at the Sears portrait studio on July 5th. She was NOT happy and I was trying to help make her comfortable, sitting with her and letting her hold my phone.

Click here to see my 27 week pregnant belly with Elise.