Day 179

Ellie is 25 weeks and for days old.  I am beginning to notice little reminders that there is so much more going on inside her head than I realize.  We hear genuine giggles from her now when we make silly faces -- she is developing her own sense of humor.  She is enthusiastic and vocal -- her flailing hand knocked a mug to the floor this weekend while we were eating out and the house silenced the dining room.  It occurs to me all the time how fleeting these moments are and I am shocked by our luck.  She maintains eye contact so intentionally and I sometimes feel that by holding her gaze I am signaling to her how much I love her, how important she is to me.  She has been broadening her horizons rapidly and seeing a ten month old today reminded me that we are ok the precipice of so many new milestones -- waking, waving, still more interactivity.  She has also been excited about trying a number of new foods -- pictures below.

She here is a photographic tour of the last few weeks...

Ellie is so interested in her toys these days -- she is more and more interested in independent play.  

Another recent development -- munching on her toes!

Ellie's first issue of Highlights High Give arrived.  I loved receiving Highlights in the mail as a kid, and Ellie loved chewing on and holding her tear-proof mini magazine for the 0-2 set.

The weather has been a bit unpredictable and we had a chance to dress Ellie in this fleecy top on a recent chilly May day.

Ellie has tried oatmeal, kombucha squash, spinach, and carrots so far.  Oatmeal may be her favorite food so far, and she has seemed to be game for new foods, but she did not love this squash puree!

We took Ellie on a very brief sojourn to the zoo.  Our priorities bring what they are, we popped in on the elephants quickly and saved the other animals for another day. Ellie was nonplussed.

We celebrated Mother's Day with a lunch with Nani.

Ellie often naps in her stroller!

We have been doing all kinds of reading, and I've been encouraging Ellie to explore books by turning the page and even putting the more durable ones in her mouth.  We joined a book challenge at the library to read 1,000 books to Ellie before she is five, and have been tracking out progress with a sticker chart!

Ellie is hard at work/play and somebody silly put a bib on her head...

Ellie is hanging out with Sophie, a more frequent friend now that teething is around the corner.

A nap before our trip to Shenandoah...

We absolutely loved visiting Shenandoah and have already booked a return trip.  The time away from Washington, Twitter, streaming Netflix and the relentlessness of ordinary life was so needed.  We were able to pause and clear our heads.  It reminded me of the childhood I hope we can give Ellie -- a love of nature, a foundation rooted in family traditions, a worldview that reaches beyond the beltway, an enduring sense of community -- the comforting sense of feeling she is from somewhere.  So we set off for the mountains and when we returned, I headed to church with her this morning.  I have been thrown fire a loop by the outlandish news cycles and by the fear of not being connected meaningfully to other people.  With all that is on our plates, it can be tricky to keep reaching out to connect with people, but it is more vital now than ever for all of us.  And it is such a critical livelong lesson for Ellie to get a real life, to nurture friendships, to reach out and touch other people and allow herself to be touched as well.

Ellie sat in a high chair at the lodge at Shenandoah.  Later, she threw a mug! It didn't break and I'm determined to go by one of these durable mugs from the gift shop.

Extravagantly beautiful.

And that brings up to date.  Being Ellie's mother is the best thing I've ever done.  Watching her personality emerge is such a pure joy.