Day 237

Ellie is 33 weeks and six days old today.  She is soon to be six months old! How long will I count her life in days and weeks? I couldn't say.  She still strikes me as a miracle. I am awed that we made from scratch a person who can crawl across a room to pull a dog's tail, who has her own freewheeling agenda and recognizes her favorite songs.  She is utterly unphased by Zoe, who attempts to barrel into Ellie as if she were another puppy.  She loves to devote her attention to determining how things work -- wheels, faucets, pieces of yarn sticking out too far from a carpet.  She is a busy, biggest little girl.  Her Nani predicted, a bit worried, that Ellie would be a strong, assertive woman -- the implication being that she could be the sort of lady who intimidates people a bit. How I hope she is right! But we'll celebrate Ellie no matter who she is, and I truly believe she is someone wonderful -- affectionate, laughing easily, that sweet smile, boundless energy and a tenacious spirit.  Here are a few photos of the past couple of weeks...

Nitin took this picture of Ellie looking up at me while I was reading to her.  Her attention span has really increased -- so long as Zoe is not near!

It may be my imagination, but it seems like Ellie is really beginning to grasp the concept of puzzles...

It was indeed Ellie's first Fourth! She was asleep long before the fireworks and we had a pretty low-key day, but I'm looking forward to BBQs and parades in the future with her.

Ellie made a cameo during our recent GW girls weekend.

Ellie loves playing with her toys!  It is exciting to watch her take notice of and explore new playthings.

Ellie's first swim lesson! She had a blast. I was pretty nervous that she would swallow water, but she handled the whole thing with aplomb. What a pro!

I think Ellie thought this puppet was very much alive, but it didn't bother her in the slightest when he took a big bite out of her cheek!

This past weekend, Ellie attended her first concert, an open air concert at the church on the corner given by a band of neighborhood dads. They were pretty good and Ellie was a good sport even though it was close to her bedtime!

Ellie loved this noisy Thomas book and I've made a note to buy more books with buttons and sounds.  Later, I practiced counting with Ellie's number puzzle and Ellie practiced eating the pictures...

Our lives are full and it seems that life with Ellie is going by in a blur.  We're so grateful for our time with her, and excited to get away as a family soon.