You've Come a Long Way, Baby Ellery!

Ellery is such an amazing little girl! She is happy, spunky, hilarious, caring, nurturing, adventurous, curious, and very loving. She smiles and it's impossible to do anything but let your involuntary smiling muscles :) take over. I just get these huge grins every time I look at her, and she is almost always smiling!

Ellery went to her 15 month check-up a week ago. She weighed 20.6 lbs and is 31 inches long. She is between 15 and 25 percentile in weight and is 50th percentile in height. She is very healthy! She got 2 shots in the arms and one in her leg. She did get ice cream after her appointment, though, so it wasn't so bad.
You would never know now that Ellery had such a rough start! We are incredibly grateful for her life, for the love and joy she brings to our family, and for the person she is becoming. We are amazed by the ways in which so many things came together for her to come into this world safely. We know that was not by accident, and we feel blessed and in awe of God's love and grace and provision when we see our two beautiful children!
















Ellery can say about 100 words or so that I can think of, but I'm constantly hearing her say more just when I think my list is complete. So, I don't know for sure, but I do know she has a very nice vocabulary. The things she gets most excited about, which she acknowledges with a really high-pitched version of the word, include: bapple (apple), Sunshine, tractor, puppy, pretty, bike, Bubba, and Daddy! She also loves to say "boots" and "truck!" She enjoys singing and will break out with her own little tune at times.

Ellery has recently started running! It's not an all-out run, but it is definitely more than walking. And, it is almost always an attempt to get away from me outside! She is quite independent!

Ellery loves her belly button. She really enjoys brushing her teeth. Still loves bathtime. She loves to play hide and seek with Brother. She has started enjoying him chasing her. She loves to swing. She has a yellow blanket she sleeps with. She loves to get a "bapple" and walk around everywhere with it, leaving peel shavings around for Momma to pick up. She gets very excited about putting a dress or jeans on each morning, and goes first thing to see herself in the mirror. Add one of Aunt Natalie's bows to the outfit, and she is ecstatic! Ellery loves everything outdoors, just like brother. She has helped me wash dishes, has brought me wipes before diaper changes and says "help." She can follow most any 2-step instruction. She gets a huge thrill out of trying to keep her brother awake at naptime and bedtime. She gets way too happy about climbing all over Mom and Dad's made up bed and making a mess of it.

Ellery really likes to draw! She loves her Doodle Pro. It is the traveling toy of choice! At home, she loves the easel or coloring. Another favorite thing for her remains her joy in climbing to the top of something, looking at us like, "Well here I am! I did it! Are you going to come get me? Please don't, but please make a fuss about me being here. I love the attention!" But, the best was the other day when Ellery climbed on the chair and then onto Kiran's little table with an apple in her hand. She was so proud of herself!

Ellery says "no" a lot, not just when she is upset but also when we ask her to do something she is not interested in doing. She also swings her arms or shakes her head in disapproval!

Ellery didn't cry at all for the first time when I left her with the sitter last Monday, and now she just walks in at their house and makes herself at home!

Ellery has a few favorite books: Over the past couple of months, she has loved one of Kiran's books about tractors and a book called, "What's Up Duck?" In the duck book, on the page that says duck is sad, Ellery pretends to be crying. It's super sweet.

Last week, at her appointment, the nurse and I were asking Ellery to tell us what she was pointing to (it was her belly button-the way she says "be-but" is super cute!). Rarely will she repeat a word on command. Instead, she lifted up each foot, pointed to her toes and very plainly said, "toes!"

Now, I promise I am not exaggerating! Ellery is still an amazing kicker! She still does exactly what she did as a newborn in the hospital with those legs. On her back, she lifts both of them as high as she can, then throws them down on the bed or couch. Her legs are wicked (a word I don't use as others I know do, but it seemed appropriate) strong!

Ellery is another cuddler, which I love!

Playing piano at Sophia's house.












There's the bapple!

Playing with her sand and water table! The kids will play with it for hours!
Another bapple!
One night, I was shopping (yes, it was awesome!), and Daddy got the kids ready for bed. Ellery brought Kiran's pajama shorts to Jeff and wanted to wear them. Kiran obliged, and they fit!
Play date with Opal! Fun, fun, fun! By the way, our kids love being pulled really fast around the yard in their wagon!
Ellery's Baptism

Riding her new horse at Samuel's birthday party
BOOTS!
The serious look!


Over the past week, Ellery is doing something very cute. She likes to get behind her little rocker, lean against the wall and read books with her feet sticking straight out under the rocker! The other day, I had been doing laundry, stepped out to check on the kids, and only found Kiran! I looked around for a minute knowing she had to be there somewhere, then saw a little foot barely visible under the rocker. I couldn't see the rest of her because there were a few towels laying on top of the rocker. When I called her name, she poked her head around the chair and just laughed as loud as she could!