Easter and Birthday!

When Jacob was first born, my good friend had just had her second baby. So she and I had a newborn together, but she also had a toddler.  I remember what a serious adjustment it was to have a human depend on you for food and comfort pretty much non-stop.  At least that was my experience!  So I asked my friend, in all seriousness..."When do YOU eat lunch?"  It seemed like almost every day around lunchtime Jacob happened to be sleeping in the sling and I didn't want to move!  My friend's reply was, "You eat while you make your toddler's food."  How different things are from your first to your second, etc. and etc!  That story came to mind as I was making snack the other day for the four and handed it all to them at the back door while I, myself, had an orange :).

It still blows my mind when I see Ellie feed herself considering what all she went through!

The boys were proud of their puzzles. I was proud of Ellie's self-control!

Happy Easter!

Easter and Ellie's birthday were combined this year - what fun!  She was soooo cute when she got a little golf set.

She held her finger up to her mouth to tell us "shhhh" before she putt.  We were all rolling!

And the crowd goes wild!!!!

Ellie is our little Easter Bunny!

Julia helps her open presents and then finds the gift that gets flung to the side in excitement to open more :).

Easter blessings!!!!

Ellie having some fun with her chalk outside.

More presents including bubbles!  She's really, really into blowing bubbles now! It's great to see her take a deep breath and blow!  Always thinking back to how far she has come!

Maybe too much partying??  The day after her birthday she woke up with that "look" she's had 4 or 5 times now.  "Floppy" as we call it. Straight to the couch, back to sleep. Then she'd want a drink.  Then back to sleep. Then she woke up and threw up her water which is also typical. Then she perked up and was ravenously hungry at 11:00 a.m.  At least she's predictable if anything!  But it's still always a little scary/nerve wracking when she does it.  So I figured if I documented each one it would help me keep track. She is so sweet when she cracks her eyes open.

The girls both happened to have been given Minnie Mouse pajamas!  Soooo cute!!!!

Too late in the day to ask Ellie to hold still ☺.

We recently went to a playground where Ellie was such a big girl!

Julia helps lay out the second quilt for the hospital!

Sewing

Almost five years ago now (😲) I walked into Ellie's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit "pod" as they called it and noticed a blue quilt was placed over her. All warm and snugly, I stared at her under the blanket and thought how comfortable that blanket looked. Comfortable, soft. But also, comfortable as in, homey.  

I observed the quilt some and found a tag on the back. It said something along the lines of "donated with love by ____ church women's group". Someone had made that quilt and it was rotated and washed and rotated again for the children coming in and out of the ICU.  At that moment I thought to myself, "If things ever get back to normal (dramatic, I know) I'm going to learn to sew and make a quilt to donate to this hospital."

After hours and hours of on line classes, a purchase of an above average sewing machine, friends from church who sewed and showed me the ropes, wearing headphones while watching how-to videos on line at night...I can sew.

I sew clothes. I sew quilts. I'm on my second quilt for Egleston Children's Hospital of Atlanta.  And I've started practicing another long term goal of mine which is to sew a Holy Communion gown for Julia next May.  But over spring break I got the idea to try to sew a baptism gown to possibly sell.  I have spent the last month researching, learning, and calling the customer help line of the company who made the pattern for the gown.

After lots of sweat, quite a few tears and even blood when I pricked my finger and I don't know how, but avoided getting it on the dress...I thought you might like seeing the finished product!

An old fashioned slip to go underneath.  Is that the sweetest thing or what?!

I plan on selling it to anyone at church that wants it and if there is interest - I'll make more!  It was fun and I always have Ellie to thank for a new hobby that I never knew I'd love so much. Another "gift" from Ellie.  She has brought so much beauty to the world.  In this particular instance - the beauty is in the form of the softest cotton you've ever felt and the most delicate lace you've ever seen. I pray the baby that wears it is as sweet as our Ellie!

March

Well I don't mean to only post monthly, but it seems like that's what it's been lately!  Thank you to the loyal readers who check in!  I'm lookin' at you Aunt Louise 😉!

Ellie got an adorable play mailbox that she carries around!  It had little letters and envelopes that came with it!  Those of you that have seen an episode of "Blues Clues" know the main character of the show regularly gets mail.  So cute!

We try to all pray each night in our prayer room and one night one of the kids suggested we take a picture.  But the self timer on the camera makes a noise right before it takes the photo and Ellie just had to notify us of this each and every time. After the 10th attempt we decided the picture would just have to reflect that reality!

The older three kids have played flag football for the past few months and Ellie and I (and grandparents!) have been half the cheering section for the team.  There are only 6 players and we have 3 of them!!  It's been fun. Luckily Ellie is happy with the episodes of shows I download or the many games she has on her iPad.   What's great about the iPad in these situations is there is really loud music played at these games along with whistles and cheers.  Ellie shows some signs of displeasure with the noise at the beginning but quickly becomes engrossed with her show!

You can barely see it propped up by the footrest. 

Julia and Daddy getting warm under a blanket after a particularly cold afternoon football game.  As you can see, Ellie goes wherever Ellie wants :).

The month of March means college basketball bracket time!

  The boys picked Ellie's teams with a very scientific method of verbally offering her two choices, then showing her a fist representing each team.

"Hmmmm...Villanova or Florida?"  This face is something she learned in Blue's Clues and it's one of the cutest things you've ever seen.

A bit blurry but Ellie holding her iPad getting ready for a football game.  

And a snack never hurts!!!