Reaching new heights!

So a recently fun activity for Ellie is to help me unload the dishwasher - she comes running - or rather, crawling in her most hilarious way as fast as she can to help bang the dishes together while I unload and load the dishwasher. This is now part of our morning routine of tasks that we do together and there is much laughter as new discoveries are made - things spin, roll and there's always a little water to splash with as well.

This morning, I was washing a stoneware in the kitchen sink and Ellie was walking around the dishwasher behind me. We were fighting for floor space at times, but my persistent girl pushes enough to make objects that are blocking her path move. All of a sudden, I felt something tap my bottom - I thought I'd gotten a little too close to the top rack, but I turned and looked. Here was Ellie, standing on the door of the dishwasher, hanging onto the top rack (and chewing it of course). As soon as she saw me, she started laughing - totally knowing she'd accomplished something new.

Worried for the dishwasher door more than the safety of my child, I whisked her off before I could take a picture - I may have to pose a photo another morning.

Summer Fun

June was mainly spent writing a research paper for my Governance class at Athabasca University. Ellie and I had our weekly swim class - which was great - but otherwise we did not get out a whole lot. On the 26th, I decided that it was time we had a good break and we went for a picnic with Auntie Megan and cousins Finley & Rhys.

After our picnic (a wonderful lunch from McDonald's) and walk in the park, we found a playground and there, Ellie got to go in the swings for the very first time. I didn't think she would be able to go in the swings this year as she's still small, but she fit fine and had a wonderful time swinging beside Rhys.

It was a fun day for us all!

How Time Flies

It is difficult to believe that it has been 4 months since I last blogged - we have been kept quite busy with new achievements and activities that Ellie has done, that I look back and wonder where the time has gone.

I won't bore you with a lot of sentiment, but here are some hi-lights over the last few months.
- March 9 - first meal of rice cereal - Ellie didn't think too highly of it, but now she's like her Dad and will eat whatever I put in front of her!
- March 20-27 - Grammie Butterton came for a visit and Ellie rolled from her tummy to her back in the presence of Grammie, Mommy and Daddy!
- April 10 - Easter egg decorating party at Auntie Julie's!
- April 12 - first trip to Heritage Park for a special birthday celebration of cousin Caleb and Grandma Ratzlaff.
- April 22 - our first Stars n' Strollers movie with friends Gina & Ariane.
- April 29 - Mom & Baby Aqua-size class at the VRRI - Ellie LOVES playing in the water in her little floatation device while I work-out around her. The other mom's continuously comment on her cute rolls.
- May 6 - Ellie slept over at Grandma & Grandpa Ratzlaff's for the first time. I had a final exam the next morning and enjoyed an uninterrupted nights sleep!
- May 9 - 17 - Jasper vacation shared with Grandma & Grandpa Ratzlaff!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's difficult to believe it's been almost two months since I've blogged - guess that goes to show how fast time does fly!

We had a wonderful Christmas, enjoying visits from Grandma Ratzlaff and cousin Kim and her family over the Holidays, as well as my family and Mark's family from Calgary and Cranbrook. It was a nostalgic time for Mark and I as we watched our little baby coo-ing and chatting to us with amazing smiles.

January passed very quickly. We all came down with colds, so there was a week where Ellie and I didn't leave the house, we just slept and ate. Unfortunately, Mark came down with a mild version of our cold at the end of the week, so we were all pretty mellow for a few days.

On February 4, we made our 3rd Annual trip to Radium. We enjoyed a lovely drive by moonlight through the mountains on the way out, with a quiet, sleeping baby! Ellie traveled amazingly well, and didn't experience any issues with new surroundings and sleeping arrangements. It was a much-needed getaway for all, especially Mark, as work has been very crazy for him since October. We had planned on taking Ellie to the Hot Springs, but since she wasn't completely over her cold, we opted to save that for another trip. My parents were able to come out one night and they babysat while Mark and I went to the Hot Springs - a lovely treat for us!

Ellie had her 5-month birthday this week and her new milestones are: chewing on everything (I think teeth are close); first stages of rolling (moving her head and shoulders); smiling and flirting at anything that moves (ceiling fans included); loving it when her Daddy comes home from work.