1   Five for Friday:

   1. I went in for a dentist appointment on Monday for a tooth ache. My teeth looked fine but he thought it was a sinus problem and that it was my sinuses pressing on my roots that was causing pain. I wasn’t too excited about it at first because I left his office still having a sensitive tooth and massive headaches. And when I say headaches I mean I have had a migraine since last Monday and my house looks awesome (sarcasm!). As I am talking to the pharmacist about my antibiotic he tells me the leading ingredient is penicillin. Every time I have taken that I throw up so I just tell them I’m allergic. Well he doesn’t care and tells me to take it with food and finally by Tuesday night after being nauseas all day long and fighting the urge to throw up (I would rather give birth again than throw up!) I made them order me a new prescription. Same pharmacist yesterday was giving me my new antibiotic and tells me that the main side effect is diarrhea and that it’s unavoidable. From one extreme to the other and I still have a constant splitting headache.

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.       2. How do you teach a child who is not at all shy about stranger danger? I have no problem with her talking to people and smiling at random people, especially nice old grandpas and grandmas. As we were checking out yesterday a guy behind me started playing peek a boo with her. At first she was hesitant and then she started smiling. He thought that was an invitation to start talking to us and was really creepy and definitely needed a lesson in lines at the store courtesy.

3.    Last night I decided that I need to cut back on the carbs, my weakness, and for snack today? Oh just chips and salsa… How about starting on Monday?

  
4.All the snow has finally melted, it’s a decent temperature outside, no crazy 20 mph winds, and I am extremely tempted to wake Ellie up so we can go on a walk already.

 

55.Can it just be next Friday already?!?! I haven’t been this excited about something in a long time but I can’t spill the beans just yet.

 

What a week. Sometimes I am not a huge fan of winter because of how much Cody really is gone. There are a lot of trainings and classes he gets to teach at all the different stores. This past week it was an Ag (agriculture) expo in Pocatello but he was able to drive home at night. Within the next few weeks he will be heading up to Boise area, down to Utah, Rexburg area, and a nice surprise was him getting an email flight confirmation for a week in Vegas.

I was excited for this past week because school started and we were finally all not sick. I have amazing luck and have been having constant migraines this whole week and finally figured out on Friday night it is a tooth problem. Friday night when you can't do anything about it until Monday. I'm just hoping I can get into a dentist at the beginning of this week! As my luck would have it when I called this morning their computers were down and couldn't look at their schedule.

School so far is good. I was having trouble with blackboard and my teacher was awesome enough to meet me on campus in Burley at 8 am to answer my questions and get the problem solved. I love teachers that are willing to help their students. I had a teacher last semester never answer my 8 emails or respond to my multiple phone messages.

Ellenor amazes me everyday with how much she is learning and growing. You never realize how much fun kids really are until you have your own. She loves to talk and jabber away. Her giant teddy bear has to be easily accessible, meaning in the middle of the room, otherwise you will hear about it. She knows how to turn the DVD player and surround sound on and will sit and listen to a movie for a while or come and get you to turn on the tv when she wants a few minutes of quiet down time. She only has a couple more months until nursery and I am beyond excited except that she doesn't know how to share. Yesterday at church for example she was a bully, a tricky bully. She took her cousin's sippy cup that had apple juice in it and handed hers that only had water in it. A few minutes later I see her ripping a goldfish out of her hand to. Good thing she has older siblings and is used to it but teaching Ellie to share is already proving to be slightly difficult. I'm so glad she still drinks bottles and sippy cups because sometimes I look at her and think you are not a baby anymore but I'm glad I still have evidence that she's not a full blown toddler yet.

The most exciting news of all though was that my sister had her little boy on Friday night! He is the most adorable thing and we can't wait to head to Utah to meet him!

When I was pregnant with Ellenor I had this image of how motherhood really was. We would snuggle and take naps together and of course no one has problems with eating. What I learned was hard to swallow, motherhood is not at all what you can imagine. When you think you finally got a handle on one thing something else isn't working and you have to adjust.

Everyone seems to think they know best and have their theories on how a child should be raised or how any situation should be handled. As a newborn it wasn't nearly as bad because they really only eat and sleep. As Ellenor is getting older I've noticed a lot of different techniques and ways to parent a child. But I've learned something much more important than anything I could read in a book or watch a video on.

What I've learned is that the best way to raise my child isn't to have her on a strict schedule from a book or force her to do this or that at a certain time of day. It isn't a specific technique or parenting style but rather to trust my own gut and do what I feel is best for my children. Being well informed and educated allows me to make the best decisions for our family. The best way for me to be a parent I for me to trust my gut and do what I feel is best and not be embarrassed by my decision. A lot of people think that they have figured out how to be a good parent but that is a parent to their kids.

The best way for me to be the best mom that I can is to be confident in my decisions no matter the feedback from others. This doesn't mean I'm going to make my kids sleep in a cocoon hanging from the ceiling. But just because I don't do things the way Sally down the road doesn't make me a bad parent (I've really wanted to meet a Sally or a Susie !). I'm doing the best job I can do as a mom and that is all I can do. I am confident and content with my parenting because I am doing the best I can and that is good enough.

 

This girl loves people! And people really seem to love her! We must be really friendly looking and approachable because since having miss Ellenor we have talked to so many strangers we can't even count how many on one outing!

Last night we made a run to Twin to do some Cosco shopping and by some I mean we haven't been since November and were in desperate need of food and diapers. We grabbed a polish dog for dinner and decided to sit and eat fast. A couple was sitting at the next table over from us and started talking to us as they were fastening up their coats. They start talking to Ellie asking her questions and talking about how Cosco really isn't a bad date night idea for dinner but to top it off they were going to get ice cream afterwards. Ellie had a spoon in her hand and the lady asked if she wanted to get some froyo with them. She waved her spoon high in the air talking and smiling. Oh this kid... What are we going to do with her.

We have also moved pasted the staring at strangers phase and now a point is involved with the stare, along with a nice big "O" mouth. Sitting in the deli section waiting for Cody she points at a man passing by and asks "Whosat?" (whose that?) and watches him the whole time he passes by smiling at her and eventually laughing because she has bent her body in an odd way to continue watching him.

As we were checking out (at cosco they pull the carts behind the cashier to make it easier to load the cart after scanning everything) she drops the trash she had (we love the samples!) and the cashier threw it away. She threw both her hands up in the air both palms facing up with a nice big "O" mouth (think of sucking on something sour, mouth all puckered). Every time he would turn around she would do it again as if asking where it went.

Not to mention randomly as people would pass us she would point and say "Whosat?." To almost everyone... Its awesome! I love going shopping with her.

(Random note... see that top right picture? Yea she's trying to eat the plant. Crazy kid!)

Because I am still laughing about it I thought I might as well write it down. Te other night we turned on a movie, Disney of course, to help Ellenor calm down. She love to be on the couch if one of us is there and knows that we put things we don't want her to get on the back (remotes, phones... Glasses of water).

She was bouncing on the couch next to Cody when he noticed his side felt different and something was wrong. He looked over and she had tipped his cup of water all over him and the couch. He stood the cup back up to assess the damage (but didn't think to move the trouble maker) and she pulled it over again! But this time all over herself!

It made my night, we were laughing pretty hard. After we got her changed we pulled off the cushions and tried to soak it up as much as possible but apparently a coach without its cushions is a lot more enjoyable than one with cushions. Much more bouncy. Lets just say that she didn't calm down for bed for quite sometime after that.

It feels like we have had at least two people sick at one time ever since the flu bug the week before thanksgiving! We are ready for a break. (Got that germs?! Your not welcome!) At the beginning of last week Ellenor was throwing up and by the end of the week Cody and her had a nasty cold. Don't worry, I got it to just a few days later.

Ellenor has been amazing despite not feeling too well. I've had zero energy with this darn cold but she is just as happy as ever and doesn't mind too much if I'm laying on the couch. Today I needed a nap, a stuffed up nose makes for sore eyes and entire face in general, she sat and watched a movie by me for 20 minutes without making any kind of a fuss while I rested up.

She is such an amazing kid and loves to laugh. She loves to explore and jabber away at whatever it is she finds. She has started to put her arms up and hunch her shoulders whenever Cody gets home and I ask who's that or whenever I ask where it went. She loves to say dad and can sign please and all done. She is finally starting to eat real amounts of food again since being sick last week and has just about mastered how to use a fork.

Although it isn't fun being sick I am so grateful for a daughter who is patient when I don't feel good and is in good spirits even though she isn't 100% herself. She lets me turn on a movie and close my eyes for a few minutes and is content to just be snuggling with me. She makes everyday worth while and I love being her mom.

The weather outside is frightful. Literally. At least the wind has stopped and at the moment it is no longer snowing. I am excited that today gets to be a comfy clothes and inside day. Who am I kidding?! That's everyday in this house but today we have an excuse. We did brave the storm and head to the doctors this morning for another flu shot for the kiddo. Hopefully that will help.

But this weather has got me really excited about summer. I know it's a long ways off yet but it will be a great one. Ellenor will be old enough to spend a lot more time outside (sadly for me that means less time for me sitting in a blanket with her to read). But it will be fun to have her be old enough to explore and go for walks and have picnics! Oh the picnics I am already planning for us! We can go on a run or a bike ride every morning again! Not to mention my sister will be coming to visit with her kiddos.

Other things to look forward to in the near future include:
- my sister having a baby boy anytime now
- Ellie goes to nursery in May!!!
- valentines day! I was lame and didn't really do or make anything for Cody's birthday so we are going to make up for that. I'm thinking great food, an amazing desert, homemade decorations with Ellie's help, the works.
- warmer weather!!!
- school starting in a week and a half
- New Beginnings is on January 23 and I am already excited for that to be over.
-Ellie starting to use real words, she is finally speaking in gibberish with more an more sounds

Overall life is amazing. Cody is great and took us to grab pizza on Tuesday (it was a rough day) and let me have 30 minutes of just me time. It was exactly what I needed and I love that even though he doesn't understand sometimes why I ask for specific things (like a few minute locked in my room) he still is amazing and lets me while he takes care of everything else. He is my best friend and I am so grateful to have such an understanding husband who listens and loves being a dad. Ellenor has been so sweet today by constantly putting her head on my shoulder and patting my back. She really is a sweetheart. I am lucky, life is good today.