Mommy's New Toy... or is it Ellie's?

Nick completely surprised me with a Kindle Fire for Christmas. His reasoning was that I could use it while I was nursing/pumping after the new baby was born. Less than a week earlier I had mentioned to him that I was going to start saving up my money and get an iPad next fall/winter. This was a few weeks after he had ordered the Kindle. He told me if I wanted the iPad instead, I could get it now. So... after a little research and testing I ended up with the iPad. I love the larger size and the faster processing compared to the Kindle. And in the long run, I think the iPad will suit my needs a little better. Although, the Kindle Fire is an awesome tablet and it was a touch decision.

Since I got the iPad I have read 4 books, checked out from the library, and am absolutely in love. I am not the only one:



Someone else in the household calls it "her's" and get upset when we have to take a break from it. My co-worker suggested downloading an Elmo & Grover book and Ellie loves it! Of course she also loves to watch "ABC's" and "Baa Baa" on YouTube as well. What expensive taste our little girl has.

New Furniture

I called Homemakers on Saturday to check on the status of our furniture order. The first group of items were supposed to be in this week sometime. The second group were not due until April. The wonderful customer service rep I talked to said everything from the first delivery was in except for a couple of nightstands (which will fit in our car if they are not in before delivery on Friday). And when I went to set up delivery, they asked if we wanted the second group of items delivered as well, or if we wanted to wait for the last counter stool to come in. I asked the lady to repeat herself, since I was not expecting the items to be in for another 3+ months. Sure enough--- everything but one counter stool has arrive (and the counter stool will fit in the car very easily!) So... our furniture is set to arrive sometime on Friday!!! All but those three small pieces. I feel like a kid the week before Christmas.

This also means that Ellie will have her first night in her big girl bed on Friday, and we will have all weekend to work on keeping her in bed before we have to go back to work/day-care. I am nervous- but given how wonderful she has been with all the other changes it will probably be easy (and if not, we are about due for a difficult venture). AND she will get to use the new bedding I picked out for her! I have been eying the bedding since we first found out we were having a girl almost 2 1/2 years ago! When they were discontinuing it this past fall I finally broke down and purchased it. I hope Ellie likes it as much as I do. I know, she probably won't care, but I can pretend. When the day-care lady asked her what color her new room was (when we first moved into the new house) she said purple... it is currently green. Now she will get the purple room she wanted! Pictures to come once we get everything set-up.

*And once we have Ellie's furniture we can set-up the baby's room and I can start unpacking the bins of tiny little girl clothes that are in the basement! Lots of fun to keep me busy for the next 10-12 weeks.

5 on Friday

1. We rang in the New Year with fondue, Qwelf and good friends/family! Thanks to Mike and Megan for hosting us, and Scott for allowing Ellie to sleep in his room (at least until it hit midnight and I drove us back to our house). Yes, that is correct- I did stay awake past midnight. Ellie was in bed at her regular 7:30 bedtime (which meant a relaxing dinner for Mommy and Daddy!)

2. I loved having Monday off, Ellie was so much fun and it was great to have a day with nothing we had to do. We need more of those, and will have to start scheduling them in.

3. A few weeks ago we went to Jolly Holiday Lights with the Beltman Family. I kept on forgetting to mention it. We all packed into the Beltman's car--- it was pretty fun and I had never been before. My favorite part had to be Ellie and Sophia holding hands in their car seats. I think Ellie misses Sophia, because she has been asking for her multiple times a day for the past week. She wants Sophia to come over and color. I told her to have her Daddy talk to Sophia's Daddy and set up a time... Ellie's Daddy has yet to do that.

4. I took time on Monday to make some cards! I haven't taken time on my own to make cards in over a year. It was great, and my card stash is not looking so sad anymore.

5. Ellie is really loving her baby dolls right now. She pushed them around in the stroller and "goes shopping." Ask her where she is going and she will tell you the mall. Ask her what she bought when she returns and she will say a red shirt. For the record, I do not take Ellie to the mall that often. And I don't think I have ever bought her, or me, a red shirt. She also started requesting that Daddy go with her on these shopping adventures. I think she takes him because he has the wallet...

Pregnancy Randoms

We will hit the 28 week mark on Friday, which means we are officially in the third trimester! While this pregnancy has been "harder" in terms of being sore and not feeling as well, it has gone by pretty fast. I will attribute the fast moving time to chasing after a 2-year old to the best of my ability.

The other night I got up from sitting down and really had to go to the bathroom--- so I waddled there with my shadow (Ellie) following me... Ellie is really into copying right now and a little while later she was "waddling" on her own. Daddy thought it was pretty funny, which just encouraged Ellie to do it more. Thanks, Daddy.

Baby Girl is starting to move more and more. I cannot remember what point Ellie started hiccuping, but I am hoping this little one gets hiccups as well--- it was so fun with Ellie! Like Ellie, baby is sitting on my bladder and likes to punch/kick it frequently (see above and having to go to the bathroom). I will take that over having her in my ribs any day (well, except when we are on car trips).

It is hard to believe that we will be meeting the little one in 3 short months. Or if she continues to take after Ellie, in a short 10 weeks. We just need to figure out a name...

With Ellie, we had the nursery set up and clothes in the drawers by now. I cannot wait for Ellie's new furniture to arrive, so we can get her transitioned to the big girl bed and the nursery set-up. I am also anxious to go through all the tiny little girl clothes that we have from Ellie!

I am sure the next few months will go by as fast as the last few months. Maybe with a little more relaxing than we got during the 4th quarter of last year. I can hope anyway.

5 on Friday

1. We had a great Christmas with the Larson and Thorson group! Ellie loved opening presents, and is still asking where Santa and Baby Jesus are.

2. We are finally back in the beer brewing business! After a hiatus due to the pregnancy and move, we have two beers in the primary and two more lined up to brew once the primary is available.

3. Ellie and I had a nice visit with Aunt Megan, Cousin Liam and Baxter on Wednesday--- minus Ellie stepping on Liam and being put in time-out twice. We are hoping New Year's Eve goes a little better.

4. I spent my day off yesterday having various groups of people in and out of the house doing repairs--- the house is almost complete!

5. Now we just wait for the new furniture to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

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5 on Friday

1. Biggest news of the week--- Ellie is getting a new aunt and cousin! Nick's brother, Jamie, proposed to his girlfriend, Jill last Friday night. We are excited to have Jill and her little 3-year old boy, Bodey, join the family. Ellie already asks when Bodey can come over so we know they will fit in perfectly. Congrats Jamie, Jill, Hunter, Garrett and Bodey!

2. We had Christmas with my family last weekend. Although she didn't make it through the entire Cousin Camp-Out, Ellie had a lot of fun playing with her cousins. My 10-year old niece, Sammy, even let Ellie play with her DSi! Ellie, like her daddy, it a total techie and thought it was great. My fear is she will want one for Christmas next year (or a iPad, eReader or laptop that actually works).

3. Ellie has started taking naps without diapers! Knock on wood, she has been dry thus far.

4. She still likes to take her diaper off at night-time. I know she isn't ready to go all night without a diaper given how wet the diaper is in the morning and am struggling with how to keep the diaper on. We tried duct-tape, which really upset her so we will not be doing that anymore. I thought about putting her PJs on backwards, but then I think about how uncomfortable that must be and cannot bring myself to do it. Right now we are going with her getting a M&M each morning if she leaves her diaper on the night before. Yes, I am resorting to bribes/rewards.

5. Ellie got a shopping cart from my parents for Christmas. She loves to put Elmo in the cart and drive him around. My guess is the next time we go to the store we are going to have a hard time putting her in the cart, as she will most likely want to drive it instead.