7. 7. 7.

7 favorite things about my 7 month old:

1. Ellie is so FUNNY. The girl really does have a knack for humor... for instance, she's splash around in the tub and wait for me to laugh, then she'll return the laugh, and splash all over again. and again. and again. There was also a time when I'd try to get her to say "Mama" and she'd say "Dada" and I'd yell "MAMA!" and she'd yell "DADA!!" and when I finally got her in a whiny mood [which is when she'll normally say my name] she just muttered under her breath "da....da..." Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with a little comedienne and I'm so grateful. It's hard having a deployed husband, but she makes it so much easier... and enjoyable!

2. She is a mover. She loves to crawl, stand, go for rides in the car, take the stroller out for a walk, anything! She's fluid and easy. I keep the diaper bag packed and when we want to move, we do. No stress about naps or feeding schedules. She went to bed at 7:30 yesterday and 10:00 tonight. Whatever. Won't make a bit of difference tomorrow.

3. She's so TALL. Yes, this still baffles me. How did ANDREW and I have a tall child? Bizarre.

4. She is so loved. Everyone is always complimenting her blue eyes or how sweet she is... and it's true. She's beautiful and precious and agreeable. While she is naturally loved by many, she also earns it with her heart breaking smiles.

5. She loves ME! And it's not because she HAS to or because she has rationalized that I'm her Mom and; therefore, she should love me. No. She loves me because I feed her in the middle of the night, change her diaper when she's uncomfortable, and play tickle games with her. She loves me because of all that I do for her. How rare is that?!?! Over time, her love for me will change, but it is awfully comforting to know that she loves me for all my hard work. She recognizes me when she's crying and calms when I sing to her. Simple.

6. She is very mischievous. While it drives me bonkers, I love her sneaky smile when I collect her from the bunch of wires underneath my desk. I love when I call her name when she's doing something bad and she looks back and seems so innocent.

7.  I love that she has Andrew for a father. She is a very lucky girl to have us both and I love what she represents to our marriage. She certainly helped keep us together through our toughest times and I love seeing the three of us together and knowing what she is-- she's OUR daughter.