Uneventful Days & Date Night

Ellie and I enjoyed a few uneventful days this week... but, by "uneventful," I really mean "uneventful except for tons of hand eating." Whether it's teething season or pure cannibalism, I'm not sure.

Why just chew on my own hands when I have Papa's?!

So... yeah. Motherhood rocks.

On Wednesday we had the privilege of meeting up with Kirstin, a fellow Mountain Ridge Class of 2008 graduate who now lives on Schofield! Small world! 

Then Papa took us out to dinner and maybe not everyone was as excited as Mama was?

But even after a rough night, she always looks like THIS is the morning... and, man, that makes it worth it!

Fast-forward to the weekend! Andrew planned a date night in Waikiki-- dinner at Lulu's [a beachside restaurant], a stay at the Aston Waikiki, and massages in the morning. Top that off with Coldstone and a super incredible babysitter and you can imagine my delight.

Doesn't matter that it's grainy.... you can tell how excited we are!

View from the room. Which was upgraded to a suite. Which looked even more amazing at night.

One very, very, very happy and relaxed Mama!


Meanwhile..... Ellie stayed with friends overnight. I was a little nervous about an overnight away from us so soon, but it's been a rough couple months. Besides, shortly after leaving, they sent this:

And this was her this morning:

So... One night couldn't have been THAT bad for her, right? :) Honestly, I am still glowing after all the quality time. And now my little family is back together- Ellie in bed, Andrew playing video games, me blogging... What a successful weekend! :)

And a little bonus picture! Andrew has a stuffed Cookie Monster from his infancy that he gave to Ellie and, let's just say, they are quickly becoming best friends.

Suuuuuper Bowl Sunday!

It was on Super Bowl Sunday 2010 that I took a positive pregnancy test. :)

It was on Super Bowl Sunday 2011 that I watched the Packers DOMINATE the Steelers... well, so far. 2nd quarter could be our demise. ;)

Anyway! Andrew is HOME. After some upsetting schedule changes, he arrived Friday evening about 7:30pm. I guess Ellie's happiness meant skipping naps 1, 2, and 3 and making Saturday my least favorite Mama day thus far. Sunday is shaping up to be much, much, much better though.

Friday:
Seriously, a spotless kitchen is a happy kitchen. This beauty took me, like, two entire days. Don't ask about the state before I began Cleanpocalyse 2011.

After some cleaning, Ellie and I headed to a dentist appointment where, as you can see, all was right in her girly girl world.

Then an unexpected doctor's office visit right in the middle of her normal "kick around naked" time sort of threw a wrench at our fantastic day...

But! Papa was coming home so why be sad?! This is her anxiously awaiting "the call" to go pick him up!

We passed out about as soon as we all got home and, thankfully. Saturday would have been hell if some shut eye hadn't been our focus the night before. In the morning:

Can't you just see her intent to make my life miserable?:

We headed out to lunch, the mall, the PX and then back home for a nap... Just kidding. More like a lot of THESE looks:

Why, yes, Ellie! We are joking about wanting you to nap!


Thank goodness we made it to Sunday and after Sacrament Meeting are now enjoying the game and lots of fried foods. Thank God! :)

Alone doesn't mean lonely.

I have truly enjoyed the past several days- mostly because I'm in freaking Hawaii, but also because I love to be alone. And yes, I know, I have Ellie and am not completely "alone," but very similar... When I moved to Arizona, I drove from Maryland by myself and it is one of my most treasured memories. When I am alone, I think more. I listen to my body- when am I REALLY hungry? am I REALLY ready to be awake? I feel rejuvenated and more authentic. Few people ever get to spend entire days by themselves, they might live with family members, etc. but if you get the chance- DO IT. Alone doesn't mean lonely... especially when you're in good company. :)

So, my "alone" time with Ellie has been fantastic. I love having a daughter and the opportunity to have this time with her has been so special. We wake up when we [more like when she!] wants to, we plan our day around how sleepy she seems or if we need a shower. We have taken long drives, eaten Mexican food, and caught up on House episodes. Sure, I've cleaned a ridiculously gross kitchen and had a surprise landlord visit, but in general.. this week rocks. Our adventures:

Paaaassed out. Ellie is a true nap professional- anywhere at anytime! [Excuse the lack of sheets- in the washer!] On a side note: I wonder if other Mama's feel this way- Ellie has a great 6 month wardrobe. Her 3 month clothes were sub-par, but she is rocking the 3-6/6 month fashion. I know, weird.

While enjoying some Mexican food, I found this in a local newspaper. Click to expand. I'm not sure why, but it struck me as hiiilarious- as evidenced by the spicy salsa that shot out of my nose. Painful.

In addition to a great wardrobe, Ellie has awesome hooded towels, thanks to Grandma Ann! This was after our shower this morning.

Who doesn't love a vibrating seat?!

Andrew called this morning and thought he'd be coming home early... And once we found out he wasn't, the day went south. Obviously.

Until we found this gem! Size: 12 months. Price: $2.98. Shut up. And she'll be 12 months in October in Maryland. I am dying in anticipation!

And then we came home to a mostly clean house and THAT truly turned the day around!


Thank God for a fun day with EB & a returning Papa. I think we will finish the house tomorrow and then take Via to the park. Not necessarily in that order. :)

Being 15 weeks old is no joke!

Ellie turned 15 weeks on Saturday and yikes! Time has flown!! I feel like I woke up one day and she was suddenly a REAL person. Like, with preferences and attitudes and tons of silly faces. I think what is most awesome about this post is that, compared to my 7-week-old post, I have so many new things to love! So, the 15 things about my 15 week old that I just love, love, love:

1. She STILL loves to be naked. I think it is adorable how she can't get enough nakey time and is so comfortable to just kick around au naturel.
2. She has the most awesome expressions. When she smiles, she gets this crooked look. When she cries, she folds her bottom lip under and makes you feel horrrrrrible. When she is relaxed, her blue eyes widen and you can literally see her thoughts wash over her face.

3. She looks great in pink. I am not a big fan of pink and though I tried to keep the outpouring of baby pink clothing to a minimum, it was a futile effort and her wardrobe is full of it! And good thing! She has beautifully rosy cheeks and pink compliments them perfectly!!
4. The girl knows how to rock a headband. Obviously.

5. She loves her grandparents. You can see the connection between them and it overwhelms me with happiness.

GG

Momma

Grandma Ann

Mimi

PapPap

MomMom

GG & PopPop

Grandma

6. She isn't a Mama's or Papa's girl. She has a totally different relationship with each of us. When she is inconsolable, Andrew has the touch. When she wants to giggle and play, I am her woman. She needs and loves each of us in important ways- one not more important than the other. So cool!
7. She has loving aunts and uncles- not only her "real" ones: Lisa, Brooke, Christina, Jessica and Christopher, but also her pseudo ones: Christina Emory, Erin, Michael, Clint, Tim, Cody, Steven, Caitlin. She is a lucky lady!
8. She is very independent. I am not super familiar with other babies, but I am shocked at how driven Ellie is. If she wants to stand, she will really push her weight. She can practically sit herself up. She has moods and wants and it is incredibly neat to watch her grow with her own mind.
9. She is LOUD. Again, not familiar with other children, but my goodness! This girl has lungs!
10. She hangs out with me. She is my total partner and bud. We run errands together, have Mama and EB nap time, and truly enjoy each other's company. When she's 14 and I've "ruined her life," I will think back to these times.
11. She is very touchy- a loud noise or sudden movement sends her into a tail spin! It is so cute and, though often annoying, I enjoy her glossy eyes staring at me for comfort and her baby hugs.
12. Her toes. They are plump and chubby and Aunt Lisa painted them red and goodness! I can't get enough!
13. She is a baby on the move! I suppose it has something to do with her first flight being on her 8th day of life, but Ellie loves to be on the go. It's definitely when she is happiest! Whether in her stroller, riding in the car, or jetting over the Pacific Ocean- this chick is DOWN.
14. She sucks her thumb. I tried to stop her because, as a thumbsucker, I know how difficult it can be to stop. We tried different pacifiers and I've physically removed her thumb from her mouth but no way. Again, this girl has her own agenda! And because I can't stop it, now I will just bask in her endless cuteness.
15. She is mine! Whoo. How cool is it to have a baby?! :)

Back in Hawaii!

Ellie and I left Sunday morning for Pittsburgh for an afternoon flight and I should have known it would be a very, very long day:

This was going through security:

Though you can clearly see the pacifier, she has other plans...

Once we got going, though, everything went smoothly... except an exploded diaper, but those that needed to relive that story already have...

Pittsburgh to Minneapolis

Minneapolis to Seattle

Seattle to Honolulu

And then things took a turn for the worse... Delta lost our stroller [and 36 hours later, they haven't found it.] and we arrived 30 minutes late. Andrew's cousin, Keno, picked us up and took us to our car... which had a completely dead battery and even after an hour of attempted jumping wouldn't turn over. So homeward we went at 1am. Now, as you can see above, Ellie spent a great deal of time sleeping during the day and I paid for it through the night. It was almost a relief when Keno called at 7:30 and picked us up to fix the car. [Kudos to him for being fabulously resourceful and replacing the battery without a hitch!]

Just SLEEP, little girl!

Car repaired and winter waves on North Shore calling, I decided a quiet drive was in order.

This picture is before Waimea Bay but the waves there were outrageous. You know it's winter in Hawaii when there are 40 surfers out at 9am.

After checking out the beach house that Andrew's family plans to stay in during their trip here in March, we headed home. [Oh, Michael! I saw BYU-Hawaii and the Temple and my goodness, it is stunning!] I did some laundry while Ellie napped and heard a knock at the door... Someone's really awesome husband thought flowers were in order after such a long trip :) :) :)

Now with flowers and a beautiful day calling my name, I didn't see any merit in cleaning the kitchen... so out we went again! This time to Waikiki so Mama could treat herself to some Spaghetti Factory.

A quick stop at the grocery store and Wal*Mart and back home we went to crash. Though her sleeping isn't getting a bit better, I woke up with this:

...and so life goes on. :)

I think there is something really beautiful about a bad day. God will give you struggles [the car, missing stroller] and then reward you with crashing waves and a sunshine baby smile.

And today we are finally tackling the kitchen and de-funking the bathroom. And, if all goes well, EllieBellie and I will be on the beach for sunset and a picnic for Mama. Fingers crossed!

I am officially the most inconsistant blogger...

Ever. :( But! 2011 is a year of slowing down and focusing, so here I am, back to the grind!



After arriving in Maryland, we enjoyed an incredible Christmas season filled with...

Shopping



And Santa-ing

And plenty of Church visits, cookie making, and family snuggles. It was a truly stellar time and the happiness has been overflowing into the New Year. Since then, we've been spending time with my family while Andrew finishes his predeployment training. Some cute Ellie moments:

You know every baby has their "poop face"

Before lunch with Uncle MADmike

Ellie's first purse!

Starting to lift her head more & rolled over for the first time!!

Now.. Some Mama and Papa unpdates! I'm doing well- going to Church, studying, and having plenty of me time. I also began selling Avon to add to Ellie's college fund and you can find my store at www.youravon.com/cknieriem. Papa is also well- at NTC, preparing to deploy, and will soon be enjoying quality family time. He gets back to Hawaii at the beginning of February and Ellie and I arrive on January 30th. There will be tons of fun posts over the next few months!!

Thanks for hanging in there, guys. I am back into the groove and you can get your Ellie fix here from now on. :)