Thankful

^^ Four generations of Helvestons

 It has been a while, I know.  After Ellie and I spent time adjusting to having the heat on in the house (what I thought were colds at the time turned out not to be - thank goodness!) we hit the ground running into Thanksgiving and we took time to just enjoy being with family.  I didn't snap a lot of pictures, or try and write down everything that was happening.  I loved just relaxing and filing our sweet time with family into my memory bank.  I've also gotten a jump start on "the busiest time of the year," and pretty much have everything done now so we can relax and really enjoy it as it is - one of the most wonderful times of the year.

I love Thanksgiving.  I love the food, I love the lazy day, and I love the family time.  Last Saturday, we took a short trip down to Charlotte to spend time with Wesley's family and then my family came up to Raleigh with Ellie's great-grandparents from Florida.  They hadn't seen her since August so it was fun for them to see how much she had grown and how much more engaged she is now.  It is amazing how fast the time is going by.  Even the days don't seem slow.  I blink and it's already time to lay down at night.  I don't ever remember time going by this fast before.

Now, more than ever before my heart is full of gratitude for, well, everything.  Maybe it's partly because I am so grateful that we got through Ellie's scary birth and two months in the NICU and we are both really really good, or partly because I have slowed down my life and don't feel rushed.  I think mostly its because for the first time in as long as I can remember I am not anxiously anticipating what is coming next.  I am just really enjoying the now.  Wesley and I's years of infertility ultimately taught us to find joy in the season of life we are living.  It took us a long time to learn that lesson, and I honestly don't think I could have learned it any other way.  But I am so glad that we did.

I am so thankful for the wonderful man that is my husband.  I love loving him and I love seeing him fall more in love with Ellie everyday.  I am so thankful for the best family and friends that we have. We know they love us, have supported us, and will always be there for us.  I am thankful for this sweet, special, and beautiful baby girl that has blessed our lives immeasurably.  We feel so privileged to be her parents - to love and nurture her, to teach her not only how to grow up but also to make sure she knows just how wonderful she is.  She has the most heart melting and catching smile.  I tell her everyday that her smile is someday going to change the world.  And I know it will.  In the very least, it has already changed ours.

Sick Day

You know that DayQuil//NightQuil commercial where the parents come into their kids' room and are like "Sorry {insert any name here}.  I've got to take a sick day, okay?"  The next shot is of the kids staring blankly back like they have no idea what that means.

I tried to pull this on Ellie the other morning and this is the response I got:

After successfully pulling through Wesley's bronchitis unscathed, I come down with a cold the next weekend.  Of course, Ellie gets it too.  Thankfully it was just a cold.  We both just had stuffy noses and were more sleepy than usual.  I hate being sick.  I hate not being able to function at my normal capacity.  Ellie, thankfully, doesn't share my disdain yet as she was very happy through the whole ordeal:

They don't lie when they say parents can't take sick days! And I'm so glad this sweet girl can keep us smiling

Five Months

Has it really been 5 months since Ellie was born?  It feels more like five minutes!!!  

She is getting bigger and bigger by the day.  She is around 12 pounds now and is so curious.  She is big eyed, taking everything in.  She will tell you sweet stories if you are smiling big at her and blow you raspberries.  We heard her first squeals of delight last week when Wesley was bouncing her in her crib.  She has rolled from her tummy to her back a couple of times and can raise her head and chest up on her tummy.  It's funny how she likes being on her back more than when she was in the NICU (then she couldn't get enough time on her tummy!).  She made mommy very happy by sleeping the whole night last night (7p-7a) and we are hoping it is the beginning of new big girl habits and not a fluke :)

We took these pictures last Friday, when she turned 5 months, and per usual she lost interest in taking pictures quickly.  I couldn't resist sharing the outtakes!

^^Love those sweet bunnies and deer on her dress!!

Smiles

Ellie's smiles are abundant now but hard to catch on film.  By now, she knows just how special they are and is not fooled into thinking that black box in front of her is a face worthy of one of her sweet smiles.  Here a the few pics we have been able to snag a smile in:

Right now, we are playing catch up rest after having a battle with bronchitis.  Thankfully, Wesley was the only one affected (we think it came from his flu shot....terrible, terrible irony).  It was so great to have my mom come up for 2 days to help me get organized with meals and play with Ellie so I could get a jump start on disinfecting everything and washing practically everything that had.  For about 16 hours we thought it was the flu, but thankfully the flu test came back negative and the doctor put Wesley on antibiotics for bronchitis.  We kept him couped up in our room (to contain the germs away from Ellie) and after lots of hand washing, lysol wiping, and prayers his fever is gone and Ellie and I didn't catch it.  Hopefully this will be the end of our winter weather illnesses - I'd much rather come out of RSV season with nothing but smiles!

Halloween Weekend

 

What a great weekend we have had! Ellie's sweet Auntie Alyssa came to visit.  We had a great time. Alyssa got in Thursday afternoon. We had lunch at La Farm, had fun with Cinderellie on Halloween, and went to the outlets on Saturday with Auntie Kelsey. 

Ellie, of course, was the center of the weekend. We have loved hearing her talk to us and smile, and blow raspberries back and forth. Her Halloween costume was my favorite and even though she didn't last long, she had a great first Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

We had a great Saturday hanging out with our good friends the Kerfontas on Saturday.  It was so gorgeous, we spent the whole time outside.  Ellie loved it.  Although we have pretty much started our hibernation for RSV season, (no crowds, lots of handwashing, etc.) we are still going to make sure that the three of us still get lots of fresh air.

We are still chugging along at our sleep training.  It gets a little better each week and we are looking forward to the end of the tunnel where little bit sleeps 12 hours at night!  Right now she only gets up once during the night (mommy gets up much more to check on her/re-administer the passey when necessary) and we are working this week on trying to consolidate her daytime naps so that she is napping longer but fewer times during the day.

Grow, Ellie, grow (and sleep, Ellie, sleep!!!)

4 Month Check-up

^^Wesley usually skips sleeping in now to get up and play with Ellie before heading to work!

As of today's 4 month follow up appointment, Ellie is now 10 lbs and 22 1/2 inches long!  She is moving right along developmentally according to her adjusted age and we go back again in December.  Unlike most 4 month olds, we are not starting Ellie on solid foods.  We will more than likely wait until February, when she will be 8 months old (6 months from her due date) since she is still so tiny.  She is technically big enough to be able to sleep through the night and the doctor was impressed that her bedtime is between 7 and 8 and she is already sleeping 7 hour stretches.

I've been working on filling out Ellie's baby book this week, afraid that I will forget things if I keep putting it off.  It has been a neat exercise to go back through the blog and write down her weight and milestones of each month.  I have said it before and I will say it again - it's amazing how far she has come in such a few short months.  We are so incredibly blessed and look forward to the months ahead!