5 Months!

Dear Ellie,

As of yesterday, you are five months old! I know I've said this before, but you really are growing incredibly fast! Over the past month you met Aunt Casey, Javi, and lots of mommy and daddy's friends during a big camping trip at the ranch. You didn't go camping, but you got to spend a weekend with grandma and grandpa for the first time. You did great! I think we had a harder time being away than you did!

You also started doing some amazing things, like grabbing your right toes, then grabbing your left. Now I've even seen you do the cross-over: left hand to right toes! You've started talking up storms. You love to babble, especially in the morning when you wake up. You like to hold hands with one of us and pull yourself up to sitting or standing. Basically, you're a little acrobat.

Here are some recent photos. Love you honey bear!

~Mommy

And the word of the day is: Stingray!

Dear Ellie,

Daddy and I were reading the news about the strange "Sea Monster" that emerged from the benthic zone of the ocean and was eventually caught by fisherman in mommy's hometown. It's a little scary looking, but I think it resembles a stingray. Turns out, whether or not it is related to rays, you really like that word!

~Mommy

Denial.

Dear Ellie,

Yesterday I folded up all your tiny little newborn onesies, stacked them in a pile, and put them away for your hypothetical future baby brother or sister. You've outgrown your first size! How is this possible?? I'm not ready for you to go to college yet! (By the way, Daddy and I have already decided that we'll just move to whatever city you choose to study in, so don't you worry – we've got you covered).

You are all smiles and giggles these days. You especially like playing airplane with daddy. Today while he picked you up and zoomed you through the air you let out the loudest, cutest laugh! You get really frustrated after a minute or so on your tummy, because you really want to fly. You begin kicking your legs and squirming across the floor in an attempt to go somewhere. Poor baby.

You'll get there soon! We believe in you!

Love,

Mommy

On the Move.

Dear Ellie,

You are currently asleep on my chest in the Baby Bjorn carrier. We tried to get you to sleep in the crib last night. You did – for a few hours. You then proceeded to carry out what Daddy describes as retaliation. You woke up, cried, and whimpered just about every half hour for the rest of the night. This, of course, has left all of us tired and cranky today. At least you're asleep now.

When you aren't sleeping, you're really working on getting places!

Love you, Little One!

~Mommy

San Toki

Dear Ellie,

Today I sang this song to you, a song that my mama, your halmoni, used to sing to me when I was little.

산토끼 토끼야 어디를 가느냐
깡총깡총 뛰면서 어디를 가느냐

산고개 고개를 나혼자 넘어서
토실토실 알밤을 주워서 올테야

San-toki, toki-ya Uh-dee-reul gah-neu-nyah?

Kang-choong, kang-choong tee-myun-suh Uh-dee-reul gah-neu-nyah?

San-go-gae go-gae-reul Nah-hon-jah nuhm-uh-suh

to-shil to-shil ahl-bahm-eul Joo-wuh-suh ol-tae-yah

Mountain bunny, bunny Where are you going?
Bouncing, bouncing as you're running. Where are you going?

Over the mountain peaks, peaks I will climb them on my own
Plump, plump chestnuts I will find and bring

In other bunny news, Auntie Lydia sent you a bunny friend and you really like him. You like bunny so much, in fact, that today when I put him on your lap you actually picked it up with your little hands! That's a FIRST! You've never picked anything up before, at least not voluntarily. By this afternoon daddy and I let you rock to sleep in your chair, and when we came back to check on you this is what we found:

Nap time while hugging bunny all by yourself.

We're going to dinner tonight and you're chaperoning. We'll see if you are gracious to us again and let us have another fun dinner date. Love you honey! 

~Mommy

Changes, and we're not just talking diapers.

Dear Ellie,

Hello, 11-week-old babygirl! How quickly you have grown! Right now you are asleep with daddy, and I'll be joining you soon. Everyone loves you so much that I have had multiple requests to get on it and update the blog. So, here we go!

Over the past few weeks lots has changed. You have really uncurled your little legs, which you used to keep locked up against your chest. Because of this, you seem to have doubled in size overnight! You enjoy taking baths in the big tub with one of us, you now play with all the little dangly toys on your rainforest "gym" and bouncy chair. I don't know if you realize you are hitting the toys or if you just flail your arms and happen to see a result. Whatever it is, keep doing it, because it's so c-u-t-e! You have taken to chewing on your fist and drooling everywhere, which we believe is an early sign of teething. You like to grab onto our shirts now when we hold you, and you also grabbed and shook a rattle for the first time yesterday!

Your vocabulary is expanding, from "ah" to "meh" to "go" and "goo". You'll be a pro orator before you know it.

So now for the fun stuff, pictures!!

Propped up. So strong!

Playing.

Studying the mobile.

Ah!

Making faces at each other.

You're funny!

Happy baby! Sometimes I wake up and I'm so tired I don't want to get out of bed, but then I see you grinning at me, just  waiting to start your day, and my heart melts. Every time.

Ooooh.

"Yeah, I run this place"

Bath in the big tub!

Hanging out with your great great great auntie! Five generations of Tullys apart.

"Why would I sleep in the crib when I can have this whole bed to myself?"

You picked a rose on the way to visit daddy at work for lunch, and we didn't see it until we were inside and the rose was on your head.

It almost fits. 

Love you, love you, love you! Your daddy and I just can't get enough of you. Muah!

~Mommy

You so funny!

Here are some of my favorite facial expression photos so far: