Father's Day 2009

This Father's Day Steve's parents came to town.

Here are some pictures.

First time at the pool

For many different reasons, it wasn't until June 20th that we finally made it to the pool for the first time. Here are some pics.

Ellie's so cute. Just like her great- grandmother, grandmother, and mom, she holds her pinkies up when she drinks.

We wanted her to drink a lot to make sure she didn't get dehydrated. Of course, this is even before we got in the water. So, we basically just ensured that Ellie pee in the pool.

What, I'm going to go in there?

Here's Ellie in her cute bathing suit that Grandma and Papa gave her.
(p.s. look at Steve's big guns!)

Ellie had to warm up to the water a little.

Ellie starts to have fun as Daddy teaches her how to splash.

Taking a break to blow some bubbles.

Awe. Great pic of Ellie and Steve's head.

Lessons from a First Time Mom...

So, I've been updating the blog like crazy trying to get in all the old cutie pics I'd taken the last few months. I have this thing about going in chronological order... and I really want to post Ellie's first hair cut pictures. So I have lots of motivation to get the old pics in!

This picture was taken in June.
I bought a snack trap for the first time. Ellie loved it so much that I thought,
why not combine her favorite food (avocado) with her favorite snack trap?

Big mistake. Snack traps aren't so much for soft foods... Didn't really think about that.

But hey, she had a good time, and I got a great picture. So all in all it was a win-win.

Green Smoothie Fun

Let's see what happens when we give Ellie a green smoothie.
(Green Smoothie = smoothie with a green leafy vegetable and fruit to sweeten it)

Mmm... yummy! All clean so far.

Ellie attempts to be an Anne Geddes baby.
I mean, c'mon, who doesn't look cute with a chard leaf on their head.

Forget the straw. I want more.

Maybe I'll get more if I use my tongue.

Yay! That was soooo good!
God knew what He was doing when He made fruits and vegetables!
I don't think I can smile any bigger!

All done!

Ellie on a cuteness roll...

Ellie was on a roll one day last month with being so cute. This happens often when she's eating, so I have learned to have my camera ready... :-)

Ellie's hair is very "trainable" & only needs a rubber band for a short while.

I mean really, can you make a cuter face?!!

For a couple weeks Ellie got into grabbing her feet as I was taking off her high chair tray. Made cleaning her up especially fun!

I could not believe she held this pose for so long that I could actually get a picture.
Looks like we may have another cheerleader in the family...!

Fun with Mommy

Here are some pics of Ellie and I having fun.

Here is mommy teaching Ellie how to dip. We found out Ellie loves tahini (ground sesame seed), so here she is dipping stuff into tahini. FYI, tahini turns into a very thick paste once it dries on the skin. But a little warm water, and it comes right off!

Watermelon

Great Date 4: A World of Difference

So, we've been participating in Buckhead Church's Great Date Experiment.
We are currently on Great Date #4 and are loving all the dates so far. This Great Date will be focusing on celebrating the differences in each other.
After all, it's the differences in Steve that attracted me to him in the first place, right?

So, in honor of all the wonderful ways that makes Steve different from me, I decided to make a top ten list of what makes Steve a great dad.

TOP TEN REASONS WHY STEVE'S A GREAT DAD:

10. He exposes Ellie to new things... like rain.



9. He encourages Ellie to get dirty... like with real dirt and stuff.

8. He encourages flexibility in Ellie’s schedule for fun’s sake!

7. He teaches Ellie new things... like how to ring the wind chimes.



6. He encourages Ellie to be independent, even if it means falling a little.



5. He loves and accepts Ellie just the way she is...

messy...

or so relaxed that she's almost falling off his lap...
(No, he didn't sit her back up.
He just left her there, just as she wanted to be...)

4. He is generous with his time and attention to Ellie...







... sharing corn with her...

... just cuddling with her...

... playing magnets with her...
















... or taking the time to briefly say hi to Ellie on ichat while at work.










3. He disciplines Ellie so she will grow up to be a blessing to others.

2. He sacrifices for Ellie by getting up at 5 a.m. in order to be home by 4 p.m. to spend time with Ellie because she goes to bed at 6:30 pm.





1. He prays for Ellie every day...







... sometimes it's hard to imagine God loving Ellie more than we could ever possibly imagine. But He does. And I'm so grateful for that.



















... after her first haircut at 16.5 months

Thank you Steve, for four wonderful years of marriage.
You are a terrific father.
I love your differences, because they make you who you are.
And I love you.

This is Steve and I at Stone Mountain, where we celebrated our four year anniversary on June 11.

Lessons from Daddy

Hmm, Daddy what's this?

Do I put my arm in it?

What's inside?

I have my mouth on it, why can't I taste it?

Oh, look at Daddy tilting it up to drink! Interesting.

Daddy's so sweet to help me drink too!

I love my daddy... He always shows me new things.