Ellis Party of 7

September 2011 so far

2011-09-12T16:33:00.000-04:00

We have had a really fun month already! Some of our favorite people came to visit us...and yes, we went hiking. Yes- five children and all. We had a blast! We love those Kelseys!!!

I Love my Man in this outfit

. Man+ Baby + Baby in backpack + chaco s= HOTNESS

(oh and dont forget the Spyderco pocketknife)

She carried this leaf the whole hike

Since we opted out of camping this trip, we decided on smores in the firepit and it was a big hit!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.......well preschool anyway

2011-09-12T16:14:00.000-04:00

Emma Kate Bailey Ellis

2011-08-26T23:43:00.001-04:00

Its official! We are having another sweet baby girl. Emma Kate Bailey Ellis will be here the first week of January. We are over the moon!!! In case you were wondering, Emma Kate will be what we call her..but we wanted to give her a middle name too. She will have lots of options when she is an adult. We have always really liked the name Emma Kate, and always liked double names. Now that we live in the true south we thought it was time to do the double named child. And Bailey- we really just liked it for cuteness factor.

I'm 21 weeks along....and she is healthy and active already! We cant wait to meet our sweet girl....now we just need one more female vizsla and our numbers in the Ellis house will be even finally!

BACK IT WAAY UP to MAY

2011-08-22T21:27:00.000-04:00

So, we are backing things waaay up...all the way back to May. I've had this post ready but forgot to write in the captions and oops now its pretty much September and I'm just NOW posting this. BUT we took a pretty spectacular trip in May that I feel is noteworthy or I guess I should say postworthy. We decided to book a beachfront condo in Gulf Shore AL with some of our best friends, Callie and Chris and their family. It was our first real "lets bring our kids " vacation together. Callie, Chris, Mark and I go way back with traveling adventures but this is the first with our families meshed together since having kids. It was a wild ride...but you know? It worked!Even with 5 kids under 4 years old , two husbands and two pregnant ladies. We had a ball with our sweet friends...those pics at the bottom...

These first are a little detour we took on our way to Gulf Shores we stopped at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!!! It was INCREDIBLE! They had the largest aquariums I've ever seen with whale sharks, and beluga whales, and penguins, and scary sharks and every fish and water animal and mammal you can imagine! I was one of my favorite destinations. I"ll definitely go back!

Beluga Whale tank!!! They were doing tricks for us on their own and there were three in there!

My personal favorite...see that fish overhead? If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with sharks! And I got a really fun look up close here

WHALE SHARKS IN THIS TANK! THEY WERE ENORMOUS AND SO GRACEFUL! I think there were three in here too along with other huge creatures. Yes, that would be my son laying on the ground...he laid on the ground in front of this tank for about 20 minutes...

Ok..on to the real trip...heres Chris and their son Carson...and one of their precious baby girls...who I guess are about 14 mos here? Callie and I must have the other kids in the condo...we only made it to the beach all together one time during the whole trip...wasnt the beach gorgeous?

My kids were happiest at the beach on the last day. It took them a little while to actually get used to sitting on sand and neither one of them liked the ocean at first. Noah still hates it but now, after a couple of beach trips since May, she loves it again.

So Noah did alot of this. We had to be creative to find ways for him to enjoy the beach without actually having to touch the sand. I love this pic. I could eat him up!

My sweet boy LOVES cars

Ok! There she is! One of my very best friends. This girl has gotten me through life! I love her so much !!!

oh! And I knew I had one of my handsome hubby. ...SO. We went to a restaurant called The Hangout. It was really fun and easy atmosphere for kids. They had a sand playground for the kids to romp around, outdoor music, and dancing too. But the highlight was the foam machine that expelled a HUGE mound of bubbles every hour. WOW!!! Kids were getting lost in this thing!

Here's Carson enveloped in bubbles

My sweet girl, she was a little weary of the bubbles at first but she danced with them - typical- and chased them around

Back to the beach pics, I'm sure glad I got those two up top of them smiling - because, to be honest, there was a whole lot of this while on the beach

And this....

But daddy got in the water and got in the sand to build castles with them...and the beach suddenly got better

Then one night we went to some kiddie rides ...which the kids loved!!!

Even the babies were entertained

The best part of that night was when Chris and Mark decided to take the "older" ones...meaning the ones over the age of 1 yr. on a bumper boat ride. Thats where we found out one of Taylor's talents...She can aim!!! She went after Chris ruthlessly! Her gun actually got stuck in the ON position but she kept her aim at Chris and HE GOT SOAKED!!!! It was so hilarious to watch our husbands and kiddos laughing their heads off! It was a memory for sure!!!!

This is one of my alltime favorite pics! I love these two...I think they might be trouble later on

Callie and Chris, Carson, Caroline, and Carleigh....and baby Cami. We had A BALL with you all! We are so blessed to have your friendship in our lives. I'm so glad we got to vacation together!!! Lets make it a regular thing! Love you all!

What we do around here...when its HOT

2011-08-22T18:13:00.000-04:00

I love shirtless, diapered babies!!!! Dont you?

Summer Catch up part 2

2011-08-22T18:10:00.000-04:00

Back in Early June we took a FABULOUS trip to Nantucket with our good friends John and Christine- sans kids might I add. We had such a fun and relaxing time just chatting, and eating, and riding bikes around the gorgeous scenery in Nantucket. We made some wonderful memories with these two and I have lots of stories but for now, here are some pics from the trip.

The seals would follow us as we walked on the beach. We usually had at least two watching and stalking us everytime we were on the beach! This is the baby seal that Christine and I ran down the beach to see. It was a little leary of us so we had to use the major zoom to get this shot. Yes, I wanted to pet it but thought it wouldnt be so fun explaining to the the ER and my ER husband what happened.

This is THE PERFECT spot for Happy hour...it wasnt our spot but I told Mark he is WELCOME to purchase this piece of property anytime for me...

Kind of a dork shot of me ...I have no idea what I was looking at...probably the tiny planes people had to get on to fly here.But I think I wanted to document that I was pregnant with #3 during this trip...as I was pregnant with #1 last time we were in Nantucket.

The BEST night of the whole trip!!!! This was the perfect spot for happy hour and we watched the sun go down...I didnt partake of the "happiness" of course, being preggo, but I may have had more fun than everyone else.

Summer catch up

2011-07-19T23:03:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick summer catch up on some of the highlights this month: They include a trip to the Memorial day Freedom Aloft weekend and hiking at Table Rock State Park. The kiddos are at a fun age for traveling and getting out since they are both very active and pretty much at the same pace.

Summer treats!

2011-06-30T12:33:00.000-04:00

So theres almost nothing better than a cold popsicle on a hot summer day! My kids really savor evey last bite of every sweet thing I give them. I'm not one of those no sugar mommies- in fact I probably lean too far the other way-maybe to a fault. I, myself have a pretty persistent sweet tooth....and I also happen to be of the belief that you should treat yourself once a day. Sometimes, for me, my treat will be a second cup of coffee or a happy hour glass of wine ( both of which I cannot indulge in currently), or sometimes its a new shirt from Target. It might be that I'm slightly impulsive, but it might just make me a fun person. I'm hoping its the latter.Anyway, I think I also pass this on to my children for better or worse I'm not certain yet.

Popsicles currently top the list for summer favorite but they have also discovered ring pops- due to some of mommy's last ditch efforts for potty training bribery.

I know this picture doesnt surprise anyone. After much stalking and scolding, Tahoe finally got what he wanted.

I've got tons of pics I'm working on so I will upload and post a summer May/June rewind...we have lots of travels to document.

New Year's gift 2012

2011-06-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

We have exciting news!!! A new baby Ellis is on the way! I cannot believe I will be a mother of 3!!!! I'm due early January and I'm about 12 weeks along. We are very thankful and can't wait to meet our sweet new member of the family. So far things have been smooth and easy just like the other two, with the exception of a slight nausea for a few weeks. T and N have NO idea what they are in for next year! I have relished my days watching the two of them grow and learn to play and share together. They have really developed a love and friendship with one another. Taylor is very concerned and watches over him like a big sister and Noah is her faithful sidekick in all that she does...including getting in trouble. I feel much less apprehensive this time around. There's very little wondering how I could possibly love another baby as much as the others...and wondering how they will get along-- from what I can tell it "just works". The love between them is strong and natural and they are best friends. Thinking about it makes me giddy to be able to add another one!!!!

new pics...Wedding at Table Rock State Park. February 26.

2011-02-28T10:44:00.002-05:00

It was a GORGEOUS day last Saturday!!! We were honored to have been invited to a beautiful wedding of some new friends we've met since moving to SC. They got married at the Pinnacle Lake Lodge at Table Rock State Park. The moment we drove into the park I was in a photographer's heaven! The lighting was so perfect and the whole atmosphere was rustic and beautiful! I think I may have spent the whole afternoon shooting pics of my kids- but you'll see it was worth it!!!!

AND GUESS WHO's WALKING NOW!!!!!!!!!

A Handsome daddy

Taylor spent the afternoon running this ramp with a pack of little girls. It was so cute...but man, were they fast!!! WAAAY too fast for mommies in heels to keep up with. I also caught them pretending to be in a wedding and marching down the aisle with bouquets...sooo cute

Sidenotes

2011-01-15T20:36:00.002-05:00

If you know me, you know I can be "a talker". What you might not know is that I'm even more of a talker in my head. See, in my head there are multiple thoughts and conversations at any given moment. The quieter my environment, usually the more swirling about in this head of mine. Its not that I'm not 100% fully listening, because I am...but I am a woman. Ladies, I trust you understand what I mean. I have a "main conversation" ongoing in my head most days. It handles the schedules of diapers and bottles, potty training and loads of laundry, "who ate and who didn't", "did I take the chicken out to thaw?"...etc. All the normal things that occur daily around here. Those are my "main" thoughts. Then there are what I call the SIDENOTES. These are all the extras...these are often the ones that get me into trouble and take me down loooong bunny trails of thoughts and dilemmas in my mind. I thought I'd write down some of those streams of conciouness today just to get them off my chest. I spent the afternoon walking in the mall with my kids. And *sidenote* I had a particularly bad day today so my sidenote thoughts were particularly cynical.

1. At the mall I passed girl after girl who was dressed up. Perfectly picked out outfit, make up done, hair looked styled. Everyone had on boots! (What is that? they are so cute but everyone has them here) But I did think to myself. Isnt it funny what we ladies do? * WE ARE ALL THE SAME* We all want to look good. We want to feel attractive. Most of us give thought to our outfits and some of us try to keep with the trends. BUT, even with our best efforts, its true- we might feel good- but who really looks prettier? How can a pair of skinny jeans, boots and dangling earrings really make you look better?How many of us fall prey to those fashion heads ( whoever they are?) who cast spells on women in America to make us fall in love with the latest trend. I think that whole business is just one big, tricky scheme. I mean, who really wants to go back to sturup pants and shirts with zippers all over them? And the prices! Like I said, its a spell. I'll tell you I hate a style and the next month I'll change my mind and you'll probably see me proudly wearing some brown sturup pants I bought half price- because thats the way I roll. Anyway dont take it the wrong way..I AM NOT JUDGING anyone. I too walked to my car with a new cardigan and a pair of earrings today. And yes, they did make me feel better.

I think that God made women with an innate desire to be beautiful. ANd I think its a good thing and a fun thing. But what I'm getting at is...I KNOW THERE ARE BIGGER AND MORE IMPORTANT THINGS...I wonder if girls really knew who they were in Christ and felt their true worth...what would happen to us? Would we need to trendy clothes if we radiated with beauty and joy? Would it crumble the fashion industry? Hollywood? Would more of our money go to the needy? Would less people go hungry? What if we ignored the images of "what we should look like" and appreciate a woman's body as an amazing and life-giving thing? What would our television shows look like? Magazine articles would have to change. Would anorexia go away? How can we change this? I am pretty sure that people in third world countries, who are worrying about their next meal would be astonished at our priorities. I mean, even here in our own country, we have people who have trouble providing neccesities for their families. What if we changed our viewpoints? How would it rock the world?
With all our extra energy and money, just think of what the women in our world could accomplish!
I know, its a nice thought. Now I'm feeling low...I'll probably go back to NY&;Co and return my new yellow cardigan.

***TOLD YOU they are sidenotes and streams of conciouness**

2. Sometimes I feel the need to tell people of what I "used to do". My life before kids is still very important to me. When I'm getting to know someone I feel like they need to know of my former life to really know who I am. I used to be a marathoner, a singer, a bible study leader, a teacher. I used to go to wine bars with friends, go to the gym daily and wear bikinis at the beach. I used to love to go to the pool, the mall, coffee with friends, travel and talk on the phone. I still love those things but I can't do any of them easily right now. I used to walk in a store and pick up my size and buy it without trying it on. I used to wear high heels with jeans and dress up at night when going out for dinner. I used to read before going to bed ( ha ha with a headlamp too). I used to keep up with my friends better and do birthdays and christmas gifts on time.Still to this day those things are all me, but, I'm not sure if a new friend would ever see them. My life is all about my kids now and I LOVE IT! But one day, mark my words, I'll get all of that back! So, I might just seem like a frumpy mom of two some days..I just hope people will see past all that! I think they will if they are a mom too.

3. Moms are just trying to survive! Thank you LORD! I've decided we are all just trying our best to get through the day and make it great for our families. Ok- honestly, today, I was trying to keep myself and my kids sane until the dinner/bath/bedtime hour. Most days I think I do well and keep the day moving and things are in order. But today I was almost at my limit all day long. I don't even know why? Maybe because we've been snowed in all week here. So, we went to the mall. Exactly not the place you want to go when you are potty training your toddler and trying to have a nice day. She did great by the way. But it was a hard day...the mall did not help. But as I sat in the middle of the mall playground, swarming with kids too old for the structure, I looked around and noticed that all the moms were just like me. All of them had that look. That tired, coming off the morning coffee buzz, dont really want to be there with 150 other screaming kids but probably dont want to go home either. Some of us knew we were going to have to surrender and buy our kids an Icee at the kiosk next door, some of us were calculating if it was even worth the germ risk to be there. We all had on updated clothes, to make us seem hip and unmotherlike, but most of us had a stain or two, or our jeans were hanging from bending and moving all morning. I'm so glad I'm not alone! At least we understand eachother.So, those are just a few rabbit trails I followed today. I might've talked too much again. But, thats just me I guess.

Confessions

2011-01-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

My friends have blogged their "confessions" and now its my turn. Hopefully some of you can relate.

I confess...

1. I love reality trash tv. The Bachelor and The Biggest Loser.I dont care that they aren't truly reality. I confess I spend lots of time wasting my life watching bad tv. I have a weekly date with Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice too... But it gets worse...because I also love 90210, Teen Mom, and Sister Wives...eek- dont think I'm shallow

2. I probably yell at my dogs 47 times a day. And then at the end of everyday I feel guilty about it. I also feel like I have to equally pet each of them so as to be fair and not hurt their feelings.

3. I hate to floss. It is my new years resolution to floss every year. I am actually 13 days into it and doing well so far.

4. If you see me in workout clothes, its because I either need to do laundry or I want you to think I'm working out, but really I didnt want to take a shower and get dressed. So I wear workout clothes.

5. I feel like an adult when I drink hot tea.

6.I always have at least 7 different shampoos in my shower at any given time.

7. I sometimes have a phone phobia and I dont want to call a stranger- like to make an appointment or call someone I dont know very well.

8. I've always wanted to live in a treehouse.

9. Sometimes my kids stay in their pjs all day. I bathe them at night and then put on a new pair of pjs.

10. I have to be the one to lock the doors in my house at night. Sometimes when I stay over at other's homes I have to check their doors too.

11. I never go out at night anymore..I'm always home by about 4:30pm. So now, if I go out after dark, I think its dangerous. Even if its only 7pm. I'm just not used to being out after dark. Its funny.

12. I have mommy guilt about leaving my kids to do something just for me like getting my hair done, or going to the gym. I'm working on it.

13. Sometimes I bribe my two year old with m&ms or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...just to get a moment of peace.

14. I hunt spiders in my house in the summertime. I can be found talking to them....I hate them and its my mission to rid my house of them.

15. I call my mom 7 times at day sometimes. Sometimes I say nothing really. Sometimes we just stay on the line and clean our houses while we listen to eachother breath.

Christmas/Winter Holidays

2011-01-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

Happy New year!!! Here are a few pics from over the holidays. We were blessed to have spent our Christmas with both of our families this year. Mark's parents came to Greenville so we got to visit with them and then we headed to Orlando for Christmas morning and a few days after. While we were in FL Greenville had a real WHITE CHRISTMAS!!! We were disappointed to miss the first white christmas in 40 years for Greenville, but happy that we could be in the warmer weather for a while. I think snow is forcasted for later this week so that will make up for it! Taylor is starting to potty train and Noah is very close to taking his first steps! I can't believe how fast he is growing---he's really changing into more of a toddler...time for another one!!! NOT YET THOUGH!

Noah 9mo* THE HAPPIEST BABY **

She was serious about this cupcake that she helped herself to after the Christmas Eve service

Silly face

"The Boys"

Full of Thankfulness

2010-11-28T00:19:00.000-05:00

"The Lord has done GREAT things for us, and we are filled with joy". Psalm 126:3

Thanksgiving 2010

Below is a daily scene around our house. Oh! The joys of motherhood! I wouldn't have it any other way!

We have real fall leaves here! And we play in them too!

Mark's parents and sister and brother in law came for the holiday from Texas! We were blessed to have them drive all the way to be with us on Turkey day. AND they did ALL the cooking!

Noah and Nana

Noah tried to "help" Grandad in the kitchen

Noah with Aunt Elaine

Uncle Matt

Here are a few of my firstborn sons...they often arent included anymore in my posts since having real kids..but they are very vocal and active members of our family..and I thought they needed a couple of snapshots this holiday. My sweet boys took their job in the kitchen very seriously. What was their job you ask? Guarding the turkey. The never left it's side.

The table pre-meal..and pre-kids sitting at the table. It was pretty.

Here are a few sneek-peek shots of our family christmas card. We couldn't resist the fall colors and opted for a fall-ish theme rather than winter. I dont think we get any snow until the new year around these parts anyway.

Sweet girl loves her daddy

We had a wonderful holiday week full of family, fall weather and good food! Now- let the Advent and Christmas season begin! Hoping you had a wonderful Turkey day!

Latest Happenings this Fall

2010-11-14T22:17:00.001-05:00

This fall has been INCREDIBLE here in Gville since the changing of the leaves. We've never actually lived in a place where the seasons truly exist so its been a real treat being here the past couple of months. We've really started to feel like this is our home and feel reassured that this was the place for us. I've met a couple of girls at the park that I've been making playdates with weekly and we have storytime at the local library too. We've actually been fairly busy over the past weeks with various events and "first time" occasions which include Sesame Street Live, Taylor's first trip to Disney World, and Halloween. Here are a few highlight pics:

Sesame Street Live at the Bi-Lo Center: every parent should experience this. Taylor yelled out each character name as they made their entrance...but so did the other 1500 kids there. It was hilarious...but of course I cried. Because I'm a sap. and Because it was so sweet that they all ( including both my kids) thought they were real and for some reason that made me cry.I guess I wish I was a kid again.

Daddy and Taylor Grace

My little Man jumped during all the songs in the first act and wore himself out

Outside the Bi-Lo Center with my babes

I think Taylor is screaming at the bus that drove by: She just learned what buses are

Boo in the Zoo for Halloween

2nd best part of the night: Taylor ran into a boy in a gorilla costume and poor girl came out of her skin ( it wasnt really scary but she was startled)

Best Part of the Night: She got lots of yummy candy for mommy and daddy to eat...and she got the stickers

My little owl

DISNEY WORLD!!!!

So, I dont recommend traveling to FL to take your toddler to Disneyworld. BUT, when your family lives there its totally worth it. Taylor Grace has taken on a bit of an obession with Mickey Mouse lately, and she's also recently learned about princesses and castles. So, naturally I decided we should take to THE place with princesses and castles.

I DO recomment, however, to take an entorauge with you when you plan on taking more than one child under three. Just the diaper changes alone require more than one person at disney. I was glad to have family there to help.She did well and there were actually a bunch of rides and shows she was able to ride. We stayed all day until about 10:00PM. The kiddos actually napped for two hours in their strollers, which was crucial.

The only meltdown happened at the end of the night, when she asked her daddy what happened to the castle. Mark, being a sweet daddy, just replied " Honey, the castle went bye bye, it had to go night night."

Oh MY GOODNESS the FLOOD of tears that came after Mark told her that! Poor girl, had hit her breaking point and leaving the castle was too much for her!

It was an awesome event. I do regret, though, that she'll probably never remember it. But we have the pictures to prove it.

Meeting Goofy was an event for sure. We waited for 25 min to take a picture with him and when we got to him she was scared to stand next to him. Just look at her face.

Classic family shot: oops my son is being blinded by the Florida sunshine

My favorite part of the whole day was when we rounded the corner and saw the castle and taylor yelled " OOOHHHH A CASTLE!!!! A Princess Castle!"

First time Taylor saw Mickey in person. Within the first 30 min of our arrival an impromtu parade came down the street with all the characters. I choked back the tears. I did think to myself " Dang it, how do they do it EVERYTIME! This really is the happiest place on Earth"

Taylor was very excited to see all the characters in person during the parade. I think Mickey, Minnie and Daisy are her favorites.

Sidenote: We watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse waaaaay too much at the Ellis household

Sitting on the sun porch in Minnie's house

At home, theres nothing more entertaining than bathtime here at the Ellis fort.

Noah with a foam letter "Y" in his mouth

Taylor singing "Home on the Range" I love how she says the word antelope...its more like anteyope. Other bathtime songs include Gloria in Exceles Deo, Aint gonna rain no more no more, and Daisy Daisy..and the occasional Boom Boom Pow by the black eyed peas ( she only knows one line by the way)

Noah is almost 8 mos now and fully crawling and pulling up on everything. I think the difference between the girls and boys is that I can already tell that Noah is very physical in everything he does. He's always working on something or trying to get somewhere. He adores Taylor and pretty much has to be near her at all times. He's already learning that little brother are supposed to annoy their sisters and take their toys away.

This is a typical scene multiple times a day

I LOVE HIM

Noah was really into the elections this time...

Officially the worst

2010-11-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

Ok I am OFFICIALLY the WORST blogger ever. I know this is true. I check all my favorite blogs on a daily basis but I almost never update my own. So, to those of you who check mine with any regularity, I'm sorry...and I do feel guilt quite often when I think of you and how you hope to see a new update only to be disappointed again and again. I would like to promise you that I'll get better but instead I'll just hopefully find more time in my days to suprise you and post more. I have some pics from our recent trip to Disney world, our Fall party, and recent events - I will post soon but for now here are a couple of teasers.

Little Man

2010-10-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of my little man. He is 6 mo now and growing fast. We've started him on solid food now and he is almost fully crawling. He's got an army crawl/scooch going on but he's fast and gets around well already. Dont you just want to squeeze him? I cant get enough of my Noah.

This was our first time trying rice ceral. We've moved on now to carrots, zuccini, yellow squash and assorted fruits. I've been making my own pureed baby food this time and its much tastier. Hopefully he'll become a better eater than his sister.

Birthday Girl

2010-10-05T22:50:00.000-04:00

Last month my baby girl turned two! Yes, we've entered that stage now. We are officially full force into toddlerhood. I can hardly believe how fast these years pass. I, of course, had to have myself a good cry because I knew she would never again be 1 years old again. I have to fight back the tears thinking about her growing up.

Anyway back to the birthday... We had a sweet little "mickey mouse" themed party with just the family plus my mom was in town too. This is the year I think it "clicked" with her about birthdays. We bought her some pretend cakes and birthday candles to play with and practice the birthday song in the days leading up to her big day. So Taylor was well prepared for the moment. She was so taken with the whole thing that we ended up celebrating at every meal the rest of the week. Good thing I bought enough cake and candles to sing, blow candles and repeat x 3 meals a day x five days. It was BIG TIME for her. loved every minute of it!

Of course I had to dress up our party guests...our dogs get colored ribbon collars for every occasion. Red went with the mickey theme

Just a view of the decorations. Tay woke from her nap to find the kitchen covered in streamers

My sweet boy

Obi and Noah sitting on the back patio

Happy dog- yes, he got cake. No, we didn't give him any. Bad dog.

Birthday girl and mommy

Singing happy birthday

Precious face

Had to include this one... This is what we call Taylor's stormy face. Its what happens when we wake her from her afternoon nap too early. She was less than enthusiastic ( as shown in the pic below) at first. But after a few minutes she came around and realized it was all for her!

Both Taylor and Tahoe love to catch bubbles

Just for memories sake here are a few of Taylor's favorite things:

Blanket, bunny, music box, passies, bubbles, hearing the crickets at night, catching fireflies, talking about noises she hears, mickey mouse, SINGING ALL THE TIME ( ABCs, Daisy Daisy, Take me out to the ballgame, Oh how I love Jesus, If you're happy and you know it)

Playing outside, tormenting Raleigh with shadows, throwing all the pillows, cushions, placemats, blankets onto the floor, Chalk, CRAYONS, juice boxes, jumping in noah's crib, Tahoe is her best friend, Emptying mommy's purse, jumping, talking about lambs which she calls "yams", kisses and hugs and screaming for joy

Sweet Taylor Grace. We are so proud of you! You are the light of our day! We love you to the moon and back!

Mommyhood rantings

2010-09-22T23:58:00.000-04:00

So, its almost midnight, the kids are asleep and my whole body is aching for rest but here I am..AWAKE..and thinking. So, I thought maybe writing it out would help expel it from my head. See, I rarely get alone time when there isnt squealing, singing, fussing, barking, phones ringing, fox news background noise, electronic toys...etc. The ONLY time I get is a few hours in the evening. So, one of two things commonly happen. 1. I go to sleep and rest and feel wonderful in the morning. BUZZZ! that one rarely happens. or 2. I sit and all the thoughts from the day about my life, my children, my friends, our future, and all the worlds problems swirl around in my brain. Dont get me wrong, I like when it happens because I feel all my creative juices coming alive and I remember that I have more gifts in me rather than being a great mom. Thats when I get my best ideas and when I'm inspired.
So, tonight, these are my thoughts.

- I LOVE being a mom. I always knew I would, I always wanted to become a mother and stay home with my children. But until Taylor was born, I didnt realize how fulfilling it is to my life. I am so amazed that the Lord God entrusted these children to me and I get to be their mother! I got to carry them and help to give them life! I get to watch their bodies grow and witness their development- the walking, the talking, the learning of all the things they encounter. Its almost too much for my head! Its like such a wonderfully hard and wonderful job. Each day is hard and my patience is tested, but in the same day I always have several unforgettable moments, and build precious memories with my kids.
Some days it does feel monotonous- the diapers and the feedings and the tantrums and the LAUNDRY but at the end of the day- when the house is fast asleep- I know with my whole heart that I would never have wished this day any different. I never want to miss a moment of their lives- even the boring and monotonous ones- even the diapers and tantrums. I am greedy for time.
Speaking of the house being asleep. My husband is a wonderful dad! He really is! However wonderful, we all know men do not possess that batlike sense of hearing that we moms develop the second we give birth. Its a sixth sense. I just know when they are awake...and because I'm weird, I cannot sleep until they are both fast asleep again.
Mark and I joke that I am a night creeper. I'm up all night with the kids when they wake up and cry or need a bottle. But you can also find me tip toeing around the house multiple times a night checking on them. I can be found tucking and re-tucking them into their blankets, rescuing pacifiers and bunnies from the floor, praying over them, making sure the room isnt drafty, just generally making sure that everyone is peacefully asleep. I know my obession is robbing me of my own rest - and I think I should turn down the monitors and just go to bed...but then again I dont want to miss a thing- not even a moment. It makes for a tired mommy though- but then I think Sleep is for the birds anyway.

Day Trip

2010-09-21T10:48:00.000-04:00

Oh Blue Ridge Mountains...how I love you. You are not as majestic as the California mountains, nor are you as lofty and rugged as the ones in Colorado- you may not be as magnificent and proud as the ones in the west..but you are ancient and mysterious, and green with trees- and best of all you are close to home.

We visited Chimney Rock in Nc- It was about an hour from our house...we actually live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge and they can easily be seen from Greenville. Its only a short drive to hiking, rafting, and rock climbing. I think this place is definitely for us.

On a side note, Mark and I realized on this trip how out of shape we feel so we joined our YMCA. Hopefully we will go this time...( oops my eyes are closed in this pic)

Zoo!

2010-09-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

The Greenville Zoo is awesome for families. Taylor had a wonderful time looking at the animals but of course her favorite was feeding the farm animals. These billy goats were super obese for goats, in my opinion, and we bought special crackers to feed them. I was a tad nervous letting my kids feed them at first. I can remember when I was little going to the Houston zoo and having one of those eating machines eat a hole in the shirt I was wearing. In fact, I think I have a picture standing next to that goat the moment before he chowed down on my clothes. So, ever since I've been apprehensive about feeding the goats. But, we've visited these goats a few times since and I'm getting more comfortable with the idea...and Taylor talks about them non stop. She thanked Jesus for them that night when we said her bedtime prayers.

Even Noah was interested

Okay enough with the goats already.

I love this expression on her face....

Look at my handsome Mister....nothing sexier than a hot guy with a baby- in a front carrier no less

Speaking of zoo...here are a few pics of what happened around our house that week other than the zoo.

We had a Raleigh dog birthday party! Every year on our dog's bdays we give them half a can of dog food and put a candle in it and sing happy birthday. They get bones wrapped in bday paper too. We were happy that Raleigh's bday was before Taylor's so we could get her warmed up for her big day.

Three sisters

2010-09-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

I'm sure my family will kill me for posting this picture but it was the best one of twenty I took trying to get the kids to all look at the camera at the same time! These are the three sisters , my mom, my aunt Jill, and my aunt Donna. They are the best of friends and I am so blessed to have all of them in my life. God never did give me that sister I wanted but as I grow older I realize more and more that having a close relationship with my mom and aunts I feel like I am being "grandfathered" into their sisterhood circle in a way.
This pic was taken at one of our favorite places- the BEACH - of course. The best memories are made there. So, naturally, all the girls decided to drive to the beach to celebrate my aunts birthday. We had a ball- not to mention it was so pleasant in September. We made shirts for the kids that spelled out the numbers of her birthday. Getting them to be still for a photo was pretty much impossible. We had such a good time lavishing on my aunt for her big day! Happy Bday Sissy- you deserve it!

Summer photo catch up

2010-09-04T20:36:00.000-04:00

Here are a few highlights from this summer. We went to the Kingston Plantation at N. Myrtle in July with the family. Had a ball!

My little diva loves her zebra striped hat and sunglasses

We spent alot of time eating lemon slushies on the beach. As you can tell, it was the highlight of Taylor's day.

Love the sandy feet!

Noah, on the other hand spent alot of time doing this

Heres another of my sweet boy

Don't you want to just eat him up!!! He is all smiles all the time! I can hardly stand it!

First time for everything

2010-09-03T10:50:00.001-04:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

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2010-09-03T10:49:00.001-04:00

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2010-09-03T10:46:00.001-04:00

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Dont give up on me...

2010-09-03T10:33:00.003-04:00

Ok So, by now you've figured out that I pretty much stink at updating my blog. But if you are reading this now, you obviously have held out for some hope that I will eventually add something to this website. So, thank you for not giving up on me. Ive recently edited a whole slew of photos from this summer that I plan to post so stay tuned....of course you dont believe me but we'll just see if I prove you wrong. Love you all.

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2010-08-16T16:25:00.001-04:00

Click here to view this video

New video site

2010-08-16T16:15:00.000-04:00

Hey, we decided to upload videos to our shutterfly site since its much faster to upload. Here is the link to the videos we've uploaded so far.

http://ellispartyof6.shutterfly.com/

tally pics

2010-08-12T19:49:00.001-04:00

not sure if everyone saw these pics my friend took back in july of the fam, but here's a few of our favorites.

2010-08-10T11:35:00.001-04:00

So this is a test... We signed our phones up to post text mags to our blogsite automatically so hopefully posting will be easier and more often:)

2010-08-09T14:57:00.003-04:00

Hey all,
We just re-invited people to our blog. I know we're not the best at updating, but lately we've had a lot of strangers posting some personal/scary stuff on the blog....so now we're going to be invite only to read. Hence, you'll notice a lot of personal information and posts pulled off the blog. sorry. it was getting a little weird. But it comes with a promise of more updates - more often
-mark & sarah

A Few Videos

2010-05-23T01:13:00.000-04:00

Here's Noah smiling for mom - oh and some normal spitup

Taylor dancing and sliding down her new slide - I've got no clue what's she saying before she goes down, but she repeated it over and over again each time - maybe she's psyching up?

Just pics....updates soon I promise!

2010-05-15T19:07:00.000-04:00

YAY! I finally updated the blog. Sorry its just pics for now...life is so hectic right now the times is just flying by. The kids are changing so fast I feel the need to just go ahead and post some pics before they look totally different. Life for us with two kids in the house has been super busy. There is always a diaper to be changed, mouth to be fed, boo boos to kiss, those dang pacifiers to find , doggies to scold, moving decisions to be made, looking for houses in Greenville..Did I mention we are moving to Greenville, Sc this summer. We only actually have about 2.5 weeks left in California. The Ellis' are on the move again! More updates later. I cannot wait to tell more about my sweet Noah. But here are a few highlights. He is growing and gaining weight well. He is a super sweet little guy, loves to cuddle up to your neck and just be loved on. He's a night owl and most of his awake time is between 8-11pm which makes for one tired momma! But I love his sweet smile and I can't go to sleep without my precious time with him. He is pretty easy going so far. He sleeps fairly well for a 7 week old. Taylor loves her "babeeeee". She kisses him just about every chance she can get ( which makes us a little nervous since her kisses cover both mouth and nose). She loves to find his passies for us and she loves to point out his nose, eyes and mouth. Taylor has really started talking and putting words together. Its been exciting here at our house...I'll fill in on more details later. But here are the pics. I didnt get to edit them but I wanted to go ahead and post..enjoy!

My sweet Noah...5 weeks

He has the same amount of hair as Taylor does !

Noah at 7 weeks

Little man

Sister kisses ( and mommy's shadow..oops)

I have two kids!!!! Holy cow!

Diaper changing time

Taylor loves to play outside

Making "ones" on the sidewalk

Taylor 19 mos

Noah is here

2010-03-29T18:06:00.001-04:00

Noah finally made his debut on 3/23! This time he took a little longer to come out since he was face up. Thought we'd share some photos until we can get the videos to upload.
Official stats: 3/23/10 at 159pm, 8lbs, 3oz and 20 inches long.

Obi and her newest grandchild

a little unsure - but slowly warming up

finally headed home

new baby smells

The past 6 weeks

2010-02-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

The Ellis family has been pretty busy since our last post around Christmas time. In early January we flew to Seattle to visit Mark's extended family- aunt and uncle and cousins- and to introduce Taylor to Mark's grandmother. We had a fun time staying with Uncle Roger and Aunt Joy at their awesome house on Puget Sound. We also arrived just in time to celebrate cousin Ella's birthday party. Taylor had a ball with her cousins and exploring other houses and of course she loved climbing the stairs!

A week or so later we made a trip down the coast of California to see life in SOCAL. We happened to pick the one time of the year that we had torrential downpours for an entire week. You may remember seeing California all over the news with mudslides and blizzards...yes that was the week we decided to trek almost the entire state . Apparently in LA there is only a few times of the year when this happens and unfortunately we were there and didnt see much of the sun during our trip. We stopped in LA first, saw the Santa Monica pier and a few other sights from the car. Then we headed South to visit an old friend from Texas, Amy, who we had a great time catching up with. We headed to San Diego next and walked around the Hotel del Coronado and spent a day at the San Diego zoo. The zoo was pretty awesome! Taylor's favorite animals seemed to be the turtles, the lions and the otters. Then we headed back up to the LA area and stayed with some other old friends from Texas, the Albertos, who have young children ( one around Taylor's age). It was so much fun seeing them and getting to know their kids. We'd love to see them more often- wish they didnt live so far away.

We drove back up through San Luis Obispo and Big Sur, which were AMAZING! Big Sur was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen. I highly recommend driving the Big Sur coastline if you ever get a chance. Anyway all in all we've been pretty busy, but now I'm 36 weeks along and we're staying put until Noah arrives. Here are a few snips of our trips...

Mark and Taylor at Laguna Beach

San Diego Zoo- rattlesnake ( looks real huh?)

Taylor and Levi playing the piano
San Diego zoo

Laguna Beach ( it was the only time we saw the sunshine)
Mommy and Taylor - Santa Monica Beach

Seattle Science Museum - Butterfly Garden

Great Grandma Lee and Taylor

Taylor is teaching Great Grandma how to use her Elmo phone

Taylor and cousin Hailey playing the piano in Seattle

Hailey was playing it with her rear end

Aunt Joy with Hailey, Ella and Taylor

Aunt Joy with Hailey and Taylor ( who are days apart in age) neither one with much hair :)

At Ella's Bday party- my starlett

Mark, Great Grandma Lee, Taylor and Uncle Roger

Taylor, showing her support for Uncle Wes! Hoorah!

I'll be 36 weeks this week with Noah. I'm so ready to have this baby. Being pregnant while chasing a toddler has been exhausting. I'm so thankful that Taylor is content and entertained just playing at home because some days getting up and dressed is all I can do. But I know I dont have too long to go. Taylor's personality has really come out in the last few months. She's been such a joy to be with because she is so full of energy and laughter. She tries hard to make Mark and I laugh and loves to be chased around the house. Her language has really developed as well. She's been mimicking our phrases...for example when we get home from an errand she'll yell out " HEY BOYS!" to the dogs just like we do. She has mastered the climbing skill and so now we really have to keep a close watch on her. We've found her in the dishwasher, on the kitchen table, on the high bar stools and her favorite spot is in her glider rocker where she sits all by herself reading books. We really have a toddler on our hands and as tiring as it can be we are enjoying every moment of it - its been a blast.

I cannot imagine life with two kids but I wont have to imagine much longer. Taylor has no clue whats about to happen. We try to talk about Noah and get her prepared but I think she's just too young to understand quite yet. Whenever we ask where baby Noah is she points to her tummy - so at least she's got some of it right.

Mark is doing well and gearing up for a busy spring and summer. He's got several trips planned around the globe that should be really interesting. He's got two trips lined up with Racing the Planet which will take him to Australia and to China. Then he's got several trips around Wyoming, Montana, and around the mountains in California. We're in full swing with the job searching for next year . We're just praying to be lead to look in the right places. Thank the Lord there are lots of ER opportunites so now we just need to pray about which direction to start the searching. Hopefully we'll have a job lined up by April or May but I guess we'll wait and see.

30 weeks

2010-01-08T03:03:00.000-05:00

Wow! I'm already in my third trimester with Noah! Its hard to believe how fast this pregnancy has gone compared to the last time. I'm entering my 30th week this week. We are trying to see more of California this month before the baby comes. With Mark's working and visitors we haven't gotten to travel much so we are going up to Seattle to visit with family soon and then we're headed down south to LA, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree National Park...and whatever else we can manage. I'm feeling good so far but sleep is starting to become harder. The doctor says Noah is healthy and measuring just right. So we are just enjoying our time as a family of 5 for now and praying for our sweet baby boy. I've started buying my blue and green already! We'll keep you posted on any Noah news.

December and January

2010-01-08T02:54:00.000-05:00

I think these pics are out of order...anyway this one is Taylor on Christmas morning. Santa pretty much brought her everything ELMO. She is obsessed with elmo from Sesame street.

Taylor and Mama in front of nana's christmas tree
Christmas dress pose

Here are a few recent pics from this past month. Mom came for a visit in early December and we took Taylor to the Redwood city Christmas parade and festival. She didnt really care much about the whole event except for the Citi bank balloon she recieved and she got to taste cotton candy for the first time.

The Christmas Bug

2010-01-08T01:44:00.000-05:00

Happy New year!!! I think my new years resolution will be to post on my blog more often but that seems like a pretty lofty goal for me. I'm going to try my best though.

We traveled to Texas for Christmas this year to see Mark's side of the family. We were there from Dec 14-Dec 26th and we were so looking forward to seeing family and friends. First stop we stayed with some our closest friends, Callie andChris and their son Carson, who we stayed three nights with. Callie and I had been planning our time together all year and we were really excited to hang out with them. We had a great two days hanging out and catching up with them. One day we decided to head to Memorial City mall where they had this fantastic play area for kids. I've never seen anything like this it was so amazing. Taylor and Carson had a ball playing and climbing around! We were just starting to get into the Christmas spirit when.....

IT happened....

We caught the notorious GI bug going around the Houston area. First it started with Taylor, who of course passed it to me. My sweet husband had to spend his Birthday caring for his two girls- and he was so wonderful about it. We decided to head to Galveston so we could at least be sick at home and not infect any more friends. After caring for us and getting us home Mark caught it. So our little family contracted it fairly quickly and we thought it was over...

WELL...IT WASN'T !

Mark's family had planned a Christmas open house while we were in town so we could see all the family friends and so that people could meet Taylor. Unfortunately, our little "Christmas gift" continued to spread to both of Mark's parents and his sister. So, all the plans any of us had were changed and we were really sad that they had to cancel the party. Also we didnt get to see most of our friends we were hoping to see. That Christmas bug plagued the entire Ellis clan for the entire week! So, all in all 10 days of the 12 day trip we were sick. But we tried to make the best of it and laugh when we could and rest in between. We decided it was better to be sick all together and we made the best of it. We knew this would be a memorable holiday but we didnt know it would be THIS memorable. I think we'll have alot to laugh about next year.

Even though we werent completely better we decided we couldn't miss the Christmas Eve service. I was determined to have Taylor wear her new Christmas dress no matter what. As you can tell from the video below..she was feeling much better. This is one of her running through Trinity church after the service.

Another one of her after the service. She loved to climb the steps toward the altar but she kept getting caught on her dress. It was the most excercise she got in days.

Noah Parker Ellis arriving late March

2009-11-20T23:37:00.000-05:00

So, we picked a name for our sweet baby boy!

Noah Parker Ellis

We are so excited to be having a boy this time around! It should make the whole experience totally different! And of course if you know our family, we like change. We had our name narrowed down to three choices and we tried to get Taylor to say each one outloud. Noah was the only one she could actually say. It was so sweet...and we were glad because it was the name both Mark and I agreed on. Right now we are teaching her to nod her head for YES and shake it for NO. So, its pretty hilarious when she says Noah's name she also shakes her head "no" while she says it. I'm sure we'll work through that one before the baby arrives. We are now at 22 weeks and both mommy and baby are doing well. I've got alot of energy actually and I've been fairly comfortable up until this point. We are excited for the holidays coming up. We'll be spending Thanksgiving here with some new friends. My mom will be coming the week after for a visit and then we're off to Texas for two weeks to spend with Mark's family and our friends in Houston. After that we'll be buying blue and getting ready for Noah!

On another note, please keep my brother, Wesley, in your prayers and my family as well. He was deployed to Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago. He's going to be out on patrol from Camp Dweyer in the Helman province. He is an officer in charge of 40 men over there- and will be mostly out on MRAPs(Mine Resistant Ambuish Protected vehicles). Its difficult knowing my little brother is out there in the war and at times it feels like we're on an emotional rollercoaster. But we are trusting the Lord and His sovereignty. We KNOW He loves Wes even more than we do, and that He can protect him just as easy in Afghanistan as he can here in the safety of his home. We're all praying psalm 91 over Wesley as well as a couple of others. You are most welcome to join us in that too!

We uploaded some funny videos of Taylor Below! Enjoy

Few Videos and Introducing Noah

2009-11-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here's Taylor at bath time. she loves her bath which you can hear her repeat over and over. she loves to try and jump into the tub and tends to scream at the top of her lungs in excitement. Sometimes the neighbors ask what if we abuse our kids. This is only a small taste with minimal screaming.

Every now and then (ok really most days) there is a scene like this at some point.

Just wanted to update everyone else and the rest of our news. Our new baby is going to a boy! We're expecting Noah Parker Ellis to arrive on March 25th.

October

2009-10-21T00:33:00.000-04:00

We took Taylor to the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay this month. It was a perfect day on the coast! Taylor was more fixated on the ladybugs or "badybugs" as she calls them. Our girl is getting so big. We really have a toddler on our hands now. Taylor is literally running EVERYWHERE and fast! She is picking up lots of new words-her latest ones being spoon, bath, ladybug, shoes, toes, juice, crackers, and eyes. Of course she mimics other words daily - she is definitely a talker and I wouldnt have it any other way!

We asked her "How big is Taylor?" and this was her response

Old car- she loved walking around in the truck bed
playing peekaboo

finding badybugs

Taylor and dada on the haystack

Punkins!

She discovered flowers all on her own!

Spotting balloons in the sky is very exciting

We just got back from a visit in Orlando to see my brother Wesley, who is 1st Lieutenant in the Marines. He was home on leave for a week to visit before he's being deployed to Afghanistan for the next 6-8 mos. We were really glad it worked out for us to fly home to see him. We are all very proud of Wes and his leadership and devotion to our country! He is ready and excited to go of course like all Marines are! HOORAH! He will be in the Helman province while he's there- doing patrol on MRAPS. We will sure miss him while he's gone but we are so honored that our Wes is out there fighting the good fight. Please keep our him and his marines in your prayers- and our family as well.

And here in California, the only news is that I'm about 18 weeks along and we are pretty sure its a boy this time! We can't get the official ultrasound for a couple of weeks but we are pretty sure of what we saw when we took a sneek peek- and it wasn't the "hamburger" situation that we saw with Taylor's ultrasound. SO we will keep you posted when we "officially" find out that its a BOY!

so cute

2009-09-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

My friends Kim and Christine from Orlando just opened a new business and they sent Taylor the cutest birthday package! Thank you sweet friends!

Taylor is 1 !!

2009-09-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

Our Sweet Girl had her 1st birthday recently! My parents came for a visit over her bday week and we took her to the zoo for the first time. We had her bday party right after our family breakfast. I made her a rainbow cupcake and let her go to town with it. She was hilarious as she shoveled into her mouth without stopping to breath. I think she was really afraid I would take it away from her!

Its hard to believe we have a toddler now. Shes becoming more and more independant these days..wanting to use the spoon herself, walking EVERYWHERE, and of course pointing out her food preferences especially when its something sweet. We are also hearing Taylor try and repeat what we are saying. Her newest words are banana, "look! theres an airplane!", and of course "Aleigh and A-ho" ( for our dogs raleigh and tahoe).

I did have a short cry on the night before she turned one. I'm sad she's not going to be my little baby much longer...of course then Mark reminded me that it was a good thing since I'll have another new baby to take care of in less than 6 mos!

Passys are her "thing" so among the many gifts she got, we wrapped up a box of new passies...as soon as she opened it she kept saying "ooooohh ooohh"

We celebrated Raleigh's bday the week before with a candle in the dog food...I think he was confused

Yeah, this party hat lasted all of 2 seconds

the Taylor toddle

2009-09-02T19:38:00.000-04:00

We caught a little girl cruising around the house.

Ellis Party of 6

2009-08-29T20:16:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess we'll be changing our blog name in the near future! Yes, we are pregnant again due on March 25th! I'm nearing the end of my first trimester now. I actually found out the day that Mark drove away from Orlando with the moving truck. We figure that God must be up to something with timing like this! But we are very excited to have a new little sister or brother for Taylor Grace. She'll be a great big sis I can already tell. I'm feeling pretty good now but I've had a little bit of morning sickness this time which I had'nt had with Taylor. So, we are wondering if its a boy this time. We've been to the doctor and gotten an ultrasound and the little peanut already had sweet little fingers and toes. Taylor has NO idea what is about to hit her of course. We are just loving on her and trying to enjoy the time with Taylor by herself. She is almost fully walking now although she chooses to crawl when she needs to get somewhere fast. But she's really growing fast now.. we're almost completely off the bottle, switched to milk and on to sippy cups now. Knowing I'm going to have another baby in the spring is overwhelming at times, when I look at Taylor and she still seems so small and young...but now that she's walking and learning to talk I think I have a big girl on my hands now....and she'll be a help to me later I hope. So, if you have any advice on how to prepare a 1 1/2 year old for a new baby bring it on!

Yosemite....our backyard ( well sort of)

2009-08-29T19:42:00.000-04:00

Mark, Taylor and I had a chance to hop over to Yosemite National Park for a few days last week. It is absolutely gorgeous there! Unfortunately the waterfalls were dry because its the summertime...but we were not disappointed with the breathtaking views of Half dome and El Capitan! Mark and taylor hiked together in the new Kelty backpack I got Mark for father's day. And lucky for me I only had to carry snacks and water. :) We had a great time and Taylor had a ball in the great outdoors. A mama deer and her two babies crossed our trail about 12 feet from us and Taylor got really excited! I think she thought they were doggies but oh well she did see them...and well they do kind of look like our dogs. We did see a baby black bear too crossing the road one night.

After we left we found out there had been a big rock slide later in the day and the park service had to evacuate part of the Valley..Thank you Lord that we were not there at the time! We're slowly beginning to explore around California. I guess everyone makes their sacrifices in order to live in this beautiful state. We're finding that most of those sacrifices invlove finances...its costs money to do EVERYTHING here! But we are taking it all in stride. We know God has a plan and an adventure for us here for the time being. And when we've seen and done it all this year we'll move along. We've found a great church with lots of activities for families. We've even made a few friends already! So, life is starting to normal out for the Ellis family here...even though we miss family and friends terribly.

I posted a few pics from our trip below. Theres more posted on our facebook page...its so much easier to upload photos to facebook for some reason. So if you have a facebook acct and you are not our friend let me know and I'll add you so you can see more...if you arent on facebook...get one and we can be friends.

Taylor and Mark hiking up Yosemite falls....it was bone dry

Tunnel View of El Capitan and Half dome

Mama and Taylor at Lake Tenaya

BIG Pine cone

Californians

2009-08-17T23:39:00.000-04:00

We've been in Cali for almost a month now. Its hard to believe we actually made it here in one piece. We had lots of "snafus" you could say during the moving process but we're finally moved in and settled down for a bit anyway. Mark's family drove our Tahoe here and were here to help us for a week, which was soooo great. Mark has already traveled to MT for a conference in wilderness medicine. While he was away David, my brother, came for a week to visit and help with Taylor. Since our family has left its been very quiet and lonely here. Mark has worked a few shifts and I spend alot of my days chasing Taylor around and of course letting the dogs in and out of the house. We did manage to get a short hike in last week. There are parks and hiking EVERYWHERE here! Its amazing! We're planning to spend a few nights in Yosimite Natl Park next week and do some more hiking before it gets chilly here. Speaking of the weather...I'm a total weather nerd and the weather here is BORING. I know I shouldnt complain but we're talking 55-85 degrees everyday!!! NO clouds, no rain, no nothing! We dont even get the ominous fog that the nothern bay area gets daily. I never realized how much I need that weather action.
But on the flipside you can do almost any outdoor activity any day you want and you know you wont get too hot, too cold, or wet. So, I think I should be happy.
We've found a great church, Menlo Park Presbyterian, which is very contemporary and very kid-friendly. I've already met a potential friend there and we're trying to set up a coffee date this week.
Mark is getting used to the Stanford system and we're both loving the 8 hr shifts! I see him so much now! Not much else to report. We're still praying for our house in Orlando to get rented.
I've made a few goals for myself this year....I'm going to learn to be a fabulous cook and I'm going to attempt to make at least 1 quilt. I ordered an easy amy butler pattern and fabric so we're see. I'm not crossing my fingers but I really want to try. I hope I dont get too frustrated.
I'll take some pics of the house soon and post them!

Almost walking!

2009-08-17T23:23:00.000-04:00

We are only a month away from Taylor's 1st birthday and she will definitely be walking by then! This video was from last week when she first started taking a few steps. Since then she has really been improving and practicing her walking skills. She's very proud of herself too!

June

2009-06-28T09:37:00.001-04:00

Here are some pics from June. Our sweet girl is really growing up. She's pulling up on everything and she attempts to stand on her own. She loves to be the center of attention of course. Loves to sing and has figured out how to "dance" when music comes on.

June has been a busy month for us for sure. We are busily packing for California and getting all the details in order. We did find a really neat, ecletic home in Redwood city which is about 15min North of Stanford University. We ended up renting a house on almost an acre at the top of a large hill so our home overlooks the bay in two directions. The dogs will have a blast there I'm sure! Our official leave date is July 15th. But between here and there we are going to visit family in NC, Mark's parents are coming to help, My grandmother came for a week visit, and I have our family's girl beach trip. So, we are really busy right up until we leave. Its exciting to think about going somewhere new for a while but at the same time its so sad to leave family and friends and a generally comfortable life here in Orlando. Many tears have already been shed saying goodbye to people. But I know God's got a plan for us and I'll just trust in that for now.

Pulling daddy's hair
She LOVES grass (not the 4:20 kind)

Taylor learning to walk

2009-06-09T23:15:00.000-04:00

I bought Taylor Grace a new walker "shopping" cart. I was filming her when she discovered she can use it to walk by herself!

Taylor learning to walk 2

2009-06-09T22:55:00.000-04:00

Taylor crawling for the first time

2009-06-09T21:04:00.000-04:00

This is an older video but she crawled for the first time April 24th 2009

DISCLAIMER

2009-05-01T23:09:00.000-04:00

So, heres my disclaimer....Please do NOT listen to me on these videos below. Ever since I've become a parent it seems I've turned into a total dork. I discovered this when playing back all the videos I recorded. I'm pretty sure I dont speak in my regular, God-given tone of voice anymore. Its all turned into high pitched squeaks and noises to get Taylor to laugh. I'm sure Mark wonders what happend to his wife because everyone knows that men DO not have this happen to them. Well, not my hubby anyway. So, as you watch just know its all for Taylor and yes, I realize that truly I am the dork I've always wondered I was. Maybe every first time parent feels this way?

2009-05-01T22:46:00.000-04:00

Crawling!!!! Taylor officially crawled this past week on April 24th. She's kind of still working on her groove but she certainly gets where she wants to. Mark managed to get some footage of her trying to crawl. Its been about a week since then and shes improved so much! She's such a big girl now!

How we typically clean up

2009-05-01T22:32:00.000-04:00

SO when we are finished eating...this is usually how we clean up. Everyone is happy this way.

Videos

2009-05-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

This video is actually from a while ago, but she was just learning to eat baby food. I think she's about 5 months here. She was sooo hungry.

randoms

2009-04-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

Easter Beach trip

2009-04-29T21:22:00.000-04:00

We took a trip to the Beach after Easter Sunday services. It was a gorgeous day! Taylor loved the sand and loved to wiggle her toes around in it. She wasnt a huge fan of the water but we managed to get a few good pics of her anyway. She is now trying to figure out how to crawl! I can't believe it my baby girl! We actually got a great video of ther crawling and scooting so we'll post that as soon as we can find the cable to upload it on the computer. She's also found her voice and LOVES to talk and babble around especially when we are in public places where she can get Lots of attention. She's figured out a little trick , She thinks that a fake cough will get my attention..so whenever I'm engaged in a conversation or on the phone I usually here a small little "agh agh" to get me to turn my attention to her. Its hilarious! I'll try and get that on video too. On another note we are slowly starting to box up the house for our move to California in July. We've put our house on the rental market and we're starting to look online for a place near Stanford. I know the Lord wants us to go there if even for a short time...its definitely a leap of faith that I have to take daily when I think about it. I'm glad we have wonderful family and friends to get us through California. Anyone who wants to visit...come on !!!

First Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T15:49:00.000-04:00

Taylor's Anti-Climactic Roll

2009-04-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

Big news in the Ellis house!! Taylor is now sleeping through the night!!!!! I had my wisdom teeth out last wednesday ( which has been a nightmare) and so Mark sent me to stay at mom and dads for a couple of nights. We decided since I was out of the house that daddy and Taylor would go through what we call "Baby boot camp". She's getting close to 7 months and she was sleeping much better but we were still getting up several times a night. After talking with the pediatrician, he suggested that we go ahead and sleep train her for three nights. Since we're getting nearer to the separation anxiety stage he thought it best to teach her to self-soothe. I have been somewhat opposed to this method, myself, for a while but I was willing to try it for three nights only. Mark said she did wonderfully with little protest...and I'm soo happy to report that after three nights Mark and Taylor did it!!!! She slept the entire night without a peep last night!! I know that there will most likely be more nights when she will be up but I know she can do it! I'm so proud of her and I'm so thankful to Mark for taking it for Team Ellis.

This has been great timing because I've been on pain meds all week and it looks like I'm back to the oral surgeon on Monday. I may have a complication that they need to fix...which has put me out for the weekend and maybe some of next week too. Yuck. I know it cant go on forever though.

Heres another video:

Taylor rolled over for the first time a couple of months ago...but of course every time I get my video camera out she will not perform for me. I have NO idea where she gets this from since I'm pretty sure neither mark nor I were ever camera shy. So I finally got her rolling over although she doesn't really want to you'll be able to tell in the video.

Taylor listening to herself (February)

2009-03-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

This one is funny- its one of the first times Taylor started to hear herself talking. We were at a Superbowl party in Houston with our good friends Callie and Chris...so I'm sure she felt the need to compete for attention!

2009-03-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

This a picture I snapped of Mom with Aunt Betty Lou and Uncle Tom the last time I was there visiting. I just liked it...I promised them no more pics on the internet without warning...so sorry. It just reminded me of summertime with the colors and everything. I had to post it.

mom and baby

2009-03-26T23:01:00.001-04:00

This one was taken right after my mom got hit with a bicycle on the beach. The beach was EMPTY and there was plenty of room but the girl plowed right into my mom, knocking her clear across the sand- and my VERY expensive camera went crashing to the ground. I know she got hurt a little but we both were laughing hysterically. I basically had to post it for mom- so we can always remember and have a good laugh about that moment.

My sweet girl

2009-03-26T23:00:00.001-04:00

She is the spitting image of her daddy

2009-03-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why the quality is funny but I thought it was a cute video...of course I did! They are all cute...not that I'm biased or anything :)

2009-03-23T00:11:00.000-04:00

So I'm having one of those days...and yes I'm going to vent on this blog- I'm wondering where all my time goes? I don't have a job outside my home, I don't volunteer for anything, I have some friends but I'm not a social butterfly....I'm not working out "really", not currently in a bible study or anything like that. YET...I feel like I have NO TIME..and there's so much to be done. I need to do the laundry, need to do a grocery list, need to clean out cars, rooms, closets, bathe dogs, shape up, cook, photo albums....update blogs and keep up with friends and family. BUT I cannot find enough time in my day????What is wrong with me? At what stage does my "Inner Martha Stewart" (as my friend Callie says)come out?
All I want to do all day is stare at Taylor Grace and make her laugh. My days consist of making high pitched noises, silly faces, and peek-a-boo tricks just to get a giggle. My day is consumed with her and dont get me wrong, I LOVE IT! There is nothing I'd rather be doing all day. I just am amazed that I can neglect all the things that "need to be done" and just be with her. I feel like its the right thing to do, I know in my heart its right. I mean she's growing so fast and I'll never have this time back! But sometimes I think how in the world can I function when I have more than one child, or one more than that.....and so on and so on. Maybe its a new mom thing or maybe I'm just weird but I just wanna say I've noticed it .

Hungry girl

2009-03-21T01:09:00.000-04:00

We used to call Taylor Grace " our little shark" when she was hungry. She used to make all these sweet little baby grunts and noises to let us know she was ready to eat. Well , things have changed ALOT around here. This was a major sign she was ready for solids. She's been on solids about 3 weeks. But she is a hungry girl thats for sure!

Videos!!!

2009-03-21T00:59:00.000-04:00

Hey all! We are still learning how to use our camera and upload things but this is the first time Taylor laughed at peekaboo- we are in Telluride in this video last January so she's 3 months. As you can imagine she's much bigger now!

6 months I can't believe its here!

2009-03-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

Taylor at 6 months-Cocoa Beach March 2009

Taylor and Grandpa

First steps in the freezing Atlantic!!She pulled her feet up under her after this shot

Trying to get a feel for the sand

I think she's gonna keep her dark blue eyes

My Taylor Grace is 6 months old now!!! She is now sitting up on her own and reaching for everything in sight! She is such a busy body too- no more cuddling and sweet hugs for momma! She loves to wiggle and climb around! Her favorite toys now are the tv remotes and pretty much anything she can get into besides her toys. Today I spotted two front teeth cutting through! My girl is growing so fast! Our lives are so blessed by our baby girl! I can be completely exhausted, feeling horrible and in a foul mood..but if my sweet girl smiles or laughs everything negative dissolves instantly. How do babies have the power to do that? Anyway the rest of the Ellis clan is doing well. Its already mid March and we are trying to work out details for our move to California in July. We are hoping to rent our house and then find someone out in Cali who would be willing to rent to people with two 70 lb "horses"(aka vizslas)...I know I wouldn't. We are trying to trust in the Lord for all the little details mostly because there are just too many of them to count.

On a deeper topic, lately I've been thinking about the importance of prayer. I feel like when my life gets busy thats the first thing that goes out the window. In some ways I feel like I pray all day long...like a continuous prayer that flows from my heart, mind, and thoughts....but when my life is crazy and my schedule full I'm sad to say that prayer is the last thing on my mind. What is so hard about it I wonder? When its crazy I probably need prayer the most...and how can I grow a relationship with someone if I never make time to spend with them. So, Mark and I have been trying to take some steps to be more disciplined in that area. So say a prayer for us if you think about it....I think a deeper prayer life is going to be crucial in these next transitional months especially.

On a different note...we figured out our video camera stuff and we'll be posting videos!!! I'll get those on next but for now these pics above are from the last trip to the beach to visit Uncle Tom and Aunt Betty Lou. This time the wind wasnt so cold...but we did have a funny story about mom getting hit by a girl on a bicycle....ha ha she was ok though

first trip to the beach

2009-02-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Last week Mom, Taylor Grace, and I drove to Cocoa beach to visit my aunt Betty Lou and Uncle Tom who are here for the winter from NC. We decided to take Taylor out on the beach for the first time. It was a bitter cold evening which made for some great facial expressions. All in all we spent maybe 2 minutes out there...just long enough to get a few pics and then we whisked her up and out of the cold wind. We'll have to try again on a warmer day.

These past few weeks have been milestone markers. She's 5 1/2 months now and she just started solids....she LOVES it!!! So I'm sad that this marks the beginning of the end for breastfeeding but I'm happy she's enjoying it all.....now I can just think about having another one :)

Also she rolled over for the first time for her daddy. She only rolls for him I dont know why? AND she's transitioned into her own crib> I have to take a pause to wipe tears..shes growing WAAAAY too fast!

Her newest trick

Uncle Tom and Taylor

Aunt Betty Lou and Taylor

This one is kinda scary

Taylor's first time touching sand

check out this face!

I love this girl!!!!

Its a Taylor parade around the country!

2009-02-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

We are back in the swing of things after our month spent in Telluride! I have never appreciated the Florida sun like I am now after being in the bitter cold for 4 weeks! Our drive took us almost a week, which included stops to visit friends and family along the way. We joked that it was a "Taylor parade" from December thru Jan stopping to visit nearly everyone in the family that we could to meet our baby girl. She slept almost the entire drive from Florida to NC. Then NC to TN...from TN to Amarillo, Texas ( where we spent the night ...it happened to be on our 5 year anniversary ) Only truckers spend their anniversary in Amarillo. Then all the way to Telluride. It was a dream because she only ended up waking every three-four hours to eat , then she was asleep again. So being a month older, on our drive home we were a bit nervous how she'd do...but we are happy to report she slept almost the entire way from CO to FL as well! The Lord is good! Here are some pics of Taylor Grace meeting her great grandmothers. We have still yet to meet Mark's Grandma Lee , who lives in Seattle now. We are planning a visit there this summer hopefully once we get out to the west coast.

Taylor and Grandmo

Taylor and Nana and Audrey( Mark's cousin)

We had a wonderful time visiting with all our family. I have felt so blessed that both Mark and I come from strong families who truly love one another. I'm finding more and more that close families are a rare thing. I'm so thankful that Mark and I had a great example to model after...and our kids have multiple generations to look back on and see the legacy from which they came. On a side note...I have been excited and feeling like the Lord is doing a new thing with my family. It seem He's stirring things up a bit...drawing people closer to Himself. I wonder what is in store for all of us as a famliy and individually. So, for now I pray for my loved ones and expect that God is working.

hello from Telluride

2009-01-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Hello from Telluride Colorado!!! We are here in this quaint ski town for the month of January. Mark is working on researching High Altitude sickness at the Institute for Altitude medicine. We've been here for about two weeks and we are in heaven!!! It is so gorgeous here nestled between the mountains. Our condo has a beautiful view of the snow capped San Juan Mountains Our friends Chris and Callie came to visit with their 10 month old Carson ( who is adorable) this week. We finally got a chance to hit the slopes this week with our friends. The girls and guys switched off watching the kids and skiing and it worked out great! Although I'm finding that skiing is much harder after being pregnant- I'll work up to it though. Our little Taylor has started talking so much - no real words of course but certainly she speaks her opinions. She has started grabbing things and really concentrating on smaller objects. We can make her laugh very easily now. She's going to be 4 months tomorrow! I'm still in awe of how fast she's developing! She's fascinated with everthing she sees- especially the television I hate to admit! We are looking forward to seeing more friends as they visit- if you are reading this and feel the last minute need to ski come on over!!! We have a 3/2 condo with plenty of room we would love more company! More pics soon!

Me on the slopes

Thats our view from our condo- we're out on the town for dinner

Chris, Callie and Carson- some of our best friends

Callie and I before our first day skiing-

Miss Taylor and I on the gondola

2008-12-16T02:12:00.000-05:00

I just found out about picasa--- i love it- you can retouch anything!

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!!!

2008-12-16T01:15:00.000-05:00

Taylor Grace is soon to be a California girl! Mark and I found out we are moving to Palo Alto, California this summer! Mark got his fellowship position at Stanford University as the wilderness medicine fellow for 2009-2010. I have to brag on my husband for a moment- I am sooo proud of him!! There are only a couple of spots each year to be a wilderness fellow and he was offered two positions!!! He has worked very hard and thought long and hard about wanting to go into the wilderness field. He will be doing research and traveling all over the country and maybe out of the country. He'll also be teaching stanford medical students and will work in the hospital there too! Its going to be a great year of growth for us all! Thank you all for praying for us. We are so relieved and excited to know the direction God has called us to...at least for the next year. It is only a year position so we will do something different after the year is over. I'm very sad to leave my family and my friends here but we dont know where we will end up later down the road and I hope the stay close with friends and come back to be with my family often. More than sad I'm excited for the adventure coming up and proud for Mark. If anyone knows friends for us in Palo Alto let us know!
We wont be leaving until July and we're still praying about details like what to do with our home here, how to get to CA, and where we will live. But we are trusting in the Lord to provide the details. He's always faithful so I have to believe that He cares about those things in our life. So thats the big news here- oh and Mark's 30th b-day is this week! Its been a wonderful year!

3 months!!!!

2008-12-16T01:02:00.000-05:00

Sweet Taylor Grace is 3 months now! She has been all smiles and has started laughing too! Her newest thing is that she loves to sit upright and be involved in everything we are doing. We bought her a Bumbo seat to help her strengthen her back and neck. I can tell she feels like a big girl when she's in it.

This picture is with Santa at Dr. Silvestri's Christmas party! I don't think she ever looked at Santa one time but he still gave her a kiss and a present! Its been fun having a baby to bring with you to parties. There is always a fun and easy conversation piece and mom and dad get a break since everyone wants to hold her all night. She's been a pretty relaxed baby so far so its been easy to bring her to all the holiday events and happenings. She must get it from her daddy :)

Still loves to chew on her hands all day! She's getting sooo big now - her legs are growing very long she loves to be standing upright and looking around. I know I say this every time but I cant believe how quickly time goes and how babies grow miraculously fast-its been so amazing to watch her change daily.

2008-12-07T13:51:00.000-05:00

We are coming up on 12 weeks tomorrow!!! I can hardly believe it! We are starting to see Taylor's little personality come out now too. Its so sweet- she talks the day away now and makes her "O" sounds and "coos". She is alot more smiley lately and seems to recongnize faces. She has definitely got an infatuation with her hands as well. They are constantly in her mouth and she can spend hours staring at them. We have some pics we are editing to post soon but here are a few of her in her bunny towel after her bathtime.

Taylor and daddy at a Christmas party last night. She is still the spitting image of Mark. I love it! My beautiful daughter got her good looks from her daddy for sure!

2 month and other news

2008-11-28T10:24:00.001-05:00

hey all. we've been terrible about updating, but decided we'll do a minimum of once a week or more. sorry if you'd been checking without any updates. here's a few snapshots in her new little hoodie. taylor's smiling a lot now and starting to be more interactive. she's got down hooking her passie with her finger and yanking it out to an art form. we got our 2 month shots a little early since we're going to be in colorado during the 4 month shots. so we'll have a merry christmas with sore little baby legs. she continues to eat well and hit the 90% for weight at her 2 month visit. all is well thus far.

Ellis Updates!

2008-11-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I've posted- so be sure and scroll down since I put lots of more recent pics up. Well- Taylor will be 8 weeks on Monday! I can hardly believe how fast she is growing. We had our 2 month visit at the pediatrician today and found out she weighs 12lbs and 4 oz- putting her somewhere between 85-90th percentile- we dont know for sure since she's not quite 2 months. Shes a BIG girl! We got her first series of vaccinations too and she did great. I'm pretty sure it was harder on Mark and I than it was on Taylor. I did have to shed a few tears when they pricked her though. She has found her hands and she sucks on them to soothe herself now ( hopefully that wont last too long). Also she's discovered her tongue and has progressed from grunts and noises to little coos and more purposeful talking. Its so neat to watch her learn about herself and the world around her.

On a non-baby note Mark and I are praying about our next step in life. Please pray with us too-Mark will be finished with residency this summer. We are applying now to a bunch of different wilderness medicine and EMS fellowship programs all over the US. This more than likely means another move for us somewhere far away from family- maybe even as far as California. Mark will be interviewing in the next few weeks and we'll probably know more by the end of the year. The next move could be soo crucial to Mark's career and fulfilling his dreams and for that I am thrilled! I am also sad and unsettled to think about moving in a time when the economy stinks, we've just made close friends, and of course leaving my family.

As much as it hurts me to think about moving away from my parents- I know God is sovereign and I'm just trying to trust that. I've been meditating on this verse in Philipians 4 for a couple of weeks-

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again REJOICE!Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about these things. Whatever you have learned or recieved from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

This tells me I not only need to trust in the Lord's plan for my life- but I need to focus on the truth of His character. He cares about the details of the Ellis household. He is always faithful, and even though he doesnt promise life to be easy- He is always there in the struggles. And I am trying to focus also on the sweet and lovely things He's got in store for me and my family- rather than the scariness of a move, or the sadness of leaving loved ones. The Lord has never failed me - and thats what is giving me hope and keeping me joyful. Of course having a sweet newborn to take care of helps to perk me up too! Anyway please pray with us so we can be wise and discern what we should do. Thats the end of my ramblings. More pics to come soon!

Baptism November 2nd

2008-11-06T18:45:00.000-05:00

Taylor Grace was baptized and marked as Christ's own on November 2nd at St. Philips Anglican church. It was an awesome day! Great service, a killer sermon, and my dad got to baptize his first grandchild! She wore the christening gown that both Mark and Elaine wore at their baptisms -it was very sweet. AND- My little chatterbox decided to be silent for the entire service. She slept through the whole thing except when she was baptized she decided to wake up f0r a few moments. She did great. We are very proud parents! We got a few good pics from the service but for some reason they all turned out redder than normal. Anyway here are a few of the better ones.

Halloween

2008-11-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

Little pumpkin

2008-11-06T18:31:00.001-05:00

This week Taylor smiled for the first time on October 22nd! I am ruined forever because of course my days are now spent trying to see that gummy grin over and over. She smiles the most in the morning especially after a diaper change. I love this girl so much! Its amazing how I can stare at her and talk to her all day. So many things have changed for me since she came- its ALL about her!

So she was still too young to take her to a germy pumpkin patch- we decided to bring a mini patch to her. So we set it all up and of course she decided she was not going to be happy! I think these pics are cute though so I posted them anyway.

Mark's family's visit

2008-11-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

Aunt Elaine and Taylor

Mark's dad (Grandad) and Taylor

Taylor 6 weeks old

She loves to play on her activity mat- she's attempting a smile!

Mark's mom ( Nana) and Taylor

One Month!!!

2008-10-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

It was difficult to get her to look at the camera for this pic

Our Taylor Grace is one month already! The time seems to have flown by even with the sleepless nights and days spent at home. We are treasuring every minute of parenthood so far! It is definitely a huge responsiblity and a lot of hard work ( though I'm sure we're still in the babymoon stage) but it has been the most precious thing that has ever happened in my life for sure!

We've finally reversed her nights and days!!! yay! She has lots of awake time in the day which is getting to be lots of fun for both of us! She follows voices around the room and has started to interact alot more when I talk to her. Its almost like each day the world unfolds a little more just for her . We are waiting for that smile- we've thought we've seen it a few times but I know its just around the corner.

I think she's gonna keep her blue eyes like her daddy!

Every morning Taylor and I sit in the glider and listen to our Baby Einstien World of Animals dvd ( Thank you Donna and Jill!) don't know what she can see right now but it definitely intrigues her for a good 20 min. I think she likes the noises and songs- mommy likes it too.

tummy time pics

2008-10-11T17:32:00.000-04:00

sorry about the delay in posting. we took a bunch of pictures and just hadn't put any up. we thought we'd show you a few tummy time pictures. taylor's holding her head up well and working hard to climb over the pillows....rocking back and forth. i guess we should get some video because its pretty funny with her continuous talking while she's doing it.

i guess we'll have to have that talk about open mouth kissing a little earlier than i expected.

First bath and other fun pics

2008-10-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

This is the time we gave Taylor a bath. We quickly realized its pretty drafty in the kitchen over the sink so we've now moved the baby bathtub to the bathroom tub. She did very well and almost seemed to enjoy the warm water.

Mark will not be happy with this picture- but mommy and Taylor played dress up today and I could not resist posting this picture! The bow is a bit large I know!

2 weeks old!!

2008-10-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

Our sweet girl is already 2 weeks old!!! Her look changes all the time too. We went to the pediatrician this week and she is now a healthy 8lbs and 11 oz and she's now 21.5 cms in length. So we are off to a great start so far. Mark and I are pretty sleepy though since we 've been trading turns with her at night. She was a night owl in the womb so we've just started working to reverse her body clock- or at least we are trying to anyway. She's a sweet baby though and she loves to talk and make noises all day long. So far I can see alot of Mark in her facial expressions which has been really fun!

watchful eye

2008-09-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

i'm not sure who's watching who

Taylor Grace is One week!!

2008-09-24T11:35:00.001-04:00

Taylor turned one week old this week! I cannot believe how incredibly fast her looks change. She is a sweetheart and loves to talk and make lots of noises when shes awake. Mark is back to work now and we are trying to get adjusted with the new "norm" of life. The dogs love her already and seem to have a sense that she is fragile . They are curious about her and want to kiss her all the time but are still respectful and keep their distance for the most part. Whenever she wakes from a nap both Raleigh and Tahoe feel the need to let me know.

uncles & more random

2008-09-21T20:37:00.000-04:00

real uncle david

real uncle wes home from north carolina

tuckered out from a full day of constantly checking on the baby

small baby, huge carseat.....first trip out to the pediatrician's office

proud mama at pediatrician's office.

not too sleepy. and back to birthweight already on day 4

first visitors and more first days

2008-09-20T16:57:00.000-04:00

aunt kim says hello

aunt susie

aunt kat

a loving brother...or
curious amazement...or
waiting for a nibble

grandpa

keeping a real close eye on her yellow face
(ok, not so close) i'm just resting my eyes

obi ready for a diaper change

First few days and Labor story

2008-09-20T00:26:00.000-04:00

first car ride

anyone want to check a pulse on that kid?

A bunch of people have been asking about our labor and delivery so here is a brief synopsis of the BIG day...

Mark and I arrived at the hospital at 11am for our scheduled induction. We got to the Labor and Delivery room around noon. By 1:00 the doctor had come in and broken my water to start some contractions. Next they started my pitocin drip which kicked up the contractions to the maximum- which then led me quickly asking for that wonderful epidural. The epidural was a dream and it was smooth sailing from there- no pain, no pressure...no problem. They checked me again at 2:30 and I had progressed from 3cm to 9 cm in a hour's time!!! We were stunned at how quickly it all went. I started pushing around 4:25pm and we had our baby girl at 5:07pm!

Taylor Grace Ellis arrived weighing 7lbs 9oz and she was 19.5 inches long. We had a wonderful labor experience-we could definitely feel the prayers of our friends and family with us! We are doing great now at home. Taylor has already been to see the pediatrician and she checked out healthy and already back to her birthweight after only 4 days!!! She's a hungry girl! We are completely in love with her and feel so blessed!

first pics of taylor

2008-09-15T21:54:00.001-04:00

happy baby

after her first bath

family photo

proud obi (grandma)

first look

first kiss

IKE UPDATE...

2008-09-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

We have been glued to the television the past few days watching hurricane Ike target our hometown of galveston, texas. As much as I love hurricane coverage...it has been very difficult watching places you know and love be destroyed. Mark's parents and sister evacuated to San Antonio and are safe but they don't know when they will be able to return home to assess the damage to their homes. We are very saddened at the devestation that happened and also thankful that it wasn't worse. I hear there are boats strewn about I-45 and some of the roads in town buckled making it impossible for officials to let residents back to the island. Its unbelievable to watch on tv. We are praying for those who are stuck there and stuck off the island worrying about their homes. In all the years I've been living back and forth between Texas and Florida I have been lucky enough to miss all the major storms that hit both states. I cannot imagine it being very fun to actually go through a hurricane, the summer storms we get here are enough to send me into a spin! Anyway I will keep the blog updated as we get info on our family's property.
Other big news...of course I'll be a mommy tomorrow. This has been one of the strangest weekends of my life between Ike and knowing I'll be birthing a child in the next 24 hours. We are so excited and ready. My emotions are running high of course feeling excited, anxious, nervous, but overall just READY. Its not supposed to be like this...its supposed to be spontaneous and unplanned and labor is supposed to start and I wont be able to do anything about it. BUT...I guess I'm already learning lessons in parenthood...sometimes things dont go exactly as planned and thats OK. So, prayers are much appreciated for tonight that we would be able to sleep and enjoy our last night as a free couple ( for a while anyway)..and of course for tomorrow. we will do our best to update with pictures and info when she's born. I am supposed to go in at 11am and will most likely have papers to sign and things should get rolling in the early afternoon. If things go fast I'll have our Taylor Grace after dinnertime...and if slower then hopefully by midnight! We'll keep you posted! We love you all!

I'm due today!!! But so is Ike

2008-09-12T12:20:00.001-04:00

So, I've officially hit 40 weeks today! I got my labor and delivery orders from the doctor today. I would love love love to meet my baby girl this weekend but I decided to have a talk with her and I told her its ok to wait until Monday, since our eyes are all fixed on Texas as our hometown gets pummeled by hurricane Ike. I can't believe chief meteorologist Jim Cantore is standing in Galveston right now! I've been watching all day and thats what I'll be doing all weekend. We are all very worried about our family and friends who live there. Mark's family evacuated but only 50% of the people on the island left...and they havent seen a storm like this decades....So, we'll be glued to the weather channel until Ike's fury passes through. Here at home I've just finished my last grocery shopping and now I'll finish the last few things on my to-do list. I can hardly stand the anticipation but I feel so much better knowing she will be here by Monday.

I'll be a Mommy by Monday Sept 15th!!!!

2008-09-11T13:52:00.000-04:00

Ok- so we got the call today! If our baby girl doesnt come on her own in the next couple of days my doctor will induce her this Monday! I'll go in on Mon at 11am and they will start the paperwork and pitocin drip in the early afternoon. They said if all goes normally I'll have her sometime before midnight on Monday!!! I am so happy to have a goal in sight now. Mark does have to work tonight thru sat night but he is off on Sunday and we will get one more date night together...if we can even stand the anticipation. Meanwhile this weekend our family all over Texas will be going through a major Hurricane....so it would be great if she waited until Monday so we can be sure and have phone contact with Mark's parents and sister. They all had to evacuate since they live on the coast...and Elaine in Houston. So, we'll be on pins and needles watching Ike and waiting for Taylor. The stress and excitement alone I guess could help me go early!!! Thats all the news for now. We'll be getting everything ready this weekend and I'll be a mommy for sure on Monday!!!! I cant belive it!

2 days until my 4th Trimester

2008-09-10T13:03:00.000-04:00

So...we are now two days until my due date and also when my fourth trimester begins. No one ever talks about going into the 4th trimester ( which I guess would not be a trimester...it would be a quad-mester or something like that)...but apparently its pretty common to go into your 40-41st week. We just got back from our dr. appt and they are trying to squeeze us in to be induced sometime between now and Sept 18th. So, we are anxiously awaiting a phone call to see when we can go to the hospital. They guestimated that she's between 7-8lbs so we're doing great on size...of course I'd rather push out a baby closer to 7lbs.....for now we are just trusting the Lord that she will come at the right time or that all the details will work out so that I can be induced on the right day with the right doctor. So....we will update as soon as we know our induction date! We should know in the next 48hrs...unless she decides to come on her own!

39 weeks...no Taylor Grace yet

2008-09-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

Hey- just wanted to give a quick update on my Doctor's appointment yesterday. I guess I've made a tiny bit of progress in the last week. I'm now at 3 cm and still 90% effaced....BUT Taylor has dropped to zero station which means she's completely engaged and now we are just waiting for some contractions and she should be on her way. The OB seemed suprised at how low Taylor is positioned in there. They said I'm in an excellent position to go into spontaneous labor and also I'm a great candidate for a nice induction (whatever that means). We are getting a little impatient now especially since I havent had too many good contractions yet....I've had some everyday but none that have really hurt or been really uncomfortable. Its hard since no one can really tell me what I will feel during a contraction...so its hard to tell the difference between real ones and false ones. Anyway so with all that being said, I have another appointment scheduled on Wed Sept 10th and if I havent had her by then the doctor will schedule an induction.
In other news my car is in the shop. It died on Monday afternoon outside a strip mall my mom and I went to. So we are getting it fixed and then we are planning on trading it this week for something else. We think Taylor might be holding out for her new car this week. So, for now we are trying to keep busy, watching the Republican Convention and Hurricane Ike...which could potentially hit around my due date ( its a category 4 now already!) 39 weeks tomorrow ....no Taylor Grace yet but we will keep you informed on any new info!

No,not yet

2008-08-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no new baby news yet!!! So, I guess I've got a lot of free time on my hands now. I've complete most of my tasks on my "get ready for taylor" list. Seriously I've stripped and washed our linens like three times in the past week. I dont know what else to do!!! So I'm updating again.... Its so weird that the entire pregnancy went by so fast and now in my last two weeks it seems to be creeping along. But one thing that has been really neat is that we have had booked evenings on the calendar for the past week or so....but for some reason every single time mark has had a night off our plans with friends have been cancelled or didnt work out due to different reasons. Which we are always bummed about - BUT we have had four impromtu date nights because of it!!!! Which is awesome since I've been kind of sad thinking about the Mark and Sarah time we will be missing for the few months after our sweet girl is born. I know we will both be so enthralled with her that we will be ok- but I know things will never be quite the same when we go out together. I'm sure we'll always have our children on our mind when we leave them....its so nice now since she's just with us all the time. Anyway I"m rambling....I"m glad to have all the conventions and the nasty hurricanes to keep me busy this week. I would love to have her over this weekend!!! Most of you know I'm obessed with hurricane coverage especially Jim Cantore on the weather channel...its my weird fixation, I know. So if Taylor could come during the landfall of one of the hurricanes I think I'll have some good entertainment while I'm bored in the hospital. Of course I dont want it to do any real damage especially to TX or LA. But a little drama might be nice. It will probably come here instead since I said that. Anyway ok- now i'm off to find something to scrub or dust again....hopefully I can just be busy with Taylor Grace soon!

update from the OB

2008-08-27T15:47:00.001-04:00

Well, this may be more info than some of you would care to know but I thought I'd pass along the update I got from my dr's appointment this morning. He checked me and so far I'm 2cm dialated, my cervix is around 90% thinned out and Taylor Grace is at a -1 station ! He said with just a little luck I'll probably go into labor before my due date. I am totally aware though that she could still hang on until the week of her due date. But I am thankful to know that my contractions and cramps have made some progress. I'm 38 weeks on friday and I'll be 39 at my next visit exactly so I'll hopefully know more next time. But dont be suprised if we start sending out calls and texts that we're headed to the hospital!!! It could be any day!