A Cornett family update!

Wow.... has it really been 8 months since my last post?  Well, I can assure you that the Cornett family has been as busy as ever these last few months.  I actually attempted to write a blog on January 6... but never got around to finishing it.  I have been wide awake since 4 am this morning.  I just finished watching a couple episodes of Downton Abbey, which I have become quite addicted to.  I am only on the first season, so don't give anything away ;)  It is now 6 am, so I thought, why don't I whip up a blog post before everyone gets up.  My goal is to work on this for the next 30 minutes, then take a shower.  If I'm lucky enough, I will be able to take a shower, get dressed and ready for the day, and do some laundry before the kiddos wake up.  So, let's get this started....

Here is what's happening in the Cornett family:

Let's start with little miss Sassy pants.  Also known as Ellie.  She has become quite the 2 year old.  It's hard to believe but, she will be 3 in less than a month.  I can't begin to tell you how crazy that is for me.  We are going to celebrate with a Sophia the First birthday party! Ellie is potty trained (Praise the Lord!), she just has to wear a pull up at night, but other than that she poops and pees in the potty on a VERY regular basis.  I honestly thought that day would NEVER come, but it has, and it's AWESOME!
Ellie will be starting preschool this fall.  We have looked at 4 different preschools.  I need to make a decision within the next few days, but I am so looking forward to her being able to learn and socialize with other kids for a couple days a week.  She has the sweetest spirit, very loving to everyone.  She spends most of her days making her sister laugh (and cry), but they absolutely love each other very much.
I'm so thankful that it is getting nice outside because Ellie loves loves loves being outside, and she needs it!!!  She doesn't take naps, (yes, it makes for a very very long day), and it is so hard for her to shut her brain off at night to fall asleep.  So, it's nice to be able to run her hard at the park during the day.  Ellie has had her fair share of illness's this season.  Our whole family has actually.  I don't think there has been a whole week where someone wasn't sick (and that is not an exaggeration)... this winter was bad for many families.
I took Ellie to her first movie last week.  We went to see a Veggie Tales movie.  It was free to the public and put on by one of the local Christian radio stations.  She was so cute in her little seat, and she had so much fun.
She goes to gymnastics every Monday, and I have to admit, she is actually pretty good.  She does a very good job following instructions and paying attention when she is supposed to.  It's so fun to see her doing something she loves, but also really good at.
Ellie loves playing with blocks, dolls, her kitchen... loves to read books, color, and paint.  She loves makeup, purses, and gum.  Just an all around beautiful little girl!!!

Next up we have the sweet little Graceyln Kaye... Gracie girl is what I like to call her, or Gracie Kaye.  This beautiful little girl is so full of life.  She has always been very easy going and mellow.  She has also been sick lately, so she has been more needy than normal (she has had 2 ear infections and she is teething, so I get it).  She is a little cuddle bug when she doesn't feel well, which I absolutely love.
Gracie spends her days chasing her big sister and eating anything in sight.  Girl loves to eat!!  She has been crawling for a few months, and is all over the place.  It wont be much longer and she will be walking.  She is pulling herself up, and she can stand up on her own.
Gracie loves ice cream.  In fact, she will cry when the bowl is empty.  It's actually really funny.
She does NOT like when something is taken away from her... she is an easy going baby, but she can throw a royal fit when needed.
Unlike her sister, Gracie loves to take naps, and knows when it's time for bed.  I am very thankful for a baby that sleeps.
She is getting lots of blonde hair, and I think it might be curly like her sisters.  So far it is pretty straight, but in the back it's pretty rough, and if I remember correctly, that is how Ellie's hair started out (Ellie has always had interesting hair... lol).
Gracie will be 1 years old in 1 month!! Soooo crazy!  We are going to have a birthday party for her at a park.  I can't wait to celebrate with friends and family.

Kenton and I are just busy with our jobs.  He is a manager at Starbucks and is going into Real Estate, soon hopefully.  I am busy taking care of our beautiful babies.  We do enjoy date nights from time to time.  We will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary next week.  What an amazing 5 years it has been!

I am going to try to be much better about writing blogs.  I'm not a very good writer, so it's hard for me, but I know that a lot of our family and friends enjoy reading my blogs... so thank you!

I need to be better about taking pictures, which I think I've said in every blog I've written. I hope you have enjoyed this update!

Summer Fun!

Wow.... it's been a while since I've posted a blog.  Life gets pretty busy with 2 little ones.  Ellie is her usual busy little 2 year old self.  Sweet and precious, but rotten as heck.  Many people have told me that age 3 is much harder then age 2.... if that's the case, the next 2 years will be the longest of my life.  Hahaha.  She isn't that bad.... but she has her moments a lot of the time.  I have to continually tell myself, "she is only 2 years old..."  Gracelyn on the other hand, is a little angel.  She is the easiest baby!!  Her and Ellie are complete opposites in personality but look so much alike.

Gracie can hold her up very well and will probably master rolling over very soon.  She is so happy, always smiling when she sees her mama.  She is a total mama's girl.  I could hold her all day if I could, but I've got another sweet thing to take care of too.  Gracie loves her fun play mat.  She likes to look at all the cute flowers and objects.  She still sleeps in a bassinet next to my bed, it won't be long till she sleeps in her big girl crib.... I'm in no hurry.  She does pretty well at night still.  She hasn't slept through the night yet, but she usually only gets up once.  It's been soooo nice to get to reuse all of Ellie's old clothes for Gracelyn.  Ellie has a ton of really nice clothes, so it's been a huge blessing.  Gracelyn is in 3 months and 3-6 month clothes.  She is right on track.  If I had to guess, I think she probably weighs between 12-13 lbs.  Growing so much!  In weight and personality.  I am so thankful for a sweet little baby like her.

We got back from a wonderful vacation to Cannon Beach, Oregon about a week ago.  I had never been, and I loved every minute of it.  It is such a beautiful place.  We went along with Kenton's parents and sisters family.  Kenton's dad Skip is retiring, and that was his retirement gift to us, haha :) We all had a blast!  Ellie had so much fun playing with her cousin Cassidy.  She got to experience sand and the ocean for the first time.  Gracelyn was pretty much along for the ride, but she too had a great time!

It's been such a hot summer, so we haven't spent a ton of time outside, just in the mornings... so the trip to the beach was a nice break from the heat.  We like to go to the park every morning, and on Wednesday's we go to story time at the library.  They sing songs and read a few stories, and Ellie absolutely LOVES it!  I am going to get her signed up for gymnastics hopefully by the fall.  It's really important to try and keep her as busy as possible!!

I hope you enjoyed this very brief update of the Cornett family.  Hope you enjoy some recent pictures....

Gracelyn Kaye

It's time I finally introduce to you our newest addition to our beautiful family.... Gracelyn Kaye Cornett was born on April 17, 2013 at 5:13 pm.  She weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and 18.5 inches.  She is absolutely beautiful and perfect.

Here is her birth story....

It started the day before her birthday.  I had a doctors appointment, and of course my weekly ultrasound on that Tuesday.  Now, most of you might think that getting an ultrasound every week would be fun.  It really wasn't THAT bad.. but I was ready, beyond ready to not have to get them any more.  Every week I had my amniotic fluid measured because I measured pretty low, and they wanted to monitor it.  Well, at this appointment I measured reallllly low.  They like the number to be at least a 6 or higher, without being too concerned, and I was measuring at a 4.  After my ultrasound, I had an appointment with my doctor.  I got back to the exam room and waited for maybe 2 minutes before the nurse came in and said he had to go deliver a baby.  She told me that everything looked fine, and that they would call me if they had any concerns.  At this point, I was thinking to myself... I'm not leaving until I get check out by a doctor, I didn't care which doctor.  She suggested to have one of the other doctors come in and check my cervix, and talk to me about my ultrasound, I agreed.  After about 15-20 minutes, one of the doctors from the clinic came in and basically said that I should go ahead and have my baby delivered.  He wanted to check my cervix to see if that was even a possibility.  The week before I was at 1 cm dilated... and it hadn't changed at all.  I wasn't a candidate for induction (which I couldn't be induced any way because I've had a previous c section).  He told me to come back in a couple days, have my fluid measured again, and go from there.  Let me also mention that baby wasn't breech anymore.  At my 36 week appointment I learned that baby had flipped... which shocked me!  LOL.  I had the opportunity to have a VBAC, which I was really hoping for.

After I met with the doctor, I got dressed and put my shoes back on, I was walking down the hall to checkout, and my doctor was just getting back from delivering a baby.  I was sooooooo glad to see him.  He had looked at my ultrasound before he went over to Labor and Delivery, so he really wanted to talk to me about what I should do.  I went with him to his office as we discussed my possible options.  He said that I could come back in a couple of days, and get checked again, and continue to do that, OR go ahead and schedule a c section for tomorrow, which was Wednesday.  I chose the c section.  Knowing my body, it would still be a couple more weeks before I would go into labor, and I didn't want to risk the health of my baby, just because I had the desire to deliver naturally... which I really really did.  My doctor would have supported me either way, but I think he was really wanting me to just have the baby delivered.  My c section was scheduled for Wednesday April 17 at 4:30.

The next day was a looonnng day for me.  I had to be at the hospital at 3:00, and couldn't eat anything passed 8:00 in the morning.  Yeah, that wasn't easy.  I could have clear fluids up until 2 hours before, but they really don't want you to drink a ton before surgery.  My in laws came into town around 1:00, so we visited with them for a little while before we went to the hospital.  I was soooo thankful to have them in town.  They were wonderful, and took care of Ellie the entire time we were in the hospital.  It was a huge blessing not to have to worry about her.  Three o'clock rolled around, and I was getting checked into the hospital.  I got an IV started, and answered a bunch of health related questions.  The baby's heart rate looked amazing, and I was ready to rock and roll.  Now remember, we still didn't know what we were having.... so we were sooo anxious to get back to the OR and see our baby.

It was finally time to go back to the OR.  I got a spinal, with morphine, which really takes you for a loop.  I slowly felt my legs go numb, then I knew it was time.  This c section was much more calmer than my previous one with Ellie.  I am so glad I was able to experience a birth without being scared to death.  It didn't take much time before they were ready to pull out the baby... and the first thing my doctor said was "well, hey there girlfriend."  I was sooooo excited to have another girl!  I was pretty convinced I was having a girl, Kenton thought we were having a boy.  They took her over to get cleaned up and Kenton told me to pick her name.  We were still deciding between 2 names.  I decided on Gracelyn Kaye.  Kenton got to hold her for just a couple of minutes, before they took her back to listen to her lungs.  It's pretty common for some c section babies to have a little respiratory distress because they don't go through the birth canal, which squeezes that gunk out.  I was all done and on my way to the recovery room and they were still trying to get her to breath better.  I, of course, started to cry at this point.  She had to go to the NICU for what seemed like forever, but was only about an hour/hour and a half.  They brought her back to the recovery room, and I finally got to hold my sweet baby girl.  She was just perfect.

Gracie looks so much like Ellie it's crazy.  They are going to be best friends when they get a little older, I can't wait.  Most people don't know where we came up with her name.  I was on a baby names website (I believe it was the social security website that give you a list of baby names in order of popularity).  Gracelyn was ranked like 460... which means it's not very common.  I actually had never heard the name before, but fell in love with it when I first saw it.  Kenton wasn't a fan at first, but came around to it after a while.  Kaye is my older sister's middle name, and my grandmother's middle name.  My grandma passed away very unexpectedly almost 2 years ago, so I wanted to use her middle name.  She was a very special lady.

 

A couple of weeks to go!

It is pretty crazy how fast time flies!  I guess trying to keep up with a 2 year old (in just a couple weeks) while being pregnant will make the days go by pretty fast.  Ellie is one busy little girl.  I don't know how many times I've said that, but it is so true.  Although she is a handful at times, she is a wonderful little girl and I am soooo blessed to be able to stay home with her.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  Ellie turns 2 years old in about 2 and a half weeks.  I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  She has been such a blessing to our sweet family.

Ellie is incredibly smart and shocks me every day with things that she has learned.  She knows the numbers 0-10.  She doesn't always count them in order... but she can tell you what number it is if you ask her. She knows all her letters of the alphabet.  Same thing, she doesn't always say them in the right order... but she can tell you what each letter is.  I think that is pretty good for a kid who isn't 2 yet.  She knows most basic colors and LOVES to color with her crayons.  One of her favorite activities are puzzles.  She has a few "Melissa and Doug" puzzles that she can't get enough of.

Ellie still loves to watch Barney.  She actually learns a lot from some of the shows, so I don't mind.  She loves to play "ring around the rosie", and she will play forever if you let her.  Needless to say "ring around the rosie" gets a little old after a while.  Lol.

Ellie has been doing so well sleeping in her big girl toddler bed.  She takes naps and sleeps well during the night.  She still likes to have one of us in her room as she is falling asleep... which is something we really need to work on, but other than that, she is doing great in her new bed!  As far as potty training goes, I have decided to really take my time with it.  At first, I wanted her to be close to potty trained by the time the baby came, but I really don't think it's that important to rush it on her.  She will get there eventually.  I have her sit on the potty a couple times a day, and that is about the extent of it right now.  She gets mad if we "force it," so I've learned to take my time.

Ellie has been to a few of my doctors appointments lately (I go in every week).  They have a fish tank in the office that she absolutely loves to look at.  Yesterday, once I drove into downtown off the connector, she immediately said "fishes in the water, fishes in the water."  I'm not exaggerating, she probably said it like 30-40 times.  It's crazy that she automatically knew we were going to the doctors office.  Probably because that is the only time I ever go downtown... lol.

Speaking of doctors appointments... I have just a couple weeks left!!  I am ready for this baby to come!  Baby is still breech, so I have a c section scheduled.  I had a c section with Ellie, so I know what to expect... although this time it wont be as hectic and scary.  I know there is a chance that the baby can still turn, but I have a HUGE feeling it won't.... which I'm fine with.

Kenton and I have agreed on names.  YAY!!  I love both our girl and boy name.  There really isn't much left for me to do, I think I've got everything ready to go.  I've been nesting quite a bit, and trying to rest as much as possible.

Hope you enjoyed this recent update of our little ones!

Baby closet... we are ready if we have a girl!  Grandma's are ready to go shopping if we have a boy! 

bath time! 

baby bed

Precious little girl.  

Big girl bed :) 

Ready for the easter egg hunt! 

wild hair

Look how many I found mom!! 

Talk to the hand... 

Beautiful girl 

I wish mom would stop interrupting me while I'm watching Barney

sassy girl! 

One of those nights...

It's been a long time (nearly 2 months) since I've written an update.  I am wide awake at 12:30 am, due to a fussy child, who is now sleeping next to me, so I figured since I am going to be up for a while, I might as well write a blog.  I don't sleep very well at all these days.  In fact, last night was the best night sleep I had gotten in such a long time... I can't remember the last time I slept so well.  I'm normally up a couple times during the night, and usually wide awake by 4 am, which for the most part, makes for a really tiring day.  I try not to take naps, and I stay up really late because that seems to help me.  However, I was in bed by 10 tonight, which is definitely not late enough, and here I am... wide awake!  That's ok though, I get to snuggle with my girl.  

I don't mind her sleeping in the same bed as us because it doesn't happen very often, and one day I am going to really miss it.  Lately, I've been emotional about how much I miss Ellie as a baby.  She is such a big girl now, and it makes me sad.  I really do enjoy her stage now, but I didn't treasure her baby period as much as I should have.  She grew way too fast for me.  Next year I'm sure I'll miss the stage she is in now, so I am going to do my best to really take in every little moment with her.  She is such a sweet blessing.  

I am currently 30 weeks pregnant.  WOW... I can't believe I've hit the 30's.  It has surely been a wild ride thus far.  This last week has been a test of faith.  I went in last Thursday for a normal check up.  I was scheduled to have an ultrasound to get pictures of the baby's spine, because during the anatomy scan we didn't get very good pictures of the spine.  Everything looked great as far as the baby's health was concerned.... however, they did notice that my amniotic fluid was measuring fairly low.  My doctor was a little concerned so she did an exam and had some tests done to make sure there was no leaking... tests came back negative, which was great news.  Next step, I had another ultrasound that day to check baby's growth and to make sure kidney's were working... again, everything looked just fine.  My doctor thought that I could have been dehydrated, so she sent me home and had me drink a ton of water.  I went back the next day to have my fluid measured, just to see if drinking a lot of water would help.  It measured the exact same as the day before.  I was sent to triage over in labor and delivery (for the second time that week, because a few days before all this, I hadn't felt baby move the ENTIRE day.... scary.  So I went in to make sure everything was good) to check the heart rate, and everything checked out ok.  I had to go back to triage Saturday morning and have the baby monitored again, and everything looked good then as well.  So Tuesday I had an appointment for another ultrasound, to measure fluid, and to check baby's movements and practice breathing.  Fluid had gone up a little bit, and baby looked great.  Yesterday (Thursday) I met with a high risk pregnancy doctor just to make sure nothing was being missed.  There still wasn't an explanation as to why I had low fluid, so my doctor just wanted to have me checked out by a specialist.  Everything looked good, fluid was up a little more and baby's growth looked great.  I don't have to go back to the specialist, which is a huge answer to prayer.  This week has taught me a lot about relying on the Lord for guidance, and asking others for prayer.  I know I had, and continue to have so many people praying for me and I am so so so so thankful for all of my prayer warriors.  

I don't know if any other couple experiences this... but picking out names really isn't very fun.  We have a general list of names that we like, but can't really agree on anything.  It can be really frustrating.  I'm just waiting for Kenton to say "honey, why don't you just pick the name." Wishful thinking???  In just a few short weeks, this baby will be here and he/she will have a name!!!  

Here are a few pictures from the last few months... 

Kristen and I showing off our growing bellies.  Both due in April.  

Cassidy and Ellie... cousins!

Pretty smiles! 

I love this little girl so much.  

Stinker wouldn't cooperate unless she had her flowers  :) 

Ellie, Nanny, and cousin Chase

Ellie and Papa, during his visit at Christmas.  

Ellie with her Papa and Mimi.  Picking her nose... lol

At the park.  She had just fallen off of the big kid swing, so she wasn't in the best mood... poor girl.  

I can't get enough of this sweet baby girl.

I hope you enjoyed a quick update of our family!  Going to try and get some sleep... after I take some tums, gotta LOVE heart burn!  

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!  It has been a very busy time for our family, as it has for many families this time of year.  In only a few more days, Ellie will be celebrating her 2nd Christmas.  Although it's still new to her, she is starting to grasp what all this Christmas stuff is about.  She loves to look at the lights on houses and our tree.. she points and says "lights! pretty!"  She knows who Santa is, and what his sleigh is.  She hasn't seen Santa yet this year... we wanted to take her and her cousin Chase to see Santa together, and Chase got to Boise today!  So, hopefully she can see Santa tomorrow.  We really want to make sure she understands the TRUE meaning of Christmas by talking to her about the birth of our Savior, Jesus.  It's so sweet to see her look at her bible, and point to who Jesus is.  When we pray with her, she says "maymen" (which is amen).  She is a precious little girl.

Ellie has found an enormous love for coloring.  She loves to color with markers, pens, pencils (pretty much anything that writes).  "Color, color, color" and "paper, paper, paper" are words we hear often.  While she is coloring, she always asks us to draw her a flower.  She loves flowers.  Ellie has also been doing well with speaking actual sentences.  It's not too often that I don't know what she is saying.  It's funny how many people comment on how well she speaks.  She is a smart little girl, what can I say :)

Ellie has been learning her letters, numbers, and colors.  She loves the songs "one, two, buckle my shoe," "do your ears hang low," and "if all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops." (All of which she learned from Barney).  She can do the motions to the songs, and it is sooo stinking cute.

Ellie is excited to be a big sister.  We didn't find out what we are having, and EVERY time we ask her, "are you going to have a baby brother or baby sister?" she responds "sister."  EVERY TIME!  I guess we will see if she is right in just a few more months.  I have a strong feeling it's a girl, but because I feel so strongly, it's probably a boy... LOL.  It's one or the other, and we will be so happy either way.

I had my anatomy scan a little over a week ago.  Everything went well.  Baby is as healthy as can be.  Long arms and legs, but overall measuring in the 54th percentile... which is perfect!  Over the next couple months, in preparation for the new arrival, we will be doing a lot of changes.  I would like to get Ellie use to sleeping in a big girl bed.  She does so well in her crib, so it makes me a little nervous, so I'm hoping that will be a smooth transition.  I also would like to get her close to potty trained.  I think she is more into it than I am at this point.  I haven't been that good about consistently working with her, but she is really good about telling me when she has to potty.  She will pull down her pants and say "potty, potty."  I don't think it will be too difficult, and I'm honestly in no hurry.

I know this was a quick update into the lives of the Cornett family.  I have been terrible about taking and posting pictures.  I will hopefully have some new pictures to share soon!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

growing babies... (Ellie and baby #2)

It's been a while since I wrote a blog.  I still haven't been feeling the greatest, however, I am 16 weeks now so I am crossing my fingers it passes soon!!!!  I had an appointment last month and the babies heart rate was nice and strong.  Everything is going well so far.  My next appointment is next Wednesday, and then in just a couple of weeks we will have the anatomy scan.  Like I mentioned in my last blog, we won't be finding out the sex of our baby..... we just like surprises!  I do love being able to look at our baby, even if I don't know if it's a he or she.

As far as the new baby goes, there isn't a whole lot to report, just that it's healthy so far (which of course is important).  Ellie, on the other hand, is growing up so much.  She is still a little girl (weighing in at 21 lbs at her 18 month appointment) but she is unbelievably smart.  Every day she amazes me with how much she knows.  She takes in so much information.  Most kids Ellie's age have brains that are like sponges, they absorb so much knowledge.  She says a lot of words, and knows many names.  I would say she knows close to 100 words if not more.  Sometimes I have to be her translator for people when they don't know what she is saying... for instance yesterday she was saying "goose" and pointing to the TV, Kenton asked "what is she saying," I said "she wants to watch Mother Goose" (hello, wasn't that clear??.... lol),  For the most part though, she does pretty well at speaking clearly (for an 18 month old).

Here are some more fun things abut Ellie girl...

- She likes to use the potty.  She has her own princess potty that she likes to sit on a couple times a day.  She has even gone poop!  She is still learning, but doing very well.

- Every time she farts she says "I toot." (Thanks for letting me know Eller)

- She loves loves loves animals.  She can tell you the names of MANY animals.  I taught her that snakes are yucky, so anytime she sees a picture of a snake she doesn't call it snake... she will say "yucky."

- Ellie has one of those baby laptops that teaches her letters.  She has been learning them for a while.  I love seeing her push the buttons "P is for penguin" and then repeating it.

- Cinderella is "Rella." She loves Rella books.

- In her Disney princess books anytime she sees a handsome prince she says "dada."  So precious.

- She absolutely loves hanging out with her dad, especially when he tosses her on the bed over and over.

- Ellie loves brushing her teeth.  She'll say "teeth teeth teeth" when she wants to brush her teeth.

- Ellie has never been a fan of bows until recently.... "bow bow bow," she is a girl for sure!

- Lately she has been a blankie girl.  She loves her blankies.  She doesn't carry them around everywhere she goes, but she likes having them around.

- Ellie likes to play with cardboard boxes.... what kid doesn't?

- She loves to blow sweet kisses!

- Ellie is pretty good with her puzzles.  She does really well putting them in the right places.

- Puppies will always be her favorite animal, but she loves kitty's too.

I hope you enjoyed this recent update of my little girl.  I will be better about blog posts, and I will post pictures sometime soon!  Please continue to pray for a healthy baby!

Soon to be BIG sister!!!

I am a little late on a blog update for Ellie, but it's been a little busy around our house recently.  The biggest news is that Ellie is going to be a big sister!!  Due date is set for April 26 2013.  We are beyond thrilled for this new addition to our family.  Ellie is going to make an amazing big sister, I just can't wait for them to be able to play together!!!  My sister, Bekah and her baby boy Chase came to stay with us a couple weeks ago.  Although Ellie is still learning how to act around babies, she was soooo sweet with him.  She would touch his head and say gentle, gentle.  She knows to be gentle around our dog Max, so it was easy to teach her to be gentle around Chase.  It may be a little bit of an adjustment for her to have a new baby around, but I think she will be just fine :)  

This pregnancy is very similar to how I felt when I was pregnant with Ellie.  I am sick all day long, and I've thrown up a couple times.  It's definitely not as bad as with Ellie, but this time it's much harder.  I'm not able to sleep whenever I want, or sit on my butt and not move.  Ellie still needs her mama to take care of her, so that has been hard.  She forces me to get out of bed, which I guess is a good thing, even though most mornings, I really really really just want to keep sleeping.  Ellie brightens my day with her precious smile and infectious laugh, which is a great reminder that IT IS WORTH IT!!!  

As disappointing as it is to my mom and sisters, we will not be finding out if we are having a boy or girl again this time.  Kenton feels VERY strongly about NOT finding out, and I am indifferent, although it is sooooo much fun having it be a surprise!  Kenton, of course would like a boy (although he really doesn't care), and I would LOVE another girl.  I think it would be awesome for Ellie to have a little sister that is close to her age. They will be almost exactly 2 years apart.  Plus, we have soooo many girl clothes, it would be awesome to be able to use them another time around!  

A few weeks ago we spent a few days visiting family in Ohio.  My great grandma couldn't believe how smart Ellie was, which she is haha :)  We hear this all the time.... for a 17 month old, she can talk reallllllly well.  The key is talking to her in a normal voice and using normal words.  She is very quick to catch on.

She points to the toilet and says "potty" every time she sees us going to the bathroom.  She is very good about letting us know when she needs a new diaper.  She says diaper so cute, it's like "di-pa."

We have a "leash" for her.  We call it her backpack and she LOVES it.  I know a lot of people are against "leashes," but the kind they have these days are really nice, and I'd rather know that she is safe and right next to me in a public place, than running around wild and free.  It was a LIFESAVER when we were waiting in airports traveling to and from Ohio.  

Whenever I am sitting down, trying to rest she will come up to me, grab my finger, pull it, and say "go go go go."  It basically means, come on mom.... come play with me.  OR it means, get me a snack.  

She knows "touchdown!"  She'll put her arms in the air and make a touchdown sign.

I am feeling really sick, so I need to go lay down.  Please enjoy these pictures! 

Gentle...

Bekah, Great Great Grandma, Chase, me, Ellie, Grandma (Nana)

Her "backpack"

TOUCHDOWN! (in her Ohio State jersey)

   

SWEET 16!!

Ok, my little stinker face is in her 16th month of life.  I have to say, she is such a fun little girl to be around!  Last night I was telling her that I miss her being a little baby, but I have to remind myself.... she still is a little baby, and I have to enjoy her how she is, because before I know it... she is going to be a BIG GIRL!  I really really do enjoy her though, she is always doing something to make me laugh.  She has her difficult moments too, she is always getting into something she shouldn't be getting into, or screaming because she has to get into her car seat AGAIN.  lol... Some days are more challenging than others, but no matter what, she brings so much joy to my life.

Ellie had a 15 month checkup last month and she weighed 20.4 lbs, which put her around the 15th percentile, and her height was in the 60th percentile.  She is still a little girl, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE how small she is.  It is sooooo nice to hold her, and I could hold her all day long if she would let me :)  Her doctor isn't worried about her weight, she is still soooo healthy!  Which is really all that matters.  She eats NON STOP, and she doesn't stop moving.... all day long!  The only time she is still is when she is asleep.  It doesn't take much for her to wear me out.  Lol.

If you know Ellie, you know that one of her favorite things to do is talk... all... the... time.  I can't begin to tell you all the words she can say, the list goes on and on.  She is in the stage where she repeats a lot of what we say, so we have to be careful!  She loves to count to 3, and her favorite show is "Barney," pronounced "Marney." :)  Ellie gets along with other people so well, and isn't afraid to say "hi."

She absolutely loves purses.  She has a couple of purses that she picks up and drapes along her arm.  No one taught her how to wear a purse, she figured it out on her own.  She also loves to try and put her own shoes on.

Ellie loves pillows and blankets "blankteys."  She isn't very big on sharing her blankteys with me though, anytime I wrap myself in her blanktey she will take it right away.... we are still working on the concept of sharing.  I think her favorite "toys" are books.  She loves to read, and loves to sing and dance to her musical books.  It is soooo cute! 

I am just guessing, but I think Ellie is going to be fairly easy to potty train.  She knows when she goes potty, and sometimes she will grab a diaper when she is ready to be changed.  I don't think it will be much longer.

I hope you enjoyed a quick update on my little stinker girl.  Here is a short video of her dancing...  

   

update time!

It has been a little over a month since I posted an Ellie update blog.  We have been sooo busy these last couple weeks that I haven't had much time to sit down and bust out a blog.  We moved into our new home on June 30!  It has been amazing to finally have our own house.  We are forever grateful to my mom and dad for letting us live at their house the past couple years, but it has been wonderful to have a place to call our own.  Although the yard still needs work (it's a work in progress), everything else is pretty much unpacked and in it's place.  I would like to paint Ellie's room sometime, and make it a cute little girls room, but it's fine the way it is for now :)  

Speaking of the little girl... man, has she grown soooo much over the last month.  I had to read the last blog post to see what all I said about her and OMG, she has changed so much.  Ellie's vocab is becoming more and more extensive.  She can say many words, and it's fun to hear her say them.  I love the way she says "shoes," it sounds more like "sues."  It is so cute.  Some other words she says all the time are.... cookie, cracker, no, yes, go, hot, cool, watch, juice, cheese, banana (nana) etc...  There are plenty more, but I am too tired to think of them all. Lol.  Ellie LOVES belly buttons.  If we are on the floor with her, she will lift our shirt and point to our belly button.  It is so funny.  

Ellie is a very smart 15 month old.  Her development in learning new things is pretty amazing.  If I ask her to find her milk cup, she will bring me her cup.  If I ask her to get her shoes, she goes and gets her shoes.  Ellie has a book that has the first 100 words that she will learn.  She knows a lot of them.  We will ask her to point to the doggy, or frog, or strawberry, or flower, or car, or bathtub etc... and she points right to them.  She loves animal noises too.  Her favorite noise to make is "quack quack" like a duck.  It is precious.  

I can go on and on about our little girl.  She brings us so much joy!  Here is a recent family photo.  I promise I will post pictures of our house one of these days :) 

Cornett/Myrick family picture.  Taken July 14 2012