Summer 2011

Wow, suddenly, it's August, just like that!  We've been enjoying our summer together, our last one as a family of three!  We took Ella on her first long car trip and beach vacation - we went to Ocracoke, North Carolina.  She did fantastic in the car for all those hours, better than her pregnant mother!  Ella loved the water and sand, she would get so excited when the waves came to shore - it was truly worth the trip just to see her expression when water would wash up over her toes and legs!

Ella has been making great strides with her gross motor skills.  She has finally decided she can crawl in four point, she just doesn't necessarily prefer it (still likes her belly best).  She is pulling to stand and will crawl up and over you like you were a jungle jim if you are sitting on the floor with her.  It still brings a smile to my face to see her on her feet, and she's been doing it for two months.  Walking in to get her in the morning or after nap and finding her standing in her crib will never get old!  We are going to PT once a week now since she is doing so much more.  At PT she walks on a special treadmill (yep, walks) and watches her video.  Sometimes we have to bribe her with food to keep her walking so she'll get to her goal of 10 continuous minutes (we usually do 2, 10 minute sessions on the treadmill) - but teddy grahams make everything better!

We have been otherwise busy preparing for baby number 2.  Grahm has the room painted, crib together, and closet emptied...now I just need to get busy.  In the next few weeks I will be pulling out all those bins of newborn and 0-3 month clothes that we haven't seen in so long and at the time never thought we'd retire!  We are taking a child birthing class, since we missed that the first time around.  Learning all sorts of meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques we may not even need...baby Jones #2 is breech...if she doesn't turn soon, we will have another c-section!   I think it's safe to say we have another stubborn girl on our hands!  Due date is September 14, and scheduled c-section is September 20th; but if she stays breech, we may move up the c-section, we'll have to wait and see.  Turn, baby turn!