Falling behind again
 
  Yes, for the 6 of you who still read this blog, you know I am behind.  I could give you excuses (studying for my licensure exam, holiday to-do lists, etc.), but I don’t think they are adequate reasons for why I am not better about updating the blog.  Another explanation is that Ellie does something new by the minute and so when I sit down to blog, it is almost too overwhelming to write anything because I fail to capture much of the essence of who she is and what she is doing.    Nonetheless, my five favorite Ellie-isms, at this hour: 1)       She parrots everything I say 2)       She has mastered her ABC puzzle (she either knows the name of the letter or she knows what the letter stands for:  i.e.  for “P” she says “P,” but for “Z” she says “Zipper”) 3)       She calls anything that comes out of a tube (i.e. lotion, toothpaste) “butt-paste” (after the diaper rash cream).  It’s quite funny to have her hold out her toothbrush and say “I need butt-paste.”  4)       She pays scrupulous attention to details.  She knows where many things are/go in our house that even Wes does not and she does not like it if something is out of place (i.e. a kitchen drawer not completely closed or toys not put in their proper receptacle).  And, once she fixes the aforementioned “problem,” she says, “Thank you Ellie” and walks away.  I cannot seem to come up with an explanation for where she gets this behavior.  J 5)       When it is time for bed, Ellie starts singing lullabies to me and requests them in the same order each night.  It is a precious time of day.    The only other update is that I (perhaps wrongly) took Ellie to a naturopathic physician to look into what was causing her ear infections.  I got a few helpful tips for managing her colds to hopefully prevent a full-blown ear infection.  But, I also got back a lengthy list of foods to which Ellie has a slight reaction.  I need to follow up with her pediatrician before we make any conclusions or changes, but it has been very frustrating and anxiety-provoking.  I think ignorance would have been bliss in this case.    We are headed to the mountains of North Carolina for Thanksgiving to be with the Barry side of the family.  We wish all of you a special, turkey-filled, and thanks-filled day!    
Friday, November 21, 2008