The Altenhofen 4: Ellie - 6 months, Will almost 3!!

Well - I really do have good intentions of blogging at least once a month - but hey - I'll give myself some credit that I'm still doing it at all! I really am so sentimental that I know someday - I will love re-reading all these, and who knows, maybe the kids will enjoy it someday also..... or for the few of you that say they read these updates, this is for you too! :)

So, from last post - less than 2 months ago- we were doing our sleep and potty training..... So - I would say that Will did pretty well to start with the peeing on the potty, and had a few occasional accidents, but for the most part it was catching the poopies. He would hold it in, until he was so constipated and it was a three hour ordeal to try to push the poopy out in the potty. For about a week - we fought that, and he woudl eventually get it in the potty, but it was exhausting for everyone. I guess I would say that it took about a month until it all finally sunk in... but now, we are officially potty trained!! He wears a pull-up to bed still - which is quite alright.

Now, for Ellie girl - again, last post, she was right at 4 months, and was waking up once in the middle of the night to eat. That lasted for about a month I would say, then she had a brief spell that she was waking up multiple times a night, I was definitely still up several times between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 months old. However, (knock on wood) for the past several weeks, we put her down between 7:30-8:00pm and she wakes up between 6:30-7:00am!! GOOD GIRL!!! Man, we all do so much better with some sleep (now, it's not HER fault that Mommy is staying up late to watch the Royals...seriously people, it's been SOO fun to watch the Royals win the Wild Card for the playoffs, one of the best baseball games, or sporting event I have ever witnessed, and now on to the ALCS championship games) Anyway - back to the kids, they are doing great!!

In fact, Ellie turned 6 months about a week ago. Seriously?! How did a half a year go by already?? Why does time go by so fast?! It seems like so long ago though that I was home on maternity leave. I did take the day off for her 6 month appointment and just got to have a girlie day with my baby girl. It was so fun and I would advise anyone to just take a random day off work to spend with their new baby - they grow up SO fast, especially the first year - looking forward to more days off with her with the holidays coming up soon.

Anyway - she is doing great! She has had a little cold though ( pretty much ever since she started going to daycare) - and slight wheezing. I had taken her to urgent care, and they weren't too concerned, although Dr. Espe (yes, thank God we went back to Child Care limited and it was GREAT to see Dr. Espe again, it was kind of like coming home - is that weird to be attached to your kids pediatrician?!) Anyway, he thought Ellie should have an albuterol treatment - holy cow! I had no clue how horrible that would be for both of us! They said she wouldn't like it, and would probably scream, but it would help her breathe in more of it and it would work better. I was like, sure, I understand and I was prepared. Until they said, ok see ya in 8-10 minutes---wha???? OMG, felt like the longest 10 minutes ever and once it was over E just collapsed in my arms, totally exhausted and just wanted to rest. Sweet girl. Anyway, it did open her airway, which was good, and I'm praying we don't have to continue that through the winter with cold/flu season coming up. God bless any parent that has to go through that regularly. (It did remind me of the days when my Mom would have to crank my sister's braces to make her teeth straight and she would scream bloody murder.... made me realize how hard that must have been for my Mom to feel like you are torturing your kid, for their own good)

Ellie lookd great otherwise - she is a whooping 18 lbs 8 oz (90%), 26" (50%) - and she's as rolly-polly, and jolly as ever. Another milestone - is exactly when she turned 5 months (it was Labor Day weekend) she started sitting up on her own!! She also started finding her toes- and I just love it! When she loves laying on her back, and grabs her toes with her rolls just folding as she does so :) Makes me so happy - she loves being kissed on her sweet cheeks, neck, belly, thighs, and I just can't get enough!! Will is still such a great brother!! He honestly just adores her, and frequently tells her 'shhhh, it's ok Ell-wee, it's ok, don't cry, I'm right here, I'm right here" :)

Will has just in the past month begun to speak more and more like an adult. It honestly amazes me how over the last year how you can just have a conversation that they can fully comprehend, and now communicate back as well. He cracks me up - and P and I often call each other in the morning after whomever does drop off (usually me) and I have to tell him something funny Will says...and we just like to update each other on how it all went.

In fact, one day I was picking Will up from St. Luke's, and I had been presenting at work that day, so I was wearing some higher wedge shoes, and Will is so used to seeing me in flats (duh, I'm a Mom, I used to love wearing heels to work, but I'm so practical now!), anway, I picked him up, and he said "You have cool shoes Mommy?" - and I laughed and said, "yes Will, they are pretty cool" , and he replied, "you going to church Mommy?" such a funny guy. Another one - we were driving past a church the other day, and he said - "there's a church!" I said, "good job Will - what do we do in church?" he says "I put money in the basket" - I said, "yep, that's good, but what else do we do?" and he says " ummmm, I say hi to Father" - I said, "yep, that's good too, but what else" - and he thinks for a minute and says "oh, I play cars!!" haha-- that's true....answer I was looking for Buddy was pray though, or say thank you to Jesus! :) Pretty cute though!

I will let the pictures below sum up the last couple months of fun that we have had!