EVB: 2 Years, 11 Months (35 Months) Old!

Just one more month until Miss Ellen is 3! We're excited to say goodbye to 2 since we've seen first-hand that this age can in fact be "terrible," but we're also sad because it means our little girl is getting so big! As we gear up for the Ellen's birthday over the next month, here are a few things she's up to:

• Singing. Ellen has been belting out the tunes lately. It's usually "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" ... at the top of her lungs ... at 6 a.m.
• Pronouncing her name correctly. As cute as it was, Ellen no longer calls herself "Ewl-Nen" ... It's now "Ewl-En." Not perfect, but much closer. :)
• Cheering on the Vikings (and Packers!). Ellen has been watching the Vikings games with Dad each weekend and sporting an adorable Adrian Peterson jersey (just like Daddy's). She does a little cheer for the Vikes (which she learned from Grammy), but also likes to yell "Go Packers" simply because she knows it will get a reaction from Dad and Grandpa. :)
• Going to "school." Ellen started a new ECFE class earlier this month. She has so much fun dropping June off at sibling care and then joining her friends and teachers in her classroom. We have fun playing together for the first portion of the class, but Ellen is more than eager for mom to leave (and not shy about expressing this) when the parents  go to another room for discussion. EVB also likes using the bathroom at school because it has a "funny" automatic flusher. (On that note, Ellen is still making great strides in the potty-training department, but we're not all the way there yet!)
• Making everyone around her laugh with the things that come out of her mouth (nothing new here). Some of our latest favorites: "It might 'be be' a little chilly out" or "I think it might 'be be' time to take a nap;" "You can hold me with both arms if you want to" or "We can eat dessert if we want to" (I think Ellen thinks this is more effective than simply asking us to do/for something.); "You sure do" (in response to me saying "Ellen, I sure love you."); and "You're full of pickles."

We will surely savor the final month of Ellen being 2. :)

A little sleepy-eyed thanks to the camera flash, but happy to be be almost 3!

Quality time with G.G. B.

Swingin'

First pony ride! (at the Burnsville Fire Muster)

Helping a super-cool Boy Scout with a fire house

Go Vikings!

JEB: 6 Months Old!

Junie B. is a half year old! She's still one happy, happy baby who LOVES to smile and giggle. June's latest tricks include:

• Working on sitting up: She stills needs support, but is getting better balancing her weight.
• Playing with her toys: JEB's favorite is a plush colorful ball that jingles.
• Continuing to reach for things (toys, faces, remote controls, etc.)
• Swinging!: June recently tried a swing at the playground and she loved it!
• Attempting to crawl: June prefers to be on her tummy and has been working to get her knees under her, but has yet to coordinate all the the necessary movements for crawling. (She does do a strange-looking crab walk maneuver to get from point A to point B when she's on her back.)
• Eating solids: In addition to the rice cereal we first tried a couple of weeks ago, June began eating solids a few days before her 6-month birthday. She started with sweet potatoes, then moved on to pears, green beans and bananas. We'll try more fruits and veggies in the coming days ... This girl likes to eat (no big surprise there)! Junie starts smacking her lips the minute she's buckled into her highchair. :)
• June is still wearing size 3-6 month clothes, but we could probably start swapping a few things out for larger sizes. (I think she'll continue to wear size 3-6 month pants for awhile.) And, June is still in size 2 diapers, but I think our next purchase will be a size 3. We'll get June's official stats at her doctor appointment later this month, but my guess is that she weighs close to 16 pounds.