Happy Birthday Ellie!

Dear Ellie,

July 14, 2011 changed our lives forever as we welcomed you, a second daughter in 19 months, into our lives. We weren't sure what the future held or how we would adjust to a second child. It was hard at first. You didn't sleep and you were pretty grumpy. The first day after we got home some friends came to visit and I think your dad and I just sat on the couch and stared at them with glazed over eyes. I have no idea what we talked about or even who it was that came...I just remember there were people there. The first months were rough with little sleep and lots of tears (more mine than yours...you just grouched). And then we figured out you had some tummy troubles and we started you on medicine and things got better. And then we switched your medicine and things got even better. We all got much more sleep and you were so much happier and my heart just broke for all those months that you were hurting and we didn't know it.  So we survived the first year and the second year we discovered your funny personality and your quite advanced vocabulary. (You were the kid who had just learned to talk that would tell us "I angy") Then we survived the next year with flying colors as you adjusted seamlessly to sharing a room, potty training, and a new sister. (Seriously, I think you stopped and looked at Ruthie, said oh how nice, and continued on with life.) And now another year has passed. It was a year of ups and downs and some changes but we survived. 

This year you went to preschool twice a week and took dance. Your teachers talked about your sweet personality and your smile. You made friends that were YOUR friends first instead of friends that were Emmie's friends first. You loved everything about school. One of your favorite things at school was music and your favorite thing in music was to go on a bear hunt. You made us go on sooo many bear hunts at home!

When you grow up you want to be a Mommy (and my heart melts every time you tell me that). You love to play with "little" toys. You love to read books and will sit and listen to someone read to you for as long as they will sit there. You love any kind of book. Bernstein Bears, chapter books, Fancy Nancy and anything else you can get your hands on.  You're not real big into arts and crafts. You love to watch TV. You love to just lay in your bed and wake up slowly (not that Emmie lets you very often). You don't like to clean up or do any kind of chores. You like "soft" (cotton) dresses. You love to sing and while it's usually very off key you sing with so much gusto and heart and I love it. You've started playing more with other children but still are quite content to play by yourself. You love to be silly. You love to snuggle. (You would go in to school everyday and snuggle with Mrs. Elizabeth, one of your teachers.) You love the zoo. You have a HUGE sweet tooth and you also love fruits that are red...but only the red fruits. You love to swing. You love family and time together.
I am so fascinated by the way you learn. You just absorb information. You don't like to practice things and you're content to just wait until it's easy before you do something new. You're very different from your sisters in this way. You like to learn creatively.  This year I kept trying to get you to practice writing your name and you just wouldn't do it. One day I handed you a dry erase board and a marker and you thought that was so fabulous and you wrote your name...perfectly. You've watched Emmie work on basic math and then you asked to do it...and you "got" it. I'm so interested to see how you learn in school because you learn so differently than I do. I do know that learning will have to be FUN for you to put any effort into it because Ellie you love to have fun!
I love to watch you when you get excited. You are usually so nonchalant about things but when you get excited about something you just light up. You were so excited this year for your family party at the beach. You spent all year planning it and from the beginning you wanted homemade cookies and cream ice cream and chocolate cake with chocolate icing. You were so excited about the food and everyone being there and I really don't think presents even crossed your mind until it was time to open them. I love that in your mind things like birthdays and Christmas are about the people and the experience and not about the material things.

Lest you try to tell your children that you were a perfect child I'm going to go ahead and call you out on that one. This year was really hard at times. You whined a lot. And cried about just about anything I asked you to do. This year was tough. On the plus side things have been getting better so I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You definitely had the "threenager" attitude down pat. 

This coming year will be another big year. We're going to have another baby and you'll go to preschool 5 days a week. I am really looking forward to seeing you with the baby. You were mostly oblivious to Ruthie but you are SO excited about this baby.
Ellie you bring us so much joy and you love to make us laugh. I can't imagine life without you and I hope that as you go through life you continue to love experiences and the people around you more than "things". I am so proud of the little girl you're turning into and I can't wait to watch you grow over the next year!


Love,
Mommy



1 day old



1 year old



2 years old



3 years old