Ellie does...

My life has been a tad busy lately, like most of your lives are too, but I had to take a minute to recognize the ADORABLE things that Ellie is doing right now. She's a month away from being two and every day she's learning new words and funny habits. Here are some of them.

*For those of you who are familiar with High School Musical 2 you know the song "Fabulous" that the mean girl Sharpay sings. Well, it's quite catchy and enough so that Ellie loves to sing it. She says, "I nee .....you-usss!!" for "I need Fabulous". I know what you're thinking, not really the best thing to be teaching your 2 year old to sing but oh my it's cute! I've been trying so hard to get it on video but it aint happening.

*The benefit of having older siblings is obvious here because of all the "older girl" things she picks up. For instance, she can recognize anything Hannah Montana-ish and points to it and says, "tanna". She'll even go to the CD player and say "tanna" which means she wants to rock out. And rock out she does, that girl gets the scrunched up eyebrows, the dropped jaw and wiggles her tongue up and down to imitate whoever, I'm not sure. What a nut.

*I love the way she says her "S's". Dallas' favorite words that she says right now are "gwathses" (glasses) and "moos" (move). Don't know why move has an "S" on it but I'm sure that what's she's saying because she's usually shoving you away in the process. I guess you have to hear it to really enjoy how she says it, but every time I get the camera out to video her she just says, "I see?" and gets behind the camera to see what you're looking at.

*Her attitude is not super bad yet, but I have to laugh when she adds that voice fluctuation on the end of something to make her point. Like, "Mi-yuhh!" For a while it was "binky-yuh" and "Mommy-yuh". A little demanding, I know. She does say please though, only it comes out "weeze?" Sooo cute!

*This picture is her at Abbey's party. Abbey was sitting on this bench to open presents and Ellie noticed it was obviously a very special spot to be in. At one point, Abbey got up to grab another present and Ellie took her chance, she jumped up there and flashed this smile to enjoy the spot light for a few seconds. Probably in hopes that one of those presents would be for her!

*She's starting to say phrases now and putting words together which is so cute. This morning when she spilled her oatmeal on her jammas, I reached over to clean her up and when I was done she said, "eee-ya-go" ("There you go", which is obviously what I usually say to her). Other cute words are "at-side" "stai-ohs" and the way she says "heh-woh" in a really deep funny voice when she's being silly. She'll put something on her head and lean over and say "heh-woh" (for Hello).

After a friend here in Texas lost her daughter who was Ellie's age in a drowning accident, I've been a little more aware of how lucky and blessed I am to enjoy Ellie's little smiles and hugs. When she grabs my pinkie and pulls me away from the computer, I realize my time is so much better spent following her to go have tickle time on my bed, or play "pe-po" in her room (Little People), than it would have been trying to finish that one email. Her laughter is so fulfilling, her simpleness so necessary. Heavenly Father was so kind to send me this bundle of sunshine. I love my Ellz.