Ella and I love having Daddy around every weekend. Saturday mornings are such a fun time. We like to have a big breakfast and then Andrey and Ella get lots of playing in together while I get a little time to myself. Yes! Last Saturday I went out for coffee with a friend and this Saturday I hung out in our room (to get away from the karaoke, mind you) and have some computer time and exercise.
Ella just adores her Daddy and it is such a joy to see. This morning when she woke up and Andrey was out of the room, the first thing she said was "E-D" and wanted me to take her to him. That's how she pronounces Daddy. I love it so much that she wants to see him and be with him as much as possible. The other morning when we got to sleep in Ella rolled over onto E-D and cuddled with him for quite a while. And that was before she so much as needed me, mmMeee, as I'm called. (She still sleeps in her bed at night but often ends up in our bed by morning.)
Helping Daddy wash the dishes
I started exercising again. My goal is three times a week. Lately, I've been back into Jillian Michael's 25 minute videos and I feel great when I do them. I'm thinking about getting some yoga videos to do as bonus. I am quite motivated to do yoga when I body gets achey. Yoga makes my body feel great and totally eradicates the lower back pain I get from lifting Ella all the time.
Speaking of which, Ella still requires carrying most of the time although she is getting much better at walking when she's in the right mood for it. I've started encouraging her to walk more but I don't push it if she insists on being carried. As much as it annoys me at times - especially when I have lots of other stuff to carry like when we're out shopping - I am trying to remember that someday she will need me less and I do enjoy holding her close. It would be one thing if I felt she was just being lazy but I don't think that's it. I think she still has a need for closeness and the security that comes with it.
I think this because she usually needs me to carry her when she hasn't had enough one-on-one time with me that day or when she's tired, which is normal for a child to get a bit clingy when they're tired. When she's well rested and has had plenty of mommy time at home, she can walk for quite a while when we're out together. To encourage her walking I've stopped bringing the stroller out with us. (After all, she's almost 3!) She's also getting better about sitting in the cart when we're shopping. I have to pick the right times to do our grocery shopping because if I go a little too close to nap time then I end up carrying her and pushing a heavy cart of groceries around the store (and feeling bitter about it, like oh poor me this is so hard). And the carts here have four multi-directional wheels, not just two in the front like in North America and that makes them quite unwieldy. But hey, I don't go shopping with FOUR kids like my friend Mel so I feel like I have it pretty easy and shouldn't complain.
I can barely concentrate on this post because there is karaoke blaring again. I'm going to have to have a talk with them asap because I am feeling on the edge!!! While she sings, "I will survive!" I wonder if I will.
Ligo uwan with a little extra fun with the hose - notice how nearly everything this girl loves involves water!
We've taken Ella swimming the past couple Sunday afternoons and it is becoming a fun family outing for us. Ella's skill in the pool is ever-increasing and that's without any direction from us. She is such a fish. She is now diving in head first, doing flips under the water, swimming on her side, nearly floating and lots of other fun moves that are hard to describe - all in the shallow end, mind you. I'll try and take some video next time. Other people in the pool always watch her, ask how old she is, then comment how amazing and fearless she is. She is so much fun to watch. Especially the first 15 minutes in the pool when she wears a perma-smile. She comes up out of the water with eyes open and a huge smile on her face before going under again. She is just SO happy to be in the pool!
Thankfully, she is inhaling less water and gagging these days. Did I tell you she barfed in the pool at the Sheraton when we were in DC? Yeah, no shallow end with Ella jumping in to me over and over and over again and not wanting me to hold her meant she drank and inhaled quite a bit. Now I know to get out ASAP when she starts to cough and gag. They had to tell all the guests to get out of the pool for cleaning and closed it for 20 minutes. I felt so bad for the other swimmers (and a little embarrassed). The same thing has happened in the shallow area at a pool in Cebu twice before but that was when she was just getting used to holding her breath under the water.
She swam for record duration last weekend - over two hours and was asking for more! It tires her out so much that her sleep has been great after her swimming sessions. I'm gonna try to get her out once during the week as well as I think she may not be getting enough exercise lately. It's been taking her quite a while to fall asleep at night these days. I think I'm gonna buy her a tricycle to try to get some more daily activity in and see if that helps.
Morning swim with Daddy in our ridiculously small kiddie pool
Ella just adores her Daddy and it is such a joy to see. This morning when she woke up and Andrey was out of the room, the first thing she said was "E-D" and wanted me to take her to him. That's how she pronounces Daddy. I love it so much that she wants to see him and be with him as much as possible. The other morning when we got to sleep in Ella rolled over onto E-D and cuddled with him for quite a while. And that was before she so much as needed me, mmMeee, as I'm called. (She still sleeps in her bed at night but often ends up in our bed by morning.)
After a walk with Daddy in the rain. He let her hold the umbrella so they both got soaked but they both loved it
Helping Daddy wash the dishes
I started exercising again. My goal is three times a week. Lately, I've been back into Jillian Michael's 25 minute videos and I feel great when I do them. I'm thinking about getting some yoga videos to do as bonus. I am quite motivated to do yoga when I body gets achey. Yoga makes my body feel great and totally eradicates the lower back pain I get from lifting Ella all the time.
Speaking of which, Ella still requires carrying most of the time although she is getting much better at walking when she's in the right mood for it. I've started encouraging her to walk more but I don't push it if she insists on being carried. As much as it annoys me at times - especially when I have lots of other stuff to carry like when we're out shopping - I am trying to remember that someday she will need me less and I do enjoy holding her close. It would be one thing if I felt she was just being lazy but I don't think that's it. I think she still has a need for closeness and the security that comes with it.
I think this because she usually needs me to carry her when she hasn't had enough one-on-one time with me that day or when she's tired, which is normal for a child to get a bit clingy when they're tired. When she's well rested and has had plenty of mommy time at home, she can walk for quite a while when we're out together. To encourage her walking I've stopped bringing the stroller out with us. (After all, she's almost 3!) She's also getting better about sitting in the cart when we're shopping. I have to pick the right times to do our grocery shopping because if I go a little too close to nap time then I end up carrying her and pushing a heavy cart of groceries around the store (and feeling bitter about it, like oh poor me this is so hard). And the carts here have four multi-directional wheels, not just two in the front like in North America and that makes them quite unwieldy. But hey, I don't go shopping with FOUR kids like my friend Mel so I feel like I have it pretty easy and shouldn't complain.
I can barely concentrate on this post because there is karaoke blaring again. I'm going to have to have a talk with them asap because I am feeling on the edge!!! While she sings, "I will survive!" I wonder if I will.
In the Philippines when it rains, small children will take off their clothes and run in the street to play in the rain all the while chanting, "Ligo uwan! Ligo uwan!" (bathe in the rain! bathe in the rain!) It's so cute to see. Now Ella does it too. The first thing she does when she sees rain is run outside and start stripping down.
Ligo uwan with a little extra fun with the hose - notice how nearly everything this girl loves involves water!
We've taken Ella swimming the past couple Sunday afternoons and it is becoming a fun family outing for us. Ella's skill in the pool is ever-increasing and that's without any direction from us. She is such a fish. She is now diving in head first, doing flips under the water, swimming on her side, nearly floating and lots of other fun moves that are hard to describe - all in the shallow end, mind you. I'll try and take some video next time. Other people in the pool always watch her, ask how old she is, then comment how amazing and fearless she is. She is so much fun to watch. Especially the first 15 minutes in the pool when she wears a perma-smile. She comes up out of the water with eyes open and a huge smile on her face before going under again. She is just SO happy to be in the pool!
Thankfully, she is inhaling less water and gagging these days. Did I tell you she barfed in the pool at the Sheraton when we were in DC? Yeah, no shallow end with Ella jumping in to me over and over and over again and not wanting me to hold her meant she drank and inhaled quite a bit. Now I know to get out ASAP when she starts to cough and gag. They had to tell all the guests to get out of the pool for cleaning and closed it for 20 minutes. I felt so bad for the other swimmers (and a little embarrassed). The same thing has happened in the shallow area at a pool in Cebu twice before but that was when she was just getting used to holding her breath under the water.
She swam for record duration last weekend - over two hours and was asking for more! It tires her out so much that her sleep has been great after her swimming sessions. I'm gonna try to get her out once during the week as well as I think she may not be getting enough exercise lately. It's been taking her quite a while to fall asleep at night these days. I think I'm gonna buy her a tricycle to try to get some more daily activity in and see if that helps.
5 comments:
Jen, your daughter is SO cute, and you are so amazingly in tune with her. It is a joy to see [virtually]. I can't wait to meet her....
I can't believe what a fish she is! I just celebrated kai putting his whole head under this week:) ha ha.
As for not falling asleep well at night, do you think she's ready to cut out a nap? Or, maybe every other day?
ANd, it's so funny that you referred to Mel. I often think of her (hi Mel!) when I'm out shopping with just two kids:)
While in the Philippines, we discovered that our girls are fish too. We're a little worried about setting up our pool because it's over two of their heads. They're such pipsqueeks! It's so heartening to read that Michella, has taken wonderfully to Andre. It gives us hope for Abygail. She's currently very anti- Daddy and Nathanael.
Hope the noisy neighbours quiet down soon for you!
Blessings!
Deborah
Love the pictures!!! God's timing is amazing! Seeing how Ella's grown into such a close relationship with her mommy and daddy in such a short time. But also before your first Mother's day and A's first Father's day. So much to celebrate and praise God for. My grandma heart is bursting.
Happy father's day weekend to you all!! The pictures portray that every day is a celebration. Yay!
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