Family Pictures

Being married to a photographer I often get jealous of all the cute family photos I see of other people's families. I want family pictures too! It hard to find the time and someone to take them for us, but we finally found the time. We did a double photo shoot with one of Jared's friends Devin Ashby and his wife. I figured now that our family is growing we should send out some Christmas cards. So happy we are able to capture this time in our lives and Ellie at this stage. She grows so fast, I blows my mind!

Ellie- 9 Months

Ellie is 9 months old today. The time has been flying by, she doesn't feel like a baby anymore. She is VERY independent and VERY mobile. She crawls everywhere and walks along the furniture. I have caught her standing alone 3 times now. She hasn't figured out the next step. I definitely think she will be walking by her first birthday. She keeps her self really entertained, exploring the living room, her toy box and terrorizing Rosie. Rosie is such a good sport, she lets Ellie crawl all over her and pull her hair. She now has two lower teeth. They are not quite all the way out but have broken through the skin most of the way. Teething hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. She hasn't woken up in the middle of the night or anything. 

This is kind of the way I think of being a mom, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I have my bad days, but we are just cruising along doing our thing. Maybe it doesn't seem so bad because I just go along with Ellie's schedule. I have accepted that I can go on a run between 8-10, that way I can get Ellie home for her morning nap. I shower between 10-12 while she is asleep. I run errands between 12-2 to avoid meltdowns and get her home in time for an afternoon nap. That's my routine and I'm used to it. I also think I have been blessed with a really good baby (so far). I have realized I am okay with just letting her explore, I really let her do her thing as long as it is safe. I have realized that she is going to fall down and smash her fingers. As long as she isn't crying and bleeding and don't really freak out. There are going to be bumps and bruises and that's okay, she is a baby. 

Jared and I have loved watching her personality emerge! She is so funny! She is friendly, not timid, curious, lively, and AMAZING in ever way. 

We love you Ellie Belly.

Thanksgiving

 We all collaborated this year to put together a wonderful Thanksgiving. Katie hosted since she has the biggest table, although we all didn't sit there at one time. It would have been a miracle to get all 10 adults sitting at once when there are 6 babies among us. I tackled the turkey, wasn't as hard I thought it might be, and it came out really good. We had wonderful food, served hot!, Mario Kart and active babies. So thankful for our wonderful family that we have the blessing of living so close to. The holidays are always a good time to reflect on what we are thankful for. I am so thankful for my amazing family, I couldn't ask for a better husband and a more beautiful baby. Ellie is such a good baby, mothering her is easy (so far). I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my friends, and the friendships I have made with people in Utah. I am grateful for the blessing the gospel is in my life, for the knowledge it gives me, and for perspective it gives me in my life.