Temporary Shower

Dear Ellie Belly You are now almost 7 months old and have changed quite a bit. In the last 3 weeks, we sleep trained you. It has been great because you now fall asleep on your own. Sometimes, you still have a hard time staying asleep but that’s ok. We are just glad that your reflux has gotten better and you no longer need to be burped. You now love solids, still won’t take a bottle properly, and understand your environment more and more every day. You have a special “uh” sound for mom and you laugh so hard when Caila makes funny noises at you in the care. You are SO persistent and usually much more chill then Caila but like all kids, you have your moments. You are so tall and already filling out 12 month clothes!  We love you SO much and can’t wait to see what’s ahead with crawling and walking, and learning to talk! Mom

Dear Ellie Belly,   Sorry it has taken me so long to write you your first letter. You came into this world 4 days early. I was trying to make it to my final midterm but you had other thoughts. Given how long your sister took to come out, I figured we has time but your birth was fast and furious. I went into labor around 6pm the night of 2/24/20 and barely made it to the hospital in time for an epidural at 8:30pm. I pushed you out in 4 pushes and you beat your sister in weight by 1 oz.   Since coming home, you have been a great baby. We didn’t have the breastfeeding issues or the weight issues I had with your sister since I knew what I was doing this time. You did have a bit of jaundice and we suffered through the bili blanket for a few days but thankfully that has all resolved.   Around 1 month, we were having a really hard time burping you after feeds, You would cry and cry and your dad and I had to take turns holding you at night. We were all miserable. I

Dear Caila Bear,   You are now 3 and a half years old. Where has the time gone? In the last 3 months, we have watched you become a big sister. You love Ellie and you especially like to hug her and stroke her cheek. In turn, she also loves you. I am excited to see your relationship develop.   Since March, we have been sheltering at home from COVID. Though it has been hard being a stay at home parent, it has also been fun watching you grow. You have learned more letters and have really gotten good at imaginative play. It is amazing to see how independent you can be.   You love the movie totoro and are currently on a mulan song binge. You are a master at logical manipulation. Some memorable phrases:   “ When I’m done with dinner, I get a treat” “ What are you eating? Open your mouth” “Can we share?” “Are you still sick mom? Can I have some of your drink?” “When I’m bigger, you will buy me a big pink car” “When I’m bigger, I will give this totoro to E