Weeks 36 & 37

This is going to be one MONDO post because I haven't had time to post, but I've taken LOTS of great pictures over the last two weeks. So, here goes...

Last weekend we went to the City Museum in St. Louis with the college class. I told the whole story on the other blog, but here are some cute pics of Elena's day!

Her first slide! These were the coolest little roller slides. The tubes rolled, so she didn't get stuck or anything, it was like a little conveyor belt.

Slides are hard work, so she had to take a nap with Grandma Price!
Hanging out with Uncle Charlie. It was really funny because all of these college kids would run off and play on all of the equipment and tunnels and stuff, then come back to hold Elena for a little while. Everybody loves her!
This is my new favorite picture, and is now the background on my computer. Elena LOVES taking a bath. She's discovered splashing and really likes to play. Mommy gets bored WAY before Elena does! In this picture she actually has her first shampoo spike, though you can't really see it.

A much better view of the spike from the side. She finally has enough hair!
Elena has also discovered the diapers on the changing table. Every time we lay her down to change her diaper she grabs one (or a handful) and flails it around. It is for this reason that half of her diapers look like they've already been worn! :)
Elena loves music, she starts grinning and bouncing whenever she hears some. She especially loves piano music, which is funny because when I was pregnant she would thrash like a wild woman during choir practice. Now when we're at church she likes to play the piano herself. It's pretty cute!
So I couldn't resist a video of it, too!


Helping Daddy give the announcements during youth.
Nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby. I know that I have a pictuer of her sleeping in like every post. But she's so adorable when she's sleeping (and NOT talking!!). This was especially cute because she was laying on her boppy, and then she rolled over onto her side and curled her arms up. She just looked so grown up!

This past weekend the Looten's came into town for Memorial Day, so we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa Looten and Great-Grandma Looten, too. Elena wore her Bass Pro Shop onesie just for Grandpa! Check out the celery on the table- she'd been gnawing on a couple of sticks during dinner!

So after church on Sunday we went to Catfish Corner for lunch, and I'd given Elena a pickle a couple of times during lunch- just cut one in half and let her suck on it while she sat in her high chair. When we were all done eating, Grandma Looten was holding Elena and we were all talking, but not really paying that much attention to her. All of a sudden we looked at her, and she was sucking on this big ol' pickle! She had leaned over, grabbed a pickle off of a plate in the middle of the table and started chewing on it. Girl knows what she wants! :)
If you live in MO, you know it has really warmed up lately. So, of course, it was time to bust out the shorts. What a big girl!
We grilled the other night, and it was so nice that I wanted to be outside, too, but not necessarily wrestling with Elena the whole time. So we put up the play pen in the backyard and let her play while we grilled. Isabelle gave her a sniff or two, then went on about her business.
"Mommy, I do not want to be in the playpen anymore!!"

Anyway, it's actually been a rough couple of weeks. Elena had an ear infection, so she's been on antibiotics, which gives her horrendous diarrhea. She always has 3 outfits at the daycare, and some days she still came home in the daycare's clothes! Her tummy was upset, she didn't feel good, therefore she was cranky. Then, even after the antibiotics were finished, she stopped sleeping through the night. She wakes up just screaming and crying, except she's not really even awake, she's just crying. It makes for a rough night. Just in the last couple of days she's started sleeping through the night again.

Elena has learned some cool new tricks, though! :) She claps now, and she is getting really good at crawling. She covers good ground, that's for sure. She's also started pulling up on stuff, and she's trying to learn to wave. She also says "mamamamama," but doesn't really know what she's saying, obviously.

In short, it hasn't been the easiest couple of weeks, but this age is really fun. She learns so much so quickly. Everyday she learns something new. I'm so glad I have this blog to keep track of everything, I'd never actually remember!! This weekend we are going to our first Cardinals game, so those should be some cute pictures next week!!