I've been dragging my feet to write this yearly birthday note. It's been a very special year for our family but capturing the essence of it feels difficult. We've hit an inflection point, a new normal.
We've worked really hard this year to grow as a family. We have
worked to reorient the relationships so that it wasn't always Momma/Eva
and Ellie/Daddy. It feels like it's been a good focus for all of us. I
know Ellie still has lots of moments when she prefers being with
Daddy. But I don't feel the same resistance to having me be the person
hanging with her or doing things for her. One of my favorite parts of
the day is snuggling with her at bedtime. Her body almost fills the
curve of mine. But when she's quiet and calm, she shares her thoughts
and is most loving.
Ellie continues to be full of gusto! I recently finished reading the
book about Spirited Children and it really hit the nail on the head.
She's just "more". She's more intense than most. She's more
determined. She's more perceptive. And for sure more sensitive.
Although it's hard to see through her precociousness, she's very soft
and sensitive. She doesn't like when Braden and I have disagreements.
If I'm tense, she seems to reflect it and we struggle. I have worked
really hard to be in place where I can stay as calm and present as
possible. When I do, our day flows much better.
Like every other year, she has grown and changed in amazing ways. The only remaining part of being little is the dimples on her knuckles. Her hair is a horse main of auburn colored hair. She's 47ins and 50lbs. The little blond hairs on her legs have fully grown in. There's no longer a reference to a "T" on any of her clothes or shoes. She's wearing size 13 shoes and size 8/medium clothing. It's all full childhood stuff.
She still has tummy troubles. But her awareness of it has made resolving easier. At her new is school, they provide lunches and she's "forced" to try new foods since it's all that is available for lunch. She's more open to meats, veggies and fruits.
We have also found that if we keep her sleep area bright with light that she sleeps much better. (Nighttime and darkness has never been my thing and she seems to have the same dislike).
So between, better eating and sleeping and maturing, Ellie's daily temperament has evened out. She's venturing into the world more. She impressively will engage adults help in stores or other places. She's not afraid to ask for help.
She still very much enjoys big body stuff. She switched from gymnastics to swimming over the summer. I would say she is most skilled at skiing (also now able to do on her own) and swimming. We are just starting ballet.
In the last few months, Ellie has started to see Eva as a potential playmate. But the road to blissful siblinghood is long. B and I have been working hard to help them both learn how to engage the other. The 3 year difference is a pretty big stretch to cover in comprehension and physical size. Eva comes up to Ellie's chest.
If you were to ask her, her favorite color is purple, she loves all treats, she doesn't really have best friends, her cousins are pretty important. She doesn't like wearing pants with buttons. All clothing should be comfy and easy to move in. She loves TV. All new experiences excite her. Being outside calms her.
She's processing the beginning of math. She can do basic addition using numbers below 10. She's beginning to process letters being words and is starting to recognize sight words. Her disdain for Spanish comes and goes.
Although she keeps us on our toes...always! We count our blessings for an Ellie. She's on an adventure and we're going to tag along.
