5 Months Old, and... We bought a house!

The last month feels like it just slipped through my fingers like a fist full of sand! Let me explain...

Ellie Jo turned 5 months old!

She is super serious about 2 things - eating, and her feet! She is now eating solid foods about once every few days. However, we are not allowing her to have grains of any kind yet. I make her food myself (aside from some organic, 1 or 2-ingredient 1st foods that my mom found at the store), and she has enjoyed applesauce, pears, carrots, peas, green beans, and sweet potatoes!

Elizabeth really has her way of expressing herself - loudly. Especially in this last month, she has started shrieking - and there is a difference between happy shrieking and mad shrieking! We're trying to work with her on not yelling and screaming, but it's a process. When she's hungry, she needs to eat immediately, and I really want to honor that. But sometimes, I'm trying to teach her to be patient and wait just a minute (never very much longer - food is essential). Same with diapering. She will never let on that she's poopie, but if she's even a tiny bit wet, it's all over.

We are finding that she can roll over, but is perfectly content on either her back or tummy, and doesn't desire to roll very much - yet. We'll see what happens with that in the next month or so! (I'm about a week late taking these shots - sorry.)

This is usually how we see Ellie Jo! Happy, happy, happy, and
holding her little feet!

We tease her about her shrieking... she sounds
like the zombie on the Sprint commercial "Woah...
let's not go putting labels on people..... I'm a zombie."
Haha! This is what she was doing in this picture!

Loves that bouncy seat!

My sweet baby girl!

Looking up at Dada

"I got this foot, mom!"

Giggling and moving!

Such a happy baby!

Yeah... my "assistant" Sarge won't allow me to do a
photoshoot without him...

"Is this good, mom?"

Grabbing those toes

Right before I took this, I said, "Ellie Jo, can you grab
your toes?" It was hilarious!

He just HAD to pose next to "his" baby....

Oh, this face is a dangerous one. It's either bored or tired.
Neither is good.

That's all for now!

Here are some randoms over the last month.... 

This is one of my oldest friends, Cassondra, holding
Ellie Jo at her very first "friend" birthday for Cassondra's
niece, Cozette! (These pics were actually taken on 10/5, Ellie's
true 5-month "birthday").

Explaining that princesses are all kind

Happy girl!

Princess Cozette sharing princess treats with Ellie Jo

Ellie Jo met Cinderella! (AKA, Miss Whitney)

Me and my princess!

Snapped this really quick the other day when we were out :)

Ellie Jo wearing mama's old PJ's

On our way to a lunch date with the girls!

If Ellie Jo is snoozing, Sarge is, too.
If she's under her blanket, he has to be under his blanket.
If she's playing on her blanket...well, you get the idea!

Facetiming with Grandpa!

Happy baby!

Yep, she's figured out her binkie is on the
"string," AKA paci clip!

Playing with mama

Love this baby girl!

Watching TV with mama

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We bought a house! You know that movie, "We Bought a Zoo" ? I feel like I could write a book (and maybe someday I will!) called, "We Bought a House..." The phrase keeps going over and over in my mind on repeat!

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Here we are in front of it on September 21st, the day we got our keys! It was rainy and cold, and we stood outside just before the "big storm"  hit so we could take this picture! Ellie Jo is sporting a typical face - she is curious about everything now. She was leaning forward out of Robert's arms to see what Grandma was doing (taking our picture, lol!)

Here's Robert's mom (Leah) and his
sister (Ashley) painting! We took advantage
of the only 2 warm days left this year! (And
yes, the trim WAS black!)

As you can see from the outside of just that little bit of our house, we have several improvements to make. The first thing to go was that "Welcome" sign behind us. I'm sure it was special to someone at some time, but we don't like it.

Our punch list looks something like this:

• Paint entire interior of house (everyone)
• Paint trim on exterior of house (my dad, me, Leah, Ashley, Robert)
• Add chair rail on 60/40 split of main living areas of house (everyone)
• Re-do tile, tub, window, lighting, hardware in bathroom (everyone)
• Replace all lighting fixtures and switches (Jack, Ashley, Robert)
• Add recessed lighting in living room (Jack, Ashley, Robert)
• Add some kind of lighting in family room (Jack, Ashley, Robert)
• Replace all outlets and covers (Jack, Ashley, Robert, Emma)
• Build entertainment center (Paul)
• Build Mud-room style entryway (Paul)
• Give kitchen a thorough cleaning and "de-funk" the smelly stuff (me, Emma, Paul)
• Buff hardwood floors (Robert)
• Stain hardwood floors (everyone)
• Install new windows (everyone)
• Install new baseboards (everyone)
• Install new blinds (everyone)
• Make accent curtains (me)

Here's my dad, painting trim!

You can see what a difference it makes, having the
trim re-done - we actually have a roofline!

And more, I'm sure I'm forgetting.

We already have some big thank-yous:

• Carol & Dave for gifting us our lumber for Paul's carpentry projects
• Bryce for finding us some awesome baseboards that will take care of our house (and we are blessing others with our leftovers)
• Derek for the use of his trailer to get the baseboards to our house
• Emma for all her help with cleaning, moving stuff and helping with Ellie
• Our realtor (Carmen) and loan officer (Kimberley)
• Grandma Crombie 
• My co-workers 
• My dad for tirelessly teaching his totally clueless-about-home-improvement-projects daughter how to paint, and braving the heights of the shaky ladder to help finish all the trim work before the cold weather set in
• My mom & Perry for gifting us some of our bathroom improvements
• Robert's parents, sister and family for helping with absolutely everything

I will post a bunch of before & after pictures at a later date, when everything is 100% complete, I promise! Our list of thank-yous continues to grow, and I apologize if I forgot anyone! Credit where it's due, no matter how big or small!

Anyway, it's way later than I thought it was. I'm signing off for now!