Way overdue....

I am really sorry I’ve been so bad with updates this year. Some of it comes from having a very active toddler in the house! But, I’ve also been dealing with some health issues……I started having horrible dizzy spells a few months ago that leave me in bed for hours and drain me of all energy. Most days it was all I could do to stay awake until Essie’s nap time. Then, I’d crawl in bed myself. After a lot of research and appointments with a few different doctors, I’m finally getting things figured out. The spells are an allergic reaction to food. What am I allergic to? The NOT allergic list is shorter  I can no longer eat milk, corn, soy, wheat, yeast or coconut in any form! So, with the elimination of these foods (and some thyroid medication), I feel like a new person!!

Miss Ess has had a busy summer too! While she hasn’t been on any trips, we’ve had a lot of fun around here. She LOVES the city pool. There’s a great kids play area with a small water slide – she zips up the steps and down the slide like a pro! I had to buy her a little life vest with arm floaties because she doesn’t want us to hold her hand in the water; she wants to wander off to watch the older kids play!

We try to take at least one family bike ride each week. Nick pulls Essie in a trailer and we hit the bike path for 10-12 miles. I like that Nick is pulling the extra weight because now I can keep up with him!!! The last couple of times we’ve gone out, Essie has taken a little snooze. While Nick and I would love to ride longer, Ess just can’t sit still that long 

This past week, Essie started counting! She will never say 1; she always starts with 2. And, she makes it all the way to 10! Of course, she refuses to count when we ask her to….we have to listen to her talking while she plays. She hits them all – our favorite to hear is “seben.”

Essie loves to go to the nursery in church each week. In fact, when we walk in she asks to go “play.” Today, she actually cried when we picked her up because she wasn’t done playing! Our church has a number system for each child. If there is a problem, your number will pop up on a screen in the sanctuary so you know to go get your child. A couple of weeks ago, our number popped up. That has never happened before! I went back to her room to see what was wrong…..she was playing with a little boy in the room and he bit her. No one saw it happen, so we don’t know exactly what went down. It was a good one – no broken skin, but she had the imprint from both his top and bottom teeth.

It’s been so much fun to watch her grow and develop over the last few months! She is a very determined little girl and already has a mind of her own! Fortunately, she’s also become a great communicator with a huge vocabulary. When she gets frustrated with something, I’ve taught her to say ‘help’ instead of screaming. I’ve also taught her to say ‘stuck’ when she gets herself into something and can’t get back out.

Enough of my babbling, here are some new pics of our little one! Hardly a day goes by when we don’t’ hear how much she looks like her daddy! In fact, we saw her birth-grandma tonight and even she commented that Ess looks like Nick!!