ever since ellie starting taking steps we’ve avoided the backyard. there were a million reasons for this, many don’t even need to be listed, but the main one for us was the fact that the cement had big gaps between sections. we had ventured out once before and her inability to walk very well resulted in her tripping on one of these gaps and falling face first.

these days she’s walking much better than she was then, so we gave it another shot the other day. as you can see, it went pretty well. the problem now is that she doesn’t want to be inside if she can see the backyard. i guess it’s not such a bad thing, but it’s not always warm out and mommy and daddy don’t want to be outside! silly baby.

either you’re reading this in a feedreader or you’ve noticed we’ve changed a few things around here (if you’re in the reader, click through!). the purpose of the redesign was two-fold: to spruce up the blog and to make it more of a site than a blog. while we loved the old version, and its style, it was simple.

and with that in mind, we went ahead and changed the theme we were using and added a few features here and there. for instance, you now have to click through to the blog (in the top right) instead of just landing on it. there’s a photo of the week, which we’ll obey loosely (i think i’ve already added a second photo this week). and there’ll eventually be a calendar. bryn likes to keep track of things, so we figured why not keep track online?

funny, i talk like we did this, that we added these features and made all these changes. that couldn’t be further from the truth, actually. our friend, and my co-worker, sean offered his design skills for this little project. he put in time outside of work at night and on some weekends to get this done, and we couldn’t be more appreciative. now all i need to do is get him to teach me how to be such a great photographer. but, i guess one thing at a time is ok.

do i kid? yes, but in all seriousness: thank you, sean. we don’t know what we would have done without you.

the easter ellie came to the lack house a little early this year. it’s so strange, though, her ears kept falling off and she didn’t hop around either, she walked. something’s fishy here … she didn’t even bring candy!

ellie had been to the zoo before … with her grandmas when she was approximately four months old, so we knew taking her again last weekend would be like the first time. couple that with the fact that she’s really starting to pick-up on new words and short phrases and you get one fun family outing.

we hit the road after ellie’s first nap and arrived to what was a surprisingly packed zoo. after we paid $22 + $6 in parking (!) to enter, we headed for the first exhibit, a fan favorite: monkeys. recently, ellie learned what sound a monkey makes (“oooo-oooo-AH-AH” she says), so we figured she’d really like this part. what we forgot, or at least i did, is how little zoo animals perform for spectators. this was no marine world. they mostly just sit there, but, hey, it was still cool to see some red butts. sick!

after checking out the monkeys for a few, we went to see the lions and, boy, were they lame. this marked the first exhibit of four to not have any animals visible in it. it was quite awesome. mommy was sad and ellie didn’t seem to mind much, she was just thirsty.

while the lions slept, presumably, we went to see some far more interesting animals: giraffes and assorted plains animals. we even got some decent pictures!

surprisingly, i think the big winners of the trip were the elephants, or “elliephants” as we call them. she loved them.

after a short pitstop for lunch, we headed out again down the backside of the zoo.

on our way out we saw a bunch of other animals, like more monkeys, parrots, alligators, otters, and barnyard animals at a small petting zoo they had there. i think ellie really like the petting zoo, except for the part where she almost got stampeded by a small group of goats.

all in all, it was a great day. i just can’t wait until she knows what everything is and can point them out.

next up, the aquarium!

ok, so i’m not going to do the overly proud parent thing here … well, maybe a little, but it’s with perspective. i realize my baby isn’t the first, not even the first we know (!), to receive this small but cool honor, but i’m still so proud.

a while back we submitted a photo of ellie to tiny prints to become the “adorable baby of the week.” you can tell it was quite a while ago because it’s of her getting a bath, but she’s in her in infant tub. she’s a big girl now and bathes in the big person tub, but whatever … she was finally selected today, as well as included in a short photo post on the tiny prints blog, tiny talk.

the ironic part of this is the group she is included with: drew (ok, ignore him), bryanna (only slightly similar to bryn), and RYAN. wtf? anyway …

go ellie!

great-grandparents and grandparents are in unique positions, especially when grandchildren get introduced into the family. they have the opportunity to shape the memories and experiences of the kids with their extensive knowledge and life experiences, as well as their love.

i’m glad that ellie has people around her, like my grandmother, who seem determined to leave an impression, even if it isn’t understood or appreciated until long after they’re gone.

grandma sent ellie some really nice gifts for christmas and her first birthday, but we just received them yesterday. it’s like christmas all over! she also sent a really cute and thoughtful poem along with the gifts.

these are the things that ellie will discover later in life and hopefully they will make her realize how much she was loved, even by people she didn’t get to see very often.

ellie dear, it’s your special day
12 whole months have flown away
you’re not a little baby anymore
but a sweet little girl for us to adore
we eagerly await your first baby word
will it be mama or dada we hear?
whichever it is will be sweet to our ear
your future awaits you to enjoy your life through
together we send all our love to you
the world awaits you with open arms
you’ll take it by storm with all your charms
just remember, dear, our dreams go with you
we know you’ll protect them
and make them come true

all my love,
great-grandma joan