In my top 5...

I got tagged for a great meme today over at the Crazy Working and Pregnate Again Mom...the meme is for letting everyone know some of the top 5 blogs I read. I would be embarrassed to admit how many blogs I read daily...I blame Bloglines for making it too easy to be addicted. It's like waking up every morning, grabbing a cup of coffee, and instead of turning on the news I log into bloglines to see what everyones up too....

So, in no particular order....

• Adventures in Babywearing. Steph is a blogger outside Chicago, three boys, one baby on the way. She has great style and I love what she has to say.
  
• Playgroups are No Place for Children. Jennifer, fellow hooiser as of recently. She makes me laugh with each post. She's my kind of girl.
• Moosh in Indy. Casey, another fellow hooiser with lots to say. She post about everything from her favorite recipe to how she tackles depression and infertility. Regardless of what she's saying, you're gonna laugh.hard.
  
• Fina Drea. This was probably one of the first blogs I stumbled upon way back when. She's a mom of 2 boys, wife to a pastor. She post daily about daily things, and I love it.
  
• The Reign of Ellen. Yet another one of the early finds in my bloggy reading. Ellen is an amazing illustrator and tells a great story.
• Confessions of a CF Husband. This is probably one of my most favorite blogs of all time, and also the only one I read written by a male. If you got some time on your hands, this blog reads like a favorite book. Let me warn you; you will laugh, you will cry, you will hold your babies longer and be nicer to your spouse. This blog will make you realize your blessings. Truly a moving story....and it's far from over.

So, there you have it. Now you know what I'm doing when I should be folding laundry.
Go ahead and post what your favorite daily reads are....I won't feel bad if I'm not one of them. I would love to know what you read, as I'm always looking for something new. Either do a "top 5" post yourself or just leave me a comment. Have a great weekend!

Also, you still have time to enter my babyleg contest if you haven't.....

Have you ever Etsy'ed?

One thing I’m trying to do this year is to buy many of the gifts I give from either small mom run business or items that have been handmade. It feels so good to support the “small guy” or an artist that is trying to make a living. And anyway, even if you’re not creative, you can always give creative gifts. And might I add, handmade does not necessarily mean expensive. I’ve found it to be just the opposite in many cases.

One site I’ve found is a site called Etsy. Etsy is a site where is showcases all-things creative and handmade. I’ve gotten lots of things here and I thought I would share with you a few sellers that I just love and would recommend.

Got a really cute blanket for Nola at Rock*a*bye*retro
baby onesie at my little dear....really good price.
cute baby hat at April Adriance. remember this (third picture down)?
This is one of my go-to gift idea for young girls. Pink Owl Creations.
This was a Christmas present for Piper, who can't resist a superhero cape?
sweetest little clutch I own...
every woman needs to be queen of her kitchen. This is one of my favorites (and hopefully my sisters too).

Also, wanted to let you know that I’ve been given nothing for blogging for Etsy…. I just think that Etsy is just such a cool resource that not enough people know about. The only catch…. you do have to plan a bit, since everything needs to be shipped to you, obviously. Hey, everyone gives gifts, might as well go handmade if you can. This way you can be pretty sure you it didn't come from a sweat shop in a far away land, dipped in lead!

Cover your baby legs...review and giveaway!

I have another new obsession to share. I am absolutely addicted to these. My name is Emily, I’m a self-proclaimed baby leg addict. What are these little accessories you ask? Only the hottest, newest must have for little chunky legs. When I found out I was expecting for the second time, I knew there wasn’t much I would need to get ready…but baby legs were new to me and I knew I must have a few pairs. In my mind, I’ve convinced myself that in these cold Indiana winters that these are more of a necessity rather than a frivolous expense. Here are a few ways I love baby legs:

1. Baby it’s cold outside, and since Nola likes to wear her pants up to her armpits like a grumpy old man, baby legs really help with the gap between her jeans and her socks.
2. Learning to crawl on the hardwood floor just got easier.
3. So stinkin’ cute it hurts, with enough patterns to satisfy the modish to the funky.
4. Piper and Nola can and do both wear them. Piper thinks they make her look like a “big girl”….from the 80’s.
5. They have an awesome line of organic legs made in Vermont.
6. It makes changing Nola’s diaper super easy.
7. Did I mention they now sell them at target? Are you kidding me?

But it! Baby legs can be purchased many places including their online store. Prices range from $8-$15. Seriously, worth every penny.

Win it! Two luck Ellinghouse readers will receive 2 pairs of baby legs each. Just go to the babyleg site, check it out and let me know what style (mine is the Cinnamon) suites your baby’s legs best. Winner will be chosen at random this Sunday the 2^nd at Midnight central time.

Wordless Wednesday...sisters.

Is it just me, or can you tell these 2 are related?

Shlumpa what?

Last week Oprah did a show about women and how many have let themselves go over time. She calls them Shlumpadinkas (seriously Oprah, be nice, you wouldn’t be where you are without your fan base you call the dinkas). And since Shlumpadinkas in the urban dictionary…I guess it’s a real thing. For some reason or another….I’ve been giving schlumpadinka and how my fashion sense relates some thought.

Yesterday I went out to lunch with two good friends (at an awesome restaurant, sans children, so I got to wear real clothes) and we were talking about this topic and how it just might be more important than we think. First, psyco-evaluate our husbands...we love to tell them what they think, this should be easy. Without going into too much detail, we know that they are visual people by nature. So does it matter if all they ever see their wives in are old sweatpants (complete with a hole in the butt) and tee shirt we got our sophomore year in high school (and still pride ourselves we can fit in)? Is this how they met us and fell in love?

I have some conflicting views on what I think. On one hand, I care for and love with all my heart two little humans that keep in the dirt. If I want to stay clean and looking fresh, I would be doing laundry and totally wasting my financial resources on clothes that are getting ruined day after day. Not a day goes by that I don’t get either pooped on, pee’d on, spit up on, or crafted on. And what kind of outfit am I going to wear when cleaning the bathroom? My sweats are my uniform, and I wear it with pride.

I’ve been on the other side of the argument too and still go there every now and again. I’ve had the “fancy” job that requires the “fancy” pants…and I’ve happily traded in that uniform of slacks for something with an elastic waist band. So I ask, is there a happy medium of still looking hot while completely being there for your family? I think there is, there has to be. How do I do my job as a a mom, take care of all things gross, and still not fall into what society classifies as "letting yourself go"?

As I continue my search for un-shlumping myself, I will go change my shirt (a lunchtime victim to avocado and yogurt) and take a shower. This post is not over, I just don't know the answers yet....

Sincerely, too shumpy to show my face in Indy...

A black sheep winner....

The winner has been selected....and I'm pleased to announce that the Black Sheep Baby rug rat long sleeve tee goes to lucky #6 Christina! Aside from Christina being a wonderful friend with two little rug rats at home, she post a nifty craft every Monday which keeps me inspired. Congrats to you Christina and thanks for entering!

Come back later today...I'll have another giveaway up and running. Let me give you a little hint to get you excited. Are your baby's legs cold? Visit later if you need your baby's legs covered....

too much and too close...

So we are better. Ellinghouse is finishing up the medicins and breathing treatments. As I reflect on the past few weeks...I see how unproductive things got. We went into survival mode. If Piper wasn't killing herself or one of the animals, things were going good in my book.

She watched TV. Lots and lots of TV. I would like to say "we don't watch TV"....but that would be a lie. In the picture above, she is sitting SO close to the tv, I'm not sure how she fell asleep there (not one of my most proud Mom moments). She is not allowed to watch TV like this anymore....unless we get sick again, then everything goes out the window and we digress.

How much TV is too much? Many of you would say that any TV is too much. I disagree. A little is ok. Piper usually watches PBS in the morning while I get ready, drink coffee, (and do a little blogging). But by midmorning, we get going and the TV doesn't go back on...unless we have a particular trying afternoon where I find myself wanting to hurt the 3 year old because she's making mommy loose her mind. In that case, an exception is made because a Dora watching 3 year old is better than an injured 3 year old....right? What do you think?

I am....Jim Halpert

I am so excited that the silly strike is over, really, I know nothing about it other than my "programs" have been off for quite some time. For someone like me who still uses bunny ears to get her 3 channels, it has been devastating.

So, what am I looking forward to the most? Probably new episodes of the office. Because, I am Jim Halpert. Take the test, let me know who you are.....

Which Character From The Office Are You?


More on The Office. Created by BuddyTV

and don't forget to enter the Black Sheep Baby contest, ends Monday night....

Black Sheep Baby - review & giveaway...

Ok, if you visit Ellinghouse often you have realized by now that I obviously cannot get enough of cool alternative styles to the normal kids clothes. While aimlessly searching the wide open web one night I stumbled upon what might me the biggest diamond in the rough to date. Meet Black Sheep Baby, a mom run company devoted to creating “tough, simple, and stylish clothes” for the little people of the world.

We got to test out the Black Sheep Baby logo tank dress (Piper has on) and the Badunkadunk pants for little Nola’s diaper butt…how fun it that!

Aside from their clothes being to die for cute, all their garments are “sweatshop” free, printed on oh-so-cool American Apparel and printed locally in Minneapolis. Additionally, Black Sheep Baby is working on a new line, Black Sheep Baby Free Range, offering organic clothing options where possible. Be on the lookout for that in the near future.

Probably why I love Black Sheep Baby is because this is a part-time business of two Mom’s who find time for this endeavor at nap time and at night, after hours. Do you think I can relate? These are my kind of Mommas!

Buy it! Black Sheep Baby has an awesome on-line store (that is having an absolute GIGANTIC sale right now). $5 shipping gets you whatever you want, right to your doorstep.

Win it! I have a Rug Rat long-sleeved tee to giveaway to one lucky Ellinghouse reader. Just leave a comment on this post letting me know that you would like to be entered. Winner will be chosen randomly midnight February 25th central time. Good Luck!

just breath...

Isn't it funny how something so simple, so involuntary, something so taken for granted and expected can rock your world when taken away? I've never thought of breath, the act of breathing really until these past few weeks. Right now Nola is on breathing treatments for the next 10 days while she battles getting back on her feet from this nasty, nasty cold. It's so sad to see her all hooked up and looking miserable, but I know she feels so much better after the treatment.

As we battle here, Papa is still in Boston, lying in the ICU, fighting the battle of his life. He lost his right lung fighting a horrible cancer, and now has pneumonia in his left and only lung. He has just had a liter of fluid drained out of his only lung, simply amazing what the body can go through. Papa has really had his peaks and valleys these past couple weeks. Go catch up on him, God's really writing a breathtaking story with him.

The air we breath, I've always somehow felt entitled to it as a human. We need to inhale, we need to exhale...it's just nice when we don't have to think about it so much, and when it's doesn't hurt.

We love you Papa...hope you're breathing easier, more naturally today. We pray that each breath becomes simpler, deeper, less thought about, and full of purpose. Even if you struggle with physical breath, God's breath is most important.

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
--Genesis 2:7

Wordless Wednesday - Keeping her Contained

Go Barefoot in February...

Most of you that read my blog know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a good book. So, like mother like daughter, one of Piper’s favorite activities is story time. I am very picky about what I read (usually), so why should I not be equally as choosy what my preschooler reads?

I have gotten the privilege to review an awesome company called Barefoot Books. What makes these books different than the rest? Easy, unlike many larger publishers, Barefoot Books is not bogged down with media advertising, the promotion of specially licensed cartoon characters or sugar infused candy and toys. Barefoot books are unique. The books are engaging for even us adults, and provide a meaningful and thought provoking storyline (with amazing graphics I might add). Additionally, Barefoot has made a commitment to the environment, printing all their books on forest-friendly paper, meaning that they re-plant trees after harvesting them for the printers.

We got a copy of The Boy Who Grew Flowers which was such a cute story about a boy who had a unique character trait the people found peculiar. The story spoke to us about how our differences really make us one-of-a-kind and special, the way God made us.

One thing that I’ve noticed about Barefoot Books is that they really promote diversity with books about many far away cultures, languages, and world adventures. They also have a wide assortment of kids’ books written in Spanish.

So, if you’re looking for some good kid’s reads that you can actually stand to read like, oh, 10 times a day, go check out Barefoot Books to escape to a literary fantasyland. Hey, you gotta read to them, might as well enjoy it…right mama?

Buy it! You can pick up your own Barefoot Books right here. They even have some special Spring savings going on!

on the road to recovery...

We are getting there, hopefully the worst is behind us now. Nola's illness peaked yesterday with almost 103 degree temp. Took her to the doctor, yep, the flu and a double ear infection. We got some good meds, a breathing treatment machine, and we are good to go. I still feel like something the cat dragged in, but hopefully today is the worst of that for me too.

The past few days I've been wondering why Piper is acting so obnoxious and crazy, wishing she could calm down and chill out. Then it hit me. Piper had not been out of the house in almost 2 whole weeks (we hardly didn't even go outside in the backyard, due to the cold weather). We've been so under the weather that we have completely called off everything on our social, and if we needed to run a errand, I would wait till Michael or babysitter Jenny came over. So, yesterday Jenny took Piper out for the morning, visiting the children's museum and the library. What a difference letting a little pent up energy out made.

We finally made cards for Papa this afternoon. I wish I was ambitious enough to do a craft everyday with her, she just loves and adores being creative. I need to make more of an effort on my part to make this part of the day. My friend Christina has a wonderful craft this week I think I'll try once I gather some supplies.

Well, I've told many of you that I love doing reviews and giveaways, and I have a trunk load to get to. So, don't give up on me, I'll get to them soon. I got some oh-so-cute clothes, feeding supplies, books, and yes a baby sling (among other things)! But, if you're having contest withdrawal, go visit my friend Drea and her new review site Simple. She's giving away a little wooden train set and also a cute little feeding goodie basket.

she's a wii one....

Since Nola is still feeling under the weather, all she wanted to do is be held ALL THE TIME. So, Michael and I have been taking turns carrying her around everywhere. So here is my wee one playing the wii with her Dad. I knew my addiction to baby carriers would pay off....

And if your wondering how the rest of my weekend has been...since this has been just the most spectacular week thus far. I just got in a car accident, which I cannot confirm or deny if it was or was not my fault (they didn't want to stick around for the cops, after waiting like 20 minutes...so really, whose to say if I cut them off)? I was going to get cold medicine, Kleenex, and a starbucks (Wanted to treat myself for having such a cruddy week). People in the other car were SO mean, wouldn't even let me borrow their cell phone to make a call (I was just going on a short errand, forgot the phone at home), yelled at me and then gave me the evil eye, then decided to ultimately ignore my presence. Then, when we needed to exchange info, they used their tattered, worn, leather Bible as something to write on. What the heck? Don't even get me started.

I'll be lucky to make it to Monday in one piece. The Honda needs a band-aid, and I still need my coffee and cold medicine.

how was your love day?

Well, we made it through another Valentine's day. Yesterday was incredibly exhausting both physically and emotionally. Papa is doing better in Boston, the care page was updated a few time yesterday so I encourage you to check it out if you would like an update. Basically, he suffered a rare and serious complication to his lung surgery. Today will be a day of more test, more procedures. Please pray that things go smoothly as today is yet another stressful day for everyone.

Piper is feel for the most part better but Nola is full-on miserable. Yesterday I held her for the majority of the day. She seems to need sleep so incredibly bad but can only really sleep if she is being held. Needless to say, I was up ALOT last night an could use a good nap that I will for sure not get.

Addition to Nola being sick and up at night, Piper has decided that her bedroom is scary and not fit for sleeping. Suddenly shadows scare her. Her story chair scares her. So, getting her to sleep is a marathon in itself lately.

Good news, I'm going out tonight with grown-ups. I have a yearly event for work tonight that I get to get dressed up, talk to adults, drink adult drinks, and even put on some makeup. Pending any disasters, I'm so excited to leave the house.

I really wanted to have a fun valentines day craft for Piper to do yesterday. But I didn't get out of the house this week to get the supplies. So, instead of red paper, fun doilies, and glitter...I found so neon card stock, crayons, and random stickers in my disaster of an office. Piper only wanted to make 2 cards, one to her Dad and one to Uncle Dan. Sorry to all of Piper's other Uncles and Aunties....better luck on St. Patties Day.

Michael and I celebrated by an exchange of cards and eating microwaved mashed potatoes in front of the TV. So romantic.

Anyway, sorry for the depressing rant I just put you through. Sometimes life is not all red hearts and glitter paint. I'm looking forward to the weekend...

update on Papa...please pray.

As written by my sister-in-law Susan this morning:

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I use this greeting literally this morning, as I am asking you to gear up for battle and get down on your knees. It is with a broken heart that I tell you that Rich was readmitted last night to the hospital, and is currently in the ICU fighting some serious complications.

After experiencing ever-increasing shortness of breath last night Kim brought him back to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia in his one lung, and possibly a leak in the bronchial tube that is connected to his artificial lung. He was immediately put on 100% oxygen, which showed that he was only able to intake about 80%. At this point he is hooked up to a chest tube, a lot of other machines, and is incoherent. The doctor told Kim that Rich can hear her, so she is doing her best to reassure him and pray with him.

At this point I do not even know what to ask to pray for specifically, other than a complete and smooth recovery for Rich. He is now facing a much longer and harder road than we anticipated. Right now we are not sure of any details as to how long this may take, we are just thankful to God that Rich went to the hospital when he did, as the doctor's said that a few hours later it would have been a completely different story.

I do ask that you pray once again for God's peace for Rich's family. There is not a doubt in our minds that this still remains His story. We will continue to trust Him for everything, knowing that the end of the story will still be beautiful, regardless of how and when we may see it. However we are still so scared, and so sad. It's difficult to be in Michigan today, knowing all that our husband and father is going through in Massachusetts. It seems a world away.

Please keep Kim in your prayers, as she is there with Rich alone today. Pray for her peace of mind. We thank God for her strong, Christian heart and her caring nature. She is a direct inheritant of our Dad's heart for the Lord, and there is no one in this world that could serve Rich better at this very moment. Please also pray for Mary, as she is broken by this news. She will be heading out today to be with Rich again. She, especially, needs prayers for comfort and assurance that God is in control, and that He has hers and Rich's best interests at heart.

Just 24 hours ago we thought this journey may be coming to a close, but it looks today that God has a different path for us to travel. Even through our tears and our fears we will march on in confidence, claiming His promises of hope, of provision, and His absolute inability to ever leave us alone to fight without Him. This battle, still, belongs to the Lord. For this we are thankful, and in this we will rest.

Again, warriors, please join me on my knees.

In His Hands,

Susan

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God."

Motor Nola...

Wordless Wednesday...still sick

....and now the baby has it too....
pray for me....

I've been tagged....Book Meme...

The wonderful Dixie Chick tagged me early last week and I've been a bad blogger lately but I'm finally getting on it.

The rules are: take the book closest to you right now, turn to page 123 find the fifth sentence and then write the next 3 full sentences in your post.

This could be interesting because sometimes I'm into a really thought provoking book and sometimes I'm reading something totally awful and mind-numbing. And....sometimes the book has a golden spin, about 10 pages with tons of pictures. Titles like the poky puppy and The Great Big Fire Engine Book come to mind. Ok, here goes the meme, this better be good....

"So I got out my Swiss Army knife and opened the saw blade so that I could defend myself. Then I went out of my bedroom really quietly and listened. I couldn't hear anything, so I started going downstairs really quietly and really slowly."



Sounds like I read real pages turners huh? This was an excerpt from The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon......so far it's really good and would recommend it. It's probably one of those books that you could finish up on a plan ride or an afternoon on the beach.

If you have any good suggestions for what I should read next, let me know. I need so new ideas. I'm obviously reading this, and I'm halfway thought Blue Like Jazz which I so far love. Next up is Pillars of the Earth, but then I need some new material.

Now...I am supposed to tag three people, and since I have 3 sisters, this is easy.

Jayme (only if your reading something, or you could pretend that you are)

Jenna (can be from a textbook I guess, medicine is fun...)

Betsy (textbook again is acceptable I guess, only if you have time out of the pool)

this and a little of that...

Nothing much going on today....

• Piper is still sick and I think it's coming mine and Nola's way, I'm positive.
• We have a winner to the Kipiis bib clips, Andrea has won herself a pair! I think she will really love them, she has a busy toddler at home and expecting her second. She also does some great reviews/giveaways of her own so check her out.
• Papa is really doing great. Still in the hospital, trying to get his heart arrhythmia and blood pressure evened out. We are praying that he gets discharged real soon and moves into a out-patient treatment program in Boston. Go visit him and send him some love, he would love it.

I wanted to share this picture taken this afternoon. Nola is on the move, crawling all around now. Today, while I had my back turned, she almost fell down the stairs, got into a box of Pipers crayons, and unrolled a roll of toilet paper. I'm gonna go activate the eyes in the back of my head now...

I got a good video of her today crawling across the hardwood floor. I'll post it here later this week. I'm sure only grandmas and a few aunties will really want to watch it. Everybody else can disregard....

Add a little sugar....review!

You’ve heard me say before; it’s the accessories that make the outfit. Admittedly, girls really have the more fun when it comes to getting dressed up, sorry boys.

I’ve had so much fun doing Piper’s hair the past year (because her hair finally came in around the age of 2, no joke). And have done some real searching for cool hair accessories that actually STAY in fine hair. Let me introduce you to a sassy company called Lil’ Sugarplum. Lil’ Sugarplum has a huge selection of clips, pony tail holders and headbands.

Here at Ellinghouse I really, really need hair bows and clips that stay put in our ultra fine, see- through clear hair. I got to test out the Clover Baby Hair Clip ($8) for Nola and the Owl Hair clip ($7) for Piper (what a hoot! HA!). Let me tell you, if you have girls with super fine hair, these clips are for you because in addition to the clip, they have a little piece of velcro to help hold the hair in place. Nola has like zero hair and I managed to attached (and keep put) the baby clip in Nola’s three strands!

We loved the clips, but if your more of a headband or pony kind of girl, I think you would enjoy the cupid pony tail holder ($8, hello Valentines Day this week) or the bow headband ($12).

Lil’ Sugarplum is run by a stay-at-home mom of two with lots of ambition and desire to create. On thing she really has been inspired to do is give back. Every order placed, 2% of the sale goes to the March of Dimes. How cool is that!

Speaking of Cool…I've found out that all the cool kids are into Lil’ Sugarplum! Check out celebrity Jason Priestley and his little cutie Ava sporting the Venice hair clip.

Buy It! Go ahead, check out Lil’ Sugarplum and start your spring shopping a bit early. You will be glad you did.

Just Blow...

We got the cold.....I think it started here, migrated over here, and ended up with the toddler at Ellinghouse. I can't be sure though, I did find Piper licking the cart at Target this week...no joke. The one thing that frustrates me the most about a 3 year old and the cold, no matter how hard I try to teach her to "blow", she can't get it. So, we are destined this week to drip snot on everything, but a tissue. Hope you all are staying well, I know many of you are suffering right along with me.

Oh, and if you have any tips on teaching the "blow"...just let me know.

Amazing news to share....

We got simply wonderful news today regarding the prognosis and health of my father in law. For all of you that have been praying all I can say is...thanks so much and your prayers have been answered. Here it is, straight off the care page....

(Written by my sister-in-law Susan) Oh, the tears of joy that are being shed in this room right now! How we wish you could all be here to share in this overwhelming moment with us.

We just were delivered the best possible news. Dr. Sugarbaker came in to give us a report on Rich. Rich’s cancer had been diagnosed as a T1. As explained to us, this is on a scale of T1 through T4, with T1 being the best. Dr. Sugarbaker says that he is only able to give Rich’s diagnosis of T1 to about one in one hundred patients, and that Rich is his “one for the year”. He said that as far as he is concerned, Rich can just put this all behind him and go on living life. Even according to Dr. Sugarbaker, “Miracles abound”. He has no idea that truer words have never been spoken.

Rich was hoping to be discharged today, but due to another reoccurrence of his heart arrhythmia he will most likely be staying through until tomorrow morning. While we had found this news discouraging when we first arrived, after receiving such wonderful news this hardly seems like bad news at all.

We ask that you please continue to pray that the medical staff can get Rich’s heart arrhythmia under control, and also that Rich’s appetite comes back so he can build up his strength. His legs also are very swollen in his calves, and Dr. Sugarbaker says that Rich needs to lay in bed with his legs elevated above his heart. This position is very uncomfortable for Rich, so pray that he can make it through with as minimal discomfort as possible.

What a morning this has already been. Praise God for seeing us through to this moment! We hope you are all rejoicing and sharing in this news with us, for you are all just a part of this journey as we are. Thank you for loving Rich, for praying for him, for committing to this journey with him, and for truly being his brothers and sisters in Christ. We stand amazed at what we can do when we put our trust in the Lord.

As always, we will keep you updated as we are updated. Thank you for all you have done for us, and all you have come to mean to us.

I'll leave you here with what is for me a very inspirational photo. This is a picture taken just 9 days ago as my in-laws walked to the hospital in Boston to be admitted. Oh how far we've come in just 9 short (or were they long?) days....

Kipiis This! Review and Giveaway...

I have yet again stumbled upon another “why didn’t I think of that” essential kid product. For those of you that just adore the cracking, nasty, plastic bibs that say “I’m the cutest baby ever”, this product is not for you. For those of you who like sleek, modern, streamline design that make your diaper bag lighter, read on my friend. Enter Kipiis bib clips ($12).

Kipiis (pronounced kip-eez) essentially is two round clips attached to an adjustable strap to make basically any cloth material insta-bib. Go ahead, turn that kitchen napkin, towel, burp cloth into a ready to go mess catcher. In a second you will be ready for meal time, craft time, or just plain drool time.

I personally love it because instead of lugging around a burp cloth and a bib, I just carry around my kipiis and a cloth do double duty for feeding time and drool time. I can carry the clips in my purse or pocket for lighter trips when I don't feel like lugging around a huge diaper bag. Also, kipiis is awesome because it fits both baby Nola and “big girl” Piper because it’s adjustable. How cool!

Buy it! Kipiis is sold at many specialty stores across the country as well as through many on-line retailers.

Win it! I’m giving away a pair of Kipiis Bib Clips to one very lucky Ellinghouse reader. Just leave a comment letting me know what your messy eaters favorite food is. I’ll draw one random winner midnight, eastern time on Sunday, the 10^th. Good Luck!

Update on Super-papa...

Well, Michael is back in sunny Indy...he had a good experience spending time with his Mom and Dad in Boston the past few days. It was really great that he could get out there, but wow we are glad he is back. I have to give a huge round of applause to all single Moms out there that make it work. It is so hard to be with the kids 24/7, try to work, and hope nobody gets hurt. My Dad used to leave my Mom (and the four kids) to go deer hunting for 2 weeks every fall. I don't remember my Mom complaining....wow, must be a better mom than I. Or could it be that I was just a much easier child than my own? Hmmm...

Ok, onto the update. This is basically the same update that is on the Caring Bridge site, so if you read that it's nothing new.

Dear Friends & Family,

Here is an update for Rich as of Tuesday evening:

Overall, Rich is doing well. This afternoon Rich had a slight heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). The nurse gave him medicine to regulate the heart and Rich was feeling better within a couple hours. Rich’s epidural was removed today along with the IV tubes. The catheter should be removed tonight. Rich is retaining about 20 lbs of excess fluid that is being slowly excreted from the body.

Prayer requests:

Rich’s heart and lung need to learn to work together without the right lung.

Rich experiences a lot of discomfort with shortness of breath and sitting in one place for too long.

Pray that Rich gets restful sleep. He has only had infrequent short naps since the surgery.

Pray that angels surround Rich during the long nights and protect his mind from the blues.

Additionally, My sister and brother-in-law Susan and Jason are trying to get out to Boston. Their flight was to get out of Grand Rapids yesterday, but they are still stuck in Michigan due to a winter Blizzard. Pray that they can dig the airplanes out so they can get out of town!

Thanks so much everyone, we are right on track with recovery!

Wordless Wednesday - Prisoner in Pink

Play with this dough...

So my good friend Christina is posting every Monday about a new, fun creative activity to do with your kids. I'm so excited about this because we DO need new ideas for activities to work on. We are huge into coloring and doing puzzles, but other than that, I am always looking for new suggestions from other creative moms. Lets just say, it isn't Piper, it me. I sometimes just don't have the energy or motivation to do a fun craft. Sometimes it's easier if somebody (Christina) shows me somthing fun and EASY to engage my preschooler in. Anyway, last Monday, Christina posted a wonderful recipe for homemade playdough. We took her up on her offer, and I will say that it is Ellinghouse approved. Although we didn't have the fun food coloring that she did, it was a hit. I will admit, making it was half the fun. Go check her out, today she posted a great recipe for soap crayons....awesome!

Nola a.k.a. tiny baby...

Just call her little squirt. We went to the doctor for a well child checkup an everything is fine and dandy for the most part. Nola is a bit on the small side, 8th percentile to be exact although her height is in the upper 30's so we have been given orders to "fatten her up" and come back for a weigh-in in a few weeks. How do you fatten a baby up? She eats enough, nurses enough, and for sure poops enough so I'm not sure how we are going to accomplish that. The doctor suggested avocado's I bought a few, and of course Nola thinks they are disgusting. I wonder if I served them with Margarita's she would enjoy them better. I know I would.....

So, for all you big-baby people... do you have any tips? I think I'm gonna try some pizza rolls, That always manages to put a few extra pounds on me.