Sand dunes and sunrise

Both these video clips I took with my phone, thus the suspect quality. The first one is of Ellaiden walking on the vast dunes of Nags Head, NC, just down the road from Kitty Hawk. These dunes are about a 1/4 of a mile from the ocean and reach heights of 90 feet, providing a 360 degree panoramic view. They stretch for about a mile long. Great place for kite flying, hang gliding, and dune-tumbling (where you just throw yourself down the hill and roll).



This second clip is from our last day at the beach, when Ellaiden decided to get up at 5:45am, a somewhat regular occurrence for her during the week. The downside: losing sleep. The upside: seeing sunrises such as these. The shot is steady until Ellaiden gets bored in my arms and takes a swipe at my hand.

E at the beach

Maybe Not Diabetes

Thanks to all you caring folks who have emailed to ask about the diabetes dilemma. The last test I took was normal. What does this mean you ask? Well, it means that I have an ultrasound when I get back in town on July 11th and if that is normal they will officially release me from the specialist and declare that I am "normal". Ok, so as much as "I" can be "normal" :) So, until then I will randomly check my sugar levels with my nifty little finger prick machine and eat what I want. I DO need to go back to my pre-pregnancy eating habits though. I have been terrible with the whole exercise and eating thing with this kid.

E-swing and Aqua-E

I captured both of these videos on my phone. The first is of Ellaiden swinging in a baby chair, facing the wrong way. While no one was watching her, she crawled over and got the swing rocking on her own. The second video is of lil' E at the Outer Banks Aquarium, which we visited today. She was less interested in the tanked-up aquatic life (though she did laugh at the otters) than with displaying her walking skills throughout the long aquarium hallways. Good times though.

E in NC

Here are some pics from our time so far in NC. Little E with her cousins Nick and Emily at Mimi's and Papaw's house.

These are pics from a phone camera. More pics to come (and some from the beach) from a real camera.

Diabetes

NO DIABETES, MAYBE DIABETES, YES DIABETES, MAYBE NOT DIABETES, OK ONE MORE TEST....

I had to get blood drawn for the normal 24-26 week pregnant gestational diabetes test. The first one came back slightly high so they sent me back to do a three hour test. That one came back with two of the four raised so I was declared "diabetic" and sent to a speciallist. At that visit they looked at my scores and determined that the lab had used the wrong gage and I maybe wasn't diabetic. So, today I went to the lab again for my 7th and 8th time to get stuck with a needle and blood drawn out of my arm. This is supposed to really tell us what is going on. We won't know till probably Monday and until then I am holding out hope! I really shouldn't have eaten that bacon and cheese biscuit on the way to the first test I guess : /

Outside Fun

Finally Finished

Here are some pics of what we have been working on for the past few months...

Elladien's New Room

Ellaiden moved into our old room and her Mimi made her curtains and bedskirt out of the material Aunt Lyssa helped pick out

Work, Work, Work

Ellaiden loved sitting with papaw. She would get up in the mornings and just sit on his lap. I assure you this is not common for my little thunderbolt.






Ellaiden did a little painting herself! I didn't get a picture but at one point she wondered into the bedroom, found my paint bucket and brush and had a great time. We had to even get paint out of her hair!








After a long days work......













This is Ellaiden with all the tape from the wall I had just put on. She came behind me and pulled every bit of it off! I decided to just give up!








Ellaiden LOVES her tea set that my Aunt Pam and Uncle Max gave her!

Fun with Gram and Grandpa featuring Cousin Liam

Ellaiden and Liam actually stayed out of trouble playing together for the weekend. The parents loved it!

Cont...

Ellaiden is getting measured for the first time on the door of heights. This goes back to when her Dad was just a little thing!


Ellaiden and Liam played ALL DAY outside in the water. They had SUCH a good time playing together it gives me hope for when Soren comes.


Making biscuits with Grandpa-a family tradition!

Some first steps

In this clip, Ellaiden is practicing her new-found walking skills (this video was shot May 23rd) on the just-laid carpet in our new added-on bedroom. Papaw (Jenny's dad), who along with Jenny's mom helped us finish the addition, is in the foreground resting. Contrary to his corpse-like inertness, he is alive and well--just dead tired.

Ellaiden is full-on walking now and hopefully we'll get a video of that up soon. We've been busy.

Ellaiden and Liam

In this clip, you shall see Ellaiden being carted round the grandparents' house in Richardson by her cousin Liam. Then, you shall see cousin Liam attempt to take Ellaiden's spoon. Ellaiden has none of it.

Soren Litten Margrave

Yes, that is what we will most likely name the new one. We still reserve the right to change our minds if we so choose but there you go. Where did we get this name? Soren is from Soren Kierkegaard not so much from this overwhelming respect but because we liked the name. Litten is my maiden name and well, I happen to be fond of it and didn't really like losing it.

We have had a long delay in writing and posting but hopefully lots of pics and videos coming soon!