Getting the mail

How can I not be proud, when my 26 month old girl can do this???

This is how she sleeps

Just like her big sister, Ellie LOVES the "Miracle Blanket."

This is how she sleeps...all cozily swaddled like a burrito.

And, she's sleeping pretty well, so I'm pretty happy about it (although I hope I'm not jinxing it by writing about it). When we're not juggling a million other things (and Gabby's not accidentally screaming in her ear) Ellie will sometimes nap for a few hours at a time, and for the past couple of nights, she's been giving us one 4-5 hour stretch of sleep and then another 3-4 hour stretch after a nice hearty middle-of-the-night feeding. I just hope she keeps it up!

A little story...

Our little rockstar!

Yesterday, after Gabby had told me "I have sand in my ears" while poking at them in bed Wednesday night, I took her to the pediatrician for an ear infection check. Turns out that her ears are totally fine. I think our daughter actually enjoys going to the doctor.

Anyway...when we check out, she gets to pick a little toy out of their toy box (some little plastic squeeze toy or trinket). After much deliberation, she picks out her toy, and we head to the car, and then to run an errand. As we're approaching Target, Gabby starts whining, "Where's my cover...I want the cover." I have no idea what she's talking about, so I start in on a line of investigative questioning... "What is your cover? Where is it? What does it look like?" She tells me that it's in the car, but I get no more than that, and I'm at a loss. It's not a blanket, (nor a drink, snack, or lovey...the only things I can think she'd want in the car), so I try to distract her and we get out of the car for our errand. I think I've eluded the situation, but as we return to the car, she starts asking for her "cover" again. And then it dawns on me. The toy she picked out was a little plastic top (to spin...like a dreidel I told her, when she didn't know what to do with her new little plastic treasure). To her...a "cover" and a "top" are simply synonymous (like the cover or top for a jar or bottle). I laughed to myself, as I found her little top on the floor and handed it over to my smiling little girl. My toddler-ese translation saved the day!

Dad's addendum

As B blogged earlier, G was calling her toy top from the doctor's office a "cover." Well, this morning she told me that she wanted her cap, as in bottlecap, referring to the top. Wild, eh?

In true Cohen tradition, I accidently broke her top this morning. I'm sorry G. I told her I was sorry, to which she replied, "I believe you."

She's my girl.

Some Ellie Pics

Ellie with Auntie Marta

Trying to capture her elusive smile.
This is the closest we've come thus far, but wait'll you see her dimple!

Pensive in her Daddy's arms

Any advice will do

We've got some large flower bunkers in front of our house, and they've got some very pretty roses blooming. It's spring here, y'know. Anyway, the rose plants are rather large and unruly. They've got thorny branches growing into the sidewalk. If you think you can give some good advice on trimming a rose plant without killing it, please comment.

I thank you. My family thanks you. Our neighbors thank you.

Ellie's got the bluest eyes

As you can see in this photo, our littlest one is shaping into a looker. She's got beautiful blue eyes, and a button nose, and the cutest smile you ever did see (not in this photo, trust me).

She's still sleeping well, eating well, and all around doing really well. Yay, Ellie!

I think she resembles me...

Like father like daughter

or

Monkey see, monkey do

or

Anything you can do, I can do better

Dad Again has a good point

I usually read at my desk during work lunches, and today was no different. I came across a new installment of dad again on slate.com and found myself captivated for the entire read. For those who know my reading style, this is uncommon. Towards the end of the article is a point that I'd like to steal...

If you want to feel the way you're meant to feel about the new baby, you need to do the grunt work. It's only in caring for a thing that you become attached to it.

I need to spend even more time with my girls.

Simon says...watch my video!