Ellie's 4 Month Photoshoot and Stats

Miss Ellie is 4 months old!!  Time is definitely flying...especially through the summer.  Sometimes I wish there was a pause button. 

Ellie is doing great...still giving us lots of smiles, and sweet conversations.  She really adores Nolan.  It's pretty cute to watch them 'play' together.  Her eyes get a little wider and brighter when he is around her.  She follows him with her eyes and watches him run around.  Nolan gets a lot of smiles from her.  This is really a fun stage!

She is sooo close to rolling over from her back to her tummy.  She just can't quite get her arm way out of the way.  Soon...

Stats:
- Height: 26" (96%)...I'm a little suspect of this.  Long story short, the nurse didn't take an accurate measurement
- Weight: 14 lbs. 2 oz. (60%)
- Head: 16.25

Lot's of smiles!

Oh no!!!...she found her thumb :(

Three Generations of Hickman Ladies

My Mom and Dad came up to visit us for my birthday.  Mom and I had tickets to see the Josh Groban concert.  Love him!!!  Since Ellie has been born, we have never taken pictures with just the Hickman ladies.  We took the opportunity while we were 'dressed-up' and ready to go out :)

4th of July - 2011

We spent the 4th of July in Decorah.  Jason's sister, Anne, was preparing to leave for Africa for a month and so the crew decided to meet-up in Jason's hometown.  Friends and family made it back, including a good friend of the family, Rachelle.  She drove up from St. Louis to join in the fun!  Unfortunately, Jason's sister Karla wasn't able to make it back.  She and her husband were moving from Alabama back to Iowa!!!!  We are SOOOOO excited they will be closer again.  We miss Aunt Karla and Uncle Abe :)

While we were in Decorah, we went kayaking down the Upper Iowa River.  Grandma Mary watched Nolan and Ellie so Jason and I could make the 4 hr trip.  It was so much fun!  While I love spending my free time with the kids, it was very nice to relax for a bit with my feet dangling in the water.  The weather was gorgeous!!  Finally got just a bit of sun!  Maya even made the trip and swam, ran and when exhausted, rode in the kayak with Jason.  Always a site to see that!

On Monday, the 4th, we headed back to Minneapolis.  We were pretty tired from the weekend, so we didn't do too much more.  It was another hot, steamy, day so we got the sprinkler out for Nolan to play in.  So much fun to watch him...and with the heat, I didn't mind when Nolan was being a trouble-maker and dumping water on me :)

We were all so tired, we didn't even stay awake late enough to go watch the fireworks.  We'll try again next year!

View of Holthaus farm from the new bike path that goes through their land

Look at those saggy pants...yikes! 

Aunt Anne and her friend Toni

Yes, we are classy...Nolan is playing in the sprinkler wearing only his diaper!

Happy Father's Day! - 2011

I'm so behind on posts right now...but trying to catch up! 

To help Daddy celebrate Father's Day, Nolan made Jason a card and painted a picture frame at day-care.  He was soooo excited to give it to him.  He proudly presented it to Jason on Friday night...a few days early.

Father's Day was a bit of a let-down for Jas I'm sure.  Unfortunately, Nolan, Ellie and I got our first colds since the kids returned to day-care.  We spent most of the day rather grumpy and not up for much.  The kids and I gave Jas new pans for our new stove.  The new stove is half electric heat and half induction and so we needed a few new pans to work on the induction side!  We are definitely enjoying how quickly the induction stove cooks!
 
I can't express how much we love and appreciate Jason.  I am so very lucky to have such an amazing partner and father to Nolan and Ellie.  He is so patient and loving.  Not to get too cheesy...but I seriously do fall more in love with him watching him with the kids.  Jason is a wonderful dad and deserves to be told so everyday!  We love you :)

Our Family Photoshoot

With both Nolan and Ellie reaching milestones in June (2 yrs and 3 months)...I decided to try to do a family photoshoot.  I picked a weekend I thought the weather was going to be nice, planned the outfits and we were ready to go!  Of course when the time came, the weather changed to a dreary, drizzling rain...ugh!  We drove around heading north trying to stay ahead of the rain.  Jason suggested an area by the Mississippi River.  Pretty background, unfortunately, also a mosquito's dream!  I was eaten alive!!  Fortunately, they didn't go after the kids at all...someone later told me that babies don't produce whatever it is the mosquitoes like??  Not sure if that is true or not :)

Ellie's 3 Month Photoshoot

A couple weeks late...

Well, it's official...Ellie turned 12 weeks and I headed back to work.  It was just as hard the second time as it was the first!  The only part that was easier was leaving Ellie at day-care.  Since Nolan has been going  there since January, we have built a trusting relationship.  I adore our day-care provider.  She has a big heart, is very flexible and understanding.  If I can't be home with my children, I'm very glad to have found such a great place for the kids to go.  There are 4 children, including Nolan and Ellie. 


Ellie turned 3 months old the week after I returned to work.  Here are the pictures from her 'milestone' photos.  She is getting even more filled out, lot's more eye contact, smiles, coos and ahhs.  She is so fun!  I even caught one picture where she was sitting-up...for a few seconds!