Growing Belly...

Earlier this week my mom set up a little photo shoot of my big pregnant belly...we are now at 26 weeks and growing! Little James Hawthorne is a very active baby...sometimes my whole belly jumps as he moves from side to side! Elsie loves to talk to James and give him kisses...she just can't wait to hold her little brother...
We have about 3 months left before James will be here...and it will be a long 3 months...as of last week I have been put on bedrest again due to shortening cervix,lots of contractions and a positive fetal fibronectin test...Elsie and I have been living at my parents house during the week when Jon is gone at work since I cannot get up to cook or lift Elsie ...Elsie has been in her glory spending so much time at Grammie and Papa Wayne's house! I am afraid that by the time James arrives my parents will be terribly sick of us!

My growing belly...Love it!

Nail-Clippin' Party...

While I was clipping Elsie's nails she slipped Grammie's glasses on...to help her see better! Please excuse the super messy face...some days we believe in never washing up after eating a meal...or at least that is what Elsie seems to think!
Elsie has been on a bit of a nail-clipping strike lately...so when Elsie announced that she wanted to have her nails clipped we jumped at the chance!

After Elsie's nails were done being clipped she talked Lisa into painting her nails...and grammie took her glasses back to paint everyone elses nails...I have come to find that I enjoy having Grammie paint my nails...every girl should have her nails done grammie says!

Elsie and Auntie Laura...so happy with fancy nails...

Spring Horse fun...

Last week the aunties pulled out the old spring horse...and Elsie fell completely in love with it...she has already put in many hours of riding...and a girl just cannot ride a horse without with out a big cowboy hat and cowboy boots on...

Bedtime...

I love this picture...Elsie looks so cozy sleeping in her bed...she has suddenly become quite scared of the dark so she sleeps with the little chandelier on above the bed. So cozy...
I notice that the picture on the wall is quite crooked...it is not even supposed to stay there...her room is a little un-decorated right now while I decide what colour to paint the walls...decorating is a never ending thing!

A Little Stylish...

Elsie has quite a sense of style...and she is really enjoying being able to wear "new" clothes now that I have brought out all the summer clothes...She has a favorite sweater that she wears almost every day...it is the special sweater that daddy bought for her to wear for Easter...and she slipped one of the aunties hats on her head to keep her hair from blowing in her eyes...
She had to carry my big purse out to van for me...and she just looked so colourful and cute...

This was my favorite part of her outfit...her legs were cold in her summer dress so she needed to wear some leggings/tights...and ever since the snow melted Elsie has lived in her flip-flops! I guess wearing flip-flops means you cannot wear socks so she just pulled her leggings down as far as possible. And yes, I did bring her shopping with me with her leggings just like this!

Almost Summer...

Elsie has fallen in love with all the beautiful Dandelions growing in the yard...we always have fresh flowers on the table now thanks to Elsie...
Along with summer-like flowers comes some summer food...we made a dish of Broccoli Salad...and Elsie and I finished it all off in 2 days...so good!

We even enjoyed our first Cantaloupe of the season...so good and juicy! I love fruit...and I think James must also since we are now working our 2nd Cantaloupe in just a few days! Elsie is more of a Veggie girl and broccoli is her favorite by far!

Elsie's number one snack item is still potato chips...BBQ flavor! I told her she could have a little bowl full of chips for snack time...when I walked back in the dining room she had dumped the entire bag of chips in the a big bowl...just for the record she did not get to finish off the entire bowl of chips!

Helping Daddy...

Last weekend Jon worked on raking the leaves in the yard...and Elsie was always just a few steps behind him always ready to help! When Elsie saw that Jon had a rake he was using she ran inside and got her little broom so she could help...gotta love the way her mind works!
Elsie always loves to help Daddy with things...

After helping all day Elsie was so pooped out she fell asleep on the couch after reading her favorite story book, "The Seven Silly Eaters"...What a busy day for a little girl...

Ouch...

Elsie loves to play at Grammie and Papa Wayne's house...but she hates to leave! She has a fit almost every time I say "Elsie we need to go home now!" On this particular day Elsie cried all the way outside and down the sidewalk...at the top of the stairs Elsie had a huge fit and fell down the 4 cement steps...she fell all the way down and scraped up her nose and face and wrist and broke a toe nail in the process!
I would like to say the next time we left Grammie's there was no fit involved...but that scrape on the nose did no good and the fits continue! Today the scabs are almost all gone and her nose is back to looking like normal...but I think even with the scratch she still looks cute!

Driving the 4-Wheeler...

Last weekend Auntie Emma learned how to drive the little 4-wheeler by herself...when Elsie found out what her auntie could do she just held her mouth open and hit her chest...she was speechless and more then a little jealous! A few days later papa Wayne put a helmet on Elsie's head and helped to drive the 4-wheeler by herself!
She was one happy girl...even if she was not strong enough to push the throttle by herself so Papa Wayne had to do that part for her!

I am pretty sure that the day Elsie is strong enough to drive by herself we will regret it...I have a feeling she is going to be a little on the wild side...I think she gets that from her daddy!

What a happy little girl...she was all smiles under the helmet...

Jelly Bread...

We have found the very best gluten free bread (most GF bread is quite icky!)...so Elsie has been able to enjoy jelly sandwiches and her favorite...Vegenaise and pickle sandwiches! Elsie is quite an independent little girl...she she prefers to make own sandwiches...
She likes lots of jelly in the very center of the bread...

She opens the fridge and gets the jelly out, gets a knife out of the drawer, pulls her little chair up and waits for me to get the bread down and open the jar of jelly...

Nothing is quite as good as a jelly sandwich...she eats the crust and all...so tasty...

A Mind of Her Own...

Elsie is getting quite a mind of her own...we have to remember to pick our battles...some things are just simply not important enough to have a little battle of the wills over...on this particular day we were getting ready for a little shopping and to visit grandma B. and arguing about what to wear was not worth it...
Besides who says pink stars and green polk-a-dots don't match!? She finished the look off with a bright pink flower in her hair and pink crocks on her feet...and she looked lovely...right?

Washing the Rocks...

For the last several weeks Elsie has had a little baggie of rocks in her room...one day she asked if she could wash the rocks...I said yes and turned the water on for her then went back to what I was doing...a few moments later I walked back into the kitchen and found her sitting on the counter washing them in a little bucket! I thought she would just stand on the stool and run a little water over them...I guess she had other plans!
No rock can get clean without a little dish soap...

After washing the rocks Elsie put them back in the baggie and then in the fridge...don't ask why they are in the fridge because I have no idea...but she has them tucked nice and neatly in the corner of the crisper and she checks on them often! You have to wonder where kids come up with some of the crazy things they do!

Painting of the Nails...

Last week Elsie found the nail polish and wanted to try painting her own nails...She mostly painted the back side of 2 fingers...but it was so cute to watch how intent she was on carefully painting her nails...
a girl with crazy hair painting her fingers...and I think it looks like gamie's lipstick around her mouth...a girl just has a have painted nails and a little lipstick...

She growing up to be quite a girly girl...