January 2, 2007

It's a new year and we have more tales of Elena our Moon Monkey! (that's one of Jon's pet names for her. Don't ask me why, but it makes us all laugh!)

On December 9, my dear friends Amber O'Neill and Joanna Pallister threw me and Elena a wonderful baby shower. Amber organized the shower and Joanna hosted the shower at her house. I feel so blessed to have such great friends and felt blessed to be able to share my shower with my mom who was in town to help us with Elena.

Elena turned 6 weeks old last Thursday and we had our final midwife appointment. Elena weighs 12 pounds on the dot and is almost 24 inches long. She is healthy, fast-growing little girl! Jon and I have been greatly rejoicing in Elena's new use of sounds. Besides making "oohs" and "ahs," she has started repeating the sounds we make. This week I was singing to her and she starting singing back to me in perfect pitch several times! I was SOOO excited! And then she sang back to Jon as well. We aren't planning her career in opera yet, but it is great to know that she can sing!



Here you can see the great joy that my dad has in holding his little granddaughter. Elena is so strong that she is standing when we just use our hands to steady her. My dad visited us in Vancouver from December 19-28 and it was such a joy to have him near and watch him interact with Elena!



Jon insisted that Elena "open" her own presents. Here Elena opens the beautiful gift that her Grandma Ovelina and her Grandpa Dave sent for her to open on Christmas Eve. Inside was a lovely ornament for Elena's first Christmas tree!




Elena also learned to smile just before Christmas as you can see in these two pictures.



Elena received her first stocking and Jon and I thought it would be funny if looking back she got to see that she FIT in her stocking!

Elena keeps surprising us with all the new things she is learning to do. She has begun talking in baby gibberish and seems like she is going to be a real talker. She is always "telling us stories" and "singing us songs" : ) She also loves staring into people's eyes and smiling. Her favorite game is "flying baby" which Jon plays with her every day!

On the not-specifically-about-Elena front, Jon and I have been busily putting together our applications for PhD programs and hope to find out in the next few months where we will be living next and which program we will working in. It is very exciting, but also a lot of work especially with a newborn!

Well, I must be going. Elena is waking up from one of her afternoon naps and needs my attention. We send our love to all and our well wishes in this New Year!