A Working Mom. Easter. Fundraiser.

Well, it's official.  Maternity leave and Spring Break are coming to an end, and I am entering the world of working motherhood. I'm back to driving to work and packing a lunch and being gone all day.  Such a strange thought, now that I have Ellie and I haven't been away from her much since she came home from the NICU.

But that's not until tomorrow.

Our weekend was packed and wonderful.  In the midst of visitor arrivals, Ellie visited the Down syndrome clinic and received a good report.  She recently learned how to grab onto things, mostly hair and necklaces.  She is bringing both hands to midline fairly consistently.  In the past week, her general alertness has increased and she seems more curious about the world.

(Grandma Sally's first chance to hold Ellie.)

(Bright eyes checking out Christina's earrings.)

On Friday, our home filled with visitors, and we spent part of the weekend playing tourist with Grandma, Uncle Mike and Anna.  Grandma even babysat on Saturday night so the four of us could go out to dinner.

(Our visitors from Illinois.)

(My mom is from New York.)

(The boys.)

(Hey, we got engaged here!)

(More of the WWII Memorial.)

(Perfect day to visit the monuments.)

Ellie didn't believe in sleep on Saturday night, so on Sunday very early, I woke up with her and went downstairs.  Once she settled down a bit, I experimented with quiche.  Ellie sat in her carrier at the kitchen door as I narrated the process.  "First, we roll out the dough.  Shoot, it ripped.  OK, now we patch the dough.  OK, now we put in.... some cheese.  I don't know how much that was.  What's in the freezer?  Oh, let's add spinach!  Maybe some onion?"  The quiche looked edible, so I was happy.  After everyone was awake and beautified for church, we took a walk in Georgetown.

(Holding our munchkin.)

(Anna and Mike.)

(All three generations.)

(Lots of people out on a sunny day.)

(Happy to be out and about.)

We celebrated Easter at church.  Ellie celebrated with inconsolable crying until I could hear everyone leaving the service. Then she fell asleep.  He is risen, He is risen indeed!  Ellie has also risen, and doesn't want to sleep when there's crying and worshiping to be done. Oh well, there's always next Easter Sunday.   
The weather was beautiful, warm, not overly humid and the pollen was manageable.  Our family and Christina ate brunch outdoors and we took turns passing around Ellie.

(Christina and Ellie.)

(Christina and Grandma Sally.)

(Anna and Ellie.)

(Uncle Mike and Ellie.)

 




























Ellie and I went for a 30 minute Easter evening run.  Hills are still killer, and my pace is slow, but I only walked for one minute, so I'm encouraged. 

As Sunday drew to a close, a storm rolled in, complete with lightning, thunder, hail, and rain.  We thought Ellie might be afraid as we sat on the porch, but she was fascinated by the light show in the sky.  She was less fascinated by the hail.  I tried to take a few pictures, but my camera is too smart for me.  I kept getting "Subject is too dark" messages.  (Tips from anyone who knows how to photograph lightning, or who is smarter than a Nikon D3100 are appreciated!)

I know that Ellie will be okay.  She is thriving.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

P.S. As I mentioned before, our friend Eleanor is running the Chicago Marathon in honor of Little Miss Eleanor.  Her goal is to raise $750.00 for the National Down Syndrome Society.  The mission of NDSS is "to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome."

Even if you aren't able to give, check out Eleanor's fundraising page.  You'll smile, I promise. The link is also in the sidebar, so you can go back and check on the fundraiser's progress.

(Thumbnails of photos from NDSS site.)

What an appropriate fundraiser, since baby Ellie loves her jogging stroller!  Team Lando starts 'em early.  Go Eleanor!