Five new Firsts

First Lost Tooth(14-July-2009)-It was a big event. She came home from her dad's one weekend and I noticed that her tooth looked a little gray. I wiggled it and sure enough it was pretty loose. I estimated about a week. We got excited and prepared for the Tooth Fairy. Kevin found me a pattern online and I made Ellie a little tooth pillow. Then Ellie messed with it for the week. Not much was happening until one day in the car she bit down on a Lego. That did it...it made it so loose it would be just a day or two. She was so excited about it coming out. We tied some floss on it so she could wiggle it more if she wanted. After playing with it all day and then all night and then all day the next, it was starting to get sore. By dinner I told her it would hurt less if she just pulled it out. Because it was sore, she was a little nervous, but still so excited to be losing her first tooth. So after dinner we tied some more floss and she yanked. It didn't come out - but the floss stayed on. It was time to brush her teeth and go to bed so I took the floss and was going to just pull the floss off and the tooth came with it. I didn't even yank. It was just finally time. Ellie and I looked at each other in shock and couldn't believe the tooth was attached to the floss. She looked in the mirror with a huge grin for the next 10 minutes. Then she put her tooth in the new pillow and waited for morning. She had all sorts of questions about the Tooth Fairy and finding the pillow and being awake or asleep. Fortunately, the Tooth Fairy just knows and left her $2. She was excited to show family and friends. Any time she has a change (a haircut, shots, lost tooth) it's a big deal to Ellie and she wants to share it with others. I love this about her. She looks pretty cute toothless.




First Bubble(17-July-2009)-When I was six and learning to water ski, my mom said if I got up on the skis she would buy me a pack of Hubba Bubba. We went to the lake and Ellie didn't really want to go on the giant tube in the water. I wanted her to go because I knew she'd have fun once she got out there (which she did.) So my mom told her that if she did, she'd buy her a pack of Hubba Bubba. Ellie was excited and after her ride on the tube and after we got off of the lake, my mom paid up and bought us both a pack of Hubba Bubba. On the way home in the car I was blowing bubbles - I've tried to teach Ellie how but she never quite got it. She kept trying and then it just happened..she figured it out and was blowing bubbles the rest of the night! I've always told her you can do most things if you just keep practicing and so she said, "I just kept practicing and practicing and then I got it!" I'm glad she listens sometimes. :)


First Black Eye (17-July-2009) - Okay, so this one is mine...but five new firsts sounded better than four new firsts. I got smacked in the eye with the knee board at the lake. Ellie is so sweet when I get hurt, she changes her voice and is so mothering. She enjoyed watching it change colors from day to day.


First Swim with no Life Jacket (19-July-2009) - Ellie took her first swim (unassisted, unprompted) in the pool with no life jacket. It was crazy and unexpected. She is so reserved when it comes to adventure and she just decided that she was going to try it that day and was successful. I was in shock...and so proud. She's been doing pretty well since then.

First Bee Sting (26-July-2009) - Ellie is afraid of bees - like most any kid and even many adults. The fear is the sting. While camping over the 24th Ellie was just out playing in the trees and stepped close to a bee - I guess it made it mad and it got her in the ankle. It was so sad. She came crying so we doctored it up with some cream and a Hello Kitty Band-Aid and it was all but cured. Kevin has told her if she doesn't bother them, they won't bother her. I asked her what happened and she said, "I was bothering it." That made my heart hurt.