apart

(Let me preface this post with the fact that Adam and I basically do everything together.  We're that couple that goes to bed together at the same time, who like to be in the same room of the house whenever we're home, etcetera, etcetera.  It's gross and a little nauseating, but it's the truth.  So when one of us goes on vacation leaving the other alone, it's usually filled with lots of "I miss you"'s and "thinking of you"'s.)

Last week, Adam went to our cabin with a couple buddies of his for a guys' trip.  He doesn't often get to get away with his friends, so I knew it was a special and important trip for him.  But this is the first time that he's been gone while I have Ella here.  And lots of people do it all the time, but I've definitely realized how challenging it is to be by myself with a nine-month-old.  And while I stay home with her normally, it's still a big difference to be the only parent 24/7.  (My second preface should be that I am incredibly blessed to live near family, and am always just a phone call away from back up.  In fact, my mother-in-law was over every day to just give me a break and give Ella a change of scenery.  It's just... different.)

We started going out for breakfast.  Ella's new favorite activity is eating a blueberry bagel while people watching.

The weather finally warmed up, and the sunshine brought us to Grandma's where we enjoyed the beautiful weather in her new backyard.

So with Adam gone, everything just happened.  (Of course it did!)  Ella caught my cold and it soon became the battle against the nose (of course).  I swear I felt like I was just constantly covered in her snot.  Not pretty, but the poor thing got really congested and would just wake up every morning crusty.  Then I got food poisoning, which struck me at two in the morning (of course), and left me about to pass out in my bathroom.  And then Ella decided to start waking up at three or four in the morning in want of a snuggle (of course), and without someone to keep me sane from trying to let her soothe herself to sleep, I caved (of course) and brought her into bed with me.

Nursing her cold, Ella tried to nap as much as possible.

Snuggling on the couch is an excellent cold remedy.

Not the best picture, but here she is bright-eyed one morning after crying her way into bed with me.

I think what we missed most was having Adam home during bath time and bed time.  We have a little ritual we do as a family, and it just wasn't the same without him (plus, Dad gives way better baths than Mom does).

I don't "play" as much with her during bath time as Adam does.  But she was pretty content with her toys.

While it wasn't my favorite time having Adam gone, I think we fared pretty well.  I tried to keep us busy and fill Ella's day with different activities and made sure she got to see different faces.  Despite her cold, she was hamming it up and just being her wonderful, silly self--which definitely filled my days with joy and smiles.  We are definitely happy to have Adam home again, though we're glad he got a have a good trip with the guys!

She's gotten into putting things over her head and playing peek-a-boo with them.  She also loves being able to make you laugh.  We had a ball during this exchange.

Then she decided she was going to try to share Remy's bone.

Ella has learned to share, and will often offer you her food or toys (whether or not she actually gives them to you is another story).  We think it's sweet.

She fell asleep eating, and I couldn't resist another picture.  She actually kept opening her mouth of me to put food in, even though she was asleep.  My kind of girl!

Again, enjoying her bagel during breakfast at Grandma's one morning.  She ate the whole chunk (much to Remy's chagrin)!