In Memory

My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago. My middle name (Jean) was hers as well. She was dying when my mom was pregnant with me, so I was named after her. She was healed that year, and I had 33 wonderful years with her. She was amazing.

The above photo was taken just two weeks before Grandma died. I asked her to sit down and tell Eliana about Jesus. The recording I made from that day is absolutely precious. Here is a link to the file. Feel free to listen and send it to anyone who would be blessed. Grandma Vivian

Obituary from The Times Reporter

Johnson, Vivian J.

On Friday, July 24, 2009, Vivian was caught up into the arms of her blessed Savior as she knelt at her bed praying. She served Jesus faithfully and with great passion ever since He came into her life when she was only 11 years old. Friday, she was a few days short of her 90th birthday. Her mind was still sharp, and she was in good health when Jesus took her. She had lived in supernatural, divine health since the day that God instantly healed her of terminal illness in the spring of 1976 at the Foursquare Gospel Church in Dennison. In all the years since that evening, she had never been to a doctor nor taken any medication, not even an aspirin. Her life was spent serving God and pouring herself out for her family. She had a powerful ministry of intercessory prayer, which changed the lives of many people. Now she has finished her course and the One she longed for and constantly talked about, Jesus, has rewarded her by taking her into His arms. Her joy is unimaginable.

Vivian Jean Johnson, age 89, of Uhrichsville, O. was born Aug. 4, 1919, at Uhrichsville, O. She was the daughter of the late Carl G. and Blanche G. (Jackson) McGrew. Vivian was employed at the Timken Company during World War II and was an elementary teacher for Claymont and Conotton Valley Schools for 10 years. She was also a homemaker. Vivian was a member of the Uhrichsville Christian Fellowship Church.

Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, James F. Johnson, whom she married on Nov. 9, 1940, in Massillon, O. Mr. Johnson passed away Jan. 22, 2005. One brother, Carl G. McGrew, also preceded Vivian in death. She is survived by her only child, James M. (Tracy) Johnson of Tippecanoe, O.; four grandchildren, James (Melanie) Johnson of Uhrichsville, O., Heather (Joseph) Weaver of New Philadelphia, O., McKenna Johnson and Shiloh Johnson of Tippecanoe, O.; and three great-grandchildren, Eddie and Andy Johnson and Eliana Weaver.

Mobility and Maxillary Lateral Incisors

Eliana at her 1st parade. She loved the horses!

Gnadenhutten, Ohio

Wow! Where did the first month of summer go? We're past July 4, and I feel like summer is starting to wrap up already (more on that later). I did such a great job at keeping new posts coming weekly, and then with summer my schedule totally disintegrated. What happened? Oh wait, I remember. Eliana started CRAWLING and PULLING UP on things. So much for working at the computer while Ellie stares at the ceiling fan. She is on-the-go big time! I'm snatching a few moments during her nap to ....can you believe it? Just as I typed that, she woke up!

Okay, it's one hour later, and Eliana is now sleeping on my lap. While her sleeping skills have gone up and down over the last nine months, this past week has been excruciating. I'm owing it to teeth numbers five and six. I saw them today for the first time, but based on their size and Elle's behavior, I'd guess that they broke through about four days ago.

Month nine has brought amazing developments to our little girl. She has perfected crawling, pulling up to standing, waving, and making kisses. She will not, however, always perform them on command. She's also learning her voice. She says, "Ma-ma," and, "Da-da," and has learned how to yell. :-) Here are a few quick videos:

Joe and I have joined a local gym and are loving it! I tell Ellie that I'm dropping off my fat and Daddy's picking up his muscles. They have childcare available and Ellie has come to love playing with the other kids. It's so good for her. When I went to get her today, there was another little girl her age and they were sitting on the floor with each other, toys all over the place, and they were touching each other's faces...too cute! I wish I had a camera. I've been taking Zumba and spinning classes. They are tough, especially the spinning, but I've lost about 9 pounds in the 5 weeks that we've been there. It feels great! Joe is looking pretty buff too, I must add.

I'm looking toward next school year already. I was offered either full or part-time, but I've decided to work 4 days a week for one more year. I just feel like I have waited so long for Ellie, that I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I will begin two weeks before classes start with a couple days each week to get prepared for the teachers to "arrive." I've come to the realization that I will need some help with Ellie in order to give the quality of work that I want to. It was much easier last year when she just laid around all day. :-) No more of that! So my job for the next month is to find some child-care providers who will come to our house to help me out. Please pray that God would lead me to the right person/people. It's not what I originally envisioned in my naivete, but it's so much better than going in to the school to work!

Well, I think that about catches you up with everything. I'll try to not let another month go by before I add another post...

Oh, I almost forgot, I've entered Ellie into a cute baby contest (I think she qualifies) at the request of her papa. So feel free to come by the contest and vote! To vote, click the dot along to top to show how cute you think Ellie is! Voting is open through July. http://beautifulbabies.trb.com/wjw/babies_home_gallery,0,5306465,permalink.ugcphotogallery?u=weaverh

Love!

Swing, Baby Baby, Swing!

We visited Tuscora again, and it's amazing what a difference a month makes. This time, Eliana was really into the swings! This was her first ride. I have a feeling that the park will be our second home this summer! Enjoy some photos from the evening...

Ellie really enjoyed watching Joe feed the geese.

Last Day of Work

I awoke this morning to glorious sunshine on my last day of work. Ellie and I will be headed to the porch for sure! I can't believe how quickly this school year has flown. Albeit, I did get started a bit late. Working for TDA has been wonderful--a true gift from God.

Eliana has really been growing and changing in the last two weeks. She can now feed herself small pieces of food as is evidenced by the video. She can also pull herself up to a steady sitting position from lying flat, and I'm pretty sure that by the end of the day today, she will be officially crawling. I'll be sure to let you know!

First Mother's Day

I had an absolutely wonderful first Mother's Day yesterday. Joe snapped this photo for me before we headed off to church. I realized that I don't have very many photos of Eliana and myself because I'm always behind the camera. Joe did a great job here, though! I think this may be my favorite photo of Eliana yet!

See for Yourself!

Ellie's First Teeth

With a Special Guest Appearance

In just two short weeks, Eliana went from zero teeth to FOUR! That was a fun two weeks. If you want to check out her new pearly whites for yourself, take a look at our video. Since the teeth are pretty little, you'll want to click on the video to view it from YouTube at full screen size. Otherwise, you'll never see them. Also, you'll have to forgive the videography. I was recording and playing in her mouth at the same time.

(For posterity, the teeth came bottom right then left and top right then left.)

Al Dente - April 10, 2009

On the verge of seven months, Ellie cut her first tooth!!!!! It is her lower, right front tooth and is oh, so cute! It caused about four sleepless nights but is finally here. She is now working on number two already. Bring on the apples!

We had our 6 month pediatrician appointment last week. Here are the vital statistics: 21 pounds, 14 ounces; 28 1/2 inches long; 108% for height and weight. Ellie is really big for her age, but since height and weight are proportional, the doctor says she is doing great and is very healthy! She had three more shots and was quite a trooper. She only cried for about 10 seconds and then was smiling at the nurses again.

We had a wonderful Saturday, enjoying the 76 degree weather and gorgeous sunshine. We went to the Creamery (owned by the family of Ellie's babysitter, Michelle), and indulged in some fantastic ice cream while sitting at the picnic benches. Then we went to Tuscora park for the first time together. I remember going last summer, VERY pregnant, with my nephews, thinking, Next summer, I'll be bringing Ellie here. Well, it's next summer already, and we had a great time! Joe fed the ducks and geese and Ellie "talked" to them, waving her arms all around. After walking around and watching the other kids play, we went home and relaxed on the porch, playing mancala, pass the pigs, and dice.

Ellie is getting so vocal these days. Ba, ma, and vvvvvvvv seem to be her favorite sounds of the moment. During the second service today she was having way too much fun jabbering, so she went to the nursery for the first time. The workers said she did great for almost the entire time. Just as the message was ending, I heard her screaming, so I went to rescue the workers. :-) She's had a bit of a rough day since that second tooth is coming, otherwise, I think she would have been fine playing with all the kids. She is almost sitting up on her own now. She'll be sitting and then turn to look at something and topple over with no chance of getting back up on her own. I had planned on not sending Ellie to the nursery until she could sit up and play on her own, but her voice is a bit ahead of her balance. Oh well. :-)

It's 8:30 p.m. and time for me to hit the hay.

Love!

Not Far from The Tree

So, who do you think she takes after more?

Green Beans

You decide.

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Easter Bonnet

NEWS FLASH: Eliana has started waving now!

6 Months Old?!?!?!?!

Can it really be true? Has Eliana been with us for six months already? Was there ever a time when she wasn't here? These have been six of the most edifying, earsplitting, and exhausting months of my life, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

I must apologize for the absence of posts in the last month. I have to admit that the exhaustion of motherhood finally got to me, and I went into survival mode for a bit. For some reason, Ellie's sleep habits really went south and she was waking every hour or so. In the last two weeks I've started swaddling her again, and it seems to be helping. In fact, I'm am happy to announce that Ellie slept through the night for the first time in her life last night. 8 p.m. t0 7 a.m. Yeah!! A couple nights like that, and I might actually feel human again.

Eliana's fifth month has been such a time of growth and development. In order to catch you up, I thought I'd just list some some of the changes I've seen in her. Some of these really tug at a mother's heart, and I know I will never forget how they make me feel. Others are just plain fun!

1. While she has liked mirrors before, Ellie absolutely LOVES them now. When I walk past one with her in my arms, I have to make sure that I really have a good hold of her because if she catches a glimpse of herself, she lunges at herself, squealing with delight.



2. Okay, so this isn't so much of a change, but I just have to mention it. Ellie has a smile that she reserves just for her daddy. It is the biggest, most adoring smile I have ever seen. When Joe comes home she is just thrilled. Last night he came home from Easter play practice, and she was almost ready for bed (was being the operative word). She was instantly giddy and wanted his complete attention. It was so beautiful. Joe actually teared up and told her that she makes him so happy, which of course made me tear up too. :-)



3. Ellie is able to sit in a high chair now--very helpful when we go out to eat.



4. When sleepy, Ellie now lifts her face up to mine in order for me to kiss her cheeks and eyelids--so precious!



5. I'm getting kisses from Ellie now. They are REALLY wet and we need to work on the pucker, but I can't even put into words the love I feel from her when Ellie takes my face in her hands, pulls me in, and plants one on me.



6. Rock 'n Roll baby! Ellie has gone from struggling to turn herself over to being unstoppable. Gone are the days when I could put Ellie on the floor and step away to do something. I can't believe how quickly she can travel, especially when she sees something she'd like to gnaw on.



7. Speaking of gnawing, we are anxiously awaiting the first sign of teeth. Ellie has really been chewing on everything in sight, especially cold things. She had a temperature for about 4 days that the doctor couldn't find a reason for, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the pearly whites soon.



8. Ellie has always seemed very observant, but now she spends a lot of time studying things intently. And when she is "locked in" on something, there's no distracting her. You can just see her soaking in the knowledge. Yesterday after church she was sitting on Joe's lap having a good time. All of a sudden, she took his face in her hands (their noses were only about 3 inches apart), and she studied face for several minutes, looing back and forth between his eyes. It was so funny!



9. Ellie is reaching for me now. I love it when someone is holding her at church, and when I show up she leans over to come to ME! I AM the momma!



10. Well, to make this a Top Ten list, I'll say that Ellie is figuring out her mouth. She now is very adept at using her tongue to remove any food or Tylenol that she doesn't want in her mouth. She is also babbling all the time and has figured out how to blow raspberries. She actually seems to enjoy the saliva that goes everywhere with that last bit.
    

Well, hopefully this has made up a bit for the lean month of posts. If I continue to get some sleep, I'll try to keep up better. :-)

Love!

The High Chair and New Car Seat

Yum! Yum!

If you think Ellie looks rather pleased with herself here, it may be because she has joined the ranks of the eaters of "solid" food. While not in need of extra nutrition, she was still not even close to sleeping through the night, so we thought we would add some cereal to the mix to see if that would help. It hasn't been an instant fix, but Ellie did sleep 6 hours in a row last night. Wow! I haven't had that kind of sleep in ..... well, a very long time. I'm not used to getting into a deep sleep, so when I did wake up I felt like I had been drugged. It was great!

Feel free to check out Ellie's first meal:

She's Rollin'

It was an exciting day at the Weaver household yesterday. Eliana rolled for the first (and second, and third, and hundredth) time! It was her favorite toy of the moment, her ducky, that was the incentive. Take a look at how Ellie feels about the duck below:

Ellie's been trying to roll for about 2 weeks now. Yesterday, Joe was playing with her on the floor and, all of a sudden, she just popped over! She looked really surprised (Well, maybe it was our cheering that surprised her.), but then she immediately rolled over again. Now as soon as we put her down on her back, she rolls.

I was so happy that Ellie chose to hit this milestone on a Friday when Joe was not working, so we were both able to see it happen. I'm not sure why I feel like I have done something wonderful, but I do.

Take a few seconds to see this very impressive achievement for yourself:

Need a chuckle?

I dare you not to smile while listening:

Ellie laughing

To listen, click on the link and choose "Save" or "Save Target As". Once you save the file to your computer, click "Open."

She's Got Personality!

And loads of it!

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With one exception, all these photos were taken this morning within about five minutes. I love it! Don't you just wonder what is going through her mind?

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We've had a very busy week. Sorry I missed updating the blog on Monday. I've just been swamped. Here's the news:

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On Monday Eliana had her 4 month pediatrician appointment. She is now 19 pounds, 5 ounces and 26 inches long. She is over the 1ooth percentile for both height and weight, but the doctor isn't concerned since they are about equal. In other words, she's proportionate. We are still not to start her on any solid foods yet, since she's growing just fine. ;-) We both had to endure another round of vaccines. We both did better than the first time. Ellie made it through the first shot without crying, but the second and third ones did her in. I managed all three! What a big girl I am now. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of one of the vaccines, and my doctor was out. That means we have to go next week for one more shot! UGH!

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I had my 33rd birthday (Can that be right?) on Wednesday. The celebrations began last Saturday, actually. My brother, Jim, and Mel and the boys came and watched Ellie while Joe and I went out to Texas Road House on a gift certificate from them for Christmas. It felt so strange to be out without Eliana, but it was very nice.

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Wednesday was a great day. My mom came up to watch Eliana during one of my online meetings. Then she went and picked up Applebees for lunch. Yum! Joe, Ellie and I celebrated the evening with a trip to Damon's for ribs and a stroll around the mall. You can tell that I work from home and don't get out much when I actually wanted to walk around the mall for fun. I used to avoid it like the plague!

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Anyway, we are getting together with my side of the family to celebrate my birthday tomorrow after church and then Joe's family is coming down next Sunday to party. All in all, I've managed to squeeze about a month out this this birthday. Not bad! (I've been a bit scared to look at the scale, however. Did you count how many mega-meals I've had? Yikes!)

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Well, I'd better get some work down while Ellie is still sleeping.

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Love.