Mind jumble

I've been lax in posting many lengthy entries about mommyhood, opting instead to showcase all of these gorgeous pictures of our Ellie. Plus, most of the time when I sit down to post I have a hard time coming up with coherent explanations for the circus that is our family life!
So instead of writing something long and eloquent, I'm just going to put down some of the thoughts and feelings I'm having about life as a mom and my soon-to-be one-year-old daughter.

Road weary
Brian, Ellie and I have traveled a LOT this summer. All of it has been fun travel — vacations, weddings, etc. But each trip I am reminded how difficult it is to travel with a baby. Even though Ellie is a road warrior and usually does great in the car, there's just so much more to consider (and pack!) every time we hit the road. Timing is less about getting from here to there and more about how much will the timeframe mess with Ellie's schedule.
And speaking of Ellie's schedule, we seem to have lost it. I was up from 12:30 to 2:30 a.m. with my little girl last night. For no good reason she was completely awake and refused to go back to bed. I tried rocking and swaying and simply laying down with her... but all she wanted to do was play with my hair and climb around. Not ideal. Maybe this is just a transition period from our most recent trip back to "normal life"... but I always worry that everything is going down the drain when her routine gets monkeyed with. And we've done a lot of monkeying in recent weeks.

Family trips
This is kind of the same topic, but more positive. I have been having so much fun going on these recent trips as a family. Brian and I spent our first five years together doing stuff as a couple. And while I sometimes miss those easier outings, it's a ton of fun to think of places to go and things to do that Ellie will enjoy. Simple things like the hike we took at Starved Rock State Park last weekend take on a whole new meaning when you get to point out things to a baby girl who is seeing them for the first time. I hope we get to show her all sorts of fun places and have even more fun over the years doing things as a family.

Too fast!
August 3, 2010 is coming way too fast. I can't believe Ellie is almost a year old. (And I apologize about all of the statements I will make to this effect between now and her first birthday...) It's just weird thinking that it's been almost a whole year since we brought her home from the hospital. At the same time, it's amazing to see her growth and curiosity.

I'm sure I'll think of more to share, probably as soon as I step away from the computer... but I suppose this is long enough for today — even if it's not eloquent :)