Do You Hear What I Hear?

I hear wedding bells!

We almost forgot the big news.......

Congratulations, Andrew and Lisa!!

They were recently (and finally) engaged!

Date and time TBA

Happy Holidays!

Slideshow (Click Here)

Our little bug is back to normal! After a trip to Denver to look for a place to live, Ellie got her first ear infection. She was SICK. We don't know what was worse... the ear infection, or the side effects of treating it. We had three steady days of diarrhea that no diaper could keep contained.

Poop- diaper change- bath- laundry
....over and over and over again.

We were wiped, Ellie was wiped, and we were almost out of wipes! She was pretty miserable with the constant diaper changes. As you can see in the slideshow, she would have preferred just to remain naked.

By Christmas day, Ellie was feeling a little better but was still not herself. She enjoyed opening her gifts, especially the one from Daddy.... a Sit 'N Spin. She is obviously too young to ride it, but had a good time helping Daddy put it together and she did get to take it for a 'spin' with some help. Ellie also got a train from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Russ that she really enjoys, and told us to be sure to thank everyone for all the other gifts that she got as well!

As you can see from the photos, Ellie has grown quite tall. Along with that comes new adventures in trash can exploration. Bad Ellie! We're sure from her expression that she knows better- but she goes in anyway.

We wish you all a healthy, happy, pants-free 2007!

Everyday Ellie

Here is a short clip showing Ellie playing in the kitchen and giving the glass door a nice zerbert.
She's a ham!

I've had enough!

Slide Show (Click Here)


The holidays can be rough! The Del Negro family has been very busy these last two weeks. Between the holidays and getting ready for the move, Ellie has had enough! We started off with a visit with Santa. Ellie didn't particularly appreciate mommy leaving her on this strange fellow's lap at first. She warmed up to him a little when Santa let her play with his fuzzy sleeve! Later, she helped mommy and daddy send out Christmas cards to all our family and friends.

We have also been busy trying to spend some time with our friends in the Tri-Cities before we leave for Colorado. Ellie had fun visiting with Anna, Andrea, and Nate when they came over for dinner early in December. Ellie and Anna enjoyed a story that Nate read to them and later they shared some pieces of cheese. They ended the evening with some dancing and kisses. It was so cute to see them together. Ellie wishes she could have spent more time with Anna.

In the middle of it all, we have tried to find some time for fun. Andy and I went to my last APW Christmas party. It was also the last APW party for Dr. Occhino. She and I are officially "retired" at the end of this month. Luckily we were able to spend some time with her and our good friend Mindy at our house for dinner. Dr. O is an outstanding doctor, colleague, and friend. We hope to stay in touch and maybe visit in sunny California. We also had a nice dinner with our friend Paul this month. We will miss his great sense of humor.

This month has been one of milestones as well. Ellie is definitely more interested in reading now. Instead of just chewing on the books, she actually likes to listen as we read to her. She is facinated with music and still enjoys dancing quite a bit. That lazy 4th tooth has finally busted through! We went to Denver this month to look for a new place to live and found a nice house. It was Ellie's 4th plane trip....she is quite the traveler now! As always, she did very well. She was able to see her Godfather (Ati), Uncle Beav (Phil), and Lilley. She also met some new friends....Chad, Sloan, and the Schutte Family! We are looking forward to seeing more of them. I'm pretty sure that because of the trip, she was also 'rewarded' with her first ear infection. More on that later.

Have I mentioned that I think Ellie is going to become a dentist? She is facinated with toothbrushes, brushing teeth, and rooting around in peoples' mouths.

For now, we continue to get ready to leave. There are still many more friends to say goodbye to!
Have a Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving and First Snow

Happy Belated Thanksgiving. We had a quiet, relaxing day. Ellie has alot to be thankful for on her first Thanksgiving. She is especially thankful for the toothbrush which she uses to get the turkey out of her teeth. She is thankful for the opportunity to visit with her cousin Otto from Alaska. Ellie and Otto spent a rainy afternoon in Hood River at the Trillium Cafe and then went Christmas shopping.

Ellie is thankful for the nearby park and playground. Her favorite thing to do is swing. She has the cutest giggle and it is fun to see her Jack O' Lantern smile grow bigger when we chase her as she swings back and forth.

She also gives thanks for her favorite restaurant, Red Robin. It has become a Saturday night tradition to go there. Ellie likes to start off with some fries even before the meal comes. The last time we were there she got to play with some balloons.

The end of November was Ellie's first encounter with snow! There wasn't enough to build a snowman, but just enough to play with for a short while. She had better get used to it because she'll have more than she can imagine soon enough!

Ellie has become a very proficient stair climber. I hope she learns to descend just as skillfully. She loves pulling things (anything) out of drawers and cabinets. The thrill is apparently from the act itself (increase entropy) regardless of what is being removed or where it ends up.

We wish we were able to spend Thanksgiving with all of you but know that you are often in our thoughts.

Slide Show (Click Here)

Busy Bug

Sorry it's been a while, but as you can see from the slideshow, we're moving. Unfortunately, the blog has become less of a priority lately. We have tons of pictures but not enough time to share!

Ellie has been great! We started the month of November with a visit to the Doctor. She weighed in at 18.5 lbs. Now that it's a month later and she spends so much time looking for snacks in the refrigerator....who knows? She also spends alot of time pulling out pots and pans. I assume this means she has acquired the culinary gene from Grandma Luskin and Great Grandma Smith.

Ellie now sports three teeth and two chins. There is a 4th tooth threatening it's arrival, but it has been more stubborn than the others. Overall, she has done well with teething, but because of #4 she has had some sleepless nights (Mommy and Daddy, too). On a positive note, Ellie becomes very cuddly when she is not feeling well and is more generous with hugs and kisses.

We have some more footage of Ellie dancing and hope to have some up soon. Ellie has been listening and dancing alot to her new favorite band "The Decemberists." She also likes listening to Boots Randolph on vinyl. (Thanks Grandpa D).

Click Here for Slideshow