It is time.

So it's October...tomorrow. Summer has flown by and we had a blast. But, we'll just leave it at that and spare the time consuming task of writing from my "pregnant & challenged" mind. On to the updates...

1. Yes, that did say "pregnant & challenged." Crane Baby #2 is coming the beginning of February. This pregnancy started out as a roller coaster, but things have thankfully slowed down. Now it's more like an "It's a Small World" type ride. Around 8 weeks we had a little scare which involved blood. More blood than you want to see when you're pregnant. After an ultrasound, our doctor discovered that I had started out with twins, but one had never really started to develop and that's where the blood was coming from. The other baby was perfect. Healthy and growing. Beautiful. My doctor wanted to do another ultrasound on my next visit, so we were able to find out a little early the answer to "The Big Question"- a boy! We're thrilled and so excited to have one of each. Ellie doesn't quite understand all the hype, but last night she was snuggling with me and rubbing my belly. She'll be a wonderful big sister!

2. Guess who is potty trained? Well, that one should be obvious. Hopefully. Ellie has been successfully using the potty for 2 weeks. She is so good about telling us when she needs to go- verbally and physically. She gets so excited. It's cute. But it was definitely not a picnic. 4 days of her running around practically naked, followed by another 4 days with just panties on, finally led to the joyful day where we donned the pants and called it a success. Stickers and M&M's did it for this kid. Good job, Ellie!

Our ghetto child

And that's Betsy the Giraffe

3. Fall is here! Fall is hands-down my favorite season of all. The trees are beautiful, the air is crisp and cool, soups and delicious delicacies filled with pumpkin find their way in to our kitchen. It's just wonderful! This fall we've whipped out our decor a tad early, but we've been enjoying it. We're still pondering what Ellie will be for Halloween. We've had some super amazing meals, tried lots of new recipes, and I just found more that will be gracing us with their presence soon. Aw yes. Fall is very good to us!

4. I recently was switched from teaching the 4-5 year old class at Church to the 9-12 year old class. Yeah, big age group. The differences between these two classes is huge! But I'm learning that bribery with fruit snacks works for any age. Yesterday I taught about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. I told the class how a posse of angry men came and attacked Carthage Jail. One of the girls in my class said, "Oh, is that what they called them back then?" I said, "No, they still use that word today." She looked at me and said, "I think we call them homies today, not a posse." I tried so hard not to laugh, but I'm not sure I made it. Got to love those kids.

5. Danny has decided to run a half marathon with his cousin, Phil. He's been doing so well with his training. We have a nice running track close to our apartment so we've been going there a lot. Ellie and I walk, Danny runs. He got up to 6 miles, but then his knees started giving him problems. He's been icing them and bought some knee braces. Hopefully he gets back up to speed soon. Anyway, because he couldn't run this weekend, we went on a walk down the Ogden River Trail. It was beautiful!

Yeah! 20 weeks.

We found a "Leaf Bug" or a bug that looks like a leaf. Ellie wasn't quite sure how to take it.

She eventually warmed up to it.

So much for that short update. And I don't know why I did 5 random things, but oh well. Here's a couple more photo gems. Happy Monday!

Strolling around the Brigham City Temple

This kid is a sour cream fanatic. Yes, we're raising her right.

All Things Ellie!

I feel like these days are just flying by. Ellie's growing up. I want to just capture her in these moments because I know they will be gone so soon. She is a total sponge! Anything we say or do, she imitates. It is so darn cute! She loves to talk! Yesterday she mastered the art of spinning around, or twirling. Adorable! Anyway, here are some fun Ellie facts.

She loves animals. She can make the sounds of a puppy, cow, lion, bear, duck, owl, horse, elephant, parrot, kitty, bunny (for this she just pats the floor with her hand like my dad does when he's playing with their pet bunny), plus she can sound like a car and an airplane. She says "Mama", "Dada", "Ellie", "I love you", "water", "shoes", "baby", "yum", "diaper", "uh-oh", "bye-bye" and she makes cute kissing noises when you ask her for a kiss. She loves reading books. Sometimes, I'll peak into her room and she has one book in her hands while the rest are around her. Although, she also uses this time to wreak havoc on her room and pull down all her clothes, diapers, headbands, washcloths, but we won't focus on that.

She loves food! Her favorites include pasta with any sauce (as long as pasta's involved, she's good), peanut butter & honey sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese, broccoli, peas, olives, cauliflower, applesauce, strawberries, grapes, oranges, pineapple, tomatoes, yogurt, crackers of all kinds, Raisin Bran Crunch, granola bars, fruit snacks, and recently Danny got her addicted to popcorn. Guess it runs in the family. Obviously, she loves going to Costco for samples.

She's not so much into toys anymore. She has a couple favorites, but gone are the days of her sitting down by her toy box and amusing herself for hours. Lately, her favorites are her baby, Minnie Mouse, blankets, anything with buttons on it (i.e. breadmaker, remote, phones, Ipad), bowls, anything she can with a handle/strap that she can carry around. She also loves shoes! Go figure. I have to hide them sometimes or she'll carry them around all day. She loves to be outside, and with the weather finally warm, it's fun for me, too. She loves songs, especially ones with actions. Isty Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, Popcorn Popping, and If You're Happy and You Know It are definite favorites. I love watching her throw her arms up for "Shout Hooray!"

She knows where her nose, hair, eyes, tongue, fingers, toes, ears, and tummy are and she's not afraid to point them out on other people either. She also loves to tickle your toes. Silly girl! She likes to pat her belly after a good meal. Mmmm!

Growth wise, I think she's always going to be tall and skinny. For her 15 month check-up, she was in the 12th percentile for weight, but high 80s for height. Also, she has a big head. Welcome to the family, girly. Her head has always been in the 90th percentile. But she's definitely growing! And always eating. I'm guessing Danny and I passed on our amazing metabolism. Slightly joking, slightly serious.

Well, I think that's good for an Ellie update. I'm loving this stage! It's so much fun to be with her all day, watching her learn new things. I feel like we're just singing and dancing all day, which is fine with me. Love her!

Rice!

With her friend, the Breadmaker.

Dancing with Daddy's credit card...

Work that updo!

That's a sneeze face, not a "I'm so miserable! You guys are horrible parents!" face.

Lunch on the hike.

Caution: Babies in dishwasher.

It's just so funny!

We love this silly, loving, sweet girl!

So...It's April

Hello. I hate doing those corny, "We've been so busy, I haven't had time to blog!" intros, so I'll just start somewhere. We are doing great! We had a wonderful holiday season (oh, gee that's embarrassing), made it through all our birthdays, and we're excited about life in general. I think I'll just do a quick recap of everything.

Halloween
Ellie- super cute elephant. Enjoyed all the candy.
Melinda & Danny- loved showing off the cute little elephant. Danny became the Elders Quorum president about this time. Busy busy busy!

Thanksgiving
Ellie- had so much fun driving to California (bit of sarcasm here). Was able to meet some aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents and enjoyed all the food and attention.
Danny & Melinda- excited to go somewhere for Thanksgiving for the first time since we got married! Loved seeing family and being together. Happy the car worked perfectly!

Christmas
Ellie- another successful car trip. Thank goodness she loves her new car seat and falls asleep in it as soon as her bum touches that "infant seat cushion." Loved seeing family and playing with Mr. Floppy. Received lots of new toys and books and clothes and food and... well, you get the idea. Worked on her walking, but didn't  quite work up the courage to let go and do it on her own.
Danny & Melinda- decided we might be crazy. After 15+ hours in the car, we made it to wonderful Wolfforth. Many thanks to my sweet grandma for getting us a hotel room somewhere in New Mexico to spend the night. We loved being with family for the Christmas festivities. It was also fun to get together with some high school friends. Had lots of fun, frequented Rosa's, ate too much Blue Bell, and enjoyed every second of that special time of year.

Ellie's Birthday
Ellie- took her first nose dive in the snow while sledding with Daddy. Had yummy Pasta Salad, fruit, crackers and cheese, and cake and ice cream. She dove in to that cake like there was no tomorrow. Absolutely loved it! Got some fun toys and loved being the center of attention. Thanks Jaymes and Lauren, Laurel and Randall, and Kyle and Kelsey!!
Danny & Melinda- can't believe our sweet girl turned 1! She has been such a blessing and we love her so much! It is so much fun to see her learn and grow. She has the cutest personality and loves to entertain. Such a joy!

Danny's Birthday
Ellie- cute as usual. Gave Daddy kisses. Started walking a couple days later. Woohoo!!
Danny & Melinda- Danny turned 26. Holy cow! That's old. We went to Olive Garden for his birthday. Delicious!

Easter
Ellie- had fun finding eggs filled with Goldfish and Marshmallow Mateys. She loved her Easter basket and got some cute pj's, bubbles, books, and a puzzle.
Danny & Melinda- had fun being the Easter bunny. Had the traditional meal of Fried Chicken. Played games with friends. What a joyous time to remember the sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior! We are so thankful for this blessing and all that is possible because of Jesus Christ.

Spring Break

Ellie- had fun at Bear Lake. Loved the hotel room and all the new places to explore. Still a fan of swimming. Had a blast at Baby Animal Days in Logan where she got to hold/pet/see a chick, duckling, bunny (favorite), quail, goats, a donkey, horses and foals, sheep and lambs, pigs, and cows (another favorite). They were adorable! The whole time she was petting the cow, she kept mooing. I guess the calf felt at home when she was around. Loved getting Aggie Ice Cream at USU. Became best friends with Laurel and Randall. It was a fun week.
Danny & Melinda- we really, really enjoyed getting away. It was such a fun vacation! Danny went fishing a couple times, we went swimming, ate yummy food, did some cheese taste-testing to get free ice cream, and had fun with Laurel and Randall who were able to come up for a couple days. Although the lake was frozen, it was still beautiful.

Melinda's Birthday
Ellie- loved the yummy 4 Layer Dessert Daddy made. Enjoyed getting some new books at Ladies' Night at Deseret Book. Sweet girl.
Danny & Melinda- yes, I turned 25. Yes, I am a quarter of a century. And yes, I am proud of my first 25 years. We went to Goodwood to celebrate after the Priesthood session of Conference. Danny was his sweet self and spoiled me again. Love him. It was a great day!

General Conference
Ellie- stayed busy throughout every session. Good thing she likes books! Maybe next Conference, she'll be in to coloring. Oh boy!
Danny & Melinda- loved hearing the words of the Prophet and others who serve the Lord. We felt so blessed! Our prayers were answered and promptings were felt. Perfect Conference!

Well, I think that is about all the big happenings in the lives of the Crane family. We love you all!