This first week of 2009 has flown by and I've neglected posting completely. Last Saturday, we went to Ko Olina Beach to meet Manny, Christina, her sister, Alex and of course Emmi. Even though it was overcast is was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
This past Tuesday Ella had her follow-up ultrasound to check the development of her right kidney. (At 7 months Ella was diagnosed with a bladder reflux disease that had her on meds for a year to prevent infection. At 1 year 7 months, the reflux cured itself as it usually does in infants, but an ultrasound showed Ella's right kidney to be slightly swollen. The specialist wanted a follow-up ultrasound in a year to see how her kidneys were developing.)
Ella was so well-behaved and laid quietly for the ultrasound technician who said she'd never seen a toddler behave so calmly. Ella was content to watch the screen and said, "Mommy, I got jelly on my belly." (For those who've never had an ultrasound, they use a jelly to lube the wand that takes the ultrasound images). Though the tech isn't actually allowed to discuss what she sees and that anything abnormal would be followed-up by a call from the doctor, she did say that we probably won't hear anything. No news is good news so far and we are keeping our fingers crossed. While waiting for the tech to confirm she got the images she needed, Ella and I played around with the camera feature on my Blackberry...
And finally, gymnastics started up again and Ella got to wear her new leotard from Grandma...
The day after Christmas, in all it's sale and discount glory, I ordered the digital SLR camera I've been pining after - the Canon Rebel. It's been at least 5 years since I last used my manual camera so I'm reading up on it and may try to find a photography class to sharpen my skills. Here are some pics to try it out, I can't wait to see what I can do once I've actually had time to play around with it...
This past Tuesday Ella had her follow-up ultrasound to check the development of her right kidney. (At 7 months Ella was diagnosed with a bladder reflux disease that had her on meds for a year to prevent infection. At 1 year 7 months, the reflux cured itself as it usually does in infants, but an ultrasound showed Ella's right kidney to be slightly swollen. The specialist wanted a follow-up ultrasound in a year to see how her kidneys were developing.) 
And finally, gymnastics started up again and Ella got to wear her new leotard from Grandma...
We headed into Honolulu for the city of lights tour. The giant Santa and Mrs. Claus basking with their feet in the fountain were a big hit with Ella. We walked around the Iolani Palace and through city hall where they have a Christmas tree display.
Santa arrived shortly after Ella went to sleep. His elves helped put together Ella's new play kitchen and after much hard work finished the little masterpiece. 
