To Vermont and Back...

Well...We did it...a 12 hour trip to Vermont...there and back...and it went just fine...it really was only 12 hours...not 15 like the last time I went last Fall! :) It was actually easier at the age Ella is now....as opposed to her at 4 1/2 months old. We left on Monday afternoon...I worked for a few hours on Monday while Josh slept (he worked part of Sunday night)...and then we were on the road at about 1:00pm. We arrived in Vermont at 12:30am...not bad! Of course Ella woke up when we got there...and she was a busy bee...got down and walked around, had a snack...and then it was bedtime. We tried to put her in the pack and play...but everything was different...not what she was used to...so she screamed and cried every time we tried to put her into it...so she ended up sleeping between Josh and I...note how I said..she slept...Josh and I did not! I dozed off here and there...and caught little naps...but by 6:30am...Ella was up...not a great start to our week off!

To put our week into a shortened version...

Joy, Joe, and the 5 boys came over for 4 days, and Josh's Nana and Papa drove up from Texas while we all were there as well. So...yes...14 people all in one house...8 adults and 6 kids under the age of 5...we need a vacation from our vacation! We did however have a great time, and Ella misses having all her cousins around! Josh and I got to go visit my grandparents and Ella wasn't shy at all (which I was thankful for!) Ella and I went to go see our friends Scott and Cheri (again she wasn't shy there either!) We went to church and Ella got to meet a lot of new people! We visited Church St. in Burlington...and went out to lunch. We went to dinner for Josh's Dad's birthday. We got to do a little shopping. There were a few Dunkin Donuts runs (for their Iced Coffee....I miss that down here!) A photographer came to the house and did lots of family shots, the boys all went fishing, lots of swinging on the swing set outside, and lots of just hanging out with family!

A few pictures....

Swinging...which Ella loves!

 Silas and David...Ella learned how to say "baby"...she also tried to "rock" the babies by grabbing onto the handle and "rocking" it!

 Nanny and Nana loving on those boys!

 Church St.

Ella learned what a cow was....she could even "mooooo" to them!

We arrived back in VA at 2:30am...and we were in bed by 3am...and I was up at 6am to get ready for work...I was tired! Lucky me...I also caught a cold in Vermont...so I am still battling that almost a week later...I just can't seem to shake it! Ella was very quick to settle back into her routine!

The puppies came back to our house today after being with their grandparents at the lake for 3 weeks! They are excited to be home...and Ella enjoyed seeing her grandparents today! She is turning into quite the little ham...and was good entertainment today!

A special present that Ella got while in Vermont are some blocks that have been in the family for quite some time...she really enjoys playing with them!

 

This morning Ella and I went shopping....she lucked out with some new shoes....

I however didn't find a new bedroom "comforter set"...I'll keep looking!

Busy Week

It felt good to get Ella back on her routine...I was a little nervous about bringing her to the sitter's on Monday as she was so clingy the week before (and would really have a meltdown every time I set her down)...but we walked in...and she smiled big at Beth and went right to her (phew - that was a relief)...and off I went to work!

Our week went along...normal as usual for the whole week. I did get my hair cut on Friday (Josh watched Ella so I could escape for a little bit)...and then I came home and Ella and I went and met Hailey and Sebastian at a playground....Sebastian is older (2.5 years old)...so Ella probably wasn't that much to play with...since she can't run around with him (yet...she will be soon!)...however Ella enjoyed watching him and had fun on the swings!

Today we went to Romp N Roll....yay! It was our last class :( Just for a few weeks...then I will enroll her again...I have to decide on which class...she has outgrown the babies class! After that we went to Target and walked around....picked up a few things we needed...and then made our way home...I now just carry Ella to and from the house instead of putting her in her carrier...that thing is just too heavy! So I took her out of her seat and got her in my arms...grabbed one bag of groceries and started to walk towards the house...I looked down...and went, "oh no," I had milk all over my leg! Apparently the milk spilled somehow in the bag...so I set the bag down outside...come inside...strap Ella into her highchair...give her some puffs to snack on...clean my leg off...go back outside and carry in that messy bag...then I have to clean milk off of everything...go out to my car and carry the floor mat in as that also had milk on it (Wouldn't that have smelled good...as it baked in the car in the 95 degree heat!) Finish carrying in the groceries, change my clothes, feed Ella, get Ella a bottle, get Ella changed and ready for her nap, clean the mat from the car, get myself something for lunch, and then yes...I too was ready for a nap!! And nap I did...I took an hour long nap! I had so many other things I should have been doing...but I was tired...it didn't help that this week we got new phones (numbers stayed the same)...but it's a totally different phone that I have no idea how it works yet...and last night it kept vibrating all night long! I have to figure out somehow to change my settings on it...so since it kept vibrating...I kept waking up...and then Josh was home from work at 6am...so I got woken up early...I needed that nap! :)

This afternoon we had a little thunderstorm...thunder has never bothered Ella...until today. It thundered...she stopped what she was doing, burst into tears, and crawled as fast as she could towards her Daddy...who scooped her up and put her in his lap...and she wasn't budging! It was time for him to go to work and she wouldn't go back on the floor...she wanted to be in my lap...poor little thing!

Ella's new thing is reading her books by herself...she will sit on the floor with her books and "read" them aloud....it's cute! Here she is this morning...cup of coffee and all!

She has this cute little tea set...that has a singing tea pot, and two cups...and Josh has taught her to "pour tea" and then drink it from the cup...so now she walks around holding that little cup and "drinking" from it.

That seems to be our weekend so far...tomorrow is church...and household chores!

Getting Life Back To Normal...

To recap...we spent the week at the lake last week...since we had a baby-sitter for Tuesday night...Josh and I went out and saw a movie...although Ella was in bed long before we left...since Josh is on night shift we went to the latest movie...which started at 9:40pm (I realllly like being in bed by 9:30!) So before the movie we took the dogs for a walk and then headed over to the theater...we went and saw Spiderman in 3D...I have to say...I really liked it...it was over 2 hours long...but the time flew by...and I stayed awake for the whole thing...that's impressive in itself!

July 4th was good...Josh had to work...so he missed the fireworks...and I am grateful to say that Ella slept through them..so Mom, Dad, and I sat out on the deck of the condo and watched them...it was great...and once they were over we could go inside and go right to bed...there was no battling traffic involved!

Thursday...once again...we had a baby-sitter! Josh has been wanting me to do a "ride-along" with him....which has been pretty much impossible...but now we had someone to watch Ella....

We put her in the care of Grandpa....

(and Grandma too)....looks like they survived just fine! :)

I drove to Lynchburg and Josh picked me up in his cruiser :) I rode with him for about 4 hours...and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it...I was a little disappointed there wasn't more action....most of downtown had just gotten their power back...so people were inside...which I suppose was just as well! We got to go on a few calls and I was allowed to get out with him...I got to experience the type of people he gets to deal with (I can see how that would get old fast!) All in all it was fun...oh there was one call where there were 2 dogs at large...I said, "What does that mean?"...to which Josh replied, "that means there are two dogs out and we have to go catch them." Then I found out it was a pit bull and a rottweiler...I opted to stay in the car for that call! I said there is no way you are getting me out of this car...but thankfully it was an easy fix...the owners of the dogs were at home and were on their way to go pick them up....no dog-chasing had to be done :)

On Friday we moved back to our house in the afternoon...we finally had power back...

We've gotten Ella back on her routine...which has been helpful...she's been super super clingy...but I think she is actually getting a tooth...it looks like it is making it's way up...and I think that might be what has been bothering her.

We went to Romp N Roll on Saturday...and church on Sunday...I had nursery so Ella and I went in together...she was very upset every time I held another baby...she would come over to me and put her head down on my lap and cry and cry...this is that clingy thing I was talking about!

We came home...and got her to walk...she's taking more and more steps every day (excuse the mess...this is before I cleaned and picked up this afternoon...our house was looking like the wind came through our living room!)

We tried a new dish with Ella today...I did a delicious chicken dish in the crockpot today...it was chicken, italian dressing, italian seasoning, parm cheese, baby carrots, and red potatoes...cooked on low for 6 hours...I took some out and mushed it up a little for her to eat...she LOVED it!

Tomorrow we get back into the swing of things...

No power!

Whew...so lets see...

Ella is 13 months now...and taking more and more steps...still not "walking" yet...but definitely takes at least 10 steps at a time...then drops to her knees and does a "run-crawl"...we've tried a variety of new things...she had some Chinese rice and noodles...which she ate...but it didn't stay down for long :( Maybe not a fan of Chinese food?? (I don't like Chinese food either...maybe she will take after me!) She loves cheese, I've tried egg a few different ways...in the form of an omlet and also hard-boiled...she hated both and spit it out. I did some more avacado...again...spit it out. She likes turkey...bread...pickles...rotissere chicken (she really liked that).

She has been "swimming" a few more times...which really means it's mom holding her and she gets to splash....she loves it. We tried giving her a bath in the tub...instead of her infant tub...she had the biggest meltdown she has ever had....she did NOT like that...she likes her little tub...needless to say...she doesn't like change....

We got hit by an awful storm which you have all heard about...I was so thankful Josh was home...he was supposed to actually work that night...but decided since he had time off that he would take Friday off (decided about 2 weeks before the storm)....we were downstairs when the storm swooped in...it sounded like a train...I looked at my phone as I get weather alerts on my phone...and 10 alerts popped up...saying to expect winds 75-80 mph...and then we lost power...oh...and it was also the hottest weekend of the summer....about 105 degrees. Josh quickly made the decision that we should move Ella down to the basement...so we set her pack and play up and ran upstairs and got her....which she was already sitting up and awake since the storm was so loud. She wouldn't go into her pack and play...so it was Josh, Ella, Brinly, Bella, and I all piled on our bed downstairs...the wind was so strong it kept blowing open our doors....we were very fortunate to have only lost one tree in our backyard...a tree that was already dead....we had neighbors down the road that had a tree fall on their car...we saw a tree on a camper and of course...a gazillion trees on power lines! The next morning (Saturday)...we decided we were getting out of the HOT house...so we packed up and went to Panera...Josh had a paper he needed to finish up. Of course half of Lynchburg had the same idea :) Finally in the afternoon...Josh said why don't you, Ella, and the dogs go to the lake to your parents house...at least there is a pool there that you can go in (they also didn't have power)....so that is what we did (Josh had to work)...we went to the pool....and then sweltered for the rest of the evening...it was a restless sleep for all. Sunday morning we sat in the hot house...and then went and did errands...after not being able to take much more...and with all the talk of it being 5-7 days before power was restored....Mom and I went on the hunt to find something...we tried hotels...nothing...then turned to condo's for rent...success!!! A condo with power, and the ability to take a shower! :) We went to our house on July 3rd...still no power...we cleaned out the fridge (Josh wore his gas mask from work...haha....wish I had a picture of that!) Our area is the last on the list for power to be restored...they are estimating July 7th...ugh! But at least we have a place to go.

A few pictures/video's over the last few weeks...I need to take some more!


Ella loves her puppies!

This is Ella and her friend Neko at Neko's house a few weeks ago!