Sitting!

Well Ella can now sit on her own...kind of :) I set her down so she is sitting...and I let her sit on her own...but I keep my hands right there to catch her...she's not quite steady enough to sit for a long amount of time. She got a Christmas gift from the sitter the other day (some blocks) and she REALLY likes them...so if she's sitting and playing with them she does pretty good keeping her balance...until she lunges for another block...and sometimes she'll have a block in each hand and throw her hands up...and then of course throws off her balance as well...we'll keep working on it!

Ella got to spend some time today with Grandma and Grandpa...they came over to watch Ella while I gave in and finally went to the Doctor...I really haven't been feeling that sick...all that's left is a cough...well it's a persistant cough...and I also have no voice...I had enough people urge me to go to the Doctor...so I finally gave in and went...and yes...mild case of bronchitis, and confirmed...laryngitis...so I am on an antibiotic to clear up the bronchitis...and as far as no voice...I'm drinking tea :) Ella has been puzzled by my voice...or lack of...she was sitting on my lap early this morning...and I was talking...and she kept turning her head around and giving me this really puzzled look...she knew that wasn't my voice!

Ella ate really well today...for breakfast she had apples...and for dinner she had spinach/potatoes and a side of apples/blueberries...the minute she is done eating she whips her head to the side to refuse the spoon...we now have her in her highchair...she thinks she is such a big girl sitting in that. She was rubbing her hands all over the tray tonight...Josh just watched her and laughed...and said oh man...I can see where this is headed when she has food on the tray in front of her...so I guess the poor dogs will have to be put in the other room during dinner!

Well tomorrow is Thursday...I work 10-7...and Josh is 8-2...and then we are both off on Friday...and then the Christmas festivities begin! It's still really hard to believe it's Christmas...especially when it is 60 degrees out!

Jumping Bean...

Friday was Josh's swearing in ceremony and "pinning" ceremony...I did go through a few practice runs before we went so I wouldn't get up there and not know how to pin his badge on! After that ceremony his parents took us out to an early dinner (a celebratory dinner for Josh) - to Red Lobster...a favorite of ours...and then they were on the road again headed back to Vermont. Josh and I have had a pretty laid back weekend...I have been "sick" with a miserable cold...yet again....I did stock up on some Vitamins and Immunity builders...which I started taking yesterday.


Ella really likes her Jumparoo now!! It took some getting used to...and Josh figured out how to lower it so she now can finally touch the ground...

Ella really only likes fruit...so I have been buying baby foods that are a mix...like today she had...Bananas, Blueberries, and Beets...yuck...but she loved it...but if I do just the vegetable on its own...she will not eat it and throws herself back. Her favorites seem to be any mix that has pears or apples in it...she just gobbles it all up....at least she's eating...that was half the battle...I was afraid she just wasn't going to eat baby food!

A picture to show that yes...Ella really does smile! :) (This was at graduation the other night).

It's a week away from Christmas...and still no tree...I told Josh I just don't have the energy to deal with it this year...we will be at Smith Mountain Lake for Christmas...and with having a cold practically every other week....I said I'm just not dealing with it this year....next year it will be more fun for Ella...she won't remember this year anyway! :)

Well it's after 9....that means yes...it is my bedtime :)

Graduation Week

It's been a busy busy week! Let's see...Saturday was my works Christmas party...Ella wasn't having a part of it...she cried everytime someone came near her...a new phase? I hope not! We played "Dirty Santa" (yankee swap for those up north...we moved down here and I heard...Dirty Santa? What is that??)...and I won...are you ready for this...a Kindle Fire!! How exciting!! I immediately put it to use :) Ella was up at 2am...we have found...everytime that her little schedule gets thrown off and she isn't in bed by 7pm...she has a bad night of sleep and wakes up in the middle of the night having a meltdown...which yes she did!

Sunday - my mom and dad came to pick up the dogs...they were going on vacation to the lake :) And Sunday I came down with...who knows what...chills, achy, sore throat...blah! This time I was the sick one...Ella didn't get it (thankfully!)

Ella has been introduced to more foods...she really likes Pears/Apples/Raspberries/Squash...Peas...not so much! :)

Josh's parents came to stay with us this week...as this is Josh's graduation week! Here is Ella hanging out with her Grampy...

She really likes facial hair on men...always checking it out!

Josh's graduation was this week....on Wednesday...

Here he is...dressed and ready to go...

A lot of my pictures came out blurry :( But here is Josh shaking the hand of the Chief for Lynchburg...

This was taken right after Josh won the first award of the night....and that award was the, "Academic Award." Josh placed first academically with his scores on his quizzes, tests, etc. We were all very proud of him!

Here they are lining up to get their diploma...

Ella made it through the dinner...once the ceremony started...and the first round of applause happened...she had a meltdown...her Grandma sneaked her out and spent some time with her out in the lobby! Again...since her schedule was thrown off and she wasn't in bed by 7...she was up at 12:45am...having a mini melt-down! She was up for about an hour....which resulted in about 5 hours of sleep for mom (and I have a cold)...so that means yes...it's 9:00 - and I am headed to bed!!

Tomorrow is Josh's, "Pinning Ceremony." I have to pin Josh's badge on him at the ceremony...I better do a few practice runs :)







Christmas is Coming..

Christmas is coming....slowly...we don't even have our tree up yet...I did put up 2 Christmas candles...that's about as far as I have gotten...and I did send out a handful of cards...but then I ran out of stamps (I will be stopping to get more tomorrow!) I did start some wrapping today! Ella was a big helper...she layed on the floor next to me and kept me company...and of course I had to take many breaks to play with her! My favorite part...I had just flipped her over so she was on her tummy and she was stretching to get the toy in front of her...when all of a sudden the dogs come FLYING into the room (we were on my bedroom floor)...and they start "playing" which consists of chasing each other...it really is funny to watch them...well Ella is all about this...she is turning her head as fast as those dogs are running...and she starts laughing hysterically watching them...she turned to me all smiles and then the dogs ran by again and her laughter started all over again...and then of course I started laughing...I don't know which was funnier...the dogs or Ella!

Christmas (which is almost here) - marks another goal I was hoping to make...I'm not there yet...but it's close...so with Ella I gained over 60 pounds!! Unbelievable! I really don't know how I gained so much...I still ate salad almost everyday! My diet didn't change too much! Now the first trimester I did definitely have some carbs...it was the only thing that made me feel better...but pretty much the second and third trimester I ate like I normally do...salad, veggies, I did increase my meat intake...and the Doctor kept telling me that I was gaining weight too quickly - that my baby was going to be really big if I stayed on the track I was on (yeah thanks Doc...you were right on the money with my 6lb baby!) So how I gained all the weight...I don't know...but I am happy to say that I have lost 45 pounds!! I have 17 more to go and I will be right back to my pre-pregnancy weight...I was hoping to have lost it all by Christmas...wishful thinking! But it's not too far off...maybe by her 9 month appointment!

On the menu tonight...sweet potatoes and bananas....mixed in with a little of her green veggies! We'll see how it goes...I tried earlier today to feed her some...she wasn't having any of it! Kept turning her head and pitching a little fit! The sweet potatoes and bananas I made! I followed one of the recipes in the Baby Breeza book. Well she's awake now...she was taking a little late afternoon snooze...time for dinner!

Winner Winner!

We have a winning flavor of baby food! Now to me it sounds kind of gross...but it's the first one Ella has eaten that she doens't wrinkle her nose at...Pumpkin/Sweet Potato/Apples/Blueberries...I mixed it all up with a little rice cereal...she ate alllll of it! Yesterday morning and this morning! I think it's a winner!

Monday was a Josh/Ella day...as usual she gives him a run for his money...I came home from work at 7:30 and Ella was already in bed...he just said...."wow, I'm tired!" She was a bit fussy all day...nothing held her attention for more than 10 minutes.

Tuesday she went to the sitter's house...in the morning before we left...she was a slight bit fussy still and putting everything in her mouth...so I assumed her mouth must be hurting...so I did give her a 1/2 dose of tylenol to see if that would help her mouth feel better...I don't really know if it was effective or not...the sitter said she was a bit whiny during the day...not her normal self. Tuesday night...Josh was planning on going to dinner with a bunch of the guys from the academy and he called me during lunch and said...would you like to come? Most were bringing their wives...so I said sure! So Ella and I tagged along...we had a great time! I figured Ella would sleep the entire time...she slept in the car on the way there and her eyes popped open when we walked in...but she was so good...she was in her car seat most of the time...and she was very content...she never even made a peep! She played with her toys...and was entertained by all the people coming over to see her...very few smiles of course...didn't want to show those pretty gums :)

Today it's Mom/Ella day...right now she is playing on the floor with all her toys...but she did sleep in until 7:45 this morning...she was tired out from last night! :) We were going to run some errands but right now it's raining...and going out in the rain trying to balance a car seat and an umbrella are not easy! So I think we might hold off on those errands!

Strawberries and Apples

After "fighting" with Ella to eat her vegetables...we finally made the move to fruit. She did manage to get a few bites in everytime I tried to feed her...nothing close to the 1/4 cup she is supposed to be eating for breakfast and for dinner! However the first time she tried the fruit (which was a mix of strawberries and apples) she made the same faces as the vegetables...I managed to get a few extra bites in yesterday morning with the fruit...and she did great tonight with it...now tomorrows adventure will be getting back to those veggies...maybe it will be a good mix of fruit and veggies!

Yesterday Ella, Josh and I went on an outing...well it was just errands...but Ella did great...we had to go to the Dry Cleaners, Target, TJ Maxx and Kroger...I thought maybe by the end she would be sick of sitting in the car seat...but she did fantastic with her toys that we brought and as we were walking through Kroger she even fell asleep! Speaking of sleep...she's going through a little phase that just started this weekend that she has an absolute meltdown everytime I lay her down in her crib either for bed or for a nap...she CRIES and CRIES and gets herself so worked up she starts "choking"/coughing. So last night she held her breath and then let out this huge cry...it broke my heart...it's worse than the cry at the Doctors after shots...so I told Josh I am rocking her to sleep! I know that is supposed to be a no-no...but I have only done it once since she's been born...so I scooped her up and sat in the rocking chair holding her...and sure enough...after about 15 minutes she was out....her eyes did flutter open when I laid her down and she looked at me and whimpered...but then closed them and went right to sleep. She did it again this afternoon when it was nap time...this time I just let her cry it out...it didn't last too long and it was a whimper...Josh went in to check on her and she was asleep...and this was how she looked...

Her face wasn't covered (that was my first thought as he showed me the picture)...but she did have that little birds feather stuffed right in her mouth...which brings me to the next thing....anything and everything she can get her hands on....it goes directly to her mouth...her favorite being the remotes and cell phones...although she is NOT allowed to put those into her mouth...she can touch them...but they get taken away before they go in...we really encourage her toys instead! :)

Yesterday was her first "scoot." Josh had her on her belly...and she wanted so badly to go forward...so he put her feet against his chest so she could push off of him...and she did! She certainly didn't go far...but she did make it forward!

Ella got a package in the mail from her Nanny from Vermont...with a few pretty dresses...she wore one today for church...its a cute sweater dress and she had on little black tights under it...Josh took a picture of us before we left for church this morning...and as usual...Ella didn't smile! (I promise she is a happy baby and smiles a lot..just not in front of a camera...clearly she didn't get that from me!)

Ella's Kitchen

My plan this morning was to leave a bit early so I could drop Ella off at the sitters and run to the store before work...I have found I miss the days of when I can "run into the store"...now it's more like exericse...carrying that car seat around...ugh...so my plan actually worked this morning...usually when I give myself extra time I end up using it and find myself running late...but not this morning...out the door at 8am on the dot! I decided I was just going to run into Target as it was on my way to work...so I go in there...which I have decided that at 8:30am...that's a great time to do shopping...the place was practically empty! I found the "Baby" section...and stared at all the food choices! Well I knew I wanted to go organic...so that really limited what I could choose...so I focused in on the organic section and picked a few different kinds out...I check out and go to work...I bring my bag of baby food in (I'm very excited about it!!)....and I pull out one of the containers to show a couple of my co-workers...they kind of looked at me like..."really? you're showing us baby food??" But then they laughed...

The name of it...is "Ella's Kitchen!" How perfect!!! So I picked up 5 different kinds...and I will slowly add the different kinds in...

On the menu tonight....

(With the dogs in the back-ground)...I think they thought I had a snack for them! :)

Well...yeah she really wasn't a fan of it at all!!! The first couple of bites she did ok...then everytime she would take a bite she would pucker right up and squint her eyes and wrinkle her nose...it was funny...I couldn't get a picture as I was the only one home...and I was trying to wrestle the spoon away from her :)

So tomorrow night...she gets to try it again! The Doctor told me you have to give something 10 tries...if they still don't like it after 10 tries then it means they probably just don't like it right now...I had read that online as well...so try again and try again we will!!