Over the weekend...

Little Ella did share...so yes what I thought might be the beginning of me getting a cold...indeed resulted in me getting a cold. Luckily with Ella's cold she hasn't had the breathing problems that she did last time...but she has been sleeping with a humidifier every night - so that I am sure is helping. Ella and I have had a few days of staying in our PJ's - I've been so drained with this cold...I haven't wanted to get off the couch or bed...so poor Josh (or he probably thinks lucky!) had to go out for lunch and dinner yesterday as I wasn't up to cooking anything. I did venture out to the grocery store to pick up a few things as we really didn't have anything! And in the crockpot now is a pork roast to make into pulled BBQ - thanks for the recipe mom!

Ella's friend Neko this week got to go into her jumperoo/exacauser (I really have no idea what the difference between the two are) - and I can't remember which one it was! Neko's mom told me this and said that Neko loved it....so of course Ella had to try it out! We have a jumperoo that Ella's Nanny from Vermont let us borrow - so I set it up and cleaned it up on Saturday....and put Ella in it...well I don't know if there is a setting on it to make it shorter...if there is I couldn't figure it out...so I put Ella in it...hmmm she's too short - her feet don't touch the ground! So I hunted around to find something to put under her feet so she could touch....

Lets see - Ella's reaction...well she loved it if I sat next to her and helped her bounce...but she didn't want to do it on her own! I thought she would love it - because everytime you hold her she is trying to push herself up so she is standing on your legs.

I left Josh in charge of Ella while I ran out to the grocery store...I left and she was playing in her boppy on the floor...and Josh was playing video games...and I told him if she starts getting fussy you need to stop playing your game to take care of her...this is what I came home to...



We get our pictures back tomorrow from the photographer - she is dropping them off at my work...I can't wait to see them!!!

Slowly on the Mend...

Well the little girl is in the midst of her cold...she just seems to have the stuffy nose now...hopefully it's almost over! However I think she may have shared :( I have been sneezing away today...and that's how it always starts!

Our Wednesday night excitement...the smoke detectors chirped at 12:30am...only once and then it stopped. It of course woke me up...thankfully not Ella! About 30 minutes later...chirps again...grrr...I drag Josh out of bed to do "something" to make it stop...I have never changed a battery in them so I didn't know what to do...we have 3 of them right in a row...1 in the office, 1 in Ella's room, and 1 in the hallway between the 2 rooms...I couldn't tell which one it was...so he changed the battery in the hall and Ella's room. No more chirps :) Well that is until 6:45am...it chirps once and that was it. Then a few minutes after 8 - I hear my mom pulling in the driveway (she came to watch Ella on Thursday) - as she is pulling in - the alarm starts to go off!! Not just the chirp...but the LOUD alarm...the dogs go ballastic...so I run to the door to open it so they can run outside as I'm sure it was hurting their ears. Ella is looking around with huge eyes like what?? I run into the kitchen and grab a chair so I can reach the detectors...and then it stops...again I don't know which one it was...so I take the battery out of the one in the hall. Well that just makes it chirp every 2 minutes...that's not going to work...I put the battery back in and nothing...(now I'm late for work!) Sorry mom....I tell her that if it goes off again...call the Fire Department...I don't know what to do! :) Thankfully it didn't go off for her...it did however go off again at 8:00pm last night...Josh ran and yanked both of them and completely unplugged it from the ceiling...hope we don't have a fire! :) Although there are more in the house that are working...but I guess getting new batteries will be on the agenda this weekend. The alarm was so loud it gave both Josh and I a horrible headache...I went to bed with my head having a dull ache...and I had to get up in the middle of the night and take motrin because I woke up with a really bad headache. My stumbling around while half asleep woke Ella up :( So I got her up and gave her a little bottle...her vaporizor had turned off - so I refilled it and set it back up as well as the poor thing was really stuffy.

Today Ella and I got up and went to a little meeting at my work. Ella got passed around and got lots of love :) We came home and we had the best time...we laid on my bed and read lots of books...and then I was showing her videos on my cell phone...it was so funny...I wish I could have recorded it...she was holding 1 side of my phone, and I was holding the other...and I have I think it was 5 videos on my phone of Ella...so I played the videos...and they are of her laughing and "talking"  - she watched with great interest...and would look at me and smile...and then she would look back at the phone and I would replay the video and everytime she was laughing in the video she would turn to look at me and just laugh away! She loved hearing herself laugh!

Winter Woes - it feels like winter is here! It was in the 70s yesterday...and the temperature is reading 40 degrees right now...eeewwww!! And I kid you not...I saw just a few white things land on my deck...now they did melt immediately...but I was not happy about it! I hate being cold!

I'm not sure what is on the agenda for this weekend...I think laying low...let Ella get back to feeling normal...and I have a feeling I will be battling my own cold :( Guess we'll stay away from Josh and hope he doesn't get it!

Sick Again :(

Poor little Ella isn't going to even remember what it feels like to NOT have a cold! Poor little thing just got over one to come home yesterday with the start of another cold! I got home around 6:30 last night...Josh had picked her up when he got off from work at 5...I walked in the door and I was talking to her...and she was sneezing and sneezing...and I all I could do was say...ughhh not again!

I laid her in her crib...and she went right to sleep...no problem. Around 10:30 I woke up to hear her "choking" - she wasn't really choking but those were the sounds that she was making...I ran and grabbed her...she stopped making that noise and I laid her back down. She never once opened her eyes...she flopped around for a few minutes and went right back to sleep. Around 12:30 I woke up to hear her sniffling and making a little cough...so I got up and went and filled the humidifier up (yes the one that I just put away last week!) and I filled it up and set it up. Then I went and got her swing and carried it into her room...I scooped her up out of the crib and set her in her swing...again never opened her eyes! She slept fine from that point until 7:30am..I however did not...I was paranoid and was constantly waking up and going over to peek at her...

Today she has just been a miserable mess...her eyes are really glassy, her nose is a mess, and she's just a touch on the cranky side. Grandma and Grandpa were planning on coming over for a visit today as they were already coming to Lynchburg to get their car inspected at the dealership...so after that was done they came over...unfortunately Ella wasn't all about visitors today...she did do 1 or 2 smiles. She was very interested in Grandpa's goatee...and kept putting her hand up to feel it...and look at it. She took an hour nap as they were leaving...and once she was up she had a bottle and then we read about 15 books...she does really like story time. She loves to hold one side of the book...always the left side...and looks at the pictures...and often she will turn to look at me as I read (especially when I change my voice to go along with the book)...or when I make animal sounds (we have a lot of those books!)

She's been going to town on those teething rings. She knows just what they are...I will take one out of the fridge..and hand it to her...again grabs it with her LEFT hand (just like her daddy again!) and brings it right up to her mouth. I just looked over at her (she's taking nap #2 in her swing) and she has in her left had a teething ring, and in her right hand she is holding on to Miss Piggy...and she is just snoozing away!

I'm not sure what I am going to do quite yet for tomorrow...I am going to wait to see how Ella feels a little later on this afternoon....Grandma might be coming tomorrow to spend the day with Ella while Josh and I go to work...I hate to send her to the sitter's with a bad cold...

I was grouchy last night after I discovered that she was sick AGAIN...and Josh said, "Are you mad at me?" I laughed and said nooo...I wasn't even mad...I was annoyed that she was sick again...now I know that it is bound to happen she's around other kids...not only at the sitters, but she was in the church nursery, and she was at the YMCA childcare over the weekend when Josh and I worked out on Saturday...if parents know their kids are sick - why do they send them to be around other kids!?!

Well while Ella sleeps I better get a few things done around the house! The laundry pile has turned into the laundry MOUNTAIN!

Few Things...

I had a few things that happened this week that I forgot to post and I didn't want to forget about them again...

1) Ella loves to rub my hair...maybe she's getting me confused with Bella and Brinly :) When I hold her up close and she can reach my hair...she rubs her hand through my hair over and over...very cute!

2) The reason I say that maybe she gets me confused with Bella and Brinly is....she now will hold her hand out when the dogs are near her so she can "pet" them. They tolerate it for a few seconds...but then they usually get up and move away.

3) She has REALLY found her voicebox...so yes she had already found it by last Sunday during the dedication...but besides that...normally her "talking" is pretty quiet...except for the last few days she has really learned how to turn up the volume! Josh said what is wrong with her...why is she so upset...I said I don't think she is upset...she "yells" but then she laughs...I think she just might be realizing that she can be loud!

Photo Shoot and Major Milestone!

7:15am...Ella's awake...so she was up a little earlier then what I wanted. I was hoping for closer to 8. I wanted to make sure she was happy for the photo shoot! So she got up and ate...and I put her back in her crib while I finished getting myself ready and doing some last minute cleaning. I was hoping maybe she would catch a quick nap...no such luck!

I got Ella bathed and dressed just a few minutes before 10...hoping the drool wouldn't soak through her outfit! :) We kept the bib on til the very last minute!

The photographer came - she was very sweet. She set up in Ella's room and we did most of the pictures in there. I have to say...she had Josh and I in more shots than I had thought there would be...I didn't really pay attention to our outfits...I had just focused on Ella...thinking oh we'll just get a couple of family shots...I mean I would have gone and gotten my hair done and a new outfit...annnddd hit the gym a few times! :) I still have 20lbs to get off! So hopefully her editing skills are good! :)

Well Miss Ella realllly wasn't a smiling girl! She wasn't unhappy...she was just very serious. She was puzzled by the camera right up in her face! I think there were a few half smile shots...she did show us a few...and they were looking good on the camera...so hopefully they turn out well! We did the majority inside and a lot of family shots outside...we had a few outfit changes...and we did some with her wearing just a headband (and a diaper of course) but you only saw her upper half. Sooo...the big milestone happened during the photoshoot (however wasn't caught on film). Ella has been on her tummy multiple times...but has never rolled over. We had transformed our table to a platform with a blanket on the top of it (the nice furry ones from Christmas last year!) and Ella was laying on that on her belly and she was propping herself up with her arms and she was looking all around. Then boom - she just rolls over! It was so quick and we didn't expect it...and the part that scared us all was she rolled over and was right on the edge of the table. Josh ran and grabbed her! He moved her closer to the other side and I kneeled down and propped her up to make sure she didn't roll off...and Josh was on the other side...and sure enough...she rolled over again! That's it...photo shoot on the table is done with! :) By this time an hour had passed and Ella was done! She started getting cranky...and I gave her a bottle and she was out!

Later on in the afternoon - I had Ella on the living room floor (a much safer place) - I wanted to capture her rolling over! Of course she did it twice and both times I missed it! The first time I was recording and recording...and she didn't roll over so I turned the camera off...boom she rolls over! The second time - I swear I hit record...but yeah I didn't...missed it again...I tried for a 3rd time...but Ella was done with being on her tummy...she likes her back better. So I'll try again tomorrow for that video!

Lots of great pictures!

Well Ella has had her share of pictures taken this week...and her photo shoot is tomorrow...hope she's ready to smile!!

Monday/Tuesday I worked...9am til close each day (7 on Monday and 6 on Tuesday)....I was tired out after that! Ella went to the sitters...it was cute...on Monday I walk in to drop her off and the kids all start yelling...Ella! Ella! Ella is here! They were very happy to see her! It was all boys...hmmm hope that's not a sign of the future! :)

On Wednesday Ella and I went to our friend's house to see Erin, Xavier, and Neko! Well Xavier is 4 so he isn't as interested in playing with the little girls. Neko is 4 months, and Ella is 5 months....

Neko on the left. Ella on the right.

Ella trying to take Neko's hand.

Ella can't keep her hands to herself!!

I love this one...looks like Ella is saying, "What??"





Wednesday night...Ella kept making the funniest faces at Josh....we tried to catch it on camera:

She was going back to a bit of the tongue thing again!

Today we had to get all bundled up again before going outside...it was chilly:

Well I have got to start picking up a little bit...as the photographer is going to be here at 10:00am...praying that Ella is a happy girl!! :)

Perfect Weekend...

If we could have days like this year round...it would be the best place to live. It was in the mid-70's during the day and cooled down to the 40's at night...Josh and I just love this weather!

Friday evening we went out to dinner...just to Jersey Mike's and split a sandwich. Then we went to Sweet Frog for a sweet little treat (it's frozen yougurt with about 50 different toppings to choose from)...it was our family date night! Someday Ella will like family date night...now she's just along for the ride :)

Saturday it was more beautiful weather...Josh did some outside projects while Ella and I went to a baby shower.

Again today - just perfect outside! Today was Baby Dedication at our church. So we got Ella all dressed up looking cute...and my parents were coming over for the service and to our house for lunch afterwards. So we get to church and Ella was a little antsy so I'm holding her trying to entertain her before they call up all the parents with babies who are participating in the service. She stays entertained for a few minutes. Then we are called up...and she starts crying. Her whimpering subsides and there is a few minutes of silence...then the WAILS begin! My little quiet mellow girl is wailing at the top of her lungs in front of the whole church (yes I was squirming big time!)...I whispered to Josh that I was taking her out...he said no no it's ok...she's fine...then I don't even know how it was possible...those wails got louder...that's it she's out of there...so yes Ella made a scene :) I'm sure it won't be the last time! Here's a picture before the wails began:

So I take her out...and lay her down on the nursery floor...immediately stops crying. Now she wasn't all smiles or anything...but she was MUCH happier! So I left her in the nursery and I went back to church...she fell asleep with one of the girls holding her in the nursery...and after church I went and got her and she was still asleep...never even opened her eyes while I got her buckled in the carseat and then slept all the way home.

We grilled for lunch. And Ella got lots of "presents" from Grandma and Grandpa....her wardrobe is just about complete for Fall/Winter. Lots of great outfits and even a little winter coat (which matches her "mushroom" hat perfectly!) Grandma and Grandpa left and Ella went down for another nap...after an hour and a half, I went and woke her up...I was ready to go out for a walk! So we all got ready (Bella and Brinly too!) and off we went for a nice walk! When we got back...I was saying how nice it was outside and that I didn't want to go back in...Josh said well lets open up the windows and the doors going out to the deck...so we did! We had the windows all open and the door open...it was so beautiful! Ella had her bath and then she sat in her boppy and played with her toys and "talked" quite a bit! Now she's fed and tucked away in bed (which she was asleep in about 2 minutes flat!)

Hard to believe tomorrow is already Monday again! The weekend flew by!