Baby Girl Turns One!

Well...Ella's first birthday has come and gone! Thursday morning I was getting ready for work (Josh had left the house around 5:15am to go to work)...and I heard Ella making noise so I knew she was up...I slowly opened up her door and stuck my head in...and was greeted with a squeal as she was awake...I sang "Happy Birthday" to her...which kind of made me sad as I couldn't believe her 1st birthday was here already...she smiled and smiled some more! I dressed her up in a little outfit that had a cupcake on it...she was the birthday girl after all! It was another normal day for us...I went to work and Ella went to the sitters. I picked her up at 5 and we headed home. Josh was home around 6:40...so she snuggled right up to her Daddy as soon as he came home...we sang "Happy Birthday" again...and played for a bit...and then it was time to go to bed! So...kind of a low-key day!

However...Ella was spoiled for her birthday...through-out the week she was given a few new toys, outfits galore, and $ that went towards her "Harvard Fund!" She is definitely a loved little girl! The "gift" that Josh and I got her...well more a gift for us....was instead of doing a party...we did a photo session! A co-worker of mine, Jennifer, also does photography...I asked her about 6 weeks ago if we could set up a session for Ella's first birthday. We did a few family shots....and the main event...a "Smash the Cake" session! Which by the way...I was up at 6:30 this morning...and from 6:30-2:00...I cleaned, took care of Ella, and baked a cake....I don't think I sat down for more than 5 minutes...which means I will be going to bed early tonight! I do happen to have a little preview of the pictures to come....

Soooooo cute!!! I really don't even know where the idea started from...but I love it! She had fun with it...I was a little worried...I didn't know how she would react to the cake...but she did get into it...Josh did have to help her along a little bit...she wasn't interested at all in trying to eat it....that was a little bit of a fear of mine...I was afraid she would keep trying to eat it...but she wasn't interested in eating it at all (yay!) I didn't mind a little...but I didn't want her to get sick either! :) I can't wait to get the pictures and show you a really good messy one! Right after her photo shoot...she went right into the bathtub :) And then down for a nap....she was a tired girl!

Josh is working some "off-duty" hours tonight. He took over the shift for a co-worker...so it's just the girls and I tonight...which means I will probably be in bed early tonight reading on my Kindle Fire (I LOVE that thing!)

Overdue

I am way overdue for a post!

I last posted on a Saturday evening...so Sunday was Mother's Day...just another day for us...we went to church, came home and had lunch, put Ella down for a nap and then I too went down for a nap :) That cold had gotten the best of me! Just a low-key day! Monday brought work, Tuesday was more work...Wednesday...Josh was the "baby-sitter" for a few hours...I ran out and did some shopping...was kind of nice to be able to look without having to entertain the little Miss! Thursday was work again...and what do you know...Friday was work again! (I've been filling in a little bit as we are short-staffed) The weekend was busy...Saturday was Romp-N-Roll, errands, never-ending housework. Sunday...Ella and I went to the lake to my parents house (Josh had to work) and Ella got to spend the day with her grandparents and great-grandparents...I do believe she had a fun time!! That is the really shortened version of our last 10 days! :)

This girl can sleep! Put her in a car and she is out...this is from Sunday...on our way home from church!

A new BIRTHDAY toy from Nanny and Grampy in Vermont! Ella loves it when you push the car with her on it and make noise...she laughs and laughs!

She crawled right over and plunked herself right down and began digging out EVERY toy!

Just started today....the beginning of changing to a cup...she did great grabbing ahold of it...had a hard time though...couldn't get anything to come out...works differently than a bottle does! After 5 minutes she got upset and I just switched it to a bottle...she wanted it and couldn't figure out how to drink from it!

Ella got to spend the day with her great-grandparents!

 Happy Early Birthday little munchkin!! I can't even believe that she turns 1 tomorrow...ahhh where has the time gone??

Catching Up!

Well last Sunday night was Josh's last "night" for 6 weeks...yay! Ella and I had kind of a long week....I worked Monday - Thursday....looooong days! I worked and Ella went to the sitters. She woke up Wednesday with a cold...but actually seems to just be about over it...which I am hoping that means it's short as it just hit me about an hour ago :(

Josh got a little clip of Ella climbing the stairs (she is getting quite good at it!)

I finally found a little hair clip that Ella doesn't pull out of her hair...I love it! She doesn't even seem to realize it's there...I only bought one to see how she did with it...she did great...so I just bought 3 more!

 

This was early this morning eating breakfast...in style of course! :)

Josh joined Ella and I today (his first time) at Romp N Roll! He got to see Ella in action...she has so much fun there! She sacked out on the way home...

She stayed like this until I finally woke her up to give her a bottle...which she drank and then went back down for a nap and slept some more!

After her nap...she had lunch and then we all went grocery shopping...such a fun family event! :) This afternoon Ella played and played and played! That girls is getting quick! She was everywhere...playing in the living room with daddy and then she was flying into the kitchen to play with me...she was having a blast! I was in the kitchen doing a test run on Ella's birthday cake! We aren't doing a party but instead we are having a photographer come and do some pictures....after we do some family shots we are going to do a "smash the cake" little shoot...so I bought a new Giant Cupcake pan to make a "giant cupcake" to smash...so I wanted to try out the pan to see how it worked...so here is a sample of how it turned out (this isn't how it will really look...just wanted to see how the cake baked, etc)...

Ella was ready for bed early tonight...she went down around 6:45...we were invited to a cook-out but it didn't start until 7...I told Josh to go ahead and I would stay home with Ella....which ended up being good since I just cake down with this cold! I rented a movie, "The Vow"...so it's me and the "pups" hanging out!

Busy Week...

It's been one of those weeks (really busy!) At work we had one girl have a baby (she was 8 days late - I guess we can't hold that against her!), one girl quit, one girl go on vacation, and the other out sick (and that was just in the department I work in!) So needless to say...I picked up a few extra hours this week...so I was tired out!

Ella had a great time at the sitters this week. She got to see her Grandpa and Grandma on Wednesday as we all went and met at Sweet Frog (she even got a few bites of frozen yogurt).

Today, Ella and I went to Romp N' Roll and then on to Target...this seems to be our Saturday routine...I'm ok with that! Ella had fun as usual...crawling all over...and she's really mastered stairs! Romp N' Roll really wore her out...I put her in her crib at 12:45 for a nap...I put a few toys in there as well...she played for almost an hour...as happy as could be...then finally fell asleep around 2...finally at 4, I went and woke her up...and she was still ready for bed at 7...she was a tired girl!

I haven't been good at taking pictures this week...so I will need to try tomorrow...tonight she had for dinner...pears/blueberries/purple carrots...was the mixture...and her face was all purple by the end...she was a mess! Oh...Ella did try her first avocado today...she did ok with it....wasn't her favorite...but she didn't spit it out...I'll keep trying it.

That's really all we have been up to this week...this coming week will be busy again as I am working a little extra again...but the good news is Josh FINALLY switches to day shift (for 6 weeks)...he's been on night shift since the first week of January...I can't wait for us to actually have days off together...and he won't be sleeping all day :)

Loves Socks!

So as I stated yesterday Ella loved those two socks she grabbed ahold of while I was folding laundry...she found them again tonight...and as you can see...refused to give them up (she held them while drinking her bottle!)

Let's try this video again... :( it said there is an error every time I try it...I'll have to have Josh take a look at it when he's home again!

Busy Weekend...

Thursday Ella went to the sitters and I worked....another "routine" day for us!

Friday - Josh came home in the morning after working all night...so he went to bed...Ella and I played for a while and I put her down for an early nap (she was cranky and it was early in the day!) Once she got up we played some more, had lunch, and then I decided it was time to get out of the house...Ella only wanted to crawl...crawl into the kitchen and check out the cabinets, pull on the stove, head to the stairs...oh it was a long morning! So...I packed her up and off to Target we went...one of my favorite stores to browse in...and that is just what we did...after an hour of browsing...I picked up a few things I needed and called it a day! We came home and played some more :)

Saturday - it's our Romp N' Roll day! Ella and I bundled up (it was cold out!) and headed to Romp N' Roll...she had so much fun!! Last week she enjoyed it...but this week she REALLY enjoyed it...she was crawling all over and going right up to the other kids...playing on everything...it was fun! After that I ran a few errands and then we came home...woke Josh up...gave Ella some lunch...and then headed out to Home Depot to shop around...it was POURING rain...we were going to go to the "Chocolate Festival"...we did a drive by (the rain had stopped but it had been pouring for over an hour)...and almost every single vendor had packed up...so we didn't stop...instead we went to "Cook Out"....it's this new place in town...and they have amazing milkshakes...I know...just what I need to stay away from to lose these last 10 pounds...but it was amazing :) We came home and all sat on the floor and played...here's a little video of the girl watching "Veggie Tales" again...she wasn't as in to it...as I didn't record it the first few times...this was her 3rd time in a row watching it...so it had lost some of its appeal....

(I will insert it into another post...it won't load!)

Today we went to church...and then to the grocery store...we came home and Ella had some lunch and a bottle...then it was nap time! She slept from about 2-4...yay! Unfortunately I also fell asleep from about 2:30-4 :( I woke up in the middle of the night due to a nasty thunderstorm and couldn't go back to sleep. So that was our day...oh she did climb some stairs today under the watch of her daddy...she did good! I was sitting on the floor folding laundry and she crawled over and grabbed two socks...she would not let go of those socks! She carried them everywhere for the rest of the afternoon :)

Few Videos

A few video's of Ella's crawling...

Today was a pretty low key day...I actually had "vertigo" all day...I don't really know if that's what it is or not...I mentioned it the other week at my physical and my Doctor was like well it's probably not vertigo...it could be you are low in iron, etc....and I really don't get it all that often...and when I do...the dizziness usually lasts about 20 minutes and then its gone...but lucky me got to have it all day today...and it doesn't bother me if I am sitting still...just when I move my head fast...so the trick tonight...is sleep with two pillows and pray it's gone in the morning! That's the other thing...I get it when I lay flat...so if I sleep with two pillows then I don't get it...I instead just get a "neck-ache!" So...anyway...I was glad when Josh got up...so he could watch Ella for a bit and I could just sit still....the dizziness is actually a lot better tonight..so I should be good to go for tomorrow!

We did run out and do a few errands this afternoon (with Josh driving!)...and that was really it...a low key day...tonight I got everything ready for tomorrow...it's much easier to pack bags and lunches the night before...less stress in the morning :)