Ella and the Taste

oh WOW - did I really go through the entire summer without adding anything to the blog? I'm so sorry!!

Ian and Ella are asleep - and so I'm on the computer and should be working on my thesis, but instead I'm finding other things to keep busy :)

Here are some pictures of Ella from Taste of Peoria -

As you can see, she was quite the little bags player! The people monitoring didn't even mind - what a little cutie :)

Ella is now walking up a STORM! It's amazing how once she hit one, she turned into our little girl :)

Here's a video of Ella 'dancing' with another little one at the taste... she has also quite improved on her moves since then... We were at an outdoor shopping mall the other day - Ella was dancing to the music, and a lady walked by and said, "She has the bootie dance DOWN!" haha... that's Ella! :)

Ella at the Piano

Dad and Linda (Grandpa and Nana) came to visit this weekend - we all had a great time together! Here is concert from Ella :)

First plane ride!

Hi all!

Sorry it's been so long!!! We just came back from a great vacation to Redlands and Las Vegas with our Ella Bella! We went out to visit Auntie Em and Uncle Andy, and we had a great time!

Here are some pictures and a video of Ella first plane ride :)

Cutie Ella :)

Stinker Ella!

Here's a video!

Two Babies

Here are a few pictures of Ella and me as a baby! My mom sent me this picture a few weeks ago. I think I see a few similarities! How fun!

Ella in her high chair

Laura as a baby - with her first two teeth!

Ella updates

Happy Saturday, all!

I regret that I don't really have any new photos to share with you :( Sorry!!!! Maybe I will get around to taking a few this weekend...

Time for some updates, though!

Ella is 8 1/2 months - wow!!! Two more weeks until our little darling is 9 months old... and then only 3 months until she turns 1! Can you believe it? I can't.... she is growing up WAY too fast! But a ton of fun in the process :)

Ella's new food that she has been enjoying:

strawberries and bananas - she was laughing when she was eating them! SO delicious!

eggs, potatoes, and green peppers - all mushed up together - YUM!

grapes - she LOVES these as well... peeled and in small pieces, of course!

And she's still been eating yogurt, bread, bagel and cream cheese, puffs, and cheerios :)

She is definitely mastering the art of army crawling - Ian and I were thinking today that she's getting so good at it, we're not sure if she'll be motivated to learn to crawl! Oh well - she's doing just fine :) And managing to find all sorts of things around the house!

I got pink slipped last week - not a big deal - we'll just see what happens from here!

Ella is doing great - she's had a bit of a cold, but is getting lots better! Today Ian is at the Mennonite Relief sale with his mom and dad helping to serve ice cream, and so I am taking Ella Bella shopping! Should be fun :)

We've also been running bunches together - her riding/sleeping in the stroller of course! I think she really likes it!

Anyhow - that's all for now! Time to get moving for the day!

Love

Laura :)

Crawling!

Good morning, all!!

It's Saturday, and as most of us know it, a BEAUTIFUL day! Supposed to get around 50 degrees here today! So that's wonderful!!

This past week, Ella has been working on her two lower front teeth, so cute! And also... drumroll please... she can now army crawl!! She can move to the toys she wants on the carpet - so that's pretty cute :) Now we definitely need to keep our eyes on her!!

Yesterday we bought tickets to go to California for Spring Break to visit Ella's Auntie Em and Uncle Andrew - they live right outside of Los Angeles, so that should be an adventure in itself!!! Ella's first plane ride! We are flying into Las Vegas, so we'll spend the night there, and then a night there before our return trip home - we think Ella will like all the lights :) Anyhow, it will be great for Em and Andrew to see Ella again - the last time they saw her was when she was just one month old!

Here's a video of our little girl with her army crawl -

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I LOVE Saturdays!

Love

Laura

Link to YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOMQfCVaZho

Swimming, teeth, friends, and food!

Hey all!

Sorry that I didn't post yesterday - we have some visitors from out of town! The Mertes's (Friends from high school) came to visit! We had Cory, Tyler, Blaike, Melvin, and a future Mertes here yesterday :) Yes, Cory's pregnant!!

Anyhow, it was so much fun, and the house was definitely abuzz with three kids and four adults here! Ella loved having some new friends to play with - and Blaike and Melvin were both so much fun!!

Last weekend, Ella went swimming for the first time, and that was also just a ton of fun. We put her in a Little Swimmer diaper, and that was all she wore! So adorable! Ian and I got into the pool with her, and she just loved the water - kicking and splashing - just like it was a big bath! Our favorite part was the Lazy River that went around the pool - we loved just walking Ella around that part - and it wasn't super crowded because most of the kids stayed in the kiddie play area. Just so much all around! I think when Ian is farming this Spring I'll get Ella and I involved in some Mommy/Baby swim lessons - that would be fun!!

Last day of February today - thank goodness! I am READY for this winter to be over - but who isn't?? March, April, May - and then I'm out of school! So three more months :) But who's counting ;)

Other big news!! Ella has her first two teeth popping up!!! They are super sharp but still small - but they are pretty darn cute!! She won't let us look at them if she's awake, so we really only get to see them if she's sleeping or laughing :)

On the food front - Ella is still only eating 'big people' food. She wants nothing to do with that baby food - even the fruit! Yesterday she ate: yogurt, cheerios, spaghetti, garlic bread, beans, chicken, salsa, tomatoes, and some lemon! What an appetite!! :)

Ella will be 8 months old this week! I can't believe she is growing so fast!!!!

Here's a video from swimming last weekend - hope everyone has a good week!

Our new high chair!

Well, we were finally able to get a new high chair for our dear Ella Bella! A friend of Ian's offered to let us use their own one - which will work really well for us! Up until now, we've just had her in her bumbo in the middle of the dining room table, and she would use her ninja arms to get into just about everything!

We sat down for our first meal together this morning - eggs, potatoes, toast, a little baby food (she prefers what Mom and Dad are eating) and finally, some of the little Puffs (little stars of no nutritional value that dissolve in her mouth). Now, I feel like I need to admit - we fed her every little bit of food that was listed above. She is having a hard time with the finger/thumb grasping! But, that's why we had some fine motor skills practice at the end with the Puffs - anyhow! She'll get it :)

Last night she slept in her crib for..... wait for it..... 30 whole minutes!!! Whew!! I set up an awesome sleeping place for her - it's all padded and comfy and secure (which I thought was what she wanted!) Well... 30 minutes later she was crying... and needless to say, she ended up in our bed for the rest of the night... sigh!!

On a wonderful husband note - Ian is always great on Saturday mornings, and when Ella wakes up at 7:15 (which she always does) he whisks her away downstairs so that I can get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep - very sweet!! Plus, it's some good Daddy/daughter time...

Question of the day - should I link Facebook and the blog so that posts are available to all? I took all of my students off my friend list - so now it's just people that I actually know... hmmmm.... what do you think?

I suppose that's all for now - Hope you all have a great weekend and week!

One day ahead of schedule!

Hi everyone!

So I know I said I'd post on Saturdays... but... tomorrow we are heading up for Linda's 60th birthday party! Whoop whoop!! And so I thought I would give some updates just a day early :)

Last night - Ella was in the Bumbo on the table... and we heard a *thump*... I look back, and Ella is lying face up on the dining room table! She had arched her way out of the Bumbo... my my!! Busy girl! I guess that definitely means that we will not be leaving baby ninja there anymore for even one second! (unattended, that is!)

Here's an older pic of Ella in the Bumbo so people know what I'm talking about....

Anyhow! Now it's Friday afternoon, and she is sleeping in her adorable bear outfit from my sister in the carrier. She always falls asleep on the drive home.... ahh... those babies :)

Here are a couple more pictures of our little darling :) Happy three day weekend!

Ella and Daddy!

Ella and Mommy!

well, well, well....

Look who has been away from the blog for a LONG time!!! It's been since November! Wow... I was still at home the last time I was blogging... sigh... those were such fun days! Now, we look forward to summer (yay!) and Spring Break!

Last night we took Ella to a bar (gasp!) for a birthday party of a teacher - the aunt of our daycare provider - so.... we figured that Lindsey's family would want to see Ella (Daycare lady) AND teachers from school would want to see Ella - so we thought we would go since Ella had double duty! Well... as smiley as she is, she didn't smile the ENTIRE time! It was a little loud, and there was a tv the size of a wall, bright neon signs, and new people everywhere - I think she was in a little bit of baby shock!! But, she recovered - no signs of a baby hangover from all the bright lights this morning :)

In terms of development (oooh... sounds so professional!) Ella is now crawling... backwards! hehe... she scoots herself backwards instead of inching forwards... but she'll get it! She loves zippers, and holds her bottle for her dad but not for me!!

She's a cutie and we love her!

I think I will try and update the blogs on Saturdays... so maybe once a week? That's a start!! Better than once every three months!

Here are some pics :)