Happy 5 Month Birthday and Hello, Cereal!

Ella helping Daddy wipe off her chin :)

7/21/08 - Today was little Ellie's 5 month birthday and to celebrate, she had her first spoon fed meal! At first she tried licking the spoon, then biting it, then she eventually realized she just needed to close her mouth down on it and the food would just fall right off into her mouth (then drip right back out because she wouldn't close her mouth :)) Silly Ella - Well, she'll have plenty of time to practice and I'm sure she'll get the hang of it in no time :)

So just an update - she went for her well baby visit on the 8th and she was 18lbs 5.7oz and she is 27.5" long. Her stats are in the 95th percentile which is super and the doctor said that a chubby baby is a smart baby because the brain develops best with there is fat stored on the body to help feed it. :) She sleeps through most nights without needing to eat until I get up for work and she has started taking baths in the tub with Mommy or Daddy :) She'll lay on the floor for hours babbling to herself and taking her pacifier out of her mouth, studying it, then putting it back in. She rolls onto her belly amazingly fast, but once she's there she can't quite figure out how to get back :(. All in all, she is a very good baby and is hardly ever fussy. If she is, it's usually just gas and it goes away in a jiffy :)

So that's all the news for now. I'll leave you with some pics and a little video of her first cereal meal :). (yes, that's me laughing in the background - I couldn't stop; her facial expressions were cracking me up!)

A Day Without Color

7/20/08 - Well, it's been awhile, but today I had some time to update Ella's little blog. We took some really cute pictures today while we were playing on the floor, because it's just so hot that there is nothing else to do! Right now it's 88F out and super hot in here. Ella has been growing like a weed though, but since tomorrow is her 5 month birthday, I'll save all the stats for then. I just thought we would change things up a little with some b&w photos and sephia ones. I think she just so cute even without her rosey cheeks!

Just another day...

7/17/08 - Just another day in the life of Ella... Chillin on the couch while mommy plays the photographer. She was having such a great time!!!

Holiday Weekend

our second attempt at head band wearing... I think she liked it :) (Dan said she looked like a little Richard Simmons) Ella checking out RJ on the floor...
RJ, Jim & Ella

Kelly and her little RJ

7/5-7/6/08 - Ella had quite an eventful weekend as we had a visit from Dan's cousin Jim, his wife Kelly and their foster baby R.J. as well as Dan's sister Maria, husband Chad and baby Lydia. We all had a wonderful time visiting and playing with the babies. It makes me wish that we all lived a lot closer :(

I wish I could post all the pictures I took, but I tried to pick the best ones. (I think I took over 300 pics just this weekend!!)

Ella's First 4th of July

Ella & her Grampa Mokwa
Ella's first and last firework... I think she would have loved them if they were a little quieter :)
Ella's new little cousin Lydia Grace
Aunt Jessie with her sparkler... Ella was mezmerized by those things :)

7/4/08 - Ella experienced her first fireworks on Friday as we ventured into the backyard and had a little cookout with the family. Everything was fine and dandy until the actual fireworks started, at which point Ella decided she no longer wanted to be outside, but rather, inside in the rocker with Mommy :) I guess her little ears aren't quite ready for bangs and booms yet :)

Sittin' Pretty

6/29/08 - Little Ella is getting pretty good at sitting on her own. As long as she can grab onto her feet, she can steady herself and stay upright for a good little while :)

(Pictured here still dressed up from church)