9 months

Oh Miss Ella...

Yet another month has gone by and my how you've changed!  You are getting so freaking tall and skinny!  My Ella is not skinny yet here you are.. stretching out.. therefore less major rolls.. but still some small ones :)

You got another tooth!  Which honestly made for some LOOONG hours.. I swear I could tell you the minute it broke through.. and another is still on its way I believe.  It is so exciting seeing these changes.. it means you are growing up!  My dreams are coming true in watching you grow up.

The past couple weeks have been challenging for me and you though.  For some unknown reason.. I have been getting frustrated at the drop of a hat.  Its only at bedtime and it only happens when you decide its NOT bedtime.. after being basically asleep for 5-10minutes.  Then I'd take her into your room and rock you and you would cry :( so I'd set you in your crib and daddy would come get you and put you to sleep because all of a sudden I was too frustrated and I couldn't calm down.  This happened like every night for 10 days.  Not sure why it happened to either of us.  However.. I spoke to a friend and told her about this and she reassured me that its ok and I'm not a bad mom and it happens.  And you know what my ella?  We haven't had an issue since!  So thank you Kristin!

Now you know that mommy gets irritated pretty easily sometimes... turns out.. so do you! ha!  poor daddy... he is gonna have both of us to put up with :)  secretly I think he loves it!  Who wouldn't?  (I am currently imagining you being older and us talking about this and we give each other a conspiratorial smirk.. oh poor daddy) anyway.. my hope is to not just be your parent miss ella but to be your friend.

I want to always be there for you and protect and play and have you confide in me for always and forever.  Now don't get me wrong.. I will let you make mistakes and suffer the consequences because its important.  But don't be scared to tell me how you feel about the mistakes, the consequences, and everything inbetween.  I want you to have fun in life and I want you to be outgoing and courageous.  (I think you already are.. I'm remember earlier today when I turned around and found you climbing to a stand at the wall.. literally the wall and once you get to stand what do you do?... you let go with both hands and bang on the wall.. yes you have courage and luckily balance since you didn't fall)

So, you prefer me at the moment.. generally.  And I love it and daddy hates it.  I keep telling him.. until recently.. that you will prefer him more soon because I will probably be more so the disciplinarian.  I thought this because I am to the dogs.. but.. I'm not so sure anymore.  When he would go into your room to try to get you to sleep when mommy was to frustrated.. he did what I am 'supposed' to do.. which is let you cry a bit if we can't get you calmed down.  And it works for him every time!!!! Which makes it more frustrating because I can't get you to calm down AND i can't listen to you cry.  He tells me just let her cry for a bit.  Its normal.  Shes not hurt.. shes just tired.  And I know he's right my baby ella.. but man is it hard.  Which brings me back to my original point.. I dont know if I can discipline you.  I'd rather reason :)  maybe we can just be good until you understand reasoning?

On another note.. please be nice to the puppies.  We need to remember which puppy you can do what with.  You can crawl and bang on Max.. minus his head... but you can't on Fresco.. he is just too little.  I know you love it and laugh like crazy when Fresco nibbles on your hand or licks your hand.. but please don't put your hand in Maxs mouth.  He won't bite but he really really dislikes it.  Lastly.. both of them shed like crazy so please try not to give them kisses with your mouth open and tongue sticking out... you come away with hair all over you and in your mouth and you detest when I clean you up after.  Think about it baby girl.

Lastly.. mommy is considering going overnight with papa to take great grandma to Mayo for her checkup.  Its in late October and daddy will be there with you.  I feel like I need to go princess but I don't know if I can go.  Just thinking about being away from you over night increases my heart rate and blood pressure and my anxiety is through the roof!!  So I'm mentioning this now so that we can both get used to the idea... and if we don't then I won't go.  Simple as that.  I would take you with me but I don't think a hospital is a place for my ella.

Don't forget mama loves you soooo much!
Love you baby girl Ella!