sweet babe is almost 11months!

My Ella My Ella

Recently I have had this feeling in me that makes it hard to be away from you.  It feels as if something bad will happen to you if I'm not right there protecting you.  It scares me and makes me angry at the same time.  I just want to go sleep next to your crib again :)  or not go to sleep at all.

I don't know if its due to Halloween or your aunt telling me these horrible news stories.. but it has gotten to me bad!  I'm constantly checking on you and hoping you are alive, unhurt, breathing normally, and sleeping.. if you are awake I need to keep you in my vision, even if daddy or papa are right there also....

I'm hoping this will pass... but honestly I don't care.  There is so much evil in the world and who knows how close to home it is.. but if I have to watch you to keep you safe or at least until this feeling goes away.. then so be it.

I know I know.. I sound crazy.. but if I were to describe my dreams recently.. I think it would terrify anyone!  Especially since you are in them!

Moving on..........

I am loving watching you grow my baby girl.  It is amazing watching you while you think about things.  How something works or how to grab something and still stand or when you think about walking and then decide its faster to crawl..... you just get this look on your face that I wish I could capture on film... oh man have I tried but you always look away!  It just makes my day to see you smile or laugh really hard!  Daddy can get you to laugh like that.  He can also get you to 'brush' your hair... just say 'so pretty' and put a brush in your hand and off you go brushing the side/back of your head.  Makes me think of your hair.... oh my goodness Ella Grace you are going to have the most beautiful hair!!  It is such a pretty light to medium brown hair with curls!! It's going to be curly!  I will love it!  You will hate it most likely.. just like me.. but then again maybe you won't.  You will have curly hair right away.. rather than like your momma.  Mommy's hair turned curly in 8th-10th grade.. dang puberty!  That's a whole other story though.. and we are not going there anytime soon!

You took your first step in Texas.. that was fun because only mommy was there to see it! It made me feel special!  You took your first REAL steps about 2 weeks ago.. again as soon as I turn the video camera on you drop to your knees... but every day you take more and more steps.. your 'high score' is 8 steps in a row!  But you do so many steps throughout the day.. just not all at one time.  We all know you can do it.. but you would just rather crawl and that's ok with me.  I'll just be waiting, and I'm sure you'll start walking just as soon as you realize you can run.. walking will probably be bypassed.

We have a new nickname for you and please don't take offense!  You are our little terrorist!  Why do you say?  Well just look at the house!  Your room has books and new diapers ALL over it!  The bathroom has your bath toys ALL over it!  The living/dining room has your toys, books, stuffed animals, movies.. ALL over it!  The kitchen even has packaged food (specifically string cheese), pans, spoons, and your cups ALL over it!  We can't leave a laundry basket around you.. no matter it being clean, dirty, folded, not folded.. if you see it.. you just HAVE to go and pull EVERYTHING out of it.  Seriously though... it is so fun to watch.  I may follow you around most the day picking up things you left and sometimes I leave it all there to show daddy 'what you did today' haha

Speaking of daddy.. he is over the moon with you.  You should see the love in his eyes whenever your name is even mentioned.  And the fact that you craw/walk/bounce to him pretty much whenever he gets home makes his work day worth it.  Thank you Ella for finally letting daddy in our little circle.

You had two new things in the past week.. you got to wear your new pink coat that papa got you in Arizona and you got to pick out your pumpkin with papa!

So my Ella my Ella... until next time...  I'll be thinking of you and checking on you soon!

Love you forever and always,
mama

One eventful weekend!

We had a lovely weekend!  Starting off with a Kernels game Friday night!  Ellas first baseball game and our 2nd of the year.  We went with Michael's dad, sister, brother in law, and 2 nieces 1 nephew.  We got to be on the Mezzanine (sp?) and have all you can eat and drink!  The only time I really enjoy beer is at a baseball game :)  Got home by 9ish and Ella slept thru the night!!  She was EXHAUSTED! 

Saturday Michael had the day off and played in a softball tournament.  Ella and I went to their second game of the day.  It was fun!  It was a beautiful day and we love being outside!  Ella kept wanting to crawl all over the cement, rocks, and sand and eat every rock... luckily mommy was there so none actually made it to her mouth... we came home and left daddy to play some more and she took a big nap.. which meant I couldn't get much done.  We did go to hyvee with papa though. 

Saturday night I left baby girl and daddy to go to waterloo :)  haven't been there since like last summer!!  I can't believe how much it has changed and that its been 2 years since I graduated!  Miss Mattie was in town visiting so we met up at Kelseys house for the night!  We ate at Becks.. yummy.. got some movies and had some amazing frozen yogurt at some place I'd never heard of.  I got to play with Kels' puppies and itty bitty kitty .. loved it!! and seeing everyone was fun too!  This was the first night I wasn't there to put Ella to bed since shes had a bedtime... like 4-5months.  It was hard for me.. but she did great with daddy and daddy did great also.  And slept thru the night again!!! I got home at about 1215am... for some unknown reason I kept taking the wrong turn or missing my turns completely.. so a drive that should've been 45-50ish minutes was about 1.5hours...........

Sunday Ella and I hung out all day together and it was wonderful!  It also happened to be daddy/Michael's bday!!!  Happy birthday honey!  27.. phew hes old hehe...  he had to work however so it was mommy and ella.  He did have family dinner at night at his parents house.  His dad made beef stroganoff and better than sex cake delicious!!!!!  I had a HUGE piece.. I mean HUGE HUGE!  And I ate it all in like 5 minutes.  We got home at about 9 and Ella slept through the night again! yay!

The real excitement though happened on our way to dinner at his parents.... it was Ella and I and we were driving on the Marion by-pass and we turned onto east post rd and what happens?  a flipping deer runs into my car... literally ran into my car door... first accident with miss ella... scared me to death.  We were all ok.. well the deer didn't even make it off the road but the important ones are safe.  I couldn't believe it!  It was like... boom (I don't remember the noise).. then fur flying all over the car and on me (my window was down... and that I do remember).. then brakes and onto the shoulder... get out of my car with a slightly harder push than usual on my door.. and take out baby ella who was screaming bloody murder but as soon as I opened her door and she saw me she stopped pretty much.

There we have it... an eventful weekend to say the least... oh and sunday morning mattie got into an accident in cedar falls!  Someone failed to understand you can't do a U-Turn when there is a car driving right next to you.. she had to get a rental due to her car no longer drivable.. thank goodness mine still is.. I just have to get in on the passenger door..........

 It hit right by my tire and then proceeded to roll along side my car.. rather than go over or under it...

 See all that fur??  nothing compared to what came in my car...

We are good to go!! 

Hopefully the week will be just as fun as the weekend.. minus a deer dying..

sleep deprived..

sleep.  a five letter word.  everyone needs it.  not everyone gets it. 

i used to go to bed after midnight and get up at 11am... then came Ella... goodbye sleep.

she was an amazing baby though and was sleeping 6-9hours straight every night by 7weeks!  i loved it.  i can live on less sleep.. obviously but man oh man i craved sleep and unfortunately even with sleeping in that long stretch I still didn't get more than 5 because of everything i had to do.. well decided i had to do.

eventually she started sleeping 10-12 hours a night.. 8-7 generally.  now this was amazing.  no other way to describe it.  amazing.  i was getting 8-9 hours a night again!  woohoo!  besides the random times she would get a cold.. but honestly it would only be a night maybe two that she wouldn't sleep that long.

then july hit.  all of a sudden.. she was waking up like 3-4 times a night or refusing to go to bed before 10 or getting up before 7!  july 7 or early morning on the 8th she woke up every 15minutes for over an hour and a half... 1am 115am 130am 145am etc.  she would fall asleep as soon as i picked her up but 15min later she would wake up!  low and behold.. the next morning she had 2 teeth!  ok got it.  no big deal.

except.. it didn't stop there.  sure it got better.. she was only waking up 2 maybe 3 times a night... and then there were maybe 4-5days of blissful full night of sleep. 

 guess what though!  it started again.... now i'm back down to less than 4-5hours a night because she wakes up as soon as i put her down... once an hour for 4 hours a night.  however she did get another tooth yesterday.. so heres hoping itll get better again.  but i hear teeth always come in pairs which means another should be here any day.

i love my sleep.  sleep is definitely in my top 5 things to do at the moment.  I just have to keep telling myself its not going to last forever and there is nothing you can do about it.  let her cry?  sure but it doesnt work.  rock her?  sure she loves it but then i dont get to sleep.  bring her into bed with me and michael?  ok.  we have tried this 2 times now and it has helped her sleep better.. but not us.  too paranoid something will happen to her when she is right next to me!  I even knocked over my glass of water next to the bed last night.. and it got all over my phone and the remote to the tv.. oops.

it just feels so horrible that i can't really do anything help her.. and it makes me angry at myself when i get frustrated because i'm tired.  but like i said.. it won't be forever.. take it as it comes.

heres to a good nights sleep!

8 months old!

Miss Ella-

Yet another month has gone by - so many firsts for you - holding a bottle, crawling, sitting from laying, new foods, new drinks, new textures - you overwhelm me.  By the way.. never say 'overwhelm' around papa, just say 'whelm.'  So a new month, and so many new hopes and dreams. 

I'm starting to understand what people mean when they say you'll never stop worrying.  At first, the worries were eating enough, pooping enough, sleeping enough (on your back!), etc.  Now its more like oh please don't eat that, don't touch that, don't pull on that, oh no thats a sharp edge, is the gate sturdy enough? 

The other day, I bought you new pjs.  I had to buy pants and a shirt!  No more footie pjs.. at least not until I can find some in your size.. 12months!  Daddy and I watched you sleep last night, like every night, except we realized that you are more than half the length of the crib now!  You used to take up like a quarter of it.  I'm honestly biting my nails as I write this because it makes me so happy, anxious, scared, and more due to you getting sooo big soo soon!  8months!  You are 3/4 of a year old!  If I knew you'd never read this, I would swear as to how that affects me.  (Did I use that word right or is it 'effect'? Hopefully you will be better at grammar than me.) 

Your crawling ALL over the place makes me smile soo much, but my favorite thing is watching you go from laying on your belly and moving backward to sit on your butt!  It is so darn adorable. 

I'm so excited for this month, so we can continue our 'firsts' together!  Hopefully it'll be cooler outside so we can spend more time in the sun.  You are amazing.

Love always and forever,
mama

p.s. I love hearing you say mamamamama and then look at me!  Daddy will love it when you say dada too.  Don't take too long to say it!  :)

a few pictures

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Guess what??

Definitely need a new gate! I dont believe this will keep her away any longer!! Sorry about the length and background noise!!

So excited!!!

life and all that goes with it

life.  how it goes so fast.  i swear it had only been a day since i'd last was on here.. yet i look and its been almost 5 days!  and before that ... lets just say life has gotten in the way..

i can't believe its july and not only that... we are almost a third of the way through!  june was so packed and the beginning of july was much the same!

between family visiting on both sides... michaels vacation... me working more... appointments... day trips for just mom... chores... and the holiday... and more family... and more family...

you get the picture.  and with all this going on i was growing restless.  i really needed time to soak everything in, to enjoy my life, my baby, my husband, my dogs... i needed time to just be at home with my world.  luckily i was able to and just in time too due to my boss being on vacation until.. august 1!  I'll be the only one here until then so i'll be working more yet again.  in fact.. today i'm at work from 10-6!  i know i know.. thats not a bad day.. not even a long one for most people but for me it is.. need a reminder of my normal days? In fact.. I had that coffee again today! and it was so hard leaving my baby today... you see shes teething :) and she was tired and all she wanted was mommy... and all she was gonna get is daddy (which he is the best).  so for the first time that i know of.. she cried as i left.. and i could hear her cry outside :(  broke my heart........ worst still.. im not gonna be home until almost 630!!!!

oh sad day but its life.  its fast and it gets in the way.

while im at work however.. i've been making a list :)  i do love lists and apparently i love to mumble on with my posts... sorry.. but hey you read this and you know exactly how i talk and have a conversation! you just cant here the inflections in my tone.. ooh that was a good word i believe.

anyway.. my list for today/week/month... its just a list and i may not explain everything on it and i may end up writing about all of them.. until i decide what just take a look!

• budget
• books
• phone
• pictures
• house/deck/vaca
• picasa
• beginning month stuff
• max
• exercise
• goodwill
• baby food
• ella sleeping
• menu for ella
• menu for us
• portion plates?
• bees
• summer cleaning
• files at home and work
• box for old cards?
• picture frames for ella room
• picture frames for living room
• hot glue gun?

phew!  that didn't look like that big of a list on paper.. but the bullet marks make it look big to me! ha!  anyway... maybe i'll cross them off as i get them done!  it is my favorite thing to do.. i even put things on my lists that i've already done just to cross them off so it looks like i accomplished something!

enjoy this lovely monday! wish i was here.. dont know where it is but sure looks peaceful to me :)

7 Months Old

Dear Ella,

I never realized how much I wanted you until I found out you were growing in my belly.  I have so many dreams for you.  They started out small, just like you.  As you grow, my dreams for you grow.  Let's start at the beginning... my very first dream for you was for you to be healthy and safe inside me. When it was time for you to enter the world.. I hope you'll never understand how incredibly terrified I was when your heart rate dropped during delivery.  I knew you were in the best care.  Then I was even more terrified to find out you had to go to the NICU.  I even cried... the only time.  I couldn't believe it, you weren't early or anything!  Again, I had to remind myself that you were with great people who knew what they were doing.  I prayed though.  In fact, I prayed for you every night when you were growing in my belly and I still do every night while you sleep.  I pray for you to be ok, healthy, happy, safe, and that nothing bad happens to you.  So far my dreams and prayers have come true!

Now, that you are 7 months old, I dream of you getting big and doing things little girls do... walk, talk, run, sing, pick flowers, chase puppies, play dress-up, color... I can't wait to do these things with you!

In just a few short years you'll be off to school... and then I'm sure you will meet a boy and then get your heart broken or break someone's heart...  college.. marriage.. babies... It makes me so full of joy to think you prospering in life.  I know you will because you are smart, beautiful, sweet, kind, and even stubborn - unfortunately you get that from me :)   In fact.. your more than a quarter German and more than a quarter Irish...lucky for you this combination has made you more beautiful than either mommy or daddy ever thought possible.

I'm getting ahead of myself though.  I don't want to think about what your life will be like in 5, 10, 20 years.. I want to think about today and now!  You learn new things every day and I'm thankful I get to see this happen!  For instance, today (6/29/12) was the first time you put your hand/fingers in your food and then ate the food off!  You'd never done that before.. just squeezed the food!  Amazing!

Anyway.. I have so many thoughts in my head about you and for you that I think from time-to-time I will write to you for both our benefits...

Love you forever and always,
mommy

p.s. daddy loves you too.. but not as much as mommy :)

Bedtime Routine

Since Ella was about 3 or 4 months old .. wow that wasn't that long ago yet it seems like forever .. we started a bedtime routine that we have stuck to pretty well... since several people I know have recently had a baby .. recent as in like past 3months.. they've been asking me how I get Ella to sleep every night.  You see.. I have an AMAZING baby!  She generally goes to sleep around 8pm and sleeps until 630-7am!  And she has for a few months.  Meaning.. I get sleep :) 
Anyway.. I decided I'd share how we do this bedtime thing at our house.

Most nights at around 730pm I give baby girl a bath.  Note: Daddy has never given her a bath.. I think hes scared haha!  She loves bath time and loves being in the big tub!  I don't know how she moves around so much in the tub since she doesn't crawl yet...

Next we dry off while in the bathroom looking in the mirror..

Then we lay her on the changing table to put a diaper on her; note: she is screaming usually..

Next daddy comes in and gets her in some pjs and rocks with her and plays with her while I'm 'closing the house'.. I shut the blinds, curtains, turn lights off, get bottle ready, and get her blankie..

Then I come in and 'close up her room'.. turn on little lamp. shut blinds, turn on ceiling fan, and her other fan..

Next I take baby girl from daddy at about 750pm and we rock and I usually say something like "Dear Lord, thank you for our wonderful day with so and so.  Please have tomorrow be a good day, and make sure I don't get sick, and please have me sleep good tonight in my crib.  Thank you. Love Ella. Amen."

Then we read three book: Goodnight Moon, llama llama nighty-night, and Good Night.

Next I sing her threeish songs.. I have a horrible voice but oh well.. we do 2 versions of "You are my sunshine".. the original way and then I replace sunshine with Ella for the second time... then "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and finally I sing the 4 lines in our favorite book Love You Forever "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be"...

Finally at 8pm I tell her I love her and give her a bottle out on the couch for a little more cuddle time and shes generally asleep within 20minutes and we put her in her crib.

Now I know I know.. I shouldn't do the bottle and I should let her fall asleep on her own.. but darnit.. it is one of my favorite times of the day!  She's fallen asleep on her own in the crib before.  If she's not asleep by the time she eats 4oz or by like 830 845 then I put her in the crib and see if she will.
One day I'll stop.. but how long is she gonna be this little for?

Good luck with bedtime!!

Some new food!

 Ella tried peas yesterday... it is the one food she has tried that she refused to finish!  I couldn't believe it!  Ok ok I can believe.. but I was still surprised.. thinking maybe it was the texture?

Here she is right after I got her to eat like 4 bites...

 I turn around after setting the bowl on her tray (in case she wanted to try it again on her own).. when I turn back this is the only sign of the peas.. can you see it?

 And there is the bowl.. a good 6 feet away.. shes got a good arm.. and now look at her!  about to smile!  She's kind of a punk.. but in a totally cute adorable way!

Keep watch for the recipe for the peas!  Oh I'm not done trying to get her to eat them!

Miss Ella

Yesterday..

Ella and I were on our way to her sitters and I look back at her and what do I see..

a big girl!  She was sitting in her car seat with a cup of juice in her hand looking out the window!  I couldn't believe it.  It hit me right then.. she's  growing up.  I actually called daddy and told him right then (which is rare since he doesn't normally answer) he answered though!  And he said "well she is a big girl!" 

... it reminded me of this one time.  I was at the post office buying my grandma some 'religious looking' stamps for christmas, so musta been around dec 23rd.  Ella wouldve been like 3 weeks old.  So I'm standing in line and one girl at the counter had a baby with her.  A boy and he was in his car seat, and he was grabbing and playing with some toys that were hooked to the carrier.  I remember thinking... wow I can't imagine Ella that old and able to do that.. at the same time thinking.. oh my gosh I can't wait for Ella to do that!  Now not only can she grab the toys and pull them off her carrier but she can hold her own cup of juice and look out the window!

I wish I couldve taken a picture because it was just one of those moments I want to remember forever.. I didn't though because I was driving :( 

I literally almost teared up when I saw here.  And I know, I know.. she really isn't that big and blah blah blah.. but no one can really imagine that reality hitting you until it does and it is at the most random times.

It didn't hit me when we had to put her in size 4!!!! diapers on Monday... it didn't hit me when she started to stand with very little support (holding on to furniture for a few seconds).. but when I saw her in that car seat yesterday.. it was like bam!  she is no longer a little baby girl newborn.. she is a big girl!  an infant!  a baby! who is almost 7 months old! she is growing up right before my eyes.. and I'm so worried that I'll miss it. 

She is working so very hard on crawling too!  I thought.. what the heck!  shes not old enough to crawl!  Yet every time someone from our family or a friend sees her and realizes she sits up on her own with no issue.. they go.. "oh i bet she is crawling all over the place" and then we say nope.  It's like people are amazed that she can sit so well but not crawl... give it time people!  I'm in no hurry to watch her grow up that quick.. however.. it has made me realize that Michael and I really really need to get on this baby proofing thing.. and figure out a way to keep the floor clear of the never ending white dog hair!

see her new trick though?  

 

Yummy Avocado for Baby!

Avocado Avocado Avocado

While we are having miss Ella baby try new foods.. we thought we'd throw in some avocado!

(man that is a hard word for my to type for some reason)

It is super easy and super healthy!  It contains iron. vitamin e, vitamin a, vitamin c, calcium, and a little protein and fiber!  It is best when it is fresh and it makes it more delicious.

Here's how I made it:

 First- cut the 'cado in half and use a knife to get the pit out and then use a spoon to slide out the good stuff!

 Second- put in a bowl and use a fork to mash it up (it should be soft enough that you don't need to blend it)... I added a little water to make it thinner.

 Third- separate into servings

Fourth: put in bowl and enjoy!

 She seemed to enjoy it

 But of course had to have a closer look...

...and think about it for a few minutes...

...then ask for more by sticking out her tongue!

I can't wait to give her more!  Hope this is easy enough for anyone to make!  And hey its a start to guacamole also... one day I'll make it!

Sick of shots and ickyness

Guess what!

Ella and I both have colds yet again...which is why I've been neglecting this.. so sorry.

Check us out last night cuddling on the couch while she was supposed to be sleeping :)

On a brighter note Ella had her 6month check up today!!

Yay!! Ella is 28 weeks today and I can't believe it!

The doctor said she is 20lb .5oz (95%) and just under 28in (96%)!  I quote "she's a big girl" haha thanks doc!

She did great at the doctors and loved to play with the paper thats on the exam table... 

then she got her immunizations.. 3 shots and one oral.  Loved the oral one but not so much the others.

Thank goodness daddy was there because mommy doubts she woulda been able to hold down babys legs to do the shots.. :(  man did she scream and scream and scream.. took about 5 minutes to get her to calm down!  And of course she bled again...but she did get 2 pretty cool bandaids! 

 

This one is a shiny metalic silver

This one is yellow with animals on it I think..

Poor baby.. luckily she was happy as can be once we left.

Hopefully our colds will be gone soon! 

Sweet Potatoes!

Ella is loving her some sweet potatoes.  I've been making her 'solid' food myself and it is going great!  It's fun to do and quicker than I thought!

She really likes apple puree but is really enjoying this new taste and texture! 

Here's how I do it:

First: Buy a sweet potato... I bought organic and I only used half at first

Second: wash, peel, and dice it

Third: Bring water to boil.  I did about 3/4 cup water for half a sweet potato.  Add the chunks and boil for about 10ish minutes.

Fourth: Let cool.  Have all or most of the steam gone from sight.. but still warm to hot.

Fifth: Blend into puree or mash into puree.

Sixth: Feed to baby!

Warning: You will be finding sweet potato on the baby for the rest of the day.. no matter how good you think you cleaned the baby off!  I couldn't believe where I kept finding orange marks on her!

Enjoy feeding your baby!

The Belly :)

Progression of The Belly In Pictures

By: Ella Grace Finley