Happy Halloween!

We didn't get Ella a costume this year, but we did get her this adorable little outfit!  Hope everyone has a great day and eats lots of candy!

Ella and Her Jumper

Out little girl just loves playing in her exersaucer lately, she looks around at all the different toys and likes to get as many in her mouth as possible.  This weekend we got a little video to prove it :)  She also loves to look at the pretty fire - almost as much as Mommy and Lucky love laying by the fire!

Unintended Break!

Man!  I didn't intend to take blogging break, but I guess that is what happened!  Sometimes it is hard to find time during the busy work week.  I always say that I am going to blog over lunch but we only have internet explorer at work and there is no spell check.  And I can't spell.  So I don't like to do that!

Little Bear Hoodie

Ella is such a little mover these days!  She LOVES to look all around and always need to know what is going on.  She rolls over and somehow moves all around the floor.  It is so so fun watching her these days!  She is getting close to being able to sit on her own and doesn't really like just laying on the floor anymore because she can't see enough.  Every toy that we give her ends up in her mouth and she is drooling more and more.

All smiles to pick out a pumpkin!

This week she had another little cold accompanied by a cough, but she seems to be doing a lot better today.  We had one night of pretty rough sleep because of it, but thankfully we seem to be past that now :)  She doesn't calm down to go to sleep quite as well anymore and I think it is because she doesn't want to miss anything!

I found her in her crib like this one morning - ready to go!

The other day we were all sitting on the couch and Nick was holding her and she actually scooted all the way from him to me at the other end of the couch!  She would put her head down and push forward with her legs and then look up to see how much closer she was!  She kept doing this until she was all the way there - it was quite an accomplishment for such a little girl!

Ella and Daddy napping today

Today Mommy and Ella did a little shopping while Daddy did some yard work and then we watched the BIG MSU WIN!  Now we are switching between the Tigers and Michigan and have a little fire going.  A nice day.  And we are all set for Trick or Treaters tomorrow.  Which for some reason in Wisconsin is during the day.

Believe it or not - I'm worried this won't be enough!

4 Months Old!

Yesterday was Ella's 4 month birthday!  I can not believe she is already 4 months old - but I will probably say that every month (if I haven't already!).

I don't have her official weight and length as she goes to the doctor in two weeks.  But she is totally in size 6 months clothes, but I do have to roll up the pants and sometimes the sleeves, but 3 month are two tight on her body, she must have got her short legs from me!  She still wears size 1-2 diapers from Costco, but I have started wondering about when we are going to need to transition her to size 3.

She loves to grab her toes and roll all over the place, she prefers to be on her stomach these days and will roll over as soon as we lay her down on her back.  However, she still knows when it is bedtime and never rolls over at night, which is good for now!  As you saw in the last video she is starting to try and scoot around... we might have a crawler soon(ish)!

Our little princess is still sleeping through the night, although she doesn't go down quite as easy anymore, but she calms down pretty well.  We have started to try and eliminate her evening nap and that seems to have helped with bedtime.

The past 4 months have gone so quickly - we sure to love our little girl!

Little Mover

Every day at day care they tell me how much Ella is moving around these days and playing with all the toys!  I finally got some video of her rolling and even maybe (eek!) trying to crawl!  This video doesn't really show it very well, but when she is on her tummy she has started pushing her butt into the air and trying to push forward.  I'm not sure we are ready for such a mobile baby!

Post-Weekend Update

This weekend was pretty low key, it was very rainy and generally gloomy, so we pretty much stayed home, which was just what we needed.  Nick was still fighting a cold and I had a headache, so it was nice to stay inside!  I even lit the fire in the fire place.  I had hoped to get to the pumpkin patch, but that will have to wait until next weekend - hopefully the weather cooperates!

Ella officially can roll both ways now, which means she is a rolling machine!  Yesterday she rolled 4 times in a row, which ended on the hardwood floor and some tears to boot.  She was pretty quickly smiling and rolling again though :)

Yesterday I made some crock-pot baked potato soup which just may be the easiest thing I have ever made!  You just combine a bag of frozen hash browns with 3 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of cream of chicken soup.  Cook it on low for 6 hours and then an hour before it is done add a softened block of cream cheese.  It is SO GOOD!

We garnished it with cheese, bacon bits and green onion.  It is officially added to our meal rotation!

Now we are back to work and I woke up today with Nick's cold, so hopefully that goes away quickly!

Mid October?!

Wow!  Time has really gotten away from me, I truly don't know how it is possible that it is October 11th already!  I don't even have my Halloween decorations out yet and I love them almost more than my Christmas decorations!

We went home this last weekend for Erica and Trevor's wedding.  Ella did really great in the car, but it totally threw off her sleep schedule, we had a couple of rough nights, but she seems to be getting back into her nice routine.  I don't know if we will ever leave home again - at least not until we go home in January!

It was a great weekend because Ella finally to meet her cousin Lilly and Auntie Jen and Uncle Ramon!  She also got to see her cousin Caleb, Auntie Kristin and Uncle Jamal.  For my family who doesn't know these babies are all within 7 weeks of each other, so it was a lot of fun.  We had a nice time at the wedding and got to spend time with both our families so all in all it was a success!

Ella, Caleb, and Lilly - holding hands!

Smiles from Lilly!

Ella smiles

Kristin and Caleb

Sleeping soundly at the wedding - thanks to Great Uncle Mike!

Grandma and Lilly

Kristin and Jamal

Ramon and Jen

Dinner for Ella

Father and Son

Dad and Sibs (and a waiter photo bomb)

Ella with her Uncles

Bride and Groom's first dance

Mommy and Ella

Dancing with Daddy

Family Photo

Happy 5 years to us!

Sibs and their babies

Grandma and Grandpa with their cuties

Loving life with Daddy!

The wedding also happened to fall on our 5th wedding anniversary!  So we had a nice time remember our own special day :)

Also, Ella is a rolling over machine these days!  BUT, she doesn't know how to roll from her belly to her back.  So she gets frustrated and we play a constant game of her rolling over and then me rolling her back :)

Vernors

Yesterday Nick was really sick, not sure if it was food poisoning or a 24 hour bug, but he seems to be doing better today.

Anyway, he asked me to pick him up some ginger ale and I actully found Vernors!  But they only had diet, and it was cold (apparently when you are sick warm Vernors is better?).  I brought it home and he said it was better than any medicine.  I'm sure any Michigander who likes pop (aka, not me - I don't get it) can relate. :)

He wasn't too happy about it, but we managed to keep this little munchkin away from Daddy for a day, so hopefully she will stay healthy.  She also rolled over THREE times yesterday!

2 days until Michigan!

Hi Great Grandpa!

Ella was babbling away yesterday... all with her fist in her mouth!