Happy 4 Months, Ella!

Here are some highlights from the past month:

~ You have this funny grunt you do when you are being silly or getting mad.
~ You love mirrors. You will look at your reflection and start laughing at yourself.
~ You started rolling over from back to front on January 30th.
~ You still don't like tummy time so when you roll over to your tummy you quickly get frustrated.
~ You talk to yourself a lot (and anyone who will listen).
~ You are enjoying your swing again and will sometimes take naps in it.
~ You enjoy your bumbo seat where you are practicing how to sit up.
~ More and more people are saying you look like your daddy!
~ If you wear a regular shirt (not a onsie) you like to lift your shirt up. It's cute now, but eventually you need to learn that little ladies don't do that :)
~ You had a growth spurt and woke us up sometimes around 3:00 for an extra feeding.
~ You drink between 5-6 ounces per feeding and have around 3 naps a day.

Happy 30th Birthday, Vinny!

Today marks Vinny's 30th birthday. It seems strange that he is entering the next decade. I still have 2 more years! Haha! I met Vinny over 10 years ago, when I was 18 years old. Wow, how the years have past.

Vinny, you are an absolute joy to be around and I am so thankful to have spent the last 12 years knowing you as a friend, then boyfriend, then fiance, then husband. We have endured the roller coaster of life together. I look forward to many more birthday celebrations!

You are a strong person who knows what bravery, perserverance, and courage means. You have lived that out with all you have overcome. You are a loving person who makes people smile and feel comonfortable around you.

Ella is blessed to have you as a father! She will grow to love, admire, and respect you as a man of God.

Love you!

Giggles

There aren't many things as sweet as a baby's laugh. Here are two videos of Ella giggling away. It took awhile for us to finally capture these moments on video because sometimes she will get camera shy! Enjoy!

Happy 3 Months, Ella!

Today marks 3 months from Ella's birth. Time is flying by and here are some things she has been up to this past month:

- You are laughing and giggling so much these days. Your first real "belly laugh" was on Jan. 3rd.
- You like blowing bubbles with your spit.
- You make a unique "clicking" sound with your mouth.
- You rub your eyes when you are tired.
- You enjoy sucking your hands.
- You love your bouncy seat more than your swing these days.
- You are starting to notice Dingo, our dog. You smile when he comes to you.
- You are beginning to drool...I guess your gums are getting ready for some teeth.
- During your naps, the "45 minute intruder" comes!!! At almost EXACTLY 45 minutes into your nap you will wake up crying. We have to put a paci in your mouth to get you back to sleep so you have a full nap. Sometimes that intruder REALLY BUGS MOMMY AND DADDY!!!:) We are hoping this will pass really soon.
- You eat about 6 times a day at about 4 ounces at each feeding.
- If we walk away and leave you alone to play by yourself for too long, you will start cooing and talking real loud because you want our attention. When we come "play" with you, you start smiling and laughing. You LOVE social interaction!
- You are also "Miss Independent." You let us know when you want to be put down and left alone.
- You don't like to cuddle too much...you would rather see the world around you.
- It seems your little personality is starting to develop.

Ella's First Christmas!

This Christmas we spent 4 nights in Atlanta. Half the time was spent with my parents and the other half was spent with Vinny's mom and stepdad. Our time went by quick and all the grandparents LOVED having Ella around. It is funny how once kids happen...THEY become the center of attention :)

We noticed really fast that traveling with a baby has its downfalls and can become quite stressful. We were glad to get back home when all the festivities were over. It took a few days to get Ella back on schedule!

Here are some pictures from our first Christmas with our little Ellabelle.

I Need a Break!

I have been back to work for almost 3 weeks and I feel I already need a break. I CANNOT WAIT for my two weeks off for Christmas. I am so excited for Ella's first Christmas...even though she is too little to remember any of it! :) We have so much planned and I am sure that it will fly by. We are leaving for Atlanta next week and will spend half of it with my parents and the other half with Vinny's mom and stepdad. This will be our first time traveling with Ella, so I am trying to prepare myself to "go with the flow." I know there will be TONS to pack and I am sure I will forget something. But, hey, that's what Walmart is for, right? I hope Ella stays on her schedule for the most part and sleeps well too. At least she will be with lots of people who won't mind holding her!! Vinny and I have already decided that next year we aren't going anywhere for the holidays. We will stay here and begin our Christmas traditions together in Birmingham. YOU HEAR THAT GRANDPARENTS!!! Haha! People will have to come to us :) Here is a sweet picture of Ella in one of her Christmas outfits. She is smiling and laughing so much these days!

Two Months Old

On December 6th, Ella turned 2 months old. She is growing fast and lots of new things happened this past month. Here are some highlights!

~ You talk to yourself and "coo" a lot.
~ You enjoy watching TV and sometimes it can distract you from eating.
~ Your eyes are changing from dark blue to a lighter blue.
~ You like to grab and pull on mommy's hair.
~ Your eyelashes are getting longer and darker.
~ You like to stick your tongue out.
~ You enjoy hanging out in your swing.
~ Your hair is getting longer and towards the end of the month will lay flat instead of sticking straight up :)
~ You are beginning to wear bows in your hair.
~ You LOVE bath time!
~ You do NOT like to be hot...you hate layered clothing. You are definitely your daddy's daughter.
~ You began smiling at 6-7 weeks.
~ Daddy can make you smile A LOT more than mommy. You love having your head rubbed.
~ You started sleeping through the might consistently at 7 weeks!!! Yippee!

At your 6 week check-up you had your first round of shots. You cried only when the needle poked you, but stopped right when Mommy picked you up.

At 6 Weeks:
Weight: 10.5 pounds (60th percentile)
Length: 22" (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: 14 1/2" (25th percentile)