Afternoon in the park

So yesterday was one of the best days Ella and I have had together. I got home from work to find Ella playing in the backyard with the nanny enjoying the sunshine. I changed quickly and went to join the fun. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. A beautiful butterfly came within 2 feet of Ella's face and she lit up with excitement. She desperately tried to reach for it and her arms flapped like crazy. She followed the butterfly with her eyes until it went into the neighbor's yard. Once it disappeared she let out this huge laugh and then sighed. I know this sounds super cheesy, but it was one of those magical moments that I never want to forget. It's pretty amazing to see a child's face the first time they see a butterfly and you can't help but wonder what they're thinking. Since I was now in nature mode, I thought this day would be a perfect opportunity to explore the park that is one block from our house. I attempted to jog with munchkin in the stroller, but my bladder is still not what it used to be (I know, I know...I''m turning into every other person who has a reason why they can't run). If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. Ella played on the swings for nearly an hour in her jammies and made another friend at the park. It's so fun to watch her stare at other kids, she will not take her eyes off of them. I snapped as many photos as I could, but the iPhone stinks when taking pictures in motion :) Here are some snapshots of our awesome afternoon!

7 Months

The holidays were a little crazy but so much fun! There is nothing more special than a baby's first Christmas. Ella is so lucky to have such a large extended family, especially when they all come bearing gifts. She has definitely benefited from being the first grandchild. She now has an abundance of toys but, I can honestly say, she plays with each and every one. All I can think about is how much fun all of the future holiday seasons will be. There is just so much to look forward to.
2011 was, by far, the best year of my life. The end was a little rocky (my family had to take my Poppo to the ER on Christmas Day, but he was released days later and is doing great now). Ella has made me the luckiest mom on the planet. Kids change your life so much more than anyone could possibly prepare you for, but you wouldn't trade it for the world. She is growing & changing so much every day. On December 5th she sat up for the first time by herself. She absolutely hates tummy time but is attempting to rock back & forth when we put a toy in front of her. I think we have a while until our munchkin is mobile :-) On Christmas, Ella said da-da for the first time & we got it on video, yay!!!!!! Luke now runs to her no matter where he is whenever she starts babbling. He swears she is calling for him. We love feeding her, but she loves feeding herself more. Ella will eat anything but peas (she is super dramatic & spits them out everywhere) and loves to hold her own spoon. We went to a new pediatrician on Wednesday (thank you Linds) & Ella got 3 shots. I know it's tougher on me than her & we both leave the office in tears. She now weighs only 18lbs 12oz (she dropped to the 80th percentile, the lowest she's been since birth) but she's holding strong at over 28 inches tall and in the 98th percentile for height. You go girl! Doctor says she's guessing Ella will likely be around 5'8". Crazy! Some say none of these estimations matter until they're 2 years old, so we'll see how accurate they really are. Her first two teeth popped through her gums the other day and it's so fun to feel her little nubs. I really want to get a picture, but there is no way I can get her to move her tongue long enough to snap one. I think her top two teeth will come in as a pair too, I'm convinced I can almost see them.
We moved into our new house this week which was crazy, to say the least! Luke's mom comes in early February & we are very excited. Luke attempts to throw everything away, but at least we go through and get rid of all the junk we don't need. We are just about settled with only a couple of boxes left, phew! I do not recommend moving with a baby, unless you have a ton of help ;) I've hired my favorite brother to paint a cherry blossom tree and some butterflies & owls to match Ella's bedding on the wall in her new room. I'm super excited to see the final product. Few people know how talented my brother is so I can't wait to show off his work
Pictures coming soon!