2 1/2 Years Old!

I took way too long to write this Ellabells. We've just been so unbelievably busy :) Yesterday we had your two and a half year check-up with Dr. Dyer and you did so well! We talked about Doc McStuffins (one of your favorite Disney shows) during the car ride so hopefully that helped a bit. You've been quite sick so your flu shot got postponed (phew!). Once again, you were off the charts in height at 39 1/2 inches (the doc always giggles and just says over 98th percentile) which means you grew 2 inches in just 6 months! Your weight was just over 32 pounds which put you in the 90th percentile. Your blood-work came back great and, once again, they said you were a healthy little girl. All any mom wants is for their child to eat well, sleep well, and to be as happy as possible. We feel so lucky that you're on the right track (at least for now)! Hopefully this lasts and you'll be an adventurous eater like your dad. I love that you are "usually" willing to try new foods and love dipping vegetables in ranch dressing or hummus. Carrots are your absolute favorite and we use them as a reward for everything. To each their own :) That being said, you also love to share mommy's Diet Coke so I've learned to drink in hiding as much as possible.

Since September you've been going to Merry Poppets every day and absolutely love it. Some weekends you even ask why you can't go play with your friends. Picking you up is truly the highlight of my day because you've just woken up from your nap and as soon as you hear the gate unlock, I can hear the pitter patter of your feet as you come running. The only exception is when you're doing an art activity, then I have to pull you away as you tightly grip whatever is in your tiny hands and make me pry it from you with every ounce of strength I have. We have more artwork than I know what to do with . You confidently point out all of your "unique" pieces and acknowledge your work every time we enter the play room. School is your happy place and I couldn't be more relieved and excited that you find so much joy in having that peer interaction on a daily basis.

We are still going to swim lessons every Sunday and you are officially considered "pool safe" now! If you fell in a pool other than the Waterworks pool, I hope you would still know what to do. At least you have a great foundation for all of the water sports that you are destined to be a part of growing up around here :) Swimming was always the one thing that I have been really confident about my whole life (even though I quit before high school). In Jr. Lifeguards I could swim faster than almost all of the boys and no one ever expected it. I want you to have that confidence too :) We haven't started ballet again since summer but you actually asked to go back, yay! We'll start mid January again and see how you do!

Ella you are growing into the most amazing, intelligent little girl. You know most of your letters (which is crazy!), all of your shapes, and can count up to 20 (although you usually skip a number or two). You consistently ask "why" regarding everything. It actually drives me crazy because I make a real effort to explain things to you in the simplest, most comprehensible way possible and when I've completed my thought or explanation you still respond with "why?". Sometimes you laugh afterwards which is confirmation that you know exactly what you're doing. You also love to repeat the same phrase or request to the point of exhaustion. You might be more manipulative than I would like to admit and are as stubborn as they come. Your shyness is crazy. There are some days when it takes you 15 minutes to warm up to family members that you see all of the time. I'm hoping this is just part of being a two year old and you'll eventually grow out of it, fingers crossed.

Halloween was a blast and you eventually accepted your "green monster" costume (Yoda). The Star Wars theme was a huge hit and you loved trick-or-treating at Papa's country club and going through the Haunted Houses and various pumpkin patches. I think we will have to make family costumes a tradition until you put your foot down or request otherwise :) We just got back from our first family vacation in Oahu and you had so much fun. You loved saying "Awoha" to everyone and made new friends every day at Pipeline. The sound of the waves crashing intimidated you and caused you to keep your distance from the shoreline. Turtle Bay was nice because we could swim leisurely with no waves. Unfortunately, Waimea Bay was huge the day we went and that was supposed to be the best place to swim with young kids. It was fun interacting with many surf legends and having Thanksgiving with the best of them. I hope we get to go back soon! You did so well on the plane rides, it was I who needed the barf bag accessible at all times :)

This is the last week before Christmas Break and then we have two weeks off! So excited :) We started Elf on the Shelf this year and every morning you run out of your room bursting with anticipation to find where Sparkle the Elf is hiding. This is the first year we don't have any family staying with us (although we will miss them :-), I have so many fun play dates and activities planned. I think you'll get a kick out of the Science Center and we'll try to go to Disney at least once. You did have your first movie theatre experience with Kailey and Julia and loved seeing Frozen. You did so well until the last 20 minutes, then you kept asking for my phone. We've watched the You Tube music videos a million times already and you love that Elsa has "white" hair like you :)

Wish me luck Ella, we are going to "fully" potty train you over Christmas break. I've been so inconsistent with it because of daycare and our weekends have just been too packed. I'll be honest and admit that it's so much easier to throw on a diaper and not worry about it. However, I will now commit to it :) I think you're ready! We love you to the moon and back sweet girl and are cherishing every single moment we have with you.

End of Summer

My sweet girl, we had such an amazing summer. I taught summer school for the first four weeks, but I was done by 12:30pm every day so we always had a fun activity planned. We spent countless days at the beach. Salt Creek is probably your favorite because you love to scream when we go through the tunnel and hear your voice echo, but you love Baby Beach, Aliso Creek, and Newport as well :) As long as there is a snack bar nearby, you are one happy camper. When Daddy is with us, you love to watch him run out into the water, but then you cry because when he falls you think he's getting an "owie".

We were involved in so many activities and you had such a blast. Swimming is probably your favorite and we went to Waterworks twice a week. Your lesson is only 20 minutes, but afterwards you swim in the "play pool" for at least an hour. I always have to bribe you with an icee to get out! We shower you there because your poor hair gets rock hard with all of the chlorine and salt water in the pools. It's actually pretty hilarious. One day you jumped in too close to the steps and the lifeguard had to come talk to you. He was very sweet and explained that you needed to follow the rules for safety reasons. Your bottom lip was quivering the whole time he was talking and when he turned his back you walked to me with your head facing down to the ground and just bawled your eyes out (with your goggles still on). It was so sad, but oh so cute. Mimi said I was the exact same way as a toddler, we don't like to get into trouble. We also spent many hot afternoons at the Aliso Viejo Aquatic Center. We even had a play date with all of my high school friends. So much fun! You love playing with new friends. Ella, you are shy as can be and sometimes people wonder why you don't talk and bury your head into my legs. With people you know, we can't keep you quiet :)

We signed up for parent & me princess ballet and tap too. Daddy ended up doing a lot of the Saturday glasses with you since I had to stay off of my feet for a week or so. Apparently you had more fun with him because you always asked if he could go with you. Cousin Story did it with us as well and whenever she came in the class you would completely stop what you were doing and shriek with excitement and yell out her name. It's adorable to see how much you love her :) Thank goodness tap was on Monday mornings and that was our special time together. We had a great teacher and you loved the noise your shoes made. When those classes ended we started to go to another class in Aliso Viejo with our friends Rachele and Charm. We've bonded with them ever since we had the scare at Scooter's Jungle (one of the giant, oversized bounce houses began to deflate with both you little girls in it and you were trapped, so scary!). We also did a 4 week ballet/tap/tumbling class at the South Coast Conservatory. I loved that one, but they ended up canceling it because there was only three of you. Needless to say, we definitely exposed you to dance this summer and you loved it :)

The last four weeks of summer were a little tough. Mommy had a miscarriage and you didn't really understand what was going on :( Definitely shocked us, an emotional roller coaster to say the least. We got through it though as a family! In the end, it brought us all closer and my quality time with you seemed more precious than ever before :) We all got really sick around mid-August. You had it the worst with infections in both eyes and your right ear, a fever, and a sore throat/cough. My poor baby, you were such a trooper. Much more brave than Daddy was when he got it :) We were so lucky to have both Greif and Astor family reunions. You got to spend time with your great-grandparents and cousins in Ventura & Newport Beach which was absolutely priceless. You thought chasing cousin Emi was the coolest thing ever :) The pictures are amazing! My Aunt & Uncle rented the same house in Newport that we stayed in for 25+ years every summer. So cool to see it remodeled and filled with a younger generation.

You did so many adorable things this summer that I never want to forget. For example, whenever you see ANYTHING with letters on it you scream, "ABCD's!" You can identify the letters B, O, and X. Not sure why those particular letters, it must be your Leap Frog toy :) When you get protective over any toy or doll you say, "That's not Daddy's, no mommy's, that's Ella's!" If we are out and about running errands and you want to go home you will wine "Go mommy's house please" and if you're mad at me you change it to "Go daddy's house please". It's too funny! Daddy is a hero at the moment and can do no wrong. You run to him when he gets home or you hide so he has to come find you. When he leaves in the morning you watch him drive off through the window :( That being said, you are pretty fickle with which parent you prefer so both Daddy and I get our turns. Trying to get you to sleep at night has become a real chore. You won't stay in your toddler bed so daddy and I have been putting you in the pack 'n play to fall asleep and then move you :) At 5am every morning you wake up and come in to our bed. You usually sleep until 7am with us which is nice. Tomorrow is my first day back at school and I'm really nervous for you to go to daycare/school. You did really well on your "transition day" but Daddy has to take you on the first day since I can't be late to work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If you panic, Aunt Katie will be on standby :) I promise to pick you up right after school! We love you so much sweet girl!!!