Dear Ella . . .

We've had a busy few weeks around here! Two weeks ago you tried rice cereal for the first time. Daddy and I both got to feed you. You weren't sure about it at first but I think you liked it. You ended up wearing about half of it!

Your little tummy didn't like it too much though and you ended up spitting up all weekend. Daddy and I decided we would wait a week and try again.

Viral rash  :(

Unfortunately, you came down with a tummy bug and ran a fever for the first time at the end of last week - so we had to wait on trying cereal again. You even broke out in a fever rash. It just broke my heart. Your sweet little personality still shined through though. Look at this beautiful smile.

Sweet happy baby, even with a fever.

You felt better on Monday and by that night your rash was totally gone. We had some sweet snuggle time Monday night - I think your little body was tired from being sick. We rocked and talked and sang in our rocking chair most of the evening. You even found my face and lovingly patted me over and over. I think we both needed some good mommy-baby time.  What a sweet memory.  :)

This is Daddy's busy season.  He was gone last weekend to play with the Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale (where we used to live).  This weekend he's in Abilene and next weekend in San Angelo (and the weekend after that we get to go home to Alabama to see Grandmommy and Granddaddy!).  We both miss him a lot - I'm so thankful that you have him for a daddy (and that I have him for a husband).

This morning it's just you, me, and the Gizzy-bear around here.  You woke up happy and talked to yourself and squawk for a little while until you decided you were hungry.  Then you nursed and we tried cereal again.  You are really getting the hang of eating from a spoon!  I'm so proud of you!

Dear Ella . . .

Twenty weeks old. At twenty weeks pregnant with you I felt like I had been pregnant forever. The thought of twenty more weeks before we could meet you was unfathomable and seemed like a lifetime away. But, the past twenty weeks since you were born have blazed by!

My life for the last year has been chomped up into 20 week segments. These last 20 have been by far the quickest and best!

I love you so much!
Mommy

Dear Ella . . .

You rolled from your back to your tummy and then back again for your Daddy on Friday (Sept 7)!  He was so proud of you that he even texted me at work to let me know!  This is the first time you've rolled all the way from back to front (while you're awake).  You even got your arm out from under you! 

You've been rolling from front to back for a few weeks now, but we finally caught it on video yesterday.  I love that sweet smile you give right after you roll over.  You already have such a beautiful little personality.

I love you,
Mommy

Dear Ella . . .

You found your toesies today!!

4 months, 6 days old

Dear Ella . . .

You turned 4 months old on Saturday.  I can easily say these have been the best four months of my entire life.  No question! 


For your 4 month birthday, you got to meet the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band!  UA was playing in the Dallas area for the first game of the season (We won!  By a lot!) and the MDB had their gameday rehearsal here in Denton at UNT's new stadium.  We dressed you in your little Bama-baby outfit and went to watch them practice.  We had so much fun!  They were very loud and it scared you a little at first, but then you started "singing" along.  Everybody loved you - you even won Dr. Ozzello over!

We are enjoying a nice long weekend at home for Labor Day.  I had really hoped we could go to Alabama and visit Grandmommy and Granddaddy, but all of the flights between here and Birmingham were completely booked (because half of the state of Alabama was here in Texas for the game).  Instead, we're getting in some much needed family time.  We even went swimming yesterday!

At four months you:

• have rolled over from tummy to back a few times (date)
• have rolled from your back to your tummy once in your sleep (at daycare).  (date) You can't quite figure out how to get your arm out from under you when you're awake though.
• have really started to giggle and it's the CUTEST thing ever.
• love to bounce in our arms and our laps (it makes you giggle more than anything!).
• are starting to figure out how to bounce with your legs.  This weekend we set up the bouncy seat that Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Larry gave you.  You're still a little short for it, but if we stack a couple of big books under you, you really like it.

•  have really started to deliberately reach for objects now (and if you get them, they go straight to your mouth!) instead of just swatting at them.  This is a BIG milestone!  We first noticed it at dinner on Friday night when you were grabbing for your little birdie on the carseat.  (Aug 31)
•  have become so observant and are very easily distracted when you are nursing.  You just have to see what's going on around you.  It's so cute how you crane your neck and try to look around.
• love to talk and squeal and squawk!  You're so funny!
• especially love to talk on Mommy's phone and FaceTime with Grandmommy and Granddaddy in Alabama.  
• still love your baths and getting your hair washed.  Your hair is thick enough now that sometimes Mommy plays with it in the tub.  It's so cute!

•  have started to wean yourself of swaddling at night.  You wiggle and squirm and kick so much that most nights all that's left of your swaddle is what's around your middle.  The last two nights, you've slept without your swaddle and it didn't seem to bother you.  We're still swaddling for naptime (but we swaddle with your arms out) for a little bit.
• have been away from Mommy during the day for three whole weeks now.  You're adjusting pretty well, but it's still very very hard for Mommy to be away from you so much.  
• were really sleeping through the night so well until this past week.  You were going 9, 10, and even 11+ hour stretches!  It was wonderful.  
• must have hit a growth spurt in the middle of last week because you suddenly reverted to waking up hungry every three hours (on the hour!).  This week was the first week Mommy had students back at her new school and she was exhausted!  The last two nights have been a little better, but I think we'll have to work back up to those nice long sleeps.  You've always been such a good little sleeper - you had Mommy and Daddy worried.
• are definitely growing!  We won't have your 4 month check-up with Dr. G for another week, but according to our bathroom scale you weigh 15.4 lbs!  (Mommy is convinced you packed on one or two of those pounds just in the last week).
• are wearing mostly size 3-6 month clothes now and some that are just plain 6 month.  We retired the last of your 0-3 month outfits this week.  You are starting to stretch out of your 3-6 month footie pj's already (those seem to be the first thing you outgrow each time).
• are absolutely the most precious thing in the world to your Mommy and Daddy.  We love you so much, squishy baby girl!

Dear Ella . . .

You make the cutest faces! Here are some of my favorites.

THE MANY FACES OF ELLA ELIZABETH