Dear Ella . . .

In one more day you will be 11 months! Wow!! Month 10 has been a busy month for you. You're turning more and more into a toddler and less of a baby every day. It's another one of those Mommy-Joy feelings - deep sadness that the sweet baby days don't last forever, but pride, amazement, and joy at getting to know you even better and the new things you accomplish every day.

Here are a few sweet memories and milestones from your 10th month.


• You can talk! You can say ball, dog, quack, woof, uh-oh (sort of), hi, and daddy. You still babble all the time too and that's when I occasionally hear a precious "mama" come out!
• Your very favorite word is ball! And boy do you get excited to see one! On the floor, at the Easter egg hunt, in the produce aisle at the grocery store - you find them everywhere!
• You were regularly wearing size 4 diapers but you had a growth spurt and got a little taller and thinner so we're back to size 3s for now.
• You are in between clothes sizes right now. Some of your 9 month clothes still fit well and quite a bit of 12 month clothes are working for you too. It depends on the brand and the style (an issue even is grown-up girls have!).
• You are a speed crawler! You can go anywhere you want now and you love for us to chase you!
• You cruise around on all of the furniture, you can walk holding only one hand or finger, you can stand up without help (sometimes), and you can stand on your own for long stretches at a time. I would not be surprised to see you walking before your birthday!
• You now have tooth number 7 and 8 on either side of your two front bottom teeth.
• You love to feed yourself now - to the point that sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to sneak in spoonfuls of your other food around what you're trying to eat!
• Your favorite big girl foods are Gerber Puffs (boy, do you get excited when you see them come out!), freeze-dried yogurt melts, whole grain toast, bananas, avocados, cheddar, and recently rotisserie chicken. I also may have found a way that you like peas and carrots! The frozen ones just wouldn't get soft enough for you, but we tried them from a can last night and you gobbled them up!
• You're still nursing 4 times a day (or
two nursings/two bottles on weekdays when I'm at work). It's still a struggle to pump enough for you while I'm away but I am confident at this point that we'll make it to your birthday!
• You got to be in your first wedding! On March 9 you were a beautiful flower girl in Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Olivia's wedding! You walked down the aisle holding Mommy's hands right next to Evie Bearden and her mommy. You were so precious!
• Your independence is starting to take off! You love to crawl/cruise away from me, but then after a minute or two you come crawling back and lay your head down on me to "love on Mommy". You do the same thing to Daddy too, and it just melts our hearts all over again.
• You are so loved, baby girl, and I love that you are really starting to show that back to us. You are beautiful inside and out! And as immeasurable as our love is for you, don't ever forget that there is One who loves you even more!

Love and joy,
Mommy

Dear Ella . . .

We've had a few milestones here lately.

•You are now a speed crawler and are starting to get into things - especially Gizmo's things.

•You are becoming braver and letting go of things as you're standing. You can stand by yourself (only when you're in the mood) for several seconds at a time).

• Yesterday you walked and were only holding on to my pinkie for support! You did it several times through the day and are getting more and more confident on your feet. I think you'll be really walking before April rolls around.

• You ate baby yogurt with bananas for the first time yesterday. You weren't too sure about it at lunch, but you gobbled it up for supper!

• We put your hair in pigtails yesterday and OH MY GOODNESS it was cute! I didn't think you could possibly be any more adorable than you already are but boy was I wrong!

• You are asleep (and ever so lightly snoring) in my arms right now and it's the most beautiful sight. You haven't been napping well lately and it's starting to affect your nighttime sleep too. My plan right now is to enjoy this warm, sleepy, snuggly Sunday morning and let you get the rest you need.

I love you precious little love!
Love always,
Mommy

Dear Ella . . .

I can hardly believe how quickly you are learning things right now! At this rate, you'll be ready for Kindergarten by the time you're 2!

Today you showed us that you have developed a great passive vocabulary. You now wave, clap (especially when we say,"Yea, Ella!" - which is pretty much all the time right now), and show us your tongue on command! I am so proud of you!!

You also hit another big milestone tonight. I sat you in your crib so I could get your pj's ready and when I turned back around you had pulled up to your knees. You then pulled yourself all the way up to a standing position (with mommy watching carefully)! Daddy and I will be lowering your mattress first thing in the morning (if not in the middle of the night!).

I can't believe you're already big enough for that! It wasn't that long ago that you were sleeping in your crib for the first time. Oh how precious and tiny you were all swaddled up in there!

I guess this is yet another "mommy-joy" moment. It's heartbreaking and heart bursting all at the same time.

I'm so proud of you, baby love!

Dear Ella

You've had a busy week, kiddo! On Saturday, Jan 13 you hit two major milestones! You crawled on all fours for the first time (though you're still not going everywhere just yet - and Mommy's ok with that) AND you started clapping!

Oh how you love to clap! You've been clapping for everybody all week (you had a play date with little Audrey Khoury on Thurs and Fri and even clapped for her when she burped!).

On Thursday, January 17 you figured out how to wave! You can wave hi and bye on command (and whenever else you feel like it) now! We made a happy birthday video for Granddaddy yesterday and waved to him too. He thought it was the best present ever!

On top of all of that, we are getting you over the flu. Yep, even after getting the flu shot, you ended up catching the flu. Thankfully the fever only lasted a couple of days, but we're still battling the leftover congestion. I am officially a believer in the flu shot! That could have been so much worse!

You are growing and changing so fast, little one. It seems you reach another milestone every day. Through it all you are still the happiest, most loving little girl I've ever met. I am so blessed to be your mommy!

I love you!

Dear Ella . . .

Here we are, just a few days from turning 8 months old and you just got your 6th tooth! I'm hoping we're done with the teething for a little while - I don't see any more ready to come in soon. Whew!

Dear Ella . . .

Tooth #5 showed up yesterday (7 months, 18 days). This is your front right tooth. I guess we'll have to stop telling people that all you want for Christmas is your two front teeth! I wonder if it's too late to change Santa's list . . . Christmas is only a week away . . .


(Tooth #6 is ready to pop out any day now, too!)

Dear Ella . . .

A 7 1/2 Month Update:

Tooth #4 made its grand entrance yesterday! It's your top front tooth on the left. 7 months, 15 days

You also started babbling with your B's yesterday! You love to say, "Babababa!" And you're still chattering away with "Mamamama" and "Dadadada".

You weighed just over 18lbs last weekend when we went to the doctor. You are wearing mostly nine month sized clothes now and are have been in size 3 diapers for 2 months! That's the longest you've been in any diaper size yet, so I finally took all of the other sizes that you've outgrown and exchanged them for size 3's. I'm so thankful for Walmart!

You got to meet Santa last week. Daddy and I were afraid that you would be scared, but you loved him! You smiled and talked and even read a little book with him. Santa said you were so good that you should stick around and show all the other sweet babies what to do!

We're getting ready for your first Christmas and you are really enjoying yourself. You love the lights on the Christmas tree and the adorable nativity scene Grandmommy and Granddaddy sent you. (You love to eat/gum/slobber on the cow and Mary).

You are sitting up so well now! I still try to put a pillow or the boppy behind you when you sit on the floor because you like to throw yourself backwards, but I don't have to sit with my hand behind you ready to catch you anymore. You're getting so big!

You also took your last bath in the baby tub right before Thanksgiving (which was technically when you were still 6 months). You LOVE sitting and splashing and playing in the big girl tub! Mommy has learned not to wear any long sleeves or shirts that shouldn't get wet since I end up almost as wet as you by the end of bath time!

You want to crawl so bad but you're not quite there yet. You can get up on all fours but your back legs slide out from under you and you end up scooting backwards. You can also turn yourself around in circles. You love doing that in your bed and you get so proud of yourself.

You've had a nasty cough and cold for the last week that I'm afraid is turning into an ear infection. I found scratches in your little ear this morning from where you've been tugging on it. It breaks my heart when you don't feel well. Even when you're sick though, you're still such a sweet and happy baby.

You're adorable little personality is shining through more and more each day and everyone you meet falls in love with you. Your Daddy and I are totally smitten. We love you so much sweet girl!

Dear Ella . . .

Tooth number 3 has officially poked through! It's your top left tooth (between your front tooth and your incisor). I felt it for the first time last night (though I'm sure you've been feeling it quite a bit longer). 6 months, 9 days

Dear Ella . . .

Tooth number TWO has officially popped through! You now have two bottom teeth and they are so cute!! They are not out far enough to see with the camera yet but I'm sure we'll get a picture very soon. :)

Dear Ella . . .

You have your first tooth!! It officially sprouted overnight (I KNEW you were teething)! It's your bottom left central incisor, in case you were wondering.

How is it possible that you're big enough to have your first tooth?!? I know I say this all the time, but you are really growing up so fast!! My heart can hardly keep up with all of these changes and the surge of joy and love that comes with every new day.

I love you so much sweet baby bug!!
Love,
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 just rolled over!! You did it!! I knew it wouldn't be much longer and I've been so hoping you would do it before I go back to works full-time (I start on Monday! You were cutting it close, chica!)

So today, Saturday, August 11, 2011 at 2:35 pm you rolled from your tummy to your back on your right side! We were FaceTiming with Grandmommy and I had just sat you down in your tummy to show her how cute you are when you're turtling. I reached over to grab my phone do she could see and there you went! She just missed seeing it herself. You rolled right off your little mat onto the floor! I'm so proud of you, my little roly-poly baby bug!

Love, Mommy

Dear Ella . . .

You are such a little cutie! And I'm convinced you must be the happiest person on earth! Even in the middle of the night, when we're both half asleep and I'm changing your diaper, all I have to do is catch your eye and you immediately give the biggest smile (and sometimes a big happy squawk too!). You are the most precious thing to me!

At three months you:
• love to "talk". We have such fun conversations and you're adding new sounds to your little "vocabulary" every day.
• have started giggling a little! I know it won't be long before we hear a full out cackle!
• are becoming ticklish and are starting to delight in funny noises and different sensations. You like it when Mommy and Daddy boodle your belly and tickle you under your chin.
• are becoming so strong! You can sit for several minutes in your bumbo seat without tiring. You usually sit up straight if I'm holding you on my shoulder and you love to arch your back - especially on the changing table.
• are so close to rolling over! If I roll you from back to front, you can easily roll you self back - you just haven't done it completely on your own yet. You're also almost ready to roll from back to front. I think it would have happened already if your changing table didn't have contour sides!
• can sleep through the night (8+ hours) now, but you still don't do it consistently. The longest you've slept is just over 9 hours. You teased us with a few nights of that in a row, but quickly went back to sleeping 5 1/2 to 7 hour stretches (which is still wonderful!).
• have started reaching and grabbing for things like your singing sunshine on your playmat. Yesterday I found you patting the mirror on the side of your crib.
• love to chew on your hands (and get slobber everywhere!). You especially love your right index finger (forget thumb sucking!). It's so cute!
• love your Daddy. Every time you see him you just light up! You follow the sound of his voice and watch his every move when you're in the same room. It makes my heart so happy!
• have started to become a little clingy to Mommy and sometimes to Daddy too (which is heart wrenching when I think about having to go back to work in a couple of weeks). You cry when we let anyone else hold you - even other family members. But all it takes is for me to scoop you up and snuggle you and then you're a happy baby again
• steal Mommy and Daddy's hearts every single day.

Dear Ella . . .

I don't know how but I believe you somehow manage to get more adorable every day!

At 11 weeks you:

• have found your hands (I think this actually happened at 10 weeks) and are pulling anything and everything they touch straight to your mouth were you happily slobber all over it.
• are one big drool bucket. You can even blow bubbles. When you are starting to get hungry I can usually find a nice collection of them sliding down your chin.
• have just started to purposefully reach for things. Last week you began swatting at your singing sunshine that hangs on your play mat. Today you actually grabbed ahold of one of the rings on it!
• are babbling more and more! We have such fun (and funny) conversations! You get so excited and proud of yourself for making your cute little noises - it's just precious!
• love to stand up on Mommy when I hold you on my shoulder. You push off with your legs like you're just dying to reach and stretch yourself over the chair to see what fun things may be on the other side. You get pretty proud of this too!
• like to use your feet to scoot and wiggle around. I found you turned completely perpendicular to where you started in your pack n play after a nap the other day. Yesterday you managed to scoot half way off your play mat on your back. I have a feeling once you're really mobile there will be no stopping you.
• found yourself in the mirror last week. Every time you catch your eye now you grin and squawk and talk to yourself. We have so much fun playing with the "pretty baby in the mirror".
• are such a long-legged-lovebug that you are rapidly outgrowing your "0-3 month" and even some plain old "3 month" size clothes. It's especially noticeable in your little footie pajamas. I've decided to let you wear each one once more (if we can stretch it that long) and then we'll be moving up to the "3-6 month" sized jammies.
• don't show it often (unless Mommy takes too long getting ready to feed you) but your little pout is the cutest I've ever seen! You have this perfect little frowny face (the kind you might see drawn on a stick person) and then you poke your bottom lip out. It's so adorable!
* have an even sweeter smiley face! Your happy little grin just makes me melt. You're such a good-natured, happy little girl.
• are smiley even when you don't feel well. You currently have your first cold. Your little nose is crusty and stopped up. You didn't sleep well last night and you're running a low fever (99.4 according to the forehead checker). It's clear you're not feeling your best, and you've still managed to give me a few sweet little smiles through the night and this morning. You're such a sweetheart. I wish so bad that I could make it all better for you.

Daddy and I love you so much, sweet baby! I just don't know what we ever did without you.

Love,
Mommy

Meeting your cousins Taylor and Sarah for the first time

Standing up on Mommy

Happy girl