Ella had her 6 month appointment today. The doctor had only good things to say about her, and she is doing wonderfully. She is 19lbs and 27.25in. That is the 95th percentile for both weight and height. She's a big girl.

The doctor gave me some suggestions about how to get Ella to eat solid foods, so I'm excited to try those out. She thinks that it could be that Ella just doesn't want to be fed - maybe she is too independent to be fed. So, we are getting some teething biscuits for Ella to feed herself. If that works, we may just have to put blobs of food on her high chair and let her scoop it up and eat it with her fingers. What a fun mess that will make!

Ella also got three shots today. She cried, she got over it. Babies sure are resilient.

HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY ELLA!!

Today Ella is 6 months old. 1/2 of her first year is over. On March 27 of 2005, I was eating saltines and drinking lemonade in hopes that they would keep the nausea at bay. I know everyone says this, but I can't believe how fast the past six months have gone by. As I watched my baby girl kick and play and smile and laugh in her bouncy chair last night, I thought about how lucky I am to have her. I looked at Chuck and said, "Do you know what tomorrow is?" "Ella will be 6 months old!......Are you going to cry?" Yes, I was going to cry. Okay, I admit it, I'm a sappy mommy!! I just love my baby girl so much, and I can't believe how fast she is growing. Soon, she will be 18 and have a heart tattoo on her back with the name "Trevor" inscribed in the center.

Ella is officially sleeping in her crib all the time now. I'm even thinking of taking the pack n play out of our bedroom. Thinking about it. I'm also thinking about letting her spend the night with her Nana and Papaw (my mom and dad). Nana has been begging for Ella to spend the night basically since the day she was born. I had no idea it would be so hard to let my baby go for one short night! I will admit, Chuck and I need a break. We have barely had any time alone since Ella was born six months ago. The longest we have been together without her was about 4 hours when we went to see a movie when she was 6 weeks old. Yet, I am still hesitant to let her go.

Ella's second toof finally came through yesterday! Now she has both bottom front teeth. I will be so happy when this teething thing is over. Ella is so grumpy about her gums. Why can't teef come in without hurting? Oh well, 2 down, 24 to go!

We tried solid food again last night. Ella is not down with the solid food. We tried yummy, homemade butternut squash first last night. The face she made was like I had just fed her a huge shit sandwich. Each bite was shoved in by me, then promptly shoved out by Ella. I thought maybe she was too hungry to eat - meaning she didn't want to fool with the food, she just wanted fast food (the bottle). So, I gave her a few ounces of her bottle and tried again with the food. Nothing. I thought, "Fine, she doesn't want the squash tonight - I'll try rice cereal instead." Needless to say, after much protest and crying from Ella, we gave up on the rice cereal, too. She took the rest of her bottle and was happy. I'm sure you are surprised, but I don't know what to do. Keep trying I guess. Maybe we'll try a different veggie tonight - acorn squash perhaps?

On another note, Ella is getting another toof and she is not happy about it! Let's just say it's always "Toof-hurty" in Ella-time. So, we are using Orajel, Tylenol, cold wash cloths, pacifiers, and fingers to help relieve the pain in her teef.

Gratuitous cuteness...

Baby girl slept through the night in her crib for the past three nights! This is a feat on two accounts. First, the fact that she slept all night three nights in a row is a miracle. I call sleeping through the night sleeping at least 8 hours. Ella slept from 9ish until 9ish two nights, and I woke her up around 6ish this morning to go to the sitter's. Second, sleeping in her crib in her own room is a new occurrence. Before she was born, I planned for her to sleep in her pack n play in our room for the first 3 months. Then, she turned 3 months and I wasn't ready to be so far away from her at night (about 20 feet away). I liked being able to peek over the side of the bed to see her peacefully sleeping anytime I woke up. I liked scooping her up in the bed with me for nighttime feedings. I liked co-sleeping with her on occasion. But, my baby girl is almost 6 months old, and I think it is finally time for her to sleep in her own room. Obviously, she doesn't mind a bit. I think she actually sleeps better in her crib. But, I am still a little nervous about her being so far away. I layed awake last night wondering if she was still breathing in there. Finally, I just had to get up to check on her. She was fine, of course. How she can survive being so far away is beyond me.

Ella sleeps best on her stomach. Now, before you judge me for putting my child to sleep on her stomach instead of her back, thereby sentencing her to death via SIDS, consider our situation. Either I lay her down on her stomach and let her drift to sleep peacefully, or I lay her on her back and listen to her cry until I pick her up. Ella doesn't feel secure when she lays on her back. Her arms flail, her legs kick, and she cries uncontrollably and consistently until I comfort her. If you are a mommy, you understand why I put her to sleep on her stomach. However, if you aren't a mommy, I know you are judging me for doing such a horrible thing to my child.

Aren't mommies crazy? First I thought my little baby couldn't possibly survive being away from me for more than a few minutes. Then, Chuck and I went out on our first post-baby date, and miraculously, Ella was alive and kicking when we returned home. I thought that she couldn't possibly survive by drinking formula instead of my pure, nourishing breastmilk. But again, she drank the formula down like it was the best stuff on earth. Well, Ella couldn't possibly sleep all night in the other room - so far away from mommy! Surprise, surprise - she was perfectly fine. Babies are much more independent and resilient than mommies think. Ella has surprised me time after time. She's growing up too fast. Next, she'll be learning to drive.

After having the video camera for about a year, I was finally able to create an awesome DVD. This DVD contains tidbits of Ella's life from before she was born to the present! Won't the Grandparent's be happy! Now, I just need to figure out how to get video onto the blog...

So, for fun, I asked a psychic when we would have another baby and what the sex will be. She said we would have our next baby in March 2007, and it will be a boy.

Why won't this girl sleep???? Ella was awake until 12am last night. At 8pm, I gave her a bottle, and she barely sucked it all down before she was off chillin' with Morpheus. Then, about 45 minutes later, she was wide awake and ready to party! So, we hung out for awhile. At nearly 10pm, I decided that it was seriously time for little girls to go to sleep, so I turned on the CD player, snuggled down in the glider, and rocked Ella. Fifteen minutes later, she was sound asleep again. I held her for about 20 minutes, then I figured I could safely put her in her crib and go to bed myself. I was wrong. The second Ella's back hit the mattress, her eyes popped open and she was ready to party again. I was very frustrated and very tired at this point, so I went to solicit the help of Chuck. I don't know exactly what I wanted him to do, but I wanted him to do something - anything. He could see that I was about to lose it, so he graciously volunteered to take over trying to convince Ella it was sleepy-time, not party-time. She finally fell asleep and stayed asleep around midnight.
Is teething keeping her awake? She doesn't act grumpy and she doesn't seem to hurt in any way, so I have a hard time believing teething is the problem. She doesn't sleep too much during the day (I think), and we follow our bedtime routine every night. The routine works great on getting her to sleep, but getting her to stay asleep is the problem. I am lost. Tonight we may try some Orajel and maybe even some Tylenol. Any suggestions?

Ella's went to see her friend Natalie this weekend. They had loads of fun, even though Natalie slept most of the time. Good thing Natalie didn't get to close...it looks like Ella might have eaten her. I'll tell you one thing, those sure are two cute babies.

Ella's other friend Stella needs to come over to play soon. Stella is getting big enough now that she can put up a fight if Ella tries to eat her.

I'm going back and forth on the whole solid food thing. Ella seems to need something more than just milk at night because she wakes up hungry if she doesn't get cereal. But, she is having trouble drinking all of her milk during the day. Maybe it is her teething, or maybe we need to wait a couple more weeks and try solid food again. I'm just not sure. My pediatrician told me I could start rice cereal at 4 months, so I've given Ella rice cereal on and off for the past month or so - just to get her used to the texture and taste. Moms on my message board give their babies several feedings of solid food a day and everything is fine, but the AAP says babies don't need solids until they are 6 months (a mere two weeks away for us). There doesn't seem to be a right answer about solids. I guess I will go with the AAP and wait another two weeks to try solids again. But now what am I going to do with the freezer full of baby food? Is everything about parenting so complicated? Something tells me it is...

I've brought you almost up to date with baby Ella. March brings us to Ella's fifth month of life! This is a big month for her - we've already done so much. At the beginning of this month, Ella started eating rice cereal once a day. She wasn't too crazy about it at first, but she is finally getting the hang of it. Although, she has trouble getting it all down the hatch (see the pic below). We also cut down to breastfeeding just twice a day - morning and night. I'll tell you one thing, formula sure does change the way a baby girl poops! Ella's poop immediately got 100% grosser when we started giving her formula. Yuck! But, Mommy's boobies were hurting, so they needed a rest.

Next, Ella got a toof (tooth)! She got her first toof on March 9, 2006. It is the lower left central incisor. In my opinion, it was about time! She had been drooling for months. Apparently, getting a tooth also means that she doesn't want to sleep, because she hasn't been sleeping much at all lately.

The next accomplishment in Ella's life was sitting up all by herself! Yeah, so it's kind of in a tripod stance - legs spread, hands down in front - but it's still sitting up! She just started doing this really well yesterday and today.

Finally, Ella ate real food - veggies, that is - butternut squash to be exact. Saturday, Katy, Ella, and I went to Whole Foods and bought butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples, bananas, and pears - all organic and all tasty. Then, I came home and began to bake, steam, and microwave all of the goodies. After everything was cooked, I threw each item in the blender, added some water, and pureed the snot out of it all! I made 17 ice cube trays worth of baby food in about 3 hours. That's not bad if you ask me! Ella tried the butternut squash first, and it was a hit. However, she does not enjoy her squash mixed with rice cereal.

On March 12, 2006, Ella weighed 18lbs!!

By the time February rolled around, Chuck, Ella, and I were in a groove. We had the pick up/drop off schedule down, Ella didn't mind going to the sitter, and I didn't mind leaving her as much. Balancing work, school, Ella, Chuck, the dogs and cats, friends, and family is enough to keep any girl busy. So, my life is pretty crazy. Work is kind of like a vacation for me - I'm used to it, and I can get things done easily there.

One major event in Ella's life in February is that she rolled over for the first time! She rolled from back to belly on February 21 and from belly to back on February 22. Luckily, I was home with her and saw her rolling both times! Now she is a rolling machine and won't stay on her back more than a few seconds. She "swims" while she is on her belly, so crawling should be just around the corner! I can't believe how much she has changed!

January 2, 2006 was a horrible day for me. It was the day I had to leave Ella and go back to work. I know I shouldn't complain. I got a very generous 14 weeks off with my baby girl, but it was still torture to come to work instead of staying home with my sweet baby girl. Luckily, Ella's good friend Tracy and her Grandma Minnie were going to share the duties of taking care of her while I worked. Not long after I returned to work, we decided that going to one person would be better than two for Ella, so Ella's good friend Tracy took on the job of watching her full time. Ella has tons of fun with her good friend Tracy, so I don't have to worry about her while I work and go to school.

On January 28, 2005, Ella laughed out loud for the first time when I tickled her thigh. Actually, she laughed at her good friend Tracy first, but that really doesn't count in my book (sorry Tracy). I was so happy, I nearly cried! Chuck was mildly amused at this accomplishment, but I was ecstatic! He just doesn't get as excited about the little things as I do. I still get all giddy when she laughs. She isn't the most giggly baby in the world, so her laugh is really a special treat for me. I'm sure you know that her laugh is probably the cutest laugh in the universe (not just the world - the universe).

On January 30, Ella weighed 16lbs 1oz and was 26in long. She really is a big girl!

By December, Ella was beginning to do more than just eat, sleep, poop, and cry. She could lay on her tummy and lift up her head to get a different view of the world. She was to be able to sit up if she was propped up just right. She could even talk! She was really beginning to move up in the baby world. Suddenly, she was a little person. She could interact. She could smile instead of just stare blankly as you made goofy faces at her. And, of course, she was still growning. Ella was really turning out to be a "healthy" baby girl. At 13 weeks, Ella weighed 15lbs 7oz!

Ella's second month was much better than her first. She learned to smile, and gave her first big grin to her silly daddy on November 2, 2005. Plus, she made her first long trip to her Great Grandma Mamie's house for Thanksgiving.

She cried a lot in those first couple of months. She began to be known as "grumpy Ella" instead of just plain "Ella." Friends and family would call and ask what was wrong when they heard Ella crying in the background. I would say, "She's just grumpy," as if her being in a sour mood was a fact of life. It was rough, but we got through it, and Ella is much more personable now.

We also left baby Ella with her Nana for the first time when she was about 6 weeks old. Chuck and I were going a little crazy, so we decided to go out to dinner and a movie. We haven't been to a movie since, and we've only been out to eat without Ella once since then (I think). Something tells me we are due for a date night!

At 8 weeks, Ella weighed 13lbs and was 23.5in long!

Ella's first two weeks were rough. We took several trips to the hospital and pediatrician because of her jaundice. Home health nurses came to our house every day and pricked Ella's little heels. By the time she was free of the bili lights, her heels were a raw, scabby mess.

Luckily, Grandma Minnie and Nana were there to help us out. Grandma Minnie came to help the very first night we were home and Nana came the next afternoon to stay several days. The first night, Ella decided it would be a great idea to challenge Mommy and Daddy by screaming non-stop for several hours. Grandma Minnie stayed calm and said that's just what babies do. I'm sure we would have called the doctor at 3am had she not been there. Then, Nana came to show us the ropes of parenting. We didn't know anything - how to diaper, bathe, dress, etc. Not to mention the fact that Nana kept me sane for that first week. Nana even rushed back several days after she went home because I was nearing a breakdown. What would we do without Grandparents???

Breastfeeding was a challenge at first, but we finally got the hang of it after about two weeks. The first month in general is a blur to me now. I think I lived on adrenaline and cookies for the first week we were home (Thanks to Mrs. Crone at Mercy Academy for the cookies!). No wonder I had a hard time getting my milk going. I was so stressed out that I barely remembered to sleep. I was ready to give up by day 10, but Chuck and Nana (my mommy) wouldn't let me. They encouraged me to stick with it; and I'm glad I did because in the next few days breastfeeding just "clicked" for both of us. I was able to exclusively breastfeed Ella for 5 months, and I'm still nursing her two times a day. I plan on doing that until she decided she doesn't like the boobie any more.

Eventually, I began to get the hang of being a mommy. I could bathe Ella quickly and easily, I could change her diaper in the blink of an eye, and I could even get her to stop crying (sometimes)! I began to really like being a mommy!

Chuck was learning about babies, too. He was surprisingly comfortable with Ella, even though Ella wasn't very comfortable with him. Ella quickly became a "Mommy's girl," and would scream bloody murder when anyone else held her. Luckily, she's almost over this fear. At least her daddy can hold her now.

At 4 weeks old, Ella weighed 9lbs 15oz and was 22.75in long.

Ella was born at 12:03pm on September 27, 2005. She weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20.5in long. The next several days were spent in the hosptial. I hated most of Ella's nurses. They were horrible women who thought they knew what was best for my baby girl. Because of these evil women, I was unable to adequately breastfeed until almost 2 weeks after Ella was born, and I barely saw my baby girl the whole time we were in the hospital (4 days).

Let me explain. Ella was born on Tuesday around noon. The nurses kept coming in for one reason or another and they wanted to take Ella away to the nursery. Chuck and I wanted to keep Ella in our room all the time. I was not happy about Ella leaving me for any length of time. We were struggling with breastfeeding because Ella would not stay awake long enough for either of us to figure out what we were doing. My hormones were raging, and I was becoming very frustrated. Wednesday night, we found out Ella had jaudice (this explains why she wouldn't stay awake long). Immediately, the nurses wanted to keep Ella in the nursery full time. We said no. The nurses would have to walk 20 extra feet to our room to check on Ella, and that was just too far. So, the nurses retaliated in the wee hours of Thursday morning by telling the pediatrician that we weren't leaving Ella under the bili lights as much as she needed. This was a complete lie, but it caused the head nurse and the pediatrician to pay us a visit as if we were criminals. They treated us like the worst parents on earth and caused me to have a serious breakdown. Finally, the whole thing resulted in us being forced to keep Ella in the nursery for the remainder of our stay. The nurses also convinced us that Ella needed to be supplemented with formula. Which, in turn, delayed my milk production. They also gave Ella a pacifier, which we specifically forbade. In short, the baby nurses were evil bitches.

We were finally allowed to leave the torture chamber of the hospital on Friday afternoon, September 30, 2005. Ella still had jaundice, so we had to set up home health care to come set up her suitcase and prick her little heals.

Next...Ella - month 1!

September 23, 2005 I had one of many prenatal appointments with Dr. Schweichler. Apparently my blood pressure was a little high, so she told me to "take it easy" over the weekend and come in on Monday to have my blood pressure checked again. It just so happens that our cat, Princess, escaped that weekend, so I didn't exactly take Dr. Schweichler's advice to "take it easy." I walked the neighborhood, made fliers, and went to every animal shelter in town to try to find Princess. Needless to say, that Monday, my blood pressure wasn't any better. In fact, it was 158/92; which, Dr. Schweichler informed me, is very dangerous. Since I was 39.5 weeks and 3cm dilated, the good Doctor sent me straight to the hospital to be induced. Do not go home, do not get a bite to eat, do not pass go - go straight to the hospital. So, Chuck and I walked next door to Norton Suburban Hospital.

We went to Labor and Delivery at about 2:00pm only to be told that there were no rooms available. The kind nurses there sent us to the waiting room while they prepared a room for us. Chuck took this opportunity to call our family and friends to tell them baby Ella would be here in the next day or so. I took this opportunity to write Chuck a very long list of things to do when he went home to get my bags.

Finally around 4:00pm, we got a room. Let me tell you, Norton Suburban has some nice labor and delivery rooms - hardwood floors, private bathrooms with big showers, sleeper chairs, the works! Anyway, around 6:00pm I was finally settled in and the nurses started the pitocin drip. My friend Katy and Chuck were there cheering me on, and my mom was on the way. The contractions weren't bad, and I thought this labor thing would be a breeze. Around 8:00pm, I was 4 or 5 cm dilated, so Dr. Case came in to break my water. Oh the comedy of errors that followed that fiasco! I owe Katy and Chuck a debt of gratitude for taking care of me while what seemed to be a never-ending river of amniotic fluid gushed from within my womb.

Shortly after Dr. Case broke my water, the real pain began. At first, I was laughing uncontrollably as I watched Katy and Chuck try to keep the river of amniotic fluid under control. Then, it stopped being funny, and I just wanted them to leave me alone as I grunted and breathed through contractions that were coming just 2 minutes apart. My mom had arrived by this point, and she and Chuck were chatting it up while Katy tried to comfort me between contractions. My mom joked that the contractions couldn't be that bad since I wasn't screaming yet. I wanted to kill her, and I wanted drugs (sorry Mom). My aspirations for a natural birth were quickly thrown out the window - I wanted drugs, and I wanted them NOW! So, the nurse gave me some demeral. The demeral got me mighty high, but it did nothing for the pain that coursed through my uterus approximately every 2 minutes. I remember saying to my mom, "Is it legal to be this high?" Yes, in fact, it was, and I liked it! Finally, around 10:00pm, I couldn't take the pain of the contractions any more, and I wanted the epidural. I was no longer afraid of some giant needle and tube going into my spinal cord. I wanted the pain to stop. The anesthesiologist was called in to administer the epi. Two hours later, I was finally able to relax. The next several hours were spent waiting and continually calling in the anesthesiologist to crank up the epi (apparently it was inserted incorrectly). Chuck slept peacefully, while my mom and I tried unsuccessfully to rest.

By 6:00am I was fully dilated, but Ella did not want to descend into the birth canal. Dr. Schweichler did some fiddling with the dosage of pitocin, and we waited. My dad arrived at about 9:00am and we waited some more. Finally, around 10:00am, the nurse came to check me and I was still 10cm dilated, but Ella still wasn't ready to come out. The nurse said we had at least a couple of hours until I could push. So, mom and dad decided to go down the street to Red Lobster to get a bite to eat. At 10:45am, Dr. Schweichler came in and decided that Ella wasn't going to come out no matter how hard I pushed, and we needed to go ahead with a c-section. Chuck made the necessary calls, I cried, and we were wheeled off to the operating room at about 11:00am.

The next few hours are fairly blurry to me. I remember being afraid and needing Chuck beside me more than I have ever needed anyone in my life. I remember the pressure being relieved from my body as Ella was born. I remember Dr. Schweichler showing me Ella. I remember being unable to breathe or swallow and having a panic attack and thinking I would die any moment. And I remember holding my baby girl in the recovery area after the surgery. Details are blurry, and rightfully so. Apparently I had enough morphine on board to put a horse out of its misery! What isn't blurry is the size of my nose after birth! My GOD, look at that thing! Rest assured, my face is really much more in proportion now.

Next...the hospital stay.

So, I'm pregnant. Now what? Now comes morning sickness, swollen everything, back pain, leg pain, knee pain, foot pain, pain all over really. I didn't enjoy being pregnant. I won't lie. There were a few high points in the pregnancy, don't get me wrong; but mainly, pregnancy sucks.

On May 5, 2005 we had our first ultrasound. Before that day, I was sure that this little person inside me was a boy. But, as the ultrasound wand passed over my belly, Ella made it clear that she is indeed a girl. I couldn't have been happier. I secretly, or not so secretly, hoped for a girl. I couldn't wait to get started decorating her room, buying her clothes, and getting all sorts of girly things for her.

We had another ultrasound on July 27, 2005. Ella was pretty darn big by that point, and we loved seeing her again. Technology nowadays, I'll tell ya, it's amazing! We also confirmed that she was still, in fact, a girl. As if the previous ultrasound left anything in question.

Next...the birth!

Let's take a time machine back to January 21, 2005. That's the day our lives changed forever. Chuck and I had been "trying" to have a baby for 5 months, since August 2004. Each month went by, and each month we were disappointed with one negative pregnancy test after another. But something was different that month. Our pug, Sadie, gave us the first clue that something was different. About a week after conception, Sadie curled up next to my belly in the bed. You may be thinking, "So what, your dog slept next to you, what's the big deal?" Well, Sadie was my dog for about 4 months, then Chuck came into my life and she has been his ever since. Sadie never sleeps next to me. Then, a couple of days later, a coworker asked me if I was pregnant. Why in the world would my coworker think I was pregnant? Very few people knew we were even trying to have a baby!

Then, that Friday morning, 11 days after conception, I took the first pregnancy test. Chuck was in the shower, so I snuck in the bathroom and took the test. As the color moved across the results window, I noticed a line begin to form. Not just any line, but the line. The line that meant there were no longer just two of us. Our baby girl was on her way! I pulled Chuck out of the shower to prove to myself I wasn't seeing things. I wasn't, he assured me, the line was there! I couldn't stop shaking. I was so happy! After 5 long and torturous months, we finally did it! I took the pregnancy test to work, scanned it in to my computer and sent it to my mom. Yes, I really scanned it in and sent the picture out to people. I know, I'm crazy. My mom and dad just happened to be celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary that same day. Happy Anniversary mom and dad!!

Ella was born on September 27, 2005. Since that day, my life has been almost completely consumed with her. I can't imagine what my life would be like without my baby girl. Chuck is reluctantly getting used to being second on my priority list.

Five and a half months ago, I began a photo journal of sorts for Ella. But, the gallery was missing something - narration! Hence the birth of this blog. I'll have to backtrack a bit to bring this blog up to date, so bear with me as I relive the first 5 months of Ella's life. Enjoy!