I am sorry it has been over a week since the last update. Hey - Mommies get busy! My classes for the semester came to an end and I had an extremely involved research paper to write. Thankfully, I'm finished and can relax until my summer classes begin in June.

Ella is as wonderful as ever. She still has just two teef, but numbers 3 and 4 are going to pop through very soon. Teething has made her a little cranky, but Cleo was kind enough to cure her grumpiness last night. I'll tell you, that girl baffles us daily. Last night she thought Cleo was hilarious! Chuck would take her little hands and rub them on Cleo's fur and she laughed and laughed. Then, Cleo got up and walked around - that must have been the funniest thing Ella had ever seen! I'll admit, Cleo is pretty funny-looking, but this girl was in stitches over her last night!

Last weekend, Ella had a photo-shoot at Nana and Papaw's house. She took some risque pictures with a beer can that we will use to thoroughly embarrass her when she graduates from high school. The rest of the pictures are adorable. I'm not sure how this girl could get any prettier, but I think it will happen. Luckily, her great-uncle Jim volunteered to come help Chuck fend off the boys when Ella turns 16.

Favorite food: Bananas
Least Favorite food: Green Beans
New likes: tofu, carrots, peaches
New dislikes: green beans, peas

Ella had a big day today!

Ella took her first trip to the Zoo today! Unfortunately, Daddy forgot the camera, so we have no record of the occurance. I guess next time will be Ella's second "first" visit for posterity's sake.

Ella also said her first word...."Da Da Da." I just want to let it be known that I really don't think she knows what "Da Da Da" means, so I don't think it should count in the Daddy hall of fame that she said "Da Da" before "Ma Ma." Besides, the pediatrician said that "Da Da" is easier to say than "Ma Ma." Plus, Chuck spent all last week saying "Da Da Da Da" over and over to her.

Fianlly, Ella is spending her first night away from home tonight. I thought I would be a wreck, but I'm actually having a good time so far. We went out for sushi then went to a friend's house to play a little poker. I know Ella is in good hands with her Nana tonight, so that sets my mind at ease. Now, if I can just make it through the night without her...

Food likes: Apples, Bananas, Pears, Acorn Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Apple slices, teething cookies
Food dislikes: Butternut Squash, Green Beans

Ella actually threw a tantrum the other night when I pulled her cookie out of her mouth! She screamed, cried, got all red, and just plain threw a fit. Don't mess with the girl's cookie!!!

Ella went to visit Nana and Papaw today! She had tons of fun playing with everyone. She thinks she is so cool with her sunglasses on.

Ella had her first injury on Friday. She was outside playing with Daddy and when they were going up the steps to get back into the house, Daddy tripped and fell. Luckily, Chuck received the brunt of the fall on his forehead, and Ella just got a small bruise from bumping her head against Chuck's. She cried for a little while, but is all better now.

Ella also tried a couple of new foods this weekend. We found that she really likes bananas and apples, but she hates butternut squash and green beans are iffy. So, I just threw out all of the butternut squash. She acted like she might die because it tasted so gross to her. It was quite funny, but I didn't want to torture her for my own amusement. She is now eating food two times a day along with her regular bottles.

Ella went to see the Easter bunny on Friday evening! She wasn't very impressed, but at least we got a cute picture.

We have more good news on the eating situation! Ella ate acorn squash last night! She had to have her trusty cookie in her hand at all times, but she ate the squash from a spoon in between cookie bites. Daddy plans to feed her some cereal and pears for lunch today. Maybe she is finally getting over her hatred of food!

On another note, I think we are going to take Ella to see the Easter bunny tonight. Not that she will know who the Easter bunny is - or care.

A miracle happened tonight. Ella ate! No fussing, no pursing of the lips, no turning of the head - just eating! I was amazed. It took 2 months and no less than 6 people, but we finally outsmarted her! I took the teething biscuit that she likes so much and dipped it in some yummy sweet potatoes. Then, I gave her the biscuit and she chomped on it! Then, I did it again, and she ate more! Then, I took a huge risk and tried the spoon. She ate the sweet potatoes off the spoon!!! I had to sneak the spoon in between cookie bites, but it worked! She ate an entire tablespoon of sweet potatoes. I was feeling lucky, so I thought I'd try a tablespoon of rice cereal. I did the same trick - dipping the cookie in the cereal. She fell for it again!! Six-month olds are so gullible. She ate an entire tablespoon of rice cereal!!! I was shocked, amazed, and utterly ecstatic! I only hope she won't figure it out and realize that I'm tricking her. As you can see from the pictures, it was a messy, but successful adventure.

Ella went to her (2nd?) cousin's wedding this weekend. Catrina Deer (Stanton) became Catrina...something - I forgot. Anyway, she met loads of (2nd?) cousins who all adored her. She

had a great time with her Papaw, Nana, and Uncle Jason, too!

I'm sorry about the small lapse in posting last week. I've been busy!

We got some teething biscuits for Ella on Thursday night. She took right to them and started chomping away and gumming them down! So, needless to say I was excited that she might actually want to eat something. I pulled out the pears again and tried to feed her some. She purshed her lips, turned her head, and cried. She wanted nothing to do with the pears. So, I tried some sweet potatoes. Same thing. I put some butternut squash in a baby safe feeder because I thought maybe she would like to feed herself. She cringed, made horrible faces, and even gagged at the taste of the squash. Then I put sweet potatoes in a tri-cut nipple. Yes, I actually put sweet potatoes in a bottle - I'm desperate! She sucked and sucked and I think she got just a little bit out. Apparently those tri-cut nipples are worthless because Ella can't even suck plain formula out of those things! I'm thinking of cutting the whole tip off of one of the nipples to see if she will eat the food that way. I'm also considering scraping our entire frozen stash of baby food and starting over. I think she may eat if she can actually pick up a piece of food, put it in her mouth, and chew. Maybe she just isn't into pureed food. Maybe she wants food like Mommy and Daddy eat. I have to admit, she did reach for the ribs Chuck ate last night, and she is very interested every time we eat. I didn't realize feeding a baby would be so difficult! I thought I would just blend up some food and she would love it and gobble it right down! Well, she proved me wrong once again.
I've learned to never assume anything when it comes to Ms. Ella. Here is a list of my assumptions that have been wrong:
1. I would have an easy, vaginal delivery.
2. Ella would take right to breastfeeding - no problem!
3. Ella would switch easily from breast to bottle.
4. Ella would be a fairly small baby.
5. Ella would enjoy eating - she is a "big" girl after all.
6. Ella would be able to wear newborn size socks and hats when she was a newborn.
7. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.

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...