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Last Updated: Nov 03, 2009
Ella welcomes Annie June! Ella Aubrey & Annie June 1/23/2004 & 3/28/09 4:21 a.m./ 12:15 pm 8 lbs. 12 oz. / 7 lbs. 5 oz Home Pictures Stories Family Guestbook |
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3/27/05 - original date of post. Happy Easter, everyone! Ella had her first Easter egg hunt. We put some baked cheese crackers (shaped like bunnies, of course) in half a dozen plastic eggs and scattered the eggs around the living room. Ella cooed and squawked and shook the eggs. Her daddy helped her open the eggs, and Cooper assisted in eating the treats inside. Tonight Ella will join us and our supper club friends as we share ham, a savory bread pudding (with spinach and artichokes), prosciutto-wrapped zucchini, salad, and lemon cake.
Ella Aubrey's birth story! 3:30 a.m. on January 22 nd, I wake with mild contractions. Spencer is rummaging around getting ready to leave for work, so I am unsure if it is him or the contractions that wake me. "Hmm. Braxton-Hicks," I think. But then I notice that it feels like I'm about to start my period - this is a new sensation. I tell Spencer, so he times a few contractions for me. They are irregular - 15 minutes, then 9 minutes, then 12 minutes apart. And they are quite mild. We decide he should go on in to work, but I'll stay home and rest. I am too excited to sleep. I have a very slight ache in my lower back, much like I experience with menstrual cramps, so I know that what is happening is different than the contractions I experienced earlier in my pregnancy, the ones that motivated my doctor to sentence me to bed rest!
I call my mother-in-law, June. She wants to be here for the birth, and she is already scheduled to arrive this evening (we must have been psychic when we helped her pick the date to purchase the ticket). She decides to catch an earlier flight that arrives by 3:00 p.m.
Spencer is a producer for "The Nelson and Terry Show" on 105.1 the Buzz. On the air he talks about me being in labor. Our doula, Kathryn Rowe, hears this. She calls me around 9:00 a.m. to confirm that I am indeed having contractions. (Remarkably, I had just gotten up to go get her card off of the refrigerator so I could call her - uncanny timing.) I tell her that I am contracting, but that the contractions aren't painful. She breaks the news that another client (who is 11 days overdue) also believes she is in labor today, so there is a chance that I might have to have her back-up doula attend my birth. I am disappointed but take it in stride. Kathryn says, "Try not to worry - things tend to work out." I let it go, and I promise to try to rest and eat and drink well.
I decide that I had better call my doctor's office just to give Dr. Susie (Bobenrieth) a head's up. The advice nurse tells me that Dr. Susie is home sick with the flu! I start to realize that I might have none of the care providers I expected to help me at the birth! Somehow I manage not to freak out about this. I have the same feeling I get when I first step on an airplane - a brief moment that flirts with panic, and then a sensation that is almost an exhale; I release myself from worrying about what I cannot control.
Trying to sleep is a joke. When I lie down, I feel the contractions more strongly. Still, they aren't painful, just pretty uncomfortable. I vacuum the carpets.
Spencer gets home from work faced with the task of taking Potter, one of our dogs, to Family Dogs Northwest. He had become more aggressive and protective as my pregnancy progressed, and he had nipped our neighbor (an elderly, very unthreatening lady) on the hand when she came to visit. We decided that for our baby's safety and our own sanity, we needed to find him a new home and people who could help remedy his behavior problems. Family Dogs Northwest was a Godsend. The Humane Society said all they could do for us was put him to sleep, but FDNW would take him and train him and help match him to an owner that could work with his behavior issues. I say a tearful good-bye to Potter, and Spencer takes him, his dog bed, food, and toys to his new temporary home.
Samantha, one of my best friends who is also going to attend the birth, is supposed to be on her way to keep me company while Spencer takes care of Potter and picks up his mother at the airport. She is hours late. Spencer and June beat her home. Turns out that she walked out the front door of her house, heard the door click and lock automatically behind her, and realized she did not have her keys. She doesn't make her way to our house until after her roommate gets home from work to rescue her.
In the meantime, Spencer has created an Excel spreadsheet (ah, technology!) that automatically calculates how far apart and how long my contractions are once we type in the times of the start and the end of each contraction. I've had a couple of conversations with Kathryn. Her other client thinks that her water has broken and goes to the hospital. Turns out to be a false alarm, and the couple is sent to have dinner and walk around for a while. The race is on! Whoever goes into active labor first will have Kathryn's services. I tell her that I haven't had much of a change in the way I am feeling.
Spencer goes out to pick up Italian food for dinner. I have pasta with a simple tomato sauce. Spencer, having been up since 3:00 a.m. and having experienced a pretty emotional day, goes to bed shortly after 7:00 p.m. Sam, June, and I bundle up for a walk around the neighborhood, thinking that the hills might get things moving. We talk and walk the hills. I think I might feel the contractions a bit more strongly when we walk uphill, but I'm not sure. I can talk and move through them comfortably, so the idea of timing them to see if they are at all regular or how far apart they are does not cross my mind. I'll later wonder if I had timed them at this point, would I have seen that they were regular and getting closer together?
At 9:00 p.m. we decide to go to bed. Somehow I manage to fall asleep. At 11:30 I wake up needing to go to the bathroom. After I get back into bed and lie down, I hear a thud and feel wetness like I have just wet my pants! I find myself standing up, rushing around (doing what, I don't know), and telling Spencer to get up! I have a really strong contraction. This is the first time I've felt something I'd call pain. "Get up! Time these!" I tell him, but it quickly becomes obvious that we should get to the hospital. The contractions are just 2 to 3 minutes apart.
From here things move fast and my memory of them is dim. I remember feeling giddy. I remember swaying my big belly down the stairs, knocking on the guest bedroom door to wake June, "My water broke - time to go to the hospital!" I go to the basement steps to wake Sam who is sleeping on the couch down there. I tell her "We're going to the hospital!" Remarkably, she responds, "But my pants aren't dry!" (She'd brought some laundry to pass the time?) I tell her that I don't care. The contractions seem very close together.
I put my birth necklace (made for me by friends at my baby shower) around my neck and lean on the kitchen counter during contractions. Whoever is closest to me rubs my lower back. In between contractions, we all continue running around (like mice, I imagine) and gathering up our things to take to the hospital. I have some apple juice and peanut butter toast. Spencer packs the car. I call Kathryn and find out that hooray! I've won! The other client isn't yet in active labor. I tell her that I really want her to meet us at the house and caravan to the hospital with us rather than meet us there. I call the doctor's office and let them know that the contractions are about 2 minutes apart. The doctor on call tells us to make our way to the hospital - they are expecting us at the emergency room entrance.
Kathryn arrives at the house shortly after midnight. I am feeling nauseous and we take plastic bags for the car ride. It is cold and raining. Spencer and I lead the caravan. Kathryn follows in her car with Sam and June in Sam's car (with only one windshield wiper functioning!) behind her. June will later say that the hospital seemed to be 100 miles from our house. They will also report that our car sped up and slowed down at fairly regular intervals; they assume Spencer hit the gas during contractions. I remember moaning through the contractions. I also remember being lucid enough to remind Spencer to use his turn signal so everyone behind us would be able to follow us.
We get to
I am moved to my own room. Sam, Spencer, and June are now with me. I hope that someone has given my birth plan and the banana bread I baked as my labor project to the nurses. At some point a nurse named Laurisa says they want to put a heparin lock in my arm in case they need to administer an IV later - it is hospital practice (and maybe policy?). I panic and look at Kathryn. I want nothing - no needles or wires or anything. Kathryn asks if we have to decide now or if we can wait. Laurisa says that we can wait. It is not brought up again.
I move to the rocking chair. The pain is wide and deep. I have to vocalize through each contraction. It helps me stay focused and in front of the wave of pain. I don't remember much about this time. At about 2:30 a.m. I ask if I can get in the tub.
Kathryn and Spencer help me to the bathroom. I sit on the toilet and have a small pushing urge. Kathryn says nothing to the nurse because she wants them to let me be in the tub. When she moves me to the tub, she sees some bloody show in the toilet. The jets in the tub are on, and after one contraction I ask for them to be turned off. I don't know how long I am in the tub. I am living from contraction to contraction. I have to stare at the bathtub drain. If I don't, I will lose myself. My big toe covers a little section of the drain. During contractions I shift it slightly to the side, and then I move it back.
After a few more contractions I involuntarily bear down. Kathryn tells the nurse I am having the urge to push. She convinces Laurisa to check my dilation while still in the tub - if I am not complete, she wants me to be able to stay in the water. Laurisa is a trooper and complies even though she has never checked a patient while the patient is in the water. She finds that I am 100% effaced and dilated to 10 centimeters. I'm complete! The time to push is near.
This I remember very clearly: Kathryn puts her arms around my shoulders and says in my ear, "We have to get you out of the tub. You can't have the baby in the bath tub - at least not at this hospital." Somewhere in the back of my head I appreciate her remark, the jab at restrictive hospital birth policies.
I don't think I can stand. I say "I can't." But Kathryn and Spencer help me. I put my arms aroun'd Spencer's neck and we stand together. I feel a bulging between my legs that startles me. The baby is right there," I say, alarming everyone. The doctor hasn't arrived yet. June will later tell me that she lets Fe know that she is an old emergency room nurse and could help if the need arises. Fe looks her in the eye and says, "Good to know." It is 3:15 a.m.
Spencer and Kathryn help me to the bed. They raise the back of the bed so I can kneel facing the back of the bed and drape my arms over it for support. I am instructed to do little pushes as I feel my body bear down to bring the baby's head down. Spencer is behind the bed and I clutch onto him for support. I also learn that when the doctor on call called Dr. Susie to let her know one of her patients was going to deliver, Dr. Susie asked who it was. Upon learning it was me, she said that she was well enough to come in - she would deliver the baby. I am so happy to hear this and am glad I will get the birth team I planned on after all.
When Dr. Susie arrives I am instructed to lie on my side with my torso slightly elevated for the final pushing. My knees are bent up towards my belly, and Spencer has one leg and Kathryn has the other. Dr. Susie brings the room to a standstill by saying, "I can see the butt!" What? Is the baby breech? "I mean the head! The head!" she quickly corrects herself. Perhaps she is not quite fully awake yet. The top of the head pushes out and retreats with each contraction. Sam encourages me to reach down and touch the head, but I feel that I just can't. I don't want to. It seems that if I move at all, change my position at all, I will fall into the pain or something. I really feel that I cannot move. But I finally do reach down quickly and feel something soft and slick and startling. I close my eyes and put my hand back on my leg.
During one of our first meetings Kathryn told me that the urge to push, when you don't have any pain medications in your body, feels like "throwing down" (opposite of throwing up - completely involuntary and very strong). She was right. My abdomen seizes up, squeezes hard, and I have to vocalize, grunt, and finally say "ow-ow-ow-ow-ouch!" with each one. The pain is burning, ripping. My throat feels raw.
With each contraction everyone seems to be telling me that the head is about to deliver. Again and again they say this and again and again the head doesn't emerge. Sam sees an ear and a little curl of hair that dries from its exposure to the delivery room air. I finally ask them to stop telling me that the head is almost out. I can't stand hearing it. The contractions seem to be coming so hard and with little break - I am ready for this to be over. I keep my eyes clenched closed. Kathryn tells me to push down into my bottom instead of with my legs, to push my baby out.
Finally the head emerges. The baby cries out while the rest of her is still inside of me. She is half-born. Dr. Susie clears her nose and mouth. With a few more pushes, the baby's shoulders come out, tearing me a little bit, and the rest of her is born. It is 4:21 a.m. on January 23, 2004. Dr. Susie holds the baby up for us to see and Spencer whispers in my ear "It's Ella," as Sam shouts, "It's a girl!" We are all surprised that she is not a boy! The umbilical cord is very short, so it has to be cut before Ella can be placed on my chest. June cuts the cord. Spencer and I cry and laugh. We feel like we know Ella already. She looks so familiar to me. I hold her against my skin. Her eyes lock on mine as she roots for my breast and latches on for her first meal. 3/20/05 - original date of post. File this week's update under "better late than never." Under the stories link you'll find Ella's birth story. I started writing it 13 months ago and have added to it now and then. This past week I finally finished it.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about words. Perhaps this is because I just finished reading the history of the Oxford English Dictionary, or perhaps this is because Ella has become so verbal. She will point at things and say "Dat!" Spencer and I have decided to translate this vocalization as "What's that?" Consequently we spend a great deal of time labeling things for Ella, a task that is more complicated than you might imagine. For example, Ella pointed to the pot rack and said, "Dat!" Instead of simply saying, "That's a pot," I launched into this debate with myself about the difference between a pot and a pan. Is pot a general category with a pan being a type of pot, or are they two completely separate things? And what about a skillet? I imagine Ella rolling her eyes and thinking, "Jeez, lady. Just say 'pot,' and move on."
And Ella can now walk herself to the tub. Well, sort of. She still prefers to crawl, and when she does get up on her feet she stumbles around like a drunk Frankenstein, but she is definitely a walker! 3/13/2004 - original date of post.
Spencer wins the daddy of the weekend award.
I spent the morning jogging around downtown in
Ella seemed groggy but fine when I left this morning. When I returned just before noon, I heard Spencer's tale of woe. Not only had the baby not napped, she had also thrown up in her crib. Poor baby. And poor, poor Spencer.
And now it is the afternoon, and everyone seems fairly okay. Ella has nursed, napped, had a few Cheerios, and has been crawling around the house visiting her favorite spots. First, the bookshelf; she likes to pull out all of her books one by one, turn and taste their pages, and wave them around like flags. She walked behind her "Gobble n Go Hippo" push toy and then sat down on it to take a rest. She has even banged a little on her new desk that I won for her at this weekend's Friendly House charity auction (Friendly House is a community center and non-profit that provides services for kids, seniors, and homeless families transitioning back into mainstream life, among other things). We're hoping an afternoon of easy play, lots of breast milk, and an early bedtime will get Ella back to normal.
Ella accomplishments this week! She is finally making the sign for "milk," which for months I have been showing her before each nursing session. She will now open and close her hand (sort of pantomiming milking a cow), and she sometimes tries to lift up my shirt, just in case I need the extra hint! And I finally saw her take a tentative step or two on her own. I'm sure we will have an official walker on our hands in the next few weeks. The baby gates are in place - ready when you are, Ella! 3/13/2005 - archive date. 3/4/05 - original date of post. I have another milestone addition for the baby books: The first time your kid gets bitten by another kid at day care. Poor Ella. The skin wasn't broken thanks to her wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but she reportedly cried for quite a while. The day she got the bite, whenever she'd act the least bit fussy, we'd start making rabies jokes. Ella is becoming more and more brave. She has now climbed the stairs (don't panic - she had a parent to spot her), and while she is not walking yet, she is free-standing quite a bit. She can get vertical without pulling up on anything. And after pulling up on an ottoman or chair she throws her leg up onto the piece of furniture in what I'm sure is the start of experiments in climbing. With the standing comes the stand-up comedy. Ella will put anything on her head, from the dog's slobbery chew toy to the scrap of blanket she sleeps with, and proclaim, "hat!" I'm posting lots of new pictures this week to make up for not updating the site last weekend. Click the picture link to see all of them. Enjoy! 3/4/2005 - archive date. 2/19/05 - original date of post. As I watch Ella, cheery and grinning in spite of her breathing sounding like a wheezing accordion (yes, another cold), I find it hard to believe she will ever be a surly teen or pessimistic adult. I find myself wondering which parts of her baby personality will stick. Will dogs always be this amusing? The flight of birds jaw-droppingly fascinating? The world always so full of wonder? I hope so. I mean, I get that a round or two of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" won't instantly dry tears and cause ecstatic hand-waving forever, but I do wish for Ella that she can move through her life retaining the sense of joy she possesses now. This time in her life is so amazing to watch. During the Houston grandparents' visit, it seems the light bulb over Ella's head was constantly going off. She reportedly took two unassisted steps (Grandmother Linda was the only witness, and we couldn't talk Ella into a repeat performance). She started using regularly the sign for "water." Her vocabulary tripled. If I were to write a poem with all of the words Ella can say now, it would go something like this: No loud daddy. Light. Water. Dog - wuf. Uh-oh. Today we took her out and about in her stroller, visiting shops and one of Portland's many parks. Store clerks, customers, and passers-by remarked on her toothy grin and her good-nature. "She's so happy!" they'd say as Ella crammed a fistful of cheese into her grinning mouth or waved crazily and shouted "doh!" at a Labrador strolling by. I want to cradle these moments in my palm. I want to hold and preserve them and give them back to her when she might need them. I don't want to take these days for granted - I sense their fragility. Wrapped up in my love of her is a fierce desire to protect her, a fear of time passing too quickly, an emotion that I cannot name except to say that I guess this is how it feels to be a parent. 2/19/2005 - archive date. 2/13/05 - original date of post. Ella comes from a long line of drummers. This morning, as Pop (Grandpa Terry) tapped out a rhythm on the dining room table, Ella kicked against the foot rest of her high chair, keeping the beat and grinning contentedly. She is putting on quite the show - musical and otherwise - for Spencer's parents who are visiting from Houston. The weather is also showing off a little. This morning was sunny and bright, perfect for a trip to the Sunday winter market in the Hillsdale neighborhood just a couple of miles from our home. We sampled hazelnuts, carrot honey, apple cider, and mouth-puckering pickled vegetables. These pickles were Ella's favorite, and they inspired Spencer and Grandmother Linda to pickle their own batch of cukes this afternoon. While they were waiting on the jars to finish sterilizing, Linda thought she'd go poke around in our neglected and overgrown yard. After about twenty minutes of pruning, however, Linda had to abandon her gardening shears and head for shelter; pea-sized hail began to litter the grass! Our Ella is adding new words to her vocabulary this week (she just wants to impress her grandparents). She recognizes Cooper as a "doh" (dog) and that he says "wuf." Happy Valentine's Day to all of our family and friends! Hugs and kisses from Ella Aubrey. 2/13/2005 - - archive date. 2/6/05 - original date of post. Spencer and I have been in denial. One of us will be attempting to wrap Ella's bottom in a fresh diaper, and Ella will be practicing what appears to be a swimmer's flip turn and moaning, "Ndoohh!" "Down?" We'll respond. "You can get down in just a second, Ella." Or we'll be trying to slather her naked flailing limbs with lotion after her bath. "Ndoohh," she protests. "Dog? You want to see the dog? We'll go see Cooper as soon as we're done." Ella clearly is saying "no," but we clearly aren't ready for her to be saying no. We try to turn it in to a myriad of other words, from "enough" to "door," but we aren't fooling anyone. What does it say about us as parents that Ella's third word is no? We think of ourselves as cheery, positive people. Yes people. "How did this happen?" we ask ourselves. We're blaming the dog. Or more to the point, we're blaming how we talk to the dog. "No licking the baby, Cooper!" "No barking - the baby is sleeping." "No stealing the baby's Cheerios!" "No, no, Cooper!" Poor, poor dog. We've resolved to be less negative towards our four-legged friend. And we're going to shoot for a more positive fourth word. I'm rooting for "mama." 2/7/2005 - archive date. 1/31/05 - original date of post. Ella had her one-year check up and survived another round of shots. She also made it through having her blood drawn to check for anemia and lead (we live in an old house), but Spencer nearly fainted. He made the mistake of watching the little glass tube fill with his daughter's blood and woozily asked, "can I have some juice and a cookie?" Ella is a tall gal. At 30 and 1/2 inches she is in the 95th percentile for height. Her weight gain has really slowed, especially since she has been crawling and cruising the furniture, and she is just shy of 21 pounds (50th percentile for weight). And her head? Yeah, she still takes after her dad and is in the 90th percentile for head circumfrence. Big head equals big brains, or so we figure. Ella can now stand without holding on to any furniture, blow kisses, and find her mommy's nose when prompted. She's also extremely curious. A recent trip to the zoo gave her much to explore and contemplate, as you can see in these pictures. 1/31/2005 - archive date. 1/23/05 - original date of post. The sign of a successful first birthday? Chocolate cake up your nose. Our Ella Aubrey is one year old today! (Click the pictures link for lots of birthday photos.)We've spent the weekend reminiscing with honorary Aunt Sam and Grammy June, both of whom were present for Ella's birth a year ago. Saturday we all had lunch at Peanut Butter and Ellie's. This place is a kiddo's paradise (pretty fun for parents, too). There were toys for Ella to bang and chew on (I tried not to think about how many other kids' mouths had been on those blocks), chalkboard walls to write on, and plenty of fun foods. We had little bugs (butterflies, ants on a log) constructed of celery and carrot sticks, peanut butter, pretzels, and raisins. Miss Ella had avocado and "naked noodles" for her lunch and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Ella's birthday morning started with the opening of gifts. A musical activity table from Grammy June is a big hit! The big event of the day was dinner and cake with our supper club. Spencer made Ella her very own personal cake shaped like an 'E.' She tried to grab the lit candle, but dad snuffed it out just in time. Whew. I guess that is the second sign of a successful first birthday: no trips to the emergency room! Thank you to all of you who have sent gifts, cards, and well-wishes! And thank you for your support and love over the past year. It has been an amazing adventure so far, and we look forward to watching our little girl grow. 1/24/2005 - archive date. 1/15/05 - original date of post. Baby books should have milestones for parents as well as the children. Right after "first tooth" and "first steps" it could have a space for "first time mom and dad get thrown up on without throwing up themselves." Yes, we were wearing vomit this last Sunday night. We're pretty sure it was mommy's fault; I fed Ella several bites of turkey meatloaf from my plate, not really thinking about it containing onions, bell peppers, eggs, and other things Ella's tummy hasn't yet experienced. Oops. Ella has reached some more milestones herself. The first top tooth has made its appearance. We are also ready to officially declare that she is saying her first word. Drum roll, please. The first word is: DADDY! (I'm pretty sure Spencer has spent his afternoons coaching her: "Come on, Ella. Say 'daddy' and I'll give you this Cheerio.") She also seems to be saying "Uh-oh" pretty discriminately. As in, "Uh-oh, I dropped my sippy cup off the side of my highchair for the 25th time," or "Uh-oh, I fed my crust of bread to the dog." With Ella about to reach her first birthday, I've gotten some questions about how long I plan to continue breastfeeding her. Before she was born, I assumed we'd nurse for a year as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (And actually, the AAP recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of a year). But as I've done more reading on the subject, I've found that both the World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend nursing to the age of two and beyond. The health benefits of extended breastfeeding for both Ella and me are hard to argue with, so we're flirting with the idea of letting her self-wean. For those interested or concerned, I highly recommend the following links for some reading on the subject (just copy and paste into your browser). The first are more scientific/factual. The third is a lovely personal essay on the topic. Thanks for reading! 1/15/2005 - archive date. 1/03/2005 - original date of post. We are back from Missouri where Ella the petrie dish spread around a head cold in addition to some Christmas cheer. Good thing she is cute. Otherwise we'd have some angry relatives. Ella was showered with gifts, hugs, and kisses. At Grandmother Ann and Grandpa Butch's she played with dominos, chewed on some sculpture (hey, they were on the floor), romped with the the dogs, watched the birds, and visited the fish tank often. At Grandpa Mike and Mimi's she played at the park, banged on her drum, crumpled her flash cards, danced, and tried to hug the Christmas tree. On this trip Ella got to meet Uncle Sam, his friend Allison, Uncle Aaron, and Aunt Cristi for the first time. Great Grandma Phyllis, Great Grandma Elsie, honorary Aunt and Uncle Mike and Reva, and many other friends and relatives also had their first Ella visits. We had a wonderful time and hope your holidays were as merry as ours! Click the picture link for lots of photos from our trip. 1/2/2005 - archive date. 12/20/04 - original date of post. Christmas has come a little early to the Williams Thompson household. Since we will be in Missouri for the holiday, we opened some gifts this weekend. Ella received a giant bear named "Tiny" from Santa June and Santa Linda, the Florida Grandmoms. While she loves stuffed animals, her favorite gifts of all seem to be the books. She loves to hold them, to look at the pictures, and even to taste them now and again. It looks like Ella's Christmas wish is coming true; she is getting her two front (bottom) teeth. They are actually "teethlets" at this point, just poking up a millimeter or so from the gum. They may be little, but they sure are sharp. Poor mama has a few teeth marks. Priority number one is to teach Ella that biting while nursing is not funny! Happy holidays to all our family and friends! 12/20/2004 - Archive date. 12/3/04 - original date of post. We can't see it, but we can feel it! Ella has the beginnings of a sharp little tooth! Only took her ten months. I gave her a child's toothbrush to explore today. It will be a while before she needs it, but it is probably wise to promote good dental hygine early. Her lack of teeth did not keep her from enjoying Thanksgiving last week, especially the leftovers. She has been eating wee pieces of shredded turkey along with her peas and sweet potatoes. We are getting in the Christmas spirit around here. The stockings are hung, as is the wreath. We sing Christmas carols to Ella and watch her dance along. She is "talking" a lot more lately, exploring new consonant sounds, so maybe she'll start singing along! 12/3/2004 - Archive date. 11/21/04 - original date of post. Ella is almost ten months old, and boy is she mobile. Her little knees are pink all of the time from the amount of crawling she does all day. And she will climb anything that will stand still long enough for her to grab onto it and pull herself up to standing. She pulls up on furniture, her toys, even mommy's legs. As much as Ella loves standing, she loves dancing to music even more. She bobs her little head and swivels her hips along to the electronic tunes of her toys, songs on the radio, or rhythms her daddy drums on the table. We are having such a good time watching her personality develop. 11/21/2004 - Archived. 10/31/04 original date of post. Happy Halloween! We figured that we only have a couple Halloweens before Ella starts voicing her opinion about what she'd like to dress up as, so this year we made her a flower. And what a pretty flower she is! She went to a party with some other baby friends, and we managed to get them lined up on the couch for a group photo for about one minute before the pinching, grabbing, and crying began. Ella really wanted to yank the antennae off Sadie the ladybug sitting next to her. Ella is now 9 months old. She still hasn't sprouted any teeth. We're sure they are in there somewhere. She continues to crawl and pull herself up on the furniture. She is a climber. This week she also learned to clap, much to daddy's delight (he's been trying to teach her that trick for weeks). New items on the menu: avocado, sunshine squash, and yogurt. 10/31/2004 - - archive date. 10/14/04 - original date of post. It's official. Ella is a crawler. And what does she seem most eager to reach? The television. Ella is her father's daughter . . . So now it is a mad rush to babyproof the house. Our little girl is changing so fast! Ella also has begun to pull herself up to standing. She likes to perform this trick in her crib when she should be going to sleep. In food news, Ella is a Cheerios kind of gal. She loves them. And we shovel in other foods when she opens her mouth to feed herself a Cheerio. Hey, you do what it takes to get those veggies in . . . 10/14/2004 - archive date. 10/6/04 - original date of post. The Flordia Grandmoms are visiting this week! That means trips to the park, swinging in the backyard, and lots of new toys and outfits. Ella now has a stuffed Dumbo that is bigger than she is, as well as a bouncing and singing Tigger that causes her to flap her arms up and down and squawk in excitement. Poor Grammy June and Mom-Mom Lindy thought that by leaving Florida they were also leaving behind natural disasters. But it seems they've traded hurricanes for an erupting volcano. 10/6/2004 - Archive Date. 9/27/04 - Original date of post. Dogs are funny. Dogs are not just funny, they are side-splitting hilarious. This is according to our baby girl. Spencer and Ella accompanied Cooper to the dog park this week, and every time a dog sniffed Ella, romped towards Ella, or just came into her line of vision, she fell apart laughing. Ella remains in a good mood in spite of the cold she caught at day care. We are becoming masters of the bulb syringe. Yuck. Milestone news. Ella is now 8 months old, and still no teeth! She is 20 pounds. She can push up on her hands and knees and is very close to crawling, we believe. In addition to breastmilk she's eating oatmeal, carrots, squash, sweet potato, peas, and apples. Oh, and a couple of tastes of vanilla gelato from the farmer's market! Couldn't resist! 9/24/2004 - Archive Date. 9/10/04 - Original date of post. Below are pictures of two paintings I received for my birthday. My brother painted the one of Ella in the hat, and a co-worker of Spencer's painted the one with the green background. I love these images of our little Ella bug! Ella seems to be thriving on a diet of breastmilk, oatmeal, and apples. She has little taste for soupy pureed food - she wants stuff she can pick up with her fingers and feed herself! That means steamed and frozen apple slices and not much else right now. We tried some pieces of steamed squash this evening, and while she seemed to be eating them (plucking them off of her tray and sucking them into her mouth), at the end of the meal I found most of the pieces stuck all over her pants and high chair. Oh, well. The good news is that Ella's sleep continues to improve, and we've had several nights in a row with no wakings! Wa-hoo!
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