Ella is 5 months old!

Ella turned 5 months on December 17th.  We didn't have a doctor appointment this month, so I weighed her on our scale at home.  Ella weighs a whopping 19 lbs 8 oz, I'm guessing at the tops of the charts.  I'm not sure of her length.  She is transitioning to 6-9  or 9month clothing.  I am still putting her in some 3-6or 6 month pants, but shirts are definitely too small to stretch over the diaper.  I'm finding there isn't a huge difference from 3-6 and 6-9, so guessing she won't be in this size for long.  I have also just this past week put her cloth diapers on the largest setting and when she wears disposables we are now in size 3.  She still has those big, beautiful blue eyes!

At 5 months Ella:

• can raise chest, supported by arms when on stomach.  (Although we're still not a big fan of tummy time.)
• ROLL OVER!  (First happened 12/15)  She went from tummy to back, and was so proud!
• pays close attention to various objects and definitely makes eye contact from across the room.
• smiles back when you smile at her!
• has gotten really good at grasping toys and even putting her binky back in.
• chews on her hands/Sophie the giraffe/anything she can get her hands on all the time.  Does this mean teeth are coming?
• bears weight on legs 

Ella is still going down around 8:30-9:30 and up for the day between 6-7.  She was sleeping through the night very regularly, but has recently started getting up around 1:30-2:30 to eat and goes right back to sleep. This also makes me wonder if teeth are bothering her.  I've started looking into getting an Amber Teething Necklace for the pain.  And yes, we are still swaddling!  

We also tried cereal this month.  We started with oatmeal, which we have been trying to do about every other day.  Its a hit or miss with her.  Some days she is really excited to eat it and other days she makes awful faces.

Lenny the Elf

Lenny, our Elf on the Shelf, has made his grand appearance this year in the Malcolm home!  Ava has been having so much fun looking for him in the mornings.  We found him the Sunday after Christmas and in true Elf fashion, he arrived with a North Pole breakfast of white powdered donuts!  He also came bearing a gift of "The Elf Story" movie!  Lenny has appeared in all sorts of crazy places!  We've found him in our tree, taking a marshmallow bath, he toilet papered the bathroom and was hanging from the shower one morning, and we even caught him having a snack of maple syrup!  That crazy elf!

We are thankful!

I've been participating in the days of Thanksgiving posts on Facebook.  Its nice to think about something everyday that I am thankful for.  We've also been talking to Ava about what she is thankful for.  Thanksgiving morning she declared, "I am thankful for my daddy and my dog."  It was pretty funny, and then she continued to list every person in our family she could think of.  Ella was also at the top of the list.  She sure loves her sister.

We spent Thanksgiving day at my parents house with my parents, Tyson, Rachel and Kai, Josh, Petersen's, and several of my brother-in-law's friends that were visiting from Reno and Denver.  We had a great day enjoying each other's company, playing games, holding babies, and eating way too much!  We celebrated with Darren's family on Sunday at Wes and Cindy's house.

Ava's cute artwork showing what she is thankful for.  Melt.

Monday when I dropped off Ava at school I checked her folder (where they put things for her to take home).  There was some art work in there from the week previous.  Obviously they've been talking about being thankful at school as well.  Her artwork was priceless and I got a bit teary-eyed when I read it.  It listed things Ava said she was thankful for.  They were:  I am thankful for my family.  I am thankful for my dog.  I am thankful for my garden.  I am thankful for the cupcake store.

4 months old!

Ella turned 4 months on November 17.  I waited until after her doctor appointment to make this post.

The last four months have just flown by, although it seems like Ella has been a part of our family forever.  She is such a good, happy baby.  She is so content sitting in her bouncy chair playing with toys or watching whats going on around her.  When she gets tired, she'll just go to sleep and when she wakes up she just opens her eyes and looks around.  She is "talking" more and more and also laughing out loud a lot more lately.

Ella currently weighs 17lbs, 11oz (90th percentile) and is 24.5 inches (50th percentile).  She is currently wearing size 3-6 or 6 month clothes.  She pants are more than long enough, but the shirts are starting to get a bit snug, which is probably due to her extra bulky cloth diapers.  We are still on the middle setting on most of her diapers and when she wears disposables, she is wearing size 2.  Her eyes are still blue.  I think we are going to have a blue-eyed beauty!

Shots went as expected at her appointment yesterday.  She was so smiley and happy before the shots.  The nurses were all commenting that she was the cutest baby they had seen all day.  Poor thing, two shots in one leg and one in the other plus the vaccine that comes in drink form.  She cried... hard... and for the first time she had real tears.  She calmed down pretty quickly and fell asleep right away.  She then slept most of the evening.  I woke her up to feed her around 9 pm last night and she slept through until 6:30 this morning, woke up to eat and then went back to sleep until I woke her up around 9 am!  Shots are tiring!  

At 4 months Ella:

• can laugh out loud
• can follow an object that is more than a foot away
• can hold head very steady when upright
• grasps her play rings very well and starting to grasp a rattle
• squeals when excited
• holds self up to sit when supported. 

Ella almost rolled over the other day during her 4 month pictures, which I credit to her not loving tummy time.        

Ella usually sleeps from about 8:30-9:30 pm to around 6 or 7 am.  She occasionally will wake up around 4:30/5 to eat but will go back to sleep right away.  We were definitely blessed with another good little sleeper!  We are still swaddling at night.  I tried not doing it and just putting her in a sleep sack for three nights last week and each of those nights she was so restless that I was up so much checking on her.  She sleeps so much better when her arms are confined!

At her appointment yesterday we got the okay to introduce rice cereal if we want.  Dr. Huwe said some babies don't show much interest right away and she said it was up to us if we wanted to try or wait.  Being that Ella is in the 90th percentile for her weight, it seems as though she is getting enough to eat as is so I'm not in a huge hurry to get started.  Ava wasn't that interested in the cereal, so I'm interested to see what Ella thinks of it.  I'm sure big sister, Ava will be really excited to watch Ella start eating foods though!

Family weekend

We spent last weekend in Des Moines with my family.   Rachel, Mom, and I wanted to go to do some Christmas shopping so we invited the guys along so take care of the kiddos while we shopped.  We had a good time!  Ava had so much fun swimming in the pool!  I hope we can make this a yearly event!

We went to the dentist!

A couple of weeks ago Ava had her first visit to the dentist.  She accompanied me to my appointment over the summer so I was hoping that would help.  She didn't scream or cry, so I count it as a success even though we were only able to get her to open her mouth long enough to count her teeth.  No tools were used at all.  It was an expensive teeth counting!  Afterwards, she was so excited about her goody bag from the dentist filled with stickers, floss, toothpaste, gum, and a toothbrush!  She later told Darren and Grammy Cindy that she didn't like the girl (the hygentist) she only liked the boy (the dentist).

Halloween Happenings!

We have made it a fun yearly tradition to visit a pumpkin farm to pick out our pumpkins before Halloween.  We found one last year just north of Waverly that we love.  There is lots to do there and the prices aren't too bad.  Ava has had so much fun the past couple of years there.  We went a couple weeks before Halloween with the Burton's and my mom.  (My dad happened to be visiting family in Oklahoma, so he missed out.)

Family of four.  

Love her!

Cutie

Ava wasn't into taking pictures.  Then Kai pulled her hair.
This is as good as it gets with 3 grandkids age 3 and under I guess. :o)  

Love my nephew!  

Bat girl!  She was unsure of these cut-outs at first, but
eventually got the hang of it!  What a cutie!

Had a jumping in the leaves party!

Even Ella joined in.

Helping Daddy rake.

Making witches hats with Mommy!

Ava had several opportunities to dress up this year and luckily I didn't have to even buy a single costume for her!  She loves to play dress up so between myself and my mom she's gotten quite a few outfits over the past year and I knew they would be perfect.  The Saturday before Halloween we went to Hampton for their Main Street Trick or Treating.  She didn't really want to go (staying at Nana and Papa's playing tea party sounded way more fun).  I pretty much had to make her put her costume on, but once she saw what it was all about she was really excited and had so much fun.  She was a clown, a very cute clown.  Of course, she was afraid of some of the other kids in costumes and Rachel and I had to take turns carrying her.  Whew... carrying a 40 pound 3 year old gets heavy!

On Monday, she got to wear a costume to dance.  I let her pick her costume and she picked out an old sparkly dance recital costume that we got from someone.  She said she was a princess ballerina and wanted to take a magic wand.  She looked so cute.

On Wednesday, she picked a princess dress (again with a magic wand) to wear to school and I brought along her clown costume to put on her after school for Trick or Treating.  When I picked her up though, she had other plans.  She told me she wanted to wear her princess costume again.  That girl loves to be a princess.  I'd have to say, its very fitting for her personality!  We met Burton's and their little lion downtown Cedar Falls for T or T on Main Street.  Afterwards, we met Darren for a quick dinner and then to our friends the Mattson's.  When we got home Darren came inside with Ella and I took Ava to a few houses in our neighborhood.  She had a blast and by the second or third house had gotten the hang of it and kept wanting to go to more houses!

Ella only got in costume that one time.  She was a baby chick, and the cutest darn baby chick you ever did see!

Three months old!

Look at those beautiful eyes!

Ava using her new camera to take some pictures of her own!  Do we have a future photographer?

Chunky legs.  Love them!

Loving that smile!  (I cannot get this picture to turn right side up!)

No doctor appointment this month, which mommy is thankful for!  Ella has officially started daycare and is adjusting perfectly.  She can literally sleep through anything and this has helped her immensely!  She is my good little sleeper, usually a 2-3 hour nap in the morning and afternoon as well and a few catnaps throughout the day and she still manages to sleep extremely well at night.  She sleeps through the night about half of the time.  

I am still cuddling/rocking Ella to sleep.  I think over the next month we will work on her being able to put her self to sleep in her crib.  I love rocking my babies to sleep, but also want them to learn how to put themselves to sleep.  However, I doubt Ella will have a problem.  As mentioned before, the girl can sleep anywhere and everywhere.

At three months, Ella weighs 16 lbs, 6 oz.  I didn't even attempt to get a length measurement, so we will have to wait until next month's doctor appointment for that.

At three months, Ella:

• smiles spontaneously and is very easy to get a smile from.
• sometimes squeals in delight
• recognizes mommy (maybe daddy and Ava as well)
• holds head steady when upright
• has really started "playing" at her playmat.  She is kicking her legs and swinging her arms at the objects.

We have started using cloth diapers about 90-95% of the time.  We still use disposables (size 2) at night because they are more absorbent and sometimes when going out and about, depending on how long we will be gone from home.  I am really liking cloth diapering!  Even Darren, who I thought would think it was a pain has no problems with it.  Ella is currently wearing size 3-6 month or 6 month clothes. A lot of the pants seem long on her, but the shirts fit great.  Cloth diapers are a bit bulkier, so the bigger size clothes seem to fit better over the diapers.

Ella's eyes are still looking blue.  

Happy Birthday, Ava!

We celebrated Ava's birthday in style over the weekend.  First on Friday, she got to go to school to celebrate with her friends.  She wore a cute "Happy Birthday" shirt and got to wear a crown!  I love that they make a big deal about the birthdays at school.  Everyone deserves their own day to feel special!  She even brought treats to share with her friends.  There is a severe peanut allergy at her school, so everything needs to be store-bought and peanut free.  We picked out Hostess Ding Dongs and she was so excited and even asking me all week if she could have one.  I was so surprised when I went to pick her up and her teacher told me that Ava didn't want to eat one of her own treats that day.  Funny girl!  Once we got in the car, she had one though!

Saturday morning we had her favorite donuts for breakfast (with candles!)  We played at home in the morning and then after lunch we went to the Isle Casino/Hotel where we had a room reserved.  We knew Ava would enjoy swimming and boy, did she ever.  Thank goodness Uncle Tyson was there to go from the cold pool to the hot pool (as Ava called it) with her!  The hot tub (hot pool) was the perfect temperature and big enough for all of us to swim around, even Ella and baby Kai enjoyed it!  Kai cracked me up because he looked so relaxed and was lounging in a floaty all afternoon!  We ordered pizza, had cupcakes, opened presents, played Candy Land, swam in the giant bath tub before heading to bed.

Happy Birthday beautiful girl!

Having fun in the pool.

She loves her aunt Rae Rae!

Even Ella had a great time!

Opening presents from Mommy & Daddy.  She got headphones for the Kindle Fire, Dora Candyland, a kids camera,  finger paints, brushes and watercolors, Dora stickers and a few books from Ella.   

We need this bath tub at home!  

Baby Kai relaxing in the pool!

Of course my eyes are closed, but otherwise I love this photo!

Sunday morning we headed out around 10:30 to get ready for Ava's party with our friends and family.  We had a tea party theme this year.  I asked Ava several times what she wanted and she said a tea party.  She was also so sweet when you asked her what she wanted for her birthday, her response was always "a cake and balloons."

Checking out her tea party cake.  

With her friend Carter at her party.

How Ella spent most of the party.  

Unwrapping gifts!

Baby Kai looked so cute at the party!

With her Uncle Joshy.  She loved his gift!  

At three years, Ava weighs 40 lbs and is 39.5 inches.  Over 90th percentile for both, but I obviously knew that.  She's been topping the charts since she was two months old and I can clearly see that she is taller than most of the kids in her class and even a lot of the kids that are almost a year older than her!

Ava is the sweetest little girl I could have asked for.  I can usually (95%) of the time count on her being well behaved.  Lately, she has been testing us and pushing the limits in some things.  She hates having her teeth brushed and tries anything to get out of it.  She also has learned that she can hold her pee all day long and tries to tell me she doesn't have to go when she hasn't gone for several hours.  Its annoying and impressive all at the same time.  I can't even hold my pee all day!

She has become the best big sister to Ella.  I can see that they are going to be the best of friends and I love that!  She is really good at sharing and I hope that continues at Ella gets mobile and into everything of Ava's!

Ava loves everything girly.  She loves to wear pretty dresses, bows, and jewelry.  She loves tea parties and princesses.  Ava loves to sing and dance and is really enjoying her ballet and tap class that we attend once a week.

Two Months!

We had Ella's two month baby well check this morning, as well as her first immunizations.  It went as expected.  The doctor and nurse always say its much harder on mommy, but I swear if you heard her cry you wouldn't think so.  She had three shots and one immunization that comes in drink form.  She took the drink down like a champ.  She was looking at me while drinking it with this look on her face, like, hmmmm this is different.  She let out a big cry (with tears!) right when she was poked with the first shot and her cry got louder and louder with each shot.  (Remember, this is the baby the nurses in the hospital said they had never heard a baby cry so loudly!)  I fed her right after to calm her down, but she was still whimpering.  I'm glad I made the decision not to take Ava with me to Ella's appointment though, I'm pretty sure she would have been traumatized by the whole ordeal!  We spent the day snuggling.  Ella was pretty pooped out after shots and has been sleeping for a majority of the day.

The first thing nurse Lynette said at Ella's appointment was, "boy, Ella looks just like her sister!"  When Dr. Huwe came in the room she was looking Ella over and talking to her and said, "You are so beautiful, you should be on the cover of a magazine!"  I'd have to agree!

At two months, Ella weighs in at 13 lbs, 12 oz (93%) and 23" (73%), which is remarkably close to Ava's length and weight at the same age.  However, I noticed the percentiles have changed, so I'm guessing babies/kids have gotten bigger in the last three years.  Her head size was close to the 50th percentile.

At two months, Ella:

• can smile in response to my smile.
• can keep head steady when being held upright.
• can lift head pretty well when on stomach, although she doesn't like tummy time.
• follows Ava with her eyes with everything Ava does!
• really pays attention to her mobile.  
• has really started to enjoy bath time.  She loves getting her hair washed.

Ella is currently wearing size 1 diaper.  I've also moved her adjustable cloth diapers to one size bigger that what she was previously wearing.  Ella is wearing size 0-3 month or 3 month clothes.  

Ella's eyes seem to be changing from dark grey-blue in color, to blue.  Does one of us carry a blue gene and we're going to have a little blue-eyed princess?  Time will tell.  Out of curriosity, I did ask her pediatrician today when the eyes will normally change.  She said by 6 months of age they eye tone is set (blue, brown, green, etc) however, they can still get lighter or darker from there.  Which explains why my eyes have gotten lighter brown the older I've gotten.

Showing off her battle wounds.  Notice the bandaids.