8 months!

Ella turned 8 months on the 17th.  This month seemed to go by more quickly than the others.  I'm amazed at how fast this year is going.

Ella currently weighs 22 pounds 3 ounces.  She is currently wearing mostly size 9-12 or 12 month clothing.  We are still consistently wearing cloth diapers, except at night which then she is wearing size 3.  Her eyes are still blue.

At 8 months Ella:

• Can feed herself Puffs, Mumm Mumm's, and we've even given peas a try.  She does very good.
• "Yells" at you if you aren't feeding her fast enough.
• Likes everything we've tried feeding her so far.  Makes bad faces with pease and green beans, but still eats them.
• Looks for a dropped object. 
• Gets into sitting position from tummy/back
• Rolls over extremely well.
• Hasn't crawled (she is on the verge) but can manage to get where she wants to go just fine.

She is still strictly on breast milk and baby food.  She has mastered eating this month and we are now doing three meals a day.  She has oatmeal with sometimes apples or bananas mixed in for breakfast, either a vegetable for lunch and then the same for supper.  Today she tried apple juice for the first time.  She is extremely constipated and I am trying everything!  She loved the apple juice!  We have introduced a sippy cup, but only occasionally as I think she just likes to chew on the spout and ends up soaked.  She still has no teeth!  

We had a rough night last night, but other than that she has been back to sleeping pretty consistently through the night again.  She is now a tummy sleeper!  I was pretty nervous about that at first, but then realized she sleeps so much better.  Her nap schedule has been pretty inconsistent.  They have been having a hard time getting her to sleep at daycare since we are no long swaddling.  She naps much better at home.  Usually a shorter nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.  

Our 8 month photo session cracks me up.  This is how it is with an 8 month old!

Give me that camera, Mommy!

Hey, what's this on my shirt?

mmmm.... tastes good.  

Hi, Mommy!

Back to the sticker again.

Gee... I'm getting kind of tired.

There's my happy girl!

She is the light of our lives.

7 months

Ella turned 7 months on the 17th.  They day almost got away before I got her weighed and took her monthly pictures.  She has finally gotten over the cold and cough and lingered for all of January and has been her happy self lately.  She is such a joy.

Ella currently weighs in at 21 pounds on the dot.  No doctor appointment this month, so not sure of an accurate height measurement.

She is currently transitioning to size 9-12 month and 12 month clothing.  We still have a few things in size 9 months that we are squeezing into, but I've already packed several outfits away.  We are still using cloth diapers, but when she does wear a disposable it is a size 3.  Her eyes are still blue!

At 7 months Ella:

• Can feed herself puffs and Mumm Mumm's fairly well
• Babbles/sings constantly
• Turn herself in a circle when sitting
• Acts like she wants to crawl.  She has gotten on her knees a couple times and tries really hard to get objects just out of her reach.
• Also acts like she wants to pull herself up.  Often grabs for the edge of the couch when she is sitting on the floor next to it.  

She is still strictly on breastmilk and baby food.  She is getting better at eating, but still pushes a lot out with her tongue.  We haven't offered a lunch time meal, but looking back at Ava's notes we were at 7 months so I will probably start introducing that.    I will also  introduce a sippy cup with water in the next week or so.  She has no teeth.  

Ella is consistently getting up again during the night.  She was sleeping so well, but ever since that horrible cold we haven't recovered!  She has been waking up around 2/2:30 and sometimes again at 4:30.  Mommy is getting tired!  I'm hoping this is just a growth spurt??

First Field Trip!

Last week Ava took her first field trip with her class at school.  They got to ride a school bus and go to the GBPAC to watch a play based on one of our favorite children's books "Guess How Much I Love You."  I would have loved to go, but there was a waiting list for parents and unfortunately a spot never opened up.  When I picked her up at the end of the day she told me, she got to ride a blue school bus to the movie theater and sat by Zoe.  Sounds like a good day to me!

6 months old!

These months seem shorter and shorter!  Ella turned 6 months on the 17th.  We celebrated today with her baby well check and immunizations.  Poor thing.  It's bad enough she has a chronic cold she can't get rid of (snotty nose, watery eyes, and horrid cough) and had to suffer through shots on top of it.  We've been snuggling and giving her lots of loving today!

Ella is such a happy, content baby.  Ella is currently topping the weight charts at 20 lbs 7 oz (98%) and height charts at 26 3/4 " (80%).  Head was also 80th percentile.

Ella is currently wearing size 6-9 and 9 month clothing.  We are still consistently wearing cloth diapers except at night and sometimes when we're out and about.  She's wearing size 3 disposables.  Her eyes are still blue!

At 6 months Ella:

• Can sit unassisted for anywhere between 5-10 minutes.  She is pretty steady, but still tips from time to time.
• Jabbers and "talks" constantly, as well and "singing" constantly.  I think she is going to be my little singer!
• Bears more weight on legs than in previous months.  She used to hate that, but now I find her locking her legs so that she can keep in the standing position.
• Constantly tries to sit up when we have her lying down and especially during diaper changes.
• Seems to look for a dropped toy or binky.
• is very good at putting her binky back in by herself.

Again, struggling with sleeping since she has this horrible cough.  Has been back to sleeping through the night, but the past two nights I have gotten her up around 4 am and sat with her in the recliner.  The propped up crib and humidifier combo doesn't seem to be cutting it.  Still swaddling!  I tried two nights earlier this week to not swaddle and she slept so restlessly I lost track of how many times I was up checking on her or replacing a binky.  Back to swaddling and I barely heard a peep out of her (other than an occasional coughing fit).

We made our first attempt at solids (other than cereal) on the 16th.  She didn't seem to love it or hate it.  Ava loved feeding her.  We've been doing it every night since and she always seems surprised when it touches her mouth.  

I've never really written about Ella's daycare experience and that is probably because it is going so well for her.  She is very laid back and doesn't seem to mind the noise or other babies crying.  She seems to enjoy watching what is going on around her and that has made her transition very well to the daycare setting!  This mama couldn't be happier!  

Making baby food!

With Ella approaching 6 months, Rachel and I whipped up some homemade baby food for her over Christmas break.  We introduced squash first.  She wasn't extremely interested, but we'll keep trying!  Ava loved feeding her! 

Mini vacation in the Dells

A few days after Christmas we loaded up in our van and Burton' van and headed with my family to Wisconsin Dells.  We had a blast enjoying the water park there!  I am looking forward to going back someday soon!

Christmas

This post... better late than never?

Ella's first Christmas was an absolute blast.  We spent several days going back and forth between our families, who thankfully live only a few miles apart from each other.  We got to visit my Great Grandma Pecha, who hadn't met Ella yet.  She is always a fan of the babies!  We played lots of games and the girls were super spoiled.

We came back late to our house Christmas Eve after church.  I like starting the tradition of having my children be able to wake up in their own house Christmas morning.  That was always my favorite time as a kid.  After we saw the goods Santa had left the girls, my family plus Darren's parents came over for brunch.  It was a great day just hanging out, relaxing, playing games, and enjoying each other's company.