Fun with friends

We got to spend the afternoon with friends at Nicole Walker's baby shower to day. Ella was able to catch up with her good friend Ben Bowsher as you can see below. Ella has her 6 month check up tomorrow. Both of the grandmas will be here this week to sit for Ella. Busy week leads into a busy next weekend as Ella starts swim lessons with our friends Katie and Livi and then Tash, Adam, and Ben Bowsher will be over for a sleepover next Saturday night!

HAPPY 6 MONTHS ELLA!

Ella is always checking out the balloons at Kroger. Daddy took Ella grocery shopping today and after all her jabbering at the balloons, daddy bought her her first two balloons! It also just so happens its her 6 month birthday!

Time with daddy=happy baby!

Ella is home with daddy again today and enjoying every moment! Ella will be officially starting at the in home Montessori program on Feb 9! And our baby turns 6 months old today! Happy 6monthday ella!

Busy Playing

Two more pics from today! I couldnt resist! I love when Toms home with Ella because he sends me pics all day at work!

Loving her day home with Daddy!

Home with Daddy

Ella is enjoying time at home with daddy again today (as you can see below). Since she is still sick and until we work out a new sitter, she will be home w daddy or the grandma's. Ella will be taking winston (pics below for those that have not had the pleasure of meeting hime) to the vet with daddy today. Even though she has been "sitting" since before five months, she has finally mastered this skill within the last week! We had a bit of disrupt with the sleeping schedule since we were waking her for breathing treatments but after another night of one brief episode of crying in middle of the night, she was back to sleeping 11 hours straight last night!

For the Packer Fans

Grandma Joanne recently brought Ella Packer gear for next season. She is sporting the hat now as that part of the outfit probably will not fit by next season. Go Pack Go!

As you can see from the pic, Ella still has a snotty nose! The pediatrician felt she sounded much better yesterday so i hope we're on the road to recovery. As Im typing, Ella is trying to put herself to sleep. She is chattering away and blowing raspberries like mad over the speaker! It takes her about 20 min to put herself to sleep but at least she does not cry doing it and is learning how to put herself to sleep rather than mommy rocking her! Ella is such a chatterbox these days. Currently her favorite thing to yell is dadadadada. Of course it could not have been mama!

Poor Ella

We had a bit of a scare with her Saturday night. She has had a cold since Thursday. Saturday, just as we sat down to enjoy some La Rosa's, she began having breathing issues. She was having an extremely difficult time getting her breath and when she did it was very labored and irregular. Her face kept turning bright red and her eyes werent focusing correctly. She also ended up throwing up large amounts of flem twice. Luckily, we live 2 miles from Children's Hospital Mason Campus Urgent Care. They rushed her right in and come to find out she has bronchiolitis. Its symptoms are similar to pneumonia and asthma with the wheezing and rattling. She actually responded well to the albuterol treatments (many kids dont). She was completely traumatized, it was her bedtime and she hated the suction, breathing treatment, temperature taking, and chest xray. By the time we left there (which I have to say I was impressed with how quick they were), her respiration rate was much better and her temp was down. They sent us home with breathing treatments for every four hours. We had to take her back yesterday and she was much better; however, the ped said it would get worse before better and Im afraid today it has. She goes back to the doctor today. Somewhow my little champ still holds a smile on her face and is still sleeping through the night! (minus being woke for breathing treatments). pics to come soon!

Does this look like a sick baby?

Tom sent me a picture of Ella enjoying her sweet potatoes today (ignore the cmas bib). How I am so blessed to have such a happy baby even when she's sick?

Ella has her first cold :( Im pretty sure its just a virus as she has not been running a fever. Just a very snotty nose and cough. The poor thing is such a good sport though as she is still her happy, smiling self even though I can tell she feels awful. Ella is enjoying a nice day at home with daddy! I have a feeling Ella may be teething as well but still no sign of a tooth! Ella has done AMAZING with the crying it out method. The first night we put her down drowsy but awake and she went out immediately. She cried for about 20 min on her at 230 am and 530 am but was able to put herself back to sleep. The second night we put her down again drowsy at 730 and it took her about 20 min of whining to fall asleep. We didn't hear a peep out of her the entire night until I woke her up at 615 am! Last night she went down fully awake at 715 and put herself to sleep with NO protest and not a peep out of her until I woke her at 615! I am so proud of her! She was also taking the pacifier for nighttime only but in just three days weve weaned her from that as well! Mommy still hasn't got past waking up and checking on her. I hope that happens soon. At least I am finally feeling rested again! We interview a promising sitter tomorrow am and then a nanny on Sunday. The one on Sunday has her bachelors in Early Childhood and has her Montessori credential. She is starting a small (3 kids) Early infant/toddler Montessori program in her home. I feel like this is a great opportunity for Ella and am hopeful we will have a new childcare provider in the next week! The picture below is Ella enjoying some homemade squash!

Busy Days/Sleepless Nights

I have been awful about updating this blog lately! It seems like Tom nor I get a second these days and our free time is spent with Ella or trying to catch up on sleep. My mom came and spent last Thursday with Ella and of course brought a ton of new toys and clothes. Im pretty sure Ella is set on clothes all the way up through 18 mos! Toms mom came on Sunday and brought Packers gear for next season (pictures of Packers hat to come soon!) and more new toys! Mommy also bought some new toys last week. We needed to stock up on some big girl toys. Since Ella's epsiode of constipation weve had some issues with sleep. A couple weeks ago she started waking every couple hours in the night and would not go to sleep unless rocked. We were also having a very difficult time laying her down once she went to sleep in our arms. We came to the conclusion that she had never taught herself to go to sleep so how could we expect her to put herself back to sleep in the middle of the night. And with such great parents and this big world to play in who would want to go back to sleep? (I know who, Mom and DAD! lol). We decided to do try the cry it out approach last night. She only woke at 230 and 530 and after about 20 min of crying (pathetic non frantic crying) she put herself back to sleep! We will see what tonight brings us. We have a feeling Ella may be in the process of teething. She is never ever a grumpy or whiny child but she's had her moments the last couple of days. She also ate about half her normal amount at the sitters yesterday. In other news, our sitter gave her six week notice last night. This comes as a bit of a shock and is very frustrating but may be a new opportunity to find a sitter where Ella can find a playmate! Our sitter will be taking a full time day position with the family she nannys for at night. I think I already have a lead on a sitter this am!

Ella's first big snow!

I was able to spend some extra time with Ella this week due to the "big" snow fall! My work dismissed me early Thursday over a couple inches of snow, and this mommy wasn't complaining! I also had the pleasure of spending all day Friday with Ella!