A Texas Tradition

One More

Scratch that ... she has 3 teeth coming in on top! FOUR at once! In a matter of days, that adorable gummy baby smile is going to be changed forever.

Chompers!

Yesterday, Ella was laughing and I noticed something strange-looking in the bottom of her mouth ... a tooth! Then, later that day, I thought I saw something else unusual, and sure enough, two more teeth coming in on the top! Three at once! We just quit nursing two weeks ago - perfect timing. Isn't she thoughtful? :)

Almost There

I just can't believe Ella is 11 months old today!

She is still the happiest, sweetest baby ever. She LOVES being able to go where she wants to now that she can crawl. We don't need a puppy, because we have Ella to follow us around wherever we go. In fact, I hate to admit it, but on occasion all three of us have found ourselves patting our knees saying, "Come here, Ella! Come on!"

She is getting very vocal now, and loves to express her opinions. With her newfound mobility, she has also learned how much fun Avery's toys are, much to her big sister's chagrin. Diego is often one of the casualties - headless and helpless (see above picture.)

Among other things Ella loves right now: Cheerios, practicing walking, putting anything and everything in her mouth, sucking her thumb when she's tired, and as cheesy as this sounds, Daddy, Mommy, and Avery. Her face lights up when we interact with her, and it is just so incredible to truly be the center of someone's world. What a miraculous gift her life is.

Sleeping Beauty

This is Avery in her newest "princess" dress, which she calls her Sleeping Beauty dress.

And here is Sleeping Beauty later that day with her Prince Charming.

People, We Have Crawling!

I'm about 4 days late posting this, but ... Ella is on the move!

In the span of just a few days she began army crawling, learned to sit up from being on her tummy, started clapping, and then crawled. Now she's all over the place. Life will never be the same!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know it's a Hallmark holiday, but everything has special meaning when you have kids.

We hope you have a great day!!
XOXOXOXO

Ella is 10 Months Old!

Do I look cute?

I LOVE bath time!

I will put anything in my mouth ... the yuckier, the better!

I try to crawl, but just can't figure it out yet!

Still no teeth! Don't you love my gummy smile?

Look at me practicing my standing!

No, Mommy, I really don't like spinach.

Here I am on my ten month birthday!
Look at my cute tummy. The doctor is so happy with the weight I have gained in the past month, and says I am right back where I should be. Praise God!

Sweet, Sweet Freedom

Avery was in Dallas this weekend! My wonderful Mom and Dennis drove her up to Ft. Worth, where Ben's wonderful mom and dad came and picked her up to keep her for a few days.

I cannot believe how much I enjoyed the peace and quiet. Yes, I still had Ella with me, but she doesn't talk, walk, or throw tantrums. She takes three naps a day. She doesn't feel the need to have toys and other miscellaneous items strewn all about the house as if a tornado hit us. She doesn't ask, "Why?" to every single thing I say.

This weekend gave Ella the much-deserved opportunity to receive my undivided attention, while Avery got her special time with grandparents. While they were off visiting the stockyards, playing at the park, baking cookies, going to the zoo, and doing ten-million other things, we were at home relaxing and chilling out. I was reminded of the person I used to be.

Every mommy needs that once in a while.

Thank you SO MUCH Lynn, Barry, Mom and Dennis!

Bayou Wildlife Park

Look! There's the ____ (fill in the blank)!

A hungry buffalo!

Ella didn't enjoy the kiss from the camel.

If I don't look at him, maybe he'll go away...

Get me out of here!

Ahhh! Ostrich!

The girls and I went with a work friend to a wildlife park last week and had an absolute blast! It was the coolest thing I had done in a long time.

We got to visit many animals before hand, like goats, a giraffe, cows, alligators, ducks, etc. Then we went on a long tractor ride through the refuge park and had animals literally eating out of our hands! Some of these animals I had never even seen up close before, and now we were able to pet them! It was amazing.

Avery had the time of her life. Ella wasn't quite so fond of the experience.

9 Months

I haven't posted much lately, but I had to add Ella's 9 month pictures. She is still such a cutie (we think), and such a blessing and joy to our family.

No teeth yet, not crawling or pulling up, and blissfully happy to just sit and watch everything around her.

We're carefully tracking her growth with the doctor, because we recently learned she dropped from the 50th to the 10th percentile. However, we have faith that she will make it back up. (A few extra prayers wouldn't hurt, though!)

Self-Esteem Booster

Avery is wearing her pretty dress, as she calls it, today. (OK, OK, yes, it's actually her Christmas dress that she has insisted on wearing every single day since Christmas. And, no, she hasn't let me wash it yet.)

Anyhow, she was pulling her arm out through the neckhole this morning, and so I told her, "Avery, be careful. You don't want to stretch out your pretty dress so that it doesn't fit you anymore."

Then she said, "Like your tummy, Mommy?"

Nice.

Ella

Ella is 8 months old!

Finally, a picture with Santa!!

I have tried every year for 3 years now to get Avery to sit on Santa's lap for that silly, overpriced keepsake photo. We get all dressed up, talk about it the whole way there, watch for 15 minutes while all the other kids sit on his lap to see that he doesn't bite, yell, or do anything mean. Last year, after the above-mentioned ritual, we even got so far as to get in line before she panicked. But once Santa waved at her, she lost it. (Can you imagine his nerve?)

So, this year, after riding the Polar Express in Grapevine and getting a surprise visit and an uninvited hug from Santa, Avery said that yes, she wanted to go see him at the mall, sit on his lap, tell him what she wanted for Christmas, and take a picture with Ella.

She talked about it all last night and was so excited this morning to put on her Christmasy outfit. All through the mall she couldn't wait to see him. She was pumped, and I was thrilled that finally I was going to get that priceless picture of my two precious girls sitting on Santa's lap.

Oh yeah, I meant that priceless picture of ONE of my precious girls sitting on his lap. Ella was cool with it. She really liked tugging on his beard. (I should have bought that picture instead.) No amount of bribing could get Avery anywhere near his chair, and she is way too big to forcibly put on his lap and get that oh-so-cute crying pic. (I would have feared for Santa's and Ella's safety!)

Maybe next year .... But that's what I say every time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I taught Avery how to make a picture of a turkey by tracing her hand, and she decided she wanted to make one for Nemaw and one for Mimi. So after drawing the first turkey, I encouraged her to color the feathers different colors. Then I asked her if she wanted to give it a face. Finally, I said, "Why don't you color its body brown?" She looked at me for a second and then colored an area below the turkey brown.

Next, we made one for Mimi, going through the same steps. Again, I asked her, "Do you want to color its body brown?" She hesitantly took the brown crayon, paused and gave me a long look, then started to color between its legs.

As I finally realized what she was doing, I almost died laughing. I had forgotten that Avery thinks her "body" is somewhere in her bottom area! What a strange request she must have thought I was making, asking her to color the turkey's "body" brown!

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with just as much love and laughter!

A Learning Experience

I've been busy!! This is what I've been doing for the past month in any possible spare moment I had:

I must admit that I'm pretty happy the craft shows are behind me. They were a wonderful opportunity, but made me realize how much I would rather spend my free time being a mommy than being a frenzied seamstress.

However, they also made me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have some amazing people in my life. My mother-in-law, Lynn, is the reason I even know how to sew. She gave me a sewing machine a few years ago, and has been a very patient teacher ever since. My mom is the one who gave her own time to watch the girls so I could participate in the craft shows. And, more importantly, she gave her enthusiastic encouragement and support. Leanne was behind the whole thing. She believed in me, pushed me, and gave me the confidence I needed to even attempt such a project. How many friends do that?

Being reminded of these blessings was much more valuable than any money I ever could have made. I am not talented, or extraordinary, or particularly crafty, but I have people in my life who believe in me. And, in turn, those people are an inspiration for how I want to treat others, especially my own girls.

(Ha! I sound like I'm giving a speech for winning a prize or writing a dedication for a book! Sorry for the cheese factor, but I just wanted to acknowledge how appreciative I really am.)

A Great Gift

Ella is 7 months old!

She continues to be the sweetest, most laid-back baby ever. She just absolutely fills my life with joy. In fact, she is so wonderful, she gave me a gift for her birthday. Sound the trumpets:

Ella has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT for the past three nights!!! Whoo-hoo!!

Trick-or-Treating

Halloween was so much fun this year. I suppose someday it won't be so exciting, but right now it is such a joy to experience it through Avery's eyes.

This is the second year we went trick-or-treating and she really got into it. She loved being dressed up, and of course loved watching her pumpkin fill up with candy. I think my favorite part was ... hmmm, how should I say it?... how emphatically she used her manners. She always made sure to say thank you.

Once or twice she got to the end of the driveway, turned around to Ben or me, and said, "I forgot to say thank you!" Then she ran back up to the homeowner, who of course was busy giving out candy to other kids, interrupted them, and yelled, "Thank you!!!" At one home, when she tried to thank them for her candy, they didn't hear her. So she stood there, determined, and repeatedly thanked them, with her voice getting louder and louder to the point of yelling, until they finally acknowledged her. Satisfied, she announced to us, "Mommy, Daddy, I said thank you!"

Ella seemed to enjoy her first Halloween. She loves being outside, so she chilled out in the stroller and was content to just watch the older kids. She looked adorable in her little mini-tutu!

That Sums It Up

Avery: "Daddy likes to watch football and baseball and golf in the weeds. I like Dora and Diedo. Mommy, you like to watch the news and Big Brudder. Ella doesn't watch t.v. She likes to watch me!"

Perfect Weekend

Last weekend we all got together with Ben's side of the family for a mini-reunion. Lynn and Barry rented a house on Lake Palestine and we had an amazing time!

Ella enjoyed all of the loving and cuddling she got, and Avery had a blast with all of the activities and attention she received. There was game-playing, pumpkin-carving, karaoke-singing (Fisher-Price style), s'more-making, and of course, fishing.

After practicing off the patio with Daddy, they tried out the lake to see how the fish were biting. Apparently those poor fish must have been desperate for any chance of a meal they could get. Despite Avery repeatedly slapping the water with her fishing pole, and the constant noise she made, she caught two fish (with the help of Grandpa)! When she reeled her first fish in, she immediately leaned over ...

... and gave it a BIG smooch!!

She was not at all afraid to touch it, hold it, or apparently give it some lovin'!

So excited!

helping with the bait

hanging out watching everyone

picking out music with Nemaw

cuddle time with Aunt Melissa

We had such a wonderful weekend. Thank you, Lynn and Barry! And thank you, Jake and Mel, for having a slumber party with Avery!!