Updates

This entry will be about the newest and latest updates. I have spent most of my entries on recounting specific accounts of adventures in Ella land. But I know that some of you might just like some of the fun facts of Ella (and Eli and I)'s development.

Ella is going on 5 months old. She loves to laugh and almost always has her tongue sticking out of her mouth.

Ella LOVES the dogs. I think she takes after me in this regard. When I was a baby and young child, my mom said that I was quite the animal fan. I still am, obviously, since we live with 2 dogs, 2 Chihuahuas, and 1 cat. As you may have noticed, I did not say 4 dogs and 1 cat because the Chihuahuas deserve a category all their own. They are kind of in between dogs, cats (they use a litter box), prairie dogs (they love to get into trouble and burrow deep under covers), and yes, I will say it, rats (of course because of their size and their propensity to have little hair.). The dogs share the mutual affection. They love Ella. They love to give her sloppy kisses (we are always running interference). She in turn loves to pat them, grab their fur, ears, whiskers, and of course try to shove it all into her mouth. The chihuahuas mostly tolerate her presence. They liked her better when she was a bump wrapped up in a blanket that could not grab and flail. Oh well. The cat, he thinks she is just fine. No real feelings one way or another. He does tolerate her grabbing fistfuls of fur, ears and skin quite well and I think just likes the attention as he usually gets little of it because all the other ones demand so much.

Ella still sleeps in her Amby hammock at night and most of her naps. You can read about the hammock here. She is still not a great sleeper and we are afraid to rock the boat if you know what I mean. Occasionally we put her into her awesome, beautiful, hand built crib that her Grandpa made her for her naps, but invariably she wakes sooner than if she were in her hammock. I am sure we will transition her at some point before she graduates from high school. She does love to play in the crib though!

People say Ella has found her thumb. I guess it was lost for the first few months. But lately, she thinks it is pretty cool and often has it stuck in her mouth. Either that or her big toe. I guess she likes the first digits of her extremities. I haven't been able to get a picture of it yet because every time I take out the camera she becomes a ham for the camera starts smiling and laughing. Silly kid.

She definitely recognizes those that she is familiar with and when baby daddy comes home from work, or when I come home from work, her whole face lights up and she gets this look on her face that just about melts your heart and turns your insides into pudding.

When she wakes up from naps, or in the morning, (if she has slept enough), she has this most adorable expression on her face. It says, "wow, that was a great sleep. I am so refreshed! What new thing can I explore and learn about now? The world is such a fun and interesting place!" Yep, I get all that from one expression. Really.

She loves to look at books. Turning the pages (usually backwards) and touching them. I think she is going to be reader. I hope anyway.

It is hard to get a good video of Ella in all her glory because when the camera comes out, she gets so distracted by it, she forgets what cute thing she was doing. But here is a little taste of what delicious experiences we have with our babe.

Click here to to link to youtube.

I am still dairy free. At least my diet is. I am producing ample quantities of dairy. I am getting used to it, but it is hard when people bring tasty treats into work and I can't partake. Even when they know I am not ingesting cow's milk, they still bring treats with butter or other milk fat in them. They have great intentions. But to most people, when you tell them you are going dairy free, they think: milk, ice-cream, obvious dairy. They don't think about that little, teensy weensy bit of dairy in the milk chocolate in the cookie. Oh well. It is worth it. Ella has no more blood in her poo and has obviously much less GI distress. The day you find out you are pregnant, the sacrifices start and I have this strange feeling that the sacrifices probably won't ever end. It is a good thing it is worth it. The joys far outweigh the piddly sacrifices. I mean, who needs sleep and dairy anyway?

Anyhoo, that about sums it up. I remember a little bit of panic the first couple weeks after Ella was born. What have we done? Our lives are changed forever! I miss how simple life used to be! But now, I can't imagine life without her. My life feels so much fuller, meaningful, and magical since she came into our lives. Rock on Ella!