Yoga Baby

Four year-old!

2012-02-08T18:16:00.001-08:00

Minnie! A favorite these days!

With BFF, Fiona...

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Not a baby anymore :(

2012-02-08T16:22:00.001-08:00

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Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T13:47:00.001-08:00

We had a good Christmas although somewhat sad. We had to put Sadie to sleep 5 days before Christmas...she had a tumor on her leg and the prognosis wasn't good. Justin took her to the vet-a sad day for us all. We told Ella and Connor she went to doggie heaven.
Once in a while they notice she's not here and I've she'd plenty of tears. She was a good and crazy dog, but we loved her and we miss her a bunch.

Most of my pictures from Christmas are on my camera, but I have a few on my phone...we went to Norwalk Christmas eve and spent the night. The kids had a visit from Santa on an antique fire truck ... he even gave presents! Ella got a bunny you can color on and Connor got truck puzzles.
Santa visited Grandpa's house and left a Thomas train set for Connor and a doll stroller for Ella. Both were a big hit! We celebrated with my family on Christmas eve and Nanny and Bubba are coming from Vermont tomorrow to celebrate here.

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Christmas Tree 2011

2011-12-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

We bought our tree when we were in Vermont for Thanksgiving, but then we had to go to Maple Row with Grandpa and Mom Leigh to pick out their tree. We go there every year and enjoy our visit there every time we go. Hayride to the top of the hill, hunt for the best tree, warm up by the mini bonfires, tractor ride back down and finish up with a cup of hot chocolate!
A day we look forward to every December.

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November

2011-11-20T19:01:00.001-08:00

Halloween Snow storm! (Oct 29th)

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Ella's 4th birthday in Dallas

2011-10-22T20:54:00.001-07:00

Ella's 4th birthday in Dallas...
Breakfast at the hotel...playing in fountains at the park in Addison...lunch at Blue Mesa(vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce)...playing with cousins at Uncle Malcolm's

...bowling...then ballerina cupcakes with cousins...a fun day! We love our sweet Ella!

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Playing together

2011-10-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

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Ella and Connor

2011-10-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

Ages almost 4 and almost 2...

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-10T05:59:00.001-07:00

Ella's second year of Montessori-she goes Monday through Thursday from 9-1. I miss her when she's at school, but she loves school her teachers and friends(especially school friend, Fiona)! It will be a great year for her!

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Summer fun pics

2011-07-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

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Summer

2011-07-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

We have been having a wonderful summer. We spent a week in NH visiting at Squam with my two camp friends and their children-six kids under five in one house. Sound exhausting? It was actually great! The kids all got along really well and played nicely and gave the adults some time to visit. We went to a great little farm in Tamworth one morning where we saw pigs, cows and baby goats (more kids! )...We also hiked Rattlesnake Mountain....Connor rode on my back and Ella hiked the whole thing (2 miles roundtrip)-we all enjoyed the wonderful view at the top! We also took a boat ride on a friends' party boat. The kids each had a chance to drive which they thought was perfect!My favorite outing we had was to the Science Center which I always enjoy. Nice trails and neat animal exhibits. Justin and I took our kids into Meredith at one point and had ice cream at Town Docks.Very pretty view and the kids loved playing in the sand. All in all we had a great time.

After NH, we headed to Vermont to our cabin with friends from home. Ella, Connor and our friends' two girls had a great time roasting marshmallows and playing outside. Ella went with Dada out in the kayak and we met more friends from home at Fire an dIce ( a fave for us in Middlebury.

Since we have been home we have been making the most of summer...spending Wednesdays at Grandpa's, going to the beach, park or pool most afternoons. Tomorrow we are headed to our favorite farm to blueberry pick and picnic with Ella's friend from school.

I will try and upload pictures, but I may have to do it in a seperate post since sometimes lately the pictures won't upload! And sorry about the iphone pictures, our camera is acting up...I guess it's better than nothing!

First Haircut

2011-07-08T16:59:00.001-07:00

At 20 months Connor got his first haircut from mom-Leigh. We spent the night at their house (after a nice day at the beach) and while he was eating his raisin bran this morning the cutting began. He sat silently and looked around. I tried not to think about that it's one more step to " big boy land" and try to hold onto my baby a little longer. He does look super cute!

And a few pictures from our day at the beach-fun time playing with cousins, swimming and playing at the playground...

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Location:Narragansett Trail,,United States

Crazy

2011-06-23T17:44:00.001-07:00

This was one crazy shopping trip! Needless to say, when I got home, I realized somehow I didn't get home with the bread?? It was craziness so I'm not surprised! Cute though!

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So happy together...

2011-06-16T03:35:00.001-07:00

my iPhone

Biking

2011-05-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

Today we biked 16 miles with the kids in a bike trailer...it was a beautiful paved trail that went for miles. Ella and Connor were so excited to ride along. Justin pulled 65 pounds(that's with all the gear)
Our friends and their two girls came along and we had a great time.
We are still waiting for warmer weather, but the cooler weather has actually been nice for playing outside...

my iPhone

Ella and her friend Allison

Market Fun

2011-05-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

What happens when the 18 month-old finds a red marker...

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

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Spring

2011-04-26T17:52:00.001-07:00

Seems like Spring has finally arrived...it was 80 today! We spent the afternoon at the park with a few of Ella's friends from school. Her good

friend from school played and played and ran around and now everyone is waaaay overtired!

We had a nice Easter at my Dad and Leigh's complete with an egg hunt and lots of food. Nanny and Bubba came for an overnight visit which was nice and Ella gave her "dee dees" to the Easter bunny/dee dee fairy....first night went fine with the promise of a treat, but subsequent nights haven't gone so smoothly...this will pass, right?!
Here are a few more pictures, sorry about the poor quality of some...iPhone pictures!

Coloring together!

Leaving "dee dees" for fairy

Baskets and new dress for Bitty

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2011-04-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

Fun day at library (Connor was overdue for nap) here they are outside the library smelling the flowers...

Dyeing Easter eggs

Drawing with chalk at Jake's house

What's that face?!

Carrying C-man

Sleepy guy after a busy day!

Connor at 16 Months

2011-03-07T18:20:00.001-08:00

Connor is a busy boy these days... he loves to climb everything, eat anything, loves, loves, loves backhoes, trucks, cars and tractors. Points and grunts at everything he wants...says Ella, Mama, Dada, ball, stop and no...
I love spending time with my little guy (all 25 pounds!)...he's a real snugglebunny...
Here's a recent picture from one of our "dates" we had at Starbucks while Ella was at school... I had coffee and Connor had a milk...

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Winter

2011-03-02T16:23:00.001-08:00

Connor's first dental visit-a few tears, but this was after we waited for an HOUR in the exam room with a 3 and 1 year-old..,no cavities!

Ella trying on her Easter dress(a bit early)

Shopping with mom...airplane cart is a big hit...

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2011-03-02T16:15:00.001-08:00

Wow. We've been busy. We're hoping the cold weather is coming to an end and looking forward to lots of time outside.
It's still cold here though and today Ella and I took a walk before dinner(Connor and Daddy stayed home)and we were freezing by the time we got home.
Life with two toddlers(well, I guess really one preschooler, one toddler) is super busy. We all had a horrible bout with a stomach bug last week-I somehow escaped the most horrible part, but felt queasy for days. We are all better this week and so thankful. Between 8 snow days and a few bouts of sickness, we are glad to be back to a " normal" routine this week as crazy as that is around here.

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Flashback Friday-February 2010

2011-02-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

New Blog to check out!

2011-01-19T06:29:00.001-08:00

Try out my SIL's new blog www.purelysweetmom.com

She has AWESOME recipes, family tips and a fun giveaway!!

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2010-12-13T07:32:00.001-08:00

We've been enjoying the Christmas season! We started it all up in Vermont with the annual tree lighting in Burlington the day after Thanksgiving. We had a great time up there with family and friends! We also did the annual holiday festival in our town which included a house tour, Victorian tea and our niece performing as a rat in The Nutcracker.
This past weekend we had Nanny visiting from Vermont and we have had a great time. I completed most of my shopping and we put up our tree(bought at the firehouse since it poured rain and we couldn't cut one down). Love the tradition of hunting for the perfect tree though and being outside so hoping to go next weekend with Grandpa and MomLeigh to get theirs.
Ella is loving reading Christmas stories and Connor is enjoying taking ornaments off the tree!

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2010-12-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

Look below to visit one of my very favorite blogs and enter to win some great giveaways...
Happy Holiday Season!!

2010-12-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas Cards

2010-11-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Every year I say I am going to get started early on my Christmas Cards and this year I am really going to do it! I always look at various websites deciding where to get my cards-who has the best deal and who has the cutest cards. This year I love Shutterfly's designs-they have very cute cards for very good prices. I love how easy it is to use your own photos and preview your card quickly. My favorite cards on Shutterfly are the ones which feature a few simple pictures along with the family initial. "Initially Yours" and the "Peppermint Pink" 5x7 flat cards are super cute.I just love all the designs Shutterfly has to choose from and how all the different cards are set up to feature certain numbers of pictures. Takes the pressure off as I am always sure to find a design that will work with the pictures I want to use.

You can check out Shutterfly and pick out YOUR favorite designs by visiting their website;
www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

They also feature very cute calendars that are super easy to personalize with your own pictures and give as holiday gifts! You can see the wall calendars at:
http;//www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars.

If you've already picked out your holiday cards, you can always visit Shutterfly for upcoming party invitations. Check them out at http;//www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/invitations.

Connor turns one!

2010-11-04T16:17:00.001-07:00

He's an official one year-old! Tomorrow is his well check so we will see how much he weighs, etc.
He loves to push anything he can to "walk"...says Ella, mama and"SSS" for "Sadie"
Very cute-he melts our hearts everyday!

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Fall

2010-11-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

Time is flying by-Ella turned 3 and Connor is turning 1 tomorrow! Connor's first year was somewhat hard since his theme seemed to be crying! He's a snuggly, cute guy though and we can't imagine life without him!
We celebrated Ella, Ava and Connor's birthdays 2 weeks back with our families including Nanny and Bubba from Vermont! Ella LOVED her bike from Nanny and Bubba and Connor got his first "ride-on" which he loves. He is all boy-climbing everything and loves anything with wheels! Ella goes to school 3 mornings a week and seems to be thriving there with a great routine- her favorite school activities are"snack" and " outside time"!
The two keep me busy, but they're so fun-we treasure these times with them as we know the years go all too fast!

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August in a Nutshell

2010-08-17T11:17:00.001-07:00

In a nutshell - Connor's 9 months old, sleeping a little better, but not well enough to help mom regain her full brain functions yet. Everyone LOVES the new swing we finally put up and we try to get out there at least once a day. Connor has revealed his full blown personality which is: opinionated, stubborn, funny, talkative and a little on the fearless side. He lives to take anything of his sisters and loves to push her buttons. He's crawling much to our reluctance...we just cant believe he's already "there". Time sure does fly! But we are excited for him and smile watching how proud he is of himself as he crawls across the room. Ella is becoming a preschooler through and through. She'll start at her little Montessori school in just a few weeks-can't wait to see how that goes!
Connor has his 9 month appt in a week (rescheduled because we were in VT) so we'll see what his "stats" are then.
Ella's doing so much more for herself and by herself that mommy can't believe the difference 10 months make! She still loves her dolls, dressing up and playing outside. What we've learned to be true: The days are long, but the years are short. Can't believe the summer's almost over!

July

2010-07-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have been terrible about blogging!! We have been very busy...this past weekend we had Nanny and Bubba visiting from Vermont-will post pictures soon...we had a good time with them swimming at their hotel, making pizza on the grill and they babysat for Justin and I so we could go out to dinner for our anniversary! We went out to Rizzuto's where I had a yummy scallop/grilled veggie salad and Justin had pasta with clam sauce...we went to the local scoop shop after dinner and ran into Nanny, Bubba and the kids there! Ella was excited to see us drive up!
Connor has been super clingy these days-probably due to his 6 teeth he now has (4 on top, 2 on the bottom)-he waves, claps and shakes his head on command now! So cute. He still doesn't nap very well at all which makes for a TIRED mama! Loves his rice cereal and babyfood these days.

I'll try and find a few pictures for you until the next time!

Graduation Day

2010-06-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today was Ella and Ava's "graduation" from the little mom and me group we have gone to for the last year...Ella will being going to the classes in the summer (and maybe Ava?) so it wasn't goodbye forever at this point...playtime, circle time with songs each child picked out, counting, alphabet, then snack (ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles!) followed by "diplomas"...very cute...Ella always loves her "school day" each week...hard to believe next year will be preschool already! I am NOT ready!!

Connor is 6 months old!

2010-05-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Wow...where has that time gone? Sloooow down! Time is moving so fast and our baby boy is 6 months old! LOVE this age-he is full of smiles...all day long. He loves his big sister and laughs when you tickle him...he sits up on his own...and grabs at toys...he eats babyfood(loves peas and sweet potatoes)...still only naps in the carseat or stroller (despite my best efforts)...and still wakes up twice a night...loves to be held all.day.long...

6 months is such a fun age...still that adorable and innocent baby, but interacting with us so much more each day...

Here are the 6 month stats:

2 teeth on bottom
20 lbs 3 oz!! 95th percentile
26 1/4 inches-75th percentile for height
Didn't even cry when he got his 2 shots at the dr.!

WE LOVE YOU, CONNOR DAVID!! Can't wait for the next 6 months with you!

2010-05-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Before I was a mom...

2010-05-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.
-Author Unknown

Ella-isms

2010-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ella cracks us up daily with her Ella-isms...like the other day when she was remarking that there was a dog hair on something and she called it "hairdog"...and repeatedly calls dog hair that now...she also heard a woodpecker outside yesterday and we were talking about it and today we heard it again and she told me she heard the "peckerwood"....no joke....and the other day we were at our friends' house and we were talking about walking down to the pond they have on their property and as we approached the pond Ella said... "I see the puddle"...meaning the pond...gotta love that girl...

Easter!

2010-04-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day together celebrating with our family. Ella loved the egg hunt this year and was a very well-behaved girl during church!

March brought us lots of sickness (yuck)-Ella was very sick with strep throat for 6 days, Connor had a double ear infection and then pneumonia...ugh. He was on 3 medications and now is down to just the nebulizer 2x a day until the cough is gone...In othe news, he got his first tooth (bottom left) and is starting to eat rice cereal and veggies( so far has had peas, sweet potatoes and green beans...)

We are enjoying the nice weather!

Flashback...

2010-03-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

One year ago we were chasing a 1 year-old around and now we have a big-girl (almost 2.5)and baby Connor who back then was just a tiny little speck of a baby!
We are b-u-s-y these days chasing an energetic toddler, changing and feeding Connor, going to playgroup and Mr. Turtle (2 year-old version of preschool with Mom)all the while keeping up with daily life! Connor has his 4-month check up this week so will post his "stats" soon! :)

Here are a few pictures from LAST winter...just for fun...

Mid-Winter

2010-02-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Well, since the last post, we have been busy, busy. We've tried to keep ourselves entertained while stuck in the house during these cold winter months...we've been staying away from crowded places since Connor is still very young so we've been more cooped up than usual...lots of coloring, play-dough and stickers to keep the 2 year-old somewhat entertained...can't wait for warmer weather!

Ella is a bit whiny these days and has the typical tantrums that come with the age, but she is still so fun to be around...she loves to help out with baby, "Tonnor" as she calls him, and likes to bring us diapers and wipes and push him in his swing. Ella loves to read books and her favorite these days is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" which we have read 100 times already. Dressing and undressing is also a popular activity and several times I have found her naked in her crib after her nap! We still go to her little "Mommy and Me" school once a week and playgroup once a week which she loves.

Connor is drooling like crazy and I will bet he will have a tooth or two in a month or so...he still sleeps great at night...going to bed around 9 or 10 and sleeping until 3-ish and back down until 7 or 8!! Love it. He is still colicky and sometimes screams for hours in the evening before settling down and sleeping, but it seems to be getting better...I've cut dairy out of my diet which may be helping also...still spits-up after every feeding and is still on reflux meds....next month the pediatrician said we may want to start rice cereal which may help the reflux...we will see..

Happy Winter...can't wait for Spring! :)

November Update!!

2009-12-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have been TERRIBLE about updating and we are SO busy these days, so I am going to shoot for a once a month update so I don't feel overwhelmed, but I may update more if I can find the time!!

November brought...

NEW BABY CONNOR DAVID!! Born on 11/3 (my late mom's birthday-yay!!) at 5:20 p.m.. Labor was WAAAY better this time around-still labor, but much shorter and the pain medicine worked, our doula was awesome and Connor arrived in 3 short pushes of under 10 minutes...!
He weighed in at 8.6 and 21 inches...he's growing like a weed already and is up to 10.4. He's already had his first cold which had me in a panic, but he seems like he's handling it fine (went back to dr. today) and I just tell myself he's building up his immune system!

Ella has had a difficult time adjusting...terrible 2's have also hit hard with many "no's" and temper tantrums throughout the day!
I have felt guilty, overwhelmed, sad, and frustrated with caring for two little people totally dependent on me all day and night, but also very happy that we have two healthy kids and I know in time we will all settle into a routine!

Connor has been sleeping well so far-feed him at 10:30 and then around 2:30 and 4:30 and sleep until 7-ish then I have to get up no matter what since Ella is up!
We are tired, but so thankful that he is here and healthy!

Here are a few pics and I'll post more soon...Ella is awake from her nap...

Happy Birthday, Pumpkin!

2009-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Fall is here, birthday parties and countdown to baby...

2009-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, we are busy! October is here and we are busy, busy everyday...with me working 2 mornings a week, mommy and me school, playgroup, library storytime and errands we have busy, busy weeks...but we love it. I am not a good one to just be at home all the time and even though running around is crazy at times I like it the way it is...

Ella and Ava celebrated their 2nd birthday early this month with our families and friends...we decided to do a party early in the month since the end of the month is busy with Halloween and the baby being due in less than 30 days from now!! Yikes! Soon we will be a family of four!

This pregnancy has flown by...I guess that's what happens when a 2 year-old is at home with you! Well, I should go rest while I can, but here are a few pictures from the big party and a couple from everyday life here...

It's been a long time...

2009-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Whoa...a long time has passed since my last blog entry...sorry! We have been busy around here. I am 28 weeks pregnant and moving slowly these days...

Summer has been fun and gone too fast. We've spent Wednesday's at Ella's CT grandparents house...going to the beach and park, playing in the sprinkler and we even took a trip to a children's museum. All the cousins play together and the adults try and live through the noise...

Ella is a busy, busy girl these days. Her vocabulary is growing every day and she now has too many words to even count...she loves dogs and babies and always loves to look at books.

We also spent a hot week with Ella's cousins in VT. Ella was grumpy a lot of the week (not like her...)and we suspect it was due to her molars coming in....despite her being very clingy and only wanting me, we had a fun time.

At Ella's 21-month check-up (at the end of July!!) she weighed in at 27 pounds and is 36" tall! 75% for both height and weight...

A few pictures from the past two months...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T18:13:00.001-07:00

Summertime

2009-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, it's supposedly summer here, but it has rained everyday for the last few weeks off and on. We have kept busy despite the weather and Ella continues to grow and learn more and more each day. She loves books right now and loves to read Growing Vegetable Soup about ten times a day. So, today we went to the library and picked out a few new books for Mommy and Daddy's sake!
Ella is quite silly these days and loves to play with other kids.I work doing Early Intervention 2 mornings a week and Ella goes to her cousins house which she loves! I have fond memories of playing with our cousins as kids and I hope Ella will too.
Here are a few pictures from the past month or so...

18 months Old!

2009-05-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Ella is actually almost 19 months old!! How crazy is that? I haven't blogged in a very looong time. Bad me. Ella is a busy girl these days and so are we!

These days Ella...

Walks, runs,jumps and claps on command!
She says many words..."mama, dada, doggie, baba(bottle), cup, cookie, Emma, Sadie, baby, up, didi (pacifier-her most favorite possession), ball and I am sure even more than I can think of right now!

She loves her bath time, being outside, animals of any kind, riding in her wagon and playing with her dolls.

She knows several body parts and can point to them...nose, mouth, teeth, feet, toes, ears, eyes, tummy and hands.

Loves her cousins and other kids. She also loves music and books-her favorite these days is, Moo, Baa, La, La, La.

And, biggest news of all these days is that Ella is going to be a big sister! Baby #2is coming on or around November 10th. We are very excited and feel very blessed to be expecting a new baby!

Pictures to follow once I can find the cord to my camera to connect it to the computer...

Ella's Fashion Show

2009-04-04T17:14:00.001-07:00

Ella already likes to pick out her own clothes. We are in trouble! She also loves to wear hats and shoes at all times in the house. Typical for an almost 18-month-old I am sure, but some of the outfits just crack us up!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

What a Difference A Year Makes...

2009-02-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken exactly one year ago today-Ella was almost 4 months old. Now she is a full-blown toddler! I miss the baby days, but she is so fun these days-we love her so much and are so blessed to have a happy, healthy baby/toddler!
Happy Valentine's Day!

15 Months!

2009-01-23T08:28:00.001-08:00

Wow!

Ella turned 15 months! Hard to believe. She had her 15 month check-up today. She is perfectly healthy. She weighed in at 24lbs. 7 oz. and is just over 31 inches. That means she has gained 17 pounds since birth and has grown 10 inches! Getting to be a big girl. She is into everything-walking/running, climbing onto chairs and steps and is just constantly on the go! She has several "words"...mama, dada, Sadie, doggie, baby, didi (binky), ball, and go. She is turning into a little girl and we are enjoying every second! Although she has started having a few little tantrums...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas

2009-01-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great holiday all together. We spent Christmas Eve and the following day at Ella's grandparents. Christmas Eve afternoon we went and saw Santa arrive on an antique firetruck. Ella was sleepy, but was very excited when Santa gave her a cute puppet. That evening we had a quiet night and went to midnight Mass (well, Ella stayed home with Grandpa and Auntie and slept). The next morning Ella was so surprised that Santa had come and he left her lots of great gifts! She LOVED her kitchen that Daddy made and her Bitty Baby doll and cute clothes from her Aunties. Ella's CT cousins came over mid-morning and all the kids had fun opening gifts and playing. We had a great day and we are so grateful that we all could be together and are healthy.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T09:18:00.001-08:00

We have been ELFed!

2008-12-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Some people

2008-11-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. Our car was broken into about a week ago when we were visiting friends in R.I. and our beloved camera was stolen...along with our GPS, the diaper bag Jutsin gave me when Ella was born (sad) and my wallet, phone, and alot of Ella's clothes and her cute little jacket. I was sad about the sentimental items (Ella's cute little jacket and diaper bag), but REALLY not happy about the fact that our camera that we had literally saved money for for months before Ella was born is now gone. We were just running into a store (in the POURING rain)and could see our car from where we were. Lesson learned-never leave anything in your car, even in a "nice" neighborhood and even for just a minute or two. It certainly could have been worse and we are truly thankfulthat it is nothing more than an annoyance. As Thanksgiving approaches, we wish our family and friends all the best. We are thankful for each and every one of them and for our healthy and adorable, walking, talking (well, babbling...) daughter. Soon we will have a new camera and I'll post some pictures of her walking....here are a few pictures from before our camera was stolen...enjoy!

2008-11-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

At our house the last 2 days has been not so fun. Justin has what we are calling the "0oga-booga", not really sure what it is, but it involves a sore throat and fever. Yuck. And Ella had her first trip to the dr. ever for a non-well-baby visit. She has had a lingering cold which Wednesday night turned into an ear infection. She was up every hour all night long. That is not like her, so we knew something was not right. The next morning she was tired, but okay. I took her to the pediatrician and they said that she has a "whopper" of an ear infection in her right ear and pink-eye. Her eye never looked pink, just gooky, so I had no idea. She is on an antibiotic for 10 days. She has remained in a good mood despite all of this and we are just hoping everyone is better SOON! In the meantime, Ella took 19 steps today! We have a walker!! :)

Happy Birthday to Ava!

2008-10-26T04:24:00.000-07:00

We want to say a big HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY to Ava! She's one today! Ella loves her cousin (and we do,too!) We hope she has a fun birthday today....
We'll post pictures from both parties soon!

XOXO to the birthday girl!

Ella's 1st year!

2008-10-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday, Ella!

2008-10-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the day is here! Ella is one! It is a bittersweet day....we "survived" the first year of parenthood and I think we have done pretty well! :) Ella is thriving-a happy and healthy girl, what else could we ask for? One year ago today at this time, we had a six-hour old baby. We (I) survived a 31- hour long labor and became parents to one adorable baby. We are so in love with our little girl and we can't wait to see what the next year brings!

At 1 year Ella can:

-Crawl like a crazy baby at lightning fast speed

-Clap her hands

-Wave bye-bye

-Use sign language for "more" and "all done"

-Stand up unassisted

-Drink on her own from a sippy cup

-Say "Dada" for Daddy and "Ga" for dog

-Barks like a dog when we ask her what the doggie says

-Eat cheerios on her own (her favorite food)

-Sleep through the night-7pm-6 am (most of the time)

She weighs 23 lbs. 7 oz. and is 30.5 inches.

At birth she weighed 7lbs. 2 oz and was 21 inches.

Here are a few pics from the last year....party pictures to follow soon!

On the move!

2008-10-03T18:56:00.001-07:00

Should we be afraid of what our future holds...in 15 years?!

Pumpkin in a pumpkin patch!

2008-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ella experienced her first trip to the pumpkin patch. I am sure she will be going back a few more times before fall is over! We love fall and everything about it (except that winter follows...). This week our playgroup is meeting to pick apples and pumpkins, so more pumpkin pictures to follow!

More like a toddler each day...

2008-09-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ella is quickly turning from baby to toddler- a bittersweet time! She is so much fun these days and loves to get into trouble already! She can climb onto the couch without help and "cruises" along the furniture. Won't be long until we are chasing her!

She has her first little cold today and so I have a preview of the next several years of wiping noses!

It's cool and sunny here today-loving fall in New England!

Here's a picture of our big girl!

Silly Girl

2008-09-08T03:40:00.000-07:00

Ella is a silly girl. Her personality has definately started to come out these days. She laughs a lot and smiles easily. She loves to play games (crawling over things is a favorite...)
We love our silly girl!

We are all saying prayers for Ella's new cousin and for another new friend born this past Saturday! We are also eagerly awaiting her new cousin who is due to arrive in January!

10 months old!

2008-08-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

Ella is a little over 10 months old...we can hardly believe it! It seriously has gone so fast. These past 10 months have been great. Never before in my life have I been so amazed by one person as I am by Ella...and never before have I been more tired! It has been so fun seeing her grow and the constant changes we've seen in her. She has a silly personality and a very cute sideways grin! She LOVES her pacifier these days (more than ever before) and she loves to eat! She prefers to feed herself... she loves noodles and peas, bananas and rice. She sleeps 12 hours most nights now (yipppeee!) and usually takes two good naps.

We are loving each day with her and we can't believe she will be a year-old in a very short time!

Prayers Needed

2008-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Please say a prayer for my cousin and her husband and baby today. They have been through a tremendous battle and we want them to know they are all in our prayers...

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-21T11:26:00.001-07:00

Nine Months!

2008-07-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ella is NINE months old! We cannot believe it! She is a ton of fun these days and is on the MOVE... she is crawling and into everything. We are enjoying every moment, but we are tired! :)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

What a difference 9 (almost) months makes! :)

5 Years!

2008-07-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

It has been FIVE years since we got married? Where did that time go? We celebrated by going out today and we are going to celebrate when we go to VT in August. Lots of good things have happened in 5 years....and a great one happened this past year...Ella!

Here's to many more happy years!

Crawling and Pickles

2008-07-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

It's official! We have a crawler on our hands! After about a month of "practicing", Ella took her first scoots forward on Sunday. She sometimes still forgets that she can crawl and scoots on her belly places, but by the end of the week she will be a pro! We also discovered that she loves pickles! She tried a lick and wanted more and more and more!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-05T12:20:00.001-07:00

Summertime

2008-07-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

We are having a fun summer. Wish Daddy was not working so much, but we are making the most of it! We celebrated Ella's first 4th with friends and family...good times for all! Happy Summer!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-02T04:34:00.001-07:00

Ella's first time in the "big" pool

2008-06-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

So, Ella went swimming for the first time in a big pool yesterday at her cousins house. We dipped her feet in the pool in Florida in March (she was 4 months), but this was the first time she actually went in. A little cool at first, but then she liked floating in her crab boat and so did Ava! Enjoy the pictures of the bathing beauty...

2008-06-24T04:29:00.001-07:00

Yay for sleep! Since Ella turned eight months over the weekend, she has been a sleeper! It must be a growth spurt or something, but we will enjoy it while it lasts! She went to bed at 8 last night and she's still asleep....shhhhh. I am up before her! :)

Ella turns eight months!

2008-06-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ella turned eight months old on Saturday! Hard to believe she is already that big! She is trying out the crawling thing (not quite there yet-fine with me! ) Soon our lives will be even more non-stop once she is mobile! We spent a great weekend with our friends at their cabin in Pennsylvania. Ella actually slept through the night (7-5:30-ish) for one of the first times ever on Friday night which was great.

She is eating three meals a day of babyfood and her new favorite is blueberry/pear. Yum!

2008-05-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

Ella waves now and it's just so cute! She is a smiley, happy baby, but don't take that toy away from her! She will let you know she wants it NOW!

2008-05-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so its been a few months since my last post...Ella has grown so much! She is so much fun these days.

Ella at 6 months...

Rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back
Smiles and laughs...LOVES the dog
Eats rice cereal and fruit/veggie twice a day
Sleeps 12 hours at night (but gets up twice and then right back to sleep)
Loves jumping in her jumper
Hates getting her diaper/clothes changed
Loves going on lots of walks

Our lives have changed so much in the last six months, but definately for the better! :)

2008-02-17T09:20:00.001-08:00

So, I am new at this whole blog thing, but I thought I'd give it a shot and share news about our lives and about the love of our lives, Ella.