Quite a Weekend

First things first...since Friday we've been putting milk in Ella's bottles again, but this time, she has had no diarrhea or rash!  YAY!  We thought for sure she was allergic to milk given the nasty diaper rash she got the last two times we've tried milk, but it looks like we're good to go!  Ah, the things parents get excited about.

She also got THREE new teeth!  They've already cut through, but we had no idea since the kid is not at all affected by teething.  She got the two on either side of her top two teeth and one on the side of her bottom teeth.

On top of all that excitement, Ella got to spend time with her friends Logan and Peyton at a little pumpkin patch at their grandma's office.  Ella became a prop amidst the pumpkins because she just loved sitting there- it was pretty hilarious...at first people were taking pictures of her, but then they started to pose behind her and take pictures of themselves with her!






Ella also visited with great-grandpa and had teppanyaki for the first time! Of course she loved watching the food being cooked right in front of her...especially when he threw sesame seeds and egg at her. ;)


Ella had lunch on Sunday at Panera at The District with her friend Reagan. It was the first time Ella ran all over the place outside! While it's a little exhausting chasing her around, it was pretty cute watching her make friends with all the random people she would walk right up to and touch their food or take their silverware. ;) I'd never been to that Panera, but I really love that area to meet up for lunch because it's a circle with a huge fountain in the middle so I could let her run pretty far away and still keep my eye on her.

Pumpkins!

On Friday Ella went to the pumpkin patch for the first time!  We went to Tanaka farms where they have a corn maze, hay ride, petting zoo and tons and tons of pumpkins...










On Saturday, Ella spent the day with Alex, and we went to the USC vs. Cal game with our friends. It was so fun, and SC had a big win!

Sunday night eleven of us went to Pomodoro for dinner. It was so fun- just like a big family dinner! I forgot to take a picture of the kids at dinner, but I had to take some of Ella in her cute outfit...the shirt has an elastic bottom and cowl neck just like a big person shirt!

Ella is...

Walking all over the place!  Granted, it's still like a drunken sailor, and she REFUSES to walk if she's outside, but we're getting there.  She's walking flat footed almost all the time now, which is good because we wouldn't want to have to visit an ortho, but it was so cute when she walked like a little ballerina!  She is also pulling out the tiny baskets in our side table, and somehow fitting herself into them...

Recommended Toys...Ages 0-12 Months

These are the toys Ella has loved throughout her first year...


First, the BEST $50 we ever spent was on the Baby Einstein Exersaucer by Graco (we still put her in this while we are showering).









Sassy Big and Small Chime Balls

Sassy Look Photo Book







Freddy the Firefly (by Lamaze)











 Winkel Teether (by Manhattan Baby)









 Sensory Balls

Little Tikes Wide Tracker Activity Walker (don't waste money on an expensive one- she loved this!)





Basically anything she can push and/or sit on, but especially these...

Little Tikes My First Cozy Coupe Walker Ride On

Disney Princess Ride-On









She LOVES this, and much prefers it over her stroller now...
Step 2 Whisper Ride Buggy (she has the pink one, but I can't find it online)

All Melissa & Doug Puzzles with the big knobs

Little Tikes Swing

Stacking Cups

Bright Starts Links

Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack

Learning Curve Keys (it had to be these ones- she didn't like the fancier ones or more bulky ones)

Little Ladybug Finger Puppet Book

Baby Einstein First Words book

Three other things she loves, but I can't find pictures of are her plastic Superstar Microphone from the $2.50 bin at Target that magnifies your voice when you speak into it, and the wooden maracas and shaker with bells on it from a music set I found at Michaels.

Kids are all different so you never know what your baby will like no matter how many other people love it, but I will say the one thing I wish we did not buy is the Playskool Ball Popper...

So many people told me to get this...she does like it, but it's definitely not her favorite, and she wouldn't miss it if it was gone- we only play with it about once every 2 weeks. It is SO obnoxious and loud, as well as impractical because the balls fly everywhere so you spend the time chasing the stupid balls all over the house. Not to mention, when you have older kids over that can figure out how to push the button themselves, it's NEVER ENDING. There is no music adjustment so it just goes on and on and on very loudly.

Introducing...Ella's Wishlist!

If you look to the right, you'll see a new addition...a link to Ella's Wishlist.  I  know, I should have done this BEFORE her birthday since almost everyone asked for ideas of what to get her, and I kept saying, "I don't know", but at least it's here in time for Christmas!

Sometimes I have things on the list twice because I'd find it at a different website and just add it again...not because she needs two of anything!

Hopefully, this will be helpful, and at the very least, be one location where I can keep a list of everything I want to buy her since whenever I see something cute for her, I promptly forget. ;)

ONE Year Old!

We made it!  I can't keep a basil plant alive to save my life, but we turned a 4 pound preemie into a 21 pound happy healthy little girl!

We had her 1 year well visit this morning, and once again, the doctor was very happy with her progress.  He said she is very advanced on gross motor skills, but we need to work on her talking a bit more by reading to her and telling her what everything is.  He said he is happy that she is very social and has excellent eye contact.  He noted that toe walking is VERY common at this age, and they consider it normal, BUT if she's still doing it at her next appointment (15 months), we have to make an appointment with an ortho.

She got 4 shots today. :(  Hep A, Hep B, MMR and Varivax (chickpox).  She also got pricked in both big toes because our ped does a full CBC screening.  The toe pricking didn't bother her in the least.  She screamed during the vaccines, but once we got home, she was in the BEST mood...maybe I need to stick needles in her thighs more often. ;)

She weighs 21.12 pounds (about 50th percentile)
She is 30 inches (about 65th percentile, but 85th percentile if you go by her adjusted age, which the doctor does...we think she's even taller- we're going to try and measure her again tonight a different way)
I never remember her head circumference, but it's 44th percentile I think.

She has made amazing strides in the last month.  The more she accomplishes, the happier she gets.  One year old Ella facts:

• She crawls at lightening speed, cruises everywhere, pulls herself up on anything and walks 5 or 6 steps at time...sometimes she even walks across the room (yet STILL cannot get herself up to a standing position on her own without pulling up on something);
• She waves hi and bye all the time, shakes her head "no", claps less frequently and recently started pointing...she'll touch fingers with you, and we say, "Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!" which she thinks is really funny;
• She loves having babbling conversations and says "dada" and "mom" for more (we think);
• She is so happy and doesn't really have meltdowns (our photographers said she is the first baby they've ever photographed that didn't cry at all or have a major meltdown during the whole photo session!), but she does get upset when she doesn't get her way;
• She is still very independent and will go to anyone...she will cry when we leave sometimes, but she gets over it in about 3 seconds;
• She has become much more affectionate and loves to crawl all over us, jump on us, run to us and even sit in our laps;
• She still loves Rylee, and we are trying to teach her "gentle", but there has been a lot of hair pulling in the process;
• She loves balls, puzzles and baby sized chairs;
• She still is not very into tv;
• She still naps about 9:30am-11am and 3pm-430pm;
• She gets three 8 oz. bottles a day (7am, 2pm, 730pm);
• She eats table food at 8:30am, 12pm and 5pm- she loves meat and vegetables...she's not huge on carbs and fruit...I wish I had her diet;
• She wears a size 3 diaper and 12 month or 12-18 month in clothes.

This will probably be the last monthly update, but I can't wait for what the next year will bring!

Birthday Weekend

We couldn't let her actual birthday day pass without taking her out to dinner, so we went with grandma and grandpa to Red Robin, which we decided is Ella's favorite restaurant since she likes the hamburger meat there (ok, we also chose it because it's close by and has super fast service...we had tons of party prep to get back to!).

Grandma brought balloons for her...she wasn't quite sure what to do with them.


Family photo- Attempt #1...

Family photo- Attempt #2

Her birthday party was Saturday morning. I have to say, I think it turned out wonderfully. I worked REALLY hard (for the past FIVE months!), and it was super stressful getting it together in the morning, but I was so happy with how it turned out!

Sadly, I took only two pictures on my camera! :( The professional pictures should come in about 2 weeks, so I'll do an official birthday post then, but here is a little sample...




On Sunday, we went to our neighborhood pumpkin patch and little fair (I swear, I LOVE our development!)...they had bounce houses, games, prizes, music, a big pumpkin patch, lots of food (including a Wienerschnitzel truck!)...all for free!