Cups are fun!

While my parents were here, they gave Ella a cup to play with during her bath.  Now that I've been giving her baths again, I'm starting to pick up all the new habits she has decided to take on - some funny ones ;)  I'm glad my parents taught her how to entertain herself with a cup. 

Who needs bath toys when you can play with a cup!

Video:  Ella loves playing with a cup.

Video:  Do I love dumping water on myself with a cup? Yes.

Too funny.

I've learned to. . .

Ella has blossomed these past few weeks with new things she has learned to do.  Her facial expression is pretty funny every time she figures something out and masters it.  Through trial and error (and cries out of frustration), she's getting more entertaining to watch!

At 17 months I've learned to. . .

Video:  Stomp my foot.

Video:  Stand on my chair to look outside the window.

Video:  Hold my book like a waiter.

Video: Throw china around out of defiance.

Video:  Use my brother as a table

Video:  Laugh and giggle with a friend.

Video:  Hold my friends hand.

Video:  Give hugs to my friends.

 

Video:  Share my toys with friends.

I love this kid.

I love corn!

Got corn?

Ella loves corn as much as her mama.  We can't even have corn out until she's finished with her meal otherwise her whole meal will consist of corn.  After we washed her hair, she made her first attempt at eating corn on the cob.  My big girl.

Picture:  Ella eating corn on the cob.

;)

I like to steal my brother's bottle

Ella never took on to the bottle when she was a baby but she sure likes to steal baby William's bottle!  We just started introducing William the bottle and Ella enjoys to have the leftovers.  Seriously, every bottle attempt Ella ends up taking the bottle, runs to the other room and tries to finish off the breast milk.  Her first reaction to the breast milk was so funny - she gave me this, oh this taste familiar yet is different from the milk I'm getting now.

Picture:  (September 15, 2012).

Video:  (September 16, 2012).

;)

When I grow up. . .

When I grow up. . . . .I want to be a dog.  Yes, Ella loves her dogs so much that she wanted to join them in their cage.  Sigh, I guess that means I have to wipe down their cages more often or wipe down Ella every time we go down stairs. 

Pictures:  Ella wants to be a dog (September 15, 2012).

My baby girl is a funny one.

Where's Ella?

When I was a kid I enjoyed the "Where's Waldo?" book series.  I dedicate this post to Waldo as Ella seems to enjoy hide and seek with the furniture. 

Video:  Where's Ella?  Is she behind the rocking chair? (September 14, 2012).

Pictures:  Can you find Ella?

Picture: Ella hiding behind the printer (September 17, 2012).

Such a funny kid.

Pretend Play

I love having a girl!  I found Ella playing with her brush and her stuff dog in her room.  By the time I got the camera, she already stopped and I was so sad to not get the entire pretend play on video.  Sigh, gotta carrier the camera with me at all times!

Video:  Ella combing her stuff dog (September 12, 2012).

I did however get a video clip of her pulling her caterpillar toy around.  She's getting really good with her hand-eye coordination. 

Video:  Ella pulling her push toy around (September 13, 2012).

Love love love my baby girl!

Daddy's Girl

Over the last several months, we have made a big effort to have Ella become more of a daddy's girl prior to baby number 2. It only took the arrival of her brother to get her to love her daddy. 

Fun facts:  When Brian comes home, Ella runs to the gate to greet him with a kiss.  She loves to go bike riding and take walks around the yard with Brian.  So sweet to watch their father-daughter relationship blossom.

Picture:  Daddy and Me (May 20, 2012).

Picture:  Daddy and Me (May 27, 2012).

Picture:  Daddy and Me (June 2, 2012).

Picture: Daddy giving me a piggyback ride (June 9, 2012).

Picture:  Ella kissing daddy to wake him up (June 15, 2012).

Picture:  Ella and Daddy at the recreation pool (June 23, 2012).

Picture:  Ella and Daddy after the DC (July 14, 2012).

Picture:  Ella and Daddy playing (September 5, 2012).

Picture:  Ella and Daddy sitting outside (September 9, 2012).

Way to go Daddy!

Different Hair Styles

With my folks here, Ella has had a variety of different hair styles that I didn't think to even try.  Ella's side ponytail is my favorite.  My mom loves playing with Ella's hair when she lets her. ;)

Picture:  Vairety of Ella's hair styles

;)

Let's find William.

Ella loves to look in on William and see what he's doing.  Her new thing is to grab on to the side of the bassinet and tip toe so she can see him.  Finally got it on video!

 

Video:  Ella looking in on William (September 9, 2012).

Ella is too funny.  She won't let my folks hold William anymore but she will let visitors hold him.  When I change William's diaper, Ella wants to be apart of the team and forces me to bring her up to the table to watch.  She has become an awesome little helper as she likes to throw William's dirty diapers in the trash can.  What a good big sister!

Picture:  Ella tip toes to see her baby brother (September 10, 2012).



 

Pictures: Ella still loves checking on her brother.

;)

Where's Ong?

My dad left for a week and when he returned Ella acted like he never left.  She's a funny kid.  I need to get back in gear and start video taping her more.  I feel like I have missed so much of her last few weeks of growth and development!

Video:  Ella walking around in her crib while she waits for Ong (September 8, 2012).

Video:  Ella sees Ong (September 8, 2012).

Later that day, Tien and Claire came over for a visit and we all had a blast.  Ella shared her toys though she did not like Claire playing with certain toys.  Toward the end of the visit, Ella and Claire were chasing each other, screaming and laughing, and playing peekaboo with one another.  It was a beautiful sight.

 

Video:  Ell and Claire playing with William (September 8, 2012).

We love our friends!

Bath Time + Mikayla

Our first attempt at having the girls take a bath together failed miserably as Mikayla was not use to sitting in the bath tub (she's use to her baby bath tub).  However, our second attempt was successful until Ella got splashed in the face by Mikayla and wanted out of the bath tub.  ;) 

Mikayla love to splash!  Ella does not. 

Video:  Ell and Mikayla taking a bath together (September 2, 2012).

I love babies in their diapers pictures.  Especially when there are more than one baby wearing nothing but diapers.  Here are a few pictures of Ella and Mikayla playing with toys while only in their diapers.

;)

I *heart* Lily

We have never questioned Ella's love for dogs.  This weekend, there was no denying how much she loved our dog Lily (who lives with my family in LA as we did not have the energy to have 3 dogs).  Ella practically ignored Dexter and Claire the whole weekend. I'm not sure if its because of Lily's soft fur or the fact that she looks more like a stuff animal nevertheless Ella loved having her around.

Video:  Ella greets Lily (September 1, 2012).

 

Video:  Ella walking Lily around the house with a leash (September 2, 2012).

Ella couldn't get enough of Lily.  Good thing Lily doesn't mind the hair pulling, the really hard pats and of course the occasional being squished.

Ella & Mikayla

We're so happy to have our family from LA visit for the long weekend.  Especially since we got to see baby Mikayla!

The last time Ella saw Mikayla was back in March for Hieu and Ruby's wedding.  Back then, Mikayla wasn't as mobile and Ella was just learning to walk.  Fast forward five months --> Ella is walking and Mikayla is trying to walk. 

On Saturday morning, Ella was greeted by Uncle Mike, Aunt Mayelle and Cousin Mikayla.  It was super cute as she really liked Unlce Mike (asking him to sit next to her, giving him toys, etc.).  As Mikayla woke up to join the party she didn't seem too happy to be sharing her toys let alone the attention.

Video:  Ella tells Mikayla to stop touching her book.

 

Video:  Ella does not like to share with Mikayla.

 

Video:  Mikayla trying to steal Ella's chair.

 

Video:  Ella doesn't want to kiss Mikayla.

By the end of the morning, Ella didn't mind her cousin as she had a house full of uncles and aunts to play with.  Good times!