Thursday - October 13, 2011

Traveling Baby Ella - Los Angeles Day 1
We left for the airport at 4am this morning (thanks Amber for driving us!) and got to experience the new Terminal B at the Sacramento International Airport.  It's over the top and reminds me of SFO.  After checking in, you have to take their shuttle to the security/boarding gates.  If your traveling on Southwest, better give yourself an extra 20 minutes just to get use to the new routine!

Our flight departed on time at 6am and we arrived at Ontario at 7:15am.  Ella did great as she slept during the entire flight.  Uncle Mike picked us up from the airport and we went straight to Mike and Mayelle's apartment.  Ella was greeted by her Grandpa Frank.

Picture:  Ella and Grandpa Frank

We spent the entire morning and afternoon at M&M's apartment - Korean dramas, naps, rice cereal, playtime with Mikayla and hanging out.  What a great first day of vacation. 

Picture:  Ella and Uncle Mike + Baby Mikayla

Grandma picked us up at 5pm and we came home in time for dinner and playtime.  Ella got lots of love and attention at Grandpa and Grandma's house. 

Video:  Ella playing with Grandpa Frank

Picture:  Ella sitting up (looking at Alex), playing with grandpa, and taking a nap on grandma.

Tomorrow - visiting great grandparents, baby Mikayla, and more playtime with grandparents.

Wednesday - October 12, 2011

Happy hump day!  Ella woke up this morning about 7:30am and was one chatty girl.  After she was fed and changed, she played in her activity walker for most of the morning until we left for her swim class.

Video:  Ella in the pool

Our poor girl needed a nap so pool time wasn't the most enjoyable today.  Toward the end of the swim lesson, she already fell asleep on my shoulder.  BUT it was so cute!  We came home, gave her a bath, fed her rice cereal, and she went down for her afternoon nap at 12:30pm to 3:20pm.

Ella's First Moment:  Flipping from stomach to back

I am so excited to report that Ella has officially learned to flip from her stomach to back.  I've been giving her lots of tummy time and it finally paid off.  Practice pays off ;)

Video:  Ella flipping!  This is her third and final flip before she was ready for something else.

What's the best way to end the night?  with laughter of course!  Ella went down for bed at 9:20pm.  ;)
Video:  Ella with Daddy laughing

Tuesday - October 11, 2011

Who enjoys secretly video taping Ella while she plays on her own?  I do!  After our morning routine, I put Ella in her plaything (not sure what its called) and took a shower.  She has now learned to bang on the piano keyboard and it plays music!

Video:  Ella playing by herself

We left for the office at 10am and got home about 2:30pm.  Ella slept on the car ride to work and talked the whole way home which was a nice treat. She's a talkative one lately.

Towards the end of her lunch, Ella starting nodding off.  At one point she was sleeping while eating her rice cereal!  Couldn't pull out the camera fast enough.  ;(

Video:  Ella eating rice cereal and falling asleep

We ended the night by going to meeting. Tomorrow were taking Ella to her second swim lesson!

Monday - October 10, 2011

Busy and rainy Monday!  Ella slept great last night - slept from 9pm to 4:30am, 5:15am to 7:30am.  We had lots to do this morning: make breakfast and lunch for Brian, take care of the dogs, take Dexter to the Vet for his teeth cleaning, and go into the office.  The downpour did not help in our morning activities and errands.

Ella did great at the Defty's.  After playing with Leslie, she fell asleep in her bouncy and was so happy to get her second morning nap ;)

Picture:  Ella sleeping and waking up in her bouncy

We got home from work about 12ish and fed Ella her rice cereal (4 tablespoons of RC and 2 ounces of BM).  She's eating solids as one meal now and we can't wait to introduce veggies next week.  Ella took a nap from 1:30pm to 4:30pm and had to go back out into the rain to pick up Dexter from the Vet.

Video:  Ella playing in her play pen

Can you believe it's mid-October already?

Sunday - October 9, 2011

Sunday mornings are so nice when you get to stay in, play with Baby Ella, and catch up on house chores.  I'm trying to give Ella lots of individual play time but still let her know I'm in the room as she freaks out sometimes when I disappear. 

Picture:  Ella playing

Ella took a nice long nap after eating her rice cereal (almost 4 tablespoon of rice cereal and 2 ounces of BM).  She slept from 12 to 3:20pm but could have slept longer if I didn't wake her up to go to meeting.  After meeting we went over to Jan and Chris's house for dinner.  I complete forgot to get a picture of Ella with her great grandpa ;(

Picture:  Ella with Grandpa and Nana

Video:  Ella with grandparents (talking)

We got home and gave Ella her bath.  She is so talkative after her bath ;)
Video:  Ella after her bath playing in front of the mirror

Saturday - October 8, 2011

I think I found a new way to keep Ella's hair sticking up!  Her hair was crazy this morning after I left her bow in it for so long.  It's so cool.  Doesn't it look big?

Picture:  Ella's morning hair.

Spent the morning out in field service and then did a couple errands.  Ella has been doing so much better in the car seat that I am able to do more with her.  We got home about noon and her high chair arrived!  Woohoo!  After 20 minutes of trying to put the thing together - everything clicked and her chair is ready to sit with the grownups.


Video:  Ella eating rice cereal in her high chair for the first time

Picture:  Ella + high chair = success

We all took a nice long "family" nap together and didn't get up until about 5ish.  We continued our family date night and went out for dinner & a movie.  We watched a movie and got home about 9ish.  Ella does so good at the movies that it makes it easy to go out with her! 

Picture:  Ella's Story Time with Daddy

Friday - October 7, 2011

Ella is sleeping great ;)  I need to start using an alarm clock instead of Ella the alarm clock as she's waking up later each day (depending on what time she falls asleep).

After we came home from work, I fed Ella her rice cereal (2 Tablespoons and 1 ounce of BM) and gave her a bath.  She loves the bath part but hates washing her hair.  I can't blame her, she has tons of hair!

Picture:  Ella after her bath

Her hair is getting long enough where it bothers her eyes so we're testing out a new hairdo.  :) Ella doesn't seem to agree with this one though.
Picture:  Ella's new hair do.

Evening Activities:  Brian came home and we decided to go out for dinner and a movie - family date nights are great!  We ate at Hooters and then watched Ides of March.

Video:  Ella dancing with Mommy

Picture:  Ella with Daddy at Hooters