More May Pics

Hmm...what an exciting name for a blog post! May has been a really busy month for us, and I missed my 16 month update, Ella is actually now just a week away from being 17 months! So, I will save all of my update thoughts for her 17-month update, but here are a bunch of pics that I didn't get a chance to post throughout the month.

Some that Steve took of a trip to the playground with Ella


Stopping to blow a kiss to daddy!




Helping do dishes


Paper towel monster!


Sharing with Sammy


Look at me!!


Very busy checking out the tree, showing her treasure to Grampy G


Stopping long enough to give mommy a smile!


Fun in the bath


So pretty!

Swimming

I got out of work early on Friday afternoon to start the long weekend, and we took Ella swimming over at Mom & Glenn's. I thought she would be a little hesitant because she always was last year, but she was not at all. She absolutely loved it!

Some pics from before we went


I put the little raft down in the hallway while we were getting everything together, and she had to get right in and try it out

I'm ready!!


And here she is with the noodle...check out that look of pure mischief on her face!


Here is a video clip of her playing with the noodle in the hallway


Me and my angel


Once we got to the pool she headed right for it, no fear at all, and had a blast. She kicked and splashed around and really had a good time. We saw her friend Brady from gymnastics there with his dad, so Ella and Brady got to have a litte pool date.

Miss Independent, off to the pool - luckily Steve is just about one step behind her


With Daddy


We took her in the baby pool and she loved that too - she made some pals with the other kids there and ended up shivering but kept laughing and carrying on


Unfortunately, we got a VERY unhappy little girl when it was time to leave - yelling and crying because her horrible parents had the nerve to remove her from her pool fun!

Brushing her Teeth

One of Ella's new words is "teeth" and she LOVES brushing her teeth after bathtime. She used to just let me brush them for her but her new method involves yelling "TEEEEEEE", forcefully snatching the toothbrush out of my hand, and doing it herself...so I give her a chance to brush her teeth on her own, and then it's my turn - you can imagine whose brushing she likes better.

Anyway, here's my little dental-hygiene-minded babydoll with her rendition of brushing her teeth...

Mean Mommies

Last Saturday I met 2 friends and their little girls at the playground so the three of us could catch up and the little ones could play. We don't have a picture of the 3 of them together since Halloween, so we tried our best to get the 3 of them to sit together and smile - hahahah yea right! They wanted NOTHING to do with the posed photo and it cracked me up because you would've thought we were 3 MEAN MEAN MOMMIES torturing our little girls!

Ryanne is NOT happy!


Now Ella says "mommy, I don't like this"...


"I'm outta here"


"Save me Mommy!"


Anvi was a good sport but Ryanne and Ella were not having any of the group picture. Us Mean Mommies need to learn our lesson, Miss Shelllie's words that always ring in my head - they have their agenda and we have ours!

Ella's Dedication

We had Ella dedicated at church last Sunday, May 10. It was also Mother's Day so it was a doubly special day, really wonderful. Our families came in to be there at church with us and help us celebrate - Mom and Glenn, Dad and Donna, Len and Carole, and Erin and Josh all came - we were so very excited to have everyone to celebrate with us and be there for Ella's dedication.

I came downstairs that morning to a Mother's Day surprise!

Is there anything better than a card addressed to Mommy??? :)

Here are the 3 of us before church


Fortunately the dedication was right at the beginning of the service, because right now "sitting still" and "staying in one place" are NOT on Ella's agenda. Once we got up on stage, Ella was quite the squirmy little worm - she was trying to push off me and all she wanted to do was get down and run around.

Here is the passage I chose:
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.


It was really special to me and I'm so glad everyone was there to be there for Ella's big day. Here's a picture of all of us after church was over:


Our wonderful babydoll


We all went back to our house after for a big brunch. I made french toast casserole the night before and tried eggs benedict for the first time - I didn't actually poach the eggs (that's a challenge for another day) but everything else about it was eggs benedict! Steve and I both cooked and brunch was a success!

Ella and Grammy


Ella and Aunt Erin


With Unky Jay


Eating a paper plate with Grandad


Ella's cake


Me, Mom, Erin & Ella


It was such a very special day and I am so happy that everyone came to celebrate with us. It couldn't have been any more wonderful!

Froggie Pool

Glenn got Ella an inflatable froggie pool last year but we didn't have a chance to set it up, and this past weekend was the perfect opportunity. We had a hot day and Glenn set it up over at his and Mom's house in Apex.

Steve's dad and Carole were here too (more about that when I post about Ella's dedication) so we all enjoyed watching Ella's first time in her froggie pool! At first she was not sure and had to carefully check everything out...

Hmm what's this?


A video of her checking it out...
Getting really excited!

As she got more and more into it (i.e. wetter), I changed her into her bathing suit so that she wouldn't be totally soaked in her clothes...she did NOT want to leave the site of her pool but was very happy to be back and ready go get in.
Here she is climbing in for the first time


Woah this is fun!




And some fun splashing -

She really had a ball, as did all of us watching her! her! Erin and Josh came while we were outside, and of course as soon as Ella saw Nola she needed to quickly evacuate the pool to go after her bud.

Ooooh Nola!!


Must....pet...Nola


Here's a pretty picture of the sunset later


And after a bath, having LOTS of fun with Aunt Erin


Mom and Glenn made us a great dinner, and a very fun night was had by all!

More from Elise's Birthday

My friend Susan sent me a bunch of pics that she took from Elise's birthday party a few weeks ago and I had to include a few more of them.

All of the parents and children are in a big circle and the leader is in the middle with the clown puppet - and her buddy Ella who felt that there was no way she could sit mildly in a circle and had to be right in the action!


And then when it was time for Elise to blow out her candle and eat her cupcake, again - there's another little friend on her way there to check out what's going on


Ella and Riley


Playing peekabo with Elise


Three little amigos - they all climbed up there together on their own


As you can tell, Ella thoroughly enjoyed herself!!

Exotic Animal Show

On Sunday we took Ella to the Exotic Animal Show at the fairgrounds. Since she pretty much gets a huge kick out of anything that moves and has fur, I figured she'd have a good time.

There was an alligator that you could touch but instead Ella would get really close, scream with delight, and then bury her head in Steve's shoulder -


The bunnies were more her speed -


Enjoying her first drink of lemonade...I honestly think she drank half of this cup herself, you would've thought she was a camel and hadn't drank in 3 months, she is definitely a lemonade fan!



There were tons of snakes, lizards and other reptiles - there was a crocodile show that I wanted to see but Ella wanted no part of that (because it involved sitting still for a while of course).

These scorpions, although you can't tell on this picture, were a bright, bright blue color, very interesting.


Pretty neat tortoises, it was hard to see them from far away


There were also some kangaroos and some other mammals I hadn't seen before, but mostly reptiles. Steve even had a dream with snakes in it last night - hah!

Here is a little sleeping angel on the way home