Dad and Donna's Visit

Dad and Donna came up for a visit yesterday and Ella had a great time playing with her Grandma and Grandad

First Bottle of Formula

After 5 months of nothing but breast milk, we gave Ella her first bottle of formula on Friday night. Around 4 1/2 months it started becoming harder and harder to keep up with how much milk she needs and so after thinking about it long and hard we decided to give her first bottle of formula on Friday after work. She drank it really easily and didn't seem to think anything of it - not sure what I was expecting, but I didn't know it would be that easy. That night she slept from 8:30 pm to 5:30 am, and I wonder if having a full tummy was part of her long sleep that night. So, the plan is to give her one bottle of formula a day for the rest of this month, and then we will introduce solid foods at 6 months. Yesterday she was not as receptive to the formula bottle and actually refused it; today I gave it to her when she was really hungry and she drank it right away, so I think the key is to only try to feed it to her when she's really hungry (at least for now until she gets used to it).

Here's a pic from her first bottle on Friday:


See how she is trying to hold the bottle too? she's so cute :)

Hanging out after her big meal

Ella is 5 Months - June 5

Ella turned 5 months old on June 5. This has been the month where she has amazed me the most with what she has learned - the increase in awareness of what's going on around her, the way she can actually reach and grab for things now, and she has even now discovered her feet! She has such a little personality already and we learn more about her and enjoy her more every single day.

Here are some pics from the end of her 5th month:

We had our friends visit for Memorial Day, this is me, Tara and Ben


Ben and Sammy


Mom with the little bunny after bathtime


Smiley Girl



Little Angel Face


So cute!!



In her first skirt!



Having fun in the morning



Fun with Mommy

Rolling the OTHER Way

Lately Ella has been using her head to move her around - she will throw her head to the side and kind of let it lead her body and can move a little bit that way. She'll end up in the far corner of her crib, or even upside down, from the middle of the crib where we originally put her down.

Today she was playing on her back in the gymini and was trying to pull the toys her into her mouth. She was able to get herself into the corner and started pulling the side bar toward her. She used it to pull herself all the way over, on to her belly! She was so proud of herself once she made it that she propped her head up and gave me a big smile. I thought it may have been a fluke but then she did it again, the same exact way. I don't think she would've been able to if not for the sidebar that she grabbed on to, or without the toys (and mirror) to motivate her, but it was pretty incredible.

Holding a Toy

Here is Ella holding a toy






It is really incredible how much she's learned in the past month!!

Fun Times

Having a good laugh at Sammy & Cory


Playing with her toys




In her new gym from grammy & gramps


Mommy is so funny! :)

Pics in PJs

Some pics from the past few weeks of the little angel sleeping.









Playing in the morning while I get dressed

Sitting in her Bumbo Seat

We got Ella a bumbo seat a few weeks ago so she can sit up like a big girl. Here are some pics of her first time in it.

Playing with her dress and having fun


Starting to get tired of it


Had enough!!

Rolling Over

Here are some pics of Ella rolling over from her belly to her back. Lately she has been doing it, but in several stages - from her belly to her side, then she hangs out on her side for a while, then she rolls all the way over.

Getting ready


On her side


Taking a little break to play with her blanket


Back to business


Victorious!!!

Another First

So Ella had another "first" this morning. She has a toybar on her carseat with a frog that has a mirror on one side and his eyes light up and he plays music, and there are a few bumblebees that spin around. Every morning when I put her in the seat I spin them around and tell them they're saying 'good morning to Ella' and play the music and she gets really happy.

Well today when I was driving her to daycare I heard one of the rattles going - I turned around and saw her little hand up in the air - she had actually reached out, grabbed it and was spinning it around!! What a little genius (hee hee) :=).