Thursday Thirteen...Birthday Style

Thirteen People Who Helped Us Celebrate Ella's 1st Year of Life
1. Grammy
2. Papa
3. Aunt Lizzie
4. Grandma Bobbie
5. G.G.
6. Amy/Clara
7. Kristy/Brianna
8. Kelli/Savannah
9. Rose Marie
10. Sara
11. Carson
12. Jennifer/Mallorie
13. Mommy/Daddy

Thirteen Gifts Ella Received
1. Fisher Price Learn and Laugh House
2. Cute Polka Dot Stroller
3. Personalized Tin with Gymboree Gift Certificate
4. Bath Toys
5. Sippy Cups
6. Books
7. Two Adorable Bathing Suits
8. Little People Circus
9. Money for a Big Girl Car Seat (if she ever makes it to 20 pounds)
10. Baby Einstein DVD
11. Belle Baby Doll
12. Pink Push Car (loves!)
13. LOTS of FABULOUS clothes

Thirteen Food/Beverage Items Served at Her Birthday Party
1. Cake
2. Chips
3. Celery
4. Carrots
5. Cucumbers
6. Ritz Crackers
7. Chicken Salad Sandwiches
8. Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
9. Easy Cheese
10. Yogos
11. Spinach Dip
12. Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite
13. Apple/Fruit Punch Juice Boxes

I FORGOT ALL ABOUT ICE CREAM! UGH!

"It's My Party...I Can CRY If I Want To!"

I think this was definitely Ella's motto for her birthday party! Ella finally decided to take a nap forty-five minutes before her party was set to begin. I let Ella sleep for awhile after her guests began arriving, but finally decided I should wake her up because I didn't think we should continue the celebration without her! I soon discovered I didn't make the very best choice. Ella was cranky, very cranky! Ella is notorious for stranger, crowd, and noise anxiety! Well when you combine a little of all three, the result is one upset baby girl with her head down crying her eyes out. Ella spent a majority of her party crying! We tried everything to soothe her. Finally, a bottle did trick. The crying ceased somewhat, or at least until someone laughed. During the crying spells her amazing Big Brother stepped in to open her gifts.


This post will end on a happy note...

This is my 200th post I have shared into the lives of my two precious children!!!!

It's All About the Dots...

Picture Perfect!

Ella's 1st birthday pictures captured the very essence of her little dainty, timid, and precious personality. With a cake right in front of her, she only very carefully picked the dots off the top! She acted as if she were afraid to move if fear that she might actually get dirty! With Mommy's assistance, she did have a few bites of icing and cake. I would have the say that the cake pictures were definitely my favorite. The last one seems to sum it all up as if she is asking, "What is all of this about?"

Like Mommy...Like Daughter

I believe the desire to sanitize everything must be inherited rather than a learned behavior! But then again, maybe my little Roo is one quick learner!!!!!! Her daddy caught her sanitizing the door handles of her new playhouse the other day, and had to snap a quick picture with the phone's camera. The quality if not great, but at least the moment was captured!!!!

Roo at One

Still has the flu
Only eating about two or three ounces at a time
Not eating baby food very well
Crawling everywhere
Pulling up on everything
Has a runny nose
Coughs a lot
Enjoys playing in her new house
Loves when Carson picks her up
Still not walking
Claps to Pat-a-Cake
Says mama, dada, maaa maaa maaa, and something that resembles brother
Loves for someone to sing to her
Sticks her tongue out all the time
Can't be tricked with something other than formula in her bottle
Beginning to kick when frustrated
Prefers her brother's toys over her own
Takes two short naps a day or one really long nap
Bumps her head at least once a day
Still enjoys swinging in her swing
Only weighs 16 pounds
Only has two teeth
Is growing long, beautiful eyelashes just like her brother's
Loves to take a bath
Is almost used to her mommy's photo obsessions
Imitates kissing sounds
Tries to snap her fingers
Doesn't like to be covered up by a blanket
Holds her hands together while sleeping
Will not keep socks on her feet
Loves for her daddy to tickle her
Does not enjoy diaper changes anymore
Loves to have her teeth and hair brushed
Has learned how to take her shoes off
Is afraid of strangers (must be mistaking any unknown person for a doctor)
Hates for her nose to be suctioned out
LOVES her pacifier
Enjoys strolling outside
Loves to cuddle with her mommy
Enjoys her biter cookies
Loves to look at books and magazines
Plays by herself quite well
Loves to hear Carson read to her
Doesn't mind her temperature being taken (wonder why?)
Has the same amount of hair as Carson did at this age
Is ready to get well
Continues to melt her mommy and daddy's heart each day!!!!!

It's That Time of Year Again!

Baseball season is right around the corner, so Carson and his daddy are already practicing. Saturday was such a beautiful day, so Ella and I enjoyed watching the boys play baseball. Our little baseball player looks quite different this year with so many teeth missing!

Home Sweet Home!

Ella, Carson, and I spent Monday at home! Ella still had a slight fever all day on Sunday and this morning. Carson and Ella both spent a majority of their day playing in Ella's new house she received for her birthday! Thank you Grammy and Papa for the great gift!

Happy Birthday Roo!!!!!

I could not let Ella's birthday pass without a small celebration! Carson and I took some time this morning to bake Ella cupcakes for her little party. When Brian got off work, we invited Grammy and Papa over for cupcakes. This was Ella's first experience with SWEETS! I wasn't thinking about Ella only having TWO teeth when I sprinkled hard sprinkles all over her cupcake. Despite the AWFUL look she gave in one of the pictures, she actually did enjoy her few little bites of the icing. She did not seem to enjoy the messiness (if that is even a word) of the icing. She decided to play her "THANK YOU" game with the icing when she would get it on her hands. Grammy also decided to go ahead and give Roo her BIG gift. She is now the owner of her own house at Age 1. She received a Fisher Price learning house. I think Carson was just as excited about the house as Ella.

We decided to postpone her official birthday party celebration until next Sunday. We pray that she will be a healthy one-year-old girl by then!

Shadows, On an Otherwise "Gloomy" Day!

After an official diagnosis of the FLU for Ella on Thursday night, I felt quite depressed-SAD that I had a sick baby AGAIN, SAD that we had to cancel her birthday party, SAD that she would be SICK on her actual birthday, just SAD! Well, when I got to work I didn't feel so SAD for at least a short while because I had three of my FAVORITE students "shadow" me for the day! Trish, Sarabeth, and Averee spent the entire day with me. It was AMAZING! They read with my students, participated in our Reader's Theater (except TRISH!), walked in a straight line to bathroom break, graded papers for me, highlighted Reader's Theater scripts, and even ate lunch at the "teacher's table"! For some reason, I could not convince them to "shadow" me until I left work on Friday evening at about 5:15!!! Someone had to go see a movie!

It was so GREAT to get to spend an entire day with the girls! I guess the only sad thing about the day was it made me realize how OLD I am becoming. Trish and Sarabeth are both graduating this year. It is sooooo hard to believe that my very first class will be beginning college soon!

Thanks girls for making me SMILE on an otherwise "gloomy" day!!!!!! You're the BEST!!!!!!

Ella's First Valentine's Day Gift!!!!

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
There will be Tamiflu
For our little Roo


Well, today really marked the last of Ella's "FIRSTS" when it comes to holidays. She had her First Saint Patrick's Day, First Easter, First Halloween, First Thanksgiving, and First Christmas in 2007. Sadly, I would have to say this day brought heartache instead of LOVE for all of our family! Ella began running a fever yesterday afternoon and by this morning it was 102. We topped out at 104 this afternoon. Ella was a sick baby girl. She was very lethargic, wouldn't eat, didn't mind me placing a cool washcloth on her little head, and was BURNING up! Finally, at the 104 temperature I decided that a doctor's visit tonight was necessary. I didn't want to take a chance of waiting until tomorrow. We finally saw a doctor at about 7:40. After an examination and a quick swab in the nose, Ella was officially diagnosed as having the FLU!!!!!! Since she is only three days away from turning one, the doctor did prescribe Tamiflu for Ella. She did also have her flu shots, so hopefully this won't be too bad. I don't think a fever of 104 is too mild though, so we'll see. To help protect Carson, the doctor prescribed the same medicine for seven days. Brian and I both have to call the doctor tomorrow morning for our share!

As her Mommy, my heart breaks for our little girl. She has had to endure so much since the beginning of December. I hate to see her so sick and weak.

The doctor, Brian, and I feel that it is best to postpone for BIG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION until all is well in our household. This saddens me also. We were so excited to celebrate her first year with our family and closest friends!

Thursday Thirteen #?

Thirteen Things I Just LOVE About Carson and Ella Right Now...
1. I LOVE the look on Ella's face when Carson picks her up and tries to carry her around.
2. I LOVE to hear Carson use words with multiple meanings and define for you which meaning he is using at the time.
3. I LOVE to hear Carson read to Ella.
4. I LOVE the way Carson says Ella's name. He stretches out the ELL-AH.
5. I LOVE dropping off and picking up a happy baby everyday!
6. I LOVE watching Ella clap her hands when I sing "Pat-a-Cake".
7. I LOVE to hear Ella try to call after Carson when he leaves the room or walks away from her.
8. I LOVE to hear Carson sing about Jesus.
9. I LOVE to see Carson pick up a pencil, get a piece of paper, and write just for fun!
10. I LOVE to cuddle with Ella every single night! (Carson doesn't want to be my Cuddle Bug anymore!)
11. I LOVE that Ella can feed herself a bottle.
12. I LOVE to hear Carson say, "Look Mommy! Ella's all grown up now!" whenever she does something BIG like pull-up or take a few steps.
13. I LOVE that Carson and Ella LOVE each other so much!!!!!!!!

The Countdown to One...

With only one week until our little Roo turns one, I decided to take a few minutes while things are still relatively calm to let Roo know just how much joy she has brought into our lives over the past year...

Little Roo,
On this day, you are exactly one week away from turning ONE! I can't believe how quickly this year has passed. The sleepless nights, discomforts of nursing, and new baby anxieties are all a blur. Believe it or not, they passed much too quickly for your mommy! Before you were born I questioned if I would be able to love another baby the way that I love your BIG BROTHER! From the instant you made your grand entrance into this world, God opened my heart even wider and poured an unmeasurable amount of love into it just for you. I will never be able to tell you in words the feeling I felt when I held you in my arms for the very first time, but I pray that God will bless you with the same "feeling" on the day when you are to become a mommy.

When your doctor came in to speak with Mommy and Daddy after examining you in the hospital, he told us that you received three angel kisses before birth. You had one each eye and one right in the middle of your forehead. An angel kissed each of your eyes so that you may SEE the "good" in the world and your head so that you THINK of others and KNOW how much God and your family love you!

After our brief stay in the hospital, we brought you home and our family felt "complete". Carson was a terrific BIG BROTHER despite the fact that he was a little jealous for a few days. I can remember singing "You are My Sunshine" to you one day while we were rocking in your room. A very confused four-year-old boy soon walked into the room and said, "Mommy, I thought I was your sunshine!" So, for awhile you became my Moonbeam! You grew physically and developed your sweet little personality with each new day. I will be forever grateful for the nine weeks I was able to spend at home with you. We would enjoy "girl" time while brother was away at school. Don't tell Daddy, but we spent lots of time napping and cuddling when Mommy should have been cleaning, doing laundry, or cooking. It was so hard for Mommy to leave you and return to work. I knew you were in great hands each day with either Bobbie, Aunt Karen, Daddy, Aunt Lizzie, or Grammy, but I missed you terribly!

Summer vacation arrived about six weeks after I had to return to work. I was so excited to be a stay-at-home Mommy again. We had a BLAST. Carson, you, and I would sleep in, stay in our pajamas until noon, play outside, have photo sessions, visit the library, nap, etc. with no other cares in the world! You visited the beach for the very first time, but did NOT like it at all. You and Mommy spent most of our time in the condo! I think you had your bathing suit on a total of ten minutes during our five day stay at the beach!

In the fall Mommy had to return to work, but you were blessed with the presence each day of Mommy #2- Rose Marie. You developed a special bond with Rose Marie during the several months that she cared for you while Mommy and Daddy worked. Unfortunately, Rose Marie wasn't able to stay with us as long as Mommy would have liked. I pray that throughout the years, Rose Marie will still be apart of your life. She is such an amazing person.

Toward the end of your first year was very difficult for our family. You began going to daycare at the very beginning of December. You never really adjusted to the new environment. Mommy's heart broke into a million pieces each day when I had to leave you crying and when I had to pick you up still crying! You also became a very SICK little girl. We made many trips to the pediatrician and even ended up spending a few days in the hospital. After much prayer, God opened a new door for you. Amy Wilson, a friend of Mommy's, offered to take care of you while Mommy worked. It was such a blessing for you and your mommy. You loved going to Amy's to play with Clara. I never dropped you off crying, nor did I pick you up crying.

Well, that's it...your first year condensed in just a few words. No words could begin to express how my heart melts when I think of your Cabbage Patch Baby resemblances, your big Cassidy ears, the way Mommy's terrible singing can soothe you instantly, the way you say "MaaaMaaaMaaa" when you are hungry, the LOVE that you have for Carson, your crazy looking toes, the way we cuddle, the lightning speed crawling that you do, the way you clap your sweet hands, the faces you make when you eat something that you don't like, and the way you wave Bye Bye!

Next week, your family and closest friends will gather to celebrate your first year of life and you will FINALLY get the taste of something sweet. That is if Brother hasn't already been sneaky and let you try one of his snacks!

Ella, I love you all the way to the moon...and back!

Two Weeks From Today...

We will be reflecting on Roo's first year gone by and looking forward to life with a TODDLER again!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Ella has turned into a very busy little girl! Over the past several weeks our little BABY has disappeared and in her place we have somewhat of a toddler! I found her the other night trying to help out with the laundry! It was precious! She pulled everything out of the dryer and threw it on the floor. Now, we just have to work on the folding skills. Ella crawls fast, fast, fast all around the house. She is speedy quick especially when she is after something. When she isn't helping out with laundry or speed crawling, she is pulling up on something. She has had several little injuries trying to pull-up, so now when she gets into the standing position, she will stay there until someone helps her down. She hasn't mastered the sitting down part yet. I love to see all of these little changes, but I am already missing my BABY GIRL!