Today

This was during tummy time today after the nap, before the outfit change.

After the outfit change, just chillin

Throwin up gang signs while testing out rolling to the side
And just taken a few minutes ago in her playpen - Ella has managed to turn herself perpendicular to how I layed her down

Ella is a very active little girl and most days bring something new. She is definitely practicing her voice and new sounds are emerging. The goo's and gaa's are now accompanied by brrr's, mmmm's, waa's. We think she's going to be quite the talker. Ella is also now not just swatting at her toys but reaching out and actually grasping them. She also reaches out for the pups, our food or drink, anything you hold. But the best is when she reaches out for you and explores your face with her little hands while looking you in the eyes. It's awesome.

Ella's hobbies

How do 2 weeks pass so fast and no post?? Somehow the days slip by and I don't get around to it. Ella is taking a nap at the moment so I figured perhaps I could FINALLY do a little update.

Ella loves to:

practice standing

practice her balance

watch the fishies

just chill

play with Foxie

play with Benny

read the paper

Since starting this post, Ella has been asleep, woke up from her very short nap, changed from her pajamas to a lounging around outfit, got a diaper change, had tummy time, ate, fell asleep, almost made it upstairs for what I hoped would be a continuation of her nap, woke up again, and is now playing with her toys in her playpen while I eat a bit of leftovers for lunch and try to finish this entry. And so I guess this is how time passes and all of a sudden it's two weeks since the last post.

15 weeks today

15 things I love about my daughter:
1. her fuzzy head
2. her big blue curious eyes
3. her soft soft cheeks
4. her papa's ears
5. her delicious belly
6. the way she stretches out after a nap
7. her button nose
8. her juicy lips
9. her kisses
10. her "la-la" cry when she wants to eat
11. the way she looks at me
12. her tiny hands
13. the way she "talks" and "laughs" sometimes during the middle of her feeding
14. her contagious smiles
15. everything!!

Big dogs

Our new addition, a Wheaten Irish Wolfhound...

Ha! Just kidding. This beautiful beast was one of the awesome dogs we saw at the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show this weekend. We spent the afternoon checking out all the great dogs and the big dogs were our favorites again - Swiss Mountain Dogs, Mastiffs, Giant Schnauzers, English Setters, and our most favorite dog, the Black Russian Terrier. This dog may be in our future...one day.

Irish wolfhounds are the world's tallest breed. These pictures don't show just how big these dogs really are.

This mastiff loved Ella...and she loved him.

Happy

Ella is a happy baby. She is pretty much always smiling and just enjoying whatever it is we are doing with her. Whether a hike, hanging out in the back yard on a sunny January day, or just sitting up, she is so much fun. I can't get over what a little person she is becoming.

3 months

Ella turned 3 months yesterday. I am so lucky to have this sweet sweet girl as my daughter. I am so fortunate to be able to spend my days with her and watch her take in the world around her. I love watching her grow each day.

Papa time

Hanging out with Papa on Saturday morningOne tired party girl
Watching Sunday football together

Ella and I had a nice weekend with her papa. We had a lazy Saturday morning before getting ready for Jim's high school reunion. We all got to dress up which was very fun. Ella was awesome - she did not make one peep the entire time and once again was a big hit. We carried her in our arms the whole time and even with all the noise around her, she managed to take a nap. She was a dream. We have the best baby.

Cutie

I love our little.

Mama's new ride

Mama got a brand new ride for Christmas. After 15 years on the same board, my wonderful hubby got me a new snowboard and bindings of my choosing. My new board is beeeaautiful and I can't wait to try it out. Ella approves and has promised to get the hang of the bottle so we can all head up to Tahoe soon.

Happy 2009!

To celebrate the upcoming New Year, we went out for an early dinner. Ella fell asleep right after this photo was taken and we enjoyed our sushi...and sake :)Our little one slept until 11:40pm when she woke up to feed. So, thanks to Ella we actually saw midnight and celebrated the New Year!!

Ella greeted 2009 in a great mood today.

We had a nice, easy day. Our new years resolution is to get back to going on walks. So far, so good... ;)

Wishing you all a most wonderful 2009!