Here she is...

Ella's glasses came in the mail on Tuesday afternoon, and I prolonged checking the mail all day because I was dreading them. But, when I put them on her I couldn't wait to show her off. I think she looks adorable, it may just be the mother in me, but either way she looks so cute! She has been so great with them too!! The first night she took them off several times, but always handed them to me and never fussed when we put them back on. Yesterday she hardly took them off, except in the car. I'm not sure if she sees any better because she never really acted like she couldn't see before. I am so relieved that this transition has been so smooth. God is truly amazing. Everytime I have felt something was going to be too much or very difficult throughout all of this He has stepped in to make it easier. I couldn't do this without Him!

So, here are the first pictures I took of Ella with her new glasses!!

This was taken in the first 3 seconds she had them on.

Ella posing in front of our Christmas tree.

Ella reading her first book with her new glasses!

Ella's eye appointment

Today we made the trip to Arkansas Children's Hospital for Ella's latest eye check-up. I really like our doctor, and today he reminded me of why. He is concerned of how Ella's crosses when she isn't patched, but he isn't ready to jump into surgery (which I am A-okay with!). He said the decision to have this surgery is tricky because there is no way to know exactly how it will turn out because there isn't a set guide of how to manipulate the muscle, and there could be negative consequences with her eye. So, we are going to meet with another doctor at ACH for a second opinion (the doctor's suggestion). So, in the meantime, Ella will start to wear glasses to help with straightening her eye. This will be interesting because she HATES to have glasses on, and I'm sure it will be a constant battle to get her to wear them all the time. We ordered her some pink glasses today. They aren't the cutest glasses ever, but they are the most practical for a baby and doctor recommended. They are completely plastic and flexible so there is no bending or breaking them as she is pulling them off 1000 times a day!! Our patching time has been reduced to just 4 hours a day (woohoo!!), which should seem easy now since we were patching for 6 hours a day. Although we probably will have to have this surgery sometime, I'm relieved that it's not going to be right away. Ella once again amazed me today during her exam. I was nervous she wouldn't cooperate with the doctor since she is older, but she couldn't have been any more still as he looked in her eyes. She just kept looking at his little light just like she was supposed to. She is the best baby!!! Please pray that all this works for Ella and her little eye and for the doctors who are taking care of her.

Halloween '08

Halloween is always a fun time, and this year was no exception. Ella had a blast dressing up as a butterfly for the fall festival at church and to show off on Halloween night. We carved pumpkins with Ella's cousin's earlier in the week. And, although Ella didn't help out much she had fun playing and watching. This has been something my family has done together for several years now, and it's always fun to see the end result. This year Todd carved names into the back of the pumpkins, and that was a big hit with the kiddos.

Wednesday night we had the fall festival at church. Ella had so much fun!! She just walked around the whole time going from game to game (stealing the toys!). She would come back to my game for a minute before taking off again. She was showing off her independence big time!!

Last night, Ella helped me pass out candy at the house for awhile. And, she really enjoyed seeing all the kids come by. It didn't take her long to figure out that the kids were getting candy from the big bowl, so we had to open up some for her!! We also made the rounds of showing off to the family. I think we made 5-6 stops...so that means we had to put on the tutu, wings, shoes, and antennas 5-6 times because they would all fit in the car seat! But, Ella loved every minute of it. She smiled so big every time we put the tutu on her. She was a little ham all night with her costume on!!

I really enjoyed Halloween this year, and I'm a little sad it's over. But, there's always next year!!

Here's the picture...

This picture is from the Halloween party me and my roommates threw 10 years ago!!!! I still cannot believe it has been that long, but I've counted it a few times and it has been. We wanted to dress up as something with a theme for all 5 of us, so I came up with the Spice Girls! You may not know that's what we are unless you saw their movie, which we only rented to get ideas for our costumes! We had such a great time getting ready for this party, and at the party. Our house was full of people...when you have 5 girls all from different towns the guest lists gets pretty long!! I really didn't know most of the people there. I wish we would've counted how many were there. Anyway, enjoy the picture...

Holly, Amy (Cicero) Jenkins, me

Christy, Amy (Brown) Barrett

What a good weekend!!

I had the best weekend!! It's not that often that I have a weekend where I get to see as many friends as I did this past weekend. It started off Friday night having supper with two old college roommates, Amy Barrett and Holly Taylor. That was so great! We haven't been together like this in a long time. I hope we keep it up!! We already are talking about getting together at Holly's house sometime. Then after supper I was invited to play bunco with the girls from church. I'm just getting to know these girls, and they are all so great. This was my first time to play bunco, which is easy to catch on to, just like they said, so it was lots of fun. It was really nice to have a girl's night and get to hang out with of these all new friends.

Saturday one of my oldest friends (since 4th grade when she moved to my school), Dawn Hearne, came to town to visit her family so I got to hang out with them for awhile. Plus, Dawn is about 19 weeks pregnant so it was exciting to see her belly just starting to pooch out some. She will be a super-cute pregnant gal!! Back in the day, Dawn and I were pretty much inseperable, and now we live in different towns so we don't get to see each other as much as I would like. We will have to change that now we will have little ones so they can grow up knowing each other!

Then, Saturday night another old friend from high school, Brandy Williams, came to town with her husband and 4 kids to visit family (and to have the family baby-sit!!). So, we got together and had a double date night with them. Brandy is such great person, and I love that we have stayed in touch over the years. When Brandy first moved to my school, I thought she was so different than me, she was from a big city and I was from the littlest of towns, but as we got to know each other, I realized we really weren't so different after all. And, she became one of my best friends. It was so nice to have a couple hours to think back on old times and talk about what we remember from so long ago.

One of the best things about spending time with friends, old or new, is all the memories it brings back. I have just been thinking about the house on Magnolia Rd. we lived in college and then the many other apartments we moved into because everyone kept getting married!!! I thought about our Halloween party we had there (one of the best parties ever). I have some so much about high school with seeing Dawn and Brandy. I LOVED high school, especially my senior year, mostly because my friends were so great!! All this reminded me of the old girl scout song, "Make New Friends." The first verse is something like:

Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver, and the other's gold

I have been blessed with amazing friends, and want to hang on to all of them--old and new.

ASU Petting Zoo

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now, but haven't gotten around to it till now. About a week ago Ella and I went to the ASU petting zoo with the MOMS Club I recently joined. This was Ella's first time to be around any animal except our families' pets, which are all dogs. I was curious to see how she did, hoping she would love it and want to keep petting all the animals. We got to go on a little hay ride first, and Ella loved this!! She was all smiles and bouncing with excitement as we rode around. Then it was time for the animals. The first one was a little calf, I think named Dixie, and Ella was trying her hardest to climb her way to the top of my head as fast as she could!!! She didn't want nothing to do with it!! And, that's how she was most of the time. She did pet a sheep, which was very neat to feel!! Ella also would pet the rabbits and little chicks and ducklings, which were so cute!! She never let go of me or stood by herself at any time. Luckily there was someone to take some pictures for me. Although Ella was scared of the animals, we both enjoyed the petting zoo, and I think next time will be better!!

Happy Anniversary to us!

This past Saturday was mine and Todd's 3rd wedding anniversary. I still can't believe we've been married 3 years already!! But at the same time I can't remember not being with Todd!! We had a great day! My sister kept Ella for us so we could have a 'date'. The plan was that we were going to go out of town and spend the night somewhere, and us leave Ella with her. But, I chickened out. It's been a long time since Todd and I had all afternoon and evening to ourselves, and we really enjoyed it. And, realized how much we miss it too. Todd is a great husband, and I'm so blessed to be married to him. So far, our married life has been pretty busy...got married in '05, bought a house in '06, had a baby in '07, and Todd got promoted in '08. Who knows what '09 has in store for us, but right now I am enjoying everything day by day.

Happy Anniversary, Todd!! I love you very much!!

Catch up time

I was talking with some girls from church today about how none of us, except for Emily, had been updating our blogs. Kids, school, chores, work, etc. have gotten in the way of us sharing with our family and friends. So, I thought I would quickly (since Ella is into about 3 things she isn't supposed to be in right now!!) update you on the newest things in Ella's life.

1. She is starting to walk, some. She will take several steps in a row before plopping back and crawling the rest of the way. It was surprising to me how excited I was when she started doing this. I was almost giddy with excitement!! I had been dreading it because I know she will be harder to chase after, but it is so amazing to watch her learn to walk and so cute! Here she is the 1st time she started taking several steps at once!

2. We have now taken the bottle away completely now. This one just happened last night. For a couple weeks now she has only gotten a bottle at bedtime. I had already cut the others out gradually. I knew the time was coming for this, and had been preparing me for nights of screaming and crying at bedtime. And, Saturday night she was so tired she didn't want the bottle at bedtime and only took maybe 2 ounces from it. So, I decided that was it. She had shown she could go to bed without it, so that's the way it was going to be. So, last night as Todd prepared the bedtime items...medicine, passy, noise maker, bottle...I told him to just leave out the bottle and replace it with a prayer!! Ella once again amazed me because she was asleep in 10 minutes without any crying!! She initially pushed the passy away looking for the bottle, but she never asked for it and eventually took the passy. She was very tired again so tonight she might start the screaming and crying, but last night she was an angel.

3. We now take Ella's contact out every night and put it back in every morning. This one is huge for me because I remember when we first got her contact, and being relieved that we only had to take it out every 2 weeks to clean it because I was afraid we would have to do it everyday. And, the nurse and doctor told us that before long we would be taking it in and out everyday like it was nothing, and I thought they are crazy!!! But, a few months ago they wanted us to move up to every week, which was fine. But, a few weeks ago when her allergies started going crazy I decided we needed to get it out every night so eye could breathe. And, this has been working so well for us. She even knows now that before her bath at night we take her contact out and in the morning when we get up it time for her contact.

4. Ella now has enough hair on top of her head that we can wear hairbows without a headband. This one was also exciting! She seems much bigger with just a bow on her head. And, it seems much cuter, although I never thought was wasn't cute with the headband!!

5. This one isn't a milestone like the others, but it is just so cute to watch. Ella is a girly girl...loves purses and shoes. She will drag around a purse or shoe all over the house all day. She been like this forever it seems. But, here lately she has realized that if she puts the purse strap on her arm and not hold it she has a free hand to do other things with. It is hilarious to watch her intentionally put her purse on her arm just so she can hold another toy!!!

6. Finally, today I asked her for a kiss, which she normally gives generously to me, and she replied "no"!!!! I was shocked that she knew to answer that way, and then I was a little hurt that she did answer that way!!! She has known the meaning of 'no' for awhile now. And, she has popped my hand while telling me "no" when I was doing something she didn't like, but I didn't think she would be answering my questions with it already!!!

Ok, I'm adding this next picture because it's just funny!!! Todd, Ella, and I were sitting/playing in the living room the other night, and Ella decided to go climbing again and it didn't go her way this time. She ended up on her head in her toy box!!! She didn't know what to do or think. She never really cried so I snapped this shot before I rescued her!! Also, the mess around her is what she does about 3-4 times a day...we clean it up and she pulls it all out again and again and again!!!

The Fair

This week we took Ella to the fair in Jonesboro for her 1st fair experience. I figured she would like all the lights and sounds, but I had no idea how much she would love it!! She was dancing pretty much the whole time. She kept looking around listening and taking it all in. It was so cute to watch. Ella even got to enjoy her 1st ride, or 1st 3 rides actually. We rode the carousel first, and she loved it. Then her Daddy took her on the train which was a lot of fun too. I then took her on some ride that I should've watched more closely before we got on it!! It was the ride that is something like hotair balloons that spins like the old teacup rides. The only thing is that when the ride goes up and down I couldn't keep our seat from spinning around!!! And, the ride went faster than I thought it would. Ella wasn't too sure about this ride, but she didn't cry just fussed some. Overall, Ella had a great time, and Todd and I enjoyed the fair this year more than other years just for getting to see how much Ella loved it!!

She's a climber

Ella has become a lil' climber these days. She has figured out how to get her leg over things to help pull her up onto new and higher places! It started out with her climbing into one of my dishtowels drawers that she discovered a while back. I thought it was so funny and cute, which it was. Then she started climbing into her toy box in the living room and onto the couch and onto her little 4-wheeler, which was all still okay. She has since learned how to climb into our chair and get to the table and knock over my flowers, which was not okay! There is no stopping this girl!! She isn't afraid of falling or getting hurt. And, she is fast! I can be walking through the house and by the time I can get from one room to another she is already on top of something!! Her latest is trying to get on top of her walkers, both the ones where she sits in and the one where she walks behind. She will attempt to climb into anything that is any higher than the ground. I can't remember all that she has climbed onto. I'm just hoping she doesn't figure out how to climb in her baby bed!!! But, I'm sure that day is coming. Here are some pictures of her latest feats.

Getting ready for the change in seasons...

I love this time of year. I love the harvest weather and the changing colors outside. It's all so pretty. Todd loves this time also because football starts. So, at our house we are all about fall! I love that the fall precedes my other favorite time of year....Christmas! I also decorate my house for fall/Thanksgiving then for Christmas. This year may be a little different since I've got Ella who loves to get into EVERYTHING!!! So, with all this on my mind lately I've found a new blog template to keep me in the right mood. When I was working I would change my computer background to the appropriate season, and so now I will change my blog. I love being festive!!! Enjoy!!

Ella Finally Said It!!!

Yesterday Ella made my day when she finally called me MOMMA!!! She has been a lil' stinker and wouldn't say it for nothing!! She wouldn't even attempt it!! But, she started saying the word yesterday but not directing it to me. Then she crawled over to me as I was washing dishes and pulled up on my legs and said it!! Of course I had to pick her up with soapy, wet hands!! It just melted my heart. I knew I would love hearing it, but I never imagined how sweet one word could be. It has to be the sweetest little sound ever!!! I love you Ella Mae!!

Happy Birthday Ella!!

This past Tuesday my baby girl turned 1! I still can't believe it. I had mixed emotions all day, and even cried a little. We just don't have enough time with our babies AS babies!! It was a good day. It was nice to have a day set aside just to celebrate her. She is so precious, and we are so blessed to have her. We had her birthday party this past Saturday with our families, thinking it would be a small party. But, my house was full of people. I'm so glad so many joined us with celebrating Ella turning 1. We had a cupcake themed party for my lil' sweetie (please excuse the cheese factor). I had decided some time ago that I wanted to make something for Ella on her birthday to try to start a tradition. So, I decided to make her a birthday dress and the cake for her to eat at her party. I never would've guessed the dress would've been easier and cuter than the cake, but it was. I think the dress turned out pretty cute, and the cake turned out ugly--you will see in the pictures. I guess I'm glad we used the cake, although I was hoping for some catastrophe so we couldn't--it will give us something to laugh about one day!!

This has been an amazing year with Ella. She has been a blessing every single day!! There are no words to describe what I feel for her (but all you other moms know that). She has taught me so much about myself as a person, a wife, and a mom. I look forward to everyday with her and all the years to come. I get sad when I think that her first year is over, but then I think that she still has so many more firsts to come...1st day of school, 1st time riding a bike, 1st sleepover, 1st day of high school and college, 1st date, 1st time she meets her future husband, 1st time she has baby...and I can't wait for all those to happen!!

Happy 1st Birthday Ella Mae!!! I love you so much!!!

///Sorry about the 2 posts but I couldn't figure out how to get the slideshow on the same one with the words. Sorry

Ella's 1st Birthday

Our lil' pooter

This post may embarrass my sweet Ella one day, but I just have to write about this because right now it's too funny...Ella poots ALL the time. And not just the sweet little baby girl toots, but the rowdy 'ol boy poots!! She wakes up pooting, and it continues throughout the day. It's so funny because she will be wiggling around and as she moves she poots, as if her movement is forcing them out! Ella doesn't know what she's doing, of course, but if we don't stop laughing at this she will soon figure it out!! I'm assuming (hoping) that she will outgrow this because I'm sure it will lose the cuteness factor as she gets older, and I'm sure it will eventually embarrass her too.

Oh no, not the grass!!

Ella does not like the grass at all, and I've tried all summer to wean her into playing in it more. But, it's not kicking in just yet, but is has gotten better. The first time I put her in the grass she screamed in horror. Now, she will try to get her legs up off of it as fast as she can before she starts whining. But, she won't crawl off of it!! My sister took this picture Sunday afternoon when she put her in the grass. Ella sat in the grass with one leg up for a minute or so before whining. I'm guessing by her hands she is trying to figure out how to get out of the grass without touching any of it...she didn't come up with anything!! Poor thing!!

Ella's eye update

Ella had a check-up at Arkansas Children's Hospital yesterday. It has been a few months since we've seen the doctor there and since we've been patching for 6 hours a day. So, I was anxious to know how everything was going. The news we got was that nothing much has changed, which, I guess isn't necessarily good or bad news. We have to continue patching for 6 hours everyday, and we go back in 3-4 months for another check-up. At that appointment if Ella's eye isn't straightening up more we will have to start talking about her having surgery to manipulate the muscle to get her eye straight. I do not want another surgery for her. And, this sugery could lead to other problems. So, please keep Ella and her lil' eye in your prayers so that the patching will work and be all she needs for her eye. Oh, and, of course, Ella did great during the appointment. She just smiled all sweet as the doctor shined several lights in her eyes!! She's so wonderful!! I love her.

My Target incident

This past Sunday afternoon Ella was feeling better so we all went to Target to pick up the regular baby needs...formula, diapers, and wipes. As soon as we got out of our car and started walking into the store, I heard this man screaming at his kids. And, whenever I hear anything like this my ears perk up and I have to see what is going on. Well, this time the dad was jumping out of his two-door car and jerked up the front seat up and was bending over into the backseat of the car. He was using language I would never use much less yell at a child. He told the child he was going to put his fist through his face, along with some choice cuss words. I figured this was a young child because I couldn't see his/her head above the seat. By this time Todd, who is holding Ella, and I are just a little bit away from the car which is parked in a handicapped spot in front of the store. I tell Todd that I'm not going inside until I know this man isn't going to hit the child. So, I'm standing there watching and waiting. I have my gameplan ready to call the police first, then get the information to the child abuse hotline, after getting the license plate information and a good physical description of the man. But, the man stops yelling, and is getting back into the front seat. So, as he is turning around he sees me looking as I'm turning around. So, I turn back around so he will know that I saw him screaming at his kids. This makes him mad. He starts yelling at me that I need to mind my own business. I told him that I was just making sure he didn't hit his kids like he said he was going to do. He told me that it's not my business and if he wants to pull his belt off and spank them, he would. I told him that I was not worried about him spanking his children, but rather hitting on them because there is a difference. He kept telling me that it's none of my business, and Todd stepped in and said that since he is in a public place it's not a private matter. Of course when Todd got involved the man stepped forward to us. Just as this is happening, a lady comes up from behind asking the man what he has done. He tells her that one of the kids took a toy away from the other kid, and he was getting on to them for it. He also tells her that I was being nosy and getting into his business. I told her that I was just watching to make sure he was going to hit the child like he said he was going to do. She asked me what he had said so I told her, and he piped in that he only said he was going to bust the glass out and not hit the child. The lady looks at him and told him that she couldn't believe he would do and say that, and they walked toward their car. As we are walking away, the lady yells thank you to me. A friend's husband walks up at this point and teases us that we are picking fights in the parking lot. I'm not sure what he was doing, but he wasn't going in the store so I guess he was coming to check on us. All of this took place in just a minute or two.

I didn't think much about what I did, except for getting on my soapbox about the man's behavior, until Todd came home last night talking about it. He was a little embarrassed by us standing in a parking lot getting into an argument with a stranger about what he was or was not going to do to his child. I was not embarrassed at all, and still not, about what happened. I think there are too many people who do not say anything when they see something happening that is clearly wrong. I felt very comfortable that the man was not going to anything to me for saying something to him. I just couldn't stand by and let a child get abused and do nothing. I also hope the child learned that the man's behavior is wrong, and will tell someone if the man does something to him. And, thinking back, there are some things that I may want to change that I said to him to maybe help clarify or explain why I was doing what I was doing.

As most of you know I worked for nearly 7 years, until Ella was born, as a child abuse investigator for the Arkansas State Police. Although I complained about parts of the job, I really did enjoy it. And, I can't imagine working and doing something else. I think this will always be a part of me, and I'm glad about that.

Life after the stomach virus

Ella is just getting over having the stomach virus. This virus has been going around, and lots of people have gotten it. It's so awful watching your baby sick like this so I'm very glad it's over. What's strange about this is now Ella will not eat any table food or really anything that is not the mushed up baby food. She had gotten to where we were eating mostly table food or the Gerber Graduates, but now she won't put any piece of food in her mouth. I don't know if this is common with babies after being sick. I was so excited that she was eating whatever we were eating, and now we are back to baby food. If anyone has any ideas how to get her back to eating table food quickly or why she is doing this please let me know! I'm hoping her tastes buds are just out of wack, and will want food food again soon.

Moms' night out

Last night I got to have a Moms' night out with my friend, Beth Yearta. We went to eat, and saw the Sex and the City movie. I had heard from a few people that it was good so we went to check it out. And, it was really good!! I wasn't sure at first if I was going to see this one, but I'm glad I did. I've said that watching this TV series was a guilty pleasure of mine since there are inappropriate things on there. And, I guess the movie was one also. I didn't know that I was going to need to bring Kleenex in with me to watch it!! I think I cried as much as I laughed!! It was a good night, and hope we get to have another night out soon!!

Making Daddy proud

Ella learned a new trick over the weekend, and her daddy is so excited about it. In case you didn't know Todd is a huge football fan. He played in high school and watches as much of it as he possibily can during the season. Ella started out when she was tiny, tiny putting her arms above her head when she slept, then as she got bigger she would raise them when she got excited. We joked that it looked like she was calling a touchdown during a football game. So, this weekend, we got her raise her arms when we say touchdown!! It's so cute!! She even tries to say the word, and it usually sounds pretty good (and, no, she still doesn't say Momma).

Ella when she was about a week old napping. She didn't have both of her arms up here like she would, but still, very sweet baby!!

"TOUCHDOWN!!"

The Beginning

I think about this encounter every so often because it still amazes me how simple it was, but yet it was the beginning of the rest of my life. I first saw Todd one night while I was working at the mall, the old Indian Mall, at Kinney Shoes. (The best job ever...so easy and met great people!!!) I was standing at the front of the store to greet customers, and a co-worker was behind the counter. This guy came in and acknowledge me but kept walking straight to the counter. I remember thinking he was cute, and remember distinctly turning around to look at him as he passed by. I figured he knew my co-worker so I planned on asking her about him when he left. But, Todd was there to talk to the manager about getting a job at the store!! The co-worker and I decided that he definitely needed the job. Todd has said that he remembers me from walking in the store also, but doesn't remember his first impression of me. I don't remember our first time talking or the first time we worked together. But, we did get along from the very beginning, and we eventually started hanging out together all the time, going to fraternity parties, etc. I don't remember the details but we went out some, but it never came to be much. I thought that he needed to date around because he was new in town and had just broken up with his high school girlfriend, and I wasn't the kind to date more than one person at a time. Todd said he doesn't remember this. So, we both dated other people over the next year, but became great friends. We talked about everything and still hung out all the time despite dating other people. I had been dating a guy, and remember when I told Todd we broke up Todd telling me that he never liked that guy. I never knew that, and later Todd said it was just because he was dating me. A month or so later Todd moved out of state, and during a visit home he kissed me. This took me by surprise because I had no idea Todd felt that way. He went back, and sent me flowers and a letter apologizing for telling me he liked me while he was living away. We had our first official date shortly after that. (Amy, I still wish I would've let you take a picture of us before we left.) But, I still wasn't ready to commit while he was living so far away. I told him that we couldn't be boyfriend/girlfriend while he lived away because I thought a long-distance relationship would be too hard. Todd would come to Jonesboro almost every weekend, and we would hang out. We would also call each other all the time, no matter what time of day or night. So, a few months later Todd moved back to Jonesboro, and less than a week later we were a couple!!! This was May, 1999. We have barely been apart since this time. We dated for a year and a half, and then I moved in with him. Then in 2005 we got married at St. Thomas island, bought a house in 2006, and had our first baby in 2007. Todd has been with me through my best and worst. He is my best friend. Todd can always make me feel better, and he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. I had a hard decision when trying to decide whether or not to start dating Todd after we became friends because he was such a close friend I was afraid we would mess that up. After much thought I realized that Todd had every quality I wanted in a husband, and only dated him because I could actually see us married one day. I knew he was the one for me!!

This was our first Halloween together. We dressed up for the first few Halloweens. That was so much fun!!!

Our wedding!! I loved our wedding at St. Thomas!!

Our wedding reception we had to celebrate our marriage with our family and friends.

Sorry about the picture quality...they are pictures of pictures.

Ella's got teeth (finally!!)

I am so excited that Ella has finally grown some teeth!!! We've got the two front bottom teeth sprouting out now. They have been in for about a week now. But, she is just now starting to show them off. She wouldn't let you feel or look at them for a few days! I'll post a picture of them when she ready to show 'em.

This is a picture from 4th of July (Ella's last first holiday!).

Sunday's list

I've decided to start making a list on Sundays of things that I want/need to get accomplished in the upcoming week. The list will only consist of things that either are new to me that I have to learn or things that I don't like doing but have to get done. I hope this will keep me motivated since I'll be making my to-do list public! I'll also post everyweek what did and didn't get done. For this week I want to:

1. Sew Ella a pillowcase dress. This is huge for me since I haven't sewn since 8th grade home ec class. But, I've always thought I would like to sew, and since I have a little girl I want to be able to make her little outfits or costumes. Everyone tells me these dresses are easy to sew...so we will see!

2. Decide whether or not I will be making Ella's cake for her birthday or if I will let someone else do it. I want to do it, but I am also picky so I'll be practicing on decorating cakes and cupcakes all week.

3. Clean my floors. And, I mean get on my hands and knees to clean my tile floors and get the baseboards while I'm there. It's been too long since I've done this.

4. Get pictures in photo albums. This one is not added because I don't like to do it but because I enjoy it too much that I have to designate lots of time for it so I can get them pictures in chronological order.

5. Get Ella's baby (her little baby things) things in the attic. I have been putting this off because it makes me a little sad putting her cradle up and other things she has outgrown, but I'm ready to put my house back into some order.

Ella's eye patch

Today I have really struggled with people's reactions to Ella wearing her eye patch. Somedays this doesn't bother me at all, and I can take it all in stride and go on with my day. Other days, like today, I seem to have the thinnest skin ever, and I can't get past it! I understand people's curiousity and even people being a little surprised or shocked to see a little baby with a patch covering an eye. I try to imagine how I would've reacted if I were on the other side of this, and it's hard for me to know what I would've done. But, I hope I wouldn't constantly stare at her as I walk through a store or point at her or continue to "ooh and awe" at her as I walked by. I also know that most people mean well when doing this, and they aren't trying to be rude. Here's an example of what people say--Today we were shopping at the mall, and as we were leaving a husband and wife were walking in the other direction. The husband jokingly said "Oh look, that baby has a black eye!" I put on a smile to acknowledge that he was talking to me, and went on. Then he asked me to turn around so his wife could see Ella with her "black eye". So, I did because I wasn't sure of what else to do. I wanted to smart off to him for asking us to do that, but I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I was floored that he actually asked me to turn Ella around to show his wife like Ella was something to be put on display! I really start to get mad when I start thinking about how this will affect Ella when she is old enough to notice the people staring and pointing. Right now she is too small to know. And, I know that I will have to be able to explain to her why they are doing that, and I won't be able to show her that it makes me mad because I don't want her to learn that from me. So lets just say I have a long way to go to get there!!.

This gets me thinking about how I would like people to react or not react to us when Ella is wearing her patch. And, truthfully, I don't know. I think that for strangers walking by that a simple smile and look to show they have noticed would be fine. It gets tricky when you have to talk to someone like when you are at the bank or are checking out somewhere. I can tell they have noticed, and sometimes they don't know what to say. I just go along with what I'm doing and leave it to them to bring it up if they want. And, it gets even more tricky when we run into someone we know that doesn't about Ella's eye because it seems they don't know what to say or how to ask about it. And, I don't want to bring it up because I don't want to look like I want attention because of it. It's like there is an elephant in the room that no one is talking about. I would like for them to ask me about it, but I know it's awkward for them.

So, I've decided that maybe I could help alleviate some of this awkwardness by posting a picture of Ella wearing her patch for family and friends to see so if we run into them some of the shock won't be there. I also am going to give a short explanation of Ella's eye condition--Ella's right eye didn't develop all the way so she was born with a small eye, a cataract, and another condition called PHPV. She had to have 2 surgeries to remove the cataract and the membrane (the PHPV part) in the middle of her eye. The doctors weren't sure and still aren't sure how much vision she will have in that eye. Ella wears a contact in the eye so it can focus. We patch her left eye to force her brain to use the right eye in order to obtain as much vision as possible which will help keep her from getting a lazy eye. The doctors said this was one of the most severe/difficult cases they have seen so the fact that Ella does focus and is able to see some things is a blessing for her. We won't know exactly how much she will be able to see for a couple years...until she is able to talk and tell us what she sees. But, we know she can see with her eye because she reaches for toys and food and will crawl to a toy while wearing the patch.

I can feel a load lifted from my shoulders just from typing this. It's really amazing just how talking (or typing) about something that bothers you can help make it better. I hope I don't scare someone away from asking us about Ella's eye because I really don't mind talking about it. I know most people are genuinely sincere and concerned when they see or talk to us. And, I am so thankful for all the support we have had.

Oh, and Amy Barrett, I'm not talking about you or your girls today!! I'm glad Eva Grace asked about Ella's patch. Kids notice it pretty quickly and are very honest and sweet when asking what happened to Ella, just like Eva Grace!

Thankful Tuesday

Here's my weekly list of what I'm most thankful for today. I love making these lists!!! Here goes:

1. Having groceries in the house!! I love having a stocked pantry and fridge when I decide to cook something. This doesn't usually happen for me because I don't like to grocery shop, but it did today.

2. Bottled water...I love bottled water even though it's not very eco-friendly. I guess I'm too lazy to mess with getting a glass, putting ice in it, and filling it with water. Plus, I don't really like the taste of tap water.

3. Summertime...I've talked about this some already in another post, but I love that my nephews aren't in school so they get to hang out with me more. I love being an aunt and love my nephews!!

4. Baby toys...Ella has so many toys to play with, and that is great for me because they help entertain her and keep her occupied while I get things done. She just got a walker that she gets to walk behind, and she really likes it. It's so fun to watch her get around.

5. The 20Q game...Have you seen this toy? It's amazing!! It's a handheld toy that asks you 20 questions about any thing you can think of, and it has ALWAYS gotten it right!!! I don't know how it works, but it has entertained me today.

6. The rain...I'm so glad it rained the other day because we haven't had to water our yard since. We will today though. Our grass is so green now!!

7. No doctor appointments last month!! Ella finally had her first month of not seeing a doctor! I was so excited.

8. My dad retiring...I'm so thankful that my dad no longer has to go to his hot, hard job anymore. Today was his last day of work. He has already made plans to take his grandson to play golf and is talking about taking him to do other things. His job was hard on him, and he hasn't felt very good for sometime so I'm hoping this will help his health.

9. Hot showers!! I love to take long, hot showers!! These days they are usually shorter than I like, but they are still hot. A nice, hot shower not only cleans your body (obviously) it can also clear your head, which is just as refreshing!! It's so nice when Todd is home to watch Ella so I can take one without having to sing songs to keep Ella content until it's over!!

10. I'm thankful that I can calm Ella down with singing songs to her (usually). Whether she's in her car seat or at home when she gets fussy I can sing to her and she usually quietens down. The song that works best is the ABC song, and has since she was little. She even tries to sing with me now on that song, or at least it seems like it. And, I'm not a singer so the fact that my singing doesn't scare her is something else to be thankful for too!!!

Summertime

I want to share some pictures of Ella enjoying her summer. Ella loves to be outside, and would probably be good being outside all day long. I enjoy having a reason to be outside in the water (as long as it's not too hot!).

She loves to be in the water and doesn't mind having water splashing in her face. She has a baby pool at home and her cousins have a slip and slide she gets to play on, and she loves them both!!

Todd and I have been taking her walking, and she sits up so big in her stroller just watching everything.

The only thing I've found about outside that she doesn't like is grass. But, she is getting better because at first she would scream when she had to touch it, but the other day she actually sat in it for a few minutes! I was so happy!! I'm sure this phase will pass soon.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TODD

I know this one is very, very late, but it's better late than never. Todd is such a wonderful dad he deserves to have a post about his first Father's Day. I love watching Todd and Ella together because they have their own little things they do. Todd takes her on "adventures" all the time whether it's taking the dog out in the morning or walking through the neighborhood. He just has a way of making everything fun and exciting for Ella and us. I know Ella will one day tell him herself that he is the perfect daddy!!!

Thankful Tuesday

Here's my list of what I'm most thankful for at the moment:

1. That we finally got Sampson groomed!! He was starting to look a little rough and smelled even worse. Now, he looks so good and smells nice too.

2. That my husband wants us to have Sampson professionally groomed. He does ok in a bath at home, but it is so much nicer to drop him off and pick him up clean and dry. I hate brushing him and he hates it too so this is so much better.

3. That I have started to do those sudoku puzzles. I was intimidated by them for a while, but my sister let me borrow her book of puzzles for me to try out. They aren't that bad at all. I feel this will help keep my brain a working since I'm not working!

4. That my sweet baby girl is now laying down to take naps!!!! I know most moms get this pleasure from day 1, but Ella has never wanted to lay down during the day. I didn't start this, but I didn't push her to lay down either. I really enjoyed holding her all the time, but I realized too that I would really enjoy her to lay down for her naps...and I do!

5. I am so thankful for air conditioning!! I love coming in from the hot outside to a cool house and turning the AC up in the car as soon as I get in!

6. I am thankful for old friends. I got to talk with a great friend, Brandy, from high school the past couple of days. I love my friends. There are many types of friends, but I especially love the friends that no matter how long it has been since you've last talked you can just pick up where you left off with no awkward moments.

7. that I have the food network to watch. I love this channel so I can get ideas to cook. I enjoy cooking, but usually don't know what to make.

8. that my husband takes care of all the yard work and actually enjoys doing it!!! I hate yard work so I love that Todd wants to do it and doesn't mind me not doing it!

9. that my sister and her family are having a good time in Florida. This was my nephews first trip to the beach and ocean, and they are loving it. I'm also thankful my nephews got into the ocean!!

10. I'm glad that I am no longer peeling from a sunburn I got a week ago!! I can't leave it alone when I'm peeling so I'm constantly pulling at the skin to get it off. So, that's done, and will definitely wear sunscreen next time!!

My newest fave recipe

I thought I would share with all of you my new favorite recipe I have right now. It is a dessert (my favorite things to make and eat!!) that I got from Paula Deen. It is for a Chocolate Chip (Cookie) Pie. I've added the cookie part to the name because it is pretty much a cookie recipe turned into a pie. I love chocolate chip cookies, but do not like to bake them from scratch because I hate the back and forth to the oven to make each batch. Here goes...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

2 3/4 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease 2 9 inch pie plates

In large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cream butter, brown sugar and sugar in mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time to mixer. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture a little at a time until mix is combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Divide dough between 2 pie plates and smooth the tops.
Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm to touch but still soft. Cover with foil if too brown before done.

I've also made this with pecans, and it was just as good.

I hope you try this, and like it just as much as I do.

Thankful Tuesday

Today started out with Ella's contact on my mind because it tore, and it has continued to stay on my mind all day. So, I've decided to list 10 things that I am thankful for regarding Ella's eye condition.

1. I am so thankful that her eye is actually seeing!! The doctor's did not know if her eye would have any vision, but she can definitely see some things. She reaches for toys, crawls to toys, and smiles at people. I'm also thankful that so far there haven't been any other medical problems with the eye.

2. I am thankful for the eye doctors we have seen both in Jonesboro and in Little Rock. They have been amazing. They have all listened to our questions, explained everything so we could undertand, and know where we were coming from. I know God intended on us seeing these specific doctors to treat Ella's eye.

3. I'm thankful that Todd and I can work together to get Ella's contact in and out. Todd can get it out, and I can get it back in with Todd's help. I couldn't do this without Todd!

4. I'm so thankful that Ella's surgeries went so well. It was so scary handing her over to the surgery nurse and having to wait the 2 hours to know how it went. But, both times Ella did great!!

5. I'm thankful that the patching we have to do is going good. Ella doesn't usually mess with the patch on her eye, and for the most part she does really good with it. The hard part is getting the time in she needs everyday.

6. I'm so thankful that Ella's eye is the only thing that didn't develop all the way. There are so many things that could have happened that didn't. Ella is a healthy baby girl that probably won't see 20/20 in one eye, but she has a perfect other eye.

7. I'm thankful that Ella started her life with this condition so she will only know to see like this and won't know any different. It's hard for me to imagine seeing good with one eye and seeing some with the other eye, but this is how she is learing to see so it's normal for her.

8. I'm so thankful that I had Todd through all of this. It was so scary at the beginning, and he was so strong for me. He is always taking care of me. I am also thankful for my family and friends during this also. It's so wonderful to know that you have people who love and care about you, and who are there for you when you need them.

9. I am so thankful that I am able to stay home with Ella for many reasons, but especially because we have to deal with her contact and patching everyday. I can't imagine sending her to a daycare for strangers to take care of her and rely on them to make sure she getting the attention she needs for her eye to get stronger.

10. Finally, I am so very thankful that Ella is as strong as she is. She has amazed me at every turn of this process. When she was only 2 weeks old and the doctors were using a tiny metal tool to hold her eye open all she needed after was to be held to stop crying. And, after the nurse put the contact in her eye for the first time she laughed! Ella has been so patient with Todd and me putting drops in her eye and putting the contact in. Ella is so good with the patch and when she does get fussy with it all she usually needs is some Mommy time and to be held. I can see how this could've been much more difficult if Ella weren't to wonderful!

11. I need to add another one...I'm so thankful that I know that God is control and is taking care of Ella and us. God has been with us from the beginning of this, and I know he has a plan and purpose for Ella. There have been times through this that I have had to remind myself that God will not give me anymore than I can handle, and because of that I know we are going to be okay!

Although there are still days when it is hard to remember all of these things, I know that we are a blessed family. Sometimes it takes looking at the difficult times for the silver linings for us to realize how blessed we really are.

A quick catch-up

I've missed a few posts lately, so I've decided to just list some things that I wanted to post about, but just didn't get around to. This is just a list of things that have been on my mind and would've been on a Thankful Tuesday or Thirteen Thursday post. So, here goes...





1. I have been loving the past two weeks with Ella so much because she has learned so many new things. I love to just watch her play because you can pretty much see her thought process by watching her face. It's amazing how fast babies learn and grow. She has started crawling, and she hardly sits still anymore. She has started pulling up on anything that will be still long enough for her to get there. Ella loves to fake cough now, and her cousins love to encourage to do this all the time. Ella has started to clap for pat-a-cake and to say "yea" and she loves to play peek-a-boo!! So, cute!! She has also started to wave bye-bye, and this is the sweetest thing to watch!! As much as I don't want to get bigger and grow up, I am so excited to see all the new things she learns!!


2. This goes along with #1, but I think it deserves a spot all it's own...Ella has said her first word and second word...neither of which is Momma! She said Daddy first, and the same day she started waving bye-bye she said it!! I'm a little sad that she hasn't said Momma, but am 100% okay with Daddy being her first word. Todd loves her so much, and everyone knows that moms have this special bond with their baby that the dads don't have, so I'm happy Todd got to be Ella's first word. Now that said, I'm saying Momma to her all the time so I'm not too far down on the list of her new words!!!

3. I am realized this past week that is has been almost 1 year since I have worked, and started to think about how different my day-to-day is than when I was working. Before Ella, I often thought how awful it must be for moms because they have to get up so early when their kids get up. But, now that Ella is up by 7 every morning (I know this is not all that early) I don't even think about it. It's just the way it is now, and Ella is so sweet and happy and playful first thing in the morning that I love it when she wakes up. I love that we have carefree days most of the time instead of me having to be at work at 8 am. I love that I don't have to wear dress clothes everyday. I love that I don't (usually) have to be someplace at a certain time everyday. I love that I am a stay at home mom!!

4. I've also been thinking about how Todd works so hard all the time. It amazes me that he likes to work so hard. This is a catch 22 for me because I am so thankful that he works hard so I can stay home with Ella, but wish he could be home with us more to enjoy Ella growing up. I am so blessed to have a husband that has such a strong work ethic. I know I need to do a better job of encouraging him and letting him know how proud I am of him.

5. I've got Ella's first birthday on the brain all the time. I love thinking about her party, and trying to get it all figured out. I've got the theme down (cupcakes), and about to start practicing on making her little cake for her to destroy on her special day. I also want to attempt to make some part of her outfit that day, like maybe her hairbow or maybe a tutu. This may not pan out, but I'm enjoying thinking about it.

6. Todd and I both have new floors for our house on our minds. My sister just bought a house and replaced the carpet and put laminate floors in the living room. Todd and I have wanted to put laminate floors in our house since we've moved in, and with my sister replacing her's this has reminded us that we want to get ours replaced. I guess I better stay out of Target and Children's Place so I can save up!!!

7. I have started baby-sitting a friend's daughter for the summer, and have been enjoying it. She is very helpful with Ella by entertaining her while I do things around the house, and she picks up toys and folds blankets without being asked to do so!! It's also nice to have someone here to talk to that can talk back to me. We have been hanging out with the nephews also, and they are hitting it off! It should be a fun summer!!

8. I haven't been to bootcamp in about 3 weeks!!! This is from a combination of being too tired (lazy) to go and my baby-sitter being out of town. But, hopefully, this coming week I'll get back on track. I keep trying to remember the phrase "Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels" to try to help me not snack myself through the day.

9. I have been getting my pictures developed and getting them organized to put in photo albums, and have realized what I had thought is true...there aren't many pictures of Ella and me together because I'm always behind the camera! I don't enjoy having my picture taken, but I love pictures of Ella and me. I will have to make a point of having our picture taken more often!

10. I've realized just how long this post is so I'm going to stop now!! Hopefully, I won't get so far behind anymore.

Thankful Tuesday

I've missed a few days with the blog, but today is a good day to get back in the swing of things...with 10 more things I am thankful for. I love thinking about my day or week and making a list of what I am most thankful for at that time. I become more aware of the little blessings in my life by doing this weekly post. Here goes...

1. I am thankful for this blog for reasons stated above. I love making a electronic journal of sorts of our family's daily activities. I hope Ella (and future children!!) will enjoy this years to come.

2. I love it when people leave comments on my entries; although this doesn't happen enough. I know I have family and friends that read this, but they don't leave comments!! Maybe they will start...it is very easy to do.

3. Ella is quite happy to play in the floor with her toys for extended periods of time, which makes it easier for me to get things done around the house. Now, I have no excuses!!!

4. I love it when people comment on how happy Ella is all the time. Family, friends, doctors, and strangers all have commented on how she smiles all the time. I hope Ella continues to grow to up being happy and having plenty to smile about, and it continues to show.

5. I am thankful for tankini's or skirtini's with summer being right around the corner. I do not enjoy wearing a bathing suit, and if I didn't have a baby to show all that I can I probably would not even go swimming this year. But, at least they have some that are cute and cover my troublespots!

6. I don't have much to babyproof in my house!! Ella is now on the move, mostly army crawling, but she is figuring crawling out more everyday (which is making #3 harder to maintain). So, the time has come for me to babyproof my house.

7. I love to have my toenails painted in the summer time with flip-flops to show 'em off. I also love having Ella's toenails painted. Her's is the cutest thing ever!!

8. I am glad that it is baseball season for my oldest nephew. He has played baseball for nearly 10 years, and I have always loved watching him. I haven't been able to see him as much this year since I have a baby, but I go to the games when I can. He had a great game last night, and his team won!!

9. I am becoming a little obessed with hairbows for Ella!! I love them. I had to make myself stop looking online because I can't pass up new, cute ones!! My next goal is to figure out how to make some.

10. I am very thankful that Ella's eye appointment at Arkansas Children's Hospital went as good as it did today. Her eye looks good and is focusing on objects, but it doesn't stay focused for very long. So, we are upping her patching time. This will be a huge adjustment for us, but we'll get it done. I am also so happy that Todd got to come with us to Ella's apptointment today. He hasn't missed many, and I love that he wants to go with me.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Today was a very special day for me...it was my very first Mother's Day with my sweet little Ella! I knew today would be great, but I had no idea how special it would be. I loved being able to all day reflect and appreciate our relationship and bond we have, and know every other mother was doing the same thing. I don't know what it is about having a certain day devoted just to mothers that makes it so special, but I guess that's just it, it's having that day just for mothers. I have also come to appreciate my relationships with other moms, like my mom and sisters and friends. They have taught me so much about being a good mom. They help me be a good mom. I also have the best husband who supports me. He also understands how important today is, which was great in itself. I love being a mom, and have been very blessed to have Ella as my daughter. I love you Ella Mae!!