Ella's Playdate

On Friday night our friends Josh and Chelsea Becker dropped off their son Hurshle at our apartment and he slept overnight while Josh was at a meeting and Chelsea had a track meet. We weren't sure what it would be like to have another baby here all day Saturday, but it went really well and we had fun! I don't think Ella knew what to think at first when we came out to the living room Saturday morning and Hurshle was out there. She did a lot of staring at first, but then they started playing and she seemed to have a lot of fun! They didn't really play together, just near each other. Every once in a while they interacted though. Hurshle used to tackle Ella every time he saw her but now is a little bit gentler. He did give her a hug which resulted in him falling over and taking Ella down with him. Below are a few pictures from the day.

Teething Sucks

It took Ella several months of fussiness for her first tooth to come. Then her second tooth popped up without causing Ella much distress at all. Now she has been really clingy the last few days, waking up screaming a few times and crying at the drop of a hat. It must be teething. I don't really know what it will look like on the top gums when there are teeth coming through, but there seems to be some white spots which could be teeth under the gums still. I kind of wish she could just get all her teeth in one shot and get it over with! For those few weeks before the tooth finally breaks through the surface I feel like my daughter is developing bipolar disorder. Happy one minute, crying the next. Maybe this is just breaking us in for when she goes through puberty...

Ella's New Trick

I Love My Daughter

I am reading a book written from the perspective of many different women, one of them being a first time mom of a 2 month old. She is having a hard time and it reminds me of what it was like for me when Ella was a newborn. I honestly didn't know if I was going to survive. I didn't know if I really loved my daughter. I don't think I had postpartum depression, but it was rough. We got through it though and now when I watch Ella playing on the floor or crawling toward me so excited to see me, I know that I love my little girl. She is so sweet, and she is still tough (right now she is screaming in her crib because she doesn't want to nap) but it is worth it. People have started asking me when we are going to have another baby quite often lately. The first few times it was brought up I was horrified at the thought of going through the newborn stage again. But now when I think about how hard it was, I actually feel hopeful that it will be better next time. I think it was good to have such a tough first child because now I am prepared for anything. I know that juggling two children will make it harder in some ways, but I learned so much and I will do so many things different next time and I really feel like it will run more smoothly. I already have a list started of things I am going to do different! Maybe I am kidding myself and I don't have a clue what I will be getting myself into, but I am excited to see what it would be like to actually enjoy having a newborn. It will probably be a while still before we have another baby though, so don't get any ideas!

No More Boobies For Ella

I recently weaned Ella from breastfeeding. She was only willing to nurse for a few minutes at a time and wasn't getting enough milk, so I decided that switching to formula and bottles would be better so she isn't getting dehydrated and lacking nutrients. I really never liked nursing anyways, so I was ready to be done. And let me tell you, I am loving it! I don't have to worry about breast pads and leaking, nursing bras and trying to be discreet while nursing in public. What a headache. I think the absolute best part though is my breasts being a normal size again! Today I am wearing a bra that I haven't worn since I was about 4 months pregnant. I feel so much more comfortable now. My shirts fit better too. I know breastfeeding Ella was the best thing for her, but I am glad she got sick of it so I could wean her without feeling guilty or selfish. Ahh, sweet freedom....

Clueless

I have been a mom for 10 months now, so you would think that I might know my kid decently well and kind of know what I am doing, but I am completely clueless. After posting that Ella is really consistent with her wake up time, this morning she woke up at 5:00 am. She was awake for 30 minutes before I gave up, fed her a bottle and put her back to sleep. She then slept until 7:45, and at 9:15 was whining and rubbing her eyes. Nap time already? Well, ok, so I give her another bottle and put her down. Now she is in there alternating talking to herself and crying. What the heck?!? She looked super tired, but I guess she isn't ready to sleep? But if I don't put her down she will be yawning and whining. So what am I supposed to do? I feel like I am never going to figure this kid out. 99% of the time as soon as she is yawning and rubbing her eyes she is ready to sleep and falls asleep after about 5 minutes in her crib. Not this morning though. We are going on 20 minutes right now. And did I mention that I am getting a cold and feel like crap? Oh the joy of motherhood...

Home Sweet Home

Living in Menomonie has been hard for Kyle and I lately. Most of our friends have moved away and we spend a lot of time driving to Eau Claire and the Twin Cities. We have decided to move to Eau Claire at some point, but we have been debating on when to do that. Kyle is graduating in May, so most likely we will plan on moving June 1st. It is very exciting to think about being closer to friends and church. Ella will probably be happier too because she has many little play mates in Eau Claire! Below are a few pictures of her with her friends.

Ella and Hurshle on Father's Day

Ella, Nora and Hurshle on Halloween

Ella, Nora and Emma with their mama's

Their are two other babies in our bible study group at church, Owen and Sophia, who were born Dec. 24 and Jan. 27. Ella will have lots of little friends to grow up with. We feel very blessed to have these people in our lives who are going through the same stage of life and are so supportive.