Life with Ella {27 weeks}

{Sweet as Pie one piece}

Another week in the books! Is it ridiculous that I'm still boring you with our weekly activities??? No?!? Ok, then, perfect!! 

Last Monday, I had to take an online CPR/First Aid class for my new job at the YMCA. Ella was kind enough to help me. 

{Striped bodysuit}

She didn't even get grossed out by what was on the screen...don't look too close!

Tuesday was my first experience buying something off of one of those Facebook garage sales. I got this table for only $10!

You can also take the legs off it, which is what we ended up doing...so she can sit and play with it until she gets a little better at standing! My favorite part is that it also has a setting where it teaches you French (the ones sold in the US have Spanish on them, but the lady who sold it to me said they bought this one when they lived in Canada)....looks like we need to plan a trip to France! ;)

Ella also helped me with her laundry...and we realized that, once again, her closet is completely full and I can no longer push the clothes apart. 

#girlmomproblems

Wednesday was my parents' 31st wedding anniversary, so we sent them a Red Stamp card! (PS-I need to say that I just love that Red Stamp app!!!)

We also went to our play group. In a moment of insanity, we decided to take a picture of all the kids. It was quite comical, as all but 4 of them were crying/screaming/doing flips off the couch.

But these 4 little ladies were just hanging out on the couch, staring at everyone like "What the hell is wrong with you guys?!"

{Ella's bubble was actually mine when I was a baby!}

Bless them.

Thursday was Ella's 6 month check up. She weighs 15 pounds, 1 ounce; and they actually had to measure her twice because the first time she scrunched herself up and was almost the same length as she was at 3 months. 

She also got a bunch of shots, which she hated, naturally. 

But she bounced back quickly, and this was her that afternoon--yes, sitting up in the Rock n' Play. 

{t-shirt dress and bow}

Since our pediatrician had given us the green light to start solids, we decided to go right ahead and try Thursday night. Ella's first food was bananas...

She was not the biggest fan, but has come to like them a bit more since then.

We also talked to the pediatrician about how to get Ella to nap better. We tried a few of her tips on Friday (I figured Thursday was a lost cause because we were already off schedule, plus Ella was not exactly her usual self from the shots), and Ella slept for a whole two and a half hours!!!

{Kissy Kissy dress}

Now, that hasn't happened since then, but we are still consistently attempting naps every day in her crib...so hopefully she gets on board soon! Today she only slept for an hour, but hey, that's better than the 15 minutes we were doing before!

Saturday morning, we decided to introduce a sippy cup of water, per our pediatrician's recommendation! 

{dress and bow}

She's still a little unsure of what to do with it, but she definitely likes it!

I spent my Saturday morning at 2 consignment sales...tis the season! I got all of this for under $30!

That Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book was actually recommended to us by our pediatrician, so I was super excited to find it for only $5! And doesn't that dress on the right look like Lilly?! It's not, but it was only $1!!!

Saturday afternoon, we tried Ella's second new food, avocados!

Trav was also eating some on top of his sandwich, and it was so cute to see both of them, eating their avocados and watching golf. Twinsies!

Saturday night, we went over to our friends' for dinner. Ella, not having the killer nap she had on Friday, was exceptionally fussy and did not want to play with her boyfriend!

She also broke the necklace that I was wearing, but I'll try not to hold that against her. ;)

Yesterday we started baby-proofing our house. Good Lord, is that stuff expensive!!! We put this padding on our coffee table, and immediately, someone decided it should also double as a teething toy. 

{bow}

Eiyiyi. 

Have a great week!!!

Six Month Favorites

A few of our favorites for month 6!

With the whole cloth diaper disaster (and omg, I promise I'll stop mentioning it!), I figured my favorite disposable products should be mentioned this month! :)

Pampers swaddlers / Ubbi diaper pail / Target diaper cream / A+D / wipes

1. Pampers swaddles are my favorite diaper! And we've tried LOTS! Luvs and Huggies were a complete joke (leaked pretty much every time!), and Honest Co. I found ran a little small (although the designs were super cute). Runner up award I would give to the Target brand; they are always on the Cartwheel app and have held in some pretty legit blowouts. But they're not Pampers. 

2. Diaper pail: This one rocks because it takes regular garbage bags and it doesn't smell funky because it's metal, not plastic!

3. Target diaper cream: Again, always on the Cartwheel app (how did I live before that app?!), and has cleared up some pretty intense diaper rash. (I use the maximum strength variety, but couldn't find that online.)

4. A+D: I like this stuff for the everyday prevention of diaper rash. We use it every diaper change.

5. Wipes: We have tried a lot of different wipes, too. I actually like Huggies wipes better than Pampers (Pampers seem too chemically and "wet" if that makes any sense?), but because I'm cheap (hello, this is wiping your baby's butt), I just use the Target brand...again, always on the Cartwheel app!

Next up, feeding stuff...we are just getting into food, but here's what I love so far!

Boon Flair high chair / Bowls / Spoons

1. High chair: I love this high chair because it doesn't have cheesy designs, it doesn't take up tons of space, and it's incredibly easy to clean!

2. Bowls and spoons: These can go in the dishwasher (a must for me!) and they are also very durable when my child decides to throw them onto the floor. 

Last but not least, a few toys!

Giraffe / Bouncy Baton / Oball / Bubbles

1. Giraffe: I found this at Target, and I love it because it has the crinkly stuff Ella loves, and the feet are teethers, so she can chew on it, too! 

2. Bouncy Baton: By far, the best $3 my parents have ever spent. Ella is obsessed with this thing, it's ridiculous. I'm going to cry when the battery runs out.

3. Oballs: Ella loves to put these in her mouth, roll them, and shake them. They also make them in football shapes!

4. Bubbles: I finally figured out that these are the bubbles they use at the library during story hour! They last forever and make tons of teeny tiny bubbles!

Now, if only there was a "favorite" that could magically get my baby to nap?!?! 

Life with Ella {26 weeks}

{shirt: Gymboree-sold out; Skirted Striped Bloomer}

It's been another busy week!! 

Monday we had lots of fun playing with mommy's deflated birthday balloons!

{Flag bubble}

On Tuesday, we went grocery shopping (and tried not to slobber all over the ezekiel bread!)...

...and took a walk (because it was finally not 3928 degrees!)!!

{Zutano bodysuit / Sunglasses}

On Wednesday, there were 2 recalls on my car, so I had to take it into the dealership to get checked. While they were looking at that, they my front brakes were almost completely shot. So I had to get new brakes! Yay.

Ella was bored. 

After that, we went to get supplies for her 1/2 birthday cake. Yes, I made her (ok, fine, really me because she can't eat it) a 1/2 birthday cake. 

{Ruffle striped two-piece set}

And then we met some friends for dinner at Tupelo Honey (SOOO good!), where Ella sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time!

{Cart cover}

Thursday was our usual story time at the library, with some friends!

Side note: I didn't realize Ella and I were wearing pretty much the same outfit until I got to the library. And then I felt like a huge dork. 

I'm so sad they don't do story time for the entire month of August! :( We'll see in you in September, library!

Then, I was feeling ambitious, so we went to Lowe's to get supplies to make a photo backdrop (I had planned on using it for Ella's 6 month photo shoot, but spoiler alert: it didn't really work out). 

We also baked Ella's 1/2 birthday cake!

I will post pics of the finished product soon!

On Friday, we met Kathryn for pedicures!

Then, Ella stayed with her dad while I went to the Knights' game for Kathryn's birthday! It was super misty/muggy/cold, but still fun!

Also, I know I write on here all the time about Ella's firsts, but please note that this was a first for me: wearing long sleeves in North Carolina in August! Crazy weather!!

On Saturday, because we are crazy wanted to see Bethenny Frankel, we decided to hit up the new outlet mall that just opened here in Charlotte!

To prepare ourselves, we first had mimosas (me) and snuggles with Auntie Kaffy (Ella) at Janelle's house before joining the masses at the outlet. 

Janelle lives right by the outlet, but since traffic was horrendous, it took us a while to get there. They actually blocked off the parking lot (even though there were plenty of spaces, what the heck?!?), so we ended up parking in the grass. All of the sitting in traffic really wore Ella out!

But then, we got to see Bethenny!!

Ella's first celebrity!!! 

Of course, Bethenny thought Ella was adorable, and it bought us a little more time to talk to her! Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures with her, so the pic above was the best I got!

Bethenny was super nice, and one of my favorite housewives I've ever met (I've also met Adrienne from RHOBH, Teresa from RHONJ and Kathy from RHONJ), but I gotta say, Kathy and Rich from NJ were still by far the nicest! :) 

(Sorry Bethenny, I still love you, but I couldn't even take a pic with you!)

After that whirlwind, we did a little shopping!

{in Kate Spade}

{Janie & Jack...how cute is this sweater and beret?!?! }

When we finally got home (after 7 hours...I will say that the outlet had a fabulous little lounge for nursing! With a glider and TV!), Ella decided she wanted to show us some more tricks, and stood up without anyone holding on to her! (She is holding on to the table though, obviously.)

Sunday was Ella's BIG 6 month/Half a year birthday! So of course, we had to wear the onesie I ordered with a tutu made by my mom...and what birthday outfit would be complete without a birthday crown?!?!

I had to leave my birthday princess for a few hours, to go to my friend, Chelsea's, baby shower!!

We got to taste baby food (yuck!) and make super cute headbands (yay!) for Chelsea's little girl who will be arriving in October! 

The headbands were super fun and easy to make...her sister got a kit at Michael's and we just had to glue the pieces together! I might even go buy one and make some more headbands for Elle Belle!

We finished our weekend off by watching Sunday Night Football! It was the first football game since Ella was born (3 hours after Super Bowl Sunday), so it seemed like an appropriate thing to do on her half birthday!!

I'll be sharing the photos from Ella's 6 month photo shoot super soon! 

Have a great week! :)

Ella Grace {6 months}

Dear Ella,

How the heck are you already half a year old already?!? It is so bittersweet that, as of today, you are closer to your first birthday than you are to your original birthday. GAH! Where does the time go?!? 

Height/Weight/Head Circumference: We go to the doctor Thursday, so I'll update these then! 

Clothes:  More and more of your 3-6 month clothes are fitting on your tiny self! Some of your 3-6 month dresses are still a little big, but everything else fits your pretty well. You've also {sadly} outgrown some of your 0-3 month bubbles and onesies (although, I keep trying to force them on your anyways!). I put you in a pair of 6-12 month jeans the other day, and they were ridiculously huge on you...but something tells me you'll be wearing them comfortably in no time! You are still hanging out in size 2 diapers. 

{fyi, the shirt you are wearing in these photos is still 0-3 months!}

Nicknames: Elle Belle, Peanut/Peanut Butter/Peanut Weanut/Princess of the Peanuts, My Little Stinky/Stinkyhead (with love!), Snuggle Bunny, Love Bug

Milestones: The big one this month is sitting up! You were so, so, SO close to doing it for over a month, but you finally sat up unassisted about 2 weeks ago, and now you do it all the time! You can even catch yourself if you start to topple over. You also love to stand up, and can basically stand without anyone holding onto you, if you are holding onto the table or couch. Is that normal this early?! I feel like you are so advanced! Although, every parent probably thinks that about their child!  But really, you are seriously the strongest baby....whenever I lay you on your back, you will do "crunches" and try to pull yourself up to look around! You also want to be on the move so badly!! When you are on your tummy, you try SO hard to crawl...you usually just end up spinning your body around 90 degrees, though! But it sure is entertaining to watch! :)

Sleep: You continue to sleep amazingly at night! You still are going down around 9 PM and sleeping until 8AM! Naps, however, have been our cross to bear. You usually have no problem taking your morning nap, around 10AM. The mid-day and afternoon naps, however, are pretty much a free for all, and somedays you don't take EITHER of them, making for a very enjoyable evening. I have tried desperately to get you to nap in your crib...I close the blackout curtains, put your sound machine on, put you in your sleep sack and close the door. But for some reason, you just know you're missing out on something fun and you will just cry and scream until I come get you! You've screamed for an hour straight before, and I feel terrible that you are so miserable! But, if we are running errands or something, you have no problem drifting off for a quick 30 minute nap in your car seat. So I guess we just need to spend nap time in the car every day?! We may need to ask the pediatrician about this on Thursday...

Best Moment: When you could finally sit up all by yourself! It's so fun to see you become more and more independent! Also, I was so glad the we survived our trips to Ohio and Virginia...you are a pretty terrific little traveler!

Worst Moment: The cloth diaper debacle, although it was much worse for Mommy than it was for you. I think you were unaffected for the most part! 

Likes: You still love any type of crinkly toy, Sophie, balloons, sitting in your high chair, when Daddy or I blow raspberries on your tummy, playing "Pat-a-Cake," putting anything and everything in your mouth, sitting up to play the piano on your play mat, and the jumperoo/doorway jumper (or just jumping off mine or Daddy's legs). You are also very into other people's beverages (you think everything is for you!) and touching people's faces!

Dislikes: Being in unfamiliar and/or over-stimulating places, napping in your crib/involuntary naps in general. 

Health: Healthy, healthy, healthy girl! We are so thankful that you have been perfectly healthy for your first 6 months of life and hope that it continues!

Eating: We have tried rice cereal a few more times this month, and you are starting to like it more! You still are wary about the whole swallowing part, but sometimes we will give you a bottle nipple to help you. You definitely like to feed yourself/play with the spoon! When you nurse, you are still eating every 2.5-3 hours. Bottles are anywhere from 5-7 ounces per feeding. I am starting to get worried about my supply, because when I pump, sometimes I don't get as much milk as I used to! I am really proud of us for making it 6 months, but I would really like to continue breastfeeding for another 6 months if possible! Even though I hate doing it, I know it is so good for you, and let's face it: I am way too cheap to buy formula! Ha!

My sweet, sweet girl... I can't believe you've been here for 6 whole months! This time last year, we thought you were a boy (Can you imagine?! Sorry!) and I was still crazy nauseous! How is that in just 6 more short months, we will be celebrating your first birthday?!?! Ahhh! Slow down, time!!! I love the little personality you're continuing to develop...you are so funny and entertaining! You just crack me up daily, with your sounds and funny faces! Everywhere we go, people just LOVE you! Everyone seems to think you are the cutest, sweetest little thing, and of course we agree with them 100%! We love you, sweet Ella Grace!