A bedtime story

"Once upon a time, in the depths of a dark, ancient forest there lived an ogre."


"... and the ogre would come to the village every night to take away all the babies who fuss when they have their faces washed, or when they have their onesies put on..."


"... but I guess you're safe because you're not one of those babies."


I figure it should be at least a few years before she's able to find out for herself that there aren't any fairy tales about fussy-baby-eating ogres.


p.s. - For those of you who might be concerned, no babies were actually frightened in the making of this blog entry.

What do you MEAN you haven't posted a picture of me in two weeks!?

Never fear, the computer is once again set up, and we can resume the coverage of Our Heroine in a more timely manner.

C'mon, baby, do the locomotion

We apologize for the lack of photo updates, as we have yet to unpack the computer that has photoshop on it.

However...

Just a couple of days ago, That Girl discovered that rolling is not only a means of getting oneself from one's back to one's tummy; in fact, it can also be used to get from point a (where one is) to point b (where that thing that must be put in one's mouth).

I also think (though I can't prove this) that she has some means of accelerating when I'm not watching.

It's also possible that she has discovered that Mommy and Daddy tend to move her away when she's near something they don't want her to grab. In response, Ella has developed a lighting-fast, uncannily accurate grab to counter this strategy.

The parent-baby arms race has begun.

Ella says . . .

"I love my Grandma Charlotte.




I think I'll give her a big kiss."

Droolie Andrews

Yup, we have taken to calling Ella Droolie Andrews. Even though she doesn't know the lyrics to "My Favorite Things." Yet.

Ella and Her Teeth

Ella is in full teethe mode. (I know, teethe doesn't look like a real word, but I checked. It is.) She has a second tooth coming in and her first is getting bigger everyday. She hasn't had too many of the classic teething symptoms, like a fever or runny nose. But she sure drools a lot. And every so often she will cry/scream in short bursts, like she's in pain. It's really sad. Oh yeah, and she's not sleeping well AT ALL.

Ella says . . .

"I have no idea what this is . . .



I'd better eat it."

Coiffure 2

Ok, so here is the before picture.



However, there will not be an after picture for this particular hairdo. By the time the curl was dry we were having a minor meltdown.

I did manage to snap off one shot, but a teen-aged Ella would kill me if she ever found out I posted it.

A few things I really love about Ella . . .

. . .the way she pinches my lips with her toes when I kiss the bottom of her feet.

. . .the way she clicks her tongue really loud.



. . .the way she "kisses" my face with her mouth wide open.

. . .the way her face lights up when her dad gets home from work.

. . .the way she uses my ears as handles to pull me closer.

. . .the way she blinks her eyes rapidly in response to the noise when I'm emptying the dishwasher.

Mmmmm, tags

Laundry Day

Ella may not be skilled yet at stain removal, but she folds a mean onesie.

Two Things I Have Learned Today

1. Carrots are much harder to get off of a baby's face if you wait for them to dry.


2. Combing a baby's hair is a difficult job if the baby in question is really, really interested in the comb.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ill-fitting party favors aside, new year's eve was a wonderful social occasion for Our Heroine. Even though it was later in the evening (a time that is known in these parts for fussiness), there was nary a fuss to be found. Guests were greeted with smiles, and she even enjoyed being held by various folks. And for the ball-dropping at midnight? She made perfect little new year baby Zs.

We wish you all a joyful new year!

Love,
the Daily Ella staff