Happy Half Birthday! August 15, 2006

Ella turned 6 months old on Aug. 15th!! I have learned more in these last 6 months than my Bachelor's degree from DBU. I feel like I should have a doctorate in baby basics. I could never have asked for a baby cuter or sweeter than our Ella. It is amazing how much she has grown and developed these last 6 months. This time last year I was still trying to get used to the idea that I was pregnant and we were actually having a baby. We didn't even know if the baby was a boy or a girl yet. And now we she is already half a year old. We are loving the stage she is in. She is sitting up, laughing, playing with toys, eating baby food, talking her little language! In celebration of her Half Birthday I wanted to post of my favorite pictures of her so far! Okay I always go a little overboard. I have about a hundred favorite pictures. I narrowed it down to about 30, so enjoy the slideshow. (If you put your mouse over the pictures, a caption will show up.)








online mba

Lots of Ella eating pictures!

Ella started eating from solid food about a month ago. She wasn't to fond of it the first few times. But when Grammy got here, she said mix a little applesauce in with that cereal to sweeten it up a little. We tried that and Ella devoured it! She now loves to eat. So far she has tried applesauce, bananas, peaches and sweet potatoes.


These first few pictures are before we started putting fruit in her cereal. As you can see she doesn't like it to well.
























She loves her cereal so much now with the fruit in it that she wanted to feed herself.

Weekend at Aunt Ashley's

The first two weeks of August my parents went on a wonderful two week vacation. So Heath's mom came and stayed with us so she could watch Ella while I was at work. And it was a great time for her to spend some incredible quality time with Heath and I, and more importantly Ella. So while Grammy was here we spent of the weekends at Heath's sister's house in Rowlett. We played lots of games and swam a lot.


Heath loves to do this dance with Ella. He calls it the washin machine. He twists her and does this funny beat with his mouth. Ella absolutely LOVES it. She smiles and giggles everytime.

None of us could resist dancing along with her, especially Aunt Cathy!

Ella and Aunt Cathy!













I have a strawberry on my rear!

















Playing one of our many games of Sequence!

Ella decided this weekend she wanted to start drinking from a cup! So random! It always such a surprise the things they discover and can do from day to day. She loved it so much, she would cry when I would try to take the cup away. Needless to say, we started her on a sippy cup as soon as we got home from the weekend.


One thing about Ella that Heath is undescribably proud about is that Ella loves to watch football with her daddy. She really does. And Heath couldn't be happier about that. I think he desperately prayed for that all through my pregnancy! Daddy and Ella had been enjoying a football game. She was able to watch about 45 minutes of it and then fell asleep.


Angela, a friend of Ashley's, and her two boys came over for a little bit and swam with us. Ella and her boys had a good time playing together.


Ella and Grammy about to dive in!


Ella loves her new crab float!



So excited!





And scene.

Swimming with Gage Jackson

Love those glasses girl!



















"Gage, looking good in that hat."



Linsey & Gage, Me & Ella!

Keegan Sanders is born!

On July 6th, Keegan was born to Michelle and Jonathan Sanders. He also was born 4 weeks early. Apparently, if you were roommates with me, you are going to have your baby early. Melissa, Michelle and I were all roommates and we all had our babies exactly 4 weeks early.
He is adorable!!! He weighed 5lbs 11oz. Kristin, Ella and I went to visit them when Keegan was 2 weeks old. I am so happy for them! They make such a cute family!!


This is Keegan's precious bassinet. It was also his daddy's when he was a baby!

He's so small! I can't believe Ella weighed almost 2 pounds LESS than him when she was born! I couldn't even comprehend that when I held him.


"Boys rule, Girls drool!"


Jonathan is so sweet to play with Ella every time we get to see each other.


Kristin loves these babies!!


Michelle and Keegan, Me and Ella!


So tiny!



There is an Ella Blvd. in Houston! I get easily excited over little things.











Unfortunately Melissa couldn't come with us because she was in Utah on a mission trip. But her sweet family still let us stay with them. They were so hospitable! We are excited to be able to go stay with them again soon.



Melissa's mom! She is so sweet to her! Such a great grandma! Obviously Ella loves her as well!

Melissa's sister, Alicia!