The Farrell Family

Don't you wish Bart was YOUR dad?

2012-01-16T09:26:00.000-06:00

Average week at the Farrells

2012-01-16T00:31:00.001-06:00

It was a pretty normal week at the Farrell household. Ella and Amelia had school Tuesday and Thursday. Kim and I started working out, so we went to the gym twice this week (as well as me going two other days), so that's pretty exciting. The kids love it too because we go to her YMCA, and its like a whole new experience for them.

Ella has been all over her Leappad. She loves the Mr. Pencil game, and she LOVES the Tangled game. She has to spell words and manipulate letters to unlock new stamps and drawing tools, and she loves doing that. I feel bad sometimes about her being on the game, but she mainly does it while Amelia naps. Plus she is learning SO much. I am amazed how she recognizes words and sounds. I know I am biased, but she is sooo smart. I made her put on headphone this particular day because the other two were napping. She felt like such a big girl with her earphones.

Ella and Amelia LOVE their baby sister....especially Ella. She has been all into loving on her lately. She's always telling me, "I love Olivia....she's MY sister." I get a little curious as to where all this newfound love came from, but all in all, it's sweet. Here they are, showing her something on the laptop.

Mammy gave my girls a very special gift for Christmas this year....they each have their own book of Mammy reading to them. It has a recording of her voice reading to them, page by page, and as you turn the page, she reads along. They LOVE them, and they want to hear Mammy's voice often. It's quite deafening when they all want to hear their book at the same time, but they do love them.

Sweet Olivia has been playing on her own with her sisters' toys. She basically just chews on them, but it still seems to amuse her for a while. She's such a happy baby.

Bart got me a paper cricut for Christmas, but he also got me a cake cricut, which cuts fondant and sugar sheets into different shapes to decorate a cake with. I am sooo excited to make kickbutt cakes and cupcakes for the girls' birthday parties and school and such. I bought a sugar sheet a few weeks ago to try it out, and we needed a reason to make a cake on Saturday, so we made a Saints cake for the game. All i had was blue dye, so it ended up being a blue and red Saints cake (who also lost their playoff game...). I LOVE the cake cricut, and I can't wait to make more neat stuff!

Oh, and I tried something from Pinterest called zebra cake. You just lay the batter differently, and it makes a striped effect, but way cool!

Look at those sweet dimples!

Seven months old, and she is pulling up on everything! She barely crawls, but she is getting to where she wants to go with a quickness. And more importantly, she is pulling up on the couch, the baby gate fence and the toys!

Sunday, we played outside almost all day long. It was such a beautiful day and there was football on the TV, so the girls played dress up and stayed out in the backyard all day. Rapunzel found some leftover pumpkins from Halloween, and she hauled them into her tower.

"Look, ma! I'm driving!!"

Sweet sisters....sometimes the fight, but they really do love each other.

Ella found the only tiny trees we have in our yard, and she proceeded to attempt to climb it. Hee hee...

My children HATE clothing, if you haven't been able to tell.

Geaux Tigers!

2012-01-15T23:31:00.001-06:00

Well, the tigers lost, but it wasn't due to our lack of team spirit!

Monday was a HELLISH day! It was a cold and rainy night and morning, and Olivia woke up still not feeling that great from a weekend of antibiotics. So I called the doctor and got an appointment for 9:30. Now, I don't know if you know this about my girls, but they are sleepers! Once they finally admit defeat and actually give IN to sleep, they will sleep till 9am easy. I was skeptical about taking them out not only in the rain and cold but also to all three of them to a doctors office (germ city!), but I was desperate for poor Olivia to feel better. I woke up the older girls, fed them breakfast, and dressed everyone (in LSU clothes because it was championship game day, how could I not!?), piled them all into the car in the pouring rain and cold, and made our way to the doctor. Thank God for free valet parking at my doctor's office, or THAT would've been a fiasco too, but it was a pleasant overall doctor's visit.

Not sure if I have mentioned before, but I LOVE my pediatrician, Dr. Nguyen. She is SO wonderful to us. Not only does she always remember us and what's going on with us (because I am there so often, I guess!), but on days like today when she wasn't very busy, she stops to talk to us about how our holidays were, how my surgeries went, and little small talk that I know she does not have to do...but thats what makes a good doctor. She is such a wonderful person to have caring for my girls.

Anyway, sure enough the antibiotics weren't working, so we stopped by the pharmacy for more, grabbed lunch, and headed to the YMCA for Ella's dance class (all in torrential rain, might I add). After I shuttle three kids IN THE RAIN in a double stroller into the Y, I walk in and the woman behind the desk tells me, "Oh, didn't they call you? Dance class was cancelled!"

NO, THEY DIDN'T CALL ME! Do you think I would be here dripping wet with my sick baby and my hungry children if I knew that!? Needless to say, I stayed and worked out because I needed to RELIEVE SOME STRESS! Wow.

The evening didn't get much better....LSU played a pathetic game against Alabama, all while Ella and Amelia yelled "GEAUX TIGERS!" and Amelia's favorite phrase, "TOUCHDOWN!," and she says it with such gusto! LSU lost 21-0. Humiliating, but we still had the cutest little cheerleaders!

First week of the year in pictures

2012-01-09T01:04:00.001-06:00

Ella and Amelia came home from Louisiana, and they had a ball playing with all their toys they got from Santa and family. Here's Amelia and Ella.....I mean, Little Mermaid and Rapunzel (not sure why Ariel sporting the black do!)

Just another day in paradise....the girls going for their Sunday drive in the Barbie Jeep!

If you haven't noticed yet, our kids like to play dress up. I have the cutest picture of the three of them in Winnie the Pooh costumes leftover from Halloween, but Pooh is missing clothes.....so, you'll have to settle for the cutest Piglet ever!!

Weekend mornings are the greatest because dad can play games with the girls. Amelia loves to play Don't Break the Ice with her daddy.

Sweet cheeks is a jumping fool! And our latest addition? The two pearly whites gleaming from the lower gums!

Ahhhh, lunch in my pj's!

Is it a yawn? Is it amazement? The world will never know!

Our newly mobile Olivia somehow made her way UNDERNEATH her baby bed.

Nothing like mud-riding in church clothes!

We do the crawl-a-shuffle!

Olivia looooves bathtime. Especially when she doesn't have to share the tub!!

My latest craft - a Mardi Gras wreath! Feeling exceptionally homesick this weekend with the Saints playoff game and the big LSU game in New Orleans this weekend. This made me feel better!

This is how we do it in the country....king cake on the table, barefoot and bottomless.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am back!

2012-01-09T00:37:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine inspired me to start a challenge. To take as many photos of the every day moments of our lives so that when our little ones are grown up, we'll remember the not so special occasions just as much as we remember the special ones (ok, who are we kidding...they're all special!)

Having three kids, it's really hard to blog as often as I would like to. I have SO many funny stories and so many things I want to share with not only my children one day (through this blog), but also to share with you, my readers, who take the time to come here to our blog to read about us. I'm challenging myself to one entry a week....if I accomplish more, great! But at least if I can shoot for once a week, that doesn't seem like THAT much of an unrealistic goal (and at very least, I can throw a bunch of pictures of that week on here!)

I had surgery on my hands at the end of the year. I had carpal tunnel throughout all three of my pregnancies, but with each pregnancy, it subsided afterwards. After Olivia, it didn't go away. I would feel numbness in my hands all the time, and pain would shoot up through my arm, almost to my shoulder. It was getting worse and worse, until one night I was working on a hot glue gun project for some Christmas favors for the girls to take to school. I have one of those old-time mega hot guns, and as I worked, I remember getting glue on my hands, but I continued to work. When I was done, I hadn't burned myself one time...until I looked at my fingers, and I had red spots on them. I had burned my fingers, and I had so little feeling in them, that I didn't even notice. CRAZINESS! So, I made an appointment to see a specialist downtown, met with him in the morning, and that afternoon I was having surgery on my left hand, the one with the most damage. That was Dec 16th....it was pretty easy making do with one hand through the holidays because I still had my right hand, my good hand. Dec 29th we came back to Houston, and I had the right hand done. Wow....hard for a mama to take care of her three babies with one healing hand and one freshly cut hand! But my wonderful husband helped me, and we made it through. PLUS, it was the best thing I could've every done because the problem is completely fixed, and I'm recovering more and more everyday. Bionic, I think, was what my physical therapist called me for my one-time visit....she was amazed I had progressed so much in so little time. I informed her I had three tiny physical therapists at home that did her job for her.

We had a great Christmas, and a wonderful New Year. We're so blessed to have the friends and family that we have.

Our First Visit to the Children's Museum

2012-01-09T00:18:00.000-06:00

Since Bart was off of work the day after New Year's and since we had to pass by the Children's Museum every time I had to have my hand surgery, we decided it would be a good day to take the girls to the museum. All these places are going to love us (having three kids), since paying for all of us to get in is just as much as a membership, so of course again, we caved and became members! Two visits and it paid for itself, plus the kids LOVED it...I know we'll be back.

Amelia, the mad scientist, getting ready for an experiment!

I loved seeing the wonder in their eyes. Some things were way over their heads, but they were very curious all the same.

"Riding" in the mexican taxi in the Mexico exhibit. Amelia also exchanged my money into pesos, and Ella made me some tortillas.

Amelia and Ella LOVED seeing the baby chicks pecking their way through the eggs. Then they got to see the fluffy little chicks after they were all cleaned up. So cool.

Olivia even got in on the action!

By far, Ella's favorite part was Kidtropolis, a kid-centered city with businesses, jobs, banks, stores and so much more. Here's Ella working in the restaurant, bringing Bart his "chicken."

Our next stop was the HEB grocery store. The girls had a blast shopping like mommy does. I swear I could hear Ella talking like me, "Let's see....we also need ___."

Great day at the museum.

2011-10-15T10:43:00.001-05:00

It's little moments like these that make me such an incredibly happy and thankful person.

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell

2011-09-18T22:17:00.001-05:00

Two little girls had their piggies painted for the first time!

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell

What to be for Halloween?

2011-09-15T00:41:00.000-05:00

I do not plan ahead, but as a mother of three small ones, I am getting better at it. I started planning Ella's birthday party for August in May. I have already started on Amelia's for November, and today I bought all three of the girls' Halloween costumes. DONE! Woohoo!

I had posted a comment on Facebook what everyone thought my kids should be for Halloween. I don't bother asking Ella because I know she would say Thomas, and that just ain't happening. I've had enough Thomas to last me a lifetime! Surprisingly, when I offered the possibilty of princesses, she agreed, but she wanted to be Belle, not Cinderella. Ok, I can deal...for kids who've only watched a handful of Disney movies (because stupid Disney won't take them out of the ding dang vault!), that's pretty good!

Then someone (I think it was Megan White) suggested Winnie, Tigger and Pooh. Well, Ella was sold, and so was Amelia. The more and more I thought about it though, they could use the princess dresses for dressup, and I had plans for an AWESOME mermaid costume for Olivia. I was torn....then I went to Walmart with the girls. Our Walmart on 529 is one of the first Wal-Mart's to have Halloween stuff out already. The girls saw the costumes, and that was it....I have to say, I was sold too.

What do you think?

I have some ADORABLE pictures of all three of them dressed up, but I'll save those for October. Ella came home and put on her Tigger costume, and she wore it for four hours....I think she likes it. Too bad its a size 12-18 months and it fits her like wedgie-induced capris. I'm searching for the correct size, but I've learned if you don't buy them all together, problems arise. So, at the very least, she will look like hoochie Tigger. Love love love the costumes....they are so excited for Halloween now, and I love that.

Ella-ism #35

2011-09-15T00:28:00.000-05:00

We're all about Santa right now...when she says she wants something, I tell her she has to ask Santa for it. Make a list. Start thinking about what you want to as Santa for. She when she tells me, "Mom, I really want a little Sid toy" (Sid the Science Kid - don't ask), I tell her, "ask Santa."

I did the insane and took all three of them to Wal-Mart the other day...it really wasn't that bad. On our way our, we have to pass by the toy crane machines. She always asks me to play, and I always tell her I am out of money.

So, she says, "Mom, can I play the crane....oh wait, that's right, you don't have any monies. You should ask Santa for some monies, mom....that would be good. And maybe if you're good, he'll bring you some monies."

Maybe so, my Ella....maybe so!

Ella's First Day of Dancing

2011-09-15T00:24:00.000-05:00

So, with our sudden change back to the Lamb School, we've had to tighten the purse strings a little, so Ella and Amelia in gymnastics is out. However, our YMCA was offering dance classes for 3-5 year olds (ballet and tap), and it's very affordable, so I thought we'd give it a try. I was very impressed with the teacher and the program, and I think it all worked for the best....God always has a plan.

Kim stayed at the house with her two kids while Amelia napped, and I brought Olivia to the daycare in the Y. Ella was all dressed in her ballet shoes and leotard, ready for class. We hadn't gotten the packet for dress code until Sunday, so I just dressed her in what I had bought her....of course, now we need an entirely different outfit. Oh well...play clothes!! Ella met her teacher Mrs Cindy, and she got in line with the other girls as they called role. It was adorable!!! Then they all went into a classroom - no mom's allowed. We had to smush our faces into the sliver of a window on the door to get peeks.

Ella was HILARIOUS. I couldn't hear what was going on, but I know all the other girls around her were standing still, holding their heels together and making some pretty dancing stance, and there's my Ella...jumping up and down, playing with the crotch of her leotard. Niiice.

She said she had fun though, so we're going to keep going. Dance recital will be May 19 (got that Mammy!?). I think she's going to do great! Yet, she's growing up way too fast.

Geaux Tigers!!

2011-09-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday, LSU played my old alma mater, NSU. OK, so it wasn't really my alma mater...I was only there for one year. But it was my freshman year, so it was a very important year, and I will always hold a very special place in my heart for NSU and those white columns. That being said though, I pulled for my tigers anyway. We spent the afternoon with our friends Kurt, Robin and their son Dean. Kurt is a big Georgia fan (blah blah), so we watched his team barely lose, and then we saw LSU greatly win.

My little Farrell girls all represented well.

2011-09-13T01:58:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure life doesn't get much better than this.

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell

2011-09-10T08:19:00.001-05:00

My sweetie girl all dolled up for her first MOPS meeting.

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell

Random Pics

2011-09-10T01:05:00.000-05:00

These are just a few random pics on my camera that I couldn't help but share.

First week of Fall

2011-09-10T00:59:00.000-05:00

This was the first week of fall in full swing, and it was a FABULOUS week indeed.

The girls started the Lamb School Tuesday, and they were about the cutest things I've ever seen in their little schoolhouse dresses (thank you, Aunt Shelly). They were so excited to carry their backpacks and purse (aka frog lunchbags) into school, and they both walked right into their classes without even looking back. Made a mama proud. When I went to pick them up, I had to laugh at the teachers' opinions of my girls. Ella's teachers told, "Wow, she is NOT shy, that's for sure." She told me Ella owned that classroom. Amelia's teachers told me she seemed so comfortable and at home in class, like she'd been there all year long. A little social butterfly, they called her. I love it...

Yeah, well, getting them both to look at the camera as we were flying out the door was tough.

Wednesday began my bible study, which this semester will be on Mastering Motherhood, or what I like to call it, learning to discpline my children while keeping God in mind and keeping from killing my husband. :) Seriously, this is a MOPS based class, and I am really excited about it. I get so much inspiration and strength from other moms going through what I am experiencing in life right now.

And today was my first MOPS meeting of the semester - WOOHOO!! Have I mentioned how much I love MOPS? It was a speaker day, and we heard from a lovely young lady from Houston with two girls. Her stories of motherhood sounded so much like mine, and she's also a writer. In fact, she wrote her own children's book, which I thought was really cool. I love my new group this year, and I see many newly formed friendships in my future. Funny story though - every woman in my group that was there today has little boys except for ONE lady who has two boys and a girl. One of them was even pregnant for TWIN BOYS. Ella, Amelia and Olivia are going to have some interesting playdates in their future - I'm sure they can hold their own!

Bart and I had date night tonight...we had a great time with lots of conversation, which are always my favorite kind of date nights. After dinner though, we decided to go have a drink at a local bar. We NEVER go out....in fact, I'm pretty sure I haven't stepped foot into a bar in three years, before I was pregnant for Ella. It was a nice thing to do every once in a while...watch some live music and have a beer. I felt human and a little like my old self. Plus it was nice to be dressed up a little, without spitup down my shirt and actually having showered! Ha! I'm pretty sure I loss the cool factor when I whipped out my glasses to read a text on my cellphone though. Oh well...it was a great time anyway!

Geaux Tigers!!

2011-09-05T00:34:00.000-05:00

Ella and Amelia were dressed in their LSU best for the first game of the season Saturday night. We all tailgated and watched the game, which was fabulous fun! Ella and Amelia were even cheering, saying, "Geaux Tigahs!" I need to get them some pom poms.

Ella, honey...next time you wear a cheerleader uniform, put on some bloomers or close your legs!!

On the flip side, I got a new haircut. Mama needed some easy hair, and I was tired of putting it in a ponytail every single day. It feels sooo much better and healthier. Major weight has been lifted...

2011-09-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

"Look Mama, I'm a koala bear!!"

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell www.babyfarrelldiary.blogspot.com www.examiner.com/x-19078-Houston-Baby-Toddler-Gear-Examiner

Every girl loves a new pair of shoes

2011-09-03T00:54:00.000-05:00

After meeting the teacher Thursday, I was told the girls needed closed toe shoes for school. I literally had not bought the girls new shoes all summer because we have worn white sandals every single day of the summer. So, we headed over to the shoe store cause babies needed a new pair of shoes. Thank GOD my "cousin" Megan came with me to tame the precious little beasts because otherwise, it would've been a nightmare.

Ella insisted on giant bulky Dora sneakers, which I was NOT getting her. Amelia wanted crocs because she could put them on herself, which I was also NOT buying her. Then Amelia tried on a pair of pink glittery mary janes....they were adorable, I must say, but I was a little worried they wouldn't match everything, and we weren't buying 5 pairs of shoes per child here. Well, little priss pot would NOT take those shoes off for anything. She pitched a fit on aisle two when we tried to pry them off of her. Ella of course had to have her pair as well, and so, I eventually caved. They were adorable, and how could I resist what they called "princess shoes."

While I was trying to pick out a second more practical pair of shoes for them, Megan decided to distract them with tap shoes. They LOVED them, and we kept trying to teach them dance moves in the middle of the store. They were sooo cute, tapping away...pretty sure the lady working there wanted us dead. Thankfully, no one else was in the store for most of the time we were there.

Amelia is ONE size away from Ella, wearing an 8 while Ella was in a 9. Wowser is all I can say. I even scored me a pair of shoes, so the whole trip was a success.

They wore their "princess shoes" to a playdate today, and when they walked outside and saw how they sparkled in the sunlight, you would've thought they just won the lottery. "They're so beautiful, Mama," Ella tells me, and Amelia chimed in with a big precious, "Wow!!"

Last Minute Jitters

2011-09-03T00:33:00.000-05:00

Well, after much talking last night, Bart and I have decided to send the girls back to the Lamb School at The Met instead of Bear Creek. I know most of you back home in Louisiana are like, what!?

Ella went to the Lamb School at The Met Baptist Church last year, and I absolutely loved it. She loved it. It's the same church that I went to bible study and where I go to MOPS. But this year with having two in MDO, it was going to be a little pricey. Bear Creek Baptist had a really great program, so I enrolled the girls, and they were to start Tuesday. My friend Noelle's girls go there also, although they weren't going to be in the same classroom, and our neighbors Dixie and Jeff are members at Bear Creek. It was a great place, but I just love the Lamb School so much, and it's just where my heart is. Thank GOD there were openings for both girls, and I enrolled them today to also start on Tuesday! Yay! I am SOOOO excited. Ella even has some of her old classmates in her class.

Ella took a nap today for like the first time in two months. She must be sick or there must be some barometric drop that made her eyes close because otherwise I have no other way to explain it. She fell asleep on our way home from registration, and I carried her in the house, where she slept for an hour and a half more. Being the smart one that I am, I moved her into my bed so if Amelia woke up, we wouldn't wake her. Yeah...I was smooth. So smooth I forgot to put a pullup on her, and she totally unloaded a full bladder on my side of the bed. All the shamwows in the world aren't soaking that up. Ugh! I just am not used to her napping, so when it happened, I think I went into shock!

2011-09-01T10:52:00.001-05:00

Going meet the teacher at our new MDO school. :)

Sent from my iPhone Angelle Levet Farrell www.babyfarrelldiary.blogspot.com www.examiner.com/x-19078-Houston-Baby-Toddler-Gear-Examiner

Fall always means new beginnings

2011-09-01T00:06:00.002-05:00

Hello fellow blog readers....
I know I have been a complete failure in the blog department. I have not written a single post since APRIL which is just a shame considering I gave birth within that time. In my defense, I have been a little busy raising three babies. I won't lie, it gets a little challenging sometimes, so time is not always my friend. But it's September, fall is among us, and with fall brings new beginnings. Rather than wait for a New Year to make a resolution, I decided to make mine now and try to post at LEAST once a week.

I'm not going to spend my time apologizing for all I have missed. As most of you know, I had my precious little angel on June 1st - Olivia Levet Farrell. Tomorrow she will be three months, and she has been SUCH a wonderful blessing in our lives. She is SUCH a great baby, sleeping up to ten hours at night on some nights. I couldn't ask for more, really....and she is cute as a button. She is starting to get a little personality, and she smiles and smiles. And she's getting so big....she's almost in 6 month clothes already! Such a beauty. I'll elaborate more on her soon.

Ella Pearl and Amelia meet their teachers tomorrow, and next Tuesday, they start "school," which is really just a Mothers Day Out program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They're going to Bear Creek Baptist this year, a new place, and we're really excited to have them both there. Amelia needs some classroom time!

Amelia is growing so much right now too. She is a CHATTERBOX, talking just like her big sister. She is a character, and she's starting to play a lot of pretend. She loves to play dress up and sing and dance. She reads books like her sister used to do, mimmicking reading and turning the pages. It's a sight to see! She has got the most gorgeous head of curly cue hair I have ever seen...I just gave her a haircut because it was like a giant fro. No doubt though, it's beautiful, and she'll surely be the envy of all straight-haired girls she meets. She has a little temper on her, approaching the terible two's a tad early...she loves to pull hair and throw a tantrum or two. Hoping school will shape her up and out of that phase!

Ella Pearl is doing just great too. She's growing up way too fast for my taste, and I am amazed daily by her intelligence. She can do 24-piece puzzles all by herself right now, and while Amelia naps, she and I have been working in fun little workbooks, finding letters and numbers. She is so smart. She also loves to sing and dance, and well, we all know about her Thomas the Train obsession. She loooves her train table she got for her birthday, and she loves playing with her sister. Our newest news is that she is completely potty trained!! Woohoo...it was everything I thought it would be and more!! She still wears a pullup at night, but it's been panties all day every day for almost a month now. So exciting!

We start gymnastics next week as well....Amelia and I will do a mommy and me class, and Ella will do her little class. Really excited about that. Girls are so fun!

Anyway, that's where we are right now...I PROMISE to start updating this blog more often. It will be a little ritual for me....too many funny parenthood stories for me NOT to share. I also learned to blog from my phone, so that will make sharing photos much easier.

Here's my first photo shared via cellphone. It's a birdhouse me and the girls painted today. They painted all the solid colors themselves, and they decorated the side walls themselves. The roof sides and back have a handprint from each of them...will be such a great keepsake. Thanks Krystal for the fun birthday gift. It was Amelia's first time painting, and she loved it.

MOPS and POPS date night

2011-04-30T00:12:00.000-05:00

I know I have some catching up to do with Easter, but I had to share this little story about Ella while it was fresh in my mind. Tonight was MOPS and POPS night for my MOPS group, which is basically date night. Our MOPS groups sponsor an event with $5 childcare, and for $15 a couple, we enjoy fellowship with other MOPS women and their husband, Pappasitas dinner, and entertainment. It was a blast, and the entertainment was Sportz Comedy, an improv comedy group geared towards sports. It was hilarious.

We were asked to wear our favorite team colors, so of course, Bart and I were decked out in LSU. I squeezed into the largest LSU shirt I own, and since a lot of people have been asking for a photo, here it is - me, nine months pregnant.

Anyway, after we picked up the girls from daycare, they were wired. Being that we didn't get home until 10:30, Amelia went straight down for the most part. Ella however was a challenge. We said prayers once, and then she wanted to say them again. So, we blessed every child in her class, her teachers, and she continued to bless her window, her fan and her doors. Moving it along, I said, "Amen." Then she started singing this song that I didn't quite catch the first time, so I asked her to sing it to me again.

It was to the tune of Frere Jacques....it was:
"God Our Father, God Our Father
Once again, once again,
Thank you for our blessings, thank you for our blessings,
Amen, Amen"

I just about started crying....it was so sweet!! She was so sweet when she was singing it too.
Happy mommy feeling....I love being a mom.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-16T00:11:00.024-05:00

Our neighborhood had their annual easter egg hunt this Saturday, and it's always a nice event for the kids. Our friends Greg and Rebeca and their boys IV and Max came out to meet us too, so Ella was in heaven. She looooves IV, and as you can see, he loves her too...he held her hand while they walked to the spacewalk and events. Soooo stinkin cute...

Amelia enjoyed her first egg hunt....she wasn't all that into it, but she gathered up some eggs. The prizes were pretty lacking (seriously, bubble gum for 2 yr old and under?), but all in all she had a good time.

Ella has some learning to do too. She was a tad confused. When they gave her the ok to start hunting, she would pick up an egg, open it, look to see what was inside and THEN move on to the next egg. We tried to explain to her to object of collecting as many as she could FIRST, then checking out her loot, but she has her own little way of doing things....

There was a hula hoop contest, and Ella was hellbent on particpating (even though we don't own a hula hoop, nor has she ever seen one..) She actually did pretty well though for a 2 yr old.

Ella and IV catching a snack before the next contest....

Amelia was obsessed with the Easter bunny...every time we couldn't find her, she'd be following him around. He didn't need to talk to her....she just wanted to be next to him. It was the funniest thing. So much for being scared of characters in disguise....that is one thing my children are NOT!

It was a great day...the girls had a blast, and it was such a nice thing for our neighborhood to provide.

Toy Story on Ice

2011-04-15T23:42:00.023-05:00

This Friday morning, we had tickets for Toy Story on Ice with Kim and Meganne. All week I had been telling Ella we were going, and all week she said she did not want to go. What!? What do you know about what you want!!?? So, we went, against her wishes. Kim made her and Meganne the cutest Toy Story pillowcase dresses and bows. They were the cutest little girls in that arena! As we handed out tickets to the front gate worker, I could see the growing concern in Ella's eyes. She was beginning to realize that this plae, the Reliant Center, was the same place that the rodeo was held, and we all know the drama that took place for that event. You know, where we missed Brad Paisley AND the championships for the rodeo because Ella freaked out during the opening ceremonies due to fireworks?? Well, I was not giving up this time.

We walked up to our section, and when we hit the steps to go down, Ella began crying. What happened to my little daredevil girl who was not afraid of anything!?! She cried, saying, "get me out of here, I wanna go home..." I told her we would only stay for a little while, and that Mickey might be there. Fair enough we were a little late too, so it was already dark in the arena. But she sat on my lap, tears in her eyes, and watched. No smiles, no laughs...just tears. And after every performance, she would clap.....and then tear up again. I felt like I was torturing her, but somewhere in there, I knew she was enjoying it.

At intermission, I got her a light up toy....all during intermission she played with it. I thought for sure I had solved the problem...no such luck. At one point, she laid across me and wanted to take nap. Really? She perked up a little at the end when Mickey came out. It was so unlike Ella....

The good news is when we got home, she told her daddy she had a wonderful time seeing Buzz and Woody, and she was sooo excited she had gone. So weird. Oh well....

Amelia Has Tubes!

2011-04-14T23:07:00.036-05:00

After much contemplation and question (and a second opinion!), we decided to put tubes in Amelia's ears. She can hear just fine, but her ENT, Dr Staton said that she would just get tons more ear infections. So, we decided it would be best to go ahead and get them. Mama was a nervous wreck!

Daddy brought Ella to school while Amelia and I drove down to the NW Surgery Center early in the morning. I was soooo nervous because I had never been there before, and Amelia was a little whiny because she was on her second antibitotic for an ear infection that week, poor baby. The place was really nice, and while I was filling out paperwork, the nurse gets a phone call that Amelia's aunt was there. My WONDERFUL friend and neighbor Dixie showed up at 8am to be there with me....what a wonderful blessing and surprise. Between the two of us, we managed to keep Amelia fairly calm considering the doctor was a tad late. She cried when they took her back, but after 10 minutes (yes, TEN minutes) the doctor came out and said she did wonderful. He also said it was a good decision to get tubes because her ear was full of ickiness and infection. Made me feel better.

They called me back once she came to, and she was a little disoriented but doing fine. She was a real trooper...she was whiny the whole ride home, but she slept for three or four hours once we got home. Mommy survived too!! I don't like seeing my little baby girl like that...she didn't take long to come back around.

Little Garden Green Thumbs

2011-04-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

Daddy planted his garden again this year, with a little help from his girls. They planted bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, a few strawberries and corn. He also planted some cilantro and green onions for mama. :) Ella Pearl was all into helping her daddy....so sweet.

2011-04-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

Girls woke up bright and early this morning at 7:30am. Ella was singing MOM-MY and DAD-DY from her room. Somehow after breakfast, the girls ended up outside in the backyard with dad at around 9:45am, and Ella walks in the back door with a half eaten chocolate covered chocolate chip cookie in her hand and THIS is her face:

How does Bart pull this off so early in the morning?!?!

Well, in his defense, this was the works of our neighbor "COY," as Ella calls her...she's worse than my grandma! She's always equipped with a cookie or treat or snack.

This afternoon, we took the girls to the neighborhood splashpad since we flaked out on them yesterday. Amelia has a runny nose and cough, so we really had no business bringing her, but I just couldn't let her miss out. She'll hopefully be getting her tubes put in this Thursday. They had a BLAST! Amelia might hate having water poured over her head, but she surely had no problem running underneath those sprinkling fountains. Ella hit every square inch of that pad...except for the buckets. She kept telling me, "I no like the buckets, mom." The buckets fill up and pour over....she's not a fan.

After that, we went eat at their favorite "farm," as they call it, Clays. It's a restaurant with a huge deck and farm animals for the kids to play with. Today they even had pony rides. The girls ran and played and completely wore themselves out - and fed the ponies. There's nothing like feeding farm animals and eating a meal all in the same hour to really make your stomach turn.

We tried to RUN IN to Wal-Mart on the way home, as we were DESPERATE for wipes and diapers. We tried to split up, which didn't work at all. After a little while, Bart took Ella to get our paint (for our room) mixed while I took Amelia to get some quick groceries. She cried for DADA and would NOT sit in her seat without going nuts, so I held her for half the way. Did I mention I am nearly 8 months pregnant!? After I could take her on my hip no longer, I put her on my shoulders - can you get the visual of me, hugely pregnant, walking around with a one-year-old on my shoulders maneuvering my shopping cart with one hand, actually SHOPPING?!? Let's just say I got a few looks, but I got the job done.

The girls were exhausted and so am I...early night for me!

Let the Nesting Begin...

2011-04-10T01:14:00.000-05:00

I have officially begun "nesting" in my third trimester. We were thinking of driving to Louisiana today for Bart's grandma's 90th birthday party, but the kids were in a very active mood and I was not looking forward to driving five plus hours today and five plus hours tomorrow to come right back...especially since we're going home in two weeks for Easter, so we decided to stay home.

But rather than be unproductive, we worked our tushes off! Bart installed our new fan in our bedroom, and we both worked all day cleaning and moving things out and dusting and vacuuming. It looks SO GOOD, and now we can start painting and hanging curtains and all the fun stuff. All this for a new little baby?? Well, that and the fact that momma just needs a change!

This afternoon, we were all hot, so we got the girls dressed in their swimsuits and decided to take them to the community splashpad. They were sooo cute and sooo excited to go. We drove down to the area, and it was closed!! :( We called the YMCA and they closed at 6pm too, so we knew the girls would be so disappointed if we didn't do SOMETHING. So, what did we do...Bart ran the sprinklers in the yard, and the girls went WILD!

Even Zoe got in on all the action. Zoe likes to stick her face in the sprinkler and try to eat it. Hilarious....and she was soaked. Probably the most movement that pups made in a while!

When the sprinklers ran their course, our next door neighbor Necoy improvised some more water action. Takes so little to impress my girls.

After some backyard fun, we ordered takeout Chinese food, and the girls had their favorite (and messiest) RICE! Amelia learned how to say CHEESE, so when I point the camera at her now, she smiles and says CHEESE!! It is SOOO cute with her little lisp.

Ella is a MESS! She won't say CHEESE....in fact, she barely looks at the camera. Such a little stinker.

We had a great day...the girls went out easy peasy, and I spent the rest of the night going through ALL the girls toys. We just needed to throw away the happy meal toys and the destroyed stuff, put some stuff away for the baby, etc. It took FOREVER, but totally worth it. My den is next on the list of things to organize. Let the spring cleaning begin!!

7 weeks till baby Farrell #3 will be here, so we gots to start working! I can't wait to see her beautiful little face.

Sisterly Love

2011-04-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

This morning, while loading the kids into the car for Bible Study, Ella looks over at Amelia in her carseat and says to me, "Mom, Amelia is my friend?" I innocently tell her, "Amelia's your sister, Ella." She looks back at her, then back at me, "Momma, Amelia is my sister AND my friend."

Awwww.....warms my heart.

Why my dinner was not what was expected...

2011-04-06T14:24:00.001-05:00

I will be honest....I don't love to cook. I liked to cook more when I wasn't pregnant and didn't own a business, but now, not so much. I try to have a fish sticks, mac & cheese and peas night only once a week, but that still leaves me with six days out of the week to figure out what the heck we're going to eat. The thing I really hate most is thawing out stuff...I don't know why. I hate to wait. I am a spur-of-the-moment kinda cook, I guess. Anyway, this past week, I have been working a lot to get my embroidery orders done, and we've had take out quite a lot. So, this week I decided to cook something every night of the week. I had fresh ground meat and potatoes, so I decided to make meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes and a veggie. I love my meatloaf, and the whole family loves it too. It's one thing I do well.

Before Bart even left with the girls for the gym for an hour, I had my potatoes peeled and cut, and my meatloaf was in the oven. I had to run to Hobby Lobby to pick up one piece of fabric, so I could just boil my potatoes when I got back.

Baby Farrell had another idea though, as she continues to suck all sense from my brain. I drive down to the Hobby Lobby, and as I go to grab my wallet and keys out of my purse, I realize I forgot my wallet at home AGAIN. This is the second time in one week!! What!?!1 I needed this fabric badly, so I drove all the way home, get my wallet and go back to Hobby Lobby to run my errand. This set me back almost an hour. By the time I got back to the house, I started boiling the potatoes and I threw the quickest veggie I could find in the microwave: carrots. I am way behind here!

Soon after, Bart arrives with two starving girls...

Potatoes are not close to being done, so I served them carrots and meatloaf, except as I am cutting my meatloaf, it seems really soggy???!! I still don't know what happened, but apparently, I didn't read the recipe correctly, and I put too much milk in it (for the first time in five years). Bart actually spit a little of his back onto his plate during dinner...politely OF COURSE (yeah right)!, because it tasted funny. And the carrots?? They were freezer burnt and tasteless too. Ella put one in her mouth, chewed it, and spit it out as well - YUCKY! It was a disaster!!

Ten minutes into our "meal," the mashed potatoes were finally ready. Those at least were a hit, and even the girls, who rarely like mashed potatoes, scarfed them down (probably because they were starving!)

A little sidenote: Ella is all about helping in the kitchen right now. If I am cooking, she wants to stir. If I am adding items, she wants to pour them in. If I am serving, she wants to serve.

Since the pot of mashed potatoes were on the table, I decided to let her serve everyone seconds on the mashed potatoes. She plopped a spoonful onto Bart's plate and then onto her plate, but the glob of potatoes didn't quite come all the way off when she served hers. So, she swung the spoon back and forth to get it off....shooting a big dollop of potatoes behind her.....right at Amelia's face.

In her eye to be exact.

I could contain my laughter no more. I was laughing. Bart was laughing. Ella was laughing, and Amelia was screaming! She started to rub at it, getting it more in her eye and all over her face. I finally helped her wipe it all out, but it was just what this disastrous dinner needed to make us all laugh as a family. It's moments like this that instead of crying (which don't get me wrong, sometimes I do!) I laugh...hysterically, and embrace the chaos and craziness that is my life.

Bad, bad mommy

2011-04-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

Ok, I am officially fired from being Super Mommy Blogger!

It has been a LONG time (since last fall) since I have posted on my babies blog, and I should be ashamed. In all honesty, I have been EXHAUSTED!! I found out I was pregnant in October AND my business went into full swing all in the same month, so the blog was last place on my priority list. More time passed, and I knew I had a lot of catching up to do. Then it kinda became that tee tee game....you hold it and hold it because you know once you go, you're gonna have to go all the time. So, I held off on posting....and here we are 7 months later. I have SO MUCH to say and update on here, but rather than trying to backtrack, I am just going to press forward with the present.

With that said, here's a quick intro:

Yes, I am seven months pregnant for a baby girl. We just had an ultrasound yesterday, and she is healthy and beautiful. We have a few names in mind....Sophia, Olivia or Isla. We really kinda know what it is, but I like to leave something for that big day! Plus I have no clue on a middle name just yet. It's fun to refer to her by a name though....especially when talking to Ella and Amelia. They point to my belly and tell everyone that she's in there, and they like to put their hands on my belly and feel for kicks. Since I know they have the attention span of a cocker spaniel, I fake some bounces and Ella gets so excited!

My embroidery business has really taken off since last August when I started. I haven't even had my machine a full year yet, and I have put some major miles on it. My friend Kim and I have done three craft shows in the Fall, and we did one this Spring in Louisiana, all of which were successful. It has been so much fun and rewarding making cute little things for people, and of course, I love making clothes for my girls. It gets quite busy and hectic at times though....especially with the pregnancy. I usually was sewing at night after they go to sleep, but I've been so tired after they go to bed, I would crash too. It's much better in this third trimester....I'll be happy to get my full energy back. I'll need it!!

Ella is in a mother's day out program called Lamb School at The Met church. She goes two days a week, and she loves it! She knows all the kids in her class, and most of her best friends are BOYS! Ha ha...next year (September), both girls are registered for a similar program at Bear Creek Baptist. Two days of mommy and new baby time a week....whatever will I do with myself??!! Ella's working on potty training, and she's becoming such a big girl. I love that she can speak so well now....it's so nice to communicate with her. Most of the time. She's an average two-year-old: headstrong, opinionated and bossy!! But she makes me laugh every day with the new stuff she comes up with, and she's so beautiful.

Amelia is growing at a rapid pace. She talks ALOT for a 16 month old - she's a regular little parrot, and it makes life a little easier to somewhat communicate with her too. She tells me if she likes something, and has no problem telling me NO if she doesn't. She has the most adorable head of light brown curls, and people talk about it everywhere we go. She's loves her big sister, and they wrestle (no, not like cute little wrestling...I'm talking, legs wrapped around the head, wrestling), which is hilarious (and a bit disturbing) to watch. She has the sweetest smile and personality, and she is as big as her sister. Literally, they are one size apart. She is so beautiful as well.

Bart's doing great...keeping busy with his job. He likes the position he is in now, and they had a good year, despite the Gulf shutting down most drilling (thank you, Obama). He joined a country music band, and they practice Thursday nights. It's definitely a different atmosphere for him, but he loves to play no matter what, so he's enjoying it. He loves his girls, and they LOVE their dad. I would have no business it if weren't for him, and he helps me SO MUCH with them. I could NEVER be having a third child if it weren't for the relief he gives me as a momma. I am so blessed to have him as a husband, and the kids are lucky to have such an active father as a dad.

And we're quite settled into Houston now. We love our neighbors and our new friends. Life is pretty busy with 2.5 kids, so it's hard to get homesick, although we still do now and then. Louisiana is just a quick five hour drive away though, and even though we don't go home as often as we used to, we still get to see friends and family often enough.

Now, I am committed to get back to this blogging. Baby number three is entitled to some blogging love, so I promise to start getting back into the routine. Every day is a new story to tell, and I know I will write a book one day. Hopefully this will help me do it. Thanks to everyone who has been urging me to get back into it!!

Love, MamaFred

Picture Day

2010-10-05T18:59:00.000-05:00

Today was picture day at school...doesn't she look like a little autumn princess? Hee hee.

P.S. Her hair was curlier this morning....yes, I actually took a curling iron to her hair.

Morning Playdate at the Zoo!

2010-10-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

The weather has been absolutely fabulous for the past week or so here in Houston, so we couldn't pass up a chance to go to the zoo with some of Amelia and Ella's best friends. It was Meganne & Mason, Kai, Anna & Nathaniel, and Nathan - the whole gang. Ella Pearl was especially excited to ride in the wagon with Meganne, since she's used to being cooped up in the double stroller.

We all met at 10am, and the weather was almost a little chilly. The zoo was empty, and all the animals were eating and out and about. It was the BEST time to be at the zoo.

Amelia is ready for the zoo in her little pink jacket!

Ella and friends had a great time brushing the goats.

Nathan wanted in on some brushing action!

Amelia bug taking a little snack break at the zoo playground.

After the zoo, we had a picnic in the park, and then another playground.

Amelia in her first pair of jeans....could you not just eat that up!?

Giggly, smiley girls!

The brat pack, attempting to all pose for a picture.

Ella's Fun Run

2010-10-04T23:45:00.000-05:00

Ella participated in a Fun Run at her school. For every lap she made, friends and family pledged her money to go towards the school. Ella had a blast, and she ran 14 laps!! The race took place in the atrium at the Met, and it was roped off with checkered flags and pom poms. Parents and teachers waved and cheered from within the course, and Ella trotted along.

Here's Ella sitting with her class, conditioning for the big run!

Thank God for the pom poms, or else we never would've made it!

Every time they completed a lap, someone would holepunch their number.

Fourteen laps and we earned that water bottle!!

I just had to get a shot of Ella lined up with her class to go back to her classroom. Aren't they so cute?!

This was just a shot to show what the atrium looked like all set up.

Fun times!

Very Delayed Update

2010-10-04T23:13:00.001-05:00

Yes, I have been a MAJOR slacker. It has been too long, and even since I have posted, I have not posted any monumental events (like the fact that Amelia has been walking for almost two months now - in fact, she's almost trotting now). Yes, our little baby girls are growing by leaps and bounds.

Ella Pearl is getting to be such a big girl. She is in school twice a week at The Met's Lamb School program, and it is such a wonderful place to be. She loves her teachers, Mrs Kelley and Mrs Hilton, and she even naps on a mat at naptime! The school does such wonderful things with the kids, like fingerpainting, sand art, and making all kinds of neat artwork. Last week, Ella participated in a Fun Run, and in a few weeks, we have a pumpkin patch. Ella has been talking so much lately, expanding her vocabulary every day. When she sees football on the tv, she says, "C'mon Tigers!" or "Go Saints Go!" Ella has great manners, saying, "Thank You," "Bless You," and "You're Welcome," and we're working on "Please" and "Excuse Me" (mainly when she toots!). She knows all the Sesame Street characters by name, and she and Amelia are planning to be who else other than Bert and Ernie for Halloween. She's goes to sleep every night in her big girl bed, and when I tuck her in, she tells me "Good Night, Mom...I love you." Completely and utterly melts my heart every night. She loves rice, pasta and pickles...her favorite movie this week is Follow that Bird. Her best friends are Meganne and IV, and I can't even begin to name her favorite song because the child is ALWAYS singing (sounds like someone I know....)

Then there is my little precious angel, Amelia. Amelia has grown up so much quicker than I ever imagine, quicker than Ella ever thought about growing up. She is constantly trying to keep up with her big sister, and she does an excellent job at it. Amelia had six teeth which seemed to pop out all at once super early. Then I was talking to some friends today trying to remember when Amelia learned to crawl....I just looked back, and she was crawling in June, so that would be seven months. A month a half later, she was taking her first steps. And now, she's pretty much jogging! Ha ha...ok, maybe not jogging, but she is walking everywhere at 10 months. She no longer crawls, and we're in that phase of bumps and bruises, but she's pretty good on her feet nowadays. She's such a happy spirit. I was so blessed to have my second baby be such a sweet, happy little pumpkin. She has the most contagious, sweet laugh, and her little dimples frame her perfect little smile. And of course, then there's that head of thick, curly hair...it is GORGEOUS, and people talk about it everywhere we go. Amelia loves her big sister, and Ella loves her right back. They have their moments, but I truly can tell Ella is just chomping at the bit for when Amelia will finally be able to play with her. They play well together sometimes too....it all depends on the day and time. Amelia loves rice and fruit, and she is hilarious when she slurps noodles. She dances when she hears music, and she giggles when she sees Elmo.

I love my two babies so much, and every day is a new adventure bringing them up. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to witness their daily progress, and I love being Ella and Amelia's mommy.

The Farrells and Eagle Football!

2010-09-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to our first Woodville Eagles football game. Our nephew Taylor has been playing varsity football for four years, and being this is his senior year, we're trying to cheer on his team as much as we can. Ella is still on anitbiotics from strep throat, but we'd already missed the first two games, so we just had to go (don't judge me!!) Bart's been to every game, but Taylor's been asking about his two little cheerleaders...

It was HOT! Super humid and hot, but the girls really had a great time. It takes two hours to get to Woodville, and the ride was not so pleasant as both girls were super whiny and tired. But as soon as we got there, they looked around and were mesmerized. They loved the band and the cheerleaders, and they definitely had their fair share of people watching. I had them dressed in two outfits I made....Amelia had a t-shirt dress on that said "Go Eagles, #22" and Ella had a pillowcase dress on that I literally put together an hour before we left. Phew!

We drank LOTS of water, and Ella ate the world's largest pickle (and let me tell you, she nearly ate the entire thing...)

Unfortunately, the Eagles lost, but Taylor played AWESOME as usual. He's the team's kicker, but he also plays other positions as well. It seems like he is ALWAYS on the field. He scored the last touchdown of the night - that boy is a jack of all trades.

Texas is ALL ABOUT their high school football. One of their many cool traditions is at the end of the game, whether they win or lose, the band plays their alma mater (or maybe it's their fight song), and everyone on the field and the stands holds up their finger in a "number one." The fans are all singing, and it's really a touching sight to see. Ella raised her finger....completely confused.

Two years ago, Ella went to her first Eagle football game at a tender age of 3 months old. We have pictures like this of her decked out in a flannel bodysuit because it was November and very cold. Last year, Ella was a little older, and every time we would take a picture with Taylor at the end of a game, she would scream! He tried taking off his helmet, taking off his shoulder pads....nothing worked (personally, I think a shower would've done the trick! Ha!)

So, here we are a year later....Amelia really did go willingly, but when she saw me, she cried. Ella STILL would not go with Taylor...I totally think it's the sweat.

We tried walking her next to him with daddy, and she still wasn't hip on the idea.

We finally got Taylor's girlfriend Mindy to hold her (she loves the cheerleaders), and she was ok with him being in that picture. Ha ha. So funny....they both love their cousin "Taywor."

Amelia was loving up to Taylor's little brother Dawson...isn't he a cutie too?

We had a great time, and the girls slept the whole way home and ALL NIGHT. We had a blast, and we can't wait to go back!

GO EAGLES! #22

Let's go to the zoo! Let's go to the zoo!

2010-09-07T22:32:00.001-05:00

Labor Day Weekend, we decided to take the girls to the zoo. It was a great thought and the weather was beautiful in the mornings, but PHEW if it wasn't HOT in the middle of the day with thousands of people pushing a double stroller. Ha! But we had a great time. Ella was really aware of the different animals, and her favorite was still the elephants of course. We snuck into the reptile room to get a little a/c, and Ella got to pet a snake and a giant lizard. Gross!! She had no fear of just putting her hand on their scaly bodies and petting them though. That girl...

Amelia looked around a lot too, and she enjoyed the view from her daddy's shoulders every so often. She was hot and tired at the end though, so we left just in time. We had a blast, and we can't wait to go back when it's cooler.

Amelia's 9-month and Ella's 2-year pics!

2010-08-30T01:52:00.004-05:00

My little girls are growing too fast! We took our pics today for Ella Pearl's two-year and Amelia's nine-month. Now, the last time we took photos, Amelia was the little ham, and Ella wanted nothing to do with posing, pictures or smiling. This time it was the complete opposite. Amelia was whiny, and Ella was hamming it up! It all worked out, though.

We took some in their matching red and white dresses, that Kelly and I actually originally purchased for Ella and Christina to match in. Then Amelia took some in one of my favorites on her pretty olive skin. And Ella wore her new pink smocked dress from Aunt Anna and the Farrell family. They looked just beautiful, and I always get teary eyed for picture time.

Here are some of the better (and more comical) photos from today...

Ella-isms

2010-08-27T20:59:00.003-05:00

I have SO much to catch up on in my last month or two of SLACKING as a momma blogger, but I have got to record some of the Ella-isms that my character of a daughter has been presenting to me in the last few days.

First of all, she wants to be a dog so badly. If dog food were bad for humans, Ella would be in trouble because she sneaks a morsel of puppy chow on a daily basis. I often catch her at the doggy bowl, pull her away, and finger sweep her mouth to find a mouth full of crumbs. She's a quick one, alright.

When my dog Zoe eats her food, she puts a few pellets in her mouth, walks over to the living room, drops them on the floor, and eats them up, one by one. Let's not even cover the uncleanliness or lack of hygeine here. I know! But I digress...so a few days ago, I found Ella on her hands and knees in the living room, putting her face to the carpet. What is she doing now, I wondered. When she lifted her head, I saw a few doggie crumbles on the floor. She had gone to the bowl, put a few pieces of food in her mouth, came to the living room and dropped them on the floor. She then proceeded to eat the food off the floor, just like Zoe. After you stomach churns, how can you NOT laugh at that?! Needless to say, we had a long talk about how dogs eat off the floor and people eat at the table....with much more appetizing food.....and utensils.

And she has been saying "Thank You" and "Your Welcome." Makes a momma proud to give her lunch, and she says, "Thank you, mom!" We're still working on "Please." She also says, "Good Morning" to everyone when she wakes up (as long as she wakes up in a good mood). Even Zoe sometimes gets a "Good Morning!" She's been quite the chatterbox, even saying sentences now. "Where Daddy go?" "Ella get in tub" and my personal favorite, "Ella eat!" Another one of my all-time favorites is when she says, "I love you!" Seriously, I do not want her to grow up! Stay this age forever!!!

Another thing Ella is notorious for is singing (surprise, surprise, I know). Seriously though, this child is ALWAYS singing. And she knows songs just after hearing them once or twice. I made a Sesame Street CD as a party favor for her birthday party, and we listened to it a few times on the way to Louisiana with my mom a few weeks ago. That was the only time she had listened to it, and yet now she goes around the house singing Big Bird's Song and Bert's "Doing the Pigeon." She's always surprised us by singing in key (*even before she could talk!), but now she's proving to either be a master of memorization or truly just loves music. Either way, I'm a happy momma!

The last Ella-ism, if you may, happened tonight, which really made me smile. Bart had gone to our nephew Taylor's football game, so I was making dinner for me and the girls. I had put a few nuggets down for Ella to tie her over while I fixed Amelia's fruit and cereal cuisine, and I noticed Ella hadn't started eating yet. I told her she could eat her nuggets and dip, and I continued running around the kitchen getting the rest prepared. Then I hear her say, "Father, Son, and Spit - Amen!" I just about busted out laughing...but I kept my composure and said the grace with her. It was PRECIOUS, and it made me so proud! Maybe some of the things we do every day ARE sinking in!!

Have I mentioned how much I love being a mother??

Testing a video

2010-08-26T18:59:00.000-05:00

I learned how to post on my blog via my iPhone. This is truly awesome!!

Ella's First Day of School

2010-08-26T18:56:00.001-05:00

Today was Ella's first day of school. She loved it. She walked in with out even turning around, and she even took a nap (granted a very short one). She was so cute in her little outfit. Mom was okay too, once I knew she was happy.

Sisters Sharing on a Super Saturday (say THAT five times fast!)

2010-06-12T23:36:00.004-05:00

It was a super lazy day today, but the girls were having a grand ole time in their playroom (aka my LIVING ROOM) playing it up. Amelia wore her new duds...doesn't she look like a sweetie?

Apparently she is doing some major teething because she has been majorly whiny, which is very unlike her. And it's literally like a moan...poor heart. She currently has two teeth out in the open at the bottom. And two at the top have cut skin but they are on the left and right of her two front teeth. It's so weird! If they come down first, she'll have fangs! Nonetheless, she hurts! But she's a trooper...keeps on trucking around town with us and keeping on!

A little later, Ella was being so sweet to her sister, she read her a book. Ella was all about the books today for some reason. Must be that new ABC book I got her the other day, but she has been "reading" up a storm. Here's a video of her "reading"...I catch a few words here and there: elephant, airplane, house....she's so funny. (p.s. if you're reading this via Facebook, you may need to go to my actual blog to see the video, which is at http://www.babyfarrelldiary.blogspot.com/)

Later in the evening, Ella found an empty bottle and proceeded to feed Amelia (aka torture her) with the empty bottle.
They were so sweet today. At one point, Ella brought all her Little People toys to Amelia, and surrounded her in barn animals and Sesame Street characters. It was so nice to see her wanting to make her sister happy. I KNOW Ella can't wait till Amelia can actually play.
Amelia has been really sleepy lately. She JUST learned a few days ago to pull herself up from a lying down position to sitting. And she rocks back and forth, I know it's any day before she'll be crawling. Meanwhile, here she is, just chilling. She is totally posing.

Fantastic Friday

2010-06-12T23:15:00.002-05:00

We had a fantastic Friday to wrap up a funfilled week.

This morning, we had a MOPS playdate at McDonalds playland, our favorite summer hangout. Seriously, they're starting to know us by name! It was a 9:30 playdate, which is a little early on the ole get out and go for me, but we made it! I drank lots of coffee, and we stayed for two and half hours so I could get a lunch for Ella out of it. I thought I'd be getting a nap out of it after, but no dice!! Amelia was dressed in her purple and gold, and she got lots of compliments. I thought Brooke was going to put her in her diaper bag and steal her!! Ha ha. Ella Pearl played and climbed with her friends, and mommy got some good momy conversation in with her friends. It was a good time for all, and even though Ella didn't leave tired, Mommy sure was

Ella was NOT happy about having to leave Mc Donald's playland!

Anna and Mrs. Maria made it all better though!

After I tried several attempts, Ella finally went down for a nap, but she only slept for about an hour. She was still so sleepy when she woke up. That afternoon, we went swimming with our friends down the street, Dixie, Megan, and our favorite babysitter Taylor! We went to the third neighborhood pool that I had never been to before (because it's actually in another whole section, about five minutes away). But it was really nice. It was right on a big lake, and there was a huge swimming pool, and a little baby pool that was partially covered.

Dixie bounced Amelia all around the baby pool, and she was in Heaven with all the attention. She was soaking up the sun too! It was a gorgeous sunny day. Megan played with Ella for a while (and Ella kept calling Megan Chloe - I guess she thought she looked like her cousin!) Then Ella made a new friend, Avery. He was the cutest little 3 yr old boy, and he and Ella splashed around that pool like they were best of friends.

Before we left, we all went into the big pool for a while. Ella just went on her own with her floaties on and tread some serious water. I can't get over how independent she is in water she can't touch in. I need to see about getting her in some swimming lessons this summer because she is ready to go.

To top of our Friday, Taylor came over to babysit while Bart and I had date night. We just went to Texas Roadhouse, but it was so nice to go in, get a quick table for two, and not have to carry a diaper bag for once. Still and all, we missed our little girls - and it was a great night!

Our last day with our guests

2010-06-11T00:08:00.003-05:00

On our last day with our guests, we hit the stores again, of course. After the girls had taken a long nap after just playing around the house all morning, we went shopping. Our little girls are troopers, and I have a feeling they're going to be big shoppers like their mommas. That evening we went to eat - MEXICAN - of course at Los Cucos. We sat right next to the playground, and the girls played while we ate.

Amelia is a little too young for guacamole. Bummer!!

The playground was a happening place.

Bart and his mini me monkey on his shoulders. He won't have much hair left if he keeps doing this...

That night, the girls got in their best friend pajamas that Aunt Stina bought for them. Are they not the cutest little things??

We all had a great time with our BFFs! We had a fabulous time!!

Ella and Andie and the Day of Fun!

2010-06-10T23:43:00.005-05:00

What a day!! Tuesday morning, we had a playdate at 10:30am at the Ruckus Room. Only one other MOPS mom showed up, but there were TONS of other moms and kids there since it was raining. Ella and Andie had a BLAST with the other kids. Andie wasn't too sure about the inflatables at first, but she slowly warmed up to them. She was soo funny because she would bounce it with her hand, then her foot, then she would stand on the entrance, and before we knew it, she was bouncing all around on the inside! This being Ella's umpteenth time there, she was everywhere. Meanwhile, Amelia ate and looked around at all the millions of kids running around.
Andie loooves the Ruckus Room!

Ella Pearl loves to bounce!

Ella attempting the big slide, which she does with ease. She looks so tiny atop that big slide!

So serious!

After a loong nap back at the house, the girls were bouncing off the walls once again. So, Christina and I took them to the slashpad while Bart watched Amelia. They had SO much fun! The weather was sooo nice, and we went in the evening, so we didn't even have to worry about sunscreen. They ran around and played until they nearly dropped!

Bikini babes chilling in the car.

Check out Ella at the far right of this pic....priceless.

Needless to say, we had another early bedtime!! Woohoo!

Ella's first visitor of the Summer!

2010-06-10T23:19:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon, my best friend Christina and her little girl Andie drove all the way from Denham Springs, La to see us! We were so excited to see them and get to spend a few days with them. Coincidentally, Sunday I hung up my Blackberry for the last time and got an iPhone!! Woohoo! It worked out great because Christina also has an iPhone, so she showed me how to use the dang thing!

Sunday night we just went to the grocery store and hung around the house. The girls enjoyed a delicious cuisine of macaroni and cheese and turkey dogs. They were so excited to see each other, even though we weren't very sure they remembered who each other were, and they played so cute together. Every once in a while we had to break up a fight because Ella was hoarding her toys or one made the other mad, but they were quick to make up.

Monday, we took to the road! We packed three beautiful girls in the back of the Acadia, and we headed to the playland at McDonalds. It was so funny because Christina and I kept laghing at how things have changed. For those of you who don't know, she was my roommate in college my freshman year, and we have been through a lot of fun times together. Back in the day, we were going out and partying. Now, here we were, fifteen years later, jamming out to Barney with three carseats in the back on our way to McDonalds. Ha ha ha.

They had a blast! They climbed up and down, all the way to the top and slid back down again. I think Andie was making her momma nervous doing like Ella, but Andie was a little pro! We left there and went to the creepiest little resale shop in Katy called Children's Carousel. This place was dirty, smelly and very unorganized, but it was an adventure to get there! After, we made a few rounds at Katy Mills mall. Stina and I looove to shop, and I love shopping with her because she shops the same way I do. The kids were so good. We stopped in the playland at the mall, and they wore themselves out. Amelia was an ANGEL all day. I tell you, she is A GOOOD BABY! Seriously, that's all Christina kept saying...she couldn't get over how Amelia just goes with the flow. We finally got home and put the girls to bed early. It was nice to hang out and relax with my bff.

My First Playdate!

2010-06-10T21:56:00.005-05:00

I've been wanting to host my own playdate, but I don't have much to offer other than a playroom den of toys and a very empty backyard. So, after spending a few days at our neighborhood splashpad, I decided it would be a great idea to host my own playdate at our splashpad. So, I invited my MOPS friends over last Friday, and they were ecstatic. Well, it never occurred to me that I had a limit on how many guests I could invite to the splashpad. When I checked in me and my girls that morning, there was this old lady I like to call "the pool nazi," who sneered at me when I told the teenage lifeguard that I had several others coming. She said I was only allowed two guests, and I told her it wouldn't happen again, but it's happening today!
So, Kim came with Meganne, Maria came with Anna (and her little boy), and Krystal came with her little boy Nathan. It was a perfect day, and the kids had a blast. We started out on the splashpad side, and eventually ended up on the kiddie pool side. They ran around and wore themselves out!

Nathan and Meganne called shotgun while Ella cruised in the back!

Ella and Meganne becoming one with the water!

Anna and Ella sharing the slide.

Wheeee!

Meanwhile, Amelia was sunbathing!

She loooves a day in the sun too!

It was a great day and a very successful playdate!

My first attempt at a cloth diaper...

2010-06-04T01:29:00.003-05:00

Ok, so many of you have been asking....I tried the cloth diaper a few days ago, and Ella had it on her for five minutes before she came to me...wet all down her pants. I was so bummed! What happened?? Did I read the directions on how to set it up?? Did it need something more than what I bought??

Well, YES, Einstein....next time you need to NOT put it on backwards!!

Yes, so I washed it and am going to try round two tomorrow. I should've bought a few inserts so I could try it for a few rounds, but right now, all I have is enough for one change. I also purchased some g diapers (per Noelle Ory Lorentsens' recommendation). HEB had two on sale, but they didn't sell the inserts....so I have two cute cloth diapers and nothing to put in them yet!

I am not giving up! I am planning on going to a class on cloth diapering in a few weeks, and I want to try a few before I settle on one kind. I'll be writing a series on my Examiner blog about my experiences in the cloth diapering world!! It should be VERY interesting...

Lazy, rainy day

2010-06-04T01:19:00.002-05:00

Ella Pearl, Ella Pearl, Ella Pearl...
Why did you feel the need to wake up this morning at 4:30am and continue to stay awake for the REST OF THE MORNING?!! Seriously?! 4:30AM!?! And of course, I was the one to get up with her. I tried to bring her into the bed with us, but she was wide awake and not having any sleep. I finally just surrendered and went into the den and let her play. 6:15 rolled around, and up came Amelia. I made sure they both stayed awake till an early lunch, and they both went out for naps at noon. Silly mommy, though....of course, I didn't sleep!! Not after the TWO cups of coffee I needed to make it through the morning!

As you can see, this is how Amelia finally passed out at lunch time. :)

Later when they woke up, we just kinda lazied around. I took them to HEB for a grocery run, and we played around the house. Ella was ALL ABOUT the Little People today, and I have some great video of me sneaking up on her while she configured them speaking to each other. Here's a pic of her being silly with some sticker eye she found.

Daddy put her to bed tonight, and I don't think he'll ever do it again. Ha ha. He is too soft to drop her in her bed and leave and let her cry, but he surely doesn't like to wait around 45 minutes for her to finally fall asleep either. It's a tough decision to make...

Just an Ordinary Day

2010-06-02T22:38:00.005-05:00

Today was just an ordinary day at the Farrell house. Amelia woke up at 6am (well, she actually woke up at 4am, but she went back to sleep). After a feeding at 6am, she was wide awake. So, I put her in the jumper in the den, and I laid on the couch. Bart said he walked in a while later, and I was passed out and so was Amelia in her jumper! Ella woke up some time later, and the day began. Ella was kinda tame today. She played with her Little People all morning, and she even had breakfast with Ernie, Bert and Big Bird. They hung out in her sippy cup for a while, and yes, she tried to feed them cheerios. Readers, I don't configurate these scenarios...this is all Ella, all day! Yes, she put Bert on one side of the plate and Ernie on the other side, and she proceeded to offer each of them a cheerio.

Later that morning, we had arts and crafts. Ella painted a picture for the first time ever! I got some tempera paint and a big paint brush, and I showed her how to dip the brush into the paint and put it to the paper. The first time she did, she was amazed! Then she was totally mesmerized by the whole thing, and you can see the extreme concentration in her face as she paints her picture with the different colors. So funny! I was very impressed. She didn't try to touch the paint or paint herself or anything. Once or twice, she went off the paper and got paint on the table, but I wiped it up and it was no big deal. She was very good with the whole thing! When we were done, we hung her picture on the refrigerator to dry, and she was so proud that she showed it to daddy when he came home from work. Hee hee.

After all that seriousness, she was feeling silly, so she played with her sister. She kept playing peekaboo with a burp cloth, and then she would leave it there and let her sister take it off. It was precious, and she really does love to make Amelia laugh.

I just had to get a shot at my little chunky monkey's legs. I have a similar shot of Ella's legs like this right before she started walking. I love those chunky little legs!!

Ella actually went down for a nap today with NO argument at 1pm!! The only stipulation was that Bert, Ernie and Big Bird had to come to nap with her too. I tried to get her to leave them downstairs (mainly so she wouldn't play with them instead of napping), but she cried and insisted that they come. The certainly did sleep IN the bed with her!!

It was another great day!

It's a Sunshine Day!!

2010-06-01T22:54:00.005-05:00

What a fun day we had today!

Our day started off at a playdate at my friend Kim's house. She had baby pools set up in her backyard, and the girls just played and played in the water and sun. It was hot, but Kim's yard had a lot of shade, so it was really nice. Ella loves playing with her friends Meganne and Kai, and she made a new friend today, too, named Anna. Even Amelia broke out her swimsuit and splashed around in her own personal pink pool. The girls had a blast, and before we left, all us mommies were tickled at how they waved and hugged each other goodbye.

Ella and Meganne sunbathing on the deck:

Amelia loves the water too:

Ella NOT SHARING with Kai...sometimes Ella can be a little bully!

Meganne, Anna and Ella starting to lose a little steam after a long morning:

After we left Kim's, you would think that Ella would've passed out in the car on the way home, but the more you read this blog, you know that is not necessarily true. And so, while most kids from the playdate were drooling sleepy naptrails down their chin by the time they left Kim's neighborhood, my daughter was singing Barney at the top of her lungs. Clearly, this child is the energizer bunny.

We went home to refuel with some food and drinks, and then we headed to the pool to meet Ella's other friends from across the street, Kenzie and Zoie. These are two litle girls that live across the street that Ella adores, and I've become friends with their mom, Amy. And for some reason or another, we have not taken advantage of playdates nearly as much as we should. So, today we were determined. Amy had an errand to run, so while we waited by the pool, I took Ella to the playground behind the welcome center. Ella REFUSED to get out of the car without Big Bird, Ernie and Bert. She kicked and screamed and cried. Finally, I just let her take them with her, but I was just scared she was going to lose them. As you can see, Big Bird, Ernie and Bert went everywhere Ella went, including the jungle gym and slide.

We were late for our original time to meet, then Amy ran into a snag, then the pool ended up being closed....but we didn't give up! Luckily, the splash pad in our neighborhood was still open, and we took the kids there. Amelia slept the entire time, poor thing. She, unlike Ella, was so worn out from the morning. Ella ran around that splash pad with Kenzie and Zoie like a little mad woman. You would've NEVER known this girl didn't have a nap, and she again had a blast.

Amelia was in bed before 8:30, and Ella could've easily gone out soon after, but her daddy had her a little distracted. Plus, her friend IV came for a quick visit to give her some homemade brownies he helped make. How cute is that!?! She loooove IV, and she calls him "I." She hugged him before he left, and she was out five minutes later.

What a wonderful, summer day!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T22:39:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day was pretty quiet and lazy in the Farrell home. Bart and I actually got to lay on the sofa for part of the day and just veg out! We watched a cheesy movie and many reruns of Pawn Stars while the kids played around us and napped (yes, Ella actually napped for a whole 45 minutes today!) It was nice cause we rarely get to be THAT lazy.

Not a whole lot of news on the homefront. Amelia is trying REALLY hard to crawl right now. She rocks back and forth, and every so often, she pulls that leg forward, but there's no forward motion just yet. You can tell she wants to so bad though. She looks at her sister and wants to crawl right over to her. Today, she crawfished her way right under the slide. I really think she was just hiding from her sister, who proceeded to roll the stroller over her head today. :)

On her own, Ella set up a tea party for her and her special guest, Elmo. Can this get any cuter?!

On another note, I gave Amelia a bath tonight, and after I dried her hair with a towel, I noticed the back of her hair turned into a giant puffball of curl. It was soooo funny! I really think she's gonna have some curly locks...

DADDY'S HOME!

2010-05-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

After seven LONG days offshore, daddy finally came home Sunday morning! It was an exciting homecoming, and Ella was like a little jittery gerbil when she saw his face. Even Amelia looked excited to see him, smiling and clutching to his scruffy, unkempt hair. Gotta love that offshore, scratchy look. We are soooo happy that he is home.

Tonight we went out to dinner as a family to a new place called "The Cajun." It was really good considering its hard to match Louisiana food, and it was definitely a family place, which was nice.

On an unrelated note, Ella has become a major chatterbox. Her favorite things to say are, "look," "watch," and "see?" She will call your name about a million times, and when you say, "yes, Ella?" she says, "look," and probably shows you her big bird little person or her train. This takes place about a hundred times a day. :)

Also, yesterday we were getting ready to leave, and I asked her where her shoes were (really just thinking I was talking to myself because I rarely get a real response), and she looks at me and says, "I dunno!" I laughed out loud because she's never said that before. She also wears bows now because they're "pretty," and she even looked at Amelia today in her cherry dress, and said, "ohhh, pretty!" I've also been hearing "ok" a lot too, which is something I'll say pretty often when I am in a sticky situation (I just repeat ok, ok, ok....something I never really noticed about myself until I had kids!)

My favorite "Ella-ism" of the week has got to be when I was eating a Lean Cuisine on Friday. I had some kind of chicken and broccoli concoction with peppers and whole wheat noodles. She came up to me several times for "bite," as she says, and I gave her a piece of broccoli. After a few pieces, she pointed further on to my plate and said, "nake." Nake? I asked her what she meant, and she kept repeating, "Nake! Nake!" I had no idea what she was talking about until it dawned on me....she was saying SNAKE, which meant noodle. Gotta love my Ella.

Momma's little shopaholics

2010-05-29T23:24:00.003-05:00

Amelia woke up a tad later than 6:30am this morning, which made mommy happy. :) I was still so tired though. Ella woke up much later in a great mood, and we played around the house all morning. She had a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and I don't think I could've planned this shot any better. Ha!
So, I've been obsessed with this diaper bag. Ever since I went to a local boutique a few days ago, I got to touch and feel all the diaper bags I've researched and written about. Well, I fell in love with this Ju Ju Be bag that by far surpasses all other diaper bags. It looks fabulous, it feels durable and well-made, and it fits EVERYTHING. But of course, they're not the cheapest bags in the world, so I have been on a mission to see all the sample fabrics and sizes to make sure I get the one I want. Anyway - different story for a different blog! So, I schlepped the kiddos across town to Baby's First Furniture. It's this huge baby furniture store with a maze of made-up nursuries and kids' rooms, complete with toys and play things. I don't know what I was thinking bringing Ella there, but I did - and she felt the need to touch EVERYTHING in sight.

Isn't this the cutest little piano?? Too bad the keys really didn't play that well.

I thought Aunt Amber would get a kick out of the way Ella ran straight up to this kangaroo and hugged it and loved on it like they were best friends. I thought she was going to try to crawl into "karoo"'s pouch, but she just tried to lay down across him.

She had a blast, of course...

Afternoon in the Park

2010-05-29T22:53:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, I took Ella and Amelia to the Coles Crossing Park (which is really for their neighborhood's residents, but I just pretend like we live there...hee he hee). It is sooo nice, but Ella wasn't really in the mood to play too much on the equipment. She was more interested in the pool area which they foolishly place directly next to the playground. What child wouldn't be distracted by that!?! Here she is staring at the people through the fence as they enjoy their day by the pool.
While Ella pouted, Amelia decided to check out the slides.

"Oh my gosh, mom, this is so much fun!"

"Hey, where'd you come from?"

After we played on the playground, I took them for a long walk through the nature trails and the jogging path. It was so beautiful, and desite the heat, it was a gorgeous day today.

Amelia got to ride shotgun for once.

When we got back home, the girls were pooped out. I fed them, bathed them, and they were in bed by 9pm. Amelia still likes to stick her tongue out or make raspberries instead of actually eating her peas. :)

Mommy's gonna sleep good tonight. Phew!

Looooong day with my girls

2010-05-28T23:31:00.005-05:00

Today felt like the longest day ever!

We started off with a 6:30am wakeup with Amelia for the second morning in a row, but she fell asleep right after I fed her, so we snoozed a little longer until her sister woke up. Then we got on the road, and we headed to a really great park on Cypresswood to meet my MOPS friends for a playdate. The park was very shaded and really nice, and it was teaming with other moms and kids. Ella ran straight to the big-kid equipment, and she took t the tallest slide on the grounds....AGAIN! I think she covered every square inch of the playground! Amelia just looked around and took in the sights (and the heat!) Towards the end, Ella climbed a smaller rock wall ALL BY HERSELF. I was so impressed as she figured out where to put her hands and feet and scaled the mini wall. When she got to the top though, she couldn't figure out how to swing her legs over the top, so she let go and slid down the entire wall, bumping each notch along the way! Soon after, I was tending to Amelia, and she went back to the big-kid section, and I see another mom coming around the corner holding Ella's hand while Ella is red-faced and crying. I rushed to see what happened, and the mom told me she climbed all the way to the top of the BIG rock wall, and then slid all the way down. This wall was TWICE the height of the first one she climbed. She is NUTS.

We left there, and we met the group at Chik-Fil-A. Ella ran around the play area like a wild child. She managed to eat a few nuggets, but she was quick to run from her seat to go play with the other kids. Amelia was again, an angel, sitting in her high chair and people watching. I love that she can sit in a high chair now.

Then we went visit my friend Kim (she actually let me use her printer), and Ella played with Meganne for a bit. She loooves Meganne, and she cried when we had to go, yelling MEGANNE for a while after we left. I love that she has some friends now that she can play with often. They are so cute together.

I spent the next hour or so running a few errands hoping now this crazy child would take a nap, and it NEVER CAME. It wasn't until we pulled into the driveway that her eyes closed and she napped for a half hour. I wasn't about to let her be revived, so we went to the YMCA and I took her swimming. She had a blast running from the pool to the splashpad, back and forth, back and forth. She wore me out, so I KNOW she had to be tired. She finally pooped out at 10pm. The child is BIONIC, I tell you.

Here are a few pics from the playground. The pic with Amelia shows you the mega rockwall Ella slid down. Fun times!

Amelia's Six Month Photoshoot

2010-05-27T22:56:00.004-05:00

Amelia turned six months this week, and today we took our six month pictures. It was all about Amelia today, but of course we had to throw Ella in a few of the shots so she could borrow some of the limelight. Amelia was a natural...she is soo smiley and happy, and that reflected in her pictures. She was super easy to photograph. Now, Ella P is a different story. She played while we took Amelia's pictures and she was sooo good for me, but when it was her turn to jump in, she wanted to nothing to do with smiling for the camera and posing. She's so funny because she's almost like, 'I don't have time for that.' The girl reeeaaaally had her work cut out for her, but they still managed to get a few good shots of the two of them.

Happy 6 months, my baby girl!!

Cloth diapers?

2010-05-26T22:46:00.002-05:00

Today we went to the Nurtured Family boutique today, and I bought my first cloth diaper. I know, it's CRAZY when there are disposable diapers these days, but I have really been thinking about a number of things. First off, I thought it would make an excellent story for my blog. Second, I thought it would be interesting to somewhat experience what our parents went through when they were diapering us. Third, I keep thinking about how many diapers I go through in a week...and how have they not come up with a biodegradable diaper yet?? So, all those diapers that we throw away, they just end up in a landfill!! That's crazy! Did you know the average child goes through 6000 diapers in 2.5 years?! That's PER child!

I'm no hippy, but I just thought I could do my part at least while we're home and save the disposable diapers for when we're away from the house. Am I crazy? Probably. I just had to try it anyway. I start tomorrow on Ella. Wish me luck!

Happy Six Months, Amelia!

2010-05-26T22:36:00.003-05:00

My little baby Amelia turned six months old on May 23rd! I can't believe she has been in this world for six whole months. Part of me feels like it was just yesterday that I turned my head in the operating room and saw that big, beautiful mouth crying for joy! Another part of me feels like she's been here all along, and that those precious little dimples have been smiling at me for years. We are so blessed to have another healthy, beautiful little girl in our lives, and we love her so much.

Today, I took my little peanut for her six month checkup. Ella tagged along, and I have to say she behaved very well for it not being her doctor's appointment. Amelia weighs 20 lbs on the dot....Dr. Nguyen said that is actually off the chart, but we'll just go ahead and put her in the 97th plus percentile. Ha ha. And she is 27.5 inches long! Dr. Nguyen said she is perfectly healthy and very well-proportioned....she's just a big girl. She had to get THREE shots into those cute little hamhock thighs. She cried for 20 second MAX, and then she was done. She's such a good baby.

This afternoon we went to see Rebeca and Ella got to play with her friend IV. She had a BLAST, and I had a great time catching up with Rebeca. Ella did her very first tumbleset. She's stood on her head before, but this time (imitating IV of course), she got on her head and flipped over. The only thing we need to teach her is to tuck her chin, but I was very impressed!

Then we hit the gym, so Ella AND Amelia were REALLY worn out by the time we got home. I had both girls in bed by 9pm! Yay mommy!

Operation: Wear Out Ella

2010-05-26T00:42:00.004-05:00

So, in my attempt to wear my little firecracker out, this week especially, I have been dragging her and Amelia everywhere. Today, we started off with a playdate at the Ruckus Room, followed by lunch at McDonalds. Would you believe after three hours of almost non-stop play, she STILL had the nerve to fight me for a nap?!! She cried for about two minutes, but she finally took a nice, long nap. This afternoon, we went to Target and then the gym, but I forgot the daycare closes at 8pm. So, since the sun was still somewhat out, I took her to the playground at the YMCA, which is quite fabulous, by the way.

Amelia hung out like the angel that she is in the stroller. She is SUCH a good baby, thank GOD!

When we walked into the playground area, she went straight up the stairs, across the entire playground, and climbed to the highest peak of the equipment to slide down the super swirly slide. I watched my tiny little 21 month old baby climb what felt like three stories above my head with the biggest smile just plastered across her angelic little face. I am in trouble with that one, I tell you. She has NO FEAR. After she slid down several times, she decided she wanted to try the big kid ladder. At first, I wouldn't let her do it, but she was so persistent, I just let her go while I spotted her. She climbed up that thing three times. I was amazed.

Toddler Tuesday at the Ruckus Room

2010-05-26T00:31:00.003-05:00

We've discovered a new wonderful place to go to burn a little Ella energy. It's called the Ruckus Room, and on Tuesdays, it costs a dollar per year per child, which means I only have to pay a buck! It's just indoor inflatables in air-condition, and there are four different rooms filled with spacewalks, slides and play equipment. We went for our first time last week, and Ella was hesitant at first. There's one spacewalk that's flat with three sides, and there are tons of mushrooms, flowers and things to climb on inside. It took a while for her to warm up to it, but with a little help from her friends Meganne and Kai, she enjoyed herself. We went again today, and she is a pro. She goes on all the slides, even the really big ones. She jumps and jumps and jumps in the spacewalk, and she climbs on just about everything she can scale. It was definite nap insurance.

Saturday with the Kronenbergers

2010-05-23T01:04:00.000-05:00

We spent Saturday afternoon with our friend Kurt and Robin and their little boy Dean. He and Ella are really beginning to play together well, and we all agree that Ella helps him come out of his shell as much as he helps calm Ella down! It's a win-win situation. But they played and swam and yapped together the whole time. Ella swam with JUST her floaties all around the pool, treading water. Shocking! She is like a fish!

Amelia enjoyed the water too. She just chilled in the hot tub with her daddy, and later, she floated around in the big pool. We had a great time and a great weekend!

Real Love Story

2010-05-18T12:23:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, this video explains why I don't blog quite as much as I used to.
Thank God for my Romeo...

Wonderful Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

I know, I know...I have a lot of 'splaining to do as to why I have been a major blogging slacker! I will however backtrack to touch on some of the major things that have happened in the past month and a half. But not right now. Right now I would like to talk about my day.

It was a wonderful day being with my girls and being with my family. I was really bummed out that Bart was offshore, and we sure did miss him a lot. But Paw Paw took care of me (he was on triple duty, poor thing), and it was a great day. It was Mammy, Paw Paw, Shelly, Lester and the girls, Kelly and the girls, and me and the girls. Ha ha ha...lots of girls!

The morning started off really cool, but the kids were determined to go swimming. Ella Pearl was chomping at the bit, and there was no way I was getting in that freezing water, so I put her new floaties on, and we put her in a ring. I let her go, and she was soooo excited to be swimming on her own! We watched her close, of course, and all her cousins swam around her, but she was going to town in that pool. It was great! Once she turned blue, I finally made her get out. Hee hee.

Later, the kids got on the trampoline, and it was Ella's first time on it. She just learned how to really master the "jump," so she was sooo excited.

Amelia had a blast by the pool too. She was so sleepy by the end of the day, she fell asleep in her high chair while I was feeding her.

It was a wonderful mother's day, and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and two beautiful girls.

Be sure to look back for posts I'll be backtracking in the next couple days.

Ella Pearl, Cy-Fair celebrity

2010-03-04T00:20:00.004-06:00

Did you know my daughter is a local celebrity??

Ella's been going to the YMCA daycare for almost a year now when Bart or I go work out. When she walks in now, the workers know her by name and shout, "Ella Peaaaaarl," as if they were on Cheers shouting NORM when he would hit the door. She walks in there with a grin from ear to ear, and boy, does she work it.

Tonight I brought the girls to the gym so I could go to yoga, and the first worker that saw Ella asked me if she was in the recent issue of the Cy-Fair Magazine. They went on and on about how they knew that must've been her and how they won a bet with the other girl who works there, yada yada. A little while later, another worker in Amelia's room asked me if Ella was in the magazine. As Bart and I were leaving, a set of PARENTS picking up their kid stopped us and asked us if she was in it. It was CRAZY!

Well, the answer is YES, she was in the recent issue of our local magazine called Cy-Fair Magazine. They asked for any photos from birthday parties, and I submitted this adorable picture of Ella at Brody's birthday party chowing down on an Elmo cookie. Come to find out they published it on like a fourth of the page!! They call her Ella Levet...I guess I just told them her name was Ella, and they got the Levet from my email signature. Oh well...

Here's the pdf from the article...she's like on the second to last page, I believe.

My little girl, a local legend!! Ha ha ha!

TEE TEE ON THE POTTY!!

2010-03-03T01:01:00.002-06:00

Tonight the most amazing thing happened!! Ella just tee teed on the potty!! Woohoo!

We have her princess potty in the bathroom all the time, and we always ask her if she wants to try to tee tee or poo poo before and after she bathes, when she's nekked! Well, she'll get on there and maybe toot, but that't about it. I'm not pushing it. I just want to get her used to seeing it.

Anyway, tonight she sat on it before we put her in the bath, and she was playing with a new bouncy ball I had gotten her at WalMart. All of a sudden, we hear the "tah dahhhh!" music coming from within the potty seat, which means tee tee has landed! She made no reaction whatsoever, but Bart and I went ballistic! Yay!! Ella tee teed on the potty!! Woohooo! Yeah, she looked at us like we were nuts, but sure enough, when she got up, there was a puddle of pee! It was glorious! Who knew I could get so excited about urine!?

So, I guess next step is to keep giving her the potty option? Any pointers? I feel like the seal has been broken! Ahhh, gotta love parenthood!

The Many Different Expressions of Ella Pearl

2010-03-02T00:49:00.000-06:00

Today was Ella Pearl's 18 month checkup with her pediatrician, Dr. Nguyen. Daddy watched Amelia for me while I took Ella, and she was such a good girl. Apparently, every child in Houston was sick, so we had to wait for 45 minutes to see the doctor, and she just sat in her stroller and read about a million books. She was happy to see Dr. Nguyen, as she always is, and Dr. Nguyen said she looks great! She weighs 26 lbs, and she's 33 inches tall. Dr. Nguyen said she is growing taller faster than she is gaining weight. Her head circumference is in the 95 percentile...so she has a giant cranium! Must be for all those smarts! Then came the bad news...she had to have one immunization shot. Blah. She did NOT like that, and I must say, it was much harder for me to watch my 18 month old get stuck than it was when she was 6 months old and clueless!! She screamed and cried, but by the time we left the building, she was fine. She got a shiny sticker for being such a good girl, and since Amelia was being so good for Daddy, I took her to McDonalds.

It was sooo nice to spend a little one on one time with my baby girl, and she always loves a good trip to the McDonalds playland. We bonded over chicke nuggets and apple slices, and I just about teared up staring at my little girl drinking from a juice box and biting into her nuggets, as if she was literally growing right in front of me. It seems like just yesterday I was spooning icky green peas into her toothless grin. I really considered forbidding her to grow up any more, but I am already starting to see signs of rebellion, so I know this approach will never work. Ha!

Anyway, next order of business is potty training! Dr Nguyen gave me a pamphlet on how to get started, and I have been asking other moms what their secret of success was. We shall see!

Enjoy the many faces of Ella P.

Double Trouble

2010-02-28T00:39:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have done it...I mean, I couldn't resist. There's this little time frame where outfits for Ella and Amelia are available in the same size bracket, and I can dress them alike!! So, when Mary was here, we snuck away to Carter's outlet, and I bought the girls some matching outfits. I bought a 24 month for Ella (thinking it would be snug, but she could still get away with it), and I bought Amelia a size 6 month, thinking it would be big for her, but she could grow into it. Yeah, Mommy is so NOT WITH IT. Ella's 24 month dress swallowed her, and Amelia's 6 month outfit was snug! Geez! Aren't they just adorable in their matching dresses? I could totally get used to this! Just wait till I get that sewing machine up and running again!

All this modeling sure is making me sleepy!!

Meanwhile, crazy Ella looks like she is the cat that swallowed the canary!

Friday night, Ella and I went to my MOPS mom's little girl Kai's first birthday party. Ella had a blast playing with all the other kids, and Brooke really threw a great party. We're planning on many playdates with our girls now that they've finally hung out!

Visit from Baton Rouge

2010-02-28T00:16:00.001-06:00

This past week, we had some visitors! Paw Paw Tom, Mary and cousin Liam came to visit! We had a great time catching up with them and getting to know the newest little Farrell, Liam. He is so precious, and he has so much personality. He makes funny noises, and according to Mary, he only responds to the "cave man" voice, which I attempted many times throughout the week with no such luck. I guess my voice is just not cut out for cave man. Ha!

Liam and Amelia were best buds since they're only a month apart. They took turns in the swing, jumper and bouncer, and they played together in the playard a lot. They have so much in common. They both eat, sleep, poop and cry!

All that playing really wore out Amelia!!

Mary and I and all the kids went to the mall one day (which was...well, let's say we won't be doing that again for a while...), and we took all the kids to the gym a few times. We also got to "have" sushi....our tradition is usually to go get sushi and catch up when she comes to visit, but we just couldn't make it to the sushi place this time, so Bart brought it to us! Not quite the same, but still yummy!

It was a great visit!

Amelia and Ella go to the zoo!!!

2010-02-21T02:16:00.004-06:00

Mammy and Paw Paw got our whole family a year's membership to the Houston Zoo, so since this past Saturday looked like a promising day, we decided to go to the zoo! We left rather late, but we figured we see some of the park and catch the rest next visit. Well, little did we know, the zoo closes at 5:30pm during the winter months, so we only had an hour and half to see everything. Oh well....we'll definitely be back!

We invited our friends Greg and Rebeca and Ella's friend IV, and we all had such a great time. The first thing I wanted Ella to see was the elephant because she's always saying "elepant," and I know she would recognize that animal the most. Well, we went up to the exhibit, and she was mesmorized! She stared long and hard, and she finally looked over at me and said "elepant!" She watched and watched....it was priceless.

We trucked around the zoo in our big caddy double stroller, courtesy of Shelly! It worked great, and it definitely did the trick. It got cool quick when the sun started going down, so we had bundle up little Amelia. She just sat in the back of that stroller like "Driving Miss Daisy!"

Daddy's shoulders provided some great views of the animals. Ella felt almost as tall as the giraffes from up there!!

Ella and IV were so precious, getting so excited with every exhibit they saw. They stared and watched until we moved them to the next thing.

Ella's favorite part about this trip (besides the elepants) was the tunnel that ran under the aquarium. She made it through the whole thing, thanks to her buddy IV.

It was such a great time. Afterwards, we all ended the day with a nice dinner at Cheesecake Factory. The kids were great, and we all had a blast.

What's New with the Two

2010-02-18T23:25:00.002-06:00

Ahhh...life has been a constant fast-forward button at the Farrell household. Amelia is already 3 months old, and I feel like those months just flew by. I keep treating her like a newborn, but she's already busting out of 3 month clothing. It's amazing how slow it went by for Ella, and how incredibly fast it is going by for Amelia.

KNOCK ON WOOD, but it seems like the colic is FINALLY on it's way out. She's been sleeping 7-8 hours a night, and the time leading up to that has not been horrible. It's a controllable cry, and we can definitely handle that!! So, life has been a joy here now, and she smiles and laughs all the time. She can hold her head really high during tummy time, and she's even been loving the jumper, a toy that Ella adored. She also tries to push herself forward when she's on her tummy...I don't know exactly what she's trying to do, but it looks like work to me!

We're still trying to figure out what color her eyes are. It is SO hard to tell. In pictures, they appear to be a dark blue, and even in the sunlight, they have a blue tinge to them but they are so dark, it's hard to tell. I guess they're still changing...Ella's did too. They were darker in the first few months, and they really lightened up now. Whatever her eyes do, her dimples and that smile will definitely be her best feature. Wow...they just light up the room.

Ella Pearl is growing by leaps and bounds too. She has changed so much in the last month, I can't even catch up. She's a parrot now, repeating everything Bart and I say, which can get pretty sticky sometimes. The other day, Zoe was barking, and Ella yelled, "shut up!" She says, Moma, Daddy, Mammy, Paw Paw...when we look at pictures, I already have her saying "Uncle Pat" and Coco and Gigi....those are easy, I guess. She also says "Tank You" - I totally taught her that one. She says a lot!! I have to say I am amazed at how much she knows and how many new words and things she picks up each day.

Ella loves books, and she sits with them and "reads" them to herself in her won weird little language. She got some playdough from Dean's birthday party, and we played with it for a little while. All was well until she decided to eat it. :)

Every day is something new, and they are just a joy to have around.

Who Dat Victory!!

2010-02-07T16:07:00.004-06:00

After much contemplation of what where we were going to watch the Superbowl, we decided that in the best interest of all who actually wanted to see the game, we'd have our own private party at the house. If we were living in Louisiana, I'm sure this would've been a no-brainer, but we live in Houey and that's that. So, we wore our black and gold for the Superbowl, baby!

The game was awesome, of course, and the kids were generally well-behaved so Mommy and Daddy could watch most of it. SOOOO happy for the Saints and their victory. They really deserved it, and I teared up at the end when Drew Brees was holding his little boy up in all the confetti. I bet it was wild and crazy in the quarter, and I would've loved to have been celebrating with family and friends.

My little Who Dat babies represented well, though. Ella said "touchdown" every time the Saints scored, and Amelia was all smiles. Well, most of the time..

We made a sign for the front door so all would know who we were pulling for! And one day I can tell my babies that they took part in a major part of football history!

Geaux Saints!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Dean!

2010-02-06T12:12:00.003-06:00

Today was Ella's good friend Dean's 2nd birthday party! Amelia and Ella had a great time! Ok, maybe Ella had a better time than Amelia, but it was still a lot of fun for all of us! Kurt and Robin had TONS of food, and we all had so much fun catching up.

To start the party off, Ella went straight to Dean's toys of course. She grabbed a purple block with different shape cutouts in it. Well, she held on to that thing for what felt like a half hour! I'd see her on one of those ride-along cars, and there she was with the block in hand. Finally, a half hour later, I heard Ella's cries come from the other room. One of the other moms told me she was ok, she just fell but didn't hit her head or anything. Well, I know my Ella, and I know that she would NEVER cry like that from merely falling on carpet. When I went to investigate, I realize her hand was STUCK in one of the shapes on the purple block, and when she fell, it hurt her hand. Ha ha ha. Robin had to use olive oil to slip her hand off the block. Poor baby!!

Dean blew out his candles, and he was sooo cute. I can't wait till Ella can actually "blow" her candles out!

Ella loooved the chocolate cake, as you can see with it all over her face.

Later, her and Dean were playing with the balloons. They are sooo cute together.

Dean is playing on a Georgia Bulldog, which is the only thing wrong with him. Notice Ella wants nothing to do with that wretched thing...in fact, she seems to be looking at Dean like he's a little crazy. Might I add, Dean was a tiger for this past Halloween.

Meanwhile, Amelia was hanging out on everyone's lap. She was pretty good for the party, and she looked adorable in her big pink bow.

We had a great time!!

Amelia Rose is all smiles!

2010-02-05T17:19:00.002-06:00

When my precious little angel is not crying from her icky colic, she is just the most beautiful, smiley little baby ever. She has the most contagious, sweet little smile ever, and boy, does she look like her daddy or what? I was merely the incubator!

Here are a few shots of some tummy time we had while bruiser, AKA Ella Pearl, was sleeping!

Amelia's Baptism in Louisiana

2010-02-01T16:55:00.008-06:00

Amelia's baptism was on Sunday, January 31st at 1:00pm at St. Peter's Church. Our good family friend Father Paul Hart (the same guy who married us) performed the christening, and as always, he delivered an inspriational and comical service. It was a private and unconventional baptism in that it was just family and friends, but Amelia's many nieces surrounded and watched from the altar.

Nanny Shelly and Parran Taylor were very proud godparents.

Amelia was pretty good through the service, except of course when she had holy water poured on her head. Then, not so much. Ha ha. But she was beautiful, and she looked like a little angel in the gorgeous christening gown mom made for the family.

The new Farrell family of four...never a dull moment.

And the new Levet granddaughters of TEN!

Girls, girls, girls...

Afterwards, we had a reception at Mammy and Paw Paw's house, and it was always fun times at the Levet house. Paw Paw made his jambalaya, and there was lots of fun, friends and family. Amelia slept through the entire party, but being she had a rough, collicky night the night before, we just let her sleep!!

Bucky, my godfather, got a kick out of Ella Pearl.

It was a wonderful day! Thanks to everyone who came for Amelia's special day!!

www.babyfarrelldiary.blogspot.com

Suave Style Party

2010-02-01T16:22:00.003-06:00

Ok, so everyone's been asking me what this Suave party was so here goes.

A few weeks ago on my Examiner blog, I wrote an article about Suave Professionals shampoo and conditioner as part of my Just for Mom Monday series. It was just a random article on a product that I tried and liked, so I thought I would share it with my readers. Well, a few days later, someone from Suave contacted me and told me they loved my review. They asked if I was interested in hosting a Suave Style Party for me and ten friends as part of a marketing strategy that they are trying right now. It was completely paid for by Suave, and I kept waiting for the attached string that never was. They also said they would pay a hairdresser of my choice to do the guests hair using Suave products, and we'd all get free products. Knowing that my sister could probably use the money and a majority of my faithful readers were in Louisiana, I had the party at her house.

Suave sent me a $200 American Express giftcard to buy food and drinks for the party. I ended up making a lasagna and bread, but I also had a "different" variety of other foods like dark chocolate trail mix, strawberry & walnut spinach salad, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing, and mexicali chips and dip. I also had wine, Mojitos and everyone's favorite of the night, Pomegranite martinis. Suave also sent me SIXTY bottles of brand new products that won't be on shelves until March to share with my guests. The biggest hit was the shampoo and conditioner comparable to Aveda's Rosemary Mint. It smelled yummy!

Kelly's house was a perfect setting for the party, and we had candles lit from one end of her house to the other. Each guest got their hair washed, dried and styled by Kelly (or as my invitations said, the world-renowned hairstylist, Kelly Curtis), and she did a great job giving everyone a new 'do. She worked her butt off that night! We took before and after pictures, but I forgot my camera and somehow my mother lost the pics that were on her camera (hence the delay in this post!), but thanks to Christina who managed to take a few pics for me! The most dramatic change of the night came from Kristin Roccaforte who went from her regular straight hair to some seriously gorgeous (naturally) curly hair. We were all amazed!!

It was a fabulous party with some great friends, and I think we all had a great time getting pampered and pretty. Thanks to all who attended! I'm glad you could make it, and thanks again for being a reader!! Thanks to Kelly for her expertise hair services, and of course, a special thanks to Suave for the opportunity and the free stuff!! If you haven't tried the Suave Professionals line, give it a shot!

Wiggly Waffles

2010-01-27T14:07:00.003-06:00

This morning I made Ella some Wiggly Waffles (like on Sprout TV), which is basically waffles with some pizazz. So, this morning she had strawberry waffles with whipped cream. She loved them!

Ella's sick but Amelia's happy!

2010-01-27T12:19:00.004-06:00

Well, we may have found somewhat of a solution for Amelia's colic. Ok, not a SOLUTION so much as a way to soothe her a little while she's going whack! There's this Rainforest Cradle Swing that the daycare at the YMCA has (actually they have like 5 of them), and every time Amelia starts crying, they put her in it, and she magically stops crying, so they say. Well, Bart and I both agreed we NEEDED one of these baby wonders! So, I went on the hunt on craigslist.com for the past few weeks, and this Monday, I found one priced right and close by. We picked it up that night, and when Amelia has her crying fit that night, the swing worked for a good 30 minutes. Hey, it works for me! See how she stares at the moving mobile in amazement?! This thing must send her subliminal soothing messages or something.

We already have a swing, but she hates it. She won't stay in it for more than 5 minutes without crying to get out. The difference between our swing and this swing is that this one is a "cradle" swing, so it can swing from back and forth or side to side, which is what she loves. So, we'll see!
Ella Pearl has a nasty little cold this week. It started with the sniffles, and now it is full on runny nose and cough. Yuck! Yesterday, she had a little fever, but I honestly think it's just a cold. I mean, who blames her considering it went from a four-day freeze to 75 degree weather in like one week, right!? Only in the south!

A cold doesn't stop Ella though. Here she is eating dinner (rice, of course!). Only bad thing about a runny nose and the way she eats rice....rice sticks to snot! Notice the grain of rice gracefully placed in her snotty trail beneath her nose. Niiice one, Ella.

Even though she's got a cold, she still went for a walk in the gorgeous weather we had this weekend. Don't you just love her hand-me-down outfit from Nanny Kelly? Gotta love having eight other female cousins to mooch off of.

Beautiful sunset to end a beautiful day Monday!

Amelia Rose's Baptism

2010-01-27T12:10:00.000-06:00

The time has been changed to 1:00pm.

Slugger Takes a Fall

2010-01-24T00:11:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness, Ella Pearl got a fat lip today!!

Daddy took her to the YMCA, and he said when they first got there and he was checking her in, her shoe came off. She picked it up and was bringing it to daddy, when she tripped and hit the check-in desk right on the corner. She busted her lip and it looks like her nose too. He said she cried and it bled and bled, but after he cleaned her up and put some ice on it, she was fine. In fact, she still wanted to go play.

When they came home, she was looking pretty rough. Her lip had swelled, and there was a red line from her nose to her lip. Her nose was puffy and red too. Poor little thing...I just wanted to snuggle her all afternoon to make her feel better. She had a nap, and she didn't take long to go to bed that night. I hope she feels better tomorrow.

Pippy Ellastocking

2010-01-23T00:23:00.004-06:00

Today, Ella wore pigtails for the first time. They were so stinking cute! She would just look at you with that bright smile, and the pigtails seemed to make her smile even wider.

She really didn't even notice they were there, but I was making so much of a big deal over them, she got curious.

Don't you just love her shirt too? That's from her Aunt Stina, and Amelia has one to match.

Ella Pearl has been quite the helper lately. If Amelia is crying, she finds the paci and puts it in her mouth (shove is probably a better word for it). And if she sees a bib lying around, she tries to put it on her. This pic below is adorable because not only Ella trying to put the bib on, Amelia is just laughing and laughing at her while she does it.

Later that night, we had dinner, and Ella had mashed potatoes. She even started to eat them with her very own fork. Unfortunately, the hands won.

Amelia Rosetta

2010-01-23T00:08:00.004-06:00

We went to the doctor's office this morning to check on Amelia's colic. I just wanted to make sure I had her on the right formula and that it wasn't anything more than gas (since it's been going on since SHE WAS BORN). So, the three of us went see Dr. Nguyen, and they just did her two month checkup while I was there too. First things first, Amelia is doing GREAT. Dr. Nguyen said she is so alert and aware of her surroundings. And she smiled and cooed at her, so she already knew how to get on the doc's good side in hopes there won't be as many shots. Ha...unfornately all that cooing was in vain because she had to get THREE shots...two in one leg and one in the other. It was horrific, but luckily Ella was distracting me from having to watch or think about them mauling my little angel. She was a trooper too...only cried for like 20 seconds!

She weighed 12 lbs and 12 ozs, which means she is in the 90th percentile for weight! Wowser! She's definitely not missing any meals. And she measured 23 inches, which also put her in a high percentile. As far as the colic goes, Dr Nguyen just said to tough it out. She said if she is sleeping and eating good, and she's growing properly, she should grow out of it soon, but if it lasts for longer than 4-6 more weeks, let her know. WHAT!? Four to six MORE weeks?! I digress.

She is such a sweetheart though....she smiles all the time, and we started a little tummy time to let her exercise those neck muscles! She's my little rosebud...

Girls Night Out (ok, in...)

2010-01-22T23:28:00.003-06:00

Every year, I get together with some lovely ladies, and we have what we like to call the SPS Christmas Partay. We started this eleven years ago so we could all see each other during Christmas, and originally, it was a small group of us who graduated from St Peter's together. Well, our little group has grown, so we're not comprised of just SPS ladies anymore, but we still keep the name all the same. It's the one time of the year that we can all bet that we'll see each other.

Well, this year we ran into a few snags since I had a newborn and Lacie also moved five hours away to Monroe. So, we planned our eleventh annual partay for January instead. So, that's what we came in for this weekend. Bart wasn't exactly thrilled that we came in JUST for that (ordinarily, it wouldn't be so big of a deal, but I will admit, travelling five hours with two babies isn't as easy as travelling five hours with just the two of us). Nonetheless, we did it, and I am so grateful we did. I had a BLAST hanging out with my best girlfriends, and I really needed that time away from the kiddos to relax and unwind. I laughed till I cried...fun times.

Ella and Amelia enjoyed themselves too, as Mammy and Paw Paw babysat them (with a little assistance from Bart) while I was away.

Sunday, they made us a delicious shrimp stew....it was a very quick but wonderful weekend!

Ella's new baby doll

2010-01-14T22:23:00.002-06:00

Be afraid...be very afraid. Here's Ella Pearl pushing Amelia around in her baby doll stroller. She must've pushed her around the house for about a half hour. Tired them both out!

Who's Who?

2010-01-14T00:26:00.002-06:00

This was some photos I found looking through the blog in the past. I was trying to decide if Ella (in the middle in pink), looked more like me (to the left) as a baby or Bart (to the right). I definitely think Ella looked a lot more like me. So, to compare, I added Amelia in (in between Ella and Bart), and does she look like Bart or what!? The mouths are almost identical!

Amelia cooed tonight for the first time. It was so cute...she was smiling and looking at me, and she just made a big coooooo. Soooo precious! We switched to Similac Sensitive tonight per the doctor's recommendations to see if it helps with the colic. I hadn't mentioned much on the blog about it, but Amelia's got really bad colic from around 9pm to midnight at least four times a week. It is pretty nerve racking, and I feel so sorry for her because her body gets really stiff and she wails and swings her arms and legs around. It's been going on since right after she was born, and we just dealt with it. Yesterday she cried from 7pm to midnight, and I was just at my wits end. Our checkup isn't until the last week of the month, so I called my doctor to see what she thought. Hopefully this works but tonight was another banner night.

Even with all the crying though, she is still a wonderful, beautiful little baby.

Sisterly Love

2010-01-12T17:56:00.003-06:00

It's been a very good week so far because Bart has a class in The Woodlands for two weeks, so we have to go to bed early and wake up early so he can make it on time. I love it because we're all on more of a schedule now.

Last night, I made a slow cooker roast, rice & gravy and corn on the cob. I looove corn on the cob, especially when it's fresh. Ella apparently loves it too, and although I didn't think she had enough teeth to eat it, she never ceases to amaze me.

And here's Ella playing nice with her little sister. She's gotten a little better. She tries to shove the paci in her mouth now (and her ear and her nose). She did try to put the stroller on top of her in the bouncer today, so we're taking baby steps!

All in a Sunday afternoon

2010-01-12T14:17:00.008-06:00

This past Sunday, Bart and I attempted to take the whole family to church together. Well, everything would've been fine had we not been running late (us? never!). Anyway, at our church if you're running late, you're most definitely standing in the back. So, we schlep the baby in carrier, Ella on hip, and diaper bag in tow into the back of the church only to find that the daycare is full. Why wouldn't it be? So, we decide to tough it out. Everything was going well until after the homily when they began baptisms for about six kids. What is this, God? A joke?

After mass, our friends Greg and Rebeca invited us over for lunch. We had a great time hanging out with them, and as always, Ella had a blast playing with IV. He was trying to teach her how to do a tumbleset, and she was hilarious, rolling all over the floor.

Ella is ready for Mardi Gras!! And she loves dinosaurs. Don't you love the way she is trying to "ride" the plesiosaurus?

Ella and her pal, IV.

Saturday Night dinner....priceless

2010-01-12T09:23:00.005-06:00

With this cold weather, the main thing Ella gets all dressed up for these days is the daycare at the gym! When our neighbor Necoy pointed out to me that Ella's hair was long enough for a ponytail, you know I had to try it out. And it was just precious! Her nanny would've been proud.

After we all went to the gym, I came home and tried to make a nice, romantic meal (as romantic as it can get with two babies in the house). I made roasted asparagus, a baked potato, and our old favorite that we used to get at Outback (back when Outback used to do the grilled fish), tuna steaks.

It was a picture perfect meal...until Amelia woke up from her nap just as we were sitting down, screaming for a bottle. Greeaaaat! So, we rigged up a solution!

Ok, the meal continued. And then Ella, in rare form, decided she did not want to eat the meal I fixed for her. So, for the first time in the past three months we've been eating off of a plate, she decided to throw the entire plate of food off of her high chair and on to the floor. Now, all items on her plate are things she eats...she just did not feel like eating them tonight. Wonderful. So, on my hands and knees I go to clean it up so our already obese dog does not treat herself to a feastomondo.

So it wasn't the romantic meal I had planned...it was still full of excitement and drama, as always. Plus, it was delicious! Shall we review?

Baked potatoes - $3

Asparagus - $4

Tuna steaks - $12

Seeing our two little angels, pooped out after an adventurous meal, lying next to each other, ready for bed = priceless!

Baby, it's cold outside!

2010-01-08T23:41:00.003-06:00

It has been the coldest winter I remember in a long time, or maybe I just pay more attention to the weather these days (a sign of old age??) Anyway, this week has been unbearable! Yesterday evening, it dropped down to 28, last night it was 25, and today during the day it was 35!! It's midnight, and it's 22 degrees, which is just insane for southern Texas! I don't like to leave the house when it's that cold (especially with Amelia), but Bart took Ella to the gym tonight to let her exert some energy. We had to bundle her up though! Doesn't she look like Miss Fancy Pants in her little red jogging suit Mammy and Paw Paw got her for Christmas?

Amelia wanted in on the action too!

Ella's Potty Partay!

2010-01-08T23:24:00.003-06:00

A few days ago, Bart and I had an interesting night. I had hopped in the bath with Ella, and we took a nice, warm bubble bath. We decided to kill two birds with one stone, so Bart threw Amelia in the tub with me too. It was so funny having both my girls in there with me....especially since Ella is a splasher. Anyway, Bart took Ella out and brought her to the living room to dress her while I finished bathing Amelia. All of sudden, I see her coming around the corner buck naked. Well, I know what that means....she somehow got away from Bart, and chances are, she peed somewhere in the house. When she is naked after a bath, she pees. Sure enough, Bart comes around the corner, "Ella!! You tee teed on the carpet!!"

It was hilarious. He quickly slapped a diaper on her and proceeded to clean up the tee tee off the floor. Having a dog, we are quite experienced with cleaning pee off the floor, so he knew just what to do. After that, he went back to the living room to finish dressing Ella in her PJs.

Totally distracted, I looked down at Amelia in the tub with me, and she started turning red. I hear two grunts, but everything kinda happened in fast motion. She started POOING. Pooing IN THE TUB that I am sitting in. Are you KIDDING ME??! I start yelling out for Bart, but it was too late. We had a floater. Bart took Amelia, and I began trying to scoop it out with a cup.

It was a wild and crazy night, I tell ya.

So, after that whole wonderful experience, we thought we would take advantage of knowing that Ella pees right after a bath, so we brought out the princess potty that Paw Paw Tom bought for her. I know, I know...it's early to start potty training, but hey! You never know! She can "say" tee tee and poo poo. She knows when mommy makes tee tee. We introduced her to it, and of course, she tried to stand IN the hole. It's a work in progress.

We put it in our bathroom, and we were going to try it tonight after her bath. I got in the bath with her again tonight, but when Bart walked in to take her out, he said the water looked might yellow. Wonderful. She sat on it and tooted, but that was about it. No such luck on the potty tonight, but like I said, it's a work in progress.

BCS Bowl...Amelia's First Party!

2010-01-08T18:48:00.003-06:00

It's been so cold, we've barely gotten out of the house. This Monday Amelia turned six weeks old. Since Mommy got the ok to hit the gym again, and Amelia meets the age requirement for the daycare at the gym now, we all headed there Monday night as a family. It was great getting out and being able to exercise in peace and quiet, and Amelia did well at the daycare. Everything's so nice and fancy.

Thursday night, we all went to our friends Greg and Rebeca's house to watch the BCS Bowl. They're big Texas fans (and so was everyone else there), so the only thing I could do was pull for Texas. I mean, we surely weren't pulling for Saban, I mean Alabama. Nonetheless, we dressed Ella in LSU garb to support the SEC. :) Even though "our team" didn't win, we still had a great time, and of course, Ella had a BLAST playing with her friends IV and Brandon.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Farrells!

2010-01-07T14:51:00.000-06:00

Amelia Rose at 6 weeks!

2010-01-07T13:07:00.003-06:00

Hasn't she grown so much in just six weeks. She's a smiley baby, too. She has been since we brought her home (which must mean she's got a heck of a lot of gas!!)

Yes, I know I am a major slacker, and I have a lot of "splaining" to do as to why I haven't updated this blog since I came home with Amelia. Needless to say, we have been some busy parents, and the busiest month of December went by like a blur. I'll be trying to play a little catch up on some of the highlights I missed since it was Amelia's first Christmas, and I promise to be more faithful to the blog!!!

Amelia's adjusting to being home...

2009-11-27T22:35:00.001-06:00

My precious little angel asleep in her bassinet.

Amelia is adjusting to being home. I have been breastfeeding her exclusively, and it's going really well. I am so shocked at how well it is going, but I am very new at this whole breastfeeding thing too because I only breastfed Ella for a few weeks. But I am figuring it out, and she's doing great. The first couple of nights, she's been up all night and sleeps good all day, so thank God Bart and mom are here to help me with Ella during the day. I have some time to nap what I missed at night.

Ella has been so great with Amelia! When we came home, Ella was kinda looking at her with a fake smile as if to say, "oh, she's staying here?" Ha ha ha. No, she really does love looking at her and pointing to her. Mammy has convinced her to give the baby kisses on her hand. Now, all she does is come by and wave hi to her and then goes off to play again. It's so funny how much she really does pay attention to her.

Everything is going well at the Farrell home. Tomorrow we're going to give Amelia her first bath!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:56:00.005-06:00

Well, although we missed our family back in Louisiana immensely this Thanksgiving holiday, my wonderful mom still made us feel like we were at Aunt Yvette's enjoying the traditional dinner. The only things missing were the old fashions, crowding around Perry's keyboard for Christmas carols, and a reference to my Thanksgiving prayer. Ha ha.

Mom single-handedly cooked us a turkey, sweet potato dressing, peas, shrimp & rice casserole, dirty rice and candied yams. All she let me do was empty the can of cranberry onto the plate! It was DELICIOUS! Did I mention there was sweet potato dressing?? Even Ella gobbled up everything like a little turkey. We spent the rest of the day watching football games and hanging around the house. Although it wasn't our ideal Thanksgiving, Mom made it so special. Plus, we're all so thankful that Amelia Rose is here, healthy and happy.

Here's a few pics of my two little turkeys!

Mammy was pooped out after cooking a great dinner (and chasing after Ella in between!)

Welcome Home, Amelia Rose!

2009-11-25T23:23:00.000-06:00

Today we came home from the hospital. Mommy and baby got released today because everything was going so smoothly, and we really wanted to get home before Thanksgiving. This whole experience has been just wonderful. The surgery went perfectly, and I have not been in much pain at all. It's been very surprising. So much different from my last delivery.

We almost didn't make it because Daddy forgot a piece for the carseat (oops!), but being the McGyver that he is, he rigged it for us to make it home safely with our little bundle of joy.

We rode home, and Mammy and Ella were waiting for us with open arms! Ella was so excited to see her little sister in her own house. She really was!! She even said "baby" for the first time. I've been so surprised at how much she pays attention to her. She "checks in" on her in between her playing. It's funny.

More pics of Amelia's arrival!

2009-11-24T23:13:00.000-06:00

Amelia's very first photo!! The first time I really got to look in her little eyes....

It's a girl!!

Precious little angel.

Proud parents...

Ella's first reaction to her little sister.....hmmm, I'm not so sure about this little person!

Proud grandparents!

I'm so glad my family was there for all this...

Nanny Shelly's first pic with her godchild.