Ready for the Witching Hour

One more night till Halloween! Yay! Last night, my little Ella, you and I made your very first Halloween pumpkin. We used tempera paints, and you loved squishing your toes in the different colored paints. You were so good, too! We only used your little feet because your hands were not being very cooperative. It came out really cute!! Now we're ready for Halloween!!

Mommy's making your teachers Halloween cookies for tomorrow, and you get to wear your costume to daycare! They're even going to take you trick or treating from classroom to classroom. We all can't wait!!

Love,

Mama Gelle

Mammy's Visit to Houston

Mammy came on Sunday to spend a few days spoiling Ella rotten. The visit began with a trip to a mexican restaurant Sunday night (of course!). We went to Alicia's, and it was deliciouso! Ella even had a good time! Then Monday and Tuesday I had to work, so Mammy stayed home with Ella all day. Ella's cheeks were raw from Mammy kissing on them so much. But she loved every minute with her Mammy. It was a great visit, and Daddy and I got lots of sleep!! You even slept in your crib upstairs for the very first time!!



Nanny sent three giant boxes of baby girl clothes for me to go through for you. I collected some beautiful little dresses and outfits for your next year. I can't wait to get you in some of them. Plus we found the perfect hat for you to wear when we go see your cousin Taylor's football games in Woodville! Isn't it perfect? Ha ha.

Wednesday, Mammy was going to leave for Louisiana, but she started with a stomach virus. Rather than be stuck driving in a car for five hours with nausea and everything that comes along with it, she decided to stay an extra night, but she is quarantined to the upstairs. Poor thing!!

Two more days till Halloween! Yay!

Love, Mama Gelle

LSU lost, but Ella still cheered them on!!

Today, we were supposed to be "tailgating" with Kurt, Robin and Dean, but it fell through. So, we decided to still have our own little tailgating party. And even though it was a TERRIBLE game, Ella was still the prettiest little cheerleader around!

The Green Eyed Monster

Well, the green-eyed monster is rearing its ugly head...Zoe. Yes, our little pup Zoe is showing some signs of jealousy. Maybe she's starved for attention. Maybe she's just had it with this new little munchkin that invaded her home. I don't know what it is, but she is going nutty! Yesterday, she went upstairs and emptied the office trash can. She chewed up every bit of paper, wrappings and whatever else was in there to bits. It was strewn across the floor in the gameroom. Then tonight when we got back from Target, she got into a box of crayons. She chewed those up to bits, and it was all over our closet floor. I could be wrong, but I don't think she is a happy camper. We'll have to give her some extra love this weekend.

Ella's getting ready for her Mammy. She's coming visit from Sunday to Wednesday!! We're all so excited!! Yay!!


Here's a few snapshots...Ella still loooves bath time! In fact, that hair craziness actually went away when we gave her a bath that night. All the knots came out (thank God!), and it all went back to normal. Now, every day when we come home from daycare, her hair is full of knots though...Mammy may be right. She just may have that curly Farrell hair! I'm so glad you could all get a good laugh at my expense. Ha!


Dear Jesus, Please don't let these cheeks make me fall over!! Love, Ella


Love, Mama Gelle

Ella Loves October

Ok, so does Mommy!! I just love the color orange (and browns and yellows). And Ella wears orange well. Today she had on her little "So Cute It's Scary" outfit for daycare. Too cute! We got some photo ops outside today in this great weather we've been having - another reason I love October. Ella is doing great...still breaking up my sleeping, but Bart and I are starting to take turns, which means last night I slept from 11 to 5! Woohoo!


Now let's talk hair. Ella's got that silky little hair on top, and in the back by her neck, its long - even over her collar - and that hair is soft. But on her crown - around the back - the hair has always been fuzzy. Almost like cotton. It even gets a knot sometimes - one little small one that I had to cut out. But today I picked her up from daycare, and this is what I see.


What the hell is that?? It's like a giant clump of cottony matted hair, and then beneath that she's bald!! I know you're probably all going to say its normal, but wow! She looks like a bald man from behind!!

Anyway, that's all that is new! OH, and my cousin Mike and his wife Kristin had a little boy last week. His name is Brody Michael Roccaforte, so Ella's got a new second cousin?? I don't have any pics yet, but they're coming!! Congrats to the new parents!!

Love,
Mama Gelle

Girls Weekend!

Sorry its been a while. Unfortunately, Ella slept through the night that ONE night, and it never happened again. She HAS skipped a feeding...she sleeps from like 9pm till 2:30am, but she can not sleep through that 2:30 feeding for anything. Its starting to take its toll on Mommy because I am hoarse with stuffy nose....again.

We had a little girls weekend. Bart had his bike race this weekend, so he left Friday. Friday nigt, Ella and I met Michelle and her friend Dearing at Lupe Tortilla for dinner. We had a great time catching up. I'm waiting for Chelle to send me some pics, and I will post them. Saturday and Sunday, Ella and I just hung out and watched movies. It was a little tiring trying to catch up on sleep....I guess I have to get used to the fact that Saturdays and Sundays are not for sleeping late anymore! I was up by 6:30 on Saturday. Ugh!

Daddy got home tonight. He and his team came out 4th place in the expert division. He came home stinky and smelly but without too many major injuries, so thats good! I am pooped so I am going to bed early again tonight. Hopefully I'll catch up on sleep soon!!!

Love, Mama Gelle

HALLELUIA!!

Praise the Lord - Ella slept her first whole night!! Yes, she was NOT a happy camper when she got home from daycare. As you all know, she still has that cold, so I assume she's just not feeling comfortable. So she cried and cried and cried. Again, Bart and I had no idea what to do! She was fed, had a clean diaper and even rocking her could not soothe her. We were out of ideas.

I bathed her, fed her a bottle at nine o'clock, and she was out after just two ounces. I'm thinking - great! She's going to be up in two hours screaming because she is STARVING (as if this baby could starve!! she's got two months of formula stored up in those cheeks!!) Eleven clock...no cries. Twelve o'clock - still no cries. I went to bed, and I guess my body just automatically woke up at 3am. And I was like, "what?!!? she's STILL sleeping?? it's a MIRACLE!!" I went check for a pulse, but she was just all snuggled up with her little lamb blanket. I went back to bed and slept till 4:30am. It was WOOOONDERFUL. As I fed her this morning, awake for the day, I wondered how a baby goes from waking up every three hours to sleeping almost EIGHT HOURS?? I don't really care, I just hope it happens again!!

It's 9:30, and she's been sleeping for a half hour already. I am going to bed soon so I can take advantage of the sleep!! My first day of full class was great! I love my kids!! Eighth graders are so funny and entertaining! And I really love the school....the teachers and admin are so welcoming and friendly. I think its going to be a wonderful experience. (I sure am singing a different tune than I was a week earlier, eh??)

So, I have been itching to write a lot lately. Must be the English teacher coming out of me. I have these fleeting thoughts of random funniness, and I feel the need to share them rather than send out an email just to ramble some therapeutic grammar. I hate to combine my random rattling with Ella's blog...I really feel like this is all for her and our experiences with her. Do you think I should create a separate blog just for me? And I could update on Ella, pictures, etc and on my blog, use as my diary - my therapy? What do yall think??

Ok, time for bed. Woohoo. Daddy got a snapshot of Ella tonight while she was lying in her crib (well, she's actually in her pack n play these days....still haven't moved to her nursery yet). I know the outfit is a tad too big. I have tons of onesies that fit, but this one was the first one I grabbed LAST night, and I figure since she slept so well in it last night, I'm trying it again tonight. Hell, she can wear the darn thing EVERY NIGHT if it will help her sleep!! Ha ha. But doesn't she seem to looove her little lamb wooby? Thanks Paw Paw Tom!!

Love, Mama Gelle

Getting Ready for Halloween

Not too much of an exciting weekend. Daddy barbecued last night, and we watched the debachery of a football game, also known as LSU getting their butts whipped by Florida. Today, Ella and I just hung out while Daddy went biking in Waco with his friends. He's getting ready for his big 24-hour bike race next weekend at Rocky Hill. I hope his distraction with Ella hasn't cut too much into his bike training!!

Meanwhile, I broke out the old jumperoo. I know she's a little young for it yet, but she was getting bored with the bouncer and the swing, so I thought I'd try it out. She liked it!! She loved looking around at all the exciting things going on around her. She couldn't quite touch the ground, so I improvised with a few phonebooks (I know those things are good for something - thanks, Pen!). Don't you love that one look she's giving you? It's my favorite....its like she's almost giving you "the eyebrow," like "what you talkin' bout, Willlis?" Ha ha.

In the afternoon, we took a few pics in the backyard in her Halloween costume. Ella's been practicing with Daddy on how to carry her pumpkin and beg for candy with those big blue eyes! She's a natural.

Tomorrow its back to daycare while I get some stuff done in my classroom. No school tomorrow (yay!), but I have lots to set up and catch up on. Woohoo!

Love, Mama Gelle

Ella's got a cold...

Well, Ella's got her first cold. Go figure that it coincides with her first week at daycare! Just stuffy nose and a cough. We went to the doctor today, and she says everything's ok. Just lots of snot! Hee hee. Here's a little video of her gooing and gahing, despite her little cold!



This Thursday was my first day back at school. Although I whined like a baby to go back, it ended up being a great experience going back. The teachers have made me feel so welcome. My kids seem really excited to have me as their teacher, and that makes me excited to teach them. PLUS, we have a three-day weekend already! Woohoo!

Love, Mama Gelle

Ella's First Shots

Yesterday, I took Ella to the pediatrician for her first shots. She was so good while we were waiting...I felt so bad as I knew what was coming (and she had no clue!) First they weighed her. She weighs 12 lbs 8 ozs!! And she is 23 1/2 inches long!

After all of that, then came the hard part. She had three shots: two on the top of one thigh and one on the top of the other. She was laying across the table looking up at me. She kinda squinted when they rubbed her legs with that cold alcohol swab, but then she was just happy as can be. Then the nurse held down her legs and gave her the first one. She looked at me and didn't even have time for the frown - she went straight to screaming! Then came the next one. She looked at me as if to say "Why are you letting them do this to me!?!?!" She's crying. I'm crying. And then the last shot, thank God!! It was over, but we were both a mess. She got little Tweety Bird bandaids, and I finally got to pick her up and hold her. She calmed down a little, but you could see she was hurting. On our way home, I stopped and got her some Infant Tylenol to make her feel better. I got myself a Starbucks Latte to make ME feel better! I was a nervous wreck! Once we got home, she slept like a baby on her little lamb from Paw Paw Tom. When she woke up, she was clutching onto it, and she was just fine. Poor little thing.


Not looking forward to THAT again!

Love, Mama Gelle

Ella and Dean

Tonight we had Bart's friend from offshore Kurt and his wife Robin over for dinner. In tow, they brought their adorable 8-month-old Dean. They just moved here from Maryland so that Kurt could be home every night, just like Bart did. Dean was such a cutie pie. Although he was a lot bigger than Ella, they got along great.

I think I see Dean giving Ella the eye in one of these pics. Hee hee. We all had a great time with our new friends!

Also, is it just a coincidence that Lifetime showed nothing but movies today about babiysitters gone wrong. For example, the first movie was "Hand That Rocks the Cradle." There were like five movies with that same genre on Lifetime today. I mean, what's up with that?? Is that a sign that I should not be going back to work or sendind Ella to daycare?? The good thing is that I didn't have time to watch any of them today, but still!?! Why!?!?

Love, Mama Gelle

A good comparison

Little girls (and big girls) love to play dress up

Mommy loves playing dress up!! Yesterday, I tried another one of Amber's outfits on Ella. She LOVED it! Look at that smile!

Nothing new happening around here. Eat, sleep, and poop. One more week till Mommy has to go back to work. : ( Here's Ella holding her head up. That's a mighty big head to hold up!!


Love, Mama Gelle

Ella Down Under!

Ella got her first international package yesterday. It was a package from her Auntie Ambah from Australia. She sent all kinds of goodies, and she even sent some goodies for mommy!! I can't wait for Amber to get her Aussie butt over here so she can meet Ella! Meanwhile, here's Ella in one of the outfits Amber sent. She loooves it!

Love,

Mama Gelle