A day in the life of Ella Pearl

Ella Pearl,

I am starting to see more and more every day what those misty-eyed older parents mean when they tell me, "they grow up so fast." I know you are just 14 months, but when I think about how much you have changed and grown since you were born, it makes me so happy and so sad all at once. I wanted to do this when you turned one, but as always, things were so busy with birthday parties and travelling, that I totally missed the opportunity. But after reading my good friend Sarah's blog after her little girl's first birthday, its inspired me to let you know just what an average day with my little girl Ella is like at 14 months.

You wake up around 8am...we are so fortunate that you have your daddy's sleeping genes because you normally sleep around 11 hours a night straight. Occasionally, you might wake up around 7:30, but never much earlier than that. My friends are all jealous because of how much my baby girl sleeps, but I know you get it from your daddy! Ha ha. You usually wake up smiling...your daddy and I have a video camera pointing at your bed that we can watch from our bedroom television, so we get to see you when you pop up in your bed or lay back down and snooze a million times.

After your bottle, you're smiling and raring to go. You're already climbing on your Kangaroo Climber or playing with some toys. We watch Sesame Street at 9am, and you loove Elmo. You also love the sound of Cookie Monster's voice, which is a mystery to me! Your favorite breakfast food is oatmeal, and you'll eat almost a whole packet. You're so funny when you eat - you love to throw your sippy cup when you're done drinking, which drives me nuts. When Mommy tries to tell you "no," you laugh at me....and I can't help but laugh sometimes too.

Then you and I usually spend the day playing, reading books and sometimes going out and about. I am so grateful to be able to stay home with you all day and watch you grow. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I try to take lots of pictures and videos to show your daddy each day when you come home and to post on your blog for your family to see. Your favorite things to do is climb from your wagon onto your Kangaroo Climber, and then slide down. You also love putting shapes into your cookie jar toy and arranging your stuffed animals in different places around the house. I love to watch you play almost as much as I love actually playing with you. You make me laugh all day long.

Sometimes you're a little stinker...you do something you know you're not supposed to do, and then you do it again, while you look at me, waiting for me to correct you. I know you're just testing me, and I can't help but chuckle when you give me that grin and wide eyes, as if to say, "what did I do?"

The other show you LOOOVE to watch during the day is The Wiggles. I don't know what it is about those four whacky men, but you smile and laugh and are in a trance when they sing. You know many of the dances, and you always try to sing along with all the songs. I love to hear you sing...I think you're going to have a great voice one day and a love for music. We can see that already. Your favorite Wiggles song is Hot Potato. Your other favorite songs right now are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the Eentsy Weency Spider, and If You're Happy and You Know it.

If daddy is home during the day, you HAVE to be upstairs with him. You climb the stairs at a rapid pace, and he loves to play with you. You're a momma's girl when you're sick or hurt or need comforting, but you LOVE your daddy when you want to play. How could you not when he takes you swimming, takes you for walks around the lake in your pink car, and flies you around the house on his shoulders. Everyday when he comes home from work, Zoe barks and you screech in excitement, running to the door. I know he must love a homecoming like that every day.

Naptimes aren't your favorite, but you do so much to wear you out during the day, you just crash. You one nap a day, and it usually lasts around 2-3 hours. You sleep in your crib, and you love to snuggle with your "lambie" from Paw Paw Tom. Your favorite snacks are string cheese and yogurt, although daddy will feed you just about anything! While mommy cooks dinner, your daddy usually takes you to the gym, and the daycare there knows you by name. In the summer, he would take you to the pool after his workout, which was your favorite part of the day. When yall come back, dinner is ready, and we all sit down together to eat dinner. You looove to eat, and what you don't like, you throw to Zoe who patiently waits beside your high chair. You looove rice and macaroni and cheese, but I'm surprised that you also like bananas, strawberries, canteloupe, broccoli and green beans.

After dinner, we wipe you down and shake you off, and you'll play a little longer. Daddy gives you most of your baths right now while mommy cleans the kitchen. Daddy loves giving you baths because you splash and play and laugh. You usually bathe upstairs with all your toys, but sometimes mommy bathes you downstairs in her big tub. You like the bubbles.

After bathtime, you try to run around naked and play some more, but by this time, daddy and I are trying to wind you down for bedtime. You hate diaper changes right now. But Mommy gets you all dry and soft and dressed, and you get a bottle. Sometimes we read you a story or sometimes you watch a video on the laptop. Your favorite short videos are the Goodbye Song by Bear in the Big Blue House, Moose's Goodbye Song from Noggin, and more recently, the Wiggles' version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Soon after that, it's time for bed, and you usually go down without much of a fight. Daddy and I check on you all evening from our TV in our bedroom....I love watching your sleep.

You have grown so much in the past 14 months....you've developed a lively, outgoing and wonderful personality. I love that you're not afraid to talk and play with anyone, and I love your spirit. You have this happy-go-lucky attitude that makes me soo happy that you're mine. I love you so much, and I think the most surprising thing I have learned as a mother is the ability to love someone so much, it's overwelming. It's an indescribable love, and I don't think that you can truly appreciate it until you experience it for yourself. The love I have for you is so different from even the love I feel for your daddy, and when I thought there couldn't be more than that, along you came... It's the same love my mom always tried to explain to me too.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for you, my precious Ella....it's going to be an incredible, adventurous and amazing journey.

Love, Mom