Little Birdies

Incase you drive past our house and wonder why I'm still living in the past with a fall arrangement on my door, it's because a little birdie has made a nest in there. And, we just discovered yesterday that the eggs have hatched and there are tiny little baby birdies in there. It's awfully sweet and I want that mommy bird to take care of her babies until they grow up, but I wish they would hurry so I can put my spring flowers out! ;-) ...and don't worry, I didn't touch anything when taking these pics. I certainly don't want her to abandon those babies!

Birthday Parties are Fun!

We went to a birthday party for one of Ella's buddies last weekend and Ella had a fantastic time playing with the other girls in their play kitchen. She loves to be around the "big girls" and imitate everything they do.

Cleaning the Fishtank

Keith cleans the small fish tank that we have every couple of weeks and this time Ella got to help him. She stood on the chair and watched everything he did, sang songs, and talked to the "fishy". It was pretty adorable!

Stickers, Stickers, Everywhere!

Ella discovered the stickers in the back of one of her coloring books the other day and had a blast covering herself with them. Hey, whatever keeps her occupied while I'm trying to get ready!

Little Professor

Ella's New Boots

While in Target a few weeks back, Ella saw these boots and absolutely had to have them. Even though they are totally impractical, she loves them and wears them around the house. Oh, and you might remember the hat from a few posts back. My girl loves to dress up, that's for sure!

The Proof

Ok...as requested, here are a couple of my baby pictures to show that I do indeed have curly hair. It appears that I have straight hair now only because I spend many hours using the straightening iron to straighten it. Catch me on a really humid day and you'll see it for what it really is! Thank goodness Ella's hair isn't quite as wild as mine was...

And as further proof that Ella did get that trait from me and not from Keith, here are a couple of his baby pictures. No question where she got her eyes from though!

29 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and everything looks great. My belly measured right on target and the heartrate was in the 130s. I asked Dr. Lawhon if he could tell at this point whether she's moved head down or not and he was able to feel that she is indeed head down. I was glad to hear it and am hopeful that she stays that way now. With my heartshaped uterus, one of the issues is the baby not having enough room to turn so hopefully since she's already turned, she'll get stuck that way and won't turn back. I surely want to avoid a c-section if at all possible! :-)

We hung shelves in the nursery this weekend and now all that's left is the letters over her crib. Those should arrive this week and we can get them up this weekend. I'm excited to share pictures once it's all completed!

Anna Claire Bear is the size of a squash now:

Brushing Teeth

Lately Keith has assumed the role of helping Ella brush her teeth before bed. The other night I had to snap a few pictures of them in there having fun. Ella loves to look at herself in the mirror while she brushes. And, I can't help but point out those ringlet curls she's developing. At least she got something from me...curly hair!

You don't want to leave anything laying around too long at our house...if you do, this is probably what you'll find:

Ella's favorite new trick is to do a somersalt or a "salt" as she calls them. Our little gymnast:

Week 28

...and feeling GREAT! Into the 3rd trimester and only 12 weeks (give or take) to go. I can't believe it!

Prissy Missy

For whatever reason, Ella's actually looking at the camera and letting us take pictures of her right now...love that!

Ella's "cheese" face:

A play hat we picked up at Target for $1. She's currently using it as a holder for her crayons.

Prissy Missy and Mommy:

Mommy's Field Trip

This past Tuesday I took a trip with some fellow photographers to Atlanta for a Sandy Puc' Tots to Teens Photography Seminar. The seminar was very informative, but what was really fun was a day out with the girls! (please excuse how puffy my face looks in these pictures...sitting all day was a little tough on my preggo body and I swelled up!)

(from left to right: Shae Owens of Shae Owens Photography, Anna Bishop of Anna Bishop Photography, Judy Barranco, Lori Mercer of Lori Mercer Photography, DiAnna Paulk of Photography by DiAnna Paulk, and me)

Keith took the day off to stay home with Ella and they had a great day. They visited the park in the morning, came home for a quick lunch and nap, and then headed to Frazer to play on the outdoor play area. Ella even got to ride a tricycle for the very first time. From what I hear, they had so much fun that Ella was totally exhausted by the end of the day and actually wanted to go to bed! ;-)

Look at the flare Keith captured with his point and shoot!

Warm Weather

Last Friday we had beautiful weather so we headed out to Vaughn Road park to enjoy it. As usual, Ella loved being there but especially found the pretend car fun and got a kick out of singing Wheels on the Bus while she drove "the bus".

27 Weeks

Well, now that I'm 28 weeks I figured I should go ahead and post my 27 week picture. I've gotten a little behind...oops! :-)

I went to the doctor this week and everything is still looking great. My next appointment is a week from Monday.

22 Months

and where has the time gone?!?! When I look at Ella now I see a little girl instead of a baby. I can't believe how fast she's growing up! This past month has been a month of changes for her. She has seamlessly transitioned into her big girl bed with absolutely no issues. I am so relieved! She actually really loves it now and is excited to get in it. Also, the potty training is progressing really well. She's going in the potty multiple times a day, but we need to work on her letting me know when she's got to go. She learns new words daily and is starting to put them into sentences. She loves to say "good girl Abby" to our dog, "love you", and "big girl bed" among other things. I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Here's Ella one year ago...she had just started walking. What a difference a year makes!