Ella and her monkey have definitely become the best of friends these days! The first thing she does when she gets put down in her cot for a nap is feel around to see where her monkey is, and then she snuggles him in close - it's the cutest!
At night when we come into the room, we love to peer in to her cot (under the glow of our mobile phones) and see what cute position the two of them are in! Sometimes she's just clasping his tail ever so firmly, sometimes they're still snuggled and sometimes she's using him as a pillow!
and sometimes she bites him! Don't take it personally Mr Monkey - everything goes into her mouth these days!
So Miss Ella Bella turned 7 months yesterday! Can you tell how pleased she was about that?! Just kidding, she had no idea what was going on! but she must have known that vest I was putting on her was something special because she was sick on it just before our photo shoot began - perfect timing or what ;)
She looks pleased about it, because in case you haven't gathered by now (because maybe you've been living under a rock) Ella is happy and excitable about every little thing in life! It's so fun to see! The other night we were passing round the box of chocolate fingers, Ella looked excited as she thought one was coming her way, unfortunately not Ella, but while everyone else chowed down on their chocolate fingers we gave her the plastic tray they came in and she played with that thing for about half an hour! acting like she had won the prize! So adorable!
Those little fingers, and toes, and chubby thighs...and that excited facial expression make my heart melt!
Every night in our prayers before bed, we thank God for blessing us with this amazingly happy baby who fills our lives with so much joy - I feel like a broken down record as we repeat it nightly but I would be so ungrateful if I didn't acknowledge our gratitude and she really is the happiest baby!
The other day my dad told us how next time around we're probably going to get a 'normal baby' and are we ready for that?! e.g one that is not as perfectly behaved and adorable as Ella is! to which By replied, jokingly, that that's the reason we're only having one - at least I hope it was a joke!
So we finally have a sitter!
Ella had been sitting up for small amounts of time ever since last month, but she still wasn't super stable until about 2 weeks ago.
We took her to the park one lovely sunny evening, and not only did she get to play on the swings, which she loves, and pick up the grass (and try and eat it) which she also loves she showed us how much her sitting skills had improved! We had to video it to keep a little record...
and she hasn't stopped ever since!
She can get so much more enjoyment out of her toys now, because she can have them all spread around her and reach out and grab the ones she wants to play with rather than just flailing them above her head!
It's amazing even how the accuracy of her grasp has improved! You do not want to try and eat a cookie or a cake in one hand whilst holding Ella in the other - she will grab your treat before you know it in one quick swoop!
The biggest hit, on the play front this month, has got to be her treasure basket! When I was going to the breastfeeding support group back in Scotland we had a lady came in one week who brought a treasure basket along and talked with us about how important they are and what you can buy to make your own. Well, after a trip to Poundland and TK Maxx, and Granny kindly donating some of her necklaces (because beads are pretty much her second favourite thing after her treasure basket!) we had whipped one up for Ella, and she hasn't put it down since!
Even when I'm trying to put her hoodie on, after she's been playing with it, to head outside she is desperately turning back trying to grab as many bits from it as she can - she's like 'noooo Mom, don't take me away from my treasure basket'! Well, at least that's what I imagine she's saying by the expression on her face and those frantic little hands!
She has a fun little routine with the basket, where one by one she picks every object out...
...and then puts it her mouth,
and then she searches for the next object, puts it in her mouth, and repeats and repeats and repeats....
then finally once all the objects are out of the basket she tries to put the basket itself in her mouth!
She's ambitious, that's for sure!
She also loves you brushing her face with the pastry brush! and ends up inevitably trying to eat it!
Eating my hair is another favourite past time! grabbing and pulling it first, to get it near enough to her mouth, and then going in for the kill! It also makes a good tickler...
Eating in general is pretty fun for her! She will try anything and eats nearly everything with excitement - weetabix on day one was exciting
but she's discovered there's tastier things since then and so she's not such a fan anymore...
like Mommy's coconut greek yoghurt! I tried the natural yoghurt with fruit purees the way the weaning lady recommended! but oh no, she wasn't loving it - but she can't get the spoon of my coconut yoghurt in her mouth fast enough - turns out there's going to be another coconut crazy in the family!
Cucumber sticks are always a hit! The only problem she had was how to fit them all in her mouth at once!
She had a moment of sheer panic as she realised she would have to leave one behind on the tray!
She doesn't quite understand things can be eaten one at a time, if I lay out lots of little bits of fruit and veg on her tray she will scoop up the whole lot and try and fit them in her mouth all at once! We've learnt to just put down one item at a time now to save her little cheeks from food overload!
She gets hyper around dinnertime so after eating is done...and what fun that is, the squealing begins! Just recently with Granny's help she has learnt to squeal on demand!
Onto some firsts...
She had her first visit to London, and first trip on the underground! which she thoroughly enjoyed! you've never seen so much jigging going on in her pram while she was sat on the tube! it was hilarious!
She gatecrashed Mommy and Daddy's anniversary meal! and By ate one handed spoon feeding Ella her puree and I ate one handed giving Ella her sippy cup with my other hand and wiping up messes - I got my sister to take a pic of us because I have a feeling future restaurant visits will always look something like this!
First visit to Liverpool and subsequent ride on a carousel! I think her face says it all!
First messy play with shaving foam! I love that little face right there, she was looking up at me before she dug in as if to say 'are you sure I'm allowed to smear this everywhere' oh what fun she had! and she didn't even try and eat it once (which was a surprise...and why I put her dummy in as I was sure she would!)
First visit to the home counties and to meet my friends!
Of course we had to go to the Waffle House, our favourite haunt from days gone by!
and so Ella got to have her first taste of waffle too!
She's also had a first taste of pancake after a Frankie and Benny's brunch last Saturday morning...
and she is a big fan of crumpets!
and stuffing mini rice cakes in whole!
She kicks her legs like crazy at all times of the day! She never stops, especially if you hold her in the air - we joke that she's riding on her imaginary bike because her little legs are going so furiously! She has also discovered how to swivel herself round in her cot which means she can kick against the headboard - great fun! and just this week she has learnt to kick against the sides of the bath! Here she is kicking in action on the swing!
Just when I think you can't get any more fun than you already are...you do!
We couldn't be happier to call you ours :)
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