A 7 month old update!

I just cannot comprehend that Addison is now closer to becoming a one year old than she is a baby!!

 It is just so wild that she is already 7 months...and that it's Christmas!



I feel like it was just May and I was freaking out about how few layers she needed on in our freak heatwave, and now I'm worrying about how many multiple layers she needs on due to the chilly December we've been having!

One thing is for sure - time stands still for no one, and it seems to move at double speed now I have two to look after and not just one! 

I just love all the new things Addison is learning, and the new stages we're getting to...but I'm just not ready to let go of those precious baby days either! I can see why people have 10 kids - babies, they're just so delicious and you always want more! haha!

She can now sit on her own for a minute or two unsupported if she is focused on an activity or toy in front of her, but the minute she looks away she is always toppling to the side!

She still loves to roll all over the show, and is quite the mover just through rolling.



One night I left her on her little blanket in our bedroom surrounded by toys to play with, and just walked to the end of the hallway to put some laundry down and when I returned I found her like this...



completely wrapped up in the blanket with the toys strewn about and halfway across the room - she gave me the biggest smile.  She seemed quite pleased with herself, and I just couldn't believe how quickly she had managed to make it happen!!

When big sis is at school she also loves to have free rein over all her toys - shh don't tell!

(That Lalaloopsy doll and her crazy hair is a fave for Addi to shove in her mouth!)

I think she has a 3rd tooth at the top that is starting to make its way through, but not causing her too much pain just yet thankfully.

She is still LOVING her eating! She definitely inherited the Jones gene for a love of food.

 I don't think we've ever given her anything yet that she hasn't loved and wolfed down.  She wasn't 100% sure on avocado on its own first time around, but when I mixed it with a little banana she still ate it.  The other day Byron mixed her a little concoction for dinner of what he thought was broccoli and butternut, but it turned out to be broccoli and peach! (I really need to label my ice cube trays!)



The first few spoonfuls she really wasn't sure and I thought we were going to have to abandon it, but then she ended up wolfing the whole bowl with gusto! It really seems like she is going to be a great little eater.  She is currently always beating her big sister at mealtimes (which isn't too hard considering Ella eats as fast as a snail)



but it is a good way of trying to motivate Ella to eat faster as she doesn't like being beaten by her little sis!!

She is becoming such a grabber these days, and is really especially keen on books! I looked over one day in church and saw her holding the hymn book like this and just had to snap a pic! She likes to hold books for about 1.5 seconds and then tries her best to eat them, she is also a big fan of paper for the same reason! and sometimes she has already eaten an envelope I'm holding in my hand before I even realise! You really need to be on red alert of what's around you.  I was trying to make Biscoff pie the other day with her on my hip and next thing she had her finger right in the Biscoff jar - she knows where the good stuff is!

I can't remember if I've mentioned about this in the last few month updates, but she just loves the sling these days! which is surprising, considering she went through a phase of really not being a fan - but it's definitely good news that she's back on side being carried! because it helps us not be too confined for days out.

She will even fall asleep in it too - bonus! 

Speaking of sleep - I'm still not getting much! and last month I said I was hoping teething was to blame...but she hasn't teethed at all this month, and can still be waking 5-6 times each night! It is exhausting and I don't know why she has gone from being such an awesome sleeper to such a terrible one.  We thought she maybe wasn't cosy enough in her big cot so we made a few adjustments to make it better for her, but she's still waking just as frequently so who knows what the problem is?!

She has also started a new phase just recently where she only wants to fall asleep on me in the night after a feed, and as soon as I put her down into the cot she wakes instantly, and then will only go back to sleep if I pick her up again! Definitely a habit we don't want to get into.

but look at how peaceful she looked during naptime one day? I had to snap a pic, with her arms behind her head, looking so chilled.  

She enjoys pulling out the cushion that supports her head from behind her when she is in her bouncy chair, and then one day I turned around and she was just snuggling the cushion looking all pensive! it made me laugh!

She went swimming for the first time on a random day off we all had thanks to St.Andrew.

It was so cute to see her in the water, she really loves bathtime and love to splash around in the bath so we just knew she'd love the pool!  

She still saves all her best giggles for Ella, and I just love watching how much they love each other.   

It's always snuggles galore once big sis is awake!

and Addi is just as excited by them!

Ella loves to try and match her outfit on a Sunday to exactly what Addi is wearing, so it was all pink dresses and pink tights this one Sunday.

and then blue dresses, white tights, and red bows on Remembrance Sunday.

How are they this cute?!

Trying out some new hairstyles on Addi!

because she still has the longest hair around! it just gets longer and wilder by the day!

and if it carries on at this rate it will be time for her first haircut soon!

At the start of December Addi got involved with our tradition of picking out our own Christmas tree each year...

She really seemed to enjoy peeking at each tree - it's like she was trying to work out which would be the best one for us to pick!

Once home, we got it all decorated and put the Christmassy tunes on...

and I had to capture these two in their festive outfits!I think she is going to love Christmas just as much as I do!

So happy filling all our days with this gang of four! Addison - you are the sweetest addition to our family!

A 7 Month Old Update!

 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 :)