ELLA: 16 Month Update

Ella is now 16 months and time seems to move exponentially faster every week. I thought I better do a couple upates before I wake up and she is 16.

Walking, climbing and trying her best to jump along side of her big sister!  She is off and running and that is a good thing because I could use the exercise!  Up the stairs, down the stairs.  She LOVES pushing her baby in the stroller a very busy little bee my Miss Ella has become and I am enjoying every min.  She dances and bounces and LOVES to be thrown, tossed and twirled.  The giggles are priceless and the increased independence is coming way too fast for this mama.  Thank goodness she still will sit for a story and snuggle I need as much baby time as I can get!

Fashionista.  Yes Ella loves her clothes, her sisters clothes and any shoes she can find.  Where Ava still lets me dress her I am afraid it will be Ella with all the opinions in this department. At least I think there is still hope that the several princess dresses hanging in Ava’s closet will get plenty of use!

Gift of Gab.  Talking and talking. It is AMAZING to here Ella’s vocabulary.  Ava was so busy she had not time for talking but Ella WOW.  She is already putting two words together, trying to sing songs and repeating almost anything we throw at her.  She has so many words it is incredible.  Cat, dog, Lola, Ava, Mama, Dada, Pa, Chris, more, again, up, on, off, baby, Elmo, milk, cracker, puff, strawberry, this list goes on and one.  My very favorite however is no word at all but  a gurgle sound she makes when she wants or sees water.

Most recent obsession Sesame Street and no surprise but her favorite character, Elmo.

Magic

Wow totally playing catch up.

Why does it always seem I am at least three months behind? I just do not understand some mother’s abitily to balance: staying at home, house, cooking, cleaning, blogging and a job.  How do they do it? I guess in the words of one of my favorite heroines, “after all tomorrow is another day.”  Perhaps it will be the day I figure it all out.

Until then I wanted to share a wee bit of magic.  Photoshop magic that is for my little Dorothy. May she always find happiness on this side of the rainbow.

And some rare images of my girls together.

 

Four

I had been waiting for the perfect night since my new D700 arrived to take some four year pictures of Ava. At last the rain stopped and off we went for a neighborhood walk. My big girl!  The first image is one of my favorites. Love that tongue it has graced every one of Ava’s photo shoots it is such a part of her and her personality!

Cupcake + 14 months = Bath

Ella LOVED her cupcake at Ava’s birthday party. So much so she covered herself with it! Quick sink bath = clean and happy baby. Of course it must have looked like fun because big sister had to join in! Ella, like her sister and mother, has a major sweet tooth.  She will talk and point to the fridge and if you open it she immediatly reaches for the whipped cream can!  If it is the cupboard she wants opened it is the marshmellow bag she seeks!!!  Just means more Ella to kiss!

Wonderland

Happy Fourth Birthday to my little “Alice”, you make my world Wonderland everyday! 

I have said it before and I will say it again, I LOVE to plan me a party. Not many themes are more fun than Alice in Wonderland. I have been obsessed and Ava and I had a blast planning and creating this celebration.  From the storybook invitations to the eat me cookies I am so proud of this party.  The table was adorned with goodies found from Craigslist, Goodwill and the Flea Market.  I hand sewed bread and butterflies, made place cards for each character and made “drink me” tags for the tea pots.

The guests entered Wonderland threw a tunnel and a cardboard rabbit hole.  I had a bin of costumes, some hand made some purchased, to dress up in.  My Little Alice however is sporting an adorable apron found on Etsy from, Peapodray.  Could she be any cuter?  I also purchased amazing Wonderland things on a stick from, Joosycardco on Etsy (SO FUN).  They decorated a cardboard house, the white rabbits house, with markers and stickers.  They collected roses scattered throughout the room to paint red, had a caucus race, and played some croquet with a flamingo and hedgehog of course.

Tea sandwiches, fruit, decaf berry tea, eat me cookies, shortbread and chocolate tea bag cookies and cupcakes rounded out the menu for the little ones while the mama’s sampled quiche and mimosas!  YUM!  Ella LOVED her cupcake and I love that I captured her little tongue frosting tasting.

The project I am most proud of has to be my wool felt mushroom stool with a tree stump base.  It is so cute and sturdy.  I cannot wait to put together a little reading playing nook for the girls to house it in.

Take Me:  I made each favor bag unique with an image and quote from the original story.  The guests took home their tea cup and saucer, four playing card mint truffles and an Alice sticker book.  For the girls I made Alice character inspired hair clips and for our “Mad Hatter”, who sadly was sick and unable to attend (Missed you Noah), a hedgehog finger puppet. Overall, a whirlwind but a whirlwind of success.  It may be 10 months away but time to start planning for next year Ella will be two.  A balloon party it is!

“Sometimes I believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Mine!

Sometimes my kids get gifts I want to steal. Seriously. My Aunt Colleen sent the most adorable birthday gift for Ava. It is a wall decal “paper doll”. She is beautiful, her clothes are beautiful. I am pretty sure there will be days I sneak downstairs to dress her.  So fun!!!  Oh, and Ava loves her too~

My Silly Monkey