Thank You, Paulette and Jerry!

We received 2 great gifts in the mail yesterday and are very grateful to Paulette and Jerry for sending them. They had a quilt made for the baby and a personalized apron for Ella. Both the quilt and the apron look awesome and are great because they are such unique gifts.

Thank you for always thinking of us, Paulette and Jerry! We love you!

the baby's quilt

(We love the black and white with turquoise!--Neutral for a boy or girl, but not the traditional sage green or yellow)


Ella's apron


the model posing with her friends, Scruffy (Math's old dog) and Pinkie


Ella mixing the eggs for brownies


stirring the dry ingredients for Granddad's birthday carrot cake


taking advantage of the fact that I was distracted on the phone with Paulette
("making designs with flour on the counter!")


my punishment for being distracted :)

This and That....

We have been busy around here making meals for new moms, babysitting for friends and neighbors, and prepping our Christmas cards, but here are a few random pictures from the past week:

all of the friends sitting on pillows and waiting for school to start
Ella likes playing school, especially since she has been in preschool.

silly smile and crazy headband
She found this headband in her bin and thought it "made [her] look so beautiful." She made Rob put it on when he got home from work, too. (I thought I would be nice and not post his picture--Christmas is right around the corner!)


mid-air jump
Ella loves arranging sofa cushions on the floor with blankets and jumping around on them like a maze. Her pants had been dirty from playing and since it was close to bath time, she just kept them off to jump.


maneuvering through the pillow maze


thumbs up all around


another silly face with Debbie Dog


practicing
Ella and I babysat our neighbor's 6 week old and she LOVED it! She wanted to do everything to help the baby, including feeding and holding her....AND demonstrating how to "do a really loud burb" after the baby drank her bottle.


warm-up in the circle
We went to the Little Gym for a free preview class with our MOMS Club this morning.

hanging from the high bar without help


swinging on the low bar


blurry, but cute as she is jumping

doing the spider walk behind a friend

Overheard....

Me: Ella, do you want to play with your ball when we get home?
Ella: No, thank you, Mommy....that's boring.
Me: boring?
Ella: Yes, very boring.
Me: What does boring mean?
Ella: It's means it's hard.


Ella: Mommy, what was in that can?
Me: black olives (sidenote: I opened a little can of sliced olives for our Mexican
dinner, and ended up eating them all---maybe I can blame it on Haluski??)
Ella: All of what?
Me: Not all of.....olive.
Ella: I know, I heard you. So, all of what?
Me: They are called olives.
Ella: Why?
Me:......because that is what someone named them.


Ella: Mommy, dip your noodles in ketchup.
Me: No, thanks. I don't think that would taste good.
Ella: You don't know if you don't try it. It's good to try new things, Mommy!


Ella: (talking to my belly) Baby, it's your big sister, Ella. Can you please make a big bump for me?...Go ahead....(she feels a bump)....Thanks!

S'more Sunday

Last night, we ended our weekend by roasting marshmallows over the fire pit to make s'mores (Rob's idea as he knows how much Ella loves to do this). It was cold last night (and darker earlier), but we had just as much fun. Ella had 2 s'mores and a roasted marshmallow all for herself, and the real end to her night was a bubble bath to warm up and get de-stickied!

being silly before we headed outside
(love this hat!)


Ella and Rob roasting the marshmallows


roasting (blurry, but neat)


modeling her serious look and marshmallowy sticky face at the same time


eating a marshmallow right from the stick like I did

cutie

A Family Day in the City

On Saturday, we went into the city to go to a free children's concert at the Kimmel Center. Ella enjoyed walking in city and seeing all of the buildings, listening to the music, eating pizza for lunch, and, most of all, visiting Rob's work. We had a great day together---relaxed and fun!

packing some friends in the car to ride along

sitting on a mat (her concert seat) with George


Rob and Ella checking Rob's computer


helping Rob print a "special picture"


Ella measuring her drawing


working on a special drawing (future engineer or artist?)


cute, smart, hardworking hubby


"Whoa, whoa!..These are heavy!"
Ella carrying a huge roll of drawings


I love these two! I am so lucky.

It's Back!

Yea, my camera is back and working after a repair of the contacts! Here is the first picture I took when I got it back:

Ella and Rob coloring together after dinner on "special paper" that

Rob brought home for her
(They were also working on printing her name)

Mommy-to-Bee

Here is a combination belly shot and Halloween costume together

(25 weeks, 3 days)

Halloween

This year Ella was a ladybug for Halloween and I dressed up as a "Mommy-to-Bee." (We couldn't convince Rob to dress as an insect). On Saturday night, we carved our pumpkin and roasted marshmallows over the fire pit to make smores. Sunday, we went to Cynthia, Dave, and Liam's for a party before trick or treating. Ella enjoyed going door to door this year and spent half the time out with Rob while I gave out candy. Then we traded jobs.

Ella drawing her jack'o'lantern design
(We each drew our own design and then picked which one to carve onto the pumpkin)


Rob scooping out "the guts"


kissing her light-up jack'o'lantern


waiting for the finished product


our finished jack'o'lantern
(Ella had to choose circle parts instead of the easier triangles!)


enjoying a pre-candy dinner


Ella and me ready for fun

Sweet Girl

sweet girl

Heard around here lately from Ella:


Me: Ella, it's going to be time for our nap soon.
Ella: Oh, no thank you, Mommy. I'm not tired. Thanks, anyway.
Me: Well, we have to take a nap sometimes to keep our bodies healthy and strong.
Ella: Don't worry--I am already strong and healthy. Look at me!


Rob: When we get home, it will be time to get ready for bed soon.
Ella: Can I watch a couple minutes of my movie first?
Me: Yes, but you have to be a good girl when we go up for jammies...no fussies.
Ella: Okay, Mommy. I'll try my best!


Ella: Hey, Daddy! I just heard them say your work on t.v.!
Rob: What did they say?...AKF?
Ella: No...they said, "Philadelphia!" That's where you work, Daddy!
(Rob had been watching the Eagles' game)


Ella: Daddy, were you scared when you got your vaccination?
Rob: I was a little, but you made me feel better when you held my hand.
Ella: Did you almost go pee-pee in your pants?!

Little Ladybug

Today was Ella's Halloween parade at school and she was a ladybug (thanks for the costume, Pappy and Baba). She was excited to wear it and asked me, "Mommy, don't you think I look beautiful in this ladybug costume?....I do!"

The kids paraded around the playground a couple of times (long enough for parents to get pictures). Ella will wear her costume on Sunday for a party at Liams' house and trick or treat night.

(My friend has a picture of Ella from the parade that I will post later...my 'old' camera was not cooperating and the only other picture I had from the parade was snapped when Ella was picking her 'snookies!')

"I am a ladybug puffing up...see my mouth!"


I coaxed this smile out of her by telling to her to "show me [her] white teeth."

Do you know how moms feel?

On Sunday, Rob's parents came over for lunch and Rob's dad helped him put up a mirror in our living room that has been down since we painted in the Spring. Ella decided she wanted to check out what the boys were working on and get a closer view of them measuring out the space.

Maybe Rob knows how it feels now to try to get things done around the house with a curious toddler at your feet (or in this case, hanging on to you like a monkey)!

What are you guys doing up there?


Can I help you measure?

Visit with Granny

On Saturday, we went to visit Rob's grandmother, "Granny." She enjoys watching Ella play and is always amazed by how much energy Ella has and how much she likes to talk.

Ella made cookies out of dominoes and checkers for everyone and colored some pictures. She also brought Granny some real cookies, a couple pictures, and a project she made a school (a hand print).

Ella and Granny playing checkers

giving Granny something special


Rob and Granny

Haluski--24 weeks

Here are two pictures of Haluski at 24 weeks. Everything at my appointment went well (heartbeat in the 140's). I'll go back right before Thanksgiving for an ultrasound follow up and appointment.

24 weeks


big sister, Ella, loves to hug and talk to "her baby

Out of Commission

My camera wouldn't turn on the other day, so it's at the factory getting checked out and hopefully repaired easily and quickly. Unfortunately that means that I won't have it to take the millions of pictures I always take. It should be fixed by November and then, watch out! Loads of pictures to come.