Couldn't help it... so stinking cute!

I would translate, but I don't know the words either.  I do know she says 'Jaq and Gus' when she stops singing, which everyone knows is the name of the mice that help Cinderella.

Ellis is 4 months old!!

Baby Ellis is now a quarter of a year old.  But she looks more like a 9 month old.  At her 4 month doctor visit, she weighed 17 pound and 4 ounces (94%) and was 25 inches long (74%).  I know it's not a good idea to constantly compare your kids, but I do anyway.. and at 4 months Leyton was also 25 inches, but just 14 pounds.  Leyton didn't weigh 17 pounds until she was 9 months old.  Which is why Ellis is now almost completely in 9 month clothes.  I just have to roll up the pants and sleeves a bit, but they fit just fine.

Ellis had a little bit of sleep training last week.  Between the hospital and travel, she had switched her night and day eating schedules.  She would nurse every 2-3 hours at night, and only twice during the day (though I tried to feed her more.. you can only lead a horse to water).  So last Friday, after SEVERAL people had asked if I was doing okay and if I was getting any sleep (which I wasn't), we took action.  We moved Ellis to the other end of the house, and I vowed to not nurse her before 1am and then I would slowly move that time back each night.  She cried some, but not for hours, and last night she slept from 8pm until 5:30am this morning!!!!  Woohoo!!  We are back on track!

I also think the little one may be teething.  She spends every waking hour desperately trying to get something in her mouth to chew on.  So she may be getting teeth, or she may just like chewing on stuff.  She is still not rolling over yet.  The doctor asked how much tummy time she was getting.  I explained that tummy time with a big sister running around can be rather dangerous.  The doctor laughed and explained how her second child took longer to roll over and crawl for the same reason.... if the little one is on the floor, the big one is all over her.

Speaking of the big one, Leyton is still rapidly getting bigger.  The shoes that I bought her are now too small, so she is now a size 7, and most 24 month pants are too short (unless they can pass as leggings now).  Her vocabulary has really blossomed.  She is now using sentences and she can say most colors, sing songs, and count to three.  Her favorite saying is, "Mommy sit PLEEEASE!"  The 'Please' gets louder and more drawn out the longer I wait to respond.  At least she uses her manners when making demands.  One of my favorite things she says is "money."  She calls her Bunny "Money," even though she can say 'B' sounds... she says 'bumble bee' and 'bubble'... but anyway... she walks around the house saying, "Money, Money, Money."  It's amusing.

No more potty action.  We ask all the time if she needs to go and she always says 'No.'  Dora the Explorer has now beat out Princess when she gets to watch videos while Ellis nurses.  This makes me very happy.  I think Dora is much more age appropriate.  But we still play plenty of princess, so that phase isn't nearly over yet.

Cool kid

Big girl!

Leyton was very taken with Mommy's pretty toe nails, so we painted hers pink.

Ryan had Monday off for MLK, so we took Ellis and LC to the zoo.  It was Ellis' first trip.  She slept the entire time.  Leyton wanted to see Dumbo (elephants),Coqui (frogs), ducks, turtles, Boots (monkeys), and Money/Bunnies.

Ellis now sleeps with her Dodo.  She nurses it like Leyton does.   I usually put her down sleepy but awake, and give her Dodo, turn on her Glowworm, and she falls asleep!

Cave at the zoo

Ryan took the official 4 month photos.  He congratulated himself on such great pics.  I told him it's easy to take good pictures when you have a good model!

I don't remember exactly what I was saying here, but I know it was along the lines of 'GENTLE!!'  I find myself saying that a lot lately.

December 5 Family Photo Shoot

Ryan bought us a TroopSwap (like a Groupon but for military only) for a photo session, so we used it for our Christmas cards and some cute art for our wall.  They were taken a few blocks from our house at the Marriott Hotel and on the San Diego Bay.  Ellis was wonderful for the entire shoot.  Leyton wanted to play with the ducks... but we still managed a few good ones.

Ellis is 3 months old AND Happy New Year!

Baby Ellis turned 3 months old the day we flew to Kentucky.  On her doctor's follow-up visit post meningitis, she weighted 15 pounds, 12 ounces (95th percentile) and was 24.5 inches long (75th percentile).  Such a big girl!  And still so sweet.  Her sleeping patterns are still all over the place, as is her eating schedule, but now that we are home and she is older, I plan to try and get her on a more predictable routine.  I'll let you know how that goes!  She can't roll over, but she is very close.  We had also planned to get her out of the newborn napper that she sleeps in and into the flat crib.  She slept on the flat crib the entire time we were away for Christmas, and woke up at least 3 times a night.  UGH!  She just sleeps so much better all snuggy in the napper, so we will have to figure something out.  Meanwhile I should probably check the weight limit on that thing.

Sister Leyton is talking better every day.  For instance, she can now say 'poop.'  The other day she wanted to watch Princesses on the computer, and I told her she could if she went poop or pee in the potty.  She just cried and ran off.  A short while later I told her it was naptime, and suddenly "Poop! Poop!  Poop!" She conveniently only has to poop or pee when there is something she would like to get out of.  Although, she DID pee one day and got to watch Cinderella.  But nothing since then.  

Leyton and Ellis are both battling colds right now, so they are cranky and sound like Boston Terriers.  With all the travel and people visiting we did for Christmas, if all we end up with is a cold, I'll be happy.  To polish off the family visiting, we were happy to see Aunt Sonya, Uncle Ben, McKinley and Piper when we got back to San Diego.  We all went to see 'Work' where Daddy goes to fly helicopters.

Leyton thought it would be lots of fun to run amuck among the helos and missiles

The family checking out 'Work'

Ellis' 3 month photo shoot.  I didn't notice until now that her bow doesn't match.

And her dress was too short.  I wanted to get a picture of her in to before she was too big.  She is also sporting a cloth diaper, which she rarely wears unfortunately.  She is so chubby, and they are much more bulky than disposables, so I have trouble getting pants on her with cloth diapers.  Leyton is the opposite.  She is so skinny, that she looked rather pitiful in disposables that she wore over Christmas.  Plus, they gave her the equivalent of baby jock itch.  Yuck!

I also planned to take more/better pictures with her 3 month sign and a change of clothes.... but that hasn't happened yet, so these may just have to do.

At a playground in Balboa Park

These are probably my favorite pictures of Ellis

Thanks Aunt Sonya and Uncle Ben for the sweet hat!!!

Happy 2013 Everyone!!

More Merry Christmas!

We took the girls to see Santa again, and because I thought there was no way LC would get anywhere near him, I didn't bother getting them dressed up.  WRONG.  She sat right down in his lap and LOVED his Elf, who we called Mimi.  We have an Elf on the Shelf named Mimi that Leyton adores, so we told her that Santa was Mimi's friend... and she was totally cool.

Such a sweet girl... when she wants to be

We traded in our light jackets for coats and hats in Kentucky

Poor Ellis had to take all her baths in the sink

Leyton thanking Miss Shelia for her sweet phone

The Elf Princess

Leyton rarely cooperates for group photos

It's not your fault Grandpa... she was tired from being up all night

Leyton and Chesney started out as good friends... but after lots of sharing, they had enough of each other by the time we left

Christmas morning, she spots Tiana and Ariel

Nana and Papa gave her this fairy dress... she wore it all day

Love these sweet girls!