Our Little Squeaker!

Ella has started to squeal - or squeak. It is hysterical....
check out this video of "talking" to daddy! She is 5 months old today!

Two Good Friends...

Ella and Brennan have been having playdates since their first few weeks of life - but only recently have they noticed each other! My friend Melanie (Brennan's mommy) took these adorable pictures of Maria holding Brennan (51/2 months) and me holding Ella (41/2 months) at a favorite lunch spot - Kid Shelleens.

a week of milestones...

We had a milestone type of week! Ella has cut her first two teeth! The bottom two teeth are very visible now and SHARP! We have no pictures of those yet...but soon enough!

Ella also began to sit up on her own this week. She started doing it for a few seconds at a time or with you behind her - but now she goes for minutes at a time and can balance herself pretty well. The video here was taken today!

One good thing that I have noticed is that Ella waits to do major milestones (smiling, laughing, rolling over, sitting up (the few times she has done it), tooth cutting, etc) when Dave is home. This makes me feel pretty great thinking ahead to September when i will be going back to work like Dave has to do each day. I just hope she continues to "wait" for Mommy and Daddy to be together to master her skills!

A Fourth of July for the Books!

Well...we packed up and headed to the beach for the long 4th of July weekend! We got down there Friday morning and had a great time with friends! Ella enjoyed dipping her toes in the pool and playing with Gungy and all of the Wongs! Then Saturday night came - and I had awful abdominal pains. It got to the point where it was time to go to the Emergency Room. Thankfully, after an ambulance ride, some awful pain medicine, the best husband in the world, and wonderful friends - they decided I didn't need to have emergency gall bladder surgery. After one night in the hospital, I was able to come home and we are now seeing a surgeon here in Wilmington today! It was not how I expected to spend my first night away from Ella! :) I can't thank the Wongs enough for all of their help and unwavering support...also my parents who drove down to the beach in all of the weekend traffic to get me out of there and bring me home, Aunt Melanie and Sharon for helping with Ella when Dave and I got home and needed sleep, and Dave himself....who is the best father I could have ever hoped for my little girl and the the best partner in life for me. Needless to say, we will remember this 4th for a LONG time!!! All was not lost though - we got great pics of our Ms. Liberty herself!!!!

4 month check-up!

Ella D. is 17 pounds and 13 ounces! She is above the 95th percentile for weight and in the 75th percentile for height. We were happy to see Dr. Gould...and even smiled for a photo with him! This was all before the nasty shots that Ella got in her hamhock thighs. You would think all of that chub would lessen the blow....but it didn't as far as dave's and my ears could tell! Poor thing!!!!