Bye Bye Pacifier

December 15th was a great day at our house.  Ella decided to put her pacifier under the tree so Santa would come early and give her a Jesse doll in exchange for it.  She and I talked about it and Ella decided right away that was what she wanted to do (I thought I'd give her the idea and that she'd think about it for awhile and maybe go for it).  Gustavo and I decided we were up for the consequences so we called Santa on Ella's Belle phone and he came right away.  It took Ella nearly 2 hours to fall asleep the first night and she had a melt down when she woke up at 2 in morning, but things only got better from that point on.  She never regretted her decision and sometimes asked for her pacifier, but accepted our answer that Santa had it.  All in all, I am still a big believer in the pacifier.  It helped her be an AMAZING sleeper for quite some time and weening wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  Ella is officially a big girl, oh wait, she still isn't potty trained... that is our next milestone to conquer.

Christmas

This is the first year Ella understood Santa.  The week of Thanksgiving we took Ella to the Disney Store for the first time and let her look at all the toys.  She was in HEAVEN!  Right now she is in love with all things princess (and Toy Story).  Every where she turned she saw something new that she loved.  She left the store deciding that she wanted Santa to bring her a Buzz and Sleeping Beauty.  Ella is typically very shy and won't talk to acquaintances, let alone strangers, but at the beginning of December she gladly went to sit on Santa's lap and told him what she wanted and happily accepted her candy cane.  We were absolutely shocked because it was so out of character.  She enjoyed her visit with Santa so much that she looked forward to seeing him again at our ward Christmas party the week before Christmas.  This excitement helped us enjoy the holiday season even more than usual.

 

This year we stuck with tradition and spent less than an hour at hour house and then rushed all over to visit all three sets of Ella's grandparents.  It was pretty hectic and a little tiring, but we enjoy the opportunity to spend time with all of our family.   We started off at Abuela and Abuelo's for breakfast.  Ella couldn't leave the house without the Buzz and Woody that Santa Claus brought her (she changed her mind throughout the month and started asking for Woody instead of Sleeping Beauty).  She was so excited that Abuela and Abuelo got her a Pinkalicious motorcycle!

Ella got incredibly spoiled by all of our family and LOVES all of her new toys. Ella got a set of Disney princess dress up shoes from grandma Liz and grandad.  Ella couldn't believe it!  She was so excited that she tried on every pair and then lined them up and just stared at them.  When we told her that it was time to leave she started to cry and asked if she could take at least one pair home with us.  When we told her that she could have all of them she stopped crying and gladly packed up each pair.  She got a fun ladybug tent from grandma and grandpa Kramer that she has up in her room.  She loves to play in it with her friends when they come over.  We had a great Christmas!

five months

 Look at those cheeks!  I love how chubby Sophie is getting.  Gustavo loves putting her in the bumbo because she looks so cute in it.  Sophie continues to be super content and happy, but is starting to be a stinker at night.  Between both girls I am up SIX times some nights.  We need to do some serious sleep training after Christmas.  It is a good thing Sophie is such a cute girl so that even when I get her in the middle of the night and want to be frustrated, she gives me a HUGE smile and quickly softens me heart.

Sophie still exclusively breastfeeds. She won't take a bottle and sometimes that is really annoying, but secretly I don't mind.  I realize that she is going to be big before I know it and nursing is one of my favorite parts of the day because Sophie and I get to snuggle.  I love being a mom and love that I get to spend every day with my babies. 

four months

My sweet Sophia is getting sweeter by the day.  She always smiles!  Even when she cries, if she looks at us, she starts to smile.  We can't believe what a good baby she is.  Sophie is starting to have more of a sleep schedule which I like.  She's got more of a nap schedule, but unfortunately doesn't sleep in her car seat much anymore which makes us stay at home more (which I usually don't mind).  She has even started sleeping from around 11pm until 5 or 7 in the morning.  It is lovely!

 When we took Sophie in for her 4 month checkup the doctor asked "Is she always this calm?" She is just a sweet, chubby girl with her daddy's bright blue eyes.  At her appointment we found out her current measurements:

Length: 25 in. ------ 75th percentile

Weight: 13lbs. 14 oz. ------ above 50th percentile

Head Circ: 41.7 cm ------- above 50th percentile

three months

 My sweet Sophie continues to be a dream baby.  I often think of her as my therapy.  She hardly ever cries and is easily consoled when she does.  I honestly hope everyone has at lease one baby like Sophia.  She is an angel.  I love her so much and am so grateful for her. 

 

thankful

This Thanksgiving season I've thought of so many blessings in my life.  I have so much to be thankful for.  While thinking about this yesterday I realized that my life is exactly where I want it to be.  When I was growing up if you would have asked me where I saw myself at 27 I would have described exactly what I'm doing.  My greatest desire has always been to be a mother and I have been blessed with two beautiful girls who fill me with more love than I ever could have imagined.  I am so grateful for a husband who supports our family and enables me to stay home and focus on our sweet babies.  What more could I ask for?  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ I am so grateful for a modern prophet who leads and guides us.  My life is incredible.

bumble bees

 Although I planned to have the girls be ladybugs this year for Halloween, Ella like the idea of being bumble bee's better.  It worked out well and we had a great time dressing up for various festive activities.

 

 

 Ella loves Sophia a little bit too much sometimes.

This year Ella got really excited about Halloween.  Some of our favorite things this Halloween have been:

• Buzzing around (Ella would randomly ask me to "buzz her")
• Ella spinning in her tutu
• seeing spooky (or "fooky" as Ella says) decorations- especially "fooky fiders"
• reading Halloween stories
• preschool Halloween party (Ella asked to go over to preschool everyday for an entire week in anticipation! When we got to the party our neighbor Shannalee answered the door in a witch costume so Ella tried to turn around and go home.  Shannalee had to take off her hat and wig before Ella would stay.)
• Dressing up for our ward Trunk or Treat
• Grandma Liz coming over to bring us treats Halloween morning
• Going trick or treating at NuSkin with Abuela, Nena, Gabe, and Gavin
• Trick or treating and watching "Scared Shrekless" at Daddy's work

Unfortunately we weren't able to go trick or treating around our neighborhood with our friends because I noticed sores on Ella's tongue at 5 o'clock Halloween night.  I called the pediatrician and found out that Ella has Hand, Foot, and Mouth.  She has been miserable.  We are not looking forward to cold weather and more sickness.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that Sophia doesn't get this virus.