Smiley Girl

I finally got a picture of Ella smiling today! She really smiles a lot(mostly after she eats), but doesn't like to do so in front of the camera. When I take a picture of her she also likes to put her hands in front of her eyes, I think to cover up her eyes from the ready light on the camera. So it has been a real challenge capturing each smiling moment. I know it's not the greatest picture, and yes she is bringing her hands up to cover her face, but at least you can see that smile that keeps making her dad and I melt!

A call for a good book

I have found I have a lot of time on my hands. Well, not really. But I do have the need to entertain my brain a little bit more during the hours and hours I spend nursing Ella. (TV is just not cutting it) I have spent the first almost two months now of Ella's life reading lots of books with advice on mothering and taking care of babies. To be honest, I'm sick of that now and would like to move on to some more adult reading. But to be honest, I'm stumped on where to start, and I don't have a lot of time to peruse the nearest bookstore. So, I'm wondering if any of you out there have any suggestions for me on a good book to read. No, I don't really like romance or sci-fi novels so you can eliminate those right from the start (No Harry Potter either. . .sorry to all you thousands of fans). I generally like fictional books with either themes related to current world events or fictional historical world events. I also really like John Steinbeck, so any book similar to some of his would be great. However, it also might be nice to have just a fun read! Anyway, have any of you read anything lately you could suggest? Or just heard of a good one from others? Please, I'm desperate. . .if I don't get any help I may just start reading Brad's medical texts! Ugh!

Ella at 6 weeks

I got a little picture happy last week trying to get a good picture of Ella smiling for you all to see. Unfortunately, I haven't been too successful yet. Ella seems to like smiling at me and daddy, but hasn't grasped the idea of smiling for the camera yet. Anyway, I thought I'd post some of my attempts so you could at least see how much she has grown already!

Fun at the Water Park

While we were in Shenandoah we went to a fun Water Park. Stan and Melanie came over from their home in Christiansburg and met us for the fun. We took Ella in the pool for the first time which she preferred much more than the ocean (perhaps because of the warmer temperature and her more advanced age). They had these cute little baby swings they could sit in and have their feet and legs bounce in and out of the water. Ella liked these so much she went right to sleep in them. Brad also decided he wanted to take his wee little one in the lazy river. When he went in he was informed that he couldn't have two people (Him and Ella) in a one-person tube. So he had to get a two-person tube I guess so Ella could have her own space to ride--a little silly if you ask me. Anyway, despite the nervous looks on her face she really seemed to enjoy it--she never squawked once while in the water with Daddy or Mommy. All in all it was a fun day, we were glad we were able to go and spend time with Stan and Melanie. They even watched Ella for a little while so I could go on some water rides!! Thanks guys. . .it wouldn't have been as fun without you there!






Ella's first time in the pool!




Ella in the water swing she loved so much



Brad and Ella--each with their own space in the tube!


Stan, Melanie, Heather and Ella. . .I promise I'm not as tired as I look!

O Shenando', I long to see you

We went on our first family trip this past weekend to Shenandoah National Forest. We stayed at a Resort there called Massanutten . . . it is the location of Virginia's finest ski resort, which isn't saying much . . . they still use mostly man made snow to cover the entire mountain. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and Ella was very well behaved. The view was wonderful and we were thrilled to be in the mountains again--it had been a long absence for us.

We think that our little Ella is at her cutest when she is just waking up. She makes a ton of funny faces and always stretches herself way out in an effort to wake up. We think it is so adorable. . .but I'm sure that's mostly because we're her parents. So I decided to take pictures of her waking up the other day and share them with ya'all. They are in sequential order. I'm sure most of you will think they are way boring, but that's okay--I like them!

Is this a sad face or what?

I thought I'd post a picture of just what Ella has been looking like this past week. Our little angel has had a little bit of a fussy spell as we think she has decided that she doesn't exactly enjoy all of the same foods that Momma enjoys. She, of course, has now won the argument and I am restricting my diet to only the most bland foods in an effort to keep her happy. I imagine this won't be the last time she has the final say.

The Grilling Machine

Last summer, when we bought our house, we decided to get Brad his very own grill. Well, he decided he wanted one, and begged and pleaded until I caved (Me caving involved Brad promising to cook one night a week on the grill). Anyway, since then I would say barbecuing has become somewhat of a hobby for Brad and he has actually gotten quite good at it. He keeps trying new recipes and always impresses me with how great they taste. My favorite so far is his recipe for corn on the cob on the grill, but he is most fond of his New York Strip Steaks. When we had our families out here he got to show off by cooking 15 steaks for all of our guests. He was very proud to stand in front of the grill and see all of that meat cooking beautifully. And I must say--it turned out quite well. Now, I realize what a blessing this grill is for me. Anytime I don't feel like cooking I can always use the excuse of "I really feel like something on the barbecue tonight!"

Another First: The Ocean

While our families were in town we took Ella to the beach for the first time. I can't say the experience was too exciting for her, as she had a paranoid mother who didn't want her to be in the sun. I only let her stay for about an hour (we timed it in-between those frequent feedings) and insisted she stayed covered up under the beach umbrella for pretty much the entire time. Her more adventurous father however, did get here dolled up in her adorable swimsuit and had her feel the waves for the first time for a few minutes. Daddy loved it, but Ella didn't enjoy it so much and seemed to give her dad the "how could you" look after each dunk in the water. We do hope that as she gets bigger she decides she likes the beach after all, as I don't know that any child would survive in our family without loving the beach as much as mom and dad do!

Ella's Baby Blessing

We blessed Ella this past Sunday, July 29th. We were lucky enough to have so many family members out here to celebrate with us--both Brad's parents and my parents came out along with ALL of our siblings!! We feel so blessed to have families that are so supportive of us. Here are just a few pictures from the blessing of our sweet little one. Thanks to all those who came out and made us feel extra loved!