Big Shoes

Today Ella was seen with my size 13s on (backwards), walking slowly towards the front door saying, "Ella go get Bunny Crackers" over and over again. Apparently she was hungry for the crackers we'd left in the car earlier. And I guess it was just easier to get my shoes on by herself. Not easier to walk though.

19

Ella's 19 month birthday passed with barely a whisper. I guess 19 just isn't such a cool number--not so much worth stopping for. At 18 you're one-and-a-half. At 20 you're no longer a teen-baby. At 21 you can drink...2% milk instead of whole milk. 22 is a member of the much overrated even number club and it will also be cousin Ezra's first birthday. At 23 months you're almost two and that's worth noting. But 19 is just 19.
But the truth is a lot has happened. At our latest doctor visit Ella weighed in at the 50th percentile for height and weight and got to visit the big-girl stand-up scale. As usual, her head size is a laughable 90th percentile. And this time the doctor appreciated my jokes. Ella has started to go to a new daycare and loves it! More and more of her sentences include more and more real words. Mom cut her bangs unbelievably short and crooked--as if we just wanted to have a funny bang cutting story and we'd just get it out of the way early (you won't find any pictures here). We're doing good and having fun!
I guess 19 is cooler than I thought.

Ella and Some Ducks

Someone's about to get bit and I wouldn't be so sure it isn't the ducks instead of Ella.
NOTE: No ducks or toddlers were harmed in the taking of this picture and nobody got eaten either.

A Baby Bird

Over the weekend when Grammie and Poppy were visiting and working in our yard (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!) they spotted a bird's nest just over our back fence with two beautiful shiny blue eggs. We showed Ella and promised to come back each day to check for babybirds (not to be confused for our dear friend Babybird). Last night, just before our day came to an end, I walked over to check on the nest and I peeked through the leaves literally just as the baby bird was cracking through the egg. I'll admit to being a little bit shocked by what I saw but I pulled it together for the sake of good parenting and a teachable moment. I ran back to the house to grab Ella and we quietly snuck back to the nest to take a peek. Ella did a great job staying quiet even though she was VERY excited and the mamabird must have left for a moment to get the baby it's first food (worms I presume) so we had a straight sightline at the babybird. Just as we peeked it lifted its head and opened its beak wide, as if getting ready for that first meal. It was COOL and that is a severe understatement. Today mamabird has been sitting in the nest all day. Maybe the second egg didn't hatch yet or maybe they just sit there a while. I would.

Yesterday and today we feel blessed to have chosen to move out of the city a bit and feel lucky to share these things with Ella. Hooray for a backyard!

Here's Ella demonstrating what we saw the babybird doing right after it was born:

A Wet July 4th

Many of you know that I am not a huge fan of the 4th of July holiday. I have my reasons. Neither does Dewey! He has his reasons too. But I will admit that I enjoyed my 4th of July Holiday this year and I enjoyed to whole Holiday weekend.

Why? Because everything is more fun with Ella and everyday 95 degrees and above is more fun with water

Here's a tour of some of our wet and wild fun!

Even Dewey got into the action for family kiddie pool time

Our new neighborhood had a 4th of July Parade. We got Ella's stroller tricked out in red, white, and blue and joined the neighbors for a raucus march around town. At the end of the parade we were plenty hot. To our pleasant surprise, the next neighborhood tradition is that the firetruck opens the hose on the crowd. Here's Ella and Poppy after playing in the spray!

Are you catching on to our theme here? Here's Ella and Poppy playing in the sprinkler at our new favorite spot in town, Duke Gardens.

Here's Ella strutting her freedom loving stuff right before the parade. As you can see our weekend wasn't quite as much fun when we were dry!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Thanks for a great weekend, Grammie and Poppy!