Happy Holidays

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! I'm not sure if I'll get to post again before Christmas as things are about to get really hectic around here...but here are some new pictures of my two lovely ladies.

Grace is getting very strong and can hold her head up quite well. She is also starting to follow things with her eyes and smiled at both Daddy and I for the first time last night (her first "real" social smile...not just gas!) We were so proud. She is sleeping a longer stretch at night (~4.5-5.5 hours) so that's a nice Christmas present for Mommy!

Ella has had lots of fun making Christmas presents for people; she has really been into the art projects more lately. She may even start up her own ornament making business! Her other favorite thing is to have family dance time every night to her favorite song "All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey (currently playing if you have your volume on) and we all have to dance around the family room together.

The girls sat on Santa's lap a few weeks ago. Ella didn't cry but looked scared to death and wouldn't talk to him. Luckily Mommy was there to tell him what she wanted.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

It's December!

Sorry it has been so long since our last post...the girls are keeping us very busy these days! Grace has been sleeping much better at night between her feedings so that is good. She has been having more awake, alert time during the day which is fun. She enjoys being under her activity gym and looking at all the dangling toys. We have resumed our normal schedule so Ella has been happy to be going back to her weekly school and playgroup. Ella has been getting more adjusted to having Grace here to share the attention of Mommy & Daddy but still has some occasional jealousy. Overall, things are getting easier for everyone!

We celebrated Thanksgiving here in Minnesota and Grandma & Grandpa B drove out to visit. Grandma cooked a yummy Thanksgiving dinner, Ella especially loved Grandma's stuffing and the cranberries.

We also celebrated St. Nicholas' Day this past weekend. We all woke up on Saturday morning to find our stockings filled with lots of goodies...St. Nick brought books for both girls, a puzzle and videos for Ella and some baby toys for Grace.

In addition, Grandma & Grandpa V came to visit us this past weekend. They were very excited to meet Grace and Ella was happy to get some extra attention (and Jeff was happy to have Grandpa here to help with the shoveling...yes, we have snow!!)

Grace is 2 weeks old!

It's hard to believe that 2 weeks have already passed since Grace was born. Where has the time gone...especially considering we haven't slept much during these past 2 weeks! Like a typical newborn, she wakes several times during the night to eat. At her 2 week checkup, Grace was just about back to her birthweight. She is still a little jaundiced but her bilirubin level was low enough that we don't have to monitor that anymore. Yay!

Tomorrow will be the first full day with no family here and me with the girls by myself...yikes! Luckily Jeff works close to home and is going to come home for lunch to rescue me for a half an hour or so. At least Ella still takes a long afternoon nap so hopefully Grace and I can also catch a catnap during that time. We are so thankful that we have had people volunteer to come help us during the last 2 weeks, it has been SO HELPFUL!

Other than that, not a whole lot else going on here...just gearing up for the holidays that are quickly approaching! I'm thinking I'll be doing most of my shopping online this year...

Earmuffs!

For any of you that have seen the movie Wedding Crashers, Uncle Adam taught Ella the concept of "earmuffs"...its pretty hilarious!

Lookalike Sisters

We didn't realize how much Ella and Grace resemble each other at the same age...until we compared these 2 pictures. Its almost hard to tell them apart!

Ella (January 2007)

Grace (November 2008)

Proud Big Sister

Ella has been such a helpful big sister these days! While she wasn't too sure about "Baby Gace" the first day we got home, she has now gotten very involved in helping with baby tasks. She especially enjoys retrieving things for diaper changing time. I think she is starting to realize that Grace is here to stay...and so far, she seems to be okay with that!

Ella helping during Grace's diaper change- bringing Mommy the "paste"

Ella practicing diaper change on her baby

Bringing Grace her pacifiers

Leaning in for a sisterly kiss

Welcoming Gracie home

We were discharged from the hospital yesterday and brought our new baby girl home. Ella had made a welcome home sign for Grace and was very excited to have us all home. Grace's bilirubin levels are a little on the higher side (which makes a baby jaundiced) so she has to be on a phototherapy light when she sleeps, hopefully for just one day. Otherwise, mommy and baby are doing wonderful and happy to be home!

Grace ready to leave the hospital

Grace bundled up for the ride home. It was chilly 30 degrees outside!

Ella welcomes Baby Grace home

Our newest angel, Grace Anna

Grace Anna has arrived!

We went into the hospital Thursday morning for our c-section and at 11:07 am, Grace Anna entered the world. She weighed 7 lbs, 6 oz and measured 21 inches long. The c-section went well and I am thankfully recovering without any complications. The doctors and nurses have been taking excellent care of me and watching me very closely in lieu of the complications I had with the last pregnancy. Jeff and I are having a lot of fun bonding with Grace and she has been doing wonderful. Big sister Ella has already been to the hospital three times to visit her baby sister and calls her "Baby Gace". She has been staying at our home with Papa and Nana B and having a blast with them. We thank everyone for all the words of congratulations and for thinking of us during this exciting time in our life. We can't wait to introduce Grace to you all!

Happy Halloween!

We hope everyone had a fun Halloween...our little bumblebee was buzzing with excitement! We went to a trick-or-treating pre-party at the neighbor's house and then to the local mall for their trick-or-treating festivities. Ella also stopped by her friend Chayce's house (see Tigger below). It was quite the fun-filled day!!

Ella trick-or-treating at Eden Prairie Center

Ella on a mission to find candy

Ella visiting her friend Chayce

Ella's School Halloween Party

Today Ella's preschool class celebrated Halloween and the kids wore their costumes to class. Ella is dressing as a bumblebee this year and loves wearing her costume (except the antennae). She had lots of fun playing with her classmates, singing songs and making pumpkins out of play-dough.

Ella the Bumblebee

Ella with friends Josie and Kayla

Snack time with her classmates

Listening intently as teacher Ms. Kim reads a story

Girls' Weekend

Jeff went out of town this weekend and Grandma Jane came to visit Ella and I. We did lots of shopping and had fun girl time together. Ella was sad to see Grandma leave, but she'll be back in a few weeks when the new baby is scheduled to arrive!

Ella in her new Halloween outfit, ready to hit the malls

Ella & Grandma Jane playing in Legoland at the Mall of America

Ella & Mommy meet Dora the Explorer at the Mall of America

Visit to Deardorff Orchards

This past Saturday, we visited Deardorff Orchards near Waconia, MN. It was another beautiful fall day and the fall folliage in the area has been breathtaking! See the picturetrail below for a slideshow of some pictures of our visit. Ella had a lot of fun in the pumpkin patch, playing in the hay bales and looking at the farm animals. She even tried to kiss the baby goat (see picture below). We took a hayride out to the apple orchard and picked some yummy Honeycrisp apples. Now I'm going to have to start baking apple pies and apple crisp to put them all to use!

Ella's "Chucks" and a visit from more family!

Ella has been very excited about her newest pair of shoes, her pink "Chucks" from Uncle Adam. She has to say his name ("Aum") everytime she puts them on.

Also, this past Sunday, Ella's great grandma Mary and great aunts and uncles Joan & Terry and Bonnie & Bill came for a visit. Ella had a lot of fun visiting with all of them.

Fall Fun at Sever's

Today we went to Sever's Corn Maze & Fall Festival in Shakopee, MN. It was a beautiful fall day and it was great to spend it outside together. Ella had a blast; she especially enjoyed feeding the animals and picking out her own pumpkin. She was so worn out when the day was done!

Ella & Jeff playing in the corn pit (imagine a huge sandbox full of corn kernels)

Ella working her way through the hay maze

Enjoying some roasted corn-on-the-cob...yum!!

Feeding the animals in the petting zoo

Watching the pigs was really funny!


Farmer Ella

Taking a horse-drawn hay wagon ride

Visiting with the horses after our ride

Picking out a pumpkin to take home...Ella found one just her size!