The Latest Stats

I took Ella to the pediatrician last Friday for her 2-month well-baby check-up. Here's how she measures up:

Weight = 12 lbs. 3 ozs. (80% percentile)
Height = 25 inches (95% percentile)
Head circumference = 40.6 cm (90% percentile)

She continues to be long and lean -- lucky girl! Her favorite thing to do is stand up. If you sit her down, she pushes herself up with her legs. And if you lay her down, she kicks non-stop. Does AYSO have an infant league? 'Cuz this girl is going to be playing soccer by Christmas.

Holy Roller

A few days ago I set Ella down on her baby “activity gym” (basically a mat with arches that toys hang from) for her daily tummy-time. (Her pediatrician recommended 20- minutes a day to strengthen her neck and abs.) Of course she protests every minute of it. And I swear I set her down on her tummy and then grabbed the Sunday paper (which hadn’t been read yet even though it was already Thursday…) And when I looked down at her she was on her back! I can’t believe I missed it! So I turned her back onto her tummy, hoping she’d recreate the roll, but no luck.

Two-months old!

Dear Ella,

Happy two-month birthday! We celebrated the day by Christmas shopping – don’t tell dad what we bought him, ok? This month has continued to be a time of adjustment – for both you and me. Although we don’t have a “schedule”, we definitely have a routine – you’re now napping in your bassinet 3-4 times a day and we go on daily walks with Katy to help rehab her knee.

Your biggest change this month is your focus – on toys, the Christmas lights and on us. You smile when your dad or I come into the room. It’s so cute! And you’re actually playing now – not just waving your arms and legs haphazardly.

This month’s accomplishments:
Blowing bubbles
Grabbing toys with her hands and her feet (future soccer player?)
Standing up (with support, of course)
Screeching

Apparently the screeching is payback – my mom said I used to do this as a small child as well – especially when provoked by my big brother. What’s your excuse? :)

You’re definitely starting to find your “voice.” The “mwah, mwah” cries of a newborn have been replaced by full-on “WAH!” cries. But you’re still cute, even when you cry. And speaking of crying, I’ve started to use the plug, oh, I mean pacifier for emergencies. Never saying never … especially when your parenting motto is “do what works for you and the baby.” :)

We’re looking forward to your first Christmas – my favorite holiday! And sharing old traditions and starting new ones up in Nipomo at Grammy and Papa’s house.

I hear you “complaining” about your tummy-time so better go!

Lots of love,
Mama

The Origins of Ella

When Ella was born, Meg and I found ourselves quickly playing a typical new parent game called “Who Does She Look Like Most?” The general consensus was that she looked a little more like me, but with some strong Megan influences. Having her resemble me is quite amazing, because Ella is super cute. Luckily, she appears to be only reflecting my best features before they had been mercilessly ravished by the evil sands of time.

Shortly after we brought Ella home, my parents brought over some pictures of me as a baby, and sure enough, the resemblance was uncanny. It easily could have been an old fashioned picture of Ella. We stuck to this notion that she mainly looked like me as a baby for several weeks, until Megan’s mom brought over photos of Meg as a baby. Now it’s plain to see that she is a mixture of the two of us. This makes me extremely happy, because Megan is cuter than me, and she’s the right gender too.

All this talk of playing games has surely got you antsy, so here’s a game you can play. Who is who in the photos below? Enjoy.

P.S. For those of you also playing the "Who's She Named After Game," I'm happy to provide you with some information. We chose Ella because we thought it was pretty, unique and classic, akin to Ella Fitzgerald. Margaret is a long time family name going back four generations: Megan is a derivative of Margaret; Megan’s mom (Peggy) is officially Margaret Ann; Peggy’s mom was Dorothy Margaret; and her mom was Margaret Dorothy.

Interestingly enough, we were to find out later that Ella is a family name as well. Megan’s grandmother’s aunt was Ella Josephine, but everyone knew her by Josephine. Ella’s nickname ‘Ellie’ is also a family name, as it’s currently being used by Megan’s great aunt Eleanor. Oh, and Klein is a family name on my side. My father is also a Klein, as was his father, as was his father...

Please help us solve the Mystery of the Unknown Gift-giver

A great big thank you to whomever sent Ella the book "Ella the Elegant Elephant".

Please let us know who you are -- it arrived from Scholastic Inc. with no note or name inside. And it's such a cute book; we'd love to know who sent it.

Merci!