Five Months Old!

Dear Sarah,

This is your month of new party tricks. Nothing to really get you very far – just fun little things to amuse your friends and family.

For example, you’ve discovered your toes. And what tasty toes they are! The second we put you on the changing table (aka “your happy place”), they immediately find a way into your mouth. Socks and all.



You’ve also started blowing raspberries – adding to your repertoire of screeches, squeals, growls and “words” that suspiciously sound like “Ella” and “bless you.” (We've been doing a lot of sneezing around here.)



Additionally, you’ve graduated to the exersaucer – a bouncing, spinning, grabbing haven for the mobility-challenged infant. Everything is right there in your grasp. The saucer is your oyster.



Sleep continues to be a challenge. You still wake up every three hours like clockwork and can’t put yourself back to sleep. Luckily, it just takes a few minutes to rock you back to sleep at 2am. One of these days, we’re going to have to start letting you cry it out. Just a warning, kid.

You ended the month with an eye infection that was harboring an ear infection as well. It’s been one long winter of cold after cold and I’m ready for everyone to be healthy again. So just stick to putting those toes in your mouth (instead of EVERYTHING else), and we should be OK. :)

Much love,
Mama

Feed me!

The drooling has begun.


And everything goes into her mouth.


She's starting to look longingly at every forkful that goes into our mouths. And she's reaching for the fork. I think it's time to go buy a box of rice cereal. Yum.

Ella is an Artist

We really should be monitoring Ella more closely when she's working with scissors (beyond whether she's running with them or not) , but we weren't the other day - which made this piece of artwork a total surprise.


"Man Art" by Ella Klein (mixed media: construction paper, cellophane tape, marking pen)

Notice the inspired composition and deft use of scissors and Scotch tape. The abstract face - foreign, yet familiar. The arm reaching out to say "hi," or perhaps for help or simply to be acknowledged.



The art also presented an opportunity to showcase the modest artist hiding her work behind her back, but representing its vitality and grace with a winsome smile.



However, Ella knows that art is meant to shared, and eventually presents the art with a measured amount of poise and abandon.