Ella Weighs: 19lbs 12oz
In celebration of Ella turning two next month, we are going to
do a collection for our local NICU. This year we have decided to collect footie
pajamas with zippers in both preemie and newborn sizes. Brand-new or like-new condition items are preferred. Both cotton
and fleece styles are wonderful! Please contact me if you would like to donate.Amazon WishList NICU PJ Donations: http://a.co/gU3vbUX
This month, the weather here in Oklahoma
shifted back and forth many times. We took advantage of as many outdoor play
times as possible, but still found ourselves inside quite often. This resulted
in some new play opportunities. Grandma got out my old Fisher-Price doctor kit for Ella to use. I continue to be amazed at how my childhood toys have held
up after these years. It is true, they just don’t make them like that anymore. Ella
has continued to love “cooking” with pots and pans, so we bought her some of
her own for her kitchen set. She is now equipped with a colander, cake pan, and
set of pots to cook up a storm. She spends a good portion of her days cooking
in her play kitchen with Grandma. We enjoy watching her dramatic play skills
develop. Her baby dolls have become a top priority and she insists on them
being held, receiving stickers and being placed next to her as she eats.
I brought home sheets
of heart stickers which created a lot of fun this month. She loves giving out
stickers. You must watch out though because she will quickly re-gift your
sticker to another person of her choosing. She decorated her first Valentine’s
box with foam stickers… and then un-decorated it several times thereafter. Valentine’s
day was celebrated by wearing a special dress from her Glamma and eating
Chick-fil-a for lunch with Grandma and Mommy. She then got to climb up in her
first tree, courtesy of Grandpa. We spent the rest of the afternoon outside.
Ella is no longer the
baby of the family. Her cousin, Charlotte, was born on February 1st.
We are thrilled for her to join the family and the tribe of girl cousins. Ella
got to meet her for the first time this weekend. She was curious, but still
unsure about mommy holding another baby.
A big part of our
month has been spent trying to politely tell our child to quit pouring her
water out of her cup. She loves to turn it upside down. She is fascinated with
water. You can see the gears turning as she watches the water drip out of the
straw and splash one drop after another. The silver lining is that she has
become interested in dish rags, too. She pours the water out and then wipes it
up. We like to think of that as a toddler win.
A few of her favorite things:
-Getting out
pots and pans, a wooden spoon, and playdough to cook up something yummy
-taking care of her baby dolls
-stickers!
-cleaning up with dish towels she swipes
-having her “own” napkin
-bath time
-bringing us our shoes to put on to
convince us to go outside
-playing kitty-cat chase with Grandma
A few of our favorite things:
-Ella’s giggling and playfulness
-watching Ella’s personality unfold
day by day
-celebrating each mini-moment of
success
Favorite foods:
-pasta with butter and parmesan
-eggs and sausage
-pears
A chilly Sunday resulted in a fire in the fireplace and the making of s’mores. Ella tried her first s’more and loved every bit of it. So much so, that now when she sees marshmallows she makes it known that she needs one.
Favorite books:
-Go, dog. Go!
-Doggies- Sandra Boynton
-How to Bathe Your Little Dinosaur
-Anything lift-the-flap
Medical Update:
Ella’s teeth are coming in quickly. A little of each of her four
cuspids has pushed through the gum line.
Now we will wait for those tough two-year old molars.
Ella’s eye appointment was last week. To prep for her eye appointment,
we created a social story booklet with photos of everything that would happen
while we were there. We read it almost every day for a week or so before our
visit. We also rubbed some lavender oil on the soles of her feet to help with
anxiety during the appointment. I am
happy to say that we did note a little less apprehensiveness. Dr. Groves was pleased with the status of her
vision. There was little change in her nearsightedness which means she can keep
her same prescription and we can continue to postpone the need for the daily
eye drop treatment. We will follow up again in June.
Tuesday, we will review Ella’s plan with her developmental
therapist. We will be adding in some speech services to help with her language
progression. We have been working on adding a few signs such as book, ball, and
water, but nothing has seemed to stick yet. I look forward to the days she is
speaking more and more because I cannot wait to hear her thoughts and constant
observations.
Team
Ella Marie and March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Walk is coming up in Tulsa on Saturday, April
28th. This year’s walk will be held at Tulsa University. The walk
will begin at 10:00am. We would love to have you join us. It is free to
participate. T-shirts are in the works and the team website is up and running.
