9 Months

9 Month Stats:

29 1/2 in (97%)

18lb 15.5 oz (50%)

She has turned into my tall skinny girl!!

I just had to post this picture b/c I love this outfit on her...it is a 0-3 month dress that looks like a jacket and something I would wear...this was at Berg's 1st birthday party!I have been putting hats on her often to hopefully condition her to keep them on for this winter...most of the time she keeps it on for a few seconds, but we distracted her enough that she kept it on for a few minutes...maybe my evil plan is working!!
She is getting more mobile and more personality every day. She "talks" non-stop now...she is ALWAYS saying something and she uses her hands a lot while talking too...such a girl! She copies most anything you do. If you fake cough, blow raspberries, smack your lips, growl, etc. she will do it back. We have trained our little monkey well. She waves hi and bye in a very feminine, girly way by flipping her wrist and twisting it a little while saying "hi" really softly...it is my favorite! I just love each and every stage she goes through and enjoy her more each day, she is truely one funny baby!

8 Months!

Ok...so she'll be 9 months soon, but thought I should post some new pictures of her! I know that's all I do on this blog, but it's all I have time for! (and patience for since my internet is super slow)

Less than a week after I posted her 7 month pictures, she started crawling! It was fun that she was crawling when we went to Nauvoo (July 9-14) so my Dad, Brannon and Courtney were able to see her on the move! Since she started crawling, it seems like she has something new every time I turn around. Here's a list of her new tricks:

• 7/3: said ba-ba
• 7/6: crawled across the room for the first time, clapped her hands when I clapped to congratulate her crawling, signed "milk" when it was time to put her down for the night. Since then, she signs milk all the time and makes the funniest face along with it (scowls her brow and looks very serious...like, you better know what I am asking for and give it to me now!) Needless to say, I can't oblige all the time! Like last week my mom and I were in the middle of Wal-Mart and she started signing it with both hands with that serious face...it was quite funny!
• 7/7: Said "da-da" (says that one ALL THE TIME now...and can scream it at the top of her lungs with a really high-pitched tone!)*Today while watching Baby Signing Time, they said "DAD" and she was busy playing with something, but immediately after they said it, she looked up at the TV and said "DAD" just so matter of fact, like "I know that word too"!
• 7/24: Signed "all-done"
• 7/31: Signed "ball" when she saw it on Baby Signing Time
• ?: Don't know when she actually started signing more, but she signs it usually when she wants to, not when we ask her to...but usually she will if we sing the "more, more, more" song!
• ?: signed please when Rusty was feeding her and he was asking her to sign please (she hasn't done that one since!)
• 8/14: said "ma-ma"
  Pulls up to stand on anything and everything, especially my legs after she has chased me down and wants to be picked up! She also loves to pull up on my closet doors which are sliding mirrors and press her face up against it like she is kissing the "other baby".
• Can walk down the couch or ottoman
• Makes babies at church cry because she is constantly screaming at the top of her lungs (just to hear her own voice, not b/c she's unhappy...they are actually quite happy shrills!) Needless to say, we try to listen to sacrament in the foyer, b/c it's impossible to keep her from screaming!
• She also has 3 out of her top 4 teeth in...they all came in one at a time about a week apart, we're just waiting on the 4th to cut through the skin!
  

I hope I got it all, she is just growing, learning, and changing so fast it is hard to keep up! I LOVE being home with her everyday and am so blessed I get to witness all of these things first-hand!

Now for the pictures of our beautiful "Princess"

Elle with my mom @ Kaitlyn's birthday part - we put Katie's tiara on Elle & as you can see, she didn't mind!

I french braided her hair! I have to bribe her with puffs to get her to stay in her highchair long enough!

Digging for toys...I love how her diaper is hanging out!

She found a pacifier in the toy basket, even though she has never sucked on one before in her life! She hates them, and usually only wants her thumb(s).

This is her screaming like a wild banshee as she is crawling toward me as fast as she can!

We went out to eat, but forgot a bib, and in an effort to save her white top from being orange...we tried tieing a to-go bag around her neck...needless to say it didn't work, but had us laughing so hard at her trying to pull it off!

I love her sweet little face in this picture of her in her "big-kid" pajamas (size 12 month...they are a little bit big, but I had to get that size to have them with out feet)
This is the face she made all day one day (7/20) when she started feeling her teeth coming through!

7 Months!

It was hard to get a picture of her sitting up...she wants to get on her hands and knees.
This is almost it...she drops her jaw and stares at you or things she finds new and interesting...usually it is wider, I just barely caught it!

I am so ready to crawl...you put me down and I immediately bend forward to my hands and act like I am gonna go.

My little dancer with the crazy hair...I love this picture...I love that she is doing a passe, I love her face, and especially her crazy hair...this is what it looks like after she wakes up

Cutest little grin with those dimples and teeth!

I can't believe she is 7 months...she is getting quite the personality. She started a new "tantrum" thing when she doesn't get what she wants. She does it at random times to show her disapproval, but does it a lot when she is eating (if you aren't fast enough, or the food runs out and she's not done). She holds her arms straight out in front of her with her fists clenched, holds her breath, turns beat red and lets out a few little grunts with it. It's actually quite funny, but I try not to laugh!

She started sitting up really well over a month ago, and got onto her hands and knees and rocked back and forth a week or so ago. She can army crawl, but doesn't seem to like it that much. She also pushes back onto her feet (in a downward dog) position and screams. She is starting to babble (instead of scream) a little bit more and is constantly blowing raspberries or some form of it. And loves to suck her thumb...whichever one is available.

6 Months!

6 Month Stats: (6/12 months actually)

Weight: 16 lbs. 11.5 oz. (73%)

Length: 28 3/4 in (97%)

I took her to the doctor on 5/15 and she was 15 lb. 11.5 oz...so at 6 months she was probably a little over 16 lbs!
We took her to Glamour Shots to get her 6 month pictures taken (they had a special) and I planned the appointment at 5pm so she would be up from her afternoon nap and fed, and therefore she should be happy! Well, she was happy/smiling at everyone until we got her in front of the camera...she just sat there and stared at us (me, Rusty, my mom, Kaitlyn, and 2 workers) looking at us like we were all crazy. We managed to get 1 photo with a smile, but it was in a different outfit and I really wanted one of her in the tutu...so this is the best we could get!

New this month:

She is sitting really well by herself...she falls over occasionally, but for the most part she is pretty good! She is very demanding when it is time for cereal/vegetables. We cannot put her in the highchair until it is completely ready or she will squeal and shake her hands like she is about to die! She loves to eat! She loves to watch Baby Signing Time! Loves to go on walks outside! She's gotten a little better at having stranger anxiety, except if she's tired! Can't think of much else, but she is so much fun and I love to watch her grow and learn everyday!

New Pictures

This is my new cheesy grin to show off my 2 new teeth!

I forgot to take an official 6 month picture today, so I will have to do it tomorrow and post after we go to the doctor and get her 6 month stats! But for now I will post a recent picture. (I was going to post more, but my computer/internet is incredibly slow and after 5 failed attempts to post multiple pictures...this is all I could get to work!) I know everyone enjoys seeing Elle grow, but this is especially for my dad since he goes in to surgery tomorrow...hope all goes well and you will be able to see again very shortly! Love you dad/grandpa!

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

I just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to the greatest mom in the world. I am so fortunate to have you in my life...I really don't know what I would do without you, you're my best friend! Thank you for being such a wonderful and loving mother throughout my life. There has NEVER been a time in my life where I have had to wonder if you loved me, or if you were going to be there for me in any way I needed you. I never worried if my mom was going to be in the crowd to watch/support me in anything I did. I have always known that you would love me no matter what, and I could come to you with anything. You were the perfect balance of a mother and a friend. You have always put our needs before your own, and have sacrificed so much for all of us over the years. I hope you know how much I love you and appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for me. I thank you for teaching me how to become a good mother by being the mother you were and still are. And now as I am a mother, I truely understand the magnitude of this calling and why you did/do so much for us. You are unlike anyone I have ever met, you live for your children and now your granddaughter; it is your greatest joy. I hope to be able to do for my children what you have done for us. I thank you for loving my daughter to no end and being so involved in our lives. You know exactly how to support me and help me learn without getting in the way of me being a mom to Elle. She loves you dearly as evidenced by how she smiles and reaches for you, and I know that she is always safe in your care and will be loved just as much as Rusty and I love her. She is blessed to have such a wonderful grandma as I am blessed to have you as a mother.

Thank you, and I love you!

Elle,

I love you more than you will know until you become a mother yourself; it is truely the greatest blessing I have been given in my life and I hope to live up to what you deserve. I thank my Heavenly Father for you everyday and and am humbled that he would see me fit to care for you, His child. I know I will make many mistakes along the way, but hopefully you will love me through them and know that I want to do what is best for you. I love watching you grow and learn. I love how your little face lights up everytime you look at me. Each and everyday is the most wonderful and rewarding experience; Thank you for making me a mother!

5 months!

My beautiful blue-eyed girl!

Big and tall and strong...that is the name of the song Rusty made up that he sings to her when he pulls her from lying on her back to standing. We started doing this when she was about 2 months old and now she LOVES to stand...she hardly ever sits!
I bought her some sunglasses for summer, we were going to go on a walk, so I decided to put them on her...she apparently doesn't mind b/c she didn't even touch them...not once! That's my girl!

This is the face she makes about 100 times a day, she's sniffing in and out of her nose really fast, it's hilarious and I never get tired of seeing her do it!

She's so much fun, everyday is something new and I can't believe how fast she has grown!

What she's doing now:

She loves her exersaucer, she beats and chews it to death;

she is contantly spitting/blowing raspberries or sniffing in and out;

loves playing on her tummy, can spin to get anything she wants...but if she's on a blanket and the toy is too far, she'll pull the blanket toward her until the toy is within reach!

Freaks out (in public) if I am out of sight;

Freaks out if (not so attractive) strangers try to talk to her;

loves her daddy...she lights up when he walks in the room and talks to her (but if I leave her with him and go run an errand, she's not too happy);

stares and moves her fingers when daddy signs to her;

has the cutest laugh, highpitched squeals, and deep gravely voice when she babbles!