Ella...

turned 1 on October 21st. I can't believe it has already been a year. It went by way too fast. She has grown so much and has such a fun personality.

Ella:

...loves to bang on our tv and gets a mischievous look on her face before she does it because she knows she isn't suppose to .

... is a great sleeper.... the last post about her not being a good sleeper was a phase, thank goodness.

...can walk, but still a little wobbly.

...knows how to growl like a bear and pant like a puppy.

...is such a happy baby.

...weighs 17 lbs 15 oz (7th percentile)

...enjoys throwing food on the floor when she is done eating.

...loves getting into our shoes.

...does not like her toothbrush in her mouth ( I hope she will overcome this soon)

...claps all the time (anytime I watch tv and someone claps she will join them)

...is funny (she gets it from her dad)

Ella's birthday was a lot of fun. My family was able to come celebrate with us. We missed Jonny and his family though. Here are a few pictures from her birthday.

Bad sleeping habits and babysitting

Ella has become extremely busy lately. She learned to crawl about a month ago. I was starting to worry because she was 10 months old and still not crawling. Now I wish she would just sit. Not only has crawling made it harder to clean and cook while she is awake, it has made for a bad sleeper. Ella used to take 3 naps a day and all I would have to do is lay her in the crib and she would fall asleep. It has become quite the task to get her to take one nap a day. James or I have to rock her, lay by her in our bed, or hold her while we watch a movie to get her to sleep. I never thought this day would come. What happened? Well I am hoping it is just a phase. I really think it is because of teething. I blame it on that but who knows. If any of you have any advice, please feel free to offer it.

Here is Ella's first attempt at crawling. You are better off muting the video.

I started watching a three year old a few weeks ago and it has been quite the adventure. He is a very busy boy and can't talk yet. He spends most of his time playing on the stairs. One of his favorite activities is taking the couch cushions off. The other day I saw him taking the cushions off and dragging them toward the stairs. I figured it wasn't hurting anything so I let him continue. A minute later he came and grabbed my hand and led me to the stairs where he had put all the cushions and pillows. I decided I would make him a little fort and hoped he would stay there for awhile. It only worked for a minute but hey, it gave me a minute to just sit.

I look forward to when Ella is older and decides to destroy everything even more then she does now, not. Ella is so fun at this stage even though she doesn't sleep well and won't hold still. I love watching her grow and learn. I am grateful to be at home with her all day.

She is learning to walk and is very proud. She loves to applaud herself.

Griffething and such

Not only was last week Rodeo weekend in Preston, it was also the big Griffeth reunion. James was able to take off work so we could attend. It was a fun and busy time in good ole Preston. We were able to see a lot of family on our little vacation. We spent most of our time with my dad's side of the family, which we like to refer to it as "Griffething."

Ella with Great Grandma and Grandpa Griffeth

The week was very eventful. We watched the parade, strolled along the sidewalk sales, attended a birthday party, and of course, went to the Famous Preston Night Rodeo where we enjoyed a delicious burger.

Tess was in the parade for Exec. She was kind enough to get off the float to bring us delicious otter pops.

Ella had a great time playing with her cousins and getting spoiled by her grandparents. She loves all the attention she receives from everyone.

Ella with her cousins Braden, Sophie, Tate, and Beckett

Ella playing with cousin Elsie. They are the best of friends.

We look forward to what Preston has to offer us the next time we visit.

Change

Our little family has been involved in a lot of change lately, and I have learned change isn't so bad after all.

We welcomed Ella Louise in October of 2010.

6 months old

We moved from Logan to Utah's Dixie at the end of May and have loved our time here so far. The weather has been an adjustment, but hasn't stopped us from enjoying the outdoors.

Hiking at Zion National Park

James will start school at Dixie State this Fall. He will be studying Communications with an emphasis in Organization and Leadership. There is finally an end in sight for his schooling, unless of course he decides to get a Masters Degree.

Ella is now 9 months old and full of vim. She and I entertain each other throughout the day while James works. Ella and I take trips to the pool at our complex, walk the isles at the grocery store, and on occasion stop at the Library. We are super excited for when the weather cools off so we can spend more time outside.

My goal is to post on this blog often. We will see about that. We welcome family and friends anytime to our home.

The James Hess family residence

Pregnant Me

Ok, I think it is about time I post something on this blog. I am horrible at keeping it updated. For those of you who have been dying to see pictures of my pregnant self here you go!!

I am 6 months pregnant here. Currently I am 28 weeks and feel pretty good most days. In case you aren't aware, I am having a girl and am due October 29th. James and I have decided at this point that she will be named Ella Louise. It is not set in stone because we have to meet her first to make sure the name fits. We both really liked Ella and realized it was a mix between my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's names. We decided on the middle name Louise after James' Grandma Hess.

We are so excited to meet our little girl.

Birthday and such!

This year I had a great birthday. Thanks for all the gifts and birthday wishes. I have many wonderful family and friends.

My mom, sister in law, cousin Marybeth, and I signed up to take a sewing class. I attended last week and learned a lot. I made some cute coasters and feel I actually know how to run a sewing machine now. The class goes for two more weeks. Hopefully with all I learn I will be able to make many great creations.

James and I decided to buy a tent for our birthdays. We ventured out camping yesterday. The spot we went to was perfect. We had a fabulous time. It rained for quite sometime, but luckily our tent was completely waterproof so we stayed dry. We are excited to experience many more camping trips this summer.