Ella 1 Year Update

It has been a while since I've wrote a blog post but I've been wanting to do this one for a while. Ella turned one June 11th and I still can't believe a year has gone past already. Not to mention the fact that Ella is about the size Harper was at 6 months - so that always makes it difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that she's a year old. 

Weight: 21 lbs

Height: 30"

Teeth: Four

Sleep: 12 Hours straight at night and has one nap a day ranging from 1 hr 30 minutes - 2 1/2 hours.

Walking: More like running. Yes. And has been since she was exactly 12 months. 

Nursing: Yes, whenever she can get it - which seems to be constantly when I'm not at work. It doesn't bother me because I LOVE breastfeeding and she's my last baby so as long as she wants to I will continue to nurse her - unless of course she's 4 and is able to lift my shirt to pull my boob out..

Confession. When she was first born I was really really concerned her squished nose was going to stick forever and ever. I was very relieved when it settled back down after a few days - poor thing was all squished from being over due. As if her scowl isn't intense already - imagine her scowl with that crease in her nose! Wowza, she would have taken RBF (also known as Resting Bitch Face) to a whole new level!

I remember this day like it was yesterday. Not just because her labour was the most intense pain I've been in in my life BUT how much I immediately loved her. I obviously had all of the sames feelings when Harper was born but I didn't think I could love another baby as much as our sweet Harper. But I did and do. Ella is seriously the perfect end to our little family. She is the fiery babe who makes us grind our teeth when she's been sassy and bust out laughing when she's doing something funny.

Also, her relationship with her big sister is something made of dreams. They LOVE each other so so much. Harper constantly calls her "Ella Marie" and "Baby sister" which melts my heart every.single.time.

Sisterly love.

Favourite foods: These organic Squoosh packets - which seems to be the only way I can get veggies into her unless I'm hiding them in her dinner. She is obsessed with any type of berry but LOVES oranges. She enjoys chicken and ham (although we mostly eat chicken). She drinks water like her big sister and almond milk.

Ella is seriously the funniest baby ever. She is the perfect addition to our little family. Fraser and I could not be happier with our sweet girls.

Emotional

These past few days have been rough. I've pretty much been crying off and on all week. I'm trying desperately to put a brave face on and have fun with the girls but the sadness eventually comes. The other day was beautiful and sunny so I brought the girls in their wagon to the park around the corner from our house. They had an absolute blast. Harper was so excited to go down the slides and to swing on the swings. Ella even loved going down the slide with my help of course. They both had the biggest smiles on their faces going down the slide.

Harper loved walking up and down the stairs like a big girl. She was so proud of herself that she could do it on her own.

She wasn't opposed to stopping to pose for me - she's pretty used to me always taking pictures of her!

Ella bells pretty much hung out with me for the most part since the climbers are surrounded by wood chips - there was no way I was putting her down so she could attempt to eat them, me and my OCD tendencies.

I attempted to put her in the baby swing but would not let her go, she is still so stinky tiny that she looks like she would flip right out of it. She wasn't a big fan anyways. Instead I took turns sitting the girls on my lap to swing on the big swing. Both loved it!

On the way home, Harper always likes to walk part of the way holding my hand, while we pull Ella in the wagon. She gets so excited to hold my hand which always makes me melt. 

Yesterday was especially emotional for me. Ella was having a rough day from the fact that she has two big teeth poking through the gums on the top. She was super attached and would scream out of no where in pain. She spent half of her nap time sleeping on my chest during which I quietly sobbed the entire time. It makes me sad that I won't be here to do that with her next week. If she's not feeling well, I won't be there to snuggle her to sleep. I won't be able to sooth her. 

I get excited about going back to work and then out of no where I'm so sad at the idea of it. Monday is going to be hard for me, I know it will be fine - that they will be fine - but I am going to miss them so much and will be looking forward to seeing them at the end of the day. 

The rest of this week is super busy with finishing up Etsy orders when the girls are in bed, finishing last minute things for Ella's birthday party on Saturday and organizing the house for my return to work. At the end of the day, as long as we are healthy and happy, everything else will works it's self out. There are people who are struggling with much harder things than the dreaded return to work - so I will suck it up and get things done!