Are you serious?

Ella Ruth.

Seriously is the most awesome baby. Even though she has had a rough past few weeks, and forgotten quite a few times how to sleep from bedtime until 7AM, she is A DOR A BLE! I've been keeping up with my monthly photos of her , since I did the weekly photos during the pregnancy:

I've told most people, but the weekly photo thing was to REMIND myself that I indeed was carrying a child. I stayed in denial right up until I was waiting with Luke being prepped for surgery. I would look at the picture each week and say to Luke, " I don't REALLY look like this do I?"

Now, I'm taking monthly pictures of Ella to capture and remind me how much she is growing and changing this first year.

SHE IS NINE MONTHS OLD NOW( as of August 25)!She has learned to do SO much in like a week span. She was just a little bit late on the sitting up thing--her head is quite larger than the rest of her body. But now that she is 9 months and sitting, she immediately went to scooting, crawling backwards, propping up on 1 leg, shimmying the blanket under her to try to crawl forward, and she LOVES every second of it. She, just today, decided to pull up onto her knees. She thinks it is HILARIOUS! She is so amazed and amused by all these new things that she is capable of doing. I love to hear her laugh!

I'm sitting!

And I can fall forward on all fours.

Then I can lunge forward and face plant too!

Watch me back it up.

It's SO FUN to be up on my knees!

Peek-a-boo! I have to stick my tongue out to do almost everything ;)

Luce and Landon , look at mommy so I can snap it when Ella looks.....

Luce, Look at mommy!

Ok Lucy, let's sit up so you don't kick her head.

Keep looking at me....

YAY! All 3 looking!

I think I'll just lounge in my bed and kick my feet up.

Yep, still spitting up.  Change my sheets, mommy.

 The kids had a blast taking pictures of her--especially because they think it is so awesome to get into Ella's bed or have Ella in their bed. I love love love watching them love her.
Real 9 month photographs coming soon! I can't wait!
Someone remind me tomorrow that we NEED to lower her bed!

She is seriously getting too big.
Too fast.
For serious!

4 months

It took me so long to post Ella's 3 month pictures because my computer crashed, that she is already 4 months old like one post later. Here is her monthly shot:

I couldn't get down for her to look at me because I was afraid she was going to nose-dive into the corner of the mirror! She isn't the best at holding her head right now. She is trying, and she is working hard on it! She does have a neck under there. Luke wasn't home, so I had to position myself to catch her just in case. She was looking at Landon and laughing =) So cute!

After we took her back to the doctor on Monday--because the on call doctor seemed a little concerned that she was still vomiting -- he got her some medicine to calm down her stomach, and we haven't had any throw up since Monday morning!

 She is just now getting her appetite back. She was weighing in at 11 pounds and 6 ounces about 3 weeks ago, and after being sick she is down to 11 pounds 3 ounces. I'm sure she lost well over a pound.
But you know how toddlers and kids get over a stomach bug and seem to want to eat EVERYTHING IN SIGHT at that very moment. They gain their weight back quickly. Well sweet little girl has decided she is going to SCREAM her head off and cry and yell as if the world is ending today. I think she is hungry finally. It's been a long day, that's for sure! We have a few of those individual packets of 4 ounce formula that I've used. I pumped quite a bit while she was sick because she had several days that she was only drinking pedialite ( I think she got hooked on the taste and really wants some!). But that is all frozen and waiting for a day when Mommy gets to go on vacation. Yep, I'm calling in sick, I'm taking a mental health day, I'm using my yearly vacation days, and I'm using my personal days all at once.( Yes, this really only adds up to like 3 days??!?) And I WILL NOT feel bad about it. Hopefully. I didn't leave Landon until after he turned 1 & Luke was with me. I didn't leave Lucy ( besides the hospital) until about 15 months & Luke was with me then too. This doesn't mean that I don't trust Luke over others to watch our kids. He just hasn't been alone with all 3 of them for more than 2 - 3 hours. I don't think he's gotten them all ready to be somewhere. I've mastered the single mom getting 3 kids fed and to church by 9 AM thing. But we have a totally different understanding of time frames , and how long things take. And like he says, I do this EVERY DAY.
I'm sure he will be alright! But I'm trying to send him off to the country where there might be 3 other adults to help =)

 

I need some help! I haven't even attempted to run since last year's half marathon.

Getting it done ( SLOWLY , look at the people around me) @ 2 months pregnant.

 

Half marathon #3.

I do not like running at all. I  always resort to it because it gets me back into my pre-baby weight and size. I also know if I pay a stupid amount of money to RUN, then I have to train and actually do it. But I ventured onto a treadmill  one day this week. And it only lasted .73 miles. I wasn't tired or hurting at all. But I forgot that I need like 3 sports bras to run after having babies-- especially while nursing! I need a good new running-worthy sports bra!
If I can't get some help , then I'm packing the car up to Atlanta and stopping in at LIVI RAE'S.
Have you seen the show Double Diva's? Honestly, I probably wouldn't have heard of it if I wasn't obsessed with Dance Moms. It comes on right after that. Search for it on Lifetime and DVR  a few. It's funny. Love it!
I'm not wanting to spend a bunch of money on one unless I know it is good. And my Target ones just won't cut it anymore. Apparently, Luke was going to get me a good one for my Easter basket( I must have mentioned it a few times, seriously not realizing it), but he said he went to Academy Sports and had NO CLUE about what to get.
So, leave me a comment. Help me out!

UPDATE: I got several facebook messages and comments. I received this info:
Moving Comfort is the #1 selling sports bra for running. The jubralee and Juno are our top sellers at the store.