Little Ms. Personality

Silly, smiley Ella ...


Sweet, innocent, angelic Ella ...


Crazy, sugared up, I break your face Ella ...

Proud mama

Ella has surprised me with how good of a big sister she is! I expected a little jealousy, but so far, she's been only interested in "tisses" (kisses), "hold you" (hold Layla), and "help" (feed her her bottle and refuse ANY help from Mama). I'm sure we'll have our moments, but they're pretty good friends, thus far. —Angie

Squeeks and Peeks

Ella likes to "hold" her little sister. She getts a little nervous when she starts making noise.

Sketty face

Ella always loves leftover spaghetti. Don't worry Grammy it cleaned up off the floor as well as it did from her face. It rinsed off real easy in the pool ;)

Mail time!

You never know when you are going to need a little extra head protection while getting the mail. Today Ella and I took a walk to get Grammy and Papa's mail. On the way back she decided to cart the mail back to the house by herself. BTW, sorry papa but we left the hardhat in the wagon while we played in the yard. Gus stole it and chewed it up.

Snuggling sisters

Ella was learning about being best friends from an Elmo DVD titled "What makes you happy?" while Layla was learning about friends from Ella.

When Grammy (& Papa) are away ...

The grandchildren do play. Ella and Henry tore around grammy and papa's house all day today. They played ring around the rosie, jumped on the beds, chased each other around the pool table, rode on the train (swing) and got their cars stuck in the mud. Sorry we got the inside toys a little dirtly grammy. Don't worry we will rinse them off in the pool before we bring them back in the livingroom. ;)

Evening Snuggles

The girls snuggled for a few minutes before Ella went night-night tonight. Even though you would think Ella was tired because she was sucking her wrist, it took her an hour to fall asleep. This day light savings thing has really thrown her bedtime for a loop. Or it has thrown her parent for a loop.

Cottontail

Here is a picture from the day we came home from the hospital. Don't get any ideas, Angie and I are not going to reproduce like rabbits, just dress our children like them.

Late nights

Honestly, Angie has been the one up late at night with Layla. This picture is just proof that I went to bed late one time. I was trying to shoot some late night pictures of Angie and Layla but they didn't turn out. This is all I got for ya. Thanks to the Stothards who left us messages on our windows when we got home from the hospital. I am sure we will wash the windows before we sell the house, maybe.

Sees ... ta!

Ella and Layla seem to be getting along great. Sleeping or awake, Ella slathers her little sister in hugs and kisses. The first thing that Ella will teach her ... Patience.

Mistro Cha Cha

The girls and I visited Cha Cha's house tonight. Ella and Cha Cha did a duet on Sue's (Kristy's mom) piano. Kristy was pretending to play Wheels on the Bus, and other favorites of Ella's, on the piano. Boy can she belt it out!

Dose of reality

Two days after receiving my award for Michigan Picture Editor of the Year I got a dose of reality. Last monday morning, I had a short story in the paper about the award, and coworker after coworker came up to congratulate me for the accomplishment. Just a few hours later Angie and I went to eat at Pi's for a little Chinese food before heading to the hospital. We were trying to decide whether to go to the hospital or wait and see if her contractions were going to get worse. Per tradition, at the end of the meal I opened my fortune cookie. It read, "You'll accomplish more if you start now." How true, on same morning that my head was swelling as big as it had ever been, this little note put it all in perspective. Like my boss always likes to joke, "What have you done for me lately." However you want to say it, that award was "so 2006." It is time to start looking towards 2007 and the future. After all I was holding the future in my arms only 12 hours later.




Here is my original J. Kyle Keener made Picture Editor of the Year Award. Like I told him when he handed it to me, his handmade trophies are one of the coolest things about being honored.

Cluster Feeding

I am going blog crazy. There is nothing else to do in the hospital waiting for the doctors to release us. Not like I have an extra set of breasts so I can help out with Layla's cluster feedings. (I bet Angie wishes I did though). We have used up our time at the hospital so we will be going home today, we just don't know when. Layla's Billirubin counts, which measures how severe the jaudice is still slightly high. We are waiting for them to deliver a BilliBed to take home. The light treatment helps breakdown the Billirubin in Layla's blood. Just in ... the lactation consultant stepped in the room, Milks in! Layla slept a bunch last night and woke up hungry. I think she pretty much at constantly from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. She is catching up on feeding and Angie is catching up on no sleep.