her favorite things

Whatever she does, it is executed with deliberation and passion. Except for when she puts a paper bag on her head and walks with abandon. Then she laughs hysterically as we scurry to clear a path for her. She is now a devoted little mommy to both her baby doll and Care Bear. It started with putting one or both of them in any bag/basket/stroller/container she could find and toting them around...



She has now begun putting them down for naps. Lots of naps. And apparently she follows the Judson Parent's Day Out procedure. They told us that they lay all the kids down on mats and pat their backs until they fall asleep. Sure enough, when she got home from her class Tuesday, she pulled out a little mat that lines her baby's cradle, put it on the floor, laid her baby facedown on it and gently patted her back.

This morning she came into my room (Andy plays with Ella and lets me sleep in whenever possible) and we were talking a little bit. She was standing down on the floor looking up at me, and I was as close to on my stomach as a 7-month pregnant girl can get. She reached up her sweet, little hand and patted My back for a couple of seconds. It was one of the sweetest, most fleeting moments I hope I always remember.

Ella loves to draw. And write. While the end result is pretty much identical, there is definitely a distinction in her mind. We keep large sheets of drawing paper and a box of crayons downstairs that she enjoys. She also has a MagnaDoodle that she employs when she's feeling artsy...



But she often seems to be in Business Mode, and for this she needs to have some sort of notebook and pen (she currently uses her new butterfly notebook and pink pen). Receipts and coupons work as well. When we were at my parent's house she preferred my mom's Daytimer...



Bouncy balls are part of her daytime fun. Again, the large bags come out, and she puts the balls in and out for a while, then carries any number of them around the house. She also likes to say "ball" a lot. At anything that is a filled-in circle really. Kix, polka dots, round potatoes - she's on the constant watch. She loves to throw, roll and chase after them as well.

She is always ready for a wagon ride. She loves to try to buckle herself in (good to know she's into safety) and just sits back and enjoys the outdoors (and barking at all the neighborhood dogs). Note her jauntily-perched hat...



Actually, she enjoys riding in lots of things - including laundry baskets. A few months back, her Aunt Sarah filled up a basket with blankets and animals, stuck Ella in, and laps were made around the house. Now, Ella will throw clothes Out of laundry baskets, climb in, and expect a ride. Ha. Not from this rotund-bellied mother. I leave that to the more agile community...



Her daddy. Ella has a newfound love and attachment to Andy. It is so very sweet. She says "Da-da" countless times in a row. Knowing he works downstairs, she often goes over to the door leading to the basement, knocks and calls out his name. When she sees him after a period of time apart, even if it's been a couple of hours, she immediately begins to recount her time spent without him. At least that's the way it seems. She wants to share with him everything she possibly can.

They also have a ritual called "noses." It's basically Eskimo kissing. It's very yummy.

These are a few months old, but oh-so-cute...





While Ella pretty much loves everything, these are the main attractions in her little one-and-a-half year old world. I'm interested to see what crops up next.