I Love Prunes!

After a week of adjusting to rice cereal, we were reminded why we stopped putting it in Ella's bottle several months ago (when we hoped it would help her sleep better). Constipation! Mommy decided to start adding prunes to help get things moving through better and did it ever! Plus, she is enjoying the sweet addition to the plain rice. Ella is such a big girl now that we had to go out and buy her a highchair this weekend. We tried them all out and hope that we bought the best one. So far, she seems to like sitting at the big table with Mommy and Daddy.

Ella has recently discovered those funny little things called toes. They are fun to play with, but we have yet to taste them. Then we will really know just how good they are. She still has not mastered the rolling over from belly to back, so Mommy must come to the rescue. She is becoming more and more of a Mommy's girl every day. No longer is she happy just playing on the floor with her toys. She would much rather play with those toys while sitting on Mommy's lap or just being carried around. And you can forget about playing with anyone else if Mommy is in a 5 mile radius. It makes Mommy feel good that she is wanted, but it can also be a little frustrating at times.

Next weekend is the big garage sale at Nana and Poppy's. Mommy and Daddy are hoping to make a few extra dollars to buy Ella a nice swimming pool for the backyard. Of course, it has to big enough for Mommy and Daddy to fit into it, too!

For some reason, she kept sticking out her neck and looking up

Ella's first bite of cereal

I think my finger tastes better

Mom! Are we done yet??

Mohawk in the morning

So sleepy after a bath

This is what happens when the pig tails are take out

Yes it really does stick up like that!

Gotta accessorize!

Mommy and Daddy are still amazed everyday how fast Miss Ella is growing and developing. She has become a pro at rolling over from her back to her belly, but gets extremely upset about getting stuck on her belly. I'm sure she will be rolling across the living room in no time. We had to buy a carpet rug for the floor so that the princess does not bump her head on the hardwood floor. Before too long, we will be needing to cover the fireplace hearth. It's funny how Gene and I used to say we would never let our kid's toys take over our living room. If only you could see it now! The coffee table has been replaced with the baby swing, Jumperoo bouncer, and a blanket full of books, rattles, and many other Ella favorites. And this is only the beginning!

Oh well! It's all worth it! Ella experienced her first bites of rice cereal earlier this week. I really thought she would love it, but I could not have been more wrong. For the past few weeks, she has been very interested in what we are eating and even tries to grab at the food, so I figured she was ready for the big girl food. Unfortunately, she wants nothing to do with it and spits it all out. I think she's just not sure about the new texture in her mouth, so we are continuing to try a little bit each day. Hopefully it will get better with time. I've learned she definitely does not like change and takes a while to warm up to new things, whether it's a new toy, face, or food.

After looking at some the recent pictures I have taken of Ella, I decided I'm a mean mother that enjoys making her beautiful child look ridiculous and that adding a pair of sunglasses makes it even funnier. With all of that hair, she has some crazy hairdo's, especially in the morning. I realized I didn't have very many recent pictures of her looking "normal," so I did a quick photo shoot this morning.

More pictures!

Sitting up in the Bumbo

Snoozing with Daddy

Ella snuggling with Snuggle Bunny

Mommy's First Mother's Day!

Hangin' with Nana

Mmmm! Fingers!

Daddy and Ella

Ready for a walk with Mommy and Daddy

Whew! That walk was exhausting!

Bouncing like a kangaroo

Mommy and Ella

Kisses from Mommy

Today we celebrated Mommy's first Mother's Day, and she loved every minute of it even though it had a rough start. Little Ella is already getting her first tooth, which is causing a great deal of pain lately. We unable to make it to church this morning because of all of the trauma. I'm learning this child does not deal well with pain or sickness. Fortunately, though, Tylenol seems to cure it all. Daddy ran out and bought every kind of baby Orajel he could find, and that helps, too. Once we got Miss Ella settled down, it was a very low key, relaxing afternoon. The weather was beautiful, so we were even able to enjoy a walk around the block. We then went to Nana and Poppy's for dinner. Ella absolutely enjoyed her bouncer at Nana's. She bounced and bounced to her heart's content. We even had to move it up a notch because she had grown since the last time we were there. All in all, it was a fabulous day!

Four months old

The Roddy's have been quite busy lately. We survived our first overnight trip with Ella last weekend when we visited Aunt Jenn, Uncle Preston, and Mr. Reagan in Houston. After loading up the car with every baby item imaginable, we set out on our 4 hour road trip. Ella ate, slept, pooped, and played the whole way there. Once we arrived, Reagan was very excited to play with his girlfriend and show off all of his big boy toys. Aunt Jenn pulled out some of Reagan's old toys from when he has Ella's age, which made his Mommy and Aunt Mimi very sad that their little man was all grown up now. Friday evening we cooked out, and Ella met her extended Houston family, the Malones. On Saturday, we visited the Houston Zoo and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The trip would not have been complete without fajitas from Ninfa's. We were very sad to say goodbye on Sunday. Ella did great on the way home until we hit Palestine. By then, she was done with being cooped up in her car seat and was ready to stretch her legs. Mommy had to resort to singing "Twinkle, twinkle little star" while rubbing her cheek with Snuggle Bunny for the last 30 minutes. It was all worth it, though!

Today Ella is officially four months old! We celebrated the day with a visit to the doctor's office. Ella weighs 13 lbs and 13 oz. and is 26 inches long. She is in the 52nd percentile for her weight and the 95th percentile for the height , so she is long and lean! She took her three shots like a champ.

Ella is continuing to amaze us with all of her development and skills. She is now rolling over, so gone are the days that she stays put in one place. We even bought a rug for the living room to give her a little extra padding. Ella is pushing up on her arms and has great control of head. No longer does she like to just lay back and watch. She wants to be sitting up and interacting. This girl will be sitting up on her own and crawling in no time! She grabs at anything and everything and, of course, loves to "taste" all of it. She is smiling and talking more, too. We thank God every day for our sweet, little girl!

Yum!

Pushing up

What a big girl!

Pretty in pink

Lizard Feet!

Sporting the shades

Rock star in the making

Hangin in the Bumbo seat w/ Hipp