It's a girl!!!

At my 20 week ultrasound (this past Friday), we found out that we're having another girl!  I am soooo excited to be having a girl, again!  : )  I had wanted a girl so badly, and truly thought it was a girl, yet every time somebody told me they thought it was a boy or hoped it was a boy, I was afraid all their wishing would make it true!  All these weeks, it seemed like I was the only one who was hoping for a girl.  Fortunately things usually go my way : )

We've already decided on a name: Kate Elise.  If you recall, we named Ella after my maternal grandmother - Eleanor, actually.  We had debated between Eleanor, Ella, Ellie, and Elle.  I know, using a short version isn't quite the same- I don't think my grandma felt like we'd named our baby after her....  To me though, the meaning is still there.  My grandmother passed away last year, but it will be nice to tell Ella about her as she gets older.  We also gave Ella my mom's middle name, Ilima.  It's Hawaiian for "beautiful flower."

So for baby girl number 2, we decided a long time ago that she would be named after Ryan's maternal grandmother, Katherine, and Elise is Ryan's mom's middle name.  As for the rest of our kiddos that are yet to be, I don't know what we'll name them!  Actually Ryan has a boy's name picked out: Christian McAllister....  To be honest, I might have objected if he hadn't pretty much let me make the decision for the girls' names.  And McAllister is Ryan's middle name : )

I'm getting more and more excited!  I started to feel the baby's movements about a week ago.  It's both good and bad because once you start feeling the movements, you're always anxious to feel the movements!  This being my second time being pregnant though, I am less anxious overall.  I'm still throwing up here and there, but it's not a big deal.  When Ryan and I went out for dinner Sunday (Valentine's Day!), shortly after having soup and salad, I threw up the entirety of my stomach's contents - then came back to the table and finished my meal!  Hey, at least I can still enjoy my food afterwards!  Maybe each pregnancy will be easier and easier...  I like to think on the bright side : )

Ella has been giving my belly hugs and kisses - I'm not sure if she really understands that there's a baby in there or if I just have her trained well!  What's funny though, is she held her sippy cup to my belly button the other day, like she was trying to feed the baby!  Okay well, she has also tried to feed her sippy cup before...  hehe...  She's a funny girl : )

We've decided that we will put Ella into Montessori, at age 3.  So next year, she'll stay where she's at right now.  We'll save money, and the 2 day/week routine will leave plenty of time for the other activities I want to do together: Mommy & Me gymnastics, dance, Spanish, and music classes.  I just registered Ella for that dance class we tried out last week; I think we'll really enjoy it.  Since today was a holiday and there was no preschool, I took Ella to a trial class at a gymnastics place nearby, called Rowland/Ballard.  Compared to The Little Gym, it was definitely more gymnastics oriented - the other kids knew how to pike, tuck, straddle, etc - but they were also 3 and up, so maybe that's why it didn't feel like the right level for her.  Anyway, it seems great but all Ella wanted to do was jump on the trampoline half the time!  She threw a huge tantrum when I tried to get her to do other stuff, so eventually I said, "whatever!"  : )  She did eventually play in the pit, and swing on the rings- she was really great at that actually!  Anyway, I always enjoy trial classes - especially if they're free!  That one wasn't free, although I think shelling out the money does make for a better overall evaluation of the experience.

I think I'm beginning to hear Ella stir; she went down for a nap 3 hours ago so it's about time : )  I am so, so grateful that she's napping on her own now, and for a long time!  These pictures are from about a week ago.  Ella likes that onesie - she likes to point at the bee and say "bee!"  You'll notice she also likes to play piano with her butt and feet...  : )

No more tears!

This is why it's so hard to take a picture of Ella lately - she wants to hold the camera herself!  Or she's zooming across the room!  I have so many pictures of her side/back...  Anyway....  The thing on Ella's back in this picture, is her butterfly nap mat for preschool - she loves it...

I have very good news!!!  This past Monday, Ella didn't cry at preschool!  She didn't even cry when I dropped her off- she just blew me kisses and said bye-bye!  I think that was her fifth time there, so everyone's reassurance that they all need 2 weeks to adjust was pretty right on, if you consider that class is held twice a week.  Tomorrow her class has a Valentine's Day party, so she has little lenticular Hello Kitty Valentine's to give to her classmates.  I wouldn't have thought that they'd exchange Valentine's so young but we just went to a trial dance class and they also had a little Valentine's Day party, complete with Valentines.

Now that Ella is almost 18 months, she'll soon be able to start taking dance classes at a studio about 15 minutes away or gymnastics classes at a gym less than 5 minutes away.  I have to pick between the two since they're offered at the same time.  Ella seemed to like the dance class today (probably because 1/3 of the time was devoted to the Valentine's party which meant cookies & lollipops!) and the moms were really nice...  But living vicariously through my daughter, I am leaning toward gymnastics : )  But she's already taking classes at The Little Gym...  Oh, decisions, decisions : )  Don't even get me started on whether or not to go ahead with Montessori - we're still thinking that one over : )

Ryan and I finally popped in a few Signing Time DVDs just to do the sign review section, and yes, Ella was using the sign for backpack (see previous post).  Back in October, we wrote out a list of all the signs she's used; the count was over 60 signs back then.  Now, Ella knows over 100 signs!  Some of my favorites are: cold, please, sad, cry, scared - I guess because she really acts those out.  I need to get some of it on video, it's so adorable!

Here is Ella, on Skype with my dad! 

She's dressed in a little dance leotard, just to try it on : )

While my mom was visiting last week, Ryan and I got to go on a date two nights in a row!  It was so nice...  And Ella loved spending time with Grandma Banana - our new nickname that grew out of "Nana" - Ella would sign banana whenever we said Nana....  hehe...

Well, this Friday is the big day for us - we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl!  I can't wait to know for sure, although I already think it's a girl : )  I'll make sure to post sometime with the announcement! : )

Bye, Bye BB

Wednesday morning I pretty much flipped out at Ryan and told him either things needed to change with the dog (obedience school, regular walks, poop picked up in the backyard, etc) or I could no longer tolerate her presence in our house.  I know, I don't sound very nice.  The truth is, having BB around, I didn't feel very nice.  I think I'm a nice person, but BB drove me sooooo crazy that I would silently curse her in my head daily.  And I felt bad about it too, because BB actually does like me (who knows why?)  Anyway, Ryan decided it was best to get her out of the house for awhile if not permanently.  She's at his parents for now until we decide what to do (find her a new permanent home, probably.)  To be totally honest, I am SOOOO glad she's out of the house.  My stress level is down already.  I do feel bad that it didn't work out, for Ryan's sake and for Ella, who loves her : (  But the funny thing is, Ella would constantly say "no, no, BB" and "down, BB, down!" since she constantly heard us saying that to her....  As much as BB drove me crazy, I also think she deserves to be somewhere where she's wanted- when I say that, I can only speak for myself because I'm the only one who really wanted her gone, but being a stay-at-home-mom, my vote really matters- I'm home a lot!  Well, hopefully we'll find her a place where she's happy and someone is happy to have her around.

Ella is in preschool as I am typing, and although she cries when I drop her off, her teachers tell me she drops the act once I leave : )  I think she's adjusted pretty well, but she now has a constant runny nose which I'm sure is related to preschool!  Ryan and I are trying to decide if we should invest in Montessori school starting in the fall, or just keep her in the program she's in now - the difference is about $400 more a month, so we'll really have to weigh the benefits with the cost.  I think what I'm starting to grasp, is that we'll have two kiddos before you know it, which eventually means twice the bill for activities.  So once this next baby reaches preschool age, will we be willing & able to pay $800 more a month to do Montessori school versus a more affordable church-run preschool program?  I don't know....  If only money were no object! : )

Ella's language skills are emerging more every day.  For example, last night  Ella was playing with my damp hair and after I said "it's all wet," she kept saying "all wet, it's all wet."  Last week, we were playing on a playground and she would stick her face between some bars and say "I see you!" and then pick another spot to stick her face through and say "I see you!"  She's still signing- lately she's been signing cold a lot, since it's been cold lately.  Yesterday, she found a toy caterpillar while we were at the library's storytime hour; she brought it over to me and signed caterpillar - it's such a cute sign!  I'm realizing I need to review some of the signs on her Signing Time DVDs, since she occasionally does something and I'm like "is that a sign?"  I think she was signing backpack yesterday but I'm not sure, since I don't know the sign for backpack myself!  Whether or not she was signing it, I do know that's what she wanted - she loves her Hello Kitty backpack!

Thankfully, we've cut back on nursing - just 2 to 3 times a day.  Ella has adjusted pretty well to it.  It was funny though, just yesterday she bonked her head (on purpose I think) and when I opened my arms for her to come to me, she smiled and ran over and fell into my lap like I was about to give her some "medicine" to make her better.  That's how it used to be- nursing is a quick fix for an owie!  Anyway, I have to admit I come close to caving in sometimes to the extra nursing sessions, but I've managed to direct her to her sippy cup of milk instead.

I think come March, I'll start potty training - we'll see though.  If she's really resistant, I can wait.  I think she's ready though- I noticed her diaper was dry after her nap yesterday so I set her on the toilet, and she peed.  Normally though, she doesn't want to sit on the toilet for me.  But she also hates getting her diaper changed.

  

I've been a slacker with taking pictures lately, so there's not much to post.  But I thought this was a good one to show how Ella has discovered her climbing skills can get her quite far!  In no time at all, she's on the chairs, then the tables!  How do you baby-proof that?  I suppose I just better teach her how to get down safely!

Well, my mom is coming to visit this afternoon and our guest bedroom is a disaster.  It's the one room where I can just throw things into it and shut the door.  It looks like Ella went in there and threw everything all around, but no, that room's mess is entirely my fault.  I better get to it...