Scary monster or shower head?

We don't know what happened or when exactly, but over the weekend Ella suddenly got terrified of the shower head. She remembers now too so she won't take a bath unless Mama gets in with her. Not very convenient or fun. She used to not care for baths but we had found how to show her they were fun. Now we are in worse shape because she screams and won't let go of me. The only thing I can remember is that Dave was cleaning the shower a day or so before and Ella was watching, but she had no reaction then. I do admit that from Ella's POV the shower head is kind of creepy. I am going to try showing her what the shower does since it is a hand held one. Wish us luck. I was just thinking around the holidays how lucky we were that Ella had no real fears or phobias. Jinxed myself maybe?

Elmo Rocks!

What a busy,fun week! I took Monday off because my boss told me to. It was nice not to even think about the place. It was really cold though. After being couped up all weekend, Ella and I decided to head to the mall and play on the giant food. Well, I forgot it was also a holiday and that kids were out of school. OMG! What a nightmare! First, it was a great reminder of what a good mom I am for several reasons. The best one being that I didnt send her out on her own (seriously there was a baby about a year old just toddling around by herself). I was about a foot behind Ella the whole time, and she still almost got plowed. Insane. Secondly, it was like watching a miniature Lord of the Flies. There was definitely a caste system in place and everyone had their role.
The rest of my week was trying to catch up from having one day off! Sad isn't it? Friday we went to dinner with my parents. That was great- especially because I found a new friend named Mochatini (at Applebee's). We will not seeing each other again until I reach my goal weight (9 lbs to go!). Saturday I did a great job of cleaning house. Of course I noticed last night that it only takes a day for Ella to destroy the whole house again so why bother?
Sunday (yesterday) was a fabulous day!! Ella had been cranky on Saturday so I was glad to see she was in a better mood especially because we had big plans for that night. Last night we went to see Sesame Street Live:Elmo Makes Music at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. We had no idea how Ella would react. It was our first big event with her. It started out with a bang. Lots of lights and loud music, and Ella's eyes got huge. No smiles but no crying either. About 5 minutes later she got this little smile on her face and after that it was all fun! She watched the whole thing. Ella has never paid attention to anything that long. Dave and I enjoyed it a lot too! It was very cute and very lively. We also paid way too much for an Elmo balloon that was actually totally worth it after we saw Ella play with it at home. I totally recommend this for anyone with toddlers or preschoolers.
After so much fun last night, I was sad to leave Ella today, but at least my boss is gone so its quiet. Hope everyone has a great week!

Belated Happy New Year

Happy 2008 way late!! We had a wonderful holiday with both families, and we wrapped it up with a heck of a party in Chicago for my company. The new year has replaced my baby with a full blown toddler. Ella just doesn't look like a baby anymore and she is starting to "get it". Still not talking much. The other day I knew she might need a change so I asked her "Ella, are you poopie?" She looked at me, put her toy down, and went to lay down on the floor. My mouth dropped, and I told her "OK stay right there. I need to get a diaper." So with that, I decided to move her potty into the bathroom because she is obviously aware of things now. We took it out today and cleaned it up and she watched me put it in the bathroom. She lifted the lid a few times, and she sat on it for a second. Later I decided to give it a try. I told her we were going potty, took her to it, and got her disrobed. She was very content. Not freaked out at all. Nothing happened. Still there was promise. After her nap, I figured she may have to go so we tried again. This time she did it!! So maybe it was a fluke except... she did it again right before bed!! Yay Ella!! I was not really expecting us to get to this step for a little while but hey maybe this is the time. These events prompted a trip to buy pull ups. If she is ready, it will happen. Wish us luck!!! Ella has just been so much fun since the holidays. She is always happy and smiling. We are loving every minute of it! Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple of months.



Ella loves Olive Garden. Too much perhaps. Her look here definately suggests she might be a little full.