Ella's 1st "Camping Trip"

Mark and I thought it would be fun to take Ella "camping" in the backyard tonight. I was secretly hoping my water would break just as soon as we finished setting up the tent... but no such luck. I figured I would have to lounge in the tent with Mark and Ella until she fell asleep, but turns out I didn't even have to do that. By 10pm she STILL wasn't asleep, so we decided to abandon the tent in the backyard in favor of a good nights sleep for all 3 of us. (Especially me!)

Here are a few pics from our camping adventure:

I have TONS of memories of camping in the backyard with my own Dad and I hope that Ella and her brother will have lots someday too. Of course, my Dad would bring the TV out into the backyard for our camping "trips". I DO NOT plan on doing that with my kids. Haha! After a few backyard test runs, we hope she is ready for the real thing. :) We do live in Colorado, after all.

I have to say that it was really sweet lying in the tent with Ella between Mark and I and the two dogs at our feet. Every few minutes Ella would open her eyes to see if I was still watching her and then quickly squeeze them shut and smile. PRECIOUS! After a while I turned my back to her, hoping THAT would make her finally fall asleep and she started rubbing my back. Such a sweet girl. Maybe next time we can actually sleep in the tent!

PREGGO PICS

I seriously did not think I was THAT big this time until I saw the pics Mark took of me tonight.

FINAL Baby Update

It's so exciting to be writing my FINAL baby update! Next time I write a post about the baby, he will be here! I'm happy to report that the craziness of this pregnancy is OVER. Thank you all so much for your prayers. Our little guy seems to be just as healthy as can be and is actually going to be a FULL TERM baby! Never expected that one in a million years! My doctor actually gave me a hug at my last appointment and said "I'm so happy you are still pregnant!".

We are not so patiently waiting for him to arrive, but if he refuses to come on his own, we have an induction scheduled for July 6th! Less than 3 weeks to go!

Hoping to post some belly pics this week. Stay tuned!

Picture Update

We recently got a new camera and have been playing around with it quite a bit. Here are some recent pics of Ella.

School's Out For SUMMER!

This post is a little delayed... but definitely worth posting. Ella had her last day of school on May 25th. It's hard to believe that my little girl has already been to "school" 1 year. It started out a little rough last September with crying every time I dropped her off, but eventually Ella warmed up to her teachers Miss Pat and Miss Marsha and the rest of the kids in her class.

Here is a picture of Ella last fall before her 1st day of school:

And here is a picture of her from her last day of school:

I can't believe how much Ella has changed this past school year. She went from a baby to a total kid. Her last day was a bittersweet day, for sure. At the end of the day Ella said goodbye to all her friends and teachers with big hugs. It must be the pregnancy hormones but I was really getting emotional when we were leaving. I have loved my "breaks" on Tuesday's from 9:30-1:30, but even more, I love the school and her teachers. Sadly, Ella won't be returning in the fall. She is enrolled in a different Parents Day Out program at a school closer to our house. I'm sure it will be just as good, but it was sad to know we won't be seeing Miss Marsha and Miss Pat in the fall.

Every once in a while Ella still asks if she can go back to school. I just remind her that we will start at a "new school" after summer is over... and because it's so close to our house, I can point it out to her every time we drive by.