The Girls' Tea Party

 This was Ella and Emma's second tea party together. This time I was able to get some pictures while I helped Emma sit up on one of the cushions.

 Ella sets up her dolls for the tea party and then tells me, "Emma sits down". :-)



Emma is 5 Months Old!

 Emma just came down with a cold yesterday, so I'm a day late getting her 5 month photos up. She's feeling (and looking) a little better today.

She is sitting up now, but is still a little wobbly. The pod seat is perfect for her.

Emma's First Taste of Rice Cereal

 Emma's very interested in food and she's almost five months, so I decided it was time to give her a taste of rice cereal today.

 It's really thin for her first tastes, just 1 Tblsp of rice cereal to 4 Tblsp formula.

She wasn't too sure about it, but neither was Ella the first time she tried cereal. We'll keep working on it and soon she'll be able to try some more interesting flavors. :-)



More of Our Christmas

Here are some more pictures from our Christmas...

 Sead, unstuffing his stocking - he loves Lindt's hollow milk chocolate.

 A new travel coffee mug

 Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro, finally my Ishiguro library is up to date again

 Ella helped me open my other gift. I got three cookbooks, Pink Princess Cookbook, Pink Princess Tea Parties, and Fairies Cookbook. Ella's quite pleased with what I got for Christmas. :-)

 The cats' stockings, stuffed with nip toys - I have to stuff the cat stockings right before I give them to each cat or else they'll go get the stockings by themselves. They can smell even the faintest hint of cat nip and usually even know which plastic bag is holding their toys.

 Snook was asleep, but the moment she smelled the stocking her eyes popped open.

 Coonie, enjoying his stocking

And Muffin with his

Our Christmas!

We had a wonderful first Christmas as a family of four (or seven if you count the cats)!

 Emma's gifts

 Ella's doll house

 Emma woke up first, so we showed her some of her toys before Ella woke up.

 Checking out a "letter" that goes with her mailbox

I just love the Christmas bib I found for Emma, "Mom & Dad's Wish Come True". Last December was when we found out that Emma was on the way. :-)

 Ella was up until 11:30 PM on Christmas Eve (she was super excited), so she didn't wake up until after 9 and was still a little tired.

 The car that goes with her doll house was the first thing she started playing with.

 Emma, checking out her new soft doll

 Ella actually picked out this pullable giraffe for Emma one day when we were shopping at Target. It's a big hit with Emma. Sister picks out great toys!

 Emma loves to chew on anything and everything right now, so this teether was also a big hit.

Ella, reading one of the Disney books Auntie Joy, Uncle Nate, and Grant sent her

 Emma loves to stand with daddy's help.

 Ella was quite thrilled with the princess fork and spoon she found in her stocking.

 Alice in Wonderland!

 Emma, opening her toys from Auntie Joy, Uncle Nate, and Grant

 Ella got this Cinderella "toddler doll" from Gramma Jean (aka GJ)

 Emma, checking out some more stocking toys





This is how Ella "reads" right now. She knows this story well from the Disney Cinderella cartoon, so she tells herself the story while looking at the pictures. :-)

Cookies For Santa

 Ella, choosing cookies for Santa

She decided that Santa would like Sparkling Grape Cider rather than milk and added some candies to the plate. 

Taking the cookies and cider to the living room

Emma, Napping With Her Cow

 Emma loves her stuffed cow, it's very huggable. :-) Today she napped with it in her arms for the first time. It was so cute, I just had to snap a couple of pictures.

I don't normally like her to sleep with stuffed animals or blankets near her face, but I was monitoring this nap today, so I just let her hang on to it after I made sure it wasn't pressed against her nose.

Ella, the Ballerina

 Ella is so excited about starting dance class in January! She'll be taking a 30 minute Ballet & Tap class on Tuesdays beginning January 4th. It's a big milestone for her because it's the first time that she'll be taking a class without Mama being directly involved. However, Emma and I will stay and watch the class if that doesn't distract Ella.

 She wanted to try on her dress leotard, dance tights, and ballet slippers. She also has a pair of black tap shoes for the tap dance portion of the class.

 Then she saw Muffin... I snapped this picture as evidence to show her later what she use to do to the kittys. She's not leaning on him too heavily, but Muffin's ears are flat and his eyes are closed for protection. Poor kittys, they're training ground number one for teaching Ella how to be gentle.

 Dancing

Can't wait to see what she learns in class. :-)