One Month!

It's crazy! How has a whole month passed already? This is ridiculous. I am in shock. I honestly don't know how we made it this far. [looks around stunned]

We took Ella to her doctor's check up on Tuesday, and she was given a good grade again.  We talked about things that apparently all babies struggle with -- sleepy eating, getting fussy in the evenings, gas, etc, etc.  Apparently she is acting normally for a baby.  Ready for the real shocker we learned?  Her weight is in the 75th percentile, her height is 90th.... and her head is 98th!  Dr. Cold Hands seemed like she was trying to reassure us that 98th was "still good," that it had a little wiggle room before they might suggest ultrasounds and whatnot of her head to make sure everything is still good.  John and I just had to laugh!  No, no, it's ok, doctor.  Our baby is just living up to her genetic destiny.  Pumpkin heads, all of us.  Can't escape it.

I managed to get a chalkboard at the ill-fated Target trip, but I hadn't found time to write / decorate it yet for her month picture.  Yes, I'm going to (try) to be that mom who takes a cute posed picture of her child each month for the first year.  I might not get the cute saying or stats on the chalkboard each time, but I'm aiming to at least get a posed picture on her quilt each time.  This time, we unfortunately got ready during her fussy evening time, so it was a real gamble if she would let us take pictures without screaming.  We tried our best to calm her between poses and put the camera on burst-mode to increase the chances of making the shot.  I think we took 70 pictures total!

I'm looking at the camera!

I'm gonna get that sign!

 I was doing my research online (i.e. Pinterest), and lots of people propped the baby up in a chair to make a consistent background, but one lady suggested using a blanket as a backdrop.  This way, you can change locations for optimal lighting, if you move houses, if baby is being uncooperative, etc.  Since my grandmother (Ella's great-grandmother) has finished Ella's "grandma quilt," I thought that using it would be a nice sentiment.  All of us grandkids have a quilt from grandma, and it will mean a lot to look back and see the pictures of Ella with hers.  I think they turned out well!

Cuz it ain't a good party until someone ends up
passed out in the basement, wrapped in a sheet