Spring has sprung! Kind of.....

Last week we had some great weather. It got so warm that I was actually sweating while sitting in the back yard with Ella. Today is a different story however.

It also happens to be that time of year when military families start preparing for transfer season. Which is fun when you are not the one transferring because you can end up with some great deals. A fellow Coastie family was selling this slide for $10. I had just been talking to Ben about how I wanted something in the backyard for Ella to play with when we got the message about this slide. She loves it. She needs a lot of help to climb up the steps and needs verbal directions on how to slide down but once she gets there she has a huge smile on her face when she reaches the bottom of the slide.

Something else I'm a little late on reporting on is Ellas 18 month check up. Wow.... I can't even believe she is going on 19 months now! As usual the doctor praised me and said how impressed she is with Ellas vocabulary, and was happy to see she was at a healthy weight. Ella has some nights when she is picky about food but for the most part she is eating more then the usual toddler. She loves food, just like her parents. Here are some of her measurements as of 3/22/11.... Length was 32 1/2 inches (75%), weight 27 lbs and 3 oz (85%) and head circumference 48cm (86%). I've totally skipped the 18-24 month size clothes and I'm going straight to 2T. I hate spend money on clothes that will only fit for a few months but I hope the 2T will last a little while as long as she conts to thin out some.

As the weather continues to warm up we will be taking more family outings. Ben is preparing my mountain bike so we can go on some family rides, and Ella might even get a bike of her own soon (with some parent steering). I can wait for it to warm up and stay warm!!!

Daddy is Home!

So I know this posting is a few weeks late but we have been busy since Daddy came home. I couldn't get any good shots of the homecoming at the airport since we were late picking Ben up. Thanks to Oakland traffic and a winter storm. But as you can see everyone was happy to be home as a family again. Ella was thrilled to see Ben at the airport. As soon as she saw her Dada she wanted to be put down and ran right into his arms. It was too cute for words. The rest of the night was filled with tickles, and laughs. Ben and Ella couldn't get enough of one another.

Another puppy pic

Ella loves dogs

What's cuter then a baby? A baby who's holding a puppy!!!!! Ella loves all dogs but especially small dogs and she was thrilled she was big enough to pick this one up. Although, she did require assistance because she was mostly picking up skin and wasn't recognizing her own strength. We were eating lunch with the Roebers at their business and someone had puppies there. We must have sat there for 10 mins just playing with the puppy. I almost wanted another dog. Don't worry Ben, I came to my senses.

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!!

Ella wanted to wish everyone a happy St. Pattys day!! She refused to eat the traditional corned beef and cabbage today but Momma sure enjoyed it. Momma will also enjoy a nice stout after her little leprechaun goes to bed;-) Everyone be safe and have fun!

My toddler.

It's official..........

Ella is officially a toddler, and I am officially one of THOSE mothers. You know the moms I'm talking about.... The moms you used to stare at while her child was kicking and screaming in the middle of a busy store. And you think...."Man, why doesn't she get control!" or "Shut that kid up!" (Common, you know you have thought it!) Yeah. I want to apologize to all those moms that I stared at and had that same thought. I was completely ignorant as to what it's like to be the parent of a strong willed toddler. Don't let this cute picture below this post fool you, cause just an hour earlier Ella was in full force in the middle of the JC Penny shoe dept. Let me set the scene for you.

My friend Maggie and I were shopping for shoes for the Coast Guard Ball. Ella had already been in the stroller for over an hour so I decided to let her out and walk a bit. (BIG MISTAKE) I should have not let the mother guilt get to me because the series of events that happened next made me look even worse. So Ella and I are walking together, and I'm holding her hand. We get to the shoe department and she decides she is independent enough to push my hand away and run to the nearest display to grab all the shoes . I precede to give a big sigh and scold her, and give her a warning to hold my hand and stay by my side. She drops my hand again, and then does a victory dance as to which she loses her balance and hits her head on one of the glass shelves.

It was the hit heard across the world and all the women turned and looked at me, as if to say, "Why are you letting your baby play around glass shelves?!?!?!" Mommy guilt kicked in again, even though I knew she wasn't hurt. ( I always wait a few seconds. If Ella isn't crying immediately she's not hurt badly) I picked her up and hugged her, which she did not care for at all. In her mind she thought.." This woman is trying to hold me down, when all I want to do is play with shoes!" And I was thinking" All these women are starring at me thinking I'm a horrible mother so I have to hold Ella and convince them that I'm not reckless!" Ella turned bright red, huge tears running down her face, and with all the air in her lungs, let loose the loudest , scouring, ear bleeding scream that I have ever heard! In that instant I thought., "This could not be Ella? My daughter whines but she has never screamed like this! "
In that moment I realized that, my worst fear came true. Ella is no longer a baby. She is finding her independence and everyone is going to know about.
So needless to say, Ella was fine. I put her in her stroller and walked away from the shoe dept in shame, and embarrassment. We went to the bathroom and I changed her diaper while she was laughing and playing with her toes, and her face was still beet red from her fit. I wish all those women would have seen her at that moment!
Shopping trip.... OVER. No shoes purchased, but lesson learned.

It really started 2 weeks ago when she flat out refused to eat her dinner even though it was her favorite meal. I thought maybe she was just teething, or acting out from not having Ben around but I was wrong. She is defiant, and exploring her independence. Parts of it are exciting and fun, like when I can wash dishes and watch Ella play by herself without crying for me to join her on the floor. Or when we go to the playground and she explores the ins and outs of the play structure with her friends. The best part of her independence though, is when she actively seeks hugs and kisses from me and Ben. I will go through a thousand tantrums for just one hug and kiss from her. I just hope those tantrums never take place at the mall again. ;-)

A nice day with my muffin.

Today was sunny and warm, so we took a walk around lake chabot(well momma took a walk and pushed Ella). Afterwards we came home ate lunch and played at the playground with her new bucket and shovel . She looks like she's ready for some serious yard work here. I taught her how to scoop with her shovel and she loved putting the bark in the bucket until she realized it was easier to just pick it up with her hands. She cracks me up!

Watering the plants.

It's amazing how quickly kids pick up new skills. Here is Ella pretending to water our dead tomato plants. She must have learned this from watching me water the plants on our front porch. Which doesnt happen too often. Let's hope she doesn't end up with my brown thumb.

Ella loves Baxter

Over the past few weeks Ella has really started to become intrigued with Baxter. She has always found him entertaining but now she follows him around the house, watches him when he eats, lays down next to him while he is in his dog bed, and she has to hold the leash when we take him for a walk. You can tell she feels proud holding the leash, like "look at me! I'm a big girl walking my dog."

First haircut!

This morning Ella had an appointment for her first haircut. She still doesn't have a lot of hair but what she has is getting a little long in some areas. She has been rocking the mullet for way too long now, so it was about time to cut it off. She did great. Just a few tears were shed and she didn't care for the blow dryer much but no major fits. Which is wonderful cause I was totally expecting a breakdown. We even got a little certificate with her hair to put in her baby scrapbook.

And just to get us in a good mood on this rainy day I decided to make French toast for breakfast. Which as you can tell by the picture is Ella's favorite.

FT. Huachuka

I never though the high desert would appeal to me and yet I find it amazing. I never knew you could see so far, the vistas are just incredible. I ambled my way up a 3000' mountain (this pic is halfway, I started a 5000'). 8000' for this flat lander was a workout but the views were well worth the effort.


















You can see the trail go down and then back up the steeper peak on the left. I was high enough for it to no longer look like the desert does at the mountains base, the next one I want to climb has snow on it's summit, but that might be an all day trip.

Studio grow.

So while Ben is away I always become a more active member in the moms club. Today we all met at a new place called Studio Grow. It's a huge room set up with educational toys, art projects, and a few obstacle courses. Ella loved this tube and kept crawling back and forth. I had to pull her out to give the other kids a chance to play in it. She also loved drawing on the chalk board. Ella had so much fun I had to keep her from falling asleep on the car ride home.

Last pic with daddy...,

For 5 weeks. We miss you Daddy. Hopefully time will fly by!

Studio grow

Valentines

I didn't do that to this sweetheart though. He's just silly.

Valentines

I dressed my sweetheart up for a nice dinner.

Berkley Botanical Gardens.

This past weekend was our last weekend together before Ben left for AZ for 5 weeks, so we decided to take a trip to Berkley and see the Botanical Gardens. We had fun for the little time we spent there and the weather was great. Unfortunately we failed to plan for lunch and had to leave early since we were all getting hungry and a bit cranky. It's amazing how a little day trip needs to be planned out with precision when you have a kid. We have to account for every possible event. Do we have enough diapers? A change of clothes? Snacks? Sippy cup? A few toys for entertainment? Stroller? Sunblock? Sweater? You would think we were going camping with all the items we have to bring. It's no wonder that I totally forgot that we wouldn't get there until right before lunch time. But that's our life now. Scheduled and prepared(mostly), and I wouldn't change any of it.


Daddy showing Ella CA poppies

Ella showing peekaboo face.

Us in the Rose Garden, minus the roses.

Love the CA views.

You all know who this pick is for. S.B.S.!!!!

The prettiest thing in the Gardens!

Happy Anniversary HUBBY!!!!

Today , 4 years ago, Ben and I were married infront of our friends and family. What a great day! Who would have thought that we would live in 3 different states, go through 2 promotions, drive across country, and have a baby in just 4 short years. Life in the military sure moves fast.

Heres to 4(really 5) years of good, and bad, love , and laughter, and appreciation for each other. Thank you Ben for being my best friend, a loving and supporting husband, and the best Dad to our daughter.

Lake Del Valle Pics

Lake Del Valle.

Ben came home a day early from his Tahoe trip last week so we could spend the day together as a family. So we decided to do a little hiking at Lake Del Valle. The weather was beautiful! We decided to try a new trail and have a little picnic. We definatly worked hard for our lunch that day. The trail went straight up for a good mile or two. But the view was worth it. It was a little bumpy for Ella but she had lots of fun once we stoped for lunch. She loved picking up sticks and rocks and throwing them back down. She pointed at all the birds, which she calls ducks, and even saw a couple of dogs in the park. She loves to see items that she is familiar with because she likes to use her new vocabulary. Her favorite words are:
1.Dog
2. Doggy
3. Duck
4. Dadda
5. Happy
6. Sock (shes having difficulty with shoes so she calls them socks as well.)
7.Ball
8. Baby
9. Sad
We are working on cat, shoes, and turtle.

Ben's Tahoe Trip

Last week Ben full filled a dream of his, which was to ski in Tahoe. One day he took a group of fellow Coasties as an MWR trip up to Tahoe, and then just a few days later he spent 3 days by himself skiing. I stayed behind because I thought Ella and I would be more comfortable at home. This Florida girl doesn't get overly excited to hang out in the cold. Seeing snow is always fun for me but I hate being cold, and I wouldn't have been able to ski anyways since Ella is too young still for that sport. So here are a couple of pics from Bens trip.

Oakland Zoo.

The weather here has been beautifull over the past week. High temps in the low to mid 60's and sunny. So on Bens long weekend (MLK day) we went to the Oakland Zoo. Ella had a blast. Mostly just because she like being around kids, and other people. She was just mildly interested in some of the animals. She said hello to everyone and even walked most of the park. We had a great time, although it was just as tiring for Mom and Dad as it was for Ella. Following a toddler around a park is a lot of work. But it was worth it to see her having fun. As soon as she was buckled in to her car seat she passed out . Maybe next time everyone will have enough energy to go on some of the kiddie rides.

Walking in Daddys shoes.

Ella loves putting on other peoples shoes so Daddy helped her get into his work boots.

Those are big shoes to fill baby girl! Maybe one day you will follow in your Daddys foot steps?

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Years. Ben and I celeabrated the way we normally do.... at home and in bed before midnight.

I finally found the motivation to post some Christmas pictures. The week of Christmas Ella was sweet enough to share her germs with Ben and I. So the whole family was not feeling well during the holiday. Ofcourse it only took Ella a few days to get over the illness where as Ben and I are still dealing with a mean sinus infection. Which brings me back to the pictures. We didn't take too many because the flash was too much for my already thorbbing head. So later this weekend Ben will post video of Ella opening some gifts.

We really enjoyed watching Ella open her gifts this year. She still had a difficult time or lacked intrest in opeing most gifts but once they were open she realized they were for her and lit up when she got a new gift.

Even though we were not feeling well we still had a wonderful Christmas because I realized how lucky we are to have a warm home, great food, and to have our family. There's nothing better then that! So here comes 2011. Another busy year for the Glanvilles. We have lots of plans, trips, and Im sure there will be some surprises too in the new year.

Fwd: 15 month checkup.

>
> Yesterday Ella turned 15 months old! So today we had a checkup with
> the doctor. Ella didn't care for the doctor to touch her, which is a
> first. But we got some measurements and I had to compare them to
> the measurement we got last year around this time so here it
> is...... Weight now 24 lbs and 10 oz (77th%) last year 12 lbs 10 oz
> (29th%)!!!!!! Height now 30 inches (37th%) last year 24 inched
> (42%). It's amazing how much she has grown and all the skills she
> has mastered since last year. The doctor was amazed at how much
> Ella was speaking and told me how smart she is..... Ofcourse we
> already new that. Hehe. I'm so thankfull to have a healthy and
> happy little girl. She has been so much fun as she has become a
> toddler. She loves to dance, give kisses, and likes playing with
> Baxter now and is obsessed with books.
> We hope she will enjoy opening her gifts this Christmas. We will
> post more pics after the holiday. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!
> Sent from my iPhone

15 month checkup.

I have an announcement!

Ella just wanted to tell everyone that she had her first animal
cracker and she LOVES them! Now I have a reason to keep a stock of
them in the house:-)