Merry Christmas 2009!

Love,

Mike, Karen, Ben and Ella!

(After standing in line for 3 hours Ben refused to sit on Santa's lap, so....the whole family got to see Santa!)

1 Month Old!

It's amazing to me that it's already been one month since Ella came and blessed our lives. What's even more amazing to me is, although that month has come and gone with just a blink, Ella's presence in our family is so natural that it feel's as if she's always been a part of our lives. Here are a few "action packed" photo's of her first month.

5 days old

9 days old

20 days old

Her happy place seems to be her carseat...so glad to have figured this out!

27 days old

Hangin' with her brother!

1 month old!

Fun morning activity - watching her mobile!

Our Little Green Frogs

I just love these pictures of Ben and Ella in their froggy towels!

Ben

Ella

Ella and Luella!

Steven and Tenielle had a baby girl on November 25th - Luella Marie - 9lbs, 20 1/2 inches! Another big girl in the family. How fun for Ella to have a cousin so close in age. I have a feeling these two are going to be trouble growing up :)

Big Sister Ava, Luella, Ella, and Big Brother Ben

Wow - must be a trick of the camera! Ella is a bit longer, but not by THAT much!!

What two beautiful girls!

Ella's First Bath

Today was Ella's first bath since coming home from the hospital! She had the same opinion as her big brother did about his first bath - not a fan.

Here she is letting us know what she thinks about the bath idea.

Ben was very helpful and lent a hand with her first bath.




The final rinse!

And finally, all done and warm again!

Hopefully with time she'll learn to love bath time :)

Big Brother Ben

Ben is so very proud to be a BIG BROTHER! He loved his sister right from the start (even though he REALLY wanted her to be a boy).

Meeting Ella for the first time!

Getting the all important "Big Brother T"

Reading up on how to be a Big Brother

Holding Ella for the first time!

Realizing that you get lots of presents when you become a Big Brother!

An expert already! Here he is showing us what to do when Ella get's fussy.

Ella is one lucky little girl to get you as her big brother!

IT'S A GIRL!

We are so excited to welcome our beautiful daughter, Ella Grace, to our family!

Born at 4:38am, Monday, November 16th

9lbs 1oz, 22 inches long!

Just a few hours old!

Daddy and Ella

Mommy and Ella

Proud parents!

Big brother Ben, so loving to his new baby sister!