Ella: An update

I decided to stop doing monthly updates when Ella turned three, because she isn't changing very much month to month. Now that she is almost three and a half( seriously!?) I thought I better jot some things down so I don't forget. 

I can not believe how fast she is growing up. Ella will be starting preschool in two short months.  It really makes me sad that she will never not be in school again until hopefully she graduates college. I am holding on to these last couple of months, because if it was up to me I'd keep her home forever. Sometimes I wish I could bottle her up and keep her small, but I know I can't. I didn't realize time would go this fast once I had her. It seems like yesterday I was pregnant with her, and here I am almost four years later talking about preschool. 

Ella is like a sponge right now. She picks up things so quickly. She knows left from right. She recognizes numbers 1-10. She knows letters. She knows her name, and she can spell it. I have also been teaching her family members names. It makes me laugh, because sometimes she will refer to us as "Adam and Miranda." The other day she told me "Adam is in Terre Haute."  She says the funniest things. She told me the other day her hiccups went to Target. Her boo boo also went to Target. I think we go to Target way too much. Ella and I go out to eat sometimes when Adam is gone. My top pick is always Moe's. Ella always wants to go to "Canera Bread" instead. I have to trade off with her. The girl knows what she wants.  Her reasoning ability is also amazing to me. I can't believe all the things she has learned in the past 6 months. It will be interesting to see what she learns by the time she is four. 

Ella now wears panties all the time. Hallelujah!  About two weeks ago it finally clicked that she can pee in a public restroom so now we have to go at every establishment, and it's always right in the middle of lunch or dinner. This is such a relief. She was terrified so I am glad she got over her fear. Now we just need to work on number 2, and she will be set. 

Naps are a thing of the past. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. Granted, I don't have as much time during the day to clean, do laundry, or waste time on my computer, but it's not that bad. Ella does like to sit and watch movies in the afternoon and rest which helps. On rare occasions, like today, she will tell me she is tired and wants to take a nap. I take advantage of those few hours to myself! 

Ella is definitely getting to be less work and more fun. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments, but all in all I enjoy every minute spent with her. She loves the playground. I think it's her favorite thing. She also loves Holiday World, the children museum, and the zoo. She is always up for a new adventure. If I tell her we are going to do something fun she always asks, "where we goin?"  I love our conversations. You never know what is going to come out of her mouth. 

Ella is still shy and a little timid. She has definitely come a long way in the past six months though. She is doing so much better at child watch. She doesn't cry when I drop her off. She walks right in like a big girl. She has a few "friends" her age that she plays pretty good with. She used to be really scared of other kids, but she seems to be getting better about this. I have been trying really hard to get her around as many kids as possible. 

The last six months have been so much fun. It has been so fun watching Ella grow and learn new things. I think I have said I love every stage, but this is my favorite.  Even though having a child is so much work I never imagined the amount of joy she would bring me. She fills our house with lots of love and lots of laughter. We are so blessed to have her in our lives!