Happy three weeks Ella

Ella in all her glory! This baby loves laying in her grandpa's chair with nothing on but a diaper!

Ella in her duck outfit!

Baby bonding time!

I could hold this sweet little thing all day and night..She seems to think that's a great idea! (please note the little monkey is wearing her favorite outfit!)

This is her Thanksgiving outfit! Thanks Christy for this cute Turkey shirt it is SO cute and has been a big hit!

Trip to Logan

Lora and I have always loved to visit family in Logan. Lora's Grandma and Grandpa James are the best hosts and spoil us rotten. Grandma made us this great taco soup and Grandpa gave us lots of great advice. They just got back from their mission to Wyoming and had lots of stories to share. We were so glad that we got to spend this time with them and that they could see Ella.

Grandma James was so happy to see her Great-Granddaughter

Grandpa James is great with kids, but as the picture shows, he's not quite sure what to do with babies. But he's a great-grandpa, in all of the senses of the the word.We were all pretty tuckered out. But Elleah had a blast up there in Logan!

Ella goes to the Doctor

Happy Two weeks Ella! We took Ella into the Dr for her two week check up and things couldn't be better! The Dr was extremely impressed with how well she is growing, her great color, and her wonderful temperament. She gained one whole pound and grew half and inch, and her head measured in at 14 inches round. She is in the 19% for weight 31% for height and 40% for head size (we got a little chuckle out of that one) she is really healthy and growing great. She had her 2nd PKU test and didn't even cry too much! We also had her photos taken today by a professional photographer so hopefully we'll have them back and announcements made really soon! Probably sometime next week!

The million faces of Elleah

At only 12 days old Ella is so expressive. If you hold this little girl for 5 minutes you will see a plethora of faces ranging from her adorable "mad" face to her sweet little smile!

Her sleeping face

Her happy dreams face

Her mad face

Her I'm so funny face

Her look how chubby I am getting pose!
(I laughed for about 10 min. when she pulled this one)

Her I'm the cutest baby in the whole world face

I put her on the floor to take some photos and she instantly started posing! She held her hand in the funniest ways it was like she knew I was taking her picture!

Growing up baby!

So I have to apologize for not posting sooner, we have been so busy and have had lots of computer/camera problems, but things are working great and I think everyone will agree it was worth the wait!

Ella has decided the best way to live in this life is the same way she came into it..NUDE!!

She sleeps so great if we have her wrapped in a blanket and just a diaper on!

When Ella is awake she really is awake! Everyone comments on her beautiful bright eyes!

She finally fit into her coming home outfit. It still slips off too easily for a good fit, but we can really see difference from the first time we attempted to get her in it!

Elleah's First Bath

We thought you would enjoy this

Celebrating 5 days in a 5-star resort

Lora and I had planned on staying Park City for our anniversary this weekend, but Elleah had other plans for us. All the same, since everything was already paid for and there was no sense in wasting our reservation, we decided to take her up there. It was great. Elleah especially liked sleeping in the king-size bed; fitting, we thought, for the princess that she is.

What a weekend!!

Elleah is absolutely perfect!! She has loved all of the constant attention from her grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and even her little cousins. She has been such a great addition to not only our little family, but to our extended family. We've spent much of the weekend talking to our family over the phone about how great this little one is. They all agree: she is the cutest living thing on earth. Everyone comments on her perfect features, her face, her little nose and especially her eyes. She has us all guessing what her eye color is going to be. Our only response is that her birth parents are absolutely beautiful. It was great seeing you on Sunday, the more we get to know you, the more we love her. We really want to get a copy of that video we took of Cameron singing her song.

bitter-sweet

We've never been through anything harder. We admire you both so much; for your courage, for your bravery, and for your selflessness. We are so grateful for our precious little gift and will never ever take her for granted. She was a perfect baby on her first night. The nurses told us to expect her to wake up about every 2 hours and that's exactly what she did. She is sooooo perfect. It was a long night, but she is the cutest thing in the world. There is something very special about spending those still, quiet hours of the night with her. Everything seems to melt away. We love her more and more every second we spend with her.

she has such a sweet smile

she smells so great

this is where it became so real to me, putting her in her car seat. it made me feel so strongly that "paternal" instinct: to protect and provide for my little family

A little early . . . but right on time!

November 5, 2008 - Our little girl made her grand entrance to this world in great style. It was a perfect delivery and she is an absolutely perfect baby. No words do our feelings justice and even if there were words, there would be no way to put them all together: Love, Sacrifice, Humility, Squeeks and Shrieks, Gratitude, Fear, Giddiness, Velociraptor, Angel, Hungry, Tired, 24 hour drive from Houston, and most of all Joy, among so many others.

Jocelyn and Cameron, thank-you, a thousand times thank-you. No matter how hard we try, we can't find the words to describe our feelings. We're sure you know how that is. Please know that we will always do our best and know that this little girl is here because of two of the most selfless, loving and beautiful people we have ever known. Thank you for making our little family possible and know that you will always be a part of it.