This is dedicated to the baby sleeping on the floor.

Well, the morning was progressing as usual. Ella got up and grinned at us for a while as we cooed at her and loved on her. She is truly a morning person. Paul left for work, and Ella and I got busy feeding her breakfast. She is not as passionate about breakfast as I am... she is her father's daughter in that way, I guess. She eats a little and then talks with me for a little, and then eats a little more. This continues for a while until she stops eating and gets bored of chatting with her mom. So that's when floor time begins. I put her on her tummy, and went into the other room to put on some good brain music. Queen. I like to expose her to the Classics. (Side note: We were driving and she was fussing the other day when "Hotel California" by the Eagles came on the radio. She calmed right down, I kid you not.)

Well, when I left Ella this is what she looked like:

And when I came back into the room, this is what I found:

My daughter had the nerve to roll over for the first time without letting me watch! Well, you can imagine my shock and surprise. (I think she may have been confused as to why I was yelling in delight.) So, I put her back on her belly in hopes of a repeat performance. No luck, yet. However, I can tell you right now that she will be spending the bulk of her day on her tummy.

I did let her take a break so she could nap this morning. Unfortunately, her morning nap is usually on the guest bed upstairs so I can hear her. Now the fear of moving in her sleep has been realized, she has been relegated to the floor.

The crib is just too far away when I'm upstairs getting things done. But I'm probably going to have to give in soon enough. The child can't nap on the floor forever. :) Well, gang, that's the news here. Wish me luck in my child-watch. I'll catch her in the act even if I have to give up cleaning to do so. (It's a big sacrifice, but one I'm willing to make... for the sake of motherhood.)

I only need to post one picture today.

And here it is:

The picture of domesticity.

Saturday I canned a bushel of peaches. Sunday I made a yummy soup with zucchini and tomatoes out of the garden. The salad was almost entirely garden grown as well (but it was from Lindsay's garden, so it doesn't count as much). Then on Monday I got up and made whole wheat bread from wheat that I ground myself (in an electric grinder... so also a little bit of a cheat. Next time I'm using a mortar and pestle, for sure.) :) And this morning I woke up and had some of my homemade whole wheat bread with my canned applesauce from last year. How self-sufficient am I? I'm thinking about getting a dairy goat for the backyard, and then we can stop going to the store altogether. So, we're pretty much set if disaster strikes. After all, in my basement I have a year's supply of cereal and kleenex. What more do you really need?

I like that I don't have to feel guilty for obsessing about my daughter when I blog here.

On facebook I feel that I should retain a semblance of individuality, instead of the reality, which is that my existence has merged with that of Ella. Lucky for us, we are family here, so we can all be obsessed about Ella without embarrassment. We'll call ourselves Ellaholics Anonymous. My name is Jess and I'm an Ellaholic. Thank you for sharing, Jess.



Life has been so stinkin' good lately. We are starting to get on a schedule, and I actually got up this morning and went to the gym. (Ella didn't wake up until 5am to eat, and then I figured, well, I'm up, I'll just go. So she and Paul snuggled while I sweated.) I came home and went back to sleep. I wasn't actually that sleepy, but it is rare that her naps are convenient enough for me to get one in as well.


We went to Provo last weekend and pretty much just spent the whole time hanging at Grandma's and playing the Wii (which Paul naturally brought along.) It was great. Is there really anything better than laziness with those you love? I think not. We took some cute pictures of Ella, too. (Nothing like a good hobby to get you up and going.)

"Our State Fair is a great State Fair"

Well this week is the Eastern Idaho State Fair down in Blackfoot, ID. (Incidentally, also home of the Potato Museum. It's a hot spot for tourists, as I'm sure you can imagine.) This is all I have to say: Why did I not spend my year getting ready for this glorious event!? Next year I am entering everything I can into the State Fair. Cookies, quilts, photos, sheep, flowers... I think I could have placed in the sunflower competition, mine are beautiful, now that they have finally bloomed :)


So we did more Ella-bundling. Because it is still cold. (Hurumph.) And we toured the fair! Paul was our photographer, mainly, and in the grand tradition of Paul, took lots of pictures of food. The baked goods competition was really fun, and we dared each other to eat some of the goodies on display, but neither of us could get up the nerve. He also got lots of pictures of livestock. Now, I know that he says he doesn't want to have a farm. But I'm pretty sure that in his heart of hearts, I believe he too dreams of a homestead where we can frolic with our lambs in the spring, and eat our own chickens. (I don't think I could eat any other farm animal that I actually owned. Chickens are vicious. I could eat one that I knew, no problem.)

We used the wrap to cart Ella around, which was nice because she fell asleep just before the Poison concert began. I am not thinking she will be much of a fan of Poison. But, one never knows. Ella was awake long enough to witness the gargantuan pumpkin competition. I'm glad she didn't have to miss that one.

All in all, we had a grand old time. I never would have imagined the State Fair to be such an entertaining event. Put it on your calenders for next year, folks!