9 Weeks Old

Ellen turned two months old on the 27th, but as of today has been in our lives for nine glorious weeks. She's still a very happy baby who sleeps well at night (thank God!). Ellen loves to smile and coo, and just recently, started initiating smiles and "conversations" with us. As you can see from the picture below, she's also continuing to add bulk to her chubby little tummy and thighs!

2 Months Old!

Ellen turned two months old on Dec. 27. Unfortunately, her two-month photos didn't go as smooth as last month since she was a little fussy ...

Attempt #1:

Attempt #57 (or a number close to it):

Ellen had her two-month well visit at the doctor on the 28th ... She's "perfectly healthy" and handled her three shots like a champ. (I think it was harder for mom & dad.)

Pre-shots (EVB was too sad for a picture post-shots):

EVB's official two-month stats:

• Weight: 10 lbs. 7 oz. (Grandma Lynn's guess of 10 lbs. 6 oz. was the closest)
• Height: 23.25 inches (However, their method for measuring isn't very precise ... I think she's closer to 22 inches)
• Head: 15.25 inches

Best of all, Ellen is a very happy two-month-old baby!

Yes, Ellen Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

Ellen's Christmas festivities started off with an impressive snowfall. Since our stroller didn't come equipped with snow chains, we broke out the Baby Bjorn and bear snowsuit so we could get some fresh air.

Ellen had lots of fun at her first Flynn Family Christmas Party on the 23rd ...

She got to see Santa, again, and posed for a picture with her cousins, Gavin and Sophia.
On Christmas Eve, EVB donned a fancy red dress for church, followed by dinner and presents at Omma & Boppa (Grandma Lynn & Grandpa Rollie)'s house.

Before heading over to Grandma Suzi and Grandpa Kent's house on Christmas Day, we spent a relaxing morning at home. It was so much fun to see what Santa brought Ellen! (She had no clue what was going on, but I'm sure we'll enjoy looking back on the numerous photos and videos of her first Christmas.)

Ellen was all tuckered out by the time we got home Christmas night, but she was kind enough to let us take one final picture of her with some of her loot from Santa. (This pales in comparison to the amount of gifts Ellen received from everyone else ... I have no idea where we're going to store everything, but we're very appreciative of everyone's generosity!)

All in all, EVB had a magical first Christmas!

8 Weeks Old

Ellen is eight weeks old and anxiously waiting for Santa to come down her chimney in just a few days!

7 Weeks Old

I can hardly believe that Ellen is seven weeks old ... My, how time flies. (And, I really can't believe I have to go back to work in just five weeks!) We're still enjoying every minute with Ellen; she gets sweeter and more entertaining every day!

Ellen having fun lounging on her Boppy pillow.

6 Weeks Old

EVB is six weeks old and getting chunkier by the day ...

and she's continuing to give us cute little smiles!

Breakfast with Santa

Ellen experienced her first visit to Owatonna for breakfast with Santa and to celebrate Aunt Meghan's birthday. It will be interesting to see if Ellen is this relaxed when it comes time to visit Santa next year ...

Ellen & Santa

The next day, Ellen modeled her own Santa hat ...

and her cute ski hat!

5 Weeks Old: Swings, Smiles & Shopping

At five weeks old, Ellen is busy enjoying her swing, smiling occasionally and Christmas shopping (we've been fixtures at the Mall of America this week).

Ellen's upper body is a bit disproportionate compared to her lower body ... As you can see from this picture, she's a little top-heavy!

Ellen is liking her swing these days and recently discovered the mobile. She loves watching it go round and round.

Our little lady has also started smiling. It's hard to capture baby smiles on camera, but this is one attempt.

... and another

Ellen ready to do some shopping on Grand Avenue with mom and Grandma Lynn.

1 Month Old

Ellen is officially one month old! Lately, she's been busy:

• Kicking her arms and legs
• Tracking objects with her eyes
• Cooing and making other cute noises
• Learning how to use her paci when she's fussy
• Starting to smile in response to our voices

Ellen is such a good baby and we can't seem to remember life without her.

Ellen's First Turkey Day

We were lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with both the Benscoters and the Flynns, which also meant we got to eat twice (woo hoo!). Ellen was able to spend time with her grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. What a great day!

Our first Thanksgiving as a family of three ...

Little Turkey!

Bath Time

Ellen loves her whale bathtub ...

After her bath, Ellen enjoys wearing her duckie robe and curling up with a good book.

4 Weeks Old!

I can't believe Ellen has been part of our family for four weeks already!

Here's what Ellen looked like one month ago today (on Oct. 24)!

Lunch with Daddy

On Thursday, Ellen and I met Adam for lunch and then went to his office for a visit. It's hard to see in the picture, but Ellen wore her "I heart Daddy" onesie for the occasion. Adam had fun introducing Ellen to his coworkers and I thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the house for a bit!

3 Weeks Old!

Hard to believe, but EVB is already three weeks old! And, she seems to be changing more and more each day. While I'm not sure of her current weight, she appears to be filling out quite nicely ... I'm especially proud of her chubby cheeks and double chin, as well as the impressive rolls on her neck, arms and upper thighs.

Homebody

Ellen has been spending more time hanging around indoors the past few days...

Teddy and Patrick who are 11 days older than Ellen came over last week; however, all three babies slept through the majority of the visit.

With more time spent sitting around the house, we were finally able to catch Ellen's "poop face" on camera.

Tummy time!

Ellen all tuckered out after reading the latest issue of mom's People magazine.

Newborn Photos

Ellen's newborn photos are available online. Visit www.kellyhesli.com. Under "CLIENTS" enter the following password: abenscoter

Ellen's First Two Weeks

Aside from her brief stay at Children's Hospital, Ellen has had a rather relaxing first two weeks of life. Highlights include:

• First Halloween
• First walk around the neighborhood in her new stroller
  
• First visit to the pediatrician
  
• First trip to Target
  
• First photo session
• First visits to her grandparents' houses
• First bottles from dad
  
• First use of a pacifier (not sure if she's a fan yet)
  
• Plenty of visits from family and friends (Ellen is one popular little lady!)

Some things we love about Ellen so far:

• Her chubby upper arms (they look like turkey drumsticks!)
  
• Her long fingers and toes (her big feet remind us of E.T.)
  
• Her discovery of her arms and hands
  
• How she constantly rest her little fists on her cheeks
• How she sometimes goes cross-eyed
  
• Her sweet little noises
  
• The way she lifts her neck (she's already very strong!)
  
• Her poop face!