From the weekend

Ella has adjusted so well to Archer being the new little kid on the block.  She hasn't just adjusted well, but she's been helpful and loving.  She brings us diapers, the burp cloth, puts dirty bottles in the sink.  She rocks him in his Snug-a-Bunny and cannot go to bed without giving him a goodnight kiss. Over the weekend, I was reading her a story when Archer started crying and she closed the book, jumped off the couch and ran over to comfort him.

We've been so proud of her and frankly in awe of how seamless the transition from a family of three to a family of four has been.

Tim and I know this adjustment period could have been hard, that sometimes it takes a while for the older ones to adjust to the little ones being around.  So since Ella has been such a trooper and a stellar big sister, we wanted to do a little special something for her.  We didn't treat her with a new toy or anything when A was born, so we took our Saturday morning and made it all about little Ella.

Planning treats or outings that Ella will really enjoy is sometimes hilariously challenging.  If you know her, she likes her things, she likes routine, and she (so far) doesn't like new stuff (you should have seen her Christmas morning).  But there are three things she loves without fail - stuffed animals, puppies, and books - so we went to Barns and Noble where she played and played at the lego table and picked out a new stuffed animal (of course not before being treated with a little brownie from the cafe).

Stuffed animal and books: check.

We then hit up the mall "to see the puppies(!)"  Every time we're shopping and we pass the dogs, she gets so excited, so we went and soaked in all the cuteness.

Ella's not yet two, so it's hard to tell if she really felt special and appreciated.  I hope she did.  She cradled her new and little husky for the duration of the morning, so we were happy.