The new Ella

The new Ella came to visit this week, and she's throwing Hal and I for a loop. Starting with nursery time at church on Sunday, the new Ella is a happy, smiling, goofy, beautiful girl with no trace of her nasty friend Mr. Colic. We really don't know what to do with a baby that is just happy to be wherever she is at the moment--in her swing, in her Daddy's arms, in her carseat (well, I can dream). She and I were apart all day yesterday (8-4), and she did beautifully with Daddy and Grandmommy. She drank from her bottle (a fight to the death until the last few weeks), she slept in her swing (multiple times!), and she gave the sweetest giggles and smiles. Then, after a long day away from home, Hal and I knew we were in for a fussy evening. We got home and put her in her swing to tidy the living room and start dinner, and she stayed there sucking on her hands and blanket, perfectly content, for close to an hour. We didn't know what to do with ourselves--we each had two hands free to eat dinner AND we could eat it together.

I can't express how awesome it has been to care for this precious baby girl for the last 10 weeks. She is amazing. No doubt, though, that she and I have been through a war together--The Colic War, if you will. The poor thing went through 6 weeks of bad tummy issues, fits of pain, sleeplessness, and all-around general fussiness and discomfort. Hal and I thought it might never end, but low and behold, we have a happy, healthy baby. Hal says the new Ella "is my favorite". He also claims that God is blessing us for taking her to church on Sunday. I think God was just testing our love, patience, endurance, and a whole lot more, but He knew that we would do whatever we could for our precious Ella. God bless Ella, new and old!