Buon giorno from Napoli!

Ella in the baby pool in Naples. She is quite the water lover and likes to walk around the pool in her lily pad floatie.

Is that Ella or a gondolier?

License to Drive--watch out for the duckmobile!

Ella is 11 Months Old!

Ciao! I'm 11 months old!!! I now have 8 teeth, still detest sitting still for anything, love to eat pickles, say "nana" for mama and "dada" for daddy, and prefer to crawl (walking's overrated anyway!).

















I really like to push and pull things like chairs, doors, and stolls.

















Hello there! What's for dinner?

Chunky Monkey

Okay, so she wouldn't make a great monkey, but she's cute, isn't she?

Happy Birthday, Nonni!

It's my Nonni Linda's BIG birthday today! If you see her, wish her a great one!

I love and miss you, Nonni!

Memorial Day Weekend in Scoglitti

Last weekend we headed south to the beach town of Scoglitti with our friends, the McKowns, for some much needed R&R. At this time of year the beaches are not crowded at all, so we pretty much had the area to ourselves.

It was a bit windy, but Ella still loved going to the beach! She got to sample sand for the first time!

Ella and Phil at our secret beach.

Flowers in her hair.....music everywhere!

Checking out nature in our front yard. She likes to eat the grass!

Ella's favorite new toy--a chocolate soy milk box!

Ella Louise is 10 Months Old!

I'm a big girl now! As you can see in my picture, I now stand up all the time, but only while leaning against something sturdy. I am a master crawler on my hands and knees and I especially like to test my Mama's attention by making a beeline for the stairs! I have six teeth, still only two on the bottom, but all four front teeth on the top. I can clap my hands together and wave hello or goodbye. I also love to point at everything, especially all of the artwork on our walls at home. I really love my Auntie Monique's painting entitled "Poppy Fields", probably because I see a lot of wild poppies outside right now. My Mama and Daddy think they have a budding scientist on their hands because I love nature, especially putting flower heads and leaves in my mouth! That's all for now...until next time! Ciao!

This is how I slide back down so I don't hurt myself.

Check out this chair I received from my Moma and Grandpa Andre for my 1st birthday! I know, my birthday is still two months away, but I'm not complaining!

They finally gave me a chair that's just my size!

Little Miss Independent

Rise and shine, Ella!

Time to get up and start the day!

Okay, I'm off to see the world in my new backpack! Peace out, Mama and Daddy!

Well, maybe I'll just hang out with Mama and Daddy a little longer:)

Ella Louise is 9 Months Old!

Buon giorno, mondo! I have made leaps and bounds since I last wrote. I am now a speed crawler; sometimes up on my hands and knees, but mostly on my belly like a soldier in boot camp! I figured out how to pull myself up onto things like a couch or chair and I also know how to get up to sitting from my belly. I still prefer pureed baby food to anything chunky, but I'm now eating small things like Gerber puffs with my fingers. I am also saying "dadada" a lot and "mamama" a little. It's okay, my Mama knows I love her! That's all for now. Until next month, ciao!

Ella and her mama.

Where are you, Mr. Easter Bunny?

Mr. Easter Bunny! I have a nice little egg for you! Come out, come out wherever you are!