Christmas Day 2019

We had a fun time on Christmas Day. I set up my phone to record video and set up Dave's ipad to record time lapse. But who has time to edit that! So here are a few screen shots. If I ever edit a video then I'll post that too. 

Ella opened a dress then had to change her outfit.

 Since my phone was in use I haded Dave too take some pictures. He took about 10.

Ella was so excited for her ear muffs.

Kids Say... (June, July, and August 2019)

I still document a few things but forget a lot. Then I forget to make the posts. So I'll try to catch up.

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A sign I never have the kitchen table clean. Miles walked to it and stopped in his tracks “there is nothing in the table!!!”

6/2/19
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“I want Jaden and Maddie to come back to our house.” -- from Miles

6/18/19
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Miles: Mommy I wish we had some red tomatoes
Me: Well maybe we can have some later.
Miles: Well I don’t like red tomatoes
Me: Well you don’t have to eat them
Miles: How about we have some green peppers?

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Arriving and getting out of car
Me: Miles as soon as we get out of the car I’m going to feed Miles. I mean Liam
Miles: Mommy I don’t like boobs

6/27/19
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Red white and blue day at school
I say "I’m wearing blue. I didn’t have something that was all 3 colors"
“I was going to get a red necklace. I forgot. “

Minutes later
Miles: your legs are white
Me: They are white
Miles: yes for red white and blue day. You just need red.

7/3/19
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Taking about Miles’s nickname for Liam
Me: Miles where did you come up with the name puggy?
Miles: good morning huggy

7/4/19/19
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Miles is tired. Denies it
Dave: Miles you know how you are always falling over
Miles: ride horses

7/7/19
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Go in Liam’s room
To get him and feed him. Come out

Miles: I missed you when you were gone.
❤️

7/8/19
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Miles thanks me for giving him bread (dinner). And late thanks me for giving him more pasta

Me: You're so nice and kind.
He argues “no you are nice and kind”
Me: we both are
Miles: you and Daddy are nice and kind

7/20/19
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Miles: Mommy can I have 2 best friends?
Me: Yeah you can have 2
Miles: Yay then Liam can be my best friend, too.
(He often says Ella is his best friend)

8/3/19
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Miles Just got sad. And I asked why.
Miles: I don't want to go to acorn.
Me: Why?
Miles: Because I will miss Ms Sarah
I told him he can still say hi to her and she can visit acorn so then he got happy

8/4/19
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Pap-Pap asked his favorite part of the day
Miles: Ella
Pap-Pap: Why?
Miles: Because she’s not bothering me now

8/4/19
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Singing Skinnamarinky dink to Liam
It ends
Miles: I love you too mama

8/4/19 (He has done this many many times since)
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I went to bathroom. And hear “let’s get this baby out of here” from Ella
I shout not to take him

And come out to them putting him in a doll stroller

8/13/19
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Miles tells me he likes the made bed. More room for jumping. He said the cleaning ladies made it for him. I said no I made it

He said “aw mom. You are the best”

8/20/19
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Miles: mommy I’m glad Liam is part of our family.

8/21/19
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Miles playing with toy Pap-Pap bought him. I ask if he got that from Pap-Pap. He says “no. I got it from the store. You were there. and daddy. and Ella. and Liam. and Pap-Pap”
(Pap-Pap did pay)

8/27/19
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Miles: Mommy I had such a fun day with you
Miles said this after we got back from getting donuts and going to the dollar tree

8/31/19
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Ella and I put the camping chairs in the car. She was so excited. And said she wants to camp. She said she can use her sleeping bag.

Ella: I can take my sleeping bag, my stuffy, and my night light.
Me: You don't have a tent.
Ella: I can just sleep under the stars.

8/31/19
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My favorite one might be when I hear Ella say let's get this baby out of here.

Liam 8 Month Update

I took his stats days late. I tried 1 day late and didn't find my tape measure and it just kept getting worse. At least my charts app gives the percentile for how many months and days old he is.

Stats:

• Weight: 19 lb 3 oz - 51st percentile
• Height: 30.5" - 99.9th percentile
• Head Circumference: 45.5 cm - 76th percentile
• Weight/Length Percentile: 5%
• Diapers: Size 3
• Clothing: Mostly 12 month clothing. Some 18 month onesies. 6-9 mo  or 12 mo pants
• Shoe Size: 5 but he never wears them
• Teeth: 6 (6 cut but aren't really popping up yet)

(stats using WHO, CDC has weight higher and other 2 lower. I never remember which ones I use each month.)

Sleep
Sleep is awful. The awful changes slightly. He used to take a long morning nap but now that is 5-15 minutes in the crib half the days of the week. I feel like he's more of a 1.5 napper since one nap is super short.  He will wake up a million times at night. He's only had as many longer stretches as shown before because I end up falling asleep int he chair and hold him for 2+ hours of it so then he didn't really wake up.  He often wakes up 3 times before midnight.  I could open the data but I don't even want to or I might get more depressed with how awful my sleep has been.

Eating
Liam mostly nurses. He will eat 1 to 2 times in the high chair everyday.  He's able to eat a little more foods than he has been. He can't wait until he gets more teeth. Now instead of using crackers as an appetizer until I get real food situated, he picks them up and crumbles them. He just wants the real food and is sick of crackers. Sometimes he will eat them and you know he's hungry.

Sample Schedule:
It's still insane to have a sample schedule.  I'd say the only thing consistent is him wanting to take a nap every day at 8:30 am. He gets woken up so much from drop offs, pickups, and appointments  or forced to stay awake longer because of those things.  He nurses every time before he falls asleep and when he wakes up unless we are out. He will whine or cry even if I nurse him and put him in the car or stroller.   Overnight sometimes he sleeps a few hours at first and other times he wakes up 5x within the first few hours. At night sometimes he wakes up consistently all night. Other times he sleeps for 5 hours then wakes up every hour or 2. Then other times he wakes up 5x early on then will sleep 6 straight hours.  He will have food when I eat lunch and when I eat dinner.  He maybe takes 2 naps a day but only one is a decent nap.

Special Moments:
On November 18, Liam had his first popsicle. Late at night Liam had a snotty nose.
On November 19, Liam woke up saying mama. Liam hates his nose being wiped.
On November 21, We ran to get Ella forward facing in the stroller.
On November 22, Liam fell sitting on the hardwood floor. He got a back eye
On November 25, Liam still has cold about a week.
On November 29, Dave is home with all 3 kids while I get my MRI. I was gone for 1:40 total.
On November 30, we were at Best Buy.  They turned on tunes to try out some speakers. And then Liam was dancing and dancing .
On December 1, at 9:52 PM Liam woke up AGAIN. This time Dave went in and got him back to sleep! Then he cried after 3 minutes and dave went back in. Dave went back in again but it failed. At 10:15, I ended up going back up.
On December 2, I note that Liam seems to have 2 naps a day now.
On December 4, I tried to sleep train. I gave up after  ~50 min. He would hug my arm so tight. When I picked him up I never got a hug so tight.
On December 9, 2019 at 10:34 AM Woke up super early for nap saying mama
On December 10, Liam went down the slide for the first time.   At night Ella and Liam were on the chair and Liam fell off onto his head.
On December 12, Liam drank cold milk from sippy cup. (Cold pumped milk but it was in a sippy not a bottle.)

Development:
He can sit up for even longer periods of time! He will sit and play for a decent amount of time.  He can hold a sippy cup and get water himself without any help. He does this often. He liked to stand and a standing table this month but doesn't last very long. He will go in to give a high five sometimes.   Sometimes I noticed he will pinch food between his pointer and thumb to pick it up.  He puts everything in his mouth. He really loves to try to eat paper. He likes to reach and grab tissues then tear them apart. He talks or sings. It seems like he will answer or call when appropriate so he knows how to answer. I can tell he understands words/sentences.

Communication: 
He has said a few words here or there that we have understood. Hi, yeah, Ella, Dada, Mama he has said a bit. He will babble as a response. He mostly only says Mama when in the crib and he woke up.

Other Tidbits:
Likes
He likes to give hugs.
He likes to feed himself!
He likes to smile and watch other people. 

He likes to meet new people and will try to lean with open arms to get them to hold him. 

He likes to grab everything including my hair. I wear it in a bun daily to try to stop him from pulling and he grabs onto the little hairs. 

He likes to put everything in his mouth.
He likes to swing.
He likes it when people make him laugh.
He likes to squeal with delight.
He likes to touch and feel Daddy's hair.
He likes to eat butternut squash soup.
He likes to sit on the floor and play.
He likes his cube activity thing.
He likes to grab for wipes and medicine bottles.
He likes to take kleenexes and rip them apart.

Dislikes
He especially doesn't like to nurse if I'm talking.
He doesn't like to be put in his car seat if he wants to go to sleep.
He doesn't like to be in a car after dark and he cries the entire time.
He doesn't want to be held by anyone but me if he's tired. You also better not put him down.
He doesn't like Ella to hold him.
He doesn't like to nap besides in his crib.
He doesn't like to go into his crib at night.

Fun Facts
Longest time sleeping: 11 hours 14 minutes
Days with a sleep greater than 5 hours: 22 (greater than last month)
Days with a sleep greater than 6 hours: 16
(According to the internet sleeping through the night is considered sleeping 5-6 straight hours.)
Days with sleep greater than 8 hours: 6
Diapers used (from December 1-15): 5 per day
Time spent nursing (from December 1-15): 3 hours 45 minutes per day
Pumped Milk (from December 1-15): 6.5 oz total
Time spent sleeping (from December 1-15): 13 hours 9 minutes per day
Doctor Visits: 0
Illnesses: 1

Favorite Toys

Maraca
Piano
Toy house
Cube activity thing
Just random toys he can grab and hold
Things that are not toys!

Favorite Songs
He doesn't react so much to songs one way or the other.
He will cry in the car until I turn on Coffee House and then he will sigh and like it. (He does not like when I listen to politics.)

Favorite Books
none yet (He's liked books but doesn't seem to have a favorite)

behind the scenes/phone pics

Other Tidbits
Liam seems to only want me a lot when he's upset. Someone else holding him just makes it worse. If he's on the verge and I give him to someone else to do something quick, he freaks out crying. 

My Recovery
I have used the elliptical a lot and ran a bit more but my knees hurt me when I do this.  I haven't lost any weight even with majorly increasing my steps every day. My right knee bothers me a lot. It was my left and I think I overcompensated too much.

Ella didn't want to be part of the photos this month. 

1SE October 2019

Ella did her first cartwheel at gymnastics. They usually just do puddle jumpers. She was not straight and the coach gave her one tip and then she got it.

1SE July 2019

Liam would only nap on me so I got to catch up. Here is July 1 Second Everyday.

12.12.19 stories

Another day of instastories that I saved. I forget to save the compilation a lot.

Pancakes
Lack of nap
Errands

Costco
Walmart

Laundry
Elliptical

12.10.19 Instastories

Every now and then I post more instastories with videos and pictures.   Now I don't understand why saving the day's worth to my phone looks ok but when uploaded to youtube sometimes it's 1/4 the screen and other times it has the screen small. It makes no sense to me but I don't have time to figure it out.

Miles and I went for ice cream. I took Miles to the park. We did some crafting.   I wasn't productive trying to do things at home so we did fun stuff instead. At least the house didn't get messier. I can just never get to getting everything done.

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas

 This year I made 5 versions of our Christmas card. I was going to do a pre-made design but they never allow enough pictures.  So I made my own. It was tricky getting them from all devices so I messed up and forgot the picture of Poly so then I had to rearrange.

I also mailed some additional collages in some people's cards.

I printed 91 cards. But then I ran out so I printed more. I had some issues with labels so I think I accidentally mailed some people 2. I know I mailed 2 people 2 but unsure if more.  I mailed 1 without a stamp so that came back. I guess mailing 2 is better than mailing an empty envelope like I did for my newborn announcement.

12.9.19 Instastories

It was an uneventful day. I took a nap. I was just way way way too tired to do my normal Monday cleaning.

12.5.19 stories

I went for a run with Stephanie. It really annoys me how these look fine on my phone but the videos are cut off 1/4 the size.

I wish Liam would fall asleep in a stroller.

1 SE November 2019

Almost a month late, but I finally did November.  I'm so behind on 2 other months, I don't even know how to export them since it only lets you do the current month or previous month and not really actually pick the dates. I hope I figure it out so when I finish October and July I can save those too.

I need to get back in the mindset of recording at least 1 horizontal video a day. Some days I only have vertical videos and some days I have 0 videos.

Haircut (12.22.19)

I finally got a haircut. I have wanted one for months. I can't even remember the last time I had my hair cut. It may have been when I was pregnant.  I looked and it seems I got my haircut between 29 and 30 weeks pregnant (so the end of January) so it was actually 11 months ago! This was pretty close together for a haircut for me. I think I tend to wait longer most of the time because Dave accidentally cuts it too short.

12.2.19 Instastories

I worked hard on cleaning. I made a to-do list and documented it. I went room by room so I would have some complete progress.

I swear there is some instagram bug when I save a day's worth of stories, it crops things about 1/4 of the screen if they are a video. I don't understand it. I hope it's not too annoying here. It is annoying but I'm not going to try to compile the videos myself. I don't have that kind of time.

Miles and Liam (12.3.19)

Miles held Liam so well that I went upstairs to get my good camera. I was so close to them. Most pictures turned out blurry. I lacked a good crisp focus. Also half were super blue like the auto white balance sucked.  Or I'd have one kid in focus and another quite blurry.  But I got a few decent ones so decided to use google to make a collage and share it.  I never thought I'd think Miles looked small next to Liam. But Liam is on Miles's lap and so he's sitting so high.

Liam 7 Months Update

Ella and Miles were at school so they missed photos this time. 
Stats:

• Weight: 18 lb 10 oz - 56th percentile
• Height: 29.75" - 99.8th percentile
• Head Circumference: 44 cm - 50th percentile
• Weight/Length Percentile: 6%
• Diapers: Size 3
• Clothing: Mostly 12 month clothing. Some 18 month onesies. When he does wear pants 6-9 mo seem to fit but smaller night too.
• Shoe Size: 4 or 5 but he never wears them
• Teeth: 6 (6 cut but aren't really popping up yet)

(stats using WHO, CDC has weight higher and other 2 lower. I never remember which ones I use each month.)

Sleep
Sleep is awful but starting to get a little better as he was turning 7 months. He will take 1 nap in the crib in the morning that is usually about an hour. That is the hour I have to use to get every single thing done in the house.  Later in the day he may nap 1 or 2 more times but only on me. He will wake right up once I put him in the crib. Then he just won't sleep more.  He will wake up a million times at night. He's only had as many longer stretches as shown before because I end up falling asleep int he chair and hold him for 2+ hours of it so then he didn't really wake up.  He often wakes up 3 times before midnight. He is different than Miles in that he will wake up more at first and then have a longer stretch later at night (more toward morning) and Miles always had it where his longest stretch was first.

Eating
Liam mostly nurses. He will eat 1 to 2 times in the high chair everyday.  He will no longer eat purees. He just won't do it. He has gotten better at being able to chew and swallow by the end of the month but still not great. He has crackers a lot with his meals. He also won't let me feed him and I put something on a spoon or fork and he grabs it then tries to feed himself.

Sample Schedule:
It's still insane to have a sample schedule.  I'd say the only thing consistent is him wanting to take a nap every day at 8:30 am which became earlier with the clock change. He gets woken up so much from drop offs, pickups, and appointments  or forced to stay awake longer because of those things.  He nurses every time before he falls asleep and when he wakes up unless we are out. He will whine or cry even if I nurse him and put him in the car or stroller. It takes awhile for him to fall asleep even in that instance in his carseat.  Overnight sometimes he sleeps a few hours at first and other times he wakes up 5x within the first few hours. He will have food when I eat lunch and when I eat dinner.  He maybe takes 3 naps a day but only one is a decent nap.

Special Moments:
On October 15, Liam made da da sound.
On October 17, Liam's sleep is so awful. He slept 4 hours in crib with arms out on swaddle for the first time. I ran out to get dinner and Dave was home with all 3 kids awake!
On October 19, Liam had night 1 sleep training. He is mostly asleep on me and i wake him to go in. (But later I stopped doing this because his sleep was just so so so awful I didn't have it in me to deal with tired Liam.) Around 2 pm he stole my partial cookie, a Joe-Joe, and ate some. At 11 pm he woke up again and back to sleep on his own.
On October 20, Ella fed Liam a carrot baby food. He ate almost the entire container.
On October 23, I noted he has said hi, Ella, dada, and yeah. And maybe one other thing.
On October 25, it was Liam's first time in a swing. He liked it
On October 27, Liam ate smoked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
On November 2, Liam took over a 2 hour nap. And I had to wake him. It's always so sad to wake him. i'm sadder when a longer nap is ruined. He slithered off the couch onto his head with his feet in the air. I had reached over and grabbed him beside Ella by his foot to lift him up.
On November 3, Ella gave miles a ring pop. He loved it. Liam had his first high chair at restaurant. It was at Outback. He also stole my french fry.
On November 4, at 1:18 AM, Liam was awake in crib when I put him down. 19 minutes later he was too noisy so I went in. He tried his first forward facing in the Ergo 360 but then it was a trick and it was not a 360!
On November 7, Liam had soup at Boudin. Loved it. Later stole piece of cookie. Loved it. (From this moment he for sure would never eat baby food ever again.)
On November 8, I tried special baby scissors on Liam's nails. I made him bleed. They were so dull. It was so hard to use. Clippers are way easier for me. The past few days he has learned better how to eat and swallow food versus push it out of his mouth or choke. He ate pizza at a party.
On November 10, at 3:21 AM Didn’t survive crib transfer. I tried to go to sleep anyway. Finally half hour later he was noisy enough. I go in and he had a massive massive poop. Times like this are why I can't handle just letting a kid cry it out.
On November 11, Liam went on his first amusement park ride that wasn't a merry-go-round
On November 12, Liam went to the doctor for his crusty eye. He was given suave to use 4x a day. It got better after 1 time with it. The doctor said it might take 2 days to get better but then said to continue it for the full 7 days. His eye wasn't pink at all and it was randomly crusty but not when he would first wake up.
On November 14, Liam had a massive spit up. It's like I wonder how he had so much milk in him. I gave him a bath after. He peed in the tub twice.

Development:
He can sit up for longer periods of time! If he's tired, he won't stay upright at all.  He grabs and handles toys a lot better. He will giggle and laugh at things a lot now.  He started being able to eat better. He still wishes he could chew and swallow even better.

Communication: 
He has said a few words here or there that we have understood. Hi, yeah, Ella, Dada, Mama he has said a bit. He will babble as a response.

Other Tidbits:
Likes
He likes to give hugs.
He likes to feed himself!
He likes to smile and watch other people. 

He likes to meet new people and will try to lean with open arms to get them to hold him. 

He likes to grab everything including my hair. I wear it in a bun daily to try to stop him from pulling and he grabs onto the little hairs. 

He likes to put everything in his mouth.
He likes to swing.
He likes it when people make him laugh.
He likes to squeal with delight.
He likes to kick his feet when lying down.
He likes to put everything in his mouth.
He likes to touch and feel your face.


Dislikes
He especially doesn't like to nurse if I'm talking.
He doesn't like to be put in his car seat if he wants to go to sleep.
He doesn't like to be in a car after dark and he cries the entire time.
He doesn't want to be held by anyone but me if he's tired. You also better not put him down.

Fun Facts
Longest time sleeping: 8 hours 6 minutes
Days with a sleep greater than 5 hours: 18
Days with a sleep greater than 6 hours: 11
(According to the internet sleeping through the night is considered sleeping 5-6 straight hours.)
Days with sleep greater than 8 hours: 1
Diapers used (from November 1-30*): 6 per day
Time spent nursing (from November 1-30*): 3 hours 38 minutes per day
Time spent sleeping (from November 1-30*): 13 hours 32 minutes per day
Doctor Visits: 2
Illnesses: 1

*I had the data up until the 14th but then lost it in a draft post and realized I had to update it again on the 30th

Favorite Toys

Key Teether
Maraca
iPod (music maker thing)
Just random toys he can grab and hold
Things that are not toys!

Favorite Songs
He doesn't react so much to songs one way or the other.

Favorite Books
none yet (He's liked books but doesn't seem to have a favorite)

Other Tidbits
Liam is no longer swaddled and sleeps in a sack instead of a woombie.  He would scratch his face so now I just put him in scratch sleeves. I'm not sure how necessary it is but he sleeps better than he was the couple days without it so I just put it on. He will be so happy and pleasant out and people will think he's the most pleasant baby, but at home plenty of times he won't let me put him down and I have to do everything while holding him.  I usually have to wake Liam up 2-4 times a day to do drop offs or pickups or appointments. I feel so bad for him. 

My Recovery
I have used the elliptical a lot and ran a bit more but my knees hurt me when I do this.  I haven't lost any weight even with majorly increasing my steps every day.

Photos were a lot smoother this month without Ella and Miles but I miss seeing them in the photos too. 

11.30.19 video

I often post instastories but then I don't save them compiled. If I do, I don't upload that anywhere or do anything with it. I made one yesterday. Here it is. It's not too exciting but you see a little bit of the day. 

I can't believe Miles chose to give away his favorite toys.  I won't be getting rid of them just yet.  Also getting rid of toys made the place more of a mess which is worse for me and pre-cleaning for the cleaning ladies tomorrow.

Miles (8.15.19)

Miles won't always cuddle with me on the couch. There won't always be enough room!

Photo Taken August 15, 2019

Ella (8.13.19)

Ella is a character. I posted this to instagram when it happened.  That's flat ginger ale right there. I bought it at 1 am when she was sick. It sat around for awhile.  I remember a similar picture of my grandma drinking out of a 2 litter bottle years ago before the digital photo age.

This photo didn't make my weekly photo cut but I still wanted to make sure I posted it.

Photo Taken August 13, 2019

Cuddling (8.15.19)

Miles and Liam are always chilling beside each other in bed. I even made a post about this in July.  Well here Miles was using my ipad. Liam seemed interested so Miles turns and shows him how to work it. Miles is not always so willing to share an iPad. He usually even screams if Ella tries to look at the screen while he's watching.

Photos taken August 15, 2019

2019 Week 33/52 Photo

 I put Liam down on the mat and he shimmied off of it.  Then I went to the bathroom.

I heard giggles. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw them putting Liam in the doll stroller.  Liam puts up with so much!

Photos Taken August 13, 2019 

Ella's Kindergarten Picture (8.26.19)

Ella had her picture taken at school. We got the prints. Then we decided she never looks like that and we'd get retakes. So you send the pictures back on retake day and that's how they know. Well we did that. Then we got the envelope back after retakes. It didn't have pictures. I had to spend an hour figuring out how to contact them and then chatting with a person. They could not explain why pictures were not in the 2nd set or if that's normal. Well the retake photo was even worse than the original so when talking to them I asked to just mail us the original. Then they mailed us pictures.

We have pictures now to give to people.   These are scanned versions of the pictures. 

As you can tell, they just used the same picture with different backgrounds.  We picked in advance which backgrounds we wanted for which size picture. I just had no idea what Ella would be wearing. 

There are even more backgrounds from the one variety page. I did't scan them all.