Ella's Firsts. . . Or How Ella Became a Superstar

So, I've been meaning to write things down about Ella's first days and weeks on Earth so that way I can remember them years from now. I've yet to write a thing and it turns out I should have, so I can remember them in the much more short-term. I'm certain there were a few things that should have made the following list, but my sleep-deprived Mommy brain has forgotten them already. It's amazing how even the smallest goal for the day can go undone when there's a hungry, poopy, crying, needing-to-be-entertained munchkin in the house. But here's the short list, with a short description of her most exciting outing yet, a trip to the photographer.

A few of Ella's firsts:

2 days old: Ella comes home from the hospital

5 days old: Our first trip to the park together

12 days old: Ella's first trip to Tipat Halav (health services for children) - she has gained 200 grams since she left the hospital (weighing in at a whopping 4 kg!)

13 days old: Umbilical cord falls off and Ella joins the rest of the belly-buttoned human race

13 days old (it was a big day for her!): Ella's first photo shoot

So, our trip to get professional photos done - for free, in exchange for using our little baby's photos to market the photographer's foray into newborn photos - was, in short, eventful. I'd been instructed to feed Ella right before setting out for Yael the photographer's studio and keep her awake for at least an hour beforehand. Yael also told me to wear black, so we could take some photos of me holding Ella and to bring an extra change of clothes, since we'd be doing the photos without Ella's diaper on (make a mental note of this instruction - it will prove relevant later on).

So, we set out - full of vigor and purpose . . . and promptly got lost. Luckily, I am a whiz with a Gush Dan (Tel Aviv metropolitan area) map and we made it to our destination on time. While we traversed the Givatayim suburb of Tel Aviv, Ella, who was not a happy camper, was soothed by Grandma Linda in the backseat and the sounds of a church mass on the radio - yeah, go figure.

We made it to Yael's and Ella had fallen asleep, which meant she wasn't particularly sleepy once we went upstairs. The fact that I then stripped her down to her diaper also didn't make her particularly calm. So I nursed her in the hope that she would fall asleep on me - as she is wont to do.

Well, no luck there. She was as wide awake as if I'd breastfed her a venti frapuccino. After countless attempts to lull her, Yael changed the set and we did some photos of me holding Ella in all sorts of strange positions. She was a willing - yet not entirely agreeable - model. She locked her legs straight when we tried to fold them. She turned her head away from the camera, leaving us no choice but to position ME in the other direction. And best of all, she peed on me - and all over the drape Yael had spread out on the floor.

Figuring this kid was not going to sleep, I told Yael maybe we'd just call it a day. But she persisted and with her baby-charming ways, managed to put her to sleep. Then the real fun began. We were on our way to dreamy, adorable pictures of Ella on a big pile of white towels. They would be so cute! But Ella must have felt she needed to make an artistic statement and proceeded to shoot poop onto 3 of the 4 towels. Oh, Ella!

After that, we managed to get the towels turned where Ella's "creative expression" was hidden and Yael photographed Ella looking much more calm and adorable than she had behaved that morning.

All in all, it was a trying morning. Mommy's wrists and back (not to mention other parts) hurt, Ella was exhausted and cranky, Grandma was tired but elated at the beautiful pictures, and it was decided that Ella - while adorable - will not be pursuing a career in modeling.

Thanks to Yael Elad: www.yaelelad.com