She really is a genius!

So on the long list of new things Ella has learned, we can add holding her own bottle. She started this a couple of days ago, even though we all know she has had the skill for a long time. It was like she suddenly realized that if she holds her own bottle she is in control of her eating...and she likes that! So as soon as she sees the bottle she reaches out both hands, the same way she does when she sees her blue dog or pink elephant, and grabs on to the bottle. Sometimes she misses her mouth and ends up with milk all over her face, but for the most part she has great aim. There are 2 really great things about this. 1) It keeps her hands occupied so she can't scratch herself while she's eating, and 2) We have a hand free to change the channel and watch more of our wonderful cable! The only problem is that she also grabs her spoon when I'm feeding her.

The other thing Ella has learned is that by rolling over and over and over she can get to new places. So if she sees something she wants half way across the room, she will just start rolling until she gets there. Usually she ends up rolling into the TV stand or couch, then gets frustrated because she's stuck.

Ella has also learned to read. At least that's what it looks like when she's looking at her books. She LOVES her books, and she will stop crying almost every time if you hold one in front of her. She grabs the sides, turns the pages and studies every picture. Her favorite ones are the cloth ones because she can also chew on those. Right now "Squishy Turtle" wins the prize. Her favorite page is the one with the oyster and pearl.

We have also decided that Ella, even at the young age of 7 months (almost), is a drama queen. When she wants something and isn't getting it she throws her head back and lets out these whines and sobs that would win her an Oscar. It's like she's saying "I just can't take it anymore." The only thing missing is the back of her hand on her forehead in a sigh. My question is, what does this say about her teenage years? Will we be able to handle it?