Better Late than Never!

Okay, I definitely jumped off the blog bandwagon and have fallen VERY behind! My last post was about Elle turning one and she is nearing 16 months in a couple of weeks, so very sorry for the delay. With all that has happened in our home, I thought it best to recap the last few months with highlights of all that has happened... I promise to keep it as brief as possible!

September:

A week after Elle turned one, she came down with a high, unexplainable fever. After three days, it broke and a beautiful rash took its place. That's when we discovered she had the lovely Roseloa virus! Other than that, our month was a fantastic one!

October:

We really took this month to enjoy our last remaining summer days. We loved to go to the parks, on walks, and blow bubbles. Elle also began to discover that not only could she walk on those legs of hers, but running became a new favorite. She also discovered that our cabinets needed to be cleaned out a couple of times a day. We officially switched to milk and table food, and found out some of her favorite foods are the following: olives!, kiwi, bananas, pomegranates, clementines, cheese, and pretty much everything else! Strangely she doesn't care for pasta like mac and cheese very much!

November:

This month flew by for us as it was a very busy one! The biggest event that occurred was my sister's wedding. Both Elle and I were in it, and were so honored to be big part of her day! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera in NC and the wedding was IL so I took no pictures! That part was a bummer, but those of you that know me probably aren't surprised I forgot it! It was a great time!

December:

This month Elle has officially become a toddler. Her vocabulary is expanding daily! She says so many words, like: "Elmo, mommy, daddy, ball, paci, bye, again, baby", and her favorite: "no, no, no". We were also very lucky to cut ALL 4 molars at about the same time, I'm not yet sure if that was a blessing or a curse! But I am proud to say that our little one can now crunch down on crackers a whole lot better, and mommy has to be much more careful when fishing things out of her mouth!

Christmas was a great to spend with our little family. We were able to stay home and enjoy the Holiday here! And although a day late, we woke up the next morning to 8 inches of snow on the ground, which was a rare treat for the south!

As always, Elle continues to light up our life! She is such a sweet little girl who is growing up way to fast! I'm trying harder and harder to cherish each moment as they seem to be slipping away faster and faster!

Here are couple of pictures from our snow fall, Elle, of course, had a blast playing! And I will try harder to be a better blogger in the future!

Elle is 1!

This week was a big week in our household as our little girl turned officially one! I know, I know, I've said it in about every post, but I can't believe how fast she is growing!

We started off her birthday celebration with a party on Monday afternoon. We had lots of people travel a good amount of distance, as well as some dear family and friends that live close by, come celebrate Elle's special day and for that we want to thank all of you that were able to attend! It really meant a lot to us!!

Once everyone arrived, we had to begin opening presents, because they were becoming a great distraction to Elle. She couldn't figure out why all these brightly colored packages were sitting on the floor. She had no problem opening her gifts once we showed her how. After she opened each gift, she had to play with it for a bit before she could move on to the next one.

After gifts, we cooked hamburgers and brats and had a good visiting with each other. And after dinner came the traditional first birthday cake. I have to say that I think Elle surprised all of us with her cake. She was very hesitant to touch it to the point that I had to help her dig in. Even after that, she was very dainty and "clean" in eating her cake. I guess there is a bit of her father in her after all!

On Tuesday, she was able to recover from her big birthday party as my parents were able to keep her home. They all took it easy and relaxed after her big day.

On Thursday was Elle's actual birthday. I dressed her in her birthday onesie once again and took her to the sitter. I brought muffins for her to share with her friends and there was a little gift for her when she arrived. After I picked her, we waited for daddy to get home and went out for ice cream, which she LOVED! Then Nona stopped by on her way home from Florida, so she was able to play a little before bed.

With all the excited things that happened in Elle's first year of life, it's hard to believe that we are on year two! Here a bunch of photos from Elle's big day, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Elle's Cake
A couple of days before the party, I decided
I would try making one instead of buying it,
this is the finished product...

Opening her first gift

Getting the hang of tearing off the paper

Checking out her new puzzles

Some of the gifts she received...

Elle thought it was so great everyone sang to her
she clapped for us when we were done

Not so sure about the cake

Elle just learned to put her hands on her head when
someone says "Oh, No!", and did while eating cake which was too funny!

Now we're getting the hang of it!

Happy birthday Elle! Here's to another wonderful and exciting year, I can't wait to see all God has in store for us!

First Haircut = Success!

After much thought, barrettes, and itchy eyes, we decided it was time to take Elle to get her first haircut. As much as I didn't want to do it, I could no longer deal with her constantly pulling out her hair bows, and watch her rub her eyes. I found a children's "salon" in Wake Forest last week and so we paid them a visit this morning. As always Elle was perfect. She sat in a little truck seat and got to watch a movie about animals while they trimmed away. I only had to distract her a couple of times. I'm happy to say, she looks great and I didn't cry watching her little locks get shorten. One more first was experienced and once again I'm reminded my little girl is growing up!

Before

Sitting so nicely!

Almost done...

After

A Special Visit

Last Wednesday, Nona and Mike's grandma came down for a quick visit. Although it was very short, we had a great time checking up and Elle loved having the company! Nona is a great playmate and Elle always has fun exploring with her, which is so fun to watch! We had a wonderful time visiting with Mike's grandma, whom we haven't seen for a couple of years, and we were so glad she was finally able to meet our little girl! Thanks for coming down guys, it put a bright spot in our week!

Illinois Trip #2

Last week Elle and I went back up to Illinois to visit family, and throw a shower for my sister who will soon be getting married! Our trip started off with a surprise at the airport. Our flight was canceled! Although it was very disappointing that we lost a full day in Rockford, we all found it quite hilarious that no one bothered to check my flight before our trek to the airport. Needless to say, we checked the next day and I received a text message from the airline stating that all systems were go.

Elle was a gem on the flight up! She fell asleep within ten minutes of take-off and woke up with only twenty minutes left in our flight. Yeah for scheduling our travel during nap time!! After we arrived at my parent's house we began planning for the wedding shower that was going to be held the following day. I also finally got to see the beautiful wedding dress in person, and the crazy awesome decorations that will be at the reception. Elle also had a chance to play with everyone and stretch her legs after a long morning!

One of Elle's favorite Illinois activities is playing in the grass,
our grass here in North Carolina isn't really playful!

Playing in her tunnel...

Saturday, Elle and I hung out in the morning and then it was off to Kristin's shower. Elle stayed behind and played with grandpa, which I think was enjoyed by both! They stopped by the shower afterward and after visiting with everybody, Elle went outside with Kasey and Darrin to visit the rabbits. From what I heard she loved them, which is always exciting to hear so thanks guys!

Elle checking out the rabbits

Sunday we visited with some more family. Elle got to swim in a "big girl" pool with grandpa, and had a blast!

Enjoying the nice pool on a hot day!

Monday we headed down to Dwight to visit some great friends from college. It was pretty comical to get together since we now all have kids. I can definitely say having little ones brings a whole new dynamic to our visits! It was great seeing everyone, big and small! It was a reminder of what great friends God has blessed me with! Thanks for being so great guys!

Yes, they are all sitting right where we put them!
Impressed, aren't you?

Tuesday, two very tired girls flew back home and were greeted at the entrance by a wonderful man. Elle was VERY excited to see her daddy and I was equally excited to see him! What a great trip we had, we can't wait to go up in November and celebrate with Adam and Kristin!

Coming to a Close

With the summer winding down, I find myself taking the last couple of weeks to reflect on what a year it has been for our family. It’s hard to believe that this time last year; we were starting to become a little frantic around the house because, soon, another little person would be here. We started getting our “lasts” done like eating out as a family of two, catching a movie on a whim, driving to the beach for the day, taking a nap at our leisure, and on and on. Neither of us quite knew what God had in mind for the next year.

In so many ways, our lives’ have changed. Slowly our apprehensions and “what-ifs” have faded, and we are closing in on our first year of parenthood. It brings tears to my eyes as I am writing this, because I can’t figure out for the life of me what I did to deserve such an amazing little girl in my life. Every day I see her, my breathe is once again taken away. Don’t get me wrong, not every day in our home is heavenly, but it’s home, and my family, and I am so blessed!

Now that our summer is coming to a close, I will be returning to work, and shortly there after my little Elle will have her first on many birthdays to come. So I thought that I would write my favorites with Elle, as I have seen many of my friends do with their children. (Thanks for the great idea guys!)

~ I love that Elle is a snuggle bug! She could be playing by herself, and I could come scoop her up and she just falls right into me. She also will snuggle with her stuffed animals on the floor, which is so precious!

~I love how she is so curious! It’s funny to watch her as she gets older, because now she tries to be very secretive when she is exploring. She’s not always sure what our reaction is going to be!

~I love that she is a social butterfly! She loves to be around people and be the center of attention; she plays the “shy, quiet little girl” but so is not!

~I love that Elle shares everything; her toys, food, and so forth! I hope that continues as she gets older.

~I love Elle’s independence. She not afraid to push the limits. I know it sounds kind of weird that I don’t mind that she challenges me when I tell her “no”, it reminds me that she is an individual learning right and wrong for the first time and it’s my job to help her figure all that stuff out!

~I love that Elle pulls my full glass of water off the end table on a weekly basis and then looks at me with a “haven’t you figured out that you need to move that coaster yet” look.

~I love how Elle shoves books in my face every day because she loves to listen to me read.

~I love her beautiful blue eyes and brown hair!

~I love listening each morning to Elle talk to her teddy about all her big plans for the day before we get her up!

~I love how fearless she is, she isn’t afraid to try anything!

That is just the beginning of all that I love!

Elle,

Thank you for all you are! You truly do have your mommy and daddy wrapped around your little finger, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

We love you!

The Zoo!

Today we decided to go to North Carolina's Zoo which is about 2 hours away. We packed up the car, and headed out around 8 this morning to see if we could try to beat the heat. Ha ha!! When we arrived, it was a nice 90 or so degrees with high humidity, so I was thankful to see that most of the zoo had ample shade. We did not let the heat get to us, and had a great time visiting. Elle enjoyed looking at all the animals, but she liked the chimpanzees the most because they made a lot of noises. We were able to make it through the entire park in about 3 1/2 hours, and no more than got into our car to come home when it starting pouring rain, so we were very lucky. We took lots of pictures, so enjoy!!

Elle was a little afraid of the seals the first time they swam by, but
by the third or fourth time, she was fascinated by them!

The lemur exhibit had just opened, but it was too hot for them
to play, so they all hung out in this log.

Elle and her daddy watching the elephants

Elle and her mommy at the giraffe's exhibit

Lunchtime!

This fellow thought it would be funny to run as fast as he
could at the glass, making screeching noises... Elle
didn't know what to make of that!

Checking out the chimpanzees!

Desert tortoises coming to meet us

Fun with Aunt Kristin

My sister came down for a whole week to visit us and it was such a fun time! We both think it's funny when Kristin is around, because I don't think Elle can figure out why there are two people that look like her mom. There are times when she got a little confused, and it was so adorable!

When Kristin arrived Wednesday, we got right to work painting Elle's room. It's amazing what a little paint will do, it made her room look brighter and bigger, which is great!

Friday, we went to one of Raleigh's mall and did a little shopping and had lunch, and caught up on all that is happening in life.

Saturday we made a trek out to the beach, were once again I forgot my camera! Maybe one of these days, everything will fall into place and I will get a picture of our little one playing!

Monday we went on a hunt for a flower girl dress for Elle and found some promising possibilities!

Tuesday we went to Marbles, which is a children's museum downtown. Elle had a blast playing, and we had fun watching her discover all the new things around her.

The most exciting thing that Elle was able to share with her aunt while she was here was that, on Friday, she began walking!!! Everyday she gets a little more confident than the day before, we are all so proud of her!

Lazy Morning...

Being silly!

I don't have a ton of pictures to share, but we had so much fun with Kristin! I'm so blessed to have a sister that is also one of my best friends! Thanks for such a good time and I can't wait to do it again!

Fourth of July Weekend

This was Elle's first fourth of July and I'm pretty sure we wore her out! We jammed packed our three-day weekend with lots to do and we had a great time!

On Saturday, the three of us went to the Duke Gardens' and we couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day! We spend the afternoon counting turtles, watching all the ducks, smelling all different kinds of flowers, and walking all the trails the garden had to offer. I've said before how much Elle loves the outdoors, so she was living it up the whole time we were there! She had so much fun, she was fast asleep before we got out of the parking lot. I think that was her way of saying, "Good choice, Mom and Dad!"

Smelling the flowers with daddy

Checking out the bamboo plants

"Ummm... guys the grounds kind of wet!"

Taking a break and enjoying some lunch by the fountain

Sunday afternoon, Grandpa Jim and Nona came to visit Elle. That evening we went out for ice cream and Elle got a taste of all four of our flavors. We sat outside by a big fountain so she enjoyed watching the water splash up and down.

Monday we headed for Wake Forest to their children's parade that ended in a local park with food and activities. Elle had a couple bites of a cupcake, which she loved, and loved walking around. A nice lady gave her a small flag for her to wave around, and she loved it!

I love weekends like these, it's so much fun to hang out with my wonderful family!

We hope that you all had a great 4th of July!

Illinois Trip #1

We just got back from our first of three trips to Illinois this year. We had a great time visiting everyone! We arrived Thursday morning and Elle did a wonderful job on the airplane. She made friends with the man sitting next to us, and really enjoyed watching us take-off and land. She was very excited to see grandma and grandpa, and immediately realized she loved riding on grandpa's shoulders. She did a lot of swimming in her little pool, enjoyed evening walks around the neighborhood, the local park, and meeting LOTS of new people!

A couple of Elle's favorite things in Illinois were the following:


1. Being outside... Elle LOVED being outside, especially crawling around in the grass. The weather was perfect, so I was thrilled she was able to spend so much time exploring.


2. Grandma and Grandpa... From riding on grandpa's shoulders to sharing muffins with grandma, it's safe to say Elle LOVES seeing her grandparents!

3. Raggedy Andy... Although I didn't get any pictures of her playing with this overstuffed doll, I did get a video of her wrestling with him! Her great-grandmother gave her a Raggedy Andy doll which was a HUGE hit!

4. Grandma's curio cabinet... My mom has some collectibles in a small curio cabinet at their house. Within hours of arriving on Thursday, Elle found it, as well as her voice, as she attempted to "boss" the figurines around! If she wasn't playing with her Raggedy Andy, she would most likely be found at the curio cabinet!

Here are a couple of more fun pictures...

Elle and Aunt Kristin hanging out together

Elle and Mackenzie catching up since they last saw each other

We all had a blast visiting family, and are looking forward to seeing them all again in August!

Last Day of Daycare

Today was Elle's last day at daycare. It was a bittersweet day, because as some of you know she will be going to a babysitter next year, which we are very excited about, but Elle also loved her friends and teacher at daycare. So even though I had the day off, I decided I would let her go hang out one more time with everyone. She loves playing with everybody and everything there, she is truly a little social butterfly.

Even though she was only in daycare for 5 months, we couldn't have asked for a better place to put her. Her teacher was amazing and loved Elle like her own daughter. As a working mom, it's so important to have someone like that you can trust to leave your most precious cargo with! I am so thankful to have found the place I did. Here are some pictures of her last day...

Getting in some last minute reading


Snuggling up to the classroom's favorite little bunny... it does
everything from supporting those new to sitting to being a
fun object to crawl over!

Pulling everything off the shelf, Elle's new hobby is making messes!

Elle's 9 Month Check-Up

It's crazy to think our little girl is a short three months away from turning one! This has probably been the fastest year of my life, and I hope that this coming one slows down a bit. Elle had her 9 month check-up yesterday and we are happy to report that she is continuing to grow beautifully!

Here are her 9 month stats:

Weight: 18 pounds 6.5 ounces (45th percentile)
Length: 28 1/2 inches (78th percentile)

There were no shots at this appointment, and I don't know who was more happy about that, her or me?!

And it officially summer! I'm so excited to spend the next two months hanging out with my favorite little girl! It's going to be great!

I had to post this picture because she loves crawling around with just her towel on her head after her baths... it's pretty funny and cute!

Fun in the Sun

This Memorial Day Weekend was Elle's first time to the beach! Unfortunately, I was a bit scatter-brained the morning I was packing and we left without either the video camera or the digital camera. What a bummer! So while I don't have any pictures to show, I can tell you that Elle LOVED the ocean! We were a little nervous that she wouldn't like getting wet since the water is still a little cold, but as usual, she proved us wrong. She loved splashing around, and sitting on the shore watching the water cover her legs.

We stayed in Wilmington and went to both Topsail Island and Wrightsville beaches. On Saturday night, we went into downtown Wilmington and ate right on the riverfront. It was beautiful and we had such a great time!

We came back on Sunday afternoon, so we enjoyed our Monday off at home. We decided that now that summer has begun, we thought Elle might have some fun if we got her a little pool to play in. So off to Target I went, and I found this great giraffe blow-up pool. When I got it home, we thought we would blow it up and let her get use to it a bit. Well, before we knew it, she was squealing with delight with her new toy! So during her nap, we brought it outside and filled it up with water. The rest was history! Check out these pictures to see our little fish...

Elle was crawling from one end to the other over and over again...

The giraffe's tail sprayed out water, which she loved! She tried drinking from it once or twice!

Of course this wouldn't be our daughter, if she didn't try to climb out of the pool a couple of times!

Tuckered out after a fun day (weekend, really) in the sun!

We are so blessed!