Another Year Over....

Wow...the end of 2010. Just like last year...I'm a little sad that the year is over. So much has happened...and Eleanor continues to amaze me. She's going to be 2 years old in 2011..which blows my mind! She changes a little more each day...and I'm so lucky to be able to see it and be with her.

Instead of doing a list of resolutions...I'm making a list of hopes for 2011:

-start of my photography business and having a steady flow of clients

-continued good health and weight loss

-more time spent with family

-more laughs and smiles

-getting more organized around the house and decluttering

-more patience and love for a growing toddler...since we'll be working on potty training in 2011 :)

So here's to another fabulous year over...looking forward to a new one just beginning :)

Happy New Year!!

Sickies....

Ugh. Nothing says the holidays like being sick. Yikes. This is a nasty one. Stomach bug has taken over my little girl. I thought she was on the mend...but she vomited once again this morning. Poor thing!! It all started Monday morning...and it's been everyday since then. So we're gonna take it easy here at home today in hopes this bug gets out before Friday.

Mommy & Daddy had the great pleasure of this bug as well...but it must be hanging around a little longer for Eleanor. Yucko. Nothing worse than seeing your little peanut throwing up...scary and heartbreaking at the same time. Hopefully my next post will be more uplifiting :)

Hope you all had a wonderful...sick free Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

i'm blogging from the road...that's how dedicated i am. and using my tiny phone keyboard :) so forgive me if this is short...we got up at 4:30 am...and openend gifts...santa was very good to miss eleanor!! anywhoo...hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas! I'll post pictures of today when we return home next week :)

Merry Christmas Eve...

Why does it have to go so stinkin' fast? All the leading up to Christmas..and I feel like it always flies by. All the preparation...planning...wishing...hoping...list making...wrapping...thoughtfulness...all of it...gone quicker than you can blink. I'm up late...because once again..I feel rushed to get it all in...and get it all done faster and better than before. But really inside...I just want to say to heck with all the little stuff...lets all go to bed...get a good night's rest...and just focus on the fun of what lies ahead for tomorrow morning. There's not supposed to be any stress on Christmas...but yet I always feel like I need to be doing doing and more doing. I need to start singing..."Let there be peace on Earth"...:) Maybe that will calm me down. Even sitting here typing I feel like really I should be downstairs...making up some more goodies for tomorrow, etc. Why? I have no clue...and if I knew the answer I'd be telling ya :)

My girl is teething again this Christmas. And probably has a cold on top of it all. But she's trying to stay spunky and happy. God bless her!!

So much to be thankful for this year. But most of all thankful for the reason for this season. Jesus. That's what I need to be focused on this year. He's done it all for me...and there's no greater gift than that :)

Merry Christmas from all of my family :)

Why???

That's Eleanor's new favorite word. Why? I have no idea...and I don't indulge it either. Her daddy does though. Bless his heart :) Everything we ask her to do...why? It's exhausting.really exhausting. And she's not even 2 people!! I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until...I don't know...at least 3?? Geesh...and I wonder why I'm tired all the time :)

In other news...Grammie arrived safely from Nebraska!! Yay!! So we're looking forward to playing with her tomorrow and a special visit from Granny Lou...or as Eleanor calls her "Lou Lou" :) Can't wait for Saturday early morning...opening presents...and that means I'm done with my 12 days...er...11 days of blogging :) I know you love getting daily updates...but I'm pooped. I don't know how other bloggers do it. Maybe I'll come to a happy medium in the new year...as a new year's resolution. We'll see :) Anywhoo...I just made it in before midnight...so Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!

Here's a quick picture of her...doing what we ALL will be doing over the next couple days...shoving our faces with Chex Mix...Peanut Butter Balls...Peanut Brittle...Butter Crunch...etc. She's definitely my kid! :)

Well...I almost made it....

I woke up at 6:00 am this morning....and my first thought was..."Oh NO! I didn't BLOG...AGHHHHH"...but then I remembered that I'm only human...and I can blog twice today to make up for it :) That is...if I remember to do it again today :)

My girl LOVES candy canes. She eats one a day...and I don't mean the little ones...she eats a full candy cane each day. Yesterday we were getting some last minute baking items that I can only get a Walmart of all places...tell me about it...that was the LAST place I wanted to be 3 days before Christmas. We found some Mickey Mouse fruity candy canes...and of course I bought them for her. I wouldn't be a good mom if I didn't ;) So she waited patiently...and just held them while I finished getting everything...and even let me put them on the checkout belt without throwing the worlds biggest tantrum (huge success here). She happily chowed down her Minnie Mouse grape candy cane in the car...and I snapped this picture before we headed inside.

More from me later...I promise :)

My list of favorite things...

Oprah has her list...so why can't I?

It's a small list...but a meaningful one...more like simple pleasures vs. anything over the top.

1). Yankee Candle's Home Sweet Home candle. I love that my house can smell like apple/cinnamon year round instead of just in the fall

2). Flannel Sheets. Oh how I love you flannel sheets...you go hand in hand with my # 3 so well.

3). Down comforter...it really does everything it says...keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer :)

4). Perhaps my most favorite thing this year...just came to me in the sweetest little package...tonight while on her way to bed...my little punky said..."Love Mommy"....sigh...that's the best thing ever!!

Lights on the Bay...

We had a blast tonight...snug in our jammies...driving through the Lights on the Bay display. E went nuts over all the lights...and thew a little hissy fit because we weren't getting through the line fast enough. Luckily it wasn't too long of wait to get in...and we were on our way. She talked the whole time...pointing and talking about all the animals. And of course...she found Santa right away!! I think she's obsessed with the big guy now :) We said yay and clapped at the end. I was worried she'd be upset at the end but she did really good.

These are few pictures of what we saw :) Penguins still being her favorite :) She said hi to them and waved...and then blew kisses to them when we drove past.

She's calling me by my first name now...

What are we? A teenager now? As I type this the girl is calling my name from the tub. That's something Daddy taught her...not me :)

Good day today for the most part. Got Christmas gifts for her from her Grandpa and Great Grandpa...Toys R Us was packed as usual. And we get another day with Daddy tomorrow!! Whoohoo! We can't wait till he's officially on Christmas break starting Thursday :)

We'll have a busy week of finishing up the shopping...baking...wrapping...and cleaning. Can't wait for Friday night/Saturday morning!!

Santa's Coming...

As I was putting E to bed tonight...I was talking to her about Christmas...and we talked about Santa and how he will be coming next week. She looked at me...and said.."Santa coming?"...and I laughed and said yes. :) I think she thought he was coming tonight...so when I said he's coming next week...she got a disappointed look on her face. Poor baby. I tucked her in...and when I was walking out I heard her talking to herself.."Mama...Dadda...Santa"...it made my heart hurt it was so stinkin' cute :)

What you talking about Mama?

21 months old today. And this is the face she gives me oh...about 75% of the time. The face that says...you don't know anything mom. The face that gives me chills...cuz I know I'll be seeing that when she's a teenager. Oh it goes so fast.

Only 3 months till her 2nd birthday. So many incredible memories of her...and so many yet to come :) I love you my lil punkin!!! Happy 21 month birthday!!

Interior Design....

Nope...I'm not a decorator. Never have I ever been able to put stuff together and make our house look like a home. I read plenty of blogs about design, etc...but I just can't seem to finish a room. Oh well...such is life. But my daughter? She's got a great future ahead in interior design...just look at what she created today....

If anyone is interested in her designs...just let me know. Right now she's running a Sesame Street Special.

Am I Really Running Out of Things To Say??

Gosh I hope not. But there's not much to talk about today. Except that we made Christmas crafts today...and got to play with play doh for the first time! She loved it...tried to eat it...but loved it :)

I was going to wait until Christmas to give that to her...but I decided what the heck...she'll love it now too :) So I gave in...and we played for about 15 minutes. Then it was on the next thing.

Our tree is filling up with presents underneath. She's doing a great job of leaving them all alone...well...for the most part. Every once in a while...ok...more like everyday...I find a random present in her little shopping cart. I tell her to put it back...and she does. She drops it on the floor and shoves it underneath as hard as she can. Hmmmm...wonder where she learned that one???

Anywhoo...I'll quit rambling and share today's picture of our tree..prior to gifts underneath :) Only 10 more days!!

This should be called 12 days of Toddlerisms....

Whew...I almost forgot to blog! Good thing I remembered :)

So today was a doozy of a day. I definitely have an almost 2 year old on my hands. Each day passes and I think to myself...what in the world happened to my sweet little baby? It's like her body has been taken over. Don't get me wrong...we have our good days...but it seems like they are fewer.

Today was a good example. Constant whining...not really needing anything...just wanted to whine. Which drives me up the wall. I can't listen to that all.day.long. What parent can I ask? So I got us out of the house...in hopes that would help. Well...it just led to a couple unfortunate events at Target. I just needed to get a few things. Christmas bags...and Christmas candy. I let her hold a tube of M&M's...and told her not to open them. She said "ok". So we're good. Right? Wrong. We're in the checkout lane...and I'm sort of spacing out...waiting for the million people in front of me to get through...when all of a sudden I hear a "sssssshhhhhhhhhhpppppp" sound...and see M&M's flying everywhere. She popped the lid off. Good grief...as we pulled the cart forward I heard nothing but crunching under my feet. Thanks for that Ellie. We've made a total scene...and the whole time she's saying..."Uh oh"...."Uh oh". I'm exhausted just typing it. It was a long day. And to top it off...she yelled "No" to the nice lady in line behind us. For no.Good.Reason. Poor lady...I looked at her...apologized and said..."Can you tell we're closing in on 2?" I hope she understood. It's getting to the point where I don't even want to take this child out in public...a lot less humiliating to deal with these tantrums at home.

Oh well....tomorrow will be better. I hope :)

Here's a pic of her from a year ago...back when she was all sweet and innocent. And when we got hammered with snow :)

We've got a hitter...

Wish I could post about something nice...but someone got in trouble today for hitting. I went to pick her up from the gym daycare, and I usually get a smile from the providers...but not today. Instead I was greeted with..."She was hitting alot today". Great. Love that report. It's embarrassing and disturbing at the same time. So...we're working on not hitting in our house this week. I need to find out more details of the situation...like was she just walking up to other kids and smacking them around...or was another child taking a toy from her..etc. Ahhh..joy of motherhood.

Here's the daily picture of slugger...

Coming up on 12 days of Christmas...

I am going to challenge myself to blog everyday from now until Christmas. Yes...you heard me...even if it's the boring stuff you hear about all the time...I'm gonna blog.

Every.Day.Until.Christmas. And....just to be a little more challenging...I'm going to include a picture everyday too! Whooooaaaa...you say. Impressive huh? Let's just see if I can do it :)

Hold me to it peeps!!

So without further ado...here she is...in all her toddler fineness...doing what she does best. Telling me "no" of course.

Time is getting away from me again...

It's December. It's December 5th already. It's been almost a month since I last blogged...sorry! It's been crazy. Thanksgiving preparations had me in a tizzy...and after that's over it seems like a whirlwind until Christmas. Whew. I haven't finished our Christmas card...and I'm already getting them from friends in the mail. It seems like each year adds more and more to my already filled plate. And it's not like I'm really doing that much. Except chasing around a toddler. Last year she was just starting to really crawl. Oh how I long for the days I could just stick her in her exersaucer :)

Our visit with Santa this year was fabulous! She loved him. Wasn't scared at all. I was picturing something awful...but it was wonderful to see how well she did. Here's a little pic of our visit with her cousins :)

Much shopping left to do...of course. And those cards. I must finish those up this week. Lots to be thankful for this year...and can't express enough how truly blessed I am. :) Merry Christmas!!

Apple Orchard

I love fall. I love apples. What's even better? When you can pick apples in the fall :) And pick we did. Back in October, we joined some friends at a local orchard to do some serious picking. Well...turned out everyone else had the same idea. We went hunting for some Granny Smiths...and came up short. We were even looking on the ground for decent ones...until...we hit the jackpot...well..I say jackpot...but it's all relative. When you've searched and searched...and then finally came upon like say...10 apples still on the tree...that's jackpot :)

Eleanor & her buddy Aubrey were pretty stoked about the apples. Got some cute shots of her while we were there :)

Hopefully we'll do better next year. Now we know to hit them early in the morning...and early in the season. Lesson learned!

Buddies :)

I had to share a recent...well..ok...it was about a month ago. A pic of Eleanor with her buddy Aubrey at a local fall festival. We took the same shot of them last year at this time...and it's amazing to see how much they both have changed :)

Where Have I Been???

I don't know...but I can't believe it's been this long since I last blogged! Yikes...lots to catch up on :) Let's start with her 18 month appt...even though she's 19 months now :) She weighed in at 26.7lbs/ 33.5 inches tall/ and 50cm head circumference. I think. Anyway...she's the height of an average 26 month old...so we've got a tall girl :) Anywhoo...dr. thought she looked great...and we have to agree :)

Let's see...what else have we been up to. Well...she's running me ragged most days. I swear. That kid can destroy a room faster than you can say Shelly Sells Seashells By the Seashore! And she's very much into pigs now. Done with the penguin obsession and on to pigs. She has some piggy jammies that she adores...and wears practically every night. Next time I have my camera handy I'll snap a quick one of her.

Today she was my little fashionista. She decided she wanted to wear her new bunny boots to the gym. Nevermind that it was 70 degrees out at 9am...but she insisted...and carried them out with her to the car. I decided that it wasn't worth the battle and let her wear them. Needless to say...she had some pretty hot feet after that :)

On my photography business front...good things happening. I've been taking a workshop online for the past 5 weeks(my excuse for not blogging) on starting your own business. I can't stress enough how helpful this workshop was...and it's got me all excited to fully launch my business the first of the year. I decided it was probably best to coast through the holidays and then start the year off with a bang. Right now I'm still offering free sessions so I can build up my portfolio...so you readers out there...I know there's a few...and you live close by and want some family pics...give me a jingle :)

Ok...enough of my ramblings..see...you didn't really miss this part of my blog now did you? I'll end on a happy note...with a picture of my toddler...going on teenager :) Look at all that hair in that ponytail!! Love it :)

My tv junkie

We've created a monster. She's a tv watching junkie. She dances and sings along to all her favorite shows. The past couple of weeks we've been getting our daily fill of the Disney Channel....and it shows. She now screams along with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song...and waves frantically at Donald Duck as he spins by in his balloon in the opening sequence. And don't even get me started on her obsession with Dora....we're in trouble...and I know I've said that before :)

Photo Shoot...

I have to say. This was by far the fastest photo shoot I've done. Well..that's not saying TOO much...cuz I've only done 2 prior to this, but still. It was quick. Thankfully I had M along with me to help get her to smile. Otherwise I would have only had shots of her running away from me...and probably of me tripping and falling down the stairs. This girl is fast! I guess our tiny living room isn't ample enough space for an 18 month old to really run. :) Mental note: must take her to open spaces more often. Might wear her out longer :)

Anywhoo...these turned out so great. I can't believe how big she's getting...and how much she's changing. Her baby face is slowly disappearing...and a toddler face is emerging. I want to squeeze her and shove her back in to my favorite feety jammies we brought her home in. Sigh...why oh why does it have to go so fast? Anyway...thought you'd enjoy these :) All I gotta say is....we're in trouble.

18 months old...

Dear Eleanor,

I can't believe you're 18 months old today. I can't believe my little baby is growing up so fast...right before my eyes. You have made my life so wonderful. You amaze me every day with the things you learn. My favorite time of day is first thing in the morning. You are so excited when I come in to get you. You have the best smile that makes your eyes dance. I love your little bit of curl on the back of your hair. Your face is starting to change into a toddler face. Today you looked at me while I was rocking you, and my heart hurt. I know you won't want to be rocked too much longer...so I treasure the times you let me snuggle you.

You had to give up your pacifier this week...and you're doing so good. You still have nap time struggles...but you're working through them. I realized today you are a clothes horse like me. After we got back home from shopping you started pulling out all your new clothes and swung them around on the hanger. We tried them on and we laughed.

I love you so much...and I wish there was a way for me to express it even more than just saying I love you. Someday you'll understand the intense love I have for you. Happy half birthday my angel.

Love,

Mommy

We're Baaaack...

Whew...we made it back yesterday afternoon. And we're pooped. Like...seriously...exhausted. We now need a vacation to some exotic location to recover from our other vacation. :) We had such a great time!! Eleanor did fabulous on the car rides down and back...we are so lucky we had Grammie C entertaining her on the way down. Otherwise we would have been miserable.

We got some great pictures of her with all the characters...and she didn't get scared at all. I was worried that she might freak out with all the big stuffed animals coming at her...but she loved it. Here's one of my favorites I got of her with Donald Duck. She walked right up to him and gave him the biggest hug ever.

Life is back to normal today. Last night we started with our big plan of getting rid of the pacifier. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it will definitely be a rough week for all of us. Better to do it now than later I guess. Hope you all had a great week while we were gone :)

Picture Time :)

It's been awhile since I posted a picture...so thought you'd enjoy one of her today. We ARE.SO.READY.FOR.VACATION!!! Whoohooo..we can hardly stand it :)

Ellie agrees.... sigh...vacation you can't come soon enough :)

Everyday Moments...

I will forever treasure these memories I have of Eleanor. The little everyday things she does..are perhaps...the most special. Like today. She's dressed in her dance leotard since we just got her dance shoes. And her little chubby legs look so cute!! And my favorite...she's busy taking washcloths out of the drawer in the kitchen to come and wash her baby doll with. She also likes to take one out...wipe her nose and put it back in :) At least she continues to use the same washcloth each time she does it!! :)

These are the things I will always remember. Sometime down the road....like when she leaves for college. I will look at her and think about this day...and these everyday memories...and smile. And then of course....go inside and bawl my eyes out!! :) Ahhh parenthood...

I wanna be just like you....

I've got a little sponge on my hands. Yes...it is true that your children watch EVERYTHING you do. Good or bad...weird...or normal. They watch it all. I got a glimpse into that last night while M was at work. Eleanor & I were busy playing in the living room...and she was rummaging through my gym bag. I let her do it...well...because she likes to...and there's nothing really in there that could hurt her..so I let her. Probably a mistake...but oh well. Anyway...she found my deodorant. I didn't think anything of it until she came over to me...lifted my left arm up...and shoved the deodorant in my armpit! Well...either she thought I needed some freshening up...or she's been watching Mommy put her deodorant on :) It was so funny...but she wasn't finished yet...she came around to the right side too...and then proceeded to put it on herself. The cap was on top mind you..so she was just pretending. I got a good laugh out of that one. So today she showed M how to put on deodorant. :) Gosh I love her!!

Been a little busy...

Sorry I haven't been around for a week or so. I've been daydreaming about my business. Plus...Eleanor & I have been visiting my sister...but that also includes my daydreaming. I'm officially beginning the steps to starting my own photography business. Albeit...a sllllooooooooowwwww process...but at least I'm heading in the general direction :) I like the idea of using my creative side for awhile...not that I don't love social work...cuz I do...but I know that this will allow me to be with Eleanor all the time...and still provide some extra $$ for my family. We know it will involve some evenings and weekends...but the great thing about running your own business is that you get to set the schedule. I don't plan on being booked every weekend...that's not feasible for me or M....but maybe 4 bookings a month would be nice. :) I want to focus on maternity, newborns, babies, children and families. So we'll see where this takes me. I'll keep you posted on all the happenings :)

Eleanor's New Trick

So this morning we were up early...as usual. M went off to work...and Eleanor and I were busy getting ready for breakfast. I just happened to look back at the phone charger on the wall and noticed that it was lit up like someone was on the phone. So I knew who had the phone and I went looking for her. Sure enough...she had turned it on and punched in a bunch of random numbers. No biggie. I turned it off and went about my work.

Next thing I know...the phone starts ringing...and I figured it was probably my sister calling to chat. I looked at the caller i.d. and it had a name I didn't recognize...and a number I had no idea where from. I answered a little hesitantly...like "who's calling me"...and the man on the other end said in a somewhat tired voice, "uh yeh...you just called here.."...and I was like..."uhhhh....OH...I'm sorry...my daughter was playing with the phone...ooops...sorry!!"...Poor guy! I looked up the area code...and yup...Eleanor was calling Chicago...at 7:15 Eastern Standard Time...so it was 6:15am in Chicago!! Oooops...won't be letting her play with the phone again anytime soon!! :)

A News Lens for Mommy

M gets a big kiss for surprising me with a new camera lens. He's a stinker for being super sneaky about it too!! I'm.In.Love...with this lens. Here's a sampling of a shot I got with it tonight.

I'll be getting some use out of this puppy next week. I'm heading down to NC to my sister's for a photo shoot with her kiddos...and Eleanor of course. Can't wait to share some of those on here when we get back.

Funny Girl

This girl's got a great sense of humor! She laughs at just about anything we do. All we have to do this week is look at her and say her new favorite word..."hot"...and she's in stitches! She uses this word excessively...like....instead of saying "No...I don't want to eat this"....she now says "Hot"...and puts her hand over it as if to say..."No Mommy...it's Hot...so I can't eat it". This kid is too smart! Not that she has the ability to put together the above sentence...but I get it...she's sneaky :)

We are so ready for our Disney trip...I can't stand it anymore. I'm not usually a type A person...but I'm so excited for this trip that I have planned out exactly what I'm going to wear each day. Part of this is so I don't over pack...seriously...do I really need all that stuff? And since we're driving down instead of flying...I'd like to actually have some leg room for the 14 plus hours it's going to take. Ugh....14 hours in the car. With a toddler. Better start planning lots of activities for her to do with Grammie!!

Here's a pic I snapped of her today. I went in to get her after her nap...and she's always a ham after she's had a good nap. She didn't disappoint today!! :)

Kinder Farm Park

Eleanor is seriously in love with this park! We've been quite a few times this summer...and if it ever cools off a little here...we'll be going again. I think her favorite part is the fact she can run around by herself. I don't make her hold my hand...and she can run all over. What kid wouldn't love that?

They have a great playground area for different ages/stages. Eleanor can go down the slide all by herself now..and loves that. They have goats, chickens, cows, pigs and a rooster. She LOVES it all!

This is a quick shot I got of her after she went down the slide. She's ready to go again!!

16 Months Old...

Ok...I'm a slacker..I admit it. This summer is flying by and I'm MIA in my blogging. I apologize...I feel like we've had something going on constantly...and never enough energy to blog. I'm going to try better...I promise :)

She's a growing...and a growing. I am astounded at how much she understands me...and can follow simple tasks successfully. She learned how to put the keys in the door this week...scary...pretty soon she'll be wanting to drive the car...but if she's anything like me...she'll be terrified...and refuse to learn how to drive...right Grammie C? ;)

M & I look at her a lot..especially over the weekends, and can't believe how big she's getting. We saw a tiny baby at church today...and I was all like..."No way Eleanor was EVER...THAT little!"....but sadly...I look back and yes...she was little...and she used to just lay there. I thought I was exhausted then....but now I'm utterly pooped at the end of every day from chasing her around...and making sure she's not getting into anything.

She lights up every time she sees her Daddy...and shakes her head no almost every time we ask her for a kiss or a hug. She's ornery...we can see it already...but we love her so much...and we don't know what we'd do without her in our lives! Happy 16 month birthday my baby girl!

Little Fish!

So with us being down in NC over the holiday...we got lots of pool time...and people...I gave birth to a FISH! She loves the water...and is scooting herself off the side to jump into the water. Granted...this was not an easy step for Mommy to take...so Aunt Jenni had to do some encouraging...and boy does she like it! She goes under water and comes up ready to give a high five. She even puts her face in the water on her own if you ask her if she wants to swim...it's so cute!

4th of July Fun!

We're back home after a GREAT visit with my family down in NC. We were there for 4 days...plenty of sunshine and laughs! We were at the pool most days...and drove down to Topsail Beach for the 4th. Got some great pictures of my nephew and nieces...and of course...some great ones of my cutie pie! Here's my favorite one from the weekend.

15 Months Old Today!!

She's a BIG girl now :) 15 months...wow!! She's a total sponge lately. Daddy taught her to growl when you ask her what a bear says. She says it every time you ask her!! It's so cute! This week we went down to my sister's for a couple days in NC, and she got to try out the pool. She goes under water now...and handles it like a champ!! Comes up out of the water with a BIG smile on her face. We got a lot of sun the few days we were down there...and her hair got a lot lighter. I think she really enjoyed playing with her cousins!!

Toy Story 3 comes out tomorrow...and we were tossing around the idea of taking her to see it. Well...let's be honest...WE really want to see it...and if we can get her to sit through the whole thing that would be great!! I might have to bring along a BIG bag of suckers to keep her busy :)

Anywhoo...Happy 15month Birthday to our little angel!!

So What's Been Going On...

Well...not much...but I sure feel like I'm busy all the time! We're getting ourselves into a nice little daily schedule. And I'm finally making daily time for myself. It's only taken 14 months to figure that one out :) For the past 3 weeks I've been marching us over to the gym almost everyday. For the past 2 weeks...it's been for a nice hour long workout...and a nice hour for Eleanor to play and socialize with other kiddos. I think she's doing pretty good adjusting. She gets kind of excited to go into the big room and play....and for the past few times I've went to pick her...she's in a great mood. Can't ask for anything better right?

This week I've also realized how much she watches me...and it's a little scary. She has a little bag she got her birthday gifts from Grammie C in...and she insists on putting on her arm all the time. Well this week while we were getting out of the car...she put that bag on her arm...and blew kisses to me and waved bye. IT.WAS.THE.CUTEST.THING.E.V.E.R! Just like how I do it....wow....really gotta start watching what I do around her huh? So glad that the first visible trait she picked up from me isn't a bad one...well....could be down the road...when she's obsessed with bags like I am :) Better start saving now Daddy!!

Memorial Day Weekend....and Roseola...

Well...it never fails. You plan a nice long weekend vacation to the beach...and your child gets sick. Ellie started running a fever the night we were supposed to leave for NC...102.7 to be exact. Thought it might be a high teething fever...since she ran that before. Ended up taking her to my sister's pediatrician on Friday since her temp kept creeping up. No infection...and CBC came back normal...so the only logical explanation was roseola. Darn it! Well...sure enough...she had it. Friday afternoon her temp got up to 104.6! Poor baby! At least we were in an oceanfront condo...with 7 pools to keep us happy. She did fairly well....up until our last full day in Myrtle Beach. She was MISERABLE! And to top it all off...those darn top canine teeth started bugging her again. When it rains it pours people! Oh well...what are you gonna do...you try to make the best of it :) She's doing much better...and yesterday the roseola rash appeared...and today...it's all over her little body. Her teeth are still trying to come through...so once they pop out...hopefully (fingers crossed) that should be it for a while. But who knows...you can't plan anything!! :) Thought you all would enjoy a cute picture of her from this weekend!

14 Months Old Today

Yay!! She's getting so big! And she learned how to say our dog's name this weekend. She says "May May" for Maggie :) It's just about the cutest thing EVER! Here's a new video I took of her playing with her tea set. Don't be alarmed by the squeaky music in the background. I was testing out a new ringtone to drive Maggie crazy with....it didn't work...but Ellie likes the music :)

The Couch

She figured it out this week....she can successfully scale the couch. I'm telling you...she GREW this week people :) She gave me quite a scare...of course it was my own fault. I was distracted by having our computer downstairs..and was looking something up..and suddenly I realized how quiet it got. Where is she? Sure enough...she was standing on the couch...picking through my purse. She saw me...squealed..and proceeded to walk off the couch! Yikes...I swear it all happened in slow motion...I started to run to her...but slid on the carpet just in time to get my hand underneath her head as she fell. Luckily there was a pillow right underneath her too...so she landed pretty softly...and she laughed. Mommy did not laugh. That night Daddy moved the computer back upstairs...where it belongs....that won't be happening again :) Lesson learned.

I fancied it up around here....

In case ya didn't notice :) I found a great website that has free fonts...and a tutorial on how to add your font to blogger...so I thought we could use a change around here :) Hope you like it!

I think Ellie is going through a growth spurt this week. She slept in today until 8:45...and then she took an almost 4 HOUR nap!! She never does that....and she was super dooper hungry at dinner...and ate 1/2 a chicken breast...and all of her broccoli. Whoohoo!! So if she's grown 4 inches tomorrow when she wakes up...I'll know why :)

We had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday....and I couldn't help but think back to what she looked like last year...so little!! And to think we thought she was getting so big...my my how your perspective changes :)

What's New with Ellie?

You may be asking yourself this...so thought I'd update everyone :)

We're learning more words...slowly..but learning. She says "dog" "door"(which could really be dog..but hey...it works) "dada" "hi" and today we were practicing "baby" and she said it! Yay :) She blows kisses and waves bye bye and waves hello. She definitely understands small tasks, like "go find your milk" and "give me kisses". She doesn't always follow through with that last one...and we have to chase her down to get a kiss :) We've been working with a spoon and fork at mealtimes...but we should probably step that up a little. She doesn't like to be corrected...and does this weird thing where she tries to gag herself if you tell her no. I don't know what that is...or how she learned it..but ok...whatever kid :) She's very interested in learning how things work...especially the toilet...and she's figured out how to flush...so we'll probably see a rise in our water bill thanks to that! :)

She continues to amaze us everyday. She likes to watch other kids and will probably be the shy kid. She's not one to run up to people she doesn't know, and has been going through some separation anxiety lately. The last few times we've dropped her off in the church nursery, she bursts into tears as soon as we step away from her...so we're working through that...and hopefully she'll start adjusting.

She's into everything...and when I say everything...I mean...EVERYTHING! It's 3 times now she's found the red button on our power strip that our computer is plugged into and turned it off...and 3 times we've panicked...and prayed we didn't lose anymore pictures like we did a few weeks ago. I guess you can never "babyproof" enough. Oh well. As long as she's not falling down the stairs...or anything bad like that...I'm doing ok, right? That's one thing I'm learning more and more each day...you will always second guess yourself...and always wonder..."Am I doing enough?" or "Am I doing a good job?" We'll never live up to our standards of perfection...but we can learn to just take one day at a time...and get through each day.

One of her favorite things....

Is looking out the front door...and watching for her Daddy...

We're done....

It's official...we're done nursing. I'm sad....but she's doing fine. We had a busy weekend...and we were already down to just night nursing...so we put her down without it...and she did fine. So....to celebrate...I'm wearing a regular bra!! LOL...that's probably a little TMI for some of you!! Sorry about that. I made it 13 months...and I wouldn't trade that for anything!! It was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. It wasn't easy....but once we got the hang of it...we were old pros. My little girl is growing up too fast!!

We're also working on all 4 canines this week...so we're pretty miserable....all 3 of us are! The whining has intensified this week...but hopefully they will all push through and we can get a break for a while...hopefully!!

Thought I'd add a cute picture of her..enjoy!!!

Picture Thursday

Just cuz I know ya wanna see the cutie pie!!

Here ya go :)

Our first night out is tomorrow!!

It's finally happening this weekend! Whoohoo!! It's been a long time coming. I know...I know...everyone says you need to get out as a couple...without your children. Well....it's hard. We...ok...let's be honest...I....haven't "wanted" to be away from her. I'm afraid I might miss something she does for the first time. I know how M feels now....after he comes home and I run to the door exclaiming.."She did _____ for the first time!" It's exciting...but you don't want to miss out. Now that we're slowly weaning..I feel like I can make time for "couple time." We've got lots of people wanting to babysit...so I guess I better start taking advantage...right? :)

In Eleanor news...she's a total ham...and she knows it! She rules the roost...and she knows that too. She's all over the place...and our house looks like a tornado came through. How in the world does one child make such a mess in a matter of minutes?? Anywhoo...thought you'd enjoy a picture I got of her yesterday playing in her princess tent.

Still got a cough

But no fevers now. She had a fever over the weekend...of course...because it was Easter...but we're feeling much better. It's been 2 weeks since this cold started. She still has a congested cough...and part of me is starting to wonder if she doesn't have some seasonal allergies. I need to read up on that...I'm sure signs/symptoms are similar to those of a cold...so might have to talk with our dr. next appt about it.

We had a wonderful Easter!! She devoured her chocolate bunny last night. She still has another one from Grammie C that we...I mean...she...needs to eat :) Hahaha :) No...Mommy & Daddy are trying really hard to be good...and lose some baby weight...so no chocolate bunnies for us :)

I'm also playing around with the idea of eventually....someday...starting my own photography business. I think it's still a ways off...I need to learn a lot of things...but right now I'm just using this time to play around and experiment. I shot this one tonight on a "borrowed" camera....with hopes....fingers crossed...that it will soon become "my" camera. Needless to say...I like it :)

Look what great pictures it takes :)

We're on the mend!!

Whoohoo...she's finally feeling better!! Yipppeee!! I was a mess yesterday...questioning my ability as a mom. She couldn't breathe through her nose...so she wasn't nursing at all. We went a full 36 hours of not nursing...so I was beginning to think this was the end...and she was weaning herself. I have to admit...I was a little sad and upset about it. But low and behold...this morning she was breathing much better and nursed like crazy this morning. Yay!! Mommy isn't ready for that yet...it needs to be a much slower process. But...we're definitely heading in that direction. My hope is to have her completely weaned by the beginning of summer. We'll see how that goes :)

We're gonna head to the park today...we are in desperate need of some sunshine!!

Nasty cold

We're experiencing our very first cold. Yuck....she's definitely not feeling herself today. Poor baby!! She's had a runny nose...clear though...all day...and a yucky congested cough. We're keeping a close eye on her. Tonight we did some Vicks Baby rub....so hopefully that will help her make it through the night. We've got another Easter egg hunt tomorrow at our church. Should be fun to meet some other parents in our church. Anywhoo...thought I'd share another cute picture of spring from our trip to the park from this past week :)

1 year check up

Here's the latest stats:

Weight: 22lbs

Length: 31 inches

Head: 47cm

She's growing like a weed people! She had 3 shots in her little legs....and is doing pretty good. She ripped the band-aids off right away. She didn't even flinch...she's a real trooper :)

I've been playing around with my photoshop...and couldn't help but share this priceless picture of her. This was the weekend of the 20th....we had M's work Easter egg hunt, and 2 birthday parties...poor baby!!

Happy 1st Birthday Eleanor!!

Well...we did it. We made it to the first year...without seriously injuring our child :) I can't believe how much my life changed a year ago today. She gave us quite a scare when she was born...but she's more than made up for that :) She is such an easygoing child...I thank God everyday for that!! We woke her up early this morning and sang "Happy Birthday" to her. I think she knows what we're saying...because she got all happy when we were singing. She opened up our gift and got a special breakfast of blueberry muffins. Nope...not green pancakes...maybe another day for that :)

We can't wait to see how much she changes over the next year. We've got a toddler on our hands now...watch out :)

1st Birthday Pictures :)

One more day with my baby

I can't believe Eleanor is turning one tomorrow. She won't be my "baby" anymore...she'll be a toddler. Oh how I miss the days when I could just scoop her up and squeeze her anytime I wanted. Now it's on her terms. She's very good about letting you know when she doesn't want to be held. Funny how early they learn their independence. I know it's all downhill from here in that department....just not sure I'm ready for that yet :)

As much as I miss those tiny baby days...I'm glad we are where we are right now. I'm not ready to go back to sleepless nights...and nursing every hour and a half :) I'm still nursing Eleanor...but at least we can go about 4-5 hours in between now :) Guess that answers your questions about if we'll be having another baby soon...hahaha. Not for a while...we're really enjoying watching her grow up. But I'll keep you posted on that :)

Birthday Party Was A Success!!

We had a great birthday party this past weekend!! Lots of people who love Eleanor that's for sure :) She got a ton of great gifts..and is pretty much set for summer clothes now! Thanks everyone!! She did so good...loved Mommy's punch...and didn't once have a birthday meltdown. When we sang to her she got the cutest smile and scrunched up her nose like she knew we were all singing to her. Couldn't have asked for a better day. I'll post pictures of her party when I get a chance. M also put together a video of her first year in review...so I'll post that too. Now for a relaxed, low key actual birthday on Wednesday. :)

As you may already know....

I'm sure most of you have already seen that Layla is finally at home in heaven. She passed away this morning...and I can't stop thinking about her and her family. My heart aches for them. I can't imagine losing a child so young. I've added a little badge on the side of my blog.....it's called flowers for Layla. Another mommy blogger Mandy came up with this idea, and I thought I'd share it with all of you. We're going to plant flowers for her and for all the kids whose lives are cut short by cancer and other devastating illnesses. I'm going to get mine before the weekend, but many people are doing it on Saturday. If the weather isn't nice where you are...you can always plant one inside :) I know it's not much...but I'm sure it'll make me smile when I see it...and remind me of several children I knew through my days of working on the pediatric oncology unit in KC. So...if you're up for it...join me in planting flowers for Layla.

T-11 days

We're on a countdown till her birthday party. Much to do yet. Need to get more supplies...and stuff for goodie bags. We're running out today to get plates/silverware...and I'm wanting to make a cute homemade "Happy Birthday" banner. I've been stalking etsy for ideas...and I think I found the perfect one. Now I just need to find time to make it...and finish everything else :)

Mom....I can now appreciate how much work you put into all of our birthday parties!! Thank you a million times over!! :) Love you!!

In Eleanor news...she's walking all over the place. It's amazing how quickly she learned and trusted in her abilities. We got her 1 year pictures done this past weekend....can't wait to get those and share them with you. They turned out SO great!! Ok...off to the store :)

Hug Your Child

Today I'm hugging Eleanor even more. I've been reading about a litte girl named Layla that is losing her battle to stage 4 neuroblastoma. She's only 2 years old...and sadly is in the final stages of her precious life. I ask that you continue to pray for her and her family as they prepare to let her go home to her Lord, and ask you to hug your child or children a little more today. Be thankful for the moments you have with them...for none of us know when we'll be called home. If you'd like to read more about her, here's the link: www.laylagrace.org

She's a Walkin'

Yup....I'd say it's official now. She's definitely walking. Yesterday she was taking like 10 steps by herself...so I think that qualifies :) My baby is walking.....sigh.......sigh some more. What happened to that tiny little person I first met almost a year ago. The little girl that stole my heart when we first saw her on the ultrasound. M & I have been flipping through old pictures and video and we both are like..."Would you look at how little she was!"....and "Oh my gosh....look at how little her hands were!".....and how we thought each month she looked bigger. That part is probably true...but it's amazing how quickly you forget.

Believe it or not...a year ago at this time...I was watching 3 other little munchkins...when I was 38 weeks pregnant...my nephew and nieces. I remembered a funny story the other day about when they were here. I took them to a local park...and it was during school hours...so a couple other moms that didn't have school age kids were there. Immediately one started questioning my nephew about why he wasn't in school...and gave me a disapproving look. He politely explained that they were on vacation....which then softened her a little. The other mom was chatting with me...and the whole time I kept thinking...I wonder if she realizes I'm 38 weeks pregnant. WHAT??? Hahahahaha.....OF COURSE she did...hahaha....I guess we're you're in the "first" pregnancy mode you're a little self-centered...like no one else has ever been pregnant before. And by judging from the photos I've seen of myself....I'm pretty sure even the blind new I was pregnant. I WAS HUGE!! LOL.....oooohhh...funny funny!! Amazing how your perspective changes. Here's a couple fun pictures from this time last year :)

Eleanor's Got Loco Legs!!

Say it isn't so...."sniff sniff".....

My baby girl is 11 months old today. Only one more month of her being a "baby." She's growing up too fast. I know...I know...I say the same thing every month....and say that too. She's changing so much everyday. This week already she learned where her tummy is. So now she knows "head" and "tummy." She's taking more steps by herself, but we definitely need to up our walking practice so she's able to show off her skills at her birthday party next month. I'll have to take a picture of her party invitations that I made. They turned out pretty good. I think these are the cupcakes I will make for her party, except use pink & purple frosting. I better get busy practicing :)

Picture from Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook

Things I'm learning....

1) Riding in the backseat of our car next to Eleanor for 5 hours is not always as pleasurable as I previously thought

2) Steamy, stinky dog breath is not my favorite scent

3) It's time we get a bigger vehicle!

These were all learned on our way back from NC this past weekend. Granted...5 hours in the car for anyone is not always fun...and certainly wasn't for Eleanor or anyone else. I tried my best to entertain her, by making silly faces, tickling her, making even more ridiculous faces AND sounds...nothing worked. She was miserable and so was I. I reached my breaking point...and was ready to pull out my hair. I realized that it's ok to have these moments. I wasn't my most patient with her, but we all have less than perfect days of parenting..and this was one of them. I'm convinced that had we been traveling in a much larger vehicle, ALL of this could have been avoided....but we're not there yet :)

Pictures of the snow

This is insane. We're supposed to get up to another 20 inches tomorrow. That will easily put us close to 5 feet on the ground...at one time. Good grief.

Here's a couple pics of the snow. One of Eleanor sitting on top of the snow in front of the house. The second one is looking at our house from the parking lot. You can barely see out our front windows due to the massive pile of snow in our yard. I'm sure it'll be awhile before all this melts :)

Snow Snow...and more snow!

We got a whopping 34 inches of snow!!! Great googley moogely it's a lot!! Doesn't help we have a bad shovel...so the digging out is taking much longer than we'd like. But it's not like we could go anywhere anyway. The roads are pretty bad still. Oh well....good excuse to snuggle inside with Eleanor :) Hope you're all staying warm!! I'll post some pictures tonight of all the snow.

Big things have been happening!!

She took her first steps last week!! Big girl!! She been busy practicing all week...and this morning took some on her own without me prompting her. She also said "Uh oh"...this past Sunday. She tipped over her ball pit and looked and me and said it. It was the cutest thing EVER!

She's really getting into everything now. I'm constantly following her around, and getting her off the stairs. We really need to figure out something for those!! She's been cutting her one year molars all last week too, so we've all been a little miserable for that. Finally today I didn't have to put any diaper rash cream on her either. Things are finally starting to look up :)

Other big news......we're getting a new stroller......FOR FREE!! Whoohoo!! Bumbleride is replacing our stroller for free to sort of make up for the fact that M almost cut his finger off :) Isn't that so nice?? We are a Bumbleride family for life now! :)

Ok...well...I think I covered just about everything. We are still hoping to get a night out just the two of us this weekend...but it's supposed to snow yet again. This would be the second attempt at M's holiday party...and I got a special dress for it too. Keep your fingers crossed that the snow completely misses us!! :)

10 Months Old

She's officially in double digits now....10 months. WOW. Only 2 months left until we say we have a 1 year old. It's crazy how fast this year has went by. A year ago at this time I was done working. It's hard to believe I've been unemployed/retired for a year now :) I have to be honest....I don't miss it one bit. Sure I long for the days when I could have an "actual" conversation with someone. Nowadays my sentences are usually one or two words....but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm so lucky to get to see her first thing in the morning....and be the last one to see her at night. Here's her 10 month video. Enjoy :)

Hopefully the last of the mishaps

This week has been a little rough in the Parsons household. I had my wisdom teeth taken out on Wednesday...which wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. Eleanor's head has been healing nicely....now it's an ugly yellow bruise, but needless to say, on the mend. The hubs however did not do so well yesterday. He managed to squish/squash/jam/pinch/almost cut off...his finger in our stroller while trying to open it. Ughh...lots of blood....a trip to the ER...and 3 stitches later....we're staying home today. I'm praying this is the last of it all for awhile. We're all doing ok...neither one of us is taking any prescription pain medication...so Eleanor is in good hands. But this week can't get over fast enough. We're ready for a quiet weekend....inside....taking it easy :)

Her 1st big boo boo....and I feel horrible!

Becoming more mobile=more risk of getting hurt. We both learned that one today. She was happily playing by the t.v. stand and tried to stand up holding onto the corner...and lost her balance and WHAM....conked her head on the corner...which then swelled up into a nasty "egg" on her forehead. I don't know who cried harder...her or me. It looks horrible...and of course...we're going to see some family this weekend. That will make some nice pictures! :) Oh well....we survived...and needless to say we are going to tomorrow to get all our baby proofing supplies..which will include bubble wrap to wrap her up in for the rest of her life! LOL :)

Planning for her birthday

I can't believe we're already planning for her 1st birthday. We're going with a cupcake theme, which is why I chose this new background :) I will be hand making her invitations....and already have a flood of ideas I'm tossing around in my head. I just need to make my way to my favorite store in the world....Paper Source. They have all the best tools...and their website helps me narrow down all the possibilities. I used them for our wedding invitations too. There will be more to come in this department. Until then I leave you with this funny picture I took of her recently...she's such a cutie!