:2009: in hindsight

NINE things I'm thankful for in 2009:

1. That Noah and I found out that our sweet little baby-on-the-way, that I just KNEW was a boy, was actually a GIRL! I don't think I have ever smiled so big and have not stopped smiling since! Hopefully we will have a sweet little boy one day, but I am ever so grateful to have a precious daughter to dress up and spoil!



2. That Noah and I celebrated three wonderful years of marriage! Noah is truly the One that God had for me and I am so thankful that He chose us to spend our lives together.



3. That God knew exactly what I needed and placed me in a position at Children's where I would be understood and nurtured. I feel so blessed to have had a boss who knew exactly what I needed and was so kind to me throughout my pregnancy. Jennifer truly touched my heart so many times this year and I feel so blessed to have been one of her employees.

4. That Noah and I were able to come to the huge decision for me to remain a stay-at-home-mom. It was not an easy decision for us, and I tell Noah every day how thankful I am to have a husband who honors me enough to know that this has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I love spending my hours and days with Elle and am so grateful for the hours and days that Noah puts into his job to make that happen. There is no greater joy!



5. That our sweet baby girl, Elle Adelaide, came into this world. It has been a (wonderful) worldwind ever since! We have been immensely blessed with a beautiful, healthy child and we know that that is something to never take for granted. God has been SO good to us in 2009!





6. For my Mom friends. I prayed for these friends the moment I found out I was pregnant because I knew that I would need them in my life, and I definitely have. They have encouraged me so much in the past 6 months and I am so thankful to have each one of them in my life!



7. For amazing parents! Noah and I have been so, so blessed to have parents who live close to us and who are willing to babysit when we need them to. It has been so nice to be able to leave Elle with them and not have to worry about her because we know she is going to be safe and have a great time.





8. For a wonderful church that has encouraged us in numerous ways. We have loved having the 'cry room' in the back of the auditorium where we can listen to the sermon and keep Elle with us, even when she is causing a ruckus! She is getting a bit too old to be in there now, but while she was so small, it was a great convenience.



9. For all of the moments during the past year when Noah and I have just stopped and thought, Wow, we are so lucky! We have a beautiful baby girl who makes us smile and laugh every day. Wonderful friends and family who fill our lives with such joy! And most importantly a Savior who loves us, even when we don't deserve it. God IS good!

Happy, Happy New Year! May 2010 be as GREAT as 2009!

Santa's Little Helper

Naughty...





Or nice?

7 months

Elle turned 7 months old yesterday! For some reason this milestone has been more overwhelming than the previous ones. I think it is because she is now closer to one year than she is to being a newborn. I went back and looked at some of the short videos that Noah took of her in the hospital and they were so sweet! A couple of them I had not even seen before.

Well, Elle girl, you're 7 months old! Here is what you are up to these days.

You now have a very large appetite! You eat everything I give to you. Your favorites are still zucchini and squash, but you also really love rice cereal with apples and mango. I am still making your baby food, but we have given you some jarred food, especially fruits that I want you to try that are not in season.



You cut your first tooth this month. It is only part way in, but it's pretty stinkin' cute! You are currently working on cutting the one right next to it. Maybe you will get your two front teeth for Christmas after all!

You are still taking three good naps a day, but within the past week, it has become much more difficult to get you to fall asleep. You are very busy trying to get up on your knees and move around your crib. Who needs to sleep anyway? I always get a good laugh when I see you through the baby monitor starring very intently (and at very close range) at the gadget attached to your crib. One of these days I know you're going to start grabbing it off the side and your Daddy will have to mount it on the wall.



You love, love to scream at the top of your lungs and also to spit. Both very unlady like! I have a feeling this is just a preview of the next 18 years!



You love to play in the front room of our house which has been transformed into your play room. All of your toys are in there and you are usually very content to play with them while I get a few things done around the house.



You enjoy visiting the library and finding new books to read. Your Daddy and I read to you each night before you go to sleep. You would be much happier if we just let you chew on the books, but sometimes you pretend to pay attention to the story. I am really looking forward to many, many nights of reading bedtimes stories to you in the future!

I wasn't sure if you would be very into opening presents this year, but now I have a feeling that you are going to love riping off the paper and bows! So much fun!





You live for bath time and being able to splash around in the water. We bought you some new bath toys that you love to chew on and play with. I decided to hold off on the bubbles since you loved to 'chew' on them as well!




Your hair is much more blonde now and I have a feeling it is only going to get lighter. You had such thick, dark hair when you were born and I am not sure where it all went? When your Daddy and I see little girls a little older than you, we always wonder if you will be the dark or light headed one? Who knows!

You are not crawling yet, but you do love to get up on your knees and rock back and forth. Most of the time you end up going backwards, but hey, at least you're moving!



I was 4 months pregnant with you last year around this time when your Daddy and I went to Disney World. We had a great time and talked about how much fun it would be to go back with you someday. I found these silly wax lips at a cute little candy shop while we were there and recently came across them. Just being silly girls!



You are just so much fun! I love kissing your sweet cheeks and listening to your joyous laughter! Happy 7 months, sweet pea!

Tuesday Snoozeday?

I don't think so! For Elle it has been much more like Tuesday let's-not-take-a-single-nap-all-day-and-make-Mommy-crazy-day. I'm not sure if it is the fact that she now likes to roll over and get up on her knees each time I put her in bed or if it is because it has been so sunny lately. It was overcast for so long, that I think she just knew when I turned on her sound machine and rocked her, that it was time to sleep. Well, definitely not today.

*Oh, and then I realized it ISN'T TUESDAY! See, I told you Elle made me crazy today! Ha Ha, Monday Funday, maybe?

Yesterday she and I woke up early to go watch Noah run in the Run the Rock Marathon. He was on a relay team through Sewell and ran 5 miles. It was supposed to be a really nice, warm day, but it ended up being about 48 degrees and very cold and wet. We got to the race early and had to wait about an hour and a half to see Noah run. Elle did pretty good, but then she eventually got tired of sitting in her stroller. I was alone, so it ended up being quite a bit of work. It was fun seeing Noah run and cheering him on, but I think next time a babysitter will be in order.
















We have decided to postpone the painting of the guest room since we found out we have four more guests coming to stay with us on Friday and Saturday night. Noah's cousin Jason and his wife Amber and their two little ones will be in Dallas for a wedding this weekend and needed a place to stay. I am pretty sure it is going to be a very busy weekend! Our house is far from babyproofed and Amber and Jason have an almost two year old and a 10 month old. We decided there is too much for us to do to add painting to the list. Well, at least we have an excuse :)

We have the Sewell Christmas party tomorrow night at the Meyerson Symphony Hall and I am so excited! Noah and I bought tickets and went to their Christmas program last year and it was so much fun. Mimi and Pops are coming over with B & R to watch the babe, so it will be a nice night away for Noah and I. We are so glad that we have family in the area to watch Elle when we have things planned or for a night out. I know I would be very nervous to leave her with a babysitter. We are so blessed!

Better get some dinner cookin' before Mr. Stavlo gets home. That's what we housewives are supposed to do, right?

Wednesday

Little sweet pea is taking her morning nap and most of my chores around the house were completed yesterday since we had Kellie and Justin over last night. So, now I have a few minutes to get caught up on some blogging.



Elle has been a little fussy this week and I think it is because she is teething. I heard from a friend that you can give babies these all natural teething tablets that they sell at CVS. I had plans to go by there yesterday to pick some up, but we didn't end up making it. My friend Erika is coming over this afternoon, so I am not sure if we will get there today either. Oh well.

Last Sunday was Nonna's 60th birthday and we had her party on Saturday. We all had a great time and Elle did well considering she did not get a nap.








Noah and I decided last weekend that we are finally going to give in and paint our guest room. It is just a plain white color right now and could really use a fresh coat of paint. Noah's friends are coming to stay a few nights with us in 10 days, so we are hoping to have the project completed by then. We decided on a simple color called 'soft candelight', so I hope it turns out well. We both hate to paint, so I am hoping with a deadline, we will be motivated to get it done quickly.

And this is what we have been doing lately after Elle goes to bed. Noah is much more into it than I am (I don't have the patience), but I am trying to be open minded about it. At the rate we are going, we may have to give ourselves a deadline for this project as well!

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy



I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do



I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there



I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too



Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage




I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there



I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!



*The song can be listened to if you click on the play button to the right of the screen :)

Snowflakes and Cheerios

This morning we woke up to snow falling! Of course it completely melted in less than an hour, but while it was snowing, it was absolutely beautiful! I am starting to realize how much more excited I get about things now that we have Elle. You get to experience everything all over again and it is a great feeling! I have always loved snow, but it was extra special to get to show it to Elle this morning. She was completely mesmerized by it. I am sure she thought I was nuts because I kept saying 'Oh my goodness, look at all the snow!' She humored me though.





We had a bit of a rough night last night though. Our electricity went out about midnight and of course woke Elle up because her sound machine went off. She and I were up for the next two hours until the electricity came back on.

Elle has been sleeping so well lately. She takes three 1 - 2.5 hour naps every day and goes to bed around 8:30 PM. She usually wakes up around 5 AM, but sometimes will sleep straight through until 7 AM or so. She is such a big girl! It is true what they say, you really do forget all of the sleepless nights you go through with a newborn.

Elle has also been eating so much better! She will now eat anything I give her. I haven't tried anything new, but she loves peas, zucchini, squash, apples with cinnamon, avocados and rice cereal. I gave her some cheerios for the first time today and I think she likes them. Of course she will have to work on getting them in her mouth a bit better, but so far so good.







Another exciting tidbit is I think Elle is about to get her two bottom teeth! I noticed today while she was eating that they are really, really close to the surface! I am so excited! I kept trying to look at them and I am sure Elle got tired of my fingers being in her mouth, but she better get used to it because I am going to want to see those pearly whites! So far I have no noticed any adverse reactions to the new teeth, but they aren't in yet. Hopefully it won't be too bad.