15 months

My sweet girl is 15 months old today! She is learning and growing so much each day.

Elle, here is what you are up to at 15 months.

You weigh 20.1 lbs (11%) You are 30.5 ins (50%) and your head is 18 ins around (45%). You are still in size 3 diapers and you are wearing 12-18 month clothes.

You are going through a picky eating stage and I am hoping that it is going to pass quickly. You used to love any type of sandwhich - peanut butter & jelly, grilled cheese, or turkey, and now you refuse to eat bread! You like to stick your little tongue out for a small "taste" before you decide if you like something, and more times than not you decide you don't. I have been trying to come up with different things to feed you, but after awhile it is too much work and too much wasted food. Right now your staples are strawberries, avocado, banana, veggie sticks, goldfish, string cheese, and turkey sticks.

You love to explore and get into everything! At any given time I can find these things hidden around the house and am constantly cleaning up after you...

You have shut down somewhat vocally and most of the time act very shy when asked to say any words or animal sounds. You do still like to stick your tongue out when we ask you what the lizard says, but only because you can give a silent response :)

You are learning how to climb up on the furniture and some of your toys, but aren't always sure how to get yourself down. You can get on your cars but can never figure out how to get off of them and will then just sit and fuss until someone helps you down. I am constantly telling you to "use your words" and not just whine about it, but I'm not sure you're very receptive to that statement at this point. haha.

You love to run to the window whenever Daddy is leaving for work or after lunch to wave "bye-bye" to him. It is really sweet and I think he enjoys it just as much as you :)


You are going on your first trip out of the country in a few days and I'm pretty sure you're extremely excited! Considering both sets of grandparents and one set of great-grantparents are going with us, I am sure you will be spoiled with all the attention.

You are a very easy baby (can I even call you that anymore?) and I just love you so much! You fill my days with so much excitement and entertainment and I love watching you grow into your own little person. I think you have a complete mix of my personality and your Dad's. At times you are very shy and others you are completely outgoing and want all the attention on yourself.

You are a total Momma's girl. You do not want me out of your sight, even if your Daddy is there. When you go to the church nursery you always cry when we drop you off, but they say you don't cry for long and are always happy when we come and pick you up.

You are still taking two naps a day, but I think you will switch to just one pretty soon.

You loooove to give Eskimo kisses and are getting very good at them. When I ask you if I can have one, you give me a smug look and then start to shake your head and put your nose to mine. It is so sweet!

I have a feeling you are going to be a girly girl since you love your sunglasses, lip gloss, and bracelets. We had to make a stop at the dollar store one day this week to pick up a couple pair of sunglasses and also a stop at Claire's to get some bracelets. You like to have all of them on at the same time and will prance around the house like you know you look cute!


We bought you a little garden cottage that you always like to play with at playgroup and in the church nursery. I was afraid that maybe you would get bored with it if you could play with it all the time, but apparently that isn't the case. You love to go in and out and "slam" the door shut. You also love to "check the mail" and play with the the carrots that you're "growing".


You love to carry your blankies around the house and have even been known to grab one of the rugs and sling it over your shoulder should you not be able to find one of your blankets!

You are growing up so quickly! We love you sweet girl. Happy 15 months!

Ranch 2010

It has been one week today since we loaded up the Dodge and headed up to Perryton for the annual rib cook-off. I was so excited to be going back this year since last year I had an 8 week old and did not get to sit and visit with anyone other than Noah's cousin's wife who also had a 5 month old that she was nursing.

Elle did surprisingly well on the trip up there and only got fussy a few times. I brought a lot of snacks with us and also some new toys that she had never played with before and that kept her pretty occupied. Noah rented us a pop-up camper to stay in while we were there so that we had some AC for the baby. I, of course, brought my video monitor with us (have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE that thing... sorry, just making sure!) so that was so nice to have and really put my mind at ease that Elle was alright.

We had a great time seeing all of Noah's family and friends. Elle was really good, but she definitely did not want to be away from me, which is pretty typical. She napped well in the camper though and slept well at night, so that was nice. We have decided that next year we will definitely be staying an extra night though. The drive is too far to only stay two nights.

The weather was so terribly hot, but thankfully we had a covering/tent to sit under, so that was nice. We had heard before going up there that the mosquitoes were terrible since they had received so much rain this summer, but thankfully we had no trouble with them at all. I was so worried that Elle was going to be eaten alive and I was really not wanting to put bug spray on her at this age, so I was thrilled that we were able to escape the bugs.

Noah and his friends had very high hopes of doing well in the cook-off, but sadly they didn't do much better than last year. Noah got 36th out of 42, which was better than some of his friends and worse than others. He even prepared this year and had an excellent rub, but what can ya do? Now all the guys are talking about buying or building their own smoker for next year - yeah right boys!

Sweet girl was so tired when we got back that she has been taking 2+ hour naps twice a day since. She has had a bit of a rough week too since her molars are coming through, and today was one of her crankiest days that I can remember. I ended up putting her to bed at 6:15 PM because when I asked her if she was ready for night night she said "uh-huh" and walked over to the refrigerator to get her milk - ha ha!

(I had to throw this one in for good measure. Cutest tushy ever!)

It's been too long

... since Elle had a fun photo shoot. Here are a few images I captured today. Enjoy!

14 months

So, this is only about a week late, but I really want to keep posting Elle's monthly updates at least through 18 months. I know that with my next baby I will want to look back and see how similar/different they were.

So, on that note, Elle, here is what you are up to at 14 months.

You now have 10 teeth (4 on the top, 4 on the bottom) and have cut your two top molars. Your bottom molars are certainly on their way because your poor gums are very swollen. You have been a little more fussy than usual with all the teeth coming in, but it hasn't seemed to bother you that much. It certainly hasn't interrupted your sleep which I am very happy about.

You are still a good sleeper and usually sleep from 7 PM - 7 AM. You are still taking two naps a day, each for about an hour and a half.

You love your paci and your blankie! You love to go into your room and pull your blankie and paci's out through the bed slats. I have had to start putting your pacifiers away after each nap so that you can't just have them any time you want. It hasn't seemed to phase you, so that's good.

You are starting to say more words but still haven't done any signs. I haven't been very consistent with you, so I'm sure it's my fault. You can say "mama", "dada", "hi", "uh-oh", "eye", "nana" and now when I ask you a question you either shake your head "no" or you say "uh-huh" which means yes. It is really nice to finally have you be able to communicate when you want to do something.

You love to dance and do so whenever you hear any music. You love the banjo music your little Baby Einstein table makes and play it all day long. You put your little hand up in the air and shake your little booty - it is too cute!

You made your second trip to the Ranch last weekend. The ride up there wasn't so bad and you did well while we were there, but you were really clingy to Mommy. All those cowboys with their mustaches were not exactly your cup of tea! (I will put up more pictures later)

You love having play dates with our friends Katie and Ellie. You are learning how to share a little more, but are still a little aggressive sometimes (you shoved Ellie the other day and then tried to point to her eye and ended up poking it). I know it is more the childishness in you than the naughtiness, but we're working on it and I try to go easy on you for now.

You love to play with blocks and your stackable cups. You are really good at putting the cups together and love to figure out how things work.

You are growing so fast and learning so much. It is really fun to watch you experience new things. We love you so much! Happy 14 months!

Summertime

Obviously my blogging has been lacking lately. Honestly, I just don't feel like I have that much to say. Elle and I are pretty much in a set routine these days and most days that doesn't include time to sit down and write. Elle also loves to open and close all the drawers on our desk and pull everything out if I try to type while she is awake, so for now it has taken a backseat.

Kellie and I planned a birthday party for one of our good friends last night and since Noah had a work event that he needed to attend, and Nona was working and Mimi was busy with B, Justin saved the day and came over and stayed with Elle. She slept the entire time and I think he mostly just studied, but it was such a lifesaver!

Elle is officially a walker now and does so at least 80% of the time. Occasionally if she needs to get somewhere fast, she will crawl, but mostly she is walking. She is thrilled with her new found freedom and loves to walk from room to room and get into everything! Her favorite place to go these days is into her room to pull her blankie and paci out of her crib. The other day we were in there and I was folding her laundry and I turned around and she was sitting on the floor with her blankie sucking furiously on her paci - too cute! She loves them!


Her hair is getting so long in the front and is constantly in her eyes, so I have been having to pull it up into a ponytail on top of her head. Sometimes when it is in her eyes she will start pulling on it and indicating that she wants it put up. I haven't exactly figured out how to pull it up and have a bow in it at the same time, but one of these days I'll come up with something :)

Katie, one of the other moms in our playgroup who has a daughter, Ellie, who is one month younger than Elle, invited us over for a playdate next week. We are hoping that the girls will learn how to play a little better with each other and learn how to share their toys. I'm sure it is a little early for this, but starting early can't hurt, can it?

Elle and I had just gotten home from a walk the other day and were all hot and sweaty. It started to rain so we decided to go out and play in it. It was the most fun I have had in a long time and Elle LOVED it!

I'm pretty sure we have reached a turning point in having a well manner child at restaurants now. Up until this week, Elle has always done so well when we go out to eat and is usually very content to sit, eat, and people watch. Well, apparently now that she can walk around, she doesn't want to just sit and eat. She has started trying to stand up in the highchair and is very difficult to distract from the idea of getting down. We are going out to eat in uptown (of all places to take an unruly child on a Friday night, but Noah insists) tonight with some friends who are in town, so I'll have to keep you posted on how it goes.

That is pretty much our life in a nutshell. I'll try to do better on blogging, but I can't make any promises...

Winner at a losing game

I have tried and tried to upload videos to my blog, but for some reason it will never allow me to. We have taken some cute ones the last couple of weeks since Elle has really started walking and talking more, but for now I will just have to post them on facebook, but hopefully one of these days I can figure out the glitch I am facing with the blog.

Last week I signed Elle and I up for a summer Bible Study at Watermark, where we do our play group, and I was really excited about it. Unfortunately, it starts at 10 AM, and that is a terrible time for us because Elle usually goes down for her morning nap around 9 or 9:30 AM. I was contemplating waking her up by 6 AM so that she could get a nap from 8 - 9:45 AM, but in the end that seemed a bit ridiculous. So, I think until she is down to one nap in the afternoons, which will hopefully be sometime this fall, we are going to have to forgo our Bible Study plans.

I was able to go out last night and enjoy a Mom's Night Out with some of my friends and had a great time! It is so nice to have friends that are going through the same things that I am going through as a (new) wife and mother. And speaking of motherhood, Kellie and I found out last weekend that one of our really good girlfriends from college is pregnant! Jen and her husband Dustin have been trying to have a baby for over two years and she called us on Saturday to let us know that she is 6 weeks pregnant! We could not be more excited for her! I am so excited to be planning Kellie's baby shower in August and to have another one on the way. It has certainly given me a bit of baby fever, but for now, I will just love on my sweet girl :)

13 months

Elle turned 13 months old yesterday and I have not had much time to sit down and write her monthly post. She had a great time this afternoon playing with all of her friends at play group. All of the babies are getting so big! It is just precious to watch them all play together and interact so much. One of the little boys who is close to Elle's age is walking really well now, so Elle kept grabbing on to his back and hitching a ride - it was hilarious!

Elle, here is what you are up to at 13 months!

You have officially started walking and think it is just the neatest thing! You still walk around with your hands out in front of you as though you're afraid you might fall at any moment, but you're getting more comfortable every day.

You now know how to say "eye", "nana", and "Elle". You love to say "HI" when I come in to get you up from a nap. It is really sweet!

You love to give kisses and "be sweet" (when you put your head down on someones cheek).

You know how to make the sounds of a lion, donkey, and sheep. Your favorite is definitely the donkey though and a lot of times when we ask you what your name is, you make the hee-haw sound. Ha Ha!

You are learning to point to the eyes, nose, and mouth. You are also especially obsessed with BELLY BUTTONS!

You are still a good eater and a good sleeper. You have been off the bottle for a month now and you did very well with the transition. Your Daddy and I are so proud!

You love, love to swim! You would stay out in the baby pool in the backyard for hours if I would let you.

You went from 2 teeth to 6 teeth in a matter of a week. You are also working on two more! Wheew!

Elle Adelaide, you are the love of our lives! You are such a fun little girl and have a very sweet spirit.

Hoof, Claw & Beak

Or in Elle's case, Hand, Foot & Mouth. The day after playgroup last week, one of the Mom's sent all of us an email letting us know that her son had come down with Hand, Foot & Mouth disease and had had a 104 degree fever all night. One of the other little girls had also had a high fever and now it looks like it is Elle's turn. She hasn't had any fever, but she does have the tell-tale bumps/rash that tend to accompany the virus.

I called the doctor this morning when she woke up with little blister like bumps on her feet, hands and face, and the nurse said it did sound like she had come down with the virus. So, we have just been trying to take it easy today. I noticed after feeding her lunch that she also has the bumps in her mouth, which I was really hoping she wasn't going to get, because it is one of the more painful parts of the virus, but it looks like she does. The nurse said to give her some Maalox and Benadryl, so we are going to run to the drug store when she gets up from her nap.

Other than that, nothing too exciting has been going on around here. Elle still isn't showing much interest in taking more than a few steps at a time, but that is okay with us. I know that once she gets really mobile my life will get even more crazy.

Elle did finally pop another tooth through and it looks like one more should make an appearance any day now. So, on top of a runny nose and several teeth coming through, she now has a rash and sores to deal with. Poor baby!

She is certainly loving the pool though and is quite the dare devil in the water. She loves to splash around and do her signature "free willy" move as I like to call it. I know I say this about every age, but 12 months has been so much fun! She is really starting to understand what you're saying to her and respond. She also has a new smile that she likes to give us that shows her bottom teeth and squishes up her little nose - too cute!

First Ever Birthday

(I'm posting this a day early because I'm afraid that I may be too busy tomorrow to remember to do it.)

My sweet Elle Adelaide,

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I held you in my arms for the first time. The moment I heard your small, sweet cry, my life was changed forever. You filled up a place in my heart that I didn't even know existed. You have made me feel so much love and happiness that I find myself writing down all of my thoughts so that I will always, always remember this special year that we have spent together. I have known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a Mommy and I have loved spending every minute of the last year being yours.

I have always dreamed of taking my sweet baby to the library to read books, to the zoo to see the animals, to the pumpkin patch for cute pictures, to the park to play, for walks in the stroller, and to the pool to swim. Every time we did these things together I would say a prayer of thanks to God for letting me share it with you. What a true blessing you are!

Your sweet smile and little laugh melt my heart every day. Though the first few weeks of being a new Mom had it's rocky moments, I wouldn't trade them for the world. I am so proud of how far we have come and the bond we have made. You are becoming so independent and your personality is really starting to come out. I know we will have so many more great days together and get to explore more things this next year as you grow from a baby into a toddler.

Thank you, Jesus for my sweet baby girl!

Elle, at 12 months old, here is what you are up to.

You are very verbal and talk and talk all day long. Your favorite things to say are "dada", "mama", and "hi".

You are at the stage where you love to throw everything on the floor and say "uh oh!" You throw all of your pacifiers out of your crib after every nap and I have to move your bed to get to them at least twice a day. We have also lost a couple of paci's on our walks lately because apparently you throw them out when I'm not looking. We lost your heart pacifier that you have had since you were born... I'm devastated!

(Noah made us go "search" for it on one of our walks last week and this is what we found. I may or may not have cried.)


You still only have two bottom teeth. I am thinking you are going to have to ask for your two other front teeth again this Christmas!

But don't think that only having two teeth slows your eating down any, because it certainly does not! Sometimes I have no idea where all the food goes. You will eat almost anything we put in front of you. Your absolute favorite things at the moment are grilled cheese sandwiches, pears, blackberries and yogurt bites. I recently introduced you to some veggie sticks that are basically cheetos for kids. You looooove them!


You are still on formula because your Daddy doesn't want to switch you to whole milk until after you have been in for you 12 month check-up with Dr. Hubbard. You go in on the 19th and unfortunately have to get some shots this time :(


Your favorite thing to do these days is to push your baby stroller around and toddle after it. You can really get going and would probably run if it weren't for all the dern furniture you are always running into.

You took your first steps last week and since then have become more mobile. You are still very hesitant to take any steps unless it is your idea, but you continue to get better each day.

I gave you another hair cut the other day and accidently cut it a little too short. It made you look a little bit like a boy and I can't even dress you up with a bow anymore because you aren't having ANY of that. It goes in your hair and then you immediately pull it out and stick it in your mouth. Sheesh.

You know how to wave "hi" and "bye-bye" and also ROAR like a lion - it is too cute!

You love to open all drawers and cabinets now, so your Daddy had to put baby locks on most of the cabinets in the kitchen. You seem to know exactly which ones you can still open though and will always make a bee line for those.

You are getting less timid and really enjoy playing with the other babies (and Moms) at play group. You have also done much better in the church nursery and we are so glad.

You are a bundle of joy and really just like to have all the attention on you! You are so sweet and have started giving a few hugs even. You love to lay your forehead down on my cheek when you want to show me some baby love. Your Daddy and I have loved every minute of having you as our daughter. We can't wait to watch you grow even more!

We love you sweet girl. Happy FIRST EVER Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Noah!

In honor of your 28 years of life, here are 28 reasons why I love you.

1. Because you are so fun-loving and are always up for anything.

2. Because you have always had a special way of making me feel like the perfect girl for you.

3. You're so smart and you know about a lot of things that I know nothing about.

4. You're awesome with directions and I can always count on you to get me where I need to go.

5. You are really funny and keep me laughing all the time.

6. You are incredibly insightful. You have been through a lot in your life, but you haven't allowed yourself to become jaded. I admire you for that more than you will ever know.

7. You are so good at finding joy in the small things. You always remind me that life will go on.

8. You are enthusiastic about everything you do. You do all things with intention and strive to do everything to the best of your ability.

9. Because you love sports and want to watch them all the time!

10. Because you are the best husband I could ever ask for. You make me feel so loved every day.

11. Because you're so sensitive. I love that you cry during sappy movies or when you hear a good country song.

12. Because you're an AGGIE and you bleed maroon!

13. Because even though you don't love to, you take me to the symphony, ballet, and opera because you know I just love it.

14. You are so generous and always have been. I especially love that you let me drive your Lexus!

15. Because you are such a Mama's Boy and you would do anything for her!

16. Because you are the best Dad a girl could ask for. You are so sweet with our daughter and it makes me so happy to watch the two of you together.


17. Because you love to be outdoors, whether it is to fish, hunt, grill, camp, hike, run, or spend a day at the lake.

18. Because you love country music and would listen to it 24 hours a day if you could. I love that you know all the words to every single song that comes on the radio. Too cute!

19. Because you are not a picky eater. This comes in really handy for a girl who doesn't know how to cook anything other than a grilled cheese or ....

20. You are such a devoted friend and have stayed in touch with almost all of your junior high, high school, and college friends.


21. You never, ever hold a grudge and are very easy to apologize to. You always want to be friends and make up.

22. You always help out with the chores like unloading the dishwasher because you know I hate to do it.

23. Because you hate to read, refuse to ever take medicine, never want to get rid of anything, and do things like grow out a mustache just because it's fun. It is what makes you, you and I love you for that.


(and I know after seeing this picture, you're thinking to yourself, Man, I look good with a 'stache! I should totally grow one out again, don't you think? ... No, no I don't.)

24. Because you think a nice, cold beer with cure most anything.


25. Because you love to travel and experience new things. I love that you have been to so many places that I haven't and you can tell me about them all.


26. You know just what to say when I am stressed or sad or have just had a tough day. You are so good at putting things into perspective. What a wonderful trait to possess.

27. Because when you talk in your sleep (which is often), you say things like "propeller swinging club, get the heck out of my kitchen."

28. Because you are a Godly leader of our family. You remind me to take things to God that I think I can handle on my own. You encourage me to dive deeper into my relationship with the Lord. Elle and I are so lucky to have you as the man in our lives.

Happy 28th Birthday, Love!