christmas festivities

The Christmas Season.  It just doesn't seem to last long enough.  Or maybe it lasts too long and we try to pack too much into it.  Amie and I were discussing how this is the first year in a while where we were almost relieved to have Christmas come and go.  We are extremely blessed and absolutely love everything about Christmas; however, it seems to be so much work, which is kind of the opposite of the true meaning of Christmas.  Maybe next year :)

Although the Christmas season is crazy busy, there are a few absolute must-dos about Christmas time!  I was so happy to involve Ellie in some of our Christmas traditions.

Here she is in her brand-new Mickey Mouse chair from the Kane's... so big!  Every year, we make cookies and exchange presents the week before Christmas.  The girls got in on the action this year :)

She got some really cute stuff at the Lawrence Family Christmas on December 22nd :)

Aunt Amy and E at Lawrence Family Christmas!

Uncle B with his awesome hat

 

Uncle Milesy and Aunt MaryBeth with the DUUUUDE and DUUUUUUDE-ETTE! shirts :)

You know, just a Christmas Eve Coors Light for the baby... another day at the Hall Family Christmas!

Nan and Ellie enjoying Christmas Eve Night!

Christmas Morning with our Love BUG!!!  Best Christmas morning EVER!!

You know Penny always gets a ton of loot :)  She was our first baby :)

Ellie loved opening presents... notice how bad of a mom I am.  I ran out of paper and she loved ripping the paper so much that I just put scraps on some of her boxes.  She didn't know the difference, lol.

Mamaw and Papaw came out to see what Santa brought me :)

I love my Aunt Weesa... Christmas at Grandma Mary and Grandpa Bud's!

Ellie loving her monkey hat from Grandma Sandie and Grandpa Dave :)

 

What a wonderful Christmas.  It was the most magical that we have ever had!!

so much to be thankful for...

To say that 2012 was a blessing to our family would be a major understatement.  I just simply look around at my messy, toy-strewn living room and realize that my life has changed so much and for the better.  Little things that used to bother me (dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of laundry in the bedroom) don't so much anymore thanks to a tiny little grin that lights up my world.  While we might not have the best of everything in life, we sure try to make the best of everything we do have.  Eliot Ann has brought so much joy to us that we never even knew existed.  So very thankful this year for all of life's blessings, big and small!

Uncle Soon, E, and Aunt Caitie during Thanksgiving at Aunt Lisa and Uncle Butch's

Mommy's Little Turkey at Aunt Pammie and Uncle Jim's for Thanksgiving Round 2

(Love that little hair that keeps growing :))



High Chair Fun

E is now a big girl and can sit in her high chair all by herself.  Her little chubby legs kept getting stuck in the Bumbo seat, so we had to put that up and see if she could handle her own chair.  She loved it!  Now Daddy has to move his seat to across the table so that she will eat her own food.  He was sitting right next to her and she was more interested in what he was doing than eating :)  Look at our precious one!

Too Much!

There has just been too much fun around here lately.  I went to an Initials Party at Sabrina's house on Wednesday, and a 31 party at Jessica's house on Thursday.  E was my date for both nights, so she got passed around a lot and got lots of smooches and cuddles.  Well, after getting in on Thursday at about 8:30, this is what I saw her look like:

I had to write down this memory.  So precious!

Half a Year!!

How is my baby girl six months old already?  I feel like it was just that day when we were driving to the hospital; nervous, anxious, excited, terrified, enthralled.  Nick and I talk about how that drive so early in the morning to the hospital felt a lot like vacation (getting up really early and being excited about it :)).  What I can't believe is just how much our lives have changed and how blessed we are.  It feels like Ellie has been a part of our lives for much more than six months.  Her smile can completely change any type of negative mood or feelings that I have.  I have never been more in love than I am right now.  At six months, our E:

*weighs 16 lbs. 14 oz. (75th percentile)
*is 26 1/2 inches long. (75th percentile)
*is eating stage 2 foods (and I haven't found any food that she doesn't like.  None.  She likes them all!)
*takes about 3 bottles a day, still at 3.5 oz.  Crazy reflux.
*wears size 6 month or 6-9 month clothing.  Her six month sleepers are starting to get too short.  Love those long legs!
*wears a size 2 diaper.
*is in between a size 2 and 3 shoe (although definitely prefers no shoes at all).
*giggles constantly.
*is almost able to sit up on her own.  She catches herself with her hands.
*still just rolls from belly to back.  She doesn't seem to have much interest in rolling the other way around. 
*loves anything that lights up.
*still has an infatuation with that Mouse that we all love.
*is eating puffs and Baby Mum Mums (and loves to feed herself).
*has her mommy and daddy wrapped around her finger, for sure!!
We love you little girl!!

Our big "brue" eyed girl!

Thing One and Thing Two

Halloween season has been a lot of fun with the little one! We (as in Amie and I) decided to dress the girls alike this year as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat. Their costumes turned out so daggone cute! I love their blue crazy piggies! We started with the costumes at Milesy and Mary Beth's annual Halloween party, and these girls were a hit! Everyone commented on how cute they were. They also got dressed up on Halloween. I think C visited about eight houses, and E visited one (Chris and Amie's next door neighbors are also my second cousins, so we had to show her off) :). Cammie was more interested in passing out candy to all of the kids that were coming to her house, so we sat outside for a while and handed out treats. What a great time!

Go, Baby, Go!

My Aunt April invited us to her work's suite at Churchill Downs on the opening day of the fall meet. While the temperatures were really chilly, it was great to be able to have a warm place to go. This was Ellie's first time to the race track, but I am sure not her last. Here Nan loves the track. I am sure she will teach E how to bet on the horses just like she taught me. Ellie loves seeing all of the people, but especially loved seeing the Churchill Downs' horse mascot.

Our Little Pumpkin!

We visited our first pumpkin patch with Ellie! We tried out Cornucopia Farms in Scottsburg and it was a nice place to go for our little ones. What a beautiful Sunday afternoon with friends! Ellie could care less about the pumpkins, but she did love the tractor ride there. Camryn was very particular about her pumpkin, which made us all laugh, because she is showing her true "twoness" right now. I wouldn't trade it for the world. That little girl is just too funny. I hope Ellie has a personality like Cam as she gets older!

Food!

How can my baby be old enough to be eating baby food?  Since she is five months old, the doctor told me I could start on vegetables if I wanted to.  She loves her cereal, so I figured we could try it out.  Of course, she loved every second of it!  We started out with green beans tonight and she couldn't get enough.  Hoping this love of veggies continues!

Blue eyes? Brown eyes? Green eyes?  They change daily :)

 Helping Mom out!

They are a hit!

Caitie Ann Graduates!

My sister has graduated with her R.N.!  We are so super proud of Caitlin and all she has done in the past few years.  She has worked SO hard on getting this degree, and we only know this is the beginning of a great career in nursing for her.  She will be a terrific nurse and we were extremely happy to celebrate her big accomplishment with her graduation on Friday and her party on Saturday.

Loving on Aunt Caitie's hair :)

 Nan and Pop's main girls!

 Nan and E

 She did it!!!

 She is too cute... always!

Aunt Caitie and Uncle Soon

Love how Ellie looks at Aunt C :) 

The Most Magical Place on Earth... The House of Mouse!!!

Who takes a five month old to Disney World?!?  We do, that's who :)

I was a little nervous leading up to the trip... would she do well on the plane?  Would it be too overwhelming?  Would she even respond to anything there?  Initially, I just went to Disney to be a part of Camryn's first trip there.  It is my favorite place in the world and I just can't seem to pass up a Disney trip!

I think all of the girls did an amazing job and they all had a terrific time.  We made so many memories that I cannot even possibly begin to write them all.  Amie took quite a few pictures of Ellie, so some of them will be posted later.  It was such a terrific trip, and Ellie's first vacation.  I have a feeling this just solidified our love of travel and won't change that love that much since we have a little one along with us :)

Ellie preparing for the trip.

 

At the airport when Aunt Lisa dropped us off

Before boarding the plane... E couldn't hang anymore :)  (Please notice our sidekick, Oso, who went along with us everywhere on the trip.  He got a lot of attention in the D Dub.)

                                  Ellie and Mommy wait to see Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse :)

She was enamored with the characters... Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is her favorite show, and I really think she recognized them!

Mommy's favorite!

 Not the best pic, but look at C holding Minnie's hand.  Seeing her with the characters made my heart fill up!

Love those ears!  She got those after she was born from Aunt Lisa, Uncle Butch, and Bailey.  They say her name on them and everything!

Ready for Animal Kingdom!  That double stroller was amazing!

Maddie girl waiting to see Mickey in Animal Kingdom.

Sleepy girl waiting for Finding Nemo, the Musical to start.  She is now putting a blanket over her face to comfort herself when she is tired.  So precious.

Character breakfast with the Disney, Jr. characters.  This was hands down our favorite part of the trip.  Seeing Camryn with her favorite characters was AMAZING!  Ellie got in on the action, too.  Here she is with Handy Manny.

 Mommy and Ellie girl at breakfast (the best meal that we had down there)!

My beautiful baby! (on her five month birthday, nonetheless)

Pretty girl

 Falling asleep in the stroller happened a lot down there!

On our way home from the airport... we had a terrific trip and CANNOT wait to go back!!