sugar bowl!

While we were in Florida, we had to sneak away for a day to see the Cardinal Birds play in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.  New Orleans is one of mine and Nick's favorite cities; however, it is definitely not baby friendly, so E stayed back in Destin with Mamaw and Papaw.  With only a day to see everything (and to show Amy the city!), we had a lot to do, but managed to fit it all in.  We had a BLAST! (not to mention that the Cards pulled off what many thought would be impossible :))

Amie got to experience Maspero's and a Muffaleta... Yum!

I found Louisville outside of Margaritaville!

Beignets at Cafe du Monde!

Nick and Brandon got their big beers on Bourbon. 

Having a little Cardinal bird FUN!

Yay!

Woo Hoo!

Look!  I found my BFF's name down there!

Ellie's Second Trip to Florida :)

Talk about spoiled rotten... seven months old and her second trip to Florida. This trip has become an annual tradition for the Lawrence Family. We go down with Nick's mom and dad and his brother and sister-in-law. I was a little nervous about the car ride down, but...

She was great!

We started off the trip around 5 in the morning and waited until Ellie woke up for breakfast to stop at our favorite breakfast road-trip destination:  Cracker Barrell!

Yummy grits time; she takes after her Mommy :)

 

We got there around 4 and went straight to the grocery and then to the condo.  After that, we went to High Tide, our favorite local dive restaurant in Fort Walton (and close enough to walk to!) and I enjoyed my first shrimp po-boy of the trip :)

 

Here were some other highlights of the Florida part of our trip:



Watching UofL beat UK at Angler's :) Go Cards!

 

Windy beach time with Mommy and Daddy!

 

Loving on some Puffs at the beach (sidenote... this was Cam's shirt that I bought her when I took a trip to Chicago when Cammie was about nine months old... so precious)

 

Ellie at Floyd's on New Year's Eve... Love that grin!

Shrimp Champ 2012... 51 popcorn shrimp.  Good thing I ran that morning :)

Beach time in a bikini... love that little belly!

 My world!

 Ellie LOVED the water and the sand!

Haha... McGuire's Night!  New Years Day and our favorite restaurant in Destin!  She was wearing her festive outfit from Lindsay and Derek :)

She loved McGuire's just like all of us!

 

We had to cut our trip early.  My grandpa passed away on New Year's Day at around 9:00 in the morning.  We knew it was coming and that their was a chance of it happening while we were out of town, but were hoping.  As soon as that happened, I got pretty homesick and wanted to be with my family; however, Nick and I had already planned a trip to New Orleans to see the Cards play in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, so my family had the funeral services on the 4th and 5th so that we would be able to go to the game. 



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!