Laid Back New Years Eve

We are trying to transition Ellie into her room and her bed. We are doing this is a two step process (for Mommy just as much as Ellie). Step One: Get her out of our bed! We still have her bassinet/play yard in our room. So last night we put her there. She cried for about 15 minutes, but once she fell asleep, she was out. She slept so well (and so did we). Bob had to go to work, so we slept in. I was able to get up and start getting some stuff done, and she was still fast asleep. Then the phone rang around 9:30, I tried to catch it, but it was too late. She woke up very happy though. Mom and Dad invited us to breakfast, so we got ready and headed to town. Breakfast was very yummy. Ellie and Chloe thought so too. Thanks guys. We hung out with Mom and Dad for a while, then we came home to get some stuff done, but we ended up playing and soon after Bob got home Ellie and I settled in for quite a long nap.

Finally we got up and I decided to try something that I love but have never made Strawberry Petzel Salad (click for recipe). It turned out really good. The only difference I would make, would not make it 30 minutes before I leave because it needs time to set up.

Ellie enjoyed helping me crush the pretzels

I was making the treat to take to my aunt and uncles how where my Mom's sisters were getting together to hang out and welcome in the New Year. There was lots of great food and fun (of course).

Ellie and Aunt Joan

Ellie hanging out in Danielle's room

Self Portraits are the best (Me and Nette)

Me and Dennis

It is 11:30 and she is still holding on (she finally sleeps about 10 min later)

A couple of other things:

Step Two: Is getting her out of our room.

Funny story-After we got up from our nap, Ellie took off. She does like to wonder, but not too often. The next thing I hear is her in the pantry. When I go to check on her, she is carrying the Lucky Charms box. She carries it to her rocking chair sits down, and starts to pick the marshmellows out of the box. It was so cute, I couldn't stop her.

Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve!

Visiting with Special People

I have been scanning old photos from my Nanny's albums. I had finished a few albums and since she was off today I took them back to her house. We had such a nice visit. When I was growing up I used to love spending time at my Nanny and Granddaddy's house. It is a place that makes me feel instantly comfortable when I walk in.

Ellie giving Nanny a bite

After we spent several hours at Nanny's, we met Meghan for lunch. I really miss hanging out with her. She is week(s) away from having her little girl Emily. Check out her new blog for Miss Emily. We can't wait to see Emily and watch her and Ellie grow up together.

Weekend Update

This has been such a relaxing weekend. We did not leave the house at all yesterday. I am a little sad because it was nearly 70 outside and I did not take advantage of it. But I spent almost the entire day taking the tree down, playing with Ellie and watching 90210 season 6 (a Christmas gift). Later on in the evening Scott, Melissa, and Davy came over for dinner. We were all traditional food out, so Melissa brought Pizza (yum). We had a nice visit. I really miss spending time with my best friend. We both have such busy lives.

She had such a great day

Nap time with Chloe, needless to say shortly after I snapped the picture Chloe moved, she stayed asleep though

After watching David play Wii, she crashed in Melissa's arms

Today started off much the same as yesterday, watching 90210 and laying around. But the sun was shining. Something that has not happened in many days. So around 3:00 I finally reached my breaking point. I had to get out of the house and I needed some me time. So I called Mom and Dad and asked them if they wanted to spend sometime with Ellie. Of course they did, they could not resist her. So I headed to Clarksville, which was pretty pointless, but it was nice just to have time for myself. Ellie is so happy when she spends time at Memaw and Papaws.

The other day I was at Nanny's looking at some old pictures, and I saw one with me in a rocking chair when I was about a year or two. I asked about it, and I found out Mom and Dad had it up in their attic. I have been looking for a chair for Ellie and have not been able to find one. Dad called today and told me I could let Ellie use it. She loved it. She keeps sitting in it rocking and singing.

Me...rockin the 80s!!!!

Ellie...I love this face, it is her serious face

Christmas the Third

Today started out nicely, with sleeping in, pancakes, and playtime with Ellie. Then when we were tired of being in the house, we headed out. We started at Bob's aunt and uncle's house. They had gotten Ellie a Christmas gift and we went over there so she could open it.

The box is bigger than EllieEllie, Aunt Donna, and her new rocking horse
Ellie and Uncle Mel

Bob had got me a Columbia jacket (which I LOVE) for Christmas, but it is too small. So we took it back to get a larger size. I ended up finding one cheaper and in the color that I really liked. Clarksville was almost as crazy as before Christmas. We finished our shopping and ate a yummy dinner at McAlister's. Then we went to celebrate Christmas with the Pierces.

Ellie loves the Elmo quilt that Aunt Melissa made for her

David looking at his scrapbook that I made him

Ellie helping Maranda open her gifts

Ellie's Second Christmas

8:00 came to0 early, but I haven't been this excited about a Christmas morning in many years. I was so excited to see Ellie's face when she saw her gifts in front of the tree. She had unwrapped so many gifts last night that we decided to leave her gifts unwrapped. She liked that much better than trying to mess with the paper. We got her an Elmo Live, an original Cabbage Patch Doll, a groovy girl (her favorite toy, this makes her sixth one), Little People, and a Chicken Dancing Elmo. We did not get her much because we knew everyone else would spoil her plenty.

After we played for a while and got cleaned up, we headed to Mom and Dad's to celebrate there. See here. My sister Shannon and Tyler were there too (which worked out really well--this is the first time we have all been at Mom and Dad's together). Ellie got a lot of really neat stuff.

Shannon and Tyler Ellie really loves sticking her tongue out

After spending time at Mom and Dad's we next went to Nanny's house to celebrate there. I always love to back to Nanny's house. There are so many memories there, that I want to continue to hold on to.

My beautiful cousin Kasey and Aunt Kendra

Ellie shaking her gift.

The camera flash woke Mom up, how cute

Ellie sitting on Great Granny's lap.

Christmas Eve

Or should I say Toys R Us. We started the day early by heading to Seymour to finish shopping. The two people that Bob was supposed to get presents for, didn't get done because he spent the last week in Texas, so we had to dreadfully finish up today. We got home just in time to wrap, bath, and load everything up to take to Bob and Janet's for Christmas.

Ellie helping us wrap

Janet decided to switch things up this year and instead of the traditional Christmas dinner, she made Steaks and potatoes. Not bad except that I am not a big steak eater, but it was easier on her and that was all that matter.

Ellie playing with her dishes (gift from Aunt Trish)Ryan wanted to play too.

Ellie playing with her boat from Aunt Sue

Ellie and Johnny
The Riley's

Ellie got a lot of toys. We are going to have to turn the spare room into a toy room if she ever decides to use her room as a place to sleep. Everything turned out great. When we got home Bob and I put Ellie to bed and then exchanged our gifts so we could focus on her in the morning. Bob got me two pairs of boots (which I love), a Columbia jacket (my surprise and favorite gift), 901210 season 6 (yah, watching it as I type), and PJs. Happy Birthday Jesus.

Truely Blessed

Ellie has never been a child that needed to be rocked or helded in order to go to sleep. She goes to sleep each night by laying down next to us and falling asleep on her own. She is a pretty good judge of when she is tired and needs to nap (which she does not do very often for us at least). Today after our morning breakfast, cleaning up, and bathing she decided to sleep for a while.

After she woke from her nap we ate a small something for lunch and headed to her room to play. It was so nice to spend the entire day at home with nothing on the agenda. It has been a long time since we have had a day like this. It was great.

Her favorite thing to do is play with her tea set.

Mommy reads...

...then Ellie reads

She had to play on her wooden horse for a few minutes

After we played for a long while we went to watch a little educational TV, so I could get some laundry done. After I had finished I sat down on the couch with her and almost instantly she fell asleep again. The first thing she did when she woke up was the sign for milk. She is really getting it down, she will never go thirst again. We are starting to work on "thank you" and "more."

Now we have settled down waiting for Bob to come home. If you have been wondering why he has not been mention in any of the last few posts, it is because he has been out of town since last Wednesday. He is FINALLY on the plane heading to Louisville. We can't wait to see him, it has been a long six days.

Hope ever one has a good Christmas Eve Eve.

Time to give back

My Mom and Dad, well mostly Mom, are always inviting us to dinner, so I wanted to fix dinner for them for a change. See here.

Ellie was helping me decide what to fix.I looked away for a moment and then when I turned around

Ellie was trying to sit in the pantry.

Ellie is changing so much. Just over the past week she has started several things. First of all, she is now officially walking everywhere. This is starting to become her preferred method of travel. Also, she has learned her first bit of sign language. I really wanted to teach her this, but it kinda fell off, except for "milk." Every time I would ask her if she wanted milk I would also show her the sign. I have been doing that pretty consistently through out her life. Today while I was cooking, I opened the fridge to get something out and then she started to mumble to get my attention, when I turned around to ask her what she needed, she was doing the sign for milk. She had seen her cup of milk in the fridge, and she wanted it. I was so excited, I kept asking her to show me the sign, and she kept doing it. It is nice that she can communicate better with us.

Dad, Mom, Nick, and Tyler came over about the same time that I finished dinner up. Ellie and Chloe were both so excited to see them. After dinner we had a nice visit with Chloe and Ellie serving up the entertainment. The next thing Ellie just started doing is patty cake. She loves to roll them up as seen above.I turned Ellie first year blogs into a book, she and Papaw are checking it out.

I am really not that pale, it must be the pink :(

About twenty minutes after they left to go home, Ellie crawled up on the couch and crashed. Now I just hope she sleeps tonight.