From my phone

I finally installed the blogger app to my phone! So now I can post all the pictures I take :)

Today for lunch Elliot had her first pb&j sandwich! Although she didn't eat it all I would count it as a success and add it to the menu. So far there isn't too much this girl turns down!

Elliot's 1st Birthday

Our sweet baby girl turned one on February 24th! I took the day off and Tim worked from home so we could celebrate and be together. All day I was recounting what we were doing last year... "At this time we were watching Saved By the Bell during contraction that were 8 minutes apart." "At this time my water broke and we headed to the hospital." And so it went on all day long (poor Tim). I was quite proud of my self only crying twice though as I thought about my baby becoming a toddler! Throughout the day we also Skyped with my family and Tim's while Elliot opened their presents and chatted away.

We celebrate her birthday with 20 friends and family at our house that Sunday. Tim and I were very prepared and stayed up late Saturday night making this the best homemade birthday party. We had made almost all the food and decorations, and set everything up that night for her pink and green themed party. Our favorite piece were the made-from-scratch vanilla cupcake with marshmallow flowers on top. Tim baked and I decorated! They were a big hit. We made Elliot an applesauce cake with very little sugar as to not induce a sugar high and crash. Our favors were little bottles of champagne for the adults and bubbles for the kids :) Below is one of the many decorated tables around the house.
Elliot did really well at her party! It was at noon, after her 2 hour morning nap, so she was wide awake to party. As people started to arrive she was excited and confused. She loved seeing everyone but always made sure either Mom or Dad were close by. Her favorite part was entertaining the kids in her room.

After lunch, it was time for the big cake ceremony! Elliot loved the Cool-Whip frosting, but wasn't too sure about the cake. She didn't dive into it like I expected, she mostly scrapped the icing off the top. But I can't blame her, that was the best part :)

Then we opened all her presents! Our guests were all very generous and gave Elliot adorable outfits and fun toys. She was a little overwhelmed when it came down to opening them up. Although she normally loves the spotlight, today she was a little shy. However she wasn't shy when I took her Catch Me Kitty to see if it needed batteries! Elliot turned bright red a screamed at the top of her lungs. Right on cue, Elliot became a toddler!
After everyone left, Tim and I relaxed with a glass of wine while Elliot took inventory. We had a wonderful time and I hope all of our guests did too :)

12 month stats coming soon

Jessica

I am asking for lots and lots of prayers for my dear friend Jessica Andre. On Saturday, she was at the races in Daytona Beach and fell from the top of an RV. She had spinal cord surgery yesterday and we're still awaiting results. The medical team isn't optimistic about her chances of walking. Please please pray for my sweet Jessica. She is amazing girl who has always had a big heart for the Lord and all her friends. (In the picture she is on the left)

Another excuse...

Since Christmas, Elliot has had an on again off again relationship with a cold. It always starts off with runny nose, then a slight fever, more runny nose, bad cough, all wrapped up into sleepless nights. My good friend Brittany told me something very wise... "Always sleeping through the night doesn't exist." She pointed out that they will sleep through the night, then get a cold, sleep through the night, then get teeth...and so on. So I kept that wisdom in mind as Elliot threw up mucus and cough through the night. One night, thankfully a Saturday, she had to sleep on me while I sat up in bed so she could breath easier.

I am telling you all this because it is my poor excuse for not updating our blog. So I'm going to try to do a couple updates these next few days in between getting ready for Elliot's first birthday :)

Here are some 11 month updates:

• Since we went to the doctor twice last week, I was able to find out what she weighs. Elliot weighs 23 lbs!! She is now our chunky monkey :) Even the doctor commented on her weight gain! They said feed her, so I did.
• She crawls on one hand and one leg, which I'm trying to get a video of. I think she crawls this way so she can carry things around and move and the same time. Daycare says she is on the brink of walking :)
  
• She loves graham crackers and anything mom & dad are eating. Although Elliot still loves food, she has a big melt down at the end of every dinner. I think this is her dramatic way of letting us know she's done.
• She babbles/talks all the time! She uses hand gestures and voice fluctuation while keeping complete eye contact. Oh how I wish I knew what she was saying!
• When she's not sick, Elliot sleeps from 7:30pm-6:00am. And a 2-3 hour nap during the day.
• She sings and dances to the songs we sing, not the radio. And she loves songs with hand motions!
  

Here are her 11 month photos:

Leave no stone (or potential toy) unturned!

Elliot is on the move! She is crawling faster than we can keep up sometimes. She also loves to stand up and has the biggest smile every time she does :) This weekend we are going to lower her crib because she is getting a little too interested on what is on the other side of the railing. Since she is all over the place, we decided that it would be best to move all her toys into her room so she could safely move about. This meant buying cushioned flooring to cover the wood floors. So my dear husband bought these 12x12 rainbow puzzle pieces instead of a carpet. Oh how I whined about it clashing with her adorable pink and green theme! However, now that they are in, and I'm used to it, they aren't so bad. Now when Elliot falls down she has almost an inch of colorful padding to cushion her. So the following pictures are of Elliot in her room playing before bedtime...

Going for all the toys:


Sad that all her toys are off the shelf:
She also enjoys getting into her laundry:

10 months

I was looking at our blog, and realized that Elliot is going to turn 11 months before I even get her 10 month photos up! So here is our little girl at 10 months....

Elliot has always been a wiggle worm (even in the womb), but now she is wiggling all over the house! She decided not to crawl, instead she scoots around on her bottom or slides around the hardwood floors on her belly. She is starting to get into drawers and cabinets, so we've begun to baby-proof our house. Elliot is also not satisfied just sitting still, so this months pictures were a little difficult.
Elliot LOVES books! It makes my teacher's heart glad :) I started building up her library of board books (hard books for babies) through my Scholastic book club points when I was pregnant. So now she has a wonderful library of teething proof books! She will not be satisfied unless we read at least three books in one sitting, and she insists on turning the pages. Elliot lets out a little squeal of delight when we begin to open a book. I love it! Her favorite book is still an ABC book, which I recite to her from memory if she is fussy in the car. The magic of books!
Elliot's love of food is finally starting to show. Tim fondly calls her his "Chunky Monkey." As you can see, she is starting to round out...especially her belly. This is a typical day of what Elliot eats: 1/4 cup of Yo Baby yogurt and 1/4 cup of applesauce and 1/2 waffle for breakfast, 1 cup of a pasta/peas/carrots/meatloaf mix for lunch, and 1 cup of whatever Tim and I are having for dinner. She also has 4 bottles throughout the day. We don't puree anymore, it's all finger foods. At her 9 month appt the dr said to feed her as much as she wants, so we do :) Elliot also currently has 2 bottom teeth, 2 top teeth almost all the way out, and 2 more up top that are making an appearance.
Tim commented this morning that he really loves this age! Elliot is turning into her own little person! Up until now she was on par with all her development and for the most part acted like every baby at that age. Now she is starting to do a lot of little things that not every baby does. One of my favorites is in the evening and you say "Aww, sweet baby," Elliot gives a little smile and rests her head on your lap or chest. She also does this to her baby doll and stuffed animals if you tell her to "Hug the baby." Elliot has also discovered a new pitch in her little girl screams! This we are not as excited about. She will let out this extremely high pitch scream when she is happy, mad, sad, or it's a Tuesday. Below is a picture of such a moment
We are so in love with this little girl! I feel so blessed to be her mom :)

A Very Merry Christmas: Part 2

The day's festivities began around 10 am. We sipped coffee, ate cinnamon rolls (another Vosburgh tradition), and began digging into our stockings. Santa did a great job this year ;) I am still enjoying/addicted to my People magazine crosswords book! Elliot had a lot of fun tearing into/eating the wrapping paper. She did get a little overwhellmed at times, so we took breaks here and there. Even though we ran past her nap time, my little princess still wanted to party and power through. You can tell in the following pictures that she is so sleepy.

Trying to tidy up afterward. Most of the pile is for Elliot ;) Thank you to all the friends & family who got her wonderful gifts! Thank you cards will be coming soon...well sometime this month.Tim's family went to an afternoon Christmas mass, while Elliot & I took a nap and prepped for dinner. Tim made an amazing beef rib roast (Reynolds' tradition) with rosemary potatoes and asparagus!
After dinner, we took a walk to the village to ease our full tummies. Then we returned home to Bailey's spiked coffee, chocolate yule log, and fun board games! It was a wonderful Christmas!!