Little Snow Bunny

Today, Eleanor played in the snow for the very first time. Her initial reaction was uncertainty but after a while I think she really enjoyed herself. She is definitely the cutest little snow bunny I have ever seen.

16 Months and the Red Chair

E is now 16 months old. It is hard to believe our baby is well into toddlerhood. Here are some fun facts about E.

* She still will not eat any type of meat. It does not matter how it is cooked or how hard I try to hide it in a dish she will spit it out.
* She knows the signs for all done, thank you, more, milk, eat, bath and baby.
* She also has about 20 words. It is amazing how quickly her vocabulary is growing.
* She continues to love to read. Her current favorites are The Little Train and Rudolph's Bright Christmas.
* She loves music and dancing.
* When daddy or mommy are on the laptop and she wants our attention she will walk up and close the laptop.
* She loves to Skype with her grandparents and will stand in front of the laptop and say "hi" even when no one is there.
* She also is obsessed with the cell phone and TV remotes.
* She has recently become very much a momma's girl and even though she calls for daddy all day long when he is at school or work she still clings to momma when he comes home.
* She loves her new red chair, a Christmas gift from GiGi and Pops. She likes to sit in there and watch Praise Baby or Baby Einstein. She also likes to put her baby in the chair and all of the animals from Noah's Ark.

We continue to be blessed by our sweet girl and look forward to what this month holds!

I Love My Aunt

Dear Aunt Beth,

I had a lot of fun playing with you while I was in Dallas for Thanksgiving. I miss you and wish you lived closer. Come visit me soon!

Love,
Eleanor

Happy Thanksgiving

15 Months Old and A Little Naptime Naughtiness

You certainly didn't think I would forget to post Eleanor's monthly picture did you? I didn't think so. It has been busy around our house and posting pictures has not been on the top of my to-do list. But today for your viewing pleasure you will find Eleanor's 15 month photo as well as a series of photos we have entitled "A Little Naptime Naughtiness."

First up, 15 month stats.
Height - 31.25 inches (75%)
Weight - 23lbs 2 oz (50%)
Cuteness - 100% (our doctor actually said that- I am not just saying that because I am her mom!)

This is typically the view we see of our sweet Kamikaze. Her backside. As she runs away as fast as she can. Can you see her sweet curls?

Next up, A Little Naptime Naughtiness.

On Saturday, Daniel put Eleanor down for a nap and came downstairs. I kept hearing the sound of rustling paper and asked Daniel if he had made sure all of her toys were out of the crib when he put her down. He said yes. Fast forward about 20 minutes. I could still hear E playing in her crib and occasionally giggling. She then started to fuss and Daniel went up to see if she had lost her paci. I heard Daniel begin to laugh when he entered her room. He then returned downstairs, grabbed the camera and said "you need to see this." My mind immediately went to the image of her hanging over the side of the crib trying to get out or in the crib with all of her clothes off and diaper to boot. How thankful I was when I walked in the room to find this and not one of the other scenarios:

Notice the red canvas tote on the floor and the coordinating canvas totes in their appropriate places on the changing table shelves.

Well, her little escapade did involve diapers just thankfully not the one she was wearing.

And here is sweet little Kamikaze proud of her new found skill of removing her tote from the changing table and emptying it's contents into her crib.

Needless to say, she did not end up taking a morning nap because she was so wound up from all her fun!

Love this little girl to pieces!!!!!

Kamikaze Strikes Again

If you look closely in the above picture you will see a nice little cut above my eyebrow. How in the world did that happen? Well, yesterday afternoon my sweet little Kamikaze and I were playing on the floor together. She would run up and give me a big sloppy kiss every few minutes. Unfortunately her little legs sometimes get ahead of the rest of her body and as she leaned in to give me a kiss she came crashing down on my face and hit me just right with her teeth. She immediately started to bawl and I quickly checked to make sure she had not knocked a tooth out. I had no idea I was bleeding. After E calmed down I went to wipe what I thought was slobber from my forehead only to see blood. I have a nice little knot and my brow area is pretty tender. This my friends, is life with Kamikaze. Thankfully she was not hurt and I did not require stitches.

Happy Reformation Day

Wordless Wednesday

Mommy and Me

New Favorite Photo

A couple weekends ago Daniel, Eleanor and I met up with some friends from Texas at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Natalie took this photo of our family as we were walking through the zoo. I love it! Eleanor is such a big girl and loves to walk everywhere.

Happy Fall

14 Months

I can't believe that Eleanor is already 14 months old. She brings us so much joy! Last year at this time E was still so tiny. She weighed a little less than 9 lbs and was still wearing 0-3 month clothes. Now our little girl weighs 23 lbs and wears size 18 month clothes. Last year she was working on rolling over and today we cannot keep her still for a minute. She loves to run and climb. In fact, we have had to remove some of the toys from the play area because she was using them to assist her in climbing on furniture and other objects. Last year she hardly ever made a sound and now she is trying so hard to talk. Just today she was mimicking me as I told her the names of the shapes in her shape box. She still does not say mama very often but when she does it is so sweet. Her favorite person is still daddy and that is ok in my book. When she hears the basement door open she runs to the gate at the top of the stairs and calls to dada until he comes up. She loves music and is a hoot to watch dance. She does this funny little bounce and shakes her bottom. Here's to 14 more months with our precious little one!

Pink, Pink and More Pink

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Perhaps you have noticed. Just yesterday Daniel, E and I were walking in Sam's Club and product after product was packaged in pink.


"According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year."

This month make a conscious effort to buy products whose proceeds help support breast cancer research. Do you eat yogurt? Yoplait has a pink lid initiative. Buy the yogurt with pink lids and send in the lids to help raise money for BCR. Make a donation to Susan G. Komen. Register for the 2010 Breast Cancer 3-Day. Get a mammogram. Wear Pink.

Do you know someone who is currently battling breast cancer? Send them a card. Do you know someone who is a survivor? Make a donation in their honor. Do you know someone recently diagnosed? Send them flowers.

Think Pink this month! Make a difference in the lives of those who have been and who will be affected by this dreadful disease.

Trains, Buses and Boats

Where oh where have we been? Now that our little kamikaze is 100% mobile (by this I mean running y'all) pictures are few and far between because I am unable to capture her on camera. She moves from the moment she wakes up until she goes to sleep and even then she moves while sleeping. I get exhausted just thinking about it!

Last week Daniel's parents and sister came to visit. We spent a little time sight seeing on Thursday. We spent the day on trains, buses and boats. We decided to take the train into the city so we would not have to fight traffic and parking hassles. We hopped on the train in our little town and headed to Chicago Union Station. Once in Chicago we hopped on a bus and headed to Navy Pier where we boarded a boat and enjoyed an architectural tour. We walked through Millenium Park and then headed up Michigan Avenue a little ways to catch our bus. It was a LONG day and poor E only got a 30 minute nap while we were on the boat tour but she did great.


First Train Ride


First Bus Ride


First Boat Ride (Pic of E on boat coming later)





The fountains in Millenium Park

Comparison

I was looking through some old pictures the other day and came across one of me when I was 9 months old. Now, I won't say that Eleanor looks exactly like me but there is definitely a resemblance.

You can decide for yourself.

13 Things About Me

13 Things About Me

1. I love to play outside.
2. My best friend is our neighbor Ethan.
3. I love books.
4. I have 6 teeth. 4 on top and 2 on bottom.
5. I call all animals with fur "doddies" (doggies).
6. I started walking 9 days after my first birthday.
7. I wear a size 6 shoe.
8. I love fruits and vegetables but do not care for meat.
Mom tries to disguise it but I find it and spit it out.
9. I need my paci and my lovey to go to sleep but I know they are not allowed out of
the crib or my car seat.
10. I like to drink milk and eat cheerios while I watch my Praise Baby DVD when I
first wake up.
11. I like to wave at strangers.
12. I like to play with socks.
13. I like to wake up early (6:00am).

Friday Foto

Wrapped

Eleanor has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Just the other evening while Eleanor was eating dinner Daniel walked into the kitchen and started eating some animal crackers. E put out her little hand and started her "uh uh uh" (translated - I want that). So what does Daddy do? He hands her the animal crackers. When I asked him why he gave her the animal crackers in the middle of dinner he replied "She wanted them!" Wrapped I tell you, wrapped!

Bookworm

Eleanor has developed a new habit. Each night before bed we spend time in our loft reading and rocking. We usually keep a small stack of books next to the rocker and recently Eleanor has decided that she has to have all of them on her lap during story time. This is not the best picture because I took it with the laptop but it is too funny.

12.5 Month Stats

Sweet E went to the doctor today for her 1yr well baby check-up. Dr. F said she is perfect. Of course, Daniel and I already knew that but isn't it fun to hear others dote on your little one?!?

E weighed in at 21lbs and 14oz and was 30.5 inches long. She is a little over 50% for weight and 90% for height.

A Letter To My Daughter

Dearest Eleanor,

I had hoped to write this letter last week in celebration of your first birthday but I think you will understand when I say "I was busy." My calendar was full of play dates on the living room floor with Noah, his ark and the menagerie of animals, cuddles on the couch while watching Praise Baby DVD's, dancing to the Veggie Tales version of Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, lots of rocking and reading books in the glider in the loft, a picnic dinner at the park with Elmo, Big Bird and Clifford the Big Red Dog, an afternoon at the pool full of splashing, baking cupcakes and celebrating birthdays, and lots of other not so fun stuff like laundry and dishes. Looking back maybe I did write this letter. Not on paper but in our hearts. You will probably never remember any of things we did last week but I sure will.

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since you came into our lives. I am so thankful for the time I have had to be at home with you and to watch you grow and develop. I love watching you explore the world around you. You are very inquisitive and like to try lots of new things.

You are getting so big!

You are very close to walking on your own. You cruise around with the assistance of the furniture and have taken a couple of steps on your own but you are still lacking the confidence to take off and walk. It seems like just yesterday Daddy and I watched in amazement as you learned to roll over and now you are ever so mobile. You are definitely a busy little girl.

Eleanor, you have such a beautiful smile. I love your four little teeth and your sweet little lips. When you smile your big green (maybe hazel) eyes seem to sparkle. You are very outgoing and love to smile and wave at everyone. Whether it be at church, in the grocery store, at the park or on a walk, you almost always make others smile. You are so full of joy.

Sweet girl, you are a gift and I am so thankful to be your mom. I know that I have made mistakes and will make many more in the years to come as your mom but I hope that you will forgive those mistakes and know that I am trying to love you as best as I can. I hope and pray that as you grow up you will know that you are loved not just by your mommy and daddy but by a loving and merciful God.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Eleanor Grace, you are our good and perfect gift and I look forward to all that lies ahead.

Love,

Mom

Polka Dot Party

A Year In Review

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today I was 37 weeks pregnant.
One year ago today I was on bed rest because my blood pressure was something like 157/116.
One year ago today Daniel and I were praying for Eleanor's arrival.
One year ago today Daniel came home from work and said "I think we should put the car seat in the car."
One year ago today we were a family of 2.
One year ago today we had no idea that in just a mere 24 hours our lives would look entirely different.
One year ago today we were anxiously awaiting my doctor's appointment the next day.
One year ago today we didn't know that I would go into labor before the aforementioned doctor's appointment.
One year ago today we were laying in bed watching Michael Phelps as he won gold medal after gold medal in the summer Olympics.
One year ago today we laughed as we watched Eleanor's knees protrude from my rather large belly.
One year ago today I watched the rhythmic jumping of my belly as Eleanor hiccuped inside.
One year ago today I wondered what my little girl would look like.
One year ago today our little girl had not yet entered the world.
One year ago today we did not know that on August 12, 2008 at 4:21 pm, Eleanor Grace would arrive and change our lives forever.

The Day After

This past weekend I completed 60 Magnificent Miles as I participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I have lots of stories to share and pictures as well but right now I want to talk about today, the day after.

Today I couldn't help but think of the hundreds of thousands of women who have already been diagnosed with this dreadful disease. Many of them have lost the battle but for hundreds of thousands more they are still fighting. I couldn't help but think of the 100 survivors who walked 60 Magnificent Miles with me in the rain and in the heat this past weekend, including Laurie, a new friend from Dallas who is celebrating her second year cancer free. I smiled as I thought of Arthanise, my dear friend, a two time survivor, who called me on Tuesday night and told me she was coming to Chicago in support of me. I am reminded of the women who were on this journey with me who are currently undergoing treatment. Perhaps they had a bald head or radiation burns on their arms or maybe they were being pushed in a wheelchair by a teammate or daughter.

I couldn't help but think of those women today as I came downstairs and watched Eleanor's face light up as she realized mama was home. Or as I watched her play with a ray of sunshine coming in the living room window as she squealed with delight. Or as I stood in her doorway and watched her nap with her paci and her lovey. Or as I rocked her before bed tonight smelling her sweet baby smell. I couldn't help but think of those women and wonder what today looked like for them.

Hopefully today we are 60 miles closer to a cure!

Too Funny Not To Post

For those of you who have never seen our child cry and who actually wonder if she knows how to cry here is the proof

I know this picture is a little blurry but it is really too funny not to post. One afternoon last week Eleanor was in meltdown mode. She was tired but it was not quite bedtime and she had not eaten dinner yet. One minute she was playing happily with her toys and the next minute she was wailing.

Wordless Wednesday

Pray for Stellan

I am not sure how many of our blog readers have ever visited MckMama's blog but if you have never been there go now and read about her precious little 8 month old Stellan. He is not doing well and is being airlifted to Boston. Please pray for Stellan and his family.

Wordless Wednesday

Time Keeps on Ticking

Eleanor and Katherine

Reading Rainbow

Wordless Wednesday

Dinner with Liliana

While we were in Dallas, Mommy and Daddy took me to have dinner with my very first friend Liliana. We had a lot of fun! I wish we lived closer so that Liliana and I could play together every week.

Hanging out at Fuddruckers

Holding Hands

Liliana was flirting with my daddy and I was talking with Liliana's daddy

Liliana's mommy (Faith) and my mommy

Comparison

When Eleanor came home from the hospital she was so tiny the infant carrier swallowed her up. Daniel and I did not really want to go anywhere that would require us putting her in the car seat because she was so little. Just this past week we said good-bye to the infant carrier and bought Eleanor her big girl car seat. It was a sad moment for me as I reminisced about how Daniel just happened to put the car seat in the car the night I went into labor, our ride home from the hospital when I had to hold E's head the whole way because it flopped forward, calling Daniel's cousin Michelle and asking her to come over and help us make sure E was secure in the car seat. Upgrading to the bigger car seat was the ending to one chapter and the beginning of another.

Doesn't she look happy in her new seat?

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Happy Birthday Daniel! Eleanor and I love you so very much and are so blessed to have you in our lives. I thank God for you daily. You are a wonderful husband and such a great dad. Hope you have a great day!