Driscoll Days

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our little turkeys to yours!

We started our day enjoying the sunshine while watching the Thanksgiving day parade uptown and then came home and enjoyed our thanksgiving dinner with Nana and Papa!

Happy 1st birthday to our favorite little monkey!

2011-11-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was Henry's first birthday. We had a little celebration with our family and friends. Everyone enjoyed some pizza, snacks, cupcakes and cake pops. Eema and Grampa traveled down for the celebration. Henry's new favorite toy are the walkers he received. As soon as he opened them, he grabbed onto the bar and took off. Not too much longer and we will have a new little walker in our family! We love you Henry and are thankful for your smiling face every moment of our days.

YGG!

2011-11-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Yo Gabba Gabba last weekend with our buddies the Shearers! The show was so fun, we danced, laughed, clapped, and sang. After the show we made home-made pizzas! YUM! Henry was mesmerized! At first he was scared and teared up, but after he calmed down he couldn't take his eyes off he stage. I think for the first 10 minutes Ella Grace was just in shock! For the next 3 days she wanted to wear her Yo gabba gabba shirt! Another awesome day in the Driscoll life!

Halloween -2011

2011-11-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from my little monkey and princess!

driscoll family beach trip 2011

2011-10-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful week at the beach with the Driscoll family last month! Our days were filled with playing on the beach, in the pool, in the hot tub. Feeding the birds, flashlight time in the dark on the beach, chicken wings and french fries, playtime with cousin Sam, aunt Sue and Uncle Alex, Nana, and Papa. Dinners out, putt-putt, fireworks on the beach, and best of all a pirate show!! Henry loved the beach, his favorite part was chasing the birds and eating the sand. Ella Grace was a pro at putt-putt and surprisingly loved the pirates. What a great way to end the summer!

cutest little fans ever!

2011-10-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

cheese!

2011-10-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Heading out on this stunning day to enjoy the Greenway and the park!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-08T11:00:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful, successful trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend with our buddies the Yenicheks! The weather was perfect pickin weather. We bundled up for a hayride, a visit to the petting zoo, and final stop... the pumpkins. After we finished up we headed over to the Yenicheks for some yummy chili and football. Life is great as a Driscoll!

Henry - 9 months!

2011-09-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our little man is 9 months already! so many changes! Some new updates on Henry...

* he LOVES food. Forget the baby food. He is loving waffles, green beans, peas, corn, carrots, pears, peaches, yogurt, ground beef, pancakes, cheerios, cheese, and about everything I put in front of him (except chicken!)
* he is a crawling machine (this actually happened when he was 8 months)
* loves to pick up things with his little fingers.
* his favorite thing right now is drumming. He loves to bang his hands on about anything (including my face!)
* he has caught up to his big (little peanut) sister. They are both wearing the same size clothing and same size diapers!
9 month stats=
height - 27 3/4 inch 40th%
weight - 19lbs 3.5 oz 40th%
noggin - 46 cm 75th%!!!

1st day of 2-year old preschool

2011-09-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace was so excited to go to school and see her friends and teachers. When I picked her up in the carpool line she said her favorite part of the day was playing on the playground and playing with the dinosaurs. She must of had a great day because she came home and took a 4 hour nap!

goooooooo panthers!

2011-09-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

So excited to go to the panthers game with daddy and see Papa!

Happy 60th Nana!

2011-08-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun helping Nana celebrate her 60th birthday last weekend!

Boating

2011-08-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had a fun day with our buddies the Bookmillers and Yenicheks. On our way out to one of the coves we stopped at Camp Thunderbird and let Brian and Jack test out the massive water slide. A fun time was had by all! Thank you Bookmiller's for being wonderful hosts!

Camp Walters 2011 - set 1

2011-08-22T19:32:00.001-07:00

Camp Walters 2011 - set 2

2011-08-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at camp Walters 2011. Our trip was filled with lots of great memories. Henry enjoyed his first swim in the lake and ride on the boat. Ella Grace enjoyed bike rides, tubing, walks around the lake, thunderstorms, early morning chats with Eema, blackberries at the bridge, fireworks, sunshine, a new swing set on the hill, rainbows, canoe and jet skis, donuts, family dinners on the lake, corn on the cob, and so much more! These pics are the ones I had time to snap. I will post a second post with my brother Greg's amazing photos!

Just another typical morning in the Driscoll home

2011-08-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

It's official - eight months and sittin~

2011-08-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

hanging out with cousin Sam

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Henry - 8 months!

2011-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

oh girls just wanna have fuuuuuuuun!

2011-07-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last Friday 2 of Ella Grace's friends came over for fun friday dressup! What a hoot!

Henry's baptism

2011-07-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Pool time on Father's day

2011-07-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

same position, same age, 2 different babies

2011-07-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

henry - 6 months!

2011-07-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

6 month stats-
height - 25 1/4 inches =25th%
weight -15lbs 9 1/2 oz = 40%
Head cir - 42 1/2 cm = 45%

Henry is loving food right now! he has actually been eating for about 2 months (baby food) but now he is enjoying puffs, cheerios, teething biscuits, amd mum-mums. He likes banana baby food the best and refuses to eat anything green! Henry has finally starting sleeping thru the night. Another milestone he hit this month was rolling over. One of my favorite things to watch Henry do is throw toys over the side of his exersaucer...he actually will peek over the edge looking to see where they went.

Giggle

2011-05-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Not the best picture, but the sound is what I want to lock away in my memory forever!

Hobbies

2011-05-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Driscoll children have 2 favorite hobbies right now. One of the hobbies is doing laundry and the other is eating. I will let you guess who likes what!

He's alive!

2011-05-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Easter 2011

and the hunt is on....

2011-05-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

This year Ella Grace loved the Easter egg hunts! She did a great job picking the eggs up and putting them in her basket. Here are a few cute pics of her huntin! Thanks to our wondeful easter egg hunt hosts - the Laurenzi's and Yenichek's

Hard day at work-

2011-05-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace - 2 years old!

2011-04-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

We adore this darling little girl! She is such a sweet, kind, gentle girl. She loves her little brother so much, whenever he cries she goes to him and pats him and says it's ok Henry. Ella Grace loves her baby dolls. She walks around with one of them all day long. She loves to burp her baby, change it's diaper, feed it a bottle, and bathe it. Last week she had an ear infection and the only way she would take her medicine is if she got to share it with her baby. She still loves to dress up and read her books, but her favorite activity is blowing bubbles. Some of her favorite foods are pizza, pears, grapes, oatmeal, pretzels, turkey, salad, and CANDY! Ella grace is quite the talker...she now talks in sentences. She is still really shy around anyone except family. Another favorite activity is cleaning. She loves to help me unload the dishwasher, and when I give her a paper towel she runs around the house dusting everything
Here are her 2 year old stats -
height -33 1/4 inches 40%
weight - 21lbs 7 oz -2% (still a little peanut!)
head circm -47 cm - 50%

Ella Grace's 2 year old birthday party

2011-04-19T06:59:00.001-07:00

Wow! Time flies! Last month our sweet Ella Grace turned 2 years old. We had a small party at My Gym. Everyone had a great time. Lots of fun music, games, food, and activities. Here are a few fun pictures from the day-

Henry - 4 months!

2011-04-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our little Henry is 4 months old! He is a mover and a shaker. I can't leave him alone at all because he rolls all over the place! He loves to suck his thumb and put about anything else he can get his hands on in his mouth. Henry has the best smile and loves to laugh. He thinks my ponytail is the funniest thing ever, he laughs when it swings back and forth. He loves to check out his hands. He opens and closes his fist and loves to swing his toy keys around. Another one of Henry's favorite things is his toes. He loves to grab his socks and kick his feet. His favorite spot is still his swing, but he also enjoys spending time with Ella Grace outside in his exersaucer. Here are his 4 month stats:
weight - 13 lbs 6 oz 25th percentile
height - 24 1/2 inches - 25th percentile
head cir. - 41 1/2 cm - 25th percentile

Happy St. Patrick's day!

2011-04-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Uncle Justin and Aunt Cathy's wedding

2011-04-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last month we headed into the tundra for Uncle Justin and Aunt Cathy's wedding. our whole family was lucky enough to get to stay at Aunt Cathy's family friend's house while they were away for a vacation. Ella Grace Loved playing with the doll babies there. Brian's parents offered to keep Henry for the the weekend. We were sad to leave him, but it was soooooo cold and we know he was so warm snuggled in with Nana and Papa. The wedding was beautiful and Aunt Cathy looked stunning. We got to participate in the wedding which was a mass. Our family got to bring up the gifts. Ella Grace loved all the music and dancing, but I think her favorite part of the trip was flying FIRST class! Wow what a lucky girl! One benefit of having a husband who travels for work! I do think it's kinda ironic that my 1 year old is already flying first class while I just started and I'm 35! ahhh, signs of the times!

Hold on tight Henry!

2011-01-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

Ella Grace got a new baby stroller for her BABIES for Christmas. Yesterday she found the perfect accessory for it! As you can tell Henry was not quite as thrilled about this idea! Hold on tight Henry!

Henry - 2 months!

2011-01-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

Henry is growing like a champ! He now smiles and laughs. He loves to watch Ella Grace play. He is now in his big boy crib. He likes to be swaddled and sleeps about 6 hours a night. But his favorite place is his lambie swing - straight to la la land!

2 month stats -
weight -11 lbs 8.5 oz
height - 23 inches
head - 39 inches

Christmas 2010

2011-01-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year as a family of four! We got to enjoy the special day with both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! Enjoy the photo's of the babies!

newborn photo's - Henry

2011-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to our wonderful photog friend Cassandra (www.blueskycharlotte.com) for stopping by and snapping a few shots of Henry (and Ella Grace). She has amazing talent and we are lucky to have her as a friend!

you better watch out..you better not shout....

2011-01-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Ella Grace and Henry were so excited to see what Santa had brought them!

Cookie time!

2011-01-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to start a new family tradition....Christmas cookie baking and decorating. Brian used his mom's recipe and baked the cookies. After they cooled off we set everything up so Ella Grace could decorate some of her own cookies....as you can see from the photos she had her own idea on how to "decorate" the cookies. Needless to say, not very much of the icing and decorations actually made it onto the cookies.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..........

2011-01-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

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What a wonderful treat! Ella Grace had a grand time in the snow. Thanks for the great shots Uncle Greg!

Henry - 1 month! My cup runneth over....

2010-12-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

Today Henry had his 1 month appointment. I can't believe it has already been a month! He is doing great. He loves his paci and his favorite place to be is on his belly in his bassinet (actually the bassinet Brian slept in when he was a baby) Ella Grace is a great big sister. She has mastered putting Henry's paci back in his mouth when he pops it out, she loves to bring me his bib or burp cloth when I ask for it. Every morning when she wakes up she asks for "baby Enry" and whenever she walks by him in his swing or bouncy seat she waves and says "hi Enry!" I love these 2 babies - my cup runneth over......
1 month stats -
weight - 10lbs 5 oz
height - 21 inches
head cir - 38 cm

It's a boy!

2010-12-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

The best part of coming home from the hospital after having both my babies is being greeted by the big friendly "we had a baby" stork in the front yard. My handy-dandy father-in-law cut the stork out for us while my artistic mother-in-law painted it both times. Thanks Nana and Papa!

the hunt

2010-12-21T15:09:00.001-08:00

This was our first year we didn't head to the mountains to cut down our own Christmas tree. We missed our annual tree trek trip, but it was fun to make new memories with our little family. Ella Grace loved running between the trees and playing pick-a-boo.

So thankful~

2010-12-16T12:07:00.001-08:00

We have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Our Thanksgiving blessing!

2010-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world Henry Thomas Driscoll!

Birthday - November 20th, 2010
Time - 2:58 am
Weight - 7lbs 11 oz
Length - 19 3/4 in.
Head - 13 3/4 in.

Welcome to the world cousin Maaseyah~

2010-11-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

Last week Ella Grace got a new cousin! My sister had a new baby. Eema and Grampa came down to spend some time with us and meet their new granddaughter. Ella Grace got to spend a lot of time with Grampa while Eema was helping out with the new baby. Her favorite part of the week was her first visit to Discovery Place with Grampa.

18 months!

2010-11-15T16:51:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I am just now blogging her 18th months stats! Needless to say Ella Grace keeps us busy!
Last month Ella Grace had her 18-month well appointment and shots. She did great. She is still a little peanut with her stats as follows:
Weight - 20lbs 25th%
Height - 31 1/4 inches 40th%
Head cir. - 47 cm
She is such a joy to have. I call her my little Diva. Her favorite thing to do is dress up in her Tutu and wear all kinds of jewelry, with her favorite being necklaces. She loves to carry her little purse around and say bye-bye to us as she heads towards the door. She is sooooo verbal. She repeats everything we say! Some of her favorite foods these days are pizza, oatmeal, blueberries, apple juice, cookies, apples, suckers, pretzels, and Chinese food. Some of her favorite activities include coloring with crayons and chalk, pushing her babies around in their stroller, brushing her teeth, playing with puzzles, watching yo gabba gabba, dancing and singing. Ella Grace loves to be outside and cries every time its time to go inside. When we go to the park we have to be sure to bring a ball...she loves to kick it around.

A week filled with Halloween!

2010-11-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

This year Ella Grace was a pink piggie for Halloween. I was a little nervous, thinking she probably wouldn't keep the headpiece on, but she was a total champ. The festivities started on Wednesday at our playgroup. As soon as we walked into the house, Ella Grace froze. I wonder what all the kids were thinking. My friend Carrie said she thought all the babies probably were thinking all their stuffed animals had come to life! HA! The party activities continued into Friday in music class. Our Music room is surrounded with mirrors. The kids couldn't stayed away from those mirrors in their costumes! Finally we ended our week of Halloween dress-up at our home Halloween evening. We had Ella Grace's friends over for some yummy chili and organized chaos. I stayed at the house to pass out candy while the gang ventured out for a little trick-or-treating. Brian said Ella Grace did great, she wanted to walk, but made sure Daddy wasn't far from her side. After the group got home and enjoyed some chili, Ella Grace had her first lollipop. Enough said...she was hooked!

Annual pumpkin carving date!

2010-11-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace loves her special time she gets to spend with Daddy carving her Ell-a-lantern each Halloween. Check out the before and after pics!

Fall Fun (in 80 degree weather!!)

2010-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's almost November! Ella Grace has really enjoyed our trips to the pumpkin patch and corn maize. We have had beautiful sunshine the last couple of weekends, so we decided to to venture out to find the perfect pumpkins and fall-time fun. We started our adventures at the corn maize. Lots of fun!!! Ella Grace loved riding the little tractor and picking out a baby pumpkin for her soon-to-be new little brother! Last weekend we tried out the pumpkin patch, we enjoyed a hayride, petting zoo, and special time with our buddies the Shearers!

Happy 40th wedding anniversary Nana and Papa!

2010-10-10T10:44:00.001-07:00

Last month was Brian's parents 40th wedding anniversary. What an amazing accomplishment! Our family and Brian's sister's family surprised Nana and Papa with an evening booze cruise on Lake Norman with all their favorite people! Ella Grace had a fabulous time and was a hit out on the dance floor. She loved twirling around to the music and of course eating cake!

Festival in the Park

2010-10-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today we enjoyed venturing to The Festival in the Park. It was hot, but Ella Grace had a great time. This was her first time riding any rides. I was nervous she wouldn't enjoy herself, but she even hopped on the little train all by herself! Her favorite part of the day was definitely the home-made lemonade.

Sunset Beach - 2010

2010-09-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the end of summer at the beach with Ella Grace's Godparents - the Schwartz's. A wonderful time was had by all. Ella Grace loved feeding the seagulls!

Last dog-days of summer....

2010-09-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today we went to one of the best kept secrets in Charlotte...and its right across the street from our neighborhood! Ella Grace had a blast. For the 1st half hour we had the spray park to ourselves, after that a few more kids joined us, I think Ella Grace had just as much fun watching them play as she did playing in the water.

First day of school - Ever!

2010-09-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

I adore this little girl! Happy first day of school Ella Grace. What a big girl now!

A visit to the Ranch

2010-09-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the Lazy 5 Ranch. We had a wonderful time. We got to feed all kinds of animals - ostriches, giraffes, piggies, deer, zebras, rhino,llamas, goats, and many many more. It's so fun to visit this farm. You start out your visit with a drive - thru safari....the animals actually stick their heads into your car to eat from your food buckets. After you are finished you can go thru a wonderful little petting zoo and feed the baby animals. Ella Grace loved all the animals, but I think her favorites where the exotic birds and the baby piggies. She kept pointing to all the animals and calling them by name!

Auntie Reb's wedding!

2010-09-07T09:54:00.001-07:00

Well I'm finally getting around to blogging about my sister's wedding at Seabrook Island! The wedding was beautiful. I was the matron of Honor and Ella Grace was the flower girl. What an honor. Rebecca and I were stressing because up until a week before the wedding Ella Grace still wasn't walking. Then lo, and behold, just in the nick of time, she not only began walking but also running. Ella Grace was just darling walking down the isle with her flower basket. Instead of dropping the rose petals as planned she decided she wanted to hand them out to all the guests as she made her way towards the end of the isle. We really enjoyed meeting all of Nehemiah's family. Ella Grace's favorite part of the wedding was sharing a cupcake with Papa.

Seabrook - 2010

2010-08-09T17:26:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful week on Seabrook Island. The weather was hot so we spent most of the week in the water. One day we visited the aquarium and then hit up Hyman's Seafood. YUM! Ella Grace started walking about 1 week before we left for the beach, perfect timing! She loved the beach, watching the seagulls, throwing the sand around, digging holes and climbing into them. Another favorite part of the trip was the pool, they had a big spray fountain that she enjoyed playing under with Grampa. The reason we chose Seabrook this summer was because my sister got married! More pics from her wedding on a later blog.

Ball!

2010-08-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

After unloading groceries ,this is what I found on the kitchen floor......Ella Grace hard at work trying to throw "the ball".

who knew?!?!

2010-08-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of dollars of toys around the house and this is what she chooses to play with over any other toy in the house, on any given day. Oh what fun!!

4th of july boating fun!

2010-08-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

mmmmmm...lake water!

Julie to the rescue!!!

Today we got to hang out on the bookmillers boat with some of our favoirte peeps...the Yeni's and bookmillers! The weather was amazing. 75 and sunny!

Happy 1st birthday Madison!

2010-07-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Happy, happy

birthday to our sweet bestfriend Madison! We had such a fun afternoon at her 1 year old birthday party. The cupcakes were the best part of the day!!!

The lake - 2010

2010-07-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

First Jet-ski ride for Ella Grace

Capt'n Ella Grace

Preggers on Skis
Life is good!

One of Ella Grace's favorite things to do while we were at the lake was to cruise around on the deck and help Grampa with his "mulchin"

Ella Grace loved being in Grampa's backpack...in fact it was the only way I could help make dinner some nights.

Nice wheels Grampa!

Ella Grace helped Grampa train for his upcoming trip thru the rockies by hiking all the way away around the lake with him!

Mornin'!
Helping Grampa put together his new backpack while at the same time playing hide-n-seek with Meow (this is what Ella Grace calls my parents cat)

First dip in the lake.
ski bunnies-
Ella Grace and I got to spend 2 weeks with my parents up at our family lake house in northern Indiana. We had such a great time. The weather was amazing...80 and sunny everyday. Warning...lots and LOTS of pictures!

1st visit to the zoo

2010-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

While visiting my parents, Ella Grace, my dad, and I headed to the zoo for a visit. This was Ella Grace's first trip to the zoo. Her favorite animals were the ducks, peacock, birds, giraffes, otters,and sea lions

organizing and pool time in Muncie~

2010-06-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace and I traveled up to IN to spend some time with my parents. We spent a few days in Muncie, but the majority of the trip was at the lake. While we were in Muncie Ella Grace decided to help my mom organize her Tupperware drawer. We were eating dinner and the next thing I knew it was really quiet, Ella Grace had decided to crawl into the drawer when she couldn't reach all the pieces! On our last day in Muncie we headed over to the swimming pool I grew up at. I was a lifeguard there for too many years to count. It was fun to see my daughter hanging out where I once was at her age. More to come on our lake trip later!

My favorite thing to do....

2010-06-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace loves her books. She spends hours each week sorting through her books on her bookcase and in her book basket. If I have something I need to do, I plop her down in front of her books, she doesn't make a peep!

I love my Bestie

2010-06-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got to help celebrate Ella Grace's little friend Caroline's 1st birthday. This was birthday #3 out of the fabulous 4. The weather was beautiful. Ella Grace loved playing in the baby pool full of balls. She loved the yummy pasta salad and even got to chow down on some pink marshmallow! Needless to say a great time was had by all and a great nights sleep that evening too!

OPPS.....

2010-06-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you forget to zip up the diaper bag......

BIG NEWS!

2010-06-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ella Grace is going to be a big sister! The stork is coming to visit our family December 1st. We are so blessed and couldn't be more grateful!

Mad Max"s birthday and a special visit weekend!

2010-06-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was quite busy for us. Luckily it was a 3 day weekend with day 3 filled with rain and summer thunderstorms...I say luckily because we were exhausted after our fun-filled weekend.
We started out the weekend with a special visit from the Rileys! Ella Grace and Harrison got to meet for the first time. After many countless cancelled weekends, Emy, Dylan, and Harrison finally got to meet our sweet little cupcake. We had a great time. The weather was nice so we went out for pizza and enjoyed the sunshine on the patio. Harrison was such a little sweetie and even went in for a kiss!
The 2nd half of the weekend included Max's 2nd birthday party. Ella Grace enjoyed jumping in the fun house with the balls and loved the fire engine birthday cake with ice cream. Even a real fire engine stopped by to wish Max a happy birthday! Happy birthday Mad Max!

Thank you Ella Grace for making me a mommy!

2010-05-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Checking out the card I gave mommy~

Like Mommy like daughter!

Yesterday felt like my official "first" mother's day. I say this because Ella Grace was only a month old last mother's day, and I was still in that sleep deprived, new mommy "daze".

We spent the afternoon at the park having a picnic and enjoying the playground. Thank you Ella Grace for picking me to be your mommy. Love you~

Let summer begin!

2010-05-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last week Brian and I headed to San Fransisco for a few days. Eema came down to stay with Ella Grace during the week for us. At the end of the week Grampa came for a visit just in time as Brian and I got back into town. We started out our weekend with a 5K run thru plaza-midwood. Our buddies the Shearer's joined us. Courtney and I pushed the babies in the strollers and my Dad, Brian and Adam ran the race. Ella Grace enjoyed sharing Grampa's banana and raisins after the race. A BIG congratulations to my Dad who took home the trophy for top/fastest runner in his age group! That evening my Dad got to spend some one-on-one time with Ella Grace while Brian and I headed out to a Derby party and my Mom and Rebecca headed to the beach to check out wedding stuff. The next day was a scorcher! It got up in the 90's! So we decided to pull out Ella Grace's birthday gift from Nana and Papa. She loved it. The water was FREEZING, even too cold for the adults, but she didn't want to get out. Her favorite part was going down the little mini-slide. The picture with my mom and Ella Grace is proof what a fun, exciting, and energetic weekend we had!

Ella Grace's First Birthday party - March 27, 2010

2010-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to writing a post about Ella Grace's First birthday. I have so many wonderful photographs from friends and family, I was just waiting to get them all gathered up together. The day turned out beautiful and sunny. The spread included BBQ with Mac-n-cheese from our favorite BBQ spot, Macs. We also couldn't forget everyone's favorite....a Chick-fil-a nugget platter! Ella Grace's godmother made her special cupcakes with spring flowers on them. All of Ella Grace's buddies were there enjoying the food, sunshine and bubbles. The adults enjoyed tubs of beer and wine. Ella Grace wasn't so sure about being the center of attention. We put a darling birthday hat on her (that she surprisingly didn't try to pull off) and sang happy birthday to her. She was very hesitant to eat the cupcake...I think stage fright took over, but as soon as everyone cleared the room and I took off her birthday hat, she went to town on a jumbo sized cupcake made just for her! A good time was had by all. As soon as the last guest left we layed her down for a power nap and after that....PRESENTS! I must say, the wrappings were her favorite part. Thank you to all our family and friends that helped us celebrate this miraculous day!

He is Risen!

2010-04-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Sunday. We got to spend it with Nana and Papa, but we started our morning with a visit from the Easter Bunny.

As you can tell from some of the shots, Ella Grace's favorite gift from Nana and Papa were her new shades!

mmmmm.... bsgetti!

2010-04-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

12 months!

2010-04-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

Today we went for our 12 month checkup. What a champ Ella Grace was. Nobody told me they have to start getting shots in their ARMS now! Poor thing, she hardly has any meat on her bones and she got 4 shots! She is a little pipsqueak! She is in the 25th percentile. Her stats were-

Weight - 18lbs, 14 oz
Height - 28 inches

Most of my girlfriends who have older children than Ella Grace tell me that each month it just keeps getting better and better. They were right! We have had such a good time with Ella Grace this month. Her little personality is starting to really show! Most of the time Ella Grace is an observer, she likes to sit on my lap and watch people and new objects. She loves her books, we spend so much time each day reading and then she wants to crawl down from my lap and play some more with her books on the floor. She has 4 teeth and is working on her 5th. We had to put baby gates up after I found her on the third step playing with my shoes. Some of her favorite foods this month are chicken nuggets, macncheese, strawberries, pears, carrots, baked chicken, and mashed potatoes. And of course cupcakes. She even had her first Peep last week! Some of her new moves are waving goodbye and reaching her hands up when we say So Big! Her favorite toy this month is her Leap Frog table. Oh and she is officially in the big tub during bath time!

March 24, 2010

2010-03-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day, it was Ella Grace's actual first birthday. We started the day with a play date and ended it with our first cupcake ever! What fun. Caroline came over to play, the girls loved looking at books. The sun was out so I decided to squeeze the girls into Ella Grace's stroller. At one point Ella Grace looked over at Caroline... if she could talk I know exactly what she would have said...what are YOU doing in here? At the end of the day Brian brought home flowers and a cupcake for Ella Grace. She didn't really understand that she was suppose to pick up the cupcake and eat it, as you can see from some of the pics, she tried to eat it hands-free. Too cute!

Birthday party #1

2010-03-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Ella Grace went to her first birthday party (excluding when she was 6 weeks old for her buddy Max's bday). The weather was amazing and she had so much fun playing in the sun, chowing down on some mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets, and hanging with her best buds, Madison, Caroline, and the birthday girl, Lila.

Spring has sprung!

2010-03-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Auntie Rebs gave Ella Grace a little rocking chair that she loves. She sat for 15 minutes straight on the screened in porch watching Brian mow our front yard.

1st parade

2010-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with our buddies, the Shearers at our annual St. Paddy's day parade. The weather started out a little chilly, but as the parade went on the sun popped out and it turned out to be a beautiful morning. We were lucky enough to find a spot in front of Brian's work building. It was nice to be able to enjoy a clean bathroom and Brian was even able to help us warm up with some yummy hot chocolate from his office. Ella Grace loved all the loud sounds and the hustle-n-bustle of downtown and the big buildings. Her favorite part of the parade(and ours)was the golden retriever rescue group. Ella Grace was standing between my legs and the next thing I knew a big old furry friend came over for a pet and some lovin. Ella grace loved it!

uncles!

2010-03-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Uncle Justin and Uncle Greg came for a visit before Uncle Greg heads off to Thailand for a year. We had a great time! Ella Grace showed off some of her new skills that the boys hadn't seen yet...eating by herself, clapping, crawling. Ella Grace got to hit the jogging stroller a lot during the weekend. One day Uncle Justin took her out for a run, and the next day Uncle Greg took her for a run. When they returned, Ella Grace had her legs kicked up on the foot bar just chillin. She loved it! As you can see from some of the pics, the party continued even after Ella Grace went to bed.

A special visit

2010-03-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Recently my Auntie Molly and Uncle Alan came for a visit. They got to meet Ella Grace for the first time. We had a great time. We went out for Mexican to celebrate Auntie Moll's birthday. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so the only shot I got was with my cell phone. Hopefully they will come back soon so we can have more fun and get some better shots!

Baby Buddies~

2010-03-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ella Grace had a play date last week with her 2 favorite buddies - Madison and Caroline

On the move part 2

2010-02-28T13:28:00.001-08:00

Ella Grace received a little stroller with a baby doll to help her learn how to walk from Nana and Papa. She loves it and is already cruising around. Here are a few shots from when she was first checking out her new wheels to just a few seconds later being on the move by herself!

February 24, 2010 - 11 months!

2010-02-28T13:26:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Ella Grace is 11 months! What an eventful past month this was. Some of the highlights included a FIRST tooth, moving from crawling to sitting and vice versa, learning how to comfortably crawl,(she likes to follow me around the house these days) furniture cruising, standing in her crib,(and not be able to figure out how to get back down...I had to teach her how to let go!)waving hello, pulling herself to a standing position,FINALLY understanding no-no, and one of my favorite things this month was teaching Ella Grace how to take steps holding onto my hands.

Ella Grace's eating/food habits have made quite a few changes this month too. She now rejects baby food and will only eat things she can feed herself. Some of her favorites are pasta, cheezy eggs, nutrigrain bars, puffs, and waffles. She also isn't too fond of the bottle anymore. My baby is growing up!!!

February 14, 2010

2010-02-28T12:15:00.001-08:00

Our favorite little Valentine!

She's on the move!

2010-02-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

First snow of the year!

2010-02-09T19:18:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we had our first snow of the season in Charlotte. Ella Grace had a cold so we couldn't go out and enjoy it, but she got to enjoy it from the front door. In the second picture she is trying to grab the snowflakes with her little tongue. I guess she doesn't realize there is a big piece of glass between her and the flakes. In the first picture if you look closely, you can see Ella Grace watching the snow.

Fun in da tub!

2010-02-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

10 months

2010-01-29T18:09:00.000-08:00

Love you baby girl!

Brrrrrrr................

2010-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ella Grace enjoyed her time with Grampa and Eema last week. Grampa taught Ella Grace how to move forward (instead of her usual scooch backwards) by using a Reese cup(she loved the shiny paper).

9 month stats

2010-01-24T18:01:00.000-08:00

Height - 27 inches
Weight - 18 lbs 6.5 oz

Ella Grace received 2 shots and a finger prick. She was so intrigued by the band-aid on her finger after the finger prick.

This month has been such a fun month with Ella Grace. She has slowly started creeping/crawling, started on the sippy cup, moved out of the baby tub and into the sink. Her favorite foods right now are shredded cheese, Cheerios', and yogurt. She loves to play peek-a-boo and clap her hands. She now reaches for us when she wants to be picked up. She has also started to realize when she throws things over the edge of her highchair and exersaucer that they land on the floor, its so cute to see her little head peek over the edge looking for her toys. She has also started to sing with us when we sing to her. My favorite thing of all that has happened this month is Ella Grace says MOM!!!

lazy saturdays...

2010-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Every weekend Daddy gets up and makes us our favorite... pancakes! We are so lucky~

NYE

2010-01-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

We spend Ella Grace's first New Year's Eve with Brian's family. Ella Grace was a champ. She didn't make it until the ball dropped, but she tried really hard. One of her favorite parts of the night was playing with her cousin, Rachel's bracelet. At one point in the evening, Ella Grace was intently watching football on her Uncle Alex's lamp, and 2 seconds later I looked and she was out cold.

I scream..You scream...We all scream for ice cream!

2010-01-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

Ella Grace had her first taste of ice cream with Papa. She loved it, she kept licking her little lips. When I put her to bed a few hours later she was still licking them!

Christmas with Grampa, Eema, Uncle Jud, Uncle Greg, and Auntie Rebs!

2010-01-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

We flew up the day after Christmas to celebrate with our family in Muncie. We had a blast! EllaGrace learned how to eat cheerios, loved watching the train under the tree with Grampa, helped celebrate my birthday at Flemmings steakhouse (watch out boys she already has expensive taste), sled rides, baths in the kitchen sink, camera lessons from Uncle Greg...lunch date with Grampa, shopping with Eema! Ella Grace loved grabbing Heidi's tail and brushing her face in her hair, every time Heidi's tail brushed by EllaGrace, she burst out laughing.

Snow! Snow!

2010-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

When we were visiting our family up in Indiana for Christmas it snowed! We were so excited because this was the first time Ella Grace has seen snow. Grampa got Ella Grace a little sled and off to the park we headed. At first Ella Grace didn't know what was going on.... But as our time went on, she began sticking her little tongue out to catch the snowflakes.

3 peas in a pod

2010-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Santa came!!!

2010-01-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

One of Ella Grace's favorite things to do is jump. Soooo the big man with the beard found the perfect gift for her....an exersaucer that she can jump in. We had so much fun with her on her first Christmas morning. Daddy got us some donuts while I made some coffee and Ella Grace jumped in her exersaucer. After that we headed out to mass at 10 am and Ella Grace loved all the beautiful music. When mass ended we took her up to the altar to check out the nativity. She loved the donkey the best.