Pretty Lights

Grammy and I decided that Eliza needed a girls only outing, so we left Dad and Grandaddy at home to watch football and we headed out to see the Lights by the Lake. Eliza seemed to enjoy all of the fabulous Christmas displays but she got really excited when she realized that there were lots of other kids running around that she could talk to.

We stopped along the way to smile for the camera.

Now it is Grammy's turn to smile.

A grand time was had by all.

Christmas Wishes and Blueberry Doughnuts

Christmas Eve

Our first Christmas with Eliza was wonderful. She had no clue what all the presents were about, but she sure had fun ripping and eating the wrapping paper. Here are a few pictures from our Christmas Eve celebration with Stephen's family.

Eliza spent the morning playing at home with mom and her doll Lola. She was all decked out in her best holiday attire and bow! Her shirt says "I love Santa"

Once she was dressed up, we wanted to get some pictures of her by the tree, but every time we sat her down she started to crawl away. The only way we could get her to stay put was to give her one of the ornaments from the tree to play with. (It was plastic of course!)

She still had that ornament in her hands when it was time to take family pictures.

Once her cousin, Jacob, got there it was time for more pictures. She looks a little wiggly. Perhaps we should have given her back the ornament!

The gift from her cousin Jacob was a HUGE hit!

Picture With Santa . . . Take Two

Eliza and I learned from our rookie mistake, and this week we arrived an hour early for our Santa picture. I was worried that she might get a little fussy while we waited,but she was a perfect angel. She spent most of her time looking around and watching all the other kids and she even made friends with a cute little boy named Tyler. I am glad that we got in line early because by the time Santa arrived, the line wrapped around Santa's village twice!

The excitement builds as we get closer to our turn with the jolly man in the pretty red suit. I am keeping my fingers crossed that our first picture with Santa will not include tears and drama.

Nothing to worry about. Eliza was all smiles.

Once she realizes that I am in front of her taking pictures - she turns back to see who exactly is holding her.

As you can probably tell from this picture, she had reached her Santa limit, but at least she allowed me to get some good pictures first.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Y'all

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Disco Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thank-you Aunt Maryellen & Uncle John

Aunt Maryellen and Uncle John's Christmas gift was definitely a hit! Eliza still hasn't exactly figured out how to be gentle, but I guess that is just how she shows her love!

P.S. - Sorry for the camera work - it is a little shaky in the beginning.

Our New Favorite Show

I have never been one of those mothers who believes that all television is evil and children should never be allowed to watch. While I certainly don't want Eliza to become a couch potato with the remote glued to her hand, I have let her watch shows that I think are educationally beneficial. Because Eliza loves music, Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven and Baby Bach have been favorites at our house, as they fascinated her and held her interest. Recently these shows have lost their magic and sadly Eliza is no longer interested. However we have found something new . . . . The Backyardigans. One of my co-workers told me about the show and Eliza LOVES it. When I turn it on, Eliza squeals, claps, bounces up and down, and tries to sing along. Stephen does not have the same reaction. He rolls his eyes and refers to them in a very non PC way. I think the show is adorable and I highly recommend it to those who have small children.
From the Nick Jr Web Site

The Backyardigans is an animated musical-adventure series for children ages 2 to 5. In each episode, the show's five high-spirited preschool friends--Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin--rely on their vivid imaginations to transform their backyard into a fantastical 3-D landscape, and together they embark on amazing epic journeys.

These lovable characters will inspire children to sing and dance along, and to stretch their imaginations as they climb up mountains, slide down glaciers, and sail across oceans. Each episode is driven by an exciting, age-appropriate story and enlivened by original music--including big band, reggae, rockabilly, bossa nova, and hip-hop--and by professionally choreographed dance numbers.

All Dressed Up

Eliza and I had big plans yesterday; we were going to go get her picture taken with Santa. I knew that Sunday would probably be a very popular day for picture taking, so I looked up Santa's hours online and we even got there early. Unfortunately we were not there early enough because by the time we got there the line wrapped around Santa's village twice! I decided that I just couldn't handle standing in line for two hours surrounded by screaming kids - so we left and went to the grocery store. While we were there three different women commented on how cute she looked in her red Christmas dress. We will try again later in the week to get her picture taken with Santa, but I thought everyone might enjoy seeing her all decked out in her fancy dress.

Winter Has Arrived

Believe it or not, last week we had snow flurries around town. We didn't get anything substantial at our house, but other parts of the city got a fair amount. Even though the snow was sparse, Eliza was prepared with all of the necessary accouterments. She didn't seem to mind the hat and coat, but she was bound and determined to get those blasted mittens off.

What's so Funny?

One of the things that I love the most about hearing Eliza laugh is that I know without a doubt that it is pure and genuine. She is not laughing to be polite or politically correct. She laughs simply because she is happy (or because her Dad is making goofy noises in the background.)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Eliza and her doll, Lola, took some time to sit and enjoy our Christmas tree.

J-E-L-L-O

In an effort to help Eliza get over her stomach flu and stay hydrated, our doctor suggested jello. She really didn't care for the taste of it, but as you can see, she had a great time making it wiggle and jiggle.

A First Time for Everything

Milestones are important, and new parents always seem eager to share with everyone the latest and greatest achievements of their children. This week, Stephen and I both experienced a new parent milestone . . . the first time your child pukes on you. We are not talking about a little bit of baby spit up, but rather full throttle vomiting. Unfortunately, Eliza picked up a stomach bug from one of her buddies at day care, so it has been a rough week for all of us. The worst part for Stephen and me was not being puked on, but rather knowing that our child felt miserable and there was only so much we could do to make her feel better.

** For obvious reasons - no pics for this post!**

C is for Cookie

Grammy thought that Eliza needed Thanksgiving cookies for her dessert after her first turkey dinner. They were adorable and delicious, and since there were left overs Eliza got to bring some home to Houston to share with her cousin Jacob. I hope Jacob enjoyed the turkey cookie as much as Eliza liked her pumpkin cookie.


Yummy . . . . cookie

Thanksgiving Aftermath

A girl can only handle so much excitment until she just has to nap!

So Much to be Thankful For

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and I am so grateful that Eliza was able to spend her first Thanksgiving with both sides of her family. She was surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, and she loved every minute of it. She is a very lucky little girl to be loved by so many wonderful people, and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. Grammy feeds Eliza her first Thanksgiving meal. She ate everything we gave her, but her hands down favorite were the yummy sweet potatoes.

Eliza and her Great Aunt Jeane looked very chic in their black and white outfits.

Eliza is always excited to spend time with her Great Grandma Ola. They had a wonderful time playing Peek-a-boo.