The Fresh Beat Band

Elle loves to dance, Elle loves to sing...so The Fresh Beat Band seemed like a perfect fit!  I was a tad worried that this concert wouldn't hold her attention at all.  She did great at Sesame Street Live but she know and loves those characters, so I thought for sure we would dance and clap to a few songs then head to the lobby when she got restless and wait for Mary and Henry.  I was so so so wrong!

As soon as we sat down (we were a little late, they were well into their first song) Elle started clapping, dancing and squealing!  She absolutely loved it!  We spent most of the concert dancing and clapping so I have little to no pics of that but I do have plenty of blurry pics of the babes running around with their intermission goodies!  These babes are drawn to anything that costs an arm and a leg and lights up...and Mary and I are suckers for always buying something. :)

The concert was perfectly short, meaning Elle only started to wiggle in my lap at the very end.  I almost feel bad that we have no concert or show planned for them this weekend.  But we (Mary & I) need a break, the daddies will be joining us next time...for sure.

 

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

A look at some of our 2013 holiday fun...

We helped my parents decorate their tree over Thanksgiving weekend.  Henry loved putting the ornaments on the tree and Elle loved trying to take them off!

 

This year we tried our hardest to teach Elle to not touch the tree.  We would tell her to just wave at the tree and say "hi"...which she would...and then she would grab any ornament she could get her hands on!  This little stinker, she thought it was hilarious.

 

Elle's Christmas card photo shoot...my very own Cindy Lou Who

 

2 little babe's in Christmas pj's

Henry and his love for all things Christmas gets all the credit for teaching Elle to say "ho ho ho"...so cute!

 

 

We took Elle through the Celebration of Lights one night before Christmas.  Even though she slept through most of it she loved it.  She loved the lights and pointing at the Santa's but most of all I think she enjoyed sitting in the front seat on my lap.

 

We took Elle to see Santa twice this year.  The first time it was just Eric, Elle and I...and it was her 1st birthday!  It went exactly how we thought it would.  I was so nervous for her the whole time we stood in line.  She squeezed onto me SO tight as I went to hand her off to Santa and immediately started crying.  As soon as I went and picked her up she was fine and even waved and said "ho ho ho" as we were leaving.

 

Mary, Will and I took Henry and Elle to see Santa just a couple days before Christmas when we were out Christmas shopping.  Henry was SO EXCITED!  Seeing him wave and yell "hi" at Santa was one of my favorite parts of this holiday season.  The whole time we were in line we practiced what he was going to say to Santa.  Elle could have done without seeing him a 2nd time.

 

And we can't forget about Elle's "pup pup's".  They were good boys this year...for the most part! ;)

 

 

 

Elmo!

Elle has a love for all things Elmo, so when we saw Sesame Street Live was coming to St. Louis Mary and I jumped at the chance to take the kiddos.  My dad was always so great about taking us to do fun things like this (Circus, Zoo, Science Center, Disney on Ice) and it is something my sister and I will definitely be continuing with our own kids. :)

We had a small hiccup the night before the show.  Long story short...I called 911 at 1am because I smelt smoke and gas in our house.  Eric rushed through the house while I grabbed Elle but couldn't find anything.  So a firetruck, ambulance and K-9 unit sped to our house.  Turns out when I loaded the dishwasher 2 lids from Elle's sippy cups fell and were burnt.  I confused the smell of burning plastic with gas.  Whoops, better safe than sorry.  I felt ridiculously stupid though. :)

 

The culprits

 

 

 

Elle and I hanging out in an ambulance while they checked our house



Anyway, back to Elmo! I wondered how long the show would keep Elle's attention.  I was shocked at how into it she was!  She loved clapping her hands at waving at all her Sesame Street friends.

 

 

Way too busy watching Elmo to pose for a picture with Mama!

 

These little Elmo glow sticks we bought them at intermission also helped. :)

Love the excitement from Henry in this picture!! 

 

Mary, Henry and Charlie enjoying the show

 

Next up, Fresh Beat Band!  These babes are having a fun January!

 

Christmas - 2013

Christmas was in hyper drive this year.  The holiday season flew by but we were still able to squeeze in lots of fun and watched The Grinch about 200 times (much to Eric's dismay).

We went to Christmas Eve mass with my parents and brother.  Eleanor looked like a little Christmas dream in her dress and fur cape.  I could just eat this girl up!!

 

 

After mass we stopped by my parents house for a quick appetizer and some pics of Elle in front of the tree and then we were off to the Hylton's for family Christmas. 

 

 

Christmas morning we woke up early, we were supposed to be at my parents by 8am for present opening.  Elle came out in the living room to examine her spread from Santa, she was super tired but still excited.

Once we arrived at Santa's workshop my parents house we jumped right in to opening presents.  It was so fun watching Elle and Henry...they were so excited!!  Henry couldn't get over the fact that Santa ate the cookies he left out and Elle was just enjoying her new giraffe chair.

 

Will was super sneaky and "iced" Nick & Eric through a wrapped present.  Nothing like a Smirnoff at 8am!

 

 

After gifts we ate a big breakfast, played with new toys and then Elle and I crashed for a long nap!  Once we woke up we headed back to our house so Elle could open more presents.

We ended the night back at my parents for a big Christmas dinner.

Overall a great Christmas!

These pics are too cute not to include.  Henry and Elle bought Grammy & PawPaw this birdhouse for Christmas.  Hen loved helping put it together and demonstrate how the birds would eat out of it...too cute!

ONE

I remember the moment Eleanor was born so vividly, it's almost impossible to believe that was already a year ago.  I think these little cheeks received about 300 kisses within her first 24 hours of life. :)

Our first year with her has been the best year of my life so I wanted to make sure we celebrated this little lady to the max.  Eric and I both took the day off to have some fun with our birthday baby.  We started the day by playing in her new little cottage (between her Birthday & Christmas her playroom is outta control right now).


Our plan was to take her for a quick visit with Santa and then to head out to lunch and The Magic House but we had a little trouble finding Santa on a Thursday afternoon.  Much to Elle's dismay we found him!  She likes the idea of Santa but leaving Mama's arms to sit on his lap wasn't her idea of fun.

After Santa we grabbed some lunch at Cheesecake Factory and Elle decided to turn dessert into her very own "smash cake".

After lunch and a carousel ride we took her to the toy store and let her pick out anything she wanted, she settled on an oddly realistic looking giraffe figurine.  She actually first wanted the bull figurine but I was able to sway her to the somewhat better looking giraffe.  These things look like something you would use for a science fair project, nothing cute and cuddly about them.  Odd choices, Eleanor!

 

That night my mom, Mary and Henry came over for some more present opening, dinner and cake.  All in all I think Elle had a really fun day.

 

 

12 Month highlights:

- Favorite food = pizza

- identifies Santa and says "ho ho ho"

- sleeps with her lovey in her crib, always wants lovey when she's tired or cranky

- no more formula or bottles!  Drinks whole milk from her sippy cups

- tried apple juice for 1st time

- loves to give kisses (Uncle TT gets more kisses than anyone)

- talkative and answers questions

- has a sweet tooth

 

 

The saying time flies when you're having fun is so very true.  This girl is my world.  She introduced me to a kind of love I didn't know existed, a head over heels, pure joy, so happy I could cry, do anything in the world for her type of love. And even that description does it absolutely no justice.

I love you Eleanor Bailey Hylton, to the moon and back a hundred times.