Elba's 1st Birthday + Some Party Pics

I cannot believe my baby girl turned 1 on the 27th of November this year. Makes me wanna cry! The first few months I can distinctly remember. It was so new for the two of us. Her and I were learning how to get into a groove. I look back at pictures of her from when I gave birth and I feel like I am looking at a completely different baby now. She has such a personality and pieces of her that make her who she is that I hadn't known about the day she was born. The first few months were definitely for learning. Then the months started going by quicker, she began laughing, clapping, pointing, crawling, saying her first words. She started getting a sarcastic little attitude, began playing peek-a-boo, started cuddling and then we were here...we already made it 1 year. It is so sad and exciting all at once. Our baby is going to soon become a toddler and then a big kid. I don't know what kind of train wreck I will be on her first day of school. I love this age, she is challenging because she is so smart. She knows how to get what she wants! Every age has its perks and changes, but I definitely love having a built in best friend with this age.

So now that the mushy mom stuff is out of the way,

I can't believe how few detailed pictures I took...must've meant Zack & I were having fun! Seriously, I normally have more time to take pictures throughout the party. But once people got there we all just started talking and watching the babies play so I will include some picture that I took, not all, but definitely a good amount!

Also...I want these pictures up NOW so I have no time to edit them!
I may add more throughout the month too! I can also list the details of everything from decorations to food, clothes, all of that! If requested... :)

Elba's 11 Month Update

11 Months Old

Okay so here we have Elba's 11 month update. I have gotten very far behind on these posts and it bums me out, but I will not get far enough behind to the point where I can't catch up. I will be posting Elba's birthday pictures as well. The problem with the blog the last couple of months is that it has taken the back burner to quite a few things, between Elba's birthday, moving, holidays, moving back and being pregnant...things got so hectic. So I will list a few things that are important for me to remember that Elba did around 11 months. This post will be shorter and will not follow the same format as the previous monthly updates but it is not any less important!

Updates to Remember for 11 months

She began walking

She started incorporating way more solids into her diet

She began LOVING the park 

She started saying way more words

She has gotten even more cuddly almost more calm 

She began cutting more teeth

I know this seems so short, but it really was just as important as all of the other months, but hey, I am only human and this was the best I could do considering the circumstance!

Another issue we had with these monthly updates, 2 months ago when she was 11 months old we took these pictures...she was NOT having it. She is normally such a ham for the camera and totally works the camera and this day she was teething so badly, we were trying to cut out one of her feedings and I think she was mad at me! Haha. These pictures were taken before nap time during a "weaning" time and she was staring me down haha. I love that little dirty look though. So yes, the pictures are not portraying her photogenic self, but that's raising a baby! They aren't always "on" when you want them to be!

Our sweet Elba baby girl, we love you dearly. We love you so much. You are our entire life.

XO Sydney 

Elba's 10 Month Update

10 Months Old

Yikes, this month went by a little too quickly. The older she gets the harder it is to stay on top of these updates. The days go by quicker and as she grows more active our days grow longer! There is rarely any down time to write these updates. So right now I am writing some of this while she sleeps soundly next to me. Zack is currently in Massachusetts for two weeks so I am soaking up all of these snuggles with my girl while she is still my sweet tiny princess. She is currently 11 months old, but I need to get this 10 month update written. Due to our big move coming up next month and Halloween and her birthday I have fallen behind and my memory doesn't hold on to detail very well anymore (lack of sleep?) haha. So this update may be a bit shorter, but is no less important to me. All of these updates are going to be cherished memories of my sweet girl. My first born. I cannot wait to share these with her and also myself down the road. When she is learning how to ride a bike or playing soccer or dance recital, I want to be able to look back at these updates and remember when our days consisted of park dates in the day and snuggles at night.

Momma's Favorite Things

When she is super excited she strains her neck really far out and smiles

Her HUGE smile and her teeny smile

When she wants me really badly she reaches her little hand out and says "muuuuummm" "mumuumum" haha

When my phone is just sitting there she grabs it and puts it to her ear and says "Hi, Da" (trying to talk to her Daddy;))

I love that she waves to everyone and is so friendly

I love that she also waves goodbye

She is so good at sharing with me always let's me have a turn with sucking on the lollipop when I say "Momma's turn"

Loves her tickle rubs on her back, just like her Momma

Her tiny body is thinning out, as much as it makes me sad my baby is growing it is also adorable that she totally has her Dad's body, cracks me up!

Her precious curly little locks

I love that when I whisper in her ear she starts cracking up...no matter what I say

She LOVES candy (that's my girl)

Water obsessed, LOVES drinking water from water bottles, straws, sippy cups, anything!

She loves chewing on straws (probably why a lot of my drinks go unfinished- straw jacked!)

She loves cuddling and loves being close

She loves picking up tiny little things on the ground and then handing them to me because she knows she isn't allowed to have them

As always, her laugh, her smile, her giggles, her spitting out her tongue really fast

When she wakes up in a bad mood she makes the ugliest cry face and it makes Zack and I laugh every time

I love her ridiculous dance moves

EVERYTHING about her is precious, even when she is insane!

Elba's Quirks

Getting mad and shouting little baby babble 

When I open the car door to put her in her car seat she clings to my neck like a monkey

Once she gets in the car and the music goes on she dances like crazy

Still won't take a pacifier

Holds down the button on my phone to talk to Siri

Shouts "bayyy-bee" when she wants something 

Loves the park

Loves playing in the sand at the beach and park

Loves going down slides

Obsessed with waving and saying "hi" to everyone, she has been since 7 months

Loves chicken and cheese, sometimes that is all she wants for breakfast

Loves candy, that's mah girl

Loves her puffs

She is obsessed with emptying purses, she will empty yours if it is out in the open

Loves to empty my clothes drawers (needless to say she leaves mess bombs everywhere)

I have to do all of my computer work when she is sleeping because all she wants to do is attack my computer

She loves sitting in the front of the car and pretending to drive

She loves doing make-up with me in the morning, she puts the make up brushes to her face and to my face and waits for me to say "so pretty" to smile and put the brush back up to her face (obsessed with her)

Loves the first 5 minutes of any toddler Disney show for the music and then checks out 

....and so much more!

Size (Diapers, Onesies, Etc.): Size 3 diapers; 9-12 month onesies usually; Still wearing some 9 month items here and there, but mostly in 12 month clothes and some 18 month tee shirts, kinda depends on where I get the clothes and what brand they are! A lot of things run small or large! Definitely need to get her some shoes other than moccasins haha

Eyes: They got kinda dark and then lightened up again. They are not even close to as dark as Zack's but they aren't as green-hazel as mine, they are a gray-ish brown hazel and definitely lighter.

Hair: Oh my bed head. This girl wakes up with some serious trainwreck hair and I love it. She got Daddy's curls 100% and I am so obsessed. Some days they curl into perfect little ringlets...other days she has clown hair, I love it both ways! It is a deep brown/auburn color like mine and Zack's. I have never colored my hair and Zack and I have almost identical hair color so hers is the same as both of ours. She has got some natural ombre on those little curls from all of the sun her hair gets exposed to!

Sleeping: Teething has made up skip nap time one too many times for my liking, but whatever, not the end of the world!

Eating: Loves chicken and cheese...and not just any chicken and cheese, this princess has an affinity for Chipotle Gouda cheese...so weird. Although, she really does like all cheese...She likes candy, bread (not toast too much), finally likes bananas, likes peas, she really likes just about anything I am eating. She really likes green grapes! She freaks out at the store when I put them in my basket and tries to eat them right then and there. She likes yogurt, but I think she wishes it wasn't cold. She likes quite a bit, not into purees anymore but I haven't really tried giving her any recently. She is still breastfeeding as well so she is getting nutrients a little bit of everywhere.

Milestones: 

• Crawls like a spazz!
• She knows how to walk, she will take lots of steps, but recently has hated doing so and often crawls instead...part of me is like WHAT THE HECK the other part of me is like...please don't walk before we have to move and go through airports hahaha
• Loves all of her walkers and walks around with them all of the time
• Has 6 teeth! 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom!
• LOVES climbing
• Loves to pretend she is singing when I blast the music and she LOVES to dance, although she has some questionable dance moves
• This whole month has felt like milestone after milestone...she is just so CHATTY!
• Talking! Saying Bear ("begh"), Baby ("bayyyyybeee"), Mama ("mummma"), Daddy ("Da-da),  Hi ("haiiiiii"), Bye ("buhye"), Pig ("pihhh"), when she is mad and wants something or doesn't want you to walk away she yells "baaa baa baaa"

We love you so much baby girl!

XO Sydney

Elba's 8 Month Update

8 Months Old

This is such a fun age, I feel like she looks at me differently. I woke up one day and she was acting older. I told Zack at the end of the day this past month, that I felt like she understood way more and I felt like it happened over night. He said he totally felt the same way. It was weird having her feel so baby like and then all of a sudden she started acting like a kid in some aspects. It was a very weird feeling and I don't think I can describe it very well. Just one day she woke up and looked at me and the world differently and it was so bittersweet. I love how she examines everything that is tiny with her little pointer finger. She is so much more aware of what is in front of her. She is opinionated and strong willed. She is strong and knows what she wants. She has her own little personality forming and it is the most amazing feeling and thing to watch. There is so much more I can add to every category on here, quirks here and there that seem huge that really aren't...like her baby sneezes and the way she rubs her eyes when she is tired. I could write about her for hours on end...but then these posts would get side tracked and very long and I think a good portion of you would check out a few minutes into the post haha. So for now, these are little things here and there that I would love to remember this month that make me happy...I am warning you ahead of time, this is a very picture heavy post! It has just been a very fun summer and we are documenting it all!

Momma's Favorite Things

When she wakes up in the morning she waves and say hi

I love how friendly she is when we are out and about during the day

She is so easy when we are out of the house

I love her two little bottom teeth she got towards the end of 7 months

Her new teeth allow her to make this funny hissing lisp sound

She opens and closes her mouth really quietly to make little popping sounds

When she is tired she is super cuddly

She loves being close to me, sometimes I just need to fold laundry and it is like...chill out on your own for a few minutes girly! But then I know I am going to miss it so much so we soak up those cuddles

Sometimes she will just look at me when we are both being super quiet and she starts giggling and then she thinks it's a game to be quiet and then giggle

When she just looks at me and smiles

She has a newer smile now that she has teeth, slightly more evil looking haha

She loves to FaceTime daddy throughout the day

Definitely a mama's girl

Elba's Quirks

Clapping and saying "yay" when she falls

Waving 'hello' to everyone (even mannequins and figurines)

Says "hi"

Waves 'goodbye' as well

When she gets angry and throws a tantrum she flaps both of her arms really hard and throws her whole body backwards (I think we have a toddler already...)

Started reaching for Daddy more, so cute that she finds a different kind of comfort from him, all I've got going for me is I've got the boobs!

Loves going in the pool

Loves going to the beach to lay in the super hot sand and playing in the waves

Loves going to Legoland

She is loving other kids and cracks up when she watches them play

Makes funny gasping noises

She can drink through a straw

Is not a fan of bottles whatsoever

Not a fan of other people holding her that often

She loves being on the move and hates being cooped up in the house

She loves dogs

She also loves her talking toys, but prefers to play with anything that is not a toy

She tries to do pull-ups on the laundry hamper

Size (Diapers, Onesies, Etc.): Diapers size 3; Onesies 6-9 months; Shirts 6-12 months; Leggings 6-12 months; She hasn't been wearing jammies since it has been so hot at night lately! Some 18 month clothes here and there, but very few!

Eyes: Still a confused hazel color! We will see...maybe they will stay hazel like mine!

Hair: Thick and little mini curls/waves throughout, I love it!

Sleeping: She definitely doesn't like napping this month, that's for sure! But I am sure it is because of her teeth!

Eating: Anything I am eating, she wants! Anything daddy is eating, she wants! She is okay with purees, but she is really into eating regular food in miniature bite-sized pieces because she thinks she is choking and dying on the littlest piece of food when of course, she isn't...lil' drama queen already. Still exclusively breast feeding, which has been a learning curve for us both with her new teeth, but she has gotten better and it doesn't hurt anymore. For a while she was using my boobs to teethe on, ouch.

Milestones: 

• Crawling everywhere! She is super fast and now gets into everything because of it!
• Stands up on her own holding on to something and every so often for a few seconds without holding anything.
• Copying/mimicking very well!
• Showing lots of affection 
• She can say "mama", "dada", "Elba", "Hi" and "yay"....she only says mama when she is crying and says dada under her breath all day until he comes home from work, she says Elba by saying "ba-ba" and her "hi" is her shouting "ayyyyyyyyy" and waving!
• Walking around all over the place when holding her hands
• Trying to climb on everything
• Waving and saying Hi to everyone! It is the cutest thing ever.
• She waves bye as well
• She claps & says 'yay' when she falls (no milking your bumps and bruises over here haha)

We love you to death sweet girl!

XO Sydney