Happy Birthday!

Well, little girl!! You are the big 0-1 today!!!! Can you believe it? A year ago today we were holding you for the first time. It is 8:00 right now, at 8:00 p.m. last year you Aunt Melisa, Uncle Grant, Grandma, Grandpa, Cousin Naomi, Uncle Andrew, Papa, and Mimi were visiting us in the hospital and we were all watching the KU game. I assume KU won that night, but I don't remember, I was too busy holding you and being in love! :)

Here is how your first birthday went!

We woke up at 6:15. Jenna N had to be to work early so we had to make sure we left a little before 7! We headed out at 7 and you slept on your way to Jodi's. You then spent your day at Jodi's. You had a fine time. You and your friends enjoyed the cookies you made!

When we got home we played a little inside. Then your grandma and grandpa called to sing happy birthday. You got tons of texts and facebook messages from your family too!

While I was cooking dinner I ate half of one of your cookies and I offered you the other half. You were eating goldfish crackers, you immediately dropped all of your goldfishes, took the fishes out of your mouth, and grabbed that cookie! You were so excited!

Then we had macaroni and veggies for dinner! You LOVED it! You ate more mac n' cheese than I did!

It was a beautiful 55 degrees today! So after dinner we went outside to play. I got out your new car, but didn't realize how much work it would need to put it together! So you just sat in your seat! And you loved it!

You sat there and waited for cars to pass our house, then you would stand up, then you would sit down and wait again! You were so cute!

You also loved walking up and down our sidewalk!

you LOVE being outside!

When we got inside your Mimi and your Papa called to sing you happy birthday! You loved all the singing!

Then daddy came home and read you a story!

And we played some on the floor!

Then we celebrated with your birthday cookie!

It was so good! :)

Yum, Yum, Yum!

You had a great first birthday! I enjoyed spending all the time I could with you!

I actually have not been too teary about you turning one. I think I was too busy at the party to tear up (I'll post about your party later) and today was pretty much like any other day. So, all in all it has been okay. I do get sad when I think about how tiny you were a year ago, and now you're so big! But you're just going to get bigger!!

You are a beautiful little girl inside and out!

I love you to the moon and back!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIANA!

Love,

Mommy

First Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ELIANA!

Aren't you just a cute little girl!! You had such a great day! :)

Our day started with us going to daycare and all of the kids came running up asking you what Valentine's you brought!! OOPS! Apparently you guys trade valentine's at daycare! So, I went to school, and luckily I had some cute Strawberry Shortcake Valentine's in my cupboard so I addressed them and ran them back to Jodi's that morning! :) So you had your very first valentine exchange!

You are also sick on your first valentine's day! You sound like you have laringitis! You are so raspy! You try to talk to us, or cry and it just comes out as whispers...it is quite sad....and slightly cute! :)

Your daddy sent me flowers at school today! Lucky me! Daddy is so thoughtful and wonderful! You made him a sweet card that said "To a Pop!-Pop!-Pop!-ular daddy!" With a picture of popcorn on the front. I also made him a card....not that cute though! :) 

You tasted your first sucker! You got this in your Valentine's day bag!

And you loved it!

You are so cute with your Valentine's day bag!!

Look at the letters on the fridge! You left the letters L, V, and E up there! You knew today was all about LOVE! Your daddy slid the duck up there and arranged them for you!!

Ovearll, you had a wonderful Valentine's day!

Love you,

Mommy

A year ago...

A year ago today is when they told me you would come! Your due date was February 14, 2011....which came!...and went!!

I remember leaving on the Friday before Valentine's day and telling my students I may not see them on Monday! When I walked into the gym that Monday morning you should have seen those students faces! They were all SO excited to see me....and as excited as I was to see them....I would have much rather been meeting you! But alas, I went to school, had our Valentine's Day party and taught my kids!

I remember that one of the mom's that worked the party walked in, turned around, saw me, and said "Whoa! You're huge!". Thank you, Thank you very much! lol

During my plan time I didn't plan anything, I walked! I delivered flowers and candy to all the students walking from on room to the next, up and down stairs, and all over! I was trying so hard to encourage you along! I started to get a pain in my abdomen and got very excited it might be the start of a contraction....

When I got home after school, I changed my clothes and headed out. I headed from our hosue all the way to Ottawa University to meet your daddy. I continued to walk! Got to OU and still nothing. Your daddy and I went to El Mezcal for dinner that night. We didn't get each other any gifts because YOU were supposed to be our gift! :)

The day ended...we went to bed...and no baby. I was a little disappointed. But the 40th week of my pregnancy wasn't too bad. It actually all worked out for the best! :)

Here I am on February 14, 2011!

Love you Little Girl,

Mommy

Babies Babies!

You have a new friend and a new cousin!! Elijah Matthew Simon was born January 17 and Kinsley Jo Scott was born January 21! We are so excited to have new babies around! You're no longer the baby...which is kind of sad...but you sure are growing up so I guess it was bound for you to have more babies that are younger than you! :)

We went to meet Kinsley first! We met her on January 22nd in the hospital. You did very good with her. You weren't completely into her, but you sure didn't like when your mommy or daddy held her! You had to be right there! :)

Mommy holding Kinsley for the first time.

You wanted up right away so you could meet her! You thne proceeded to wave hi at her! :)

Daddy holding Kinsley! You left me right away and went to your daddy when he was holding Kinsley!

She is so precious and tiny! Just beautiful! We are so excited for you to have a playmate in town! We get together with the Scotts quite often so it will be nice for you to have someone to play with....I mean, eventually....you'll have to wait until she grows up a little bit! :)

So, when Elijah was a 1 1/2 weeks old we went home to Buhler! I just prayed none of us would get sick and we would have to postpone getting to meet him. That's what happened to your Aunt Jami and Cousin Rebekkah when you were born! :( But we went and meet Elijah and you just LOVE him! You couldn't get enough of him! Here are some pictures to document our weekend! :)

Here you are meeting Elijah on 1/27/12. You were so excited! You giggled, pointed, smiled, waved hi, and blew him kisses!

Muuah!! Love you Elijah!

Elijah was crying because he was getting his diaper changed so you wheeled your phone over and started to play him music to try to cheer him up! These are the type of things your cousin Rebekkah would do to you when you cried! :) You're all just growing s quickly!

You and Rebekkah are all ready for the Lady Braves Basketball game against McPherson (which we won). You two girls are so cute in your cheerleading uniforms!!

Rebekkah and I in the backseat on our way to McPherson!

You and Elijah in the middle, with Aunt Jami and Mimi in the front!

This would be our dance party in the car! You were dancing like crazy!

Rebekkah started to dance too!

Aunt Jenna (your mommy) with Elijah and you! :)

Super-Mimi! Holding Elijah and feeding you! :) She's always been a Super Mimi though!

The three cousins! I get so excited when I think of the future and how we'll just continue adding kids to this picture, and someday Uncle Andrew will add some too! :)

I love this photo! Mimi is SO excited to have all three of you up in her lap! We might have waited a little long for you kiddos - you all look a little spent! lol!

We had a wonderful weekend at home! So glad we were able to go! While I'm on the topic of family, I have to document how much you love your Aunt Jami! I don't know what it is - but whenever you see her you practically jump out of my arms to get to her! It makes me happy that you love her so much! :)

We look forward to all the fun new times with your new friend and cousin!!

Love you little girl,

Mommy!

Funny Times

You are so funny! You have such a great personality! Goofy, Goofy, Goofy! :) I made this fabric wipe toy thing (I got the idea off pinterest). But it's where I fold fabric squares in the formation like wipes are, then I put them in a wipes container, then you pull them out! You LOVE it! You get so excited every time a new piece of fabric pops out of the wipes box! I just love it, you giggle, giggle, giggle!

You LOVE walking now! You are walking everywhere! You even walked fast tonight, then fell! :) You kind of crack yourself up when you walk around our house! So Cute!

Tonight your daddy and I were talking and I asked him what he ate, he said he ate the other half to his cookie from last night. I said, what cookie? Then I asked him why he didn't think of sharing with me? And he said, it was only half! And I responded with But you had the other half yesterday!! Then I started to pat him on his check! You were laying across my lap for this whole conversation and I after I patted him on his face, you reached up and slapped him across the face too! lol. It was really funny! You laughed, your daddy laughed, and I laughed! :)

You laugh whenever you hit yourself or smack your face on something. It is so weird, but I guess it's better than crying. For example, the other day you hit your face on the floor. You laughed, and then did it 3 more times. Or you smack yourself in the mouth with a toy, you laugh, then do it 3 more times!

You're just so funny! I love that you're such a happy baby! Sometimes, you get too happy and you start to squeal! It's very high-pitched, loud, and sometimes exhausting for your mommy! :)

I love everything about you! Love,

Mommy