Thanksgiving and such

Mary Elise,

I haven't written anything to you in such a long time. You're growing up too fast! You talk all the time now and will attempt to repeat anything and everything. A couple weeks ago, Dad came home and said, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" You immediately said, "Neigh." It made us laugh. You are always listening and learning!

Well we had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I think you had one bite of turkey, almost gagged, and then started scraping your tongue to get it out of your mouth. You did eat corn, rolls, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin pie. We went to the condo for a quick trip with Gram and Grandpa Muir and the Dougovetos. You loved having a baby in the house and always looked for him to give him kisses. I don't think I took any pictures of the 2 of you, I was trying to make sure you didn't smoother him with your kisses, and your germs.

Just 4 weeks to Christmas, we are excited for the Advent season because you will understand a little bit more of what's going on. Soon we will put up the Christmas tree, which I know you will love.

Dad's brilliance- turning the pack'n'play into a fort. We get way more use out of it this way.

The Fort

You are actually lying still, just resting with dada!

This is fabric I was getting ready to make an apron out of. I thought we'd do one last swaddle.

In your new book corner

These are some of mama's old dolls that Grandma keeps at her house for the grankids. I don't think you went anywhere on Thanksgiving without one of them.

Still trying to get in small places


Cute in your beanie (even though you didn't want to smile for the camera)


You fell asleep hanging over the edge of the stroller

Playhouse

Mary Elise- We just got a brand new playhouse! Well brand new to us, it is from one of daddy's coworkers who has generously given it to us. You love it! When dada brought it home you would not come back inside, you just wanted to stay and play.

You're hair is getting wild and crazy and since we don't want to cut it yet, you needed something. So here's your first pony tail! You actually let me do it after I told you how beautiful you'd be and then you checked in the mirror- mama was right, you're beautiful!

My little bucket head

Happy Halloween!

Well we've been having a lot of fun lately. We visited Prescott again, and went to the pumpkin patch there. We got lost in the corn maze, and somehow made it out even though we went in the "Hard 45 min side" without knowing. You loved the pumpkin patch, and learned to say "pumpkin" which sounds like "puh." The best was the huge sandbox-like pit of raw corn (off the cob). We buried you in there and you loved it.

Then we went to a Halloween party and you got to go to a petting zoo and ride on a little pony. You loved the horse and kept saying "neigh neigh." It was great, I'll never forgot your face when the horse started to go!

On Halloween we started the day at the zoo, since we had free tickets. The best part was the zebras because they were close to the front and eating. I think you believe me now that all these animals in the books we read are real. Then we took you Trick' or Treating to 7 houses and you warmed up to the activity. You enjoyed some of the candy too! Our camera batteries are dying so we don't have very many pictures but here you go:

You are not so sure about your Mary veil (I just wanted to show off your costume made proudly by your mama all for $1.45)

At the zoo next to a hay man

The zoo is so lovely

Mary, a 21st Century version of St. Joseph, and baby Jesus

You were so cute, but we just couldn't capture a good photo!

Fall

Mary Elise-
This past week was Fall Break which meant a lot of Daddy time, as you can see from the pictures. We went up to the Condo in Prescott and had a great time- you also slept great! Like the best you ever have in your whole life! You love running around on the golf course and putting green- which we can do because we are members of the country club (at least Gram and Grandpa are). We practiced saying 1 2 3 "go" when daddy hits the ball. You definitely got that down, sometimes you were ready before dad. We also went to the Prescott zoo and had a good time. It was pretty hot and a lot of the animals were sleeping but you saw a bear, a squirrel, and 3 racoons up close and personal.

Your new trike


You really love bubbles


Daddy pretending you're still a newborn


The crawl under daddy game

At the zoo in Prescott

So close to a big bear. You wanted the big ball he was sitting on.

Bubble blowing

A little toy house at a coffee shop in Prescott

Silly Games

Here are 2 videos of you being silly. The first one is of your "smell the stinky feet" game. I don't know how this started but for now I'll say Daddy taught you. It is helpful when you don't feel like having your diaper changed, I just smell your feet while doing it and you think it's so great.


You really like to ride in this wagon. You ride in it like a Segway more than you actually push it. But I caught you using it as a walker.


One of your favorite things, "hat"


You spilled the straws all over the kitchen floor while I was making dinner, but you picked every single one up and put them back in the box!

Nothing's changed you still love the basket

Building a fort with daddy.

Knocking the fort over on daddy's head.

A kiss for hippo

You love looking at yourself in the mirror, you make silly faces and smile and laugh.

Baptism Celebration

We celebrated your 1 year anniversary of being Catholic on Sept 15th (Our Lady of Sorrows feast day). We had a special dinner, which you ate very little of and a very special desert- CHEESECAKE that you ate very much of. I knew you'd love it though, how can a girl that likes cheese as much as you not love cheesecake? We also got you a big girl booster seat, mostly because the highchair takes up so much space in the kitchen.

I also have to document these words before I forget...
You're latest words are: eye, nose, up, hi, byebye, and go. You also say 'po' meaning hippo (we have a very large stuffed hippo), and baby (which you learned looking at pictures of your new cousin Dominic)! You've also begun to say 'no' while shaking your head. The first time you did this, you clearly wanted something, although I wasn't sure what. I thought it might be raisins, a favorite snack of yours. I asked, "do you want raisins?" and you shook your head saying "no." I almost forgot how cute you are saying 'bellybutton.' It sounds something like bobo, but you either lift your shirt showing off yours, or come lift up mama's shirt to give me kisses on my belly button. So sweet! This puts you somewhere around 20 words!

Fun new game: smell the flower




You found a CD and then went to hide in the corner so I wouldn't take it away


Such a big girl!


About 2 seconds before this picture you were sharing with daddy



CHEESECAKE!



Yum!

Favorite Things

I was just thinking about how much personality you have. So here is your top ten favorite things (mama and daddy excluded, of course):

1) any type of ball

2) cheese

3) signing 'more' which is your be all and end all sign- basically means I want something

4) baths

5) saying "hi" while waving, especially to nice ladies in the store

6) getting into a basket, hamper etc

7) giving mama and daddy hugs

8) pulling mama's glasses off her face

9) riding on mama's back

10) trying to pull the plugs out of the outlet

The picture doesn't do justice to the fact that this ball is almost as big as you!

"There's room for me somewhere in this basket"

"I got them!"

Love you sweet little girl!

Walking & Talking

Just wanted to show you a video of how you've been walking for the last 2 weeks. You took your first steps July 26 and you've been off pretty much since then. You also just learned to climb this past Saturday night. Just when you master one thing and are safe doing it, you learn something else and are in danger of falling again! Oh my silly girl!

Since I am trained as speech pathologist, it seems appropriate that I comment on your language! You are using lots of words already! 'Teddy' was definitely your 1st word- don't know why, but you said it everytime you saw any stuffed animal. Then 'dada' then 'mama.' Following close by 'cheese' 'ball' 'shoe.' You know lots of animal sounds too! Your 'ooh ooh ah' complete with monkey sign is so cute (I did not teach you that sign you just learned it)! And I love it when you answer, "what's a sheep say?" with the cutest 'baa' I've ever heard! Your latest words are 'Mary' which sounds like 'mama,' I know it's Mary b/c you say it and point to a statue or picture of the Blessed Mother, and 'Jesus,' which sounds just like cheese.

You just woke up from a nap- perfect timing!

1

Happy Birthday Mary Elise! I can't believe you are already one, it went by so fast. There were a few long nights in there but the time really did fly. It seems like just a few months ago I was in labor and you were born with your dark hair, long fingernails, and big eyes.

We celebrated your birthday with a little family get together the evening before your actual birthday. You had your first cupcake, enjoyed presents, and had an all around good time. I apologize, honey, for not putting a shirt on you.

Those presents are for me?

Presents that your dad loves too!

You love the walker!

Clapping for the completion of gift opening!

First cupcake (you liked the flame)

At first you just poked it

and shared some with mama

but then you ate some too!

On your actual birthday you just hung out with mom and dad. We played with your toys and daddy built your walker. Then we went to the park and played on the swings and on the splash pad.

First thing in the morning, messy bed head.


Giving the walker a try, we couldn't get a picture of the front of you.

Opening a gift from gram and grandpa at camp

The swing isn't so hot after you've played in the water

Cooling off in the water

Thanks to everyone for the gifts. The first year was a great one, may many more come!!!