Tuesday, January 24, 2012

January

 I discovered I can open this cabinet, and take all the tupperware out. How fun! First I take everything out, and then I can bang it together. Below I am trying to open our fridge (yes, it is very small) that looks like a cabinet. I can't seem to open that one yet, it is harder to pull open. I sure LOVE when Mom and Dad open the fridge though, it is the coolest thing ever! There are so many things to look at in there, and it is fun to try to crawl in.


 Hi Mommy! Daddy is so funny...
 Dad thought he would see how I liked this sling now that I am a big girl. It wasn't too bad, actually. What can I say, sometimes I still just want to be held.
 Hi Dad. Eliana is getting better with her cup. She is chugging less, and taking a more normal amount of water in so that she can swallow it all instead of have it all come right back out of her mouth. We are excited about this, and hoping that the transition to cow's milk out of of a cup just might work. Eliana hasn't really had many bottles, and none since we moved to England, so we are hoping she can get enough milk from a cup as opposed to starting her with a bottle.
 Ooooh, sun. Nice day for a run:)
 Helping Mom fold laundry, sort of....Eliana likes to pull things off the couch, and then put them back up. Here she decided to help me by pulling on clothes all the floor.
 Yay, Daddy is home early from work today!!
 Chilly chill. Mom and I went for a run today, and it was in the twenties!! It hasn't been that cold here yet. I stayed nice and warm though, don't worry:)
 Here we are on that run close to the marshes. Dad and Mom think it is pretty cool that they live close to such beautiful scenery.
 Play date at my house. This is my friend Lewis who is only 4 days older than me, and his older brother Thomas who is 2 1/2 years old. It is fun to have friends!

 Hi Mom! This is my new friend Isabella. She is about 8 1/2 months old. My mom met her mom through Buggyfit. It is a group of Mom's who run and exercise with their buggies.
 Isabella liked my hedgehog, and I liked to push her.

 One of Eliana's favorite things to do lately is watch the monitor. It is often still on when I walk in with her to get lunch or whatever, and she LOVES to look at it.
Ellie really liked seeing this picture that we recently got framed. It is her spaghetti picture from Nana and Papa that was taken right before we moved to England. What else has been going on this month...Ellie seems to be understanding more and more words, more than we realize I think. One day I was saying to her, "Where is the ball," and she really seemed to look around the room. Just the other day I was reading a book, and said to her, "Puppy," and she looked at her Puppy clock. She also looked at the front door when I said that we were going outside. One night when Daddy was reading to her, he turned to the page that has a bee, and she made a noise that sounded like "buzz." Ellie is nodding her head yes now, and will often nod yes when I am pulling food out of the fridge and asking her if she wants it. Ellie is finally feeding herself a little at least. Just the other day, I was eating a cracker breadstick while holding Eliana, and she was looking at it liked she wanted it, and then grabbed for it. She then put it in her mouth, and started biting on it! She then also took a corn puff type of thing and started biting on it, and then eating it. Yay! Mom and Dad were so excited. We have been trying to get her to put her own pieces of fruit or veggie or cracker in her mouth, and she just wouldn't budge. We hope this will last and expand. Eliana still only has the two teeth at the bottom center that are only hafl way through, but seems to be teething some these last few days. Hopefully we get some chompers soon:) She also seems to be mimicking words more, and seems to try to repeat words sometimes like "ba" for Mom's water bottle, or ba (sounds a little different than the ba for water bottle) when we say bye bye. Let's see, she also loves to disassemble toys, and gets really excited and screams when I stack all the parts on her wooden train, she has to take them off right away. She has to take apart any sort of toy that is stacked, etc. She has been enjoying learning and playing "In and Out" with her stacking cardboard boxes, and also "Opening and Closing" toys. She likes to take stuff down, and then put it back. The other day she put all three remotes on the couch (from the floor) and when she ran out of stuff to put on the couch, she started placing pieces of fuzz from the floor on the couch next to the remotes. She no longer likes herself in the mirror, something she used to LOVE. Now she gets mad and frowns at the mirror. She still isn't walking, but her balance is getting better everyday, and she using less support while she walks holding onto the coffee table or couch.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Eliana's first trip to London

 Tower of London
 First night in London. Daddy, Uncle Mike, and Uncle Dan went on a whirlwind tour since Uncle Dan was leaving the next morning. Mommy stayed in the hotel with me.
 Shot of Buckingham Palace on the boys' tour.
 My first subway ride. I also had my first train ride just before this. It was about 2 hours from Lymington to London, and it was crazy!! I was soooo tired, but I could not sleep a wink. I think Dad and Mom thought I might sleep on the train some (like when I eventually fall asleep in the car once I hit pure exhaustion) but that just didn't happen. I screamed and screamed. Mom and Dad thought the other people on the train handled it pretty well. Uncle Mike, Uncle Dan, Mom, and Dad had some adventures with me navigating through a few different subway stations, up and down the steps when there wasn't a lift. Whew, at least I fell asleep on the 15 min walk from the last subway station to the hotel.
 Another great shot of Buckingham Palace...
 Silent time. I was taking my nap, so Daddy, Uncle Mike, and Mommy had to play quietly.
 View from the London Eye.
 How tired do I look?? So you know all that talk about good sleep recently? Didn't happen so much here in London. I guess I just got used to my bed in my room, but I HATED the hotel for sleeping! I was awake one night from 230 until 430 am! I woke up again at 5:15, and then was up at 6am. yeeks. It was painful for all, I am pretty sure. I think Uncle Mike may choose to stay in another room next time:)
 Part of the boys' tour...
 Chilling with Mom, Dad, and Uncle Mike in the cafe. Coffee was needed!
 Daddy, Uncle Mike, Grandpa, Mommy, and I took a ride on the London Eye, then walked over to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. It was super cold and windy!!


 Uncle Mike on the London Eye
 London Eye
 Grandpa sure had fun taking pictures on the Eye
 It was pretty fun.
 Grandpa babysat me in the hotel room after Mom and Dad got me to bed so they could go out to dinner with Uncle Mike.
 Chillin with Dad one morning in the wee hours downstairs in the lobby. Dad let Mom and Uncle Mike get some sleep for an hour or two. We sure had fun playing with sugar packets! Sure was nice of Daddy.
 Visited the Sherlock Holmes museum
 Uncle Mike posing. Dad was excited when he learned there was a chipotle right here on Baker Street. It was fun to have a little tex mex type of food. We have learned food here is not the highest priority:) At least in Lymington and Hythe. Maybe London has good food...
 Finally asleep while walking around the streets of London
 Uncle Mike and Mom pose for a picture for Dad while hiding out in the bathroom in the hotel waiting for me to fall asleep. Ha!
 Tower Bridge. Dad, Mom, and I took a tour before heading back home to Lymington. It was a pretty cool bridge
 Hanging out in Grandma and Grandpa's hotel room before they left to head back home to the US. It was sad to say goodbye, but I had so much fun playing with them!
 Tower Bridge
 I love the wind!!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

LeBlancs Visit and Christmas

 Thanks for feeding me, Uncle Mike
 Headed out a nice long run with Mommy and Daddy. Got my cool new rain guard. Sure is nice for Daddy to be home from work!
 I got an iPad for Christmas! Ok, just kidding, it is Daddy's:)
 Christmas Dinner. Mom made spaghetti and meatballs and spinach frittata. I was already in bed, but I got to eat some spaghetti the next day:)
 Thanks for the new dishes, Nana and Papa!
 This is the Fish and Chips place in Hythe (where we used to live) that Mom and Dad had tried. Daddy, Uncle Dan, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike went over one day to check it out. Grandma LeBlanc, Mom, and I stayed home.
 Eating their fish and chips in the park
 It sure is nice to have you here to feed me all the time, Grandpa!
 Check out my cool new toy from Uncle Mike. It is so fun, it squirts water!
 This is my very own handmade towel from Grandma LeBlanc. How cool is that?? It is nice and big and cozy. Thanks!
 Grandma LeBlanc looking at my picture book with me. I just love looking at all my family's faces. Mom made this for me when we moved to help me remember everyone.
 Out to Tea. Grandma LeBlanc, Daddy, Mommy, and I went to Tea on High Street. It was fun!
 Here we are at Tea:)
 Daddy made Fancy (and Spicy) Hot Chocolate for Grandma LeBlanc, himself, and Mommy. Grandpa and my Uncles were in Paris. I heard it was pretty good:)
 Having some fun on my new hedgehog
 Uncle Mike!
 Uncle Dan, Uncle Mike, Daddy, Mommy, and I headed over to Winchester one afternoon. It was fun to see a new city.
 More of Winchester
 We had fun cruising around the streets in Winchester
 Mommy had to stop to nurse me. Well, it was time, what can I say?
 Outside the Round Table in Winchester. I think it was closed, but we got to see the outside, and the entrance:) Then we decided to stop for Hot Chocolate
 Yay for Grandma LeBlanc being here to play with me!!
 Check out my cool new rain guard! This has been coming in handy lately with all the rain...
 Thanks for feeding me my pasta fagioli that Mom made me Grandma!
 Hi Daddy!
 Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa LeBlanc. It is so fun to have them here!
 I think they were happy to see me too:)
 Chilling with Daddy, Uncle Dan, and Uncle Mike. So many fun faces to look at!
 Tweekers!! My family thinks it is pretty cute I have tweekers like my Daddy:)
 Hi!
 Mom thought I looked pretty cute in my Santa outfit from Auntie Cristin
 Hi! All dressed up for church on Christmas
 Thanks for putting my hedgehog together for me Uncle Dan!
 Hmmm, not too sure about this thing yet...
 Getting some Grandpa love, and he wore my favorite shirt! I guess he remembered:)
 Daddy and my Uncles!



 Playing with some of my new toys from Auntie Cristin, these things are so fun!
 Checking out my hedgehog rocker from Nana and Papa. I am getting a little more used to it...
 Wait a minute, not so sure...
 Mrs Clause
 Uncle Mike watching me eat:)
 Daddy reading me my bedtime story.

So, what is going on with me lately...Not too much new I guess. I have been walking around the table more, and transferring more from one place to another. The most revolutionary thing though is that I am putting myself to sleep again!!! My parents call it a Christmas Miracle! One night after Dad had been trying for quite some time to get me to sleep, he left the room for a little while, and I fell asleep on my own!! Now, my parents had tried this before, but it never worked. I had to be soothed to sleep at all naps and bedtime. And this was progress from my being rocked to sleep. Of course there have been many different sleep stages, but this is what has been going on the past several months.  They would then have to be soooo careful tip toeing on the squeaky floor and noisy wooden stairs so I wouldn't wake up. Yes, I have very good ears, and I can hear anyone coming or going past my room. My mom and dad were sooo proud of me, and excited! They really did think it was a miracle. This was about a month after starting the sleep training. I guess it finally worked, or I just decided I was ready. Either way, what a relief for my parents! My naps are still too short, but I have been sleeping through the night again, one morning I slept until 7! That is unheard of, but I have been pretty consistent the last several days with sleeping until at least 6. The best part is that I can go to sleep by myself though; at least that is what I am told:)
 Opening presents...

 I love this picture Dad got framed for Mom. It is so fun to see all these familiar faces!
 Chillin with Uncle Dan

 You are so funny, Grandpa! Grandpa, Grandma LeBlanc, Uncle Mike, Uncle Dan, Dad, Mom, and I went to Salisbury before heading over to Stonehenge. Here we are grabbing some lunch.
 Yay for Uncles! Mom, Dad, and I popped in to say good morning!
 Getting some Grandma LeBlanc love...I was pretty tired here...

 More of Salisbury



 Watching the Notre Dame game with the boys...
I was already asleep, but here is the fam eating tacos for dinner