The Best Laughing Video Ever

This video was taken on May 1, when Ellie was about 9 months old. Hysterical! It's me and Emily in the background. Thomas and I can still watch this and laugh so hard we have tears in our eyes.

Weekend with G & G

Ellie's Baptism was a fun-filled weekend and Grandpa, Grammy, Great Grandpa and Great Uncle Greg came up from FL for it. Here are some of Larry/Dad/Grandpa's pics:

(This was back in June 2010)

After this photo shoot he took of her on the front porch, you can see why I think that G-pa doesn't really like Ellie that much....I mean he seems totally disinterested.   :)

Ellie's First Steps!

Ellie took her first steps at Grammy & Grandpa's house (L & K Bretz in FL) on Labor Day weekend. Great-Grandpa and G. Aunt Dawn and G. Uncle Greg were there, too, to witness this fun event. She took maybe 3 or 4 steps and then rested for a while. Then a day or two later, she'd practice a few more. She was very proficient at walking with assistance (a hand, a table, Buzz Lightyear) but not totally on her own.

 This video was taken two weeks later on Sunday Sept, 19. She was practicing her couple of steps (showing off for her boyfriend Finn) when something clicked and she just got it: "Oh! This is how you walk! Of course." And she was off! Hasn't stopped walking since. Take a look at her first 5 minutes of real walking....

End of September

 Here are some random shots of Ellie at the end of Sept. She loves to push her Buzz Lightyear rocket in the street in front of the house.

Our last pool day of the summer. Ellie is getting in the cooler before we hit the water.

Ellie was enjoying the park in our neighborhood: Midwood Park.

One of Ellie's last times in the Bjorn with Daddy. She's just a tad too big for this now. Sad! She used to LOVE being in this. Now she and Thomas have graduated to the backpack. More pics on that to come.

One last pic from our Buzz walks. In this pic, she was walking by herself for quite some time. Back and forth, up and down the street as I walked beside her. Here, she reached out her hand as she was walking and said, "Uh, uh, uh". She wanted to hold hands while she walked! We walked this way for a while down the street. :)

My angel.

Fall is here!

Ellie is one, she's walking, and she's excited about fall. Just a few shots from our days out and about.

Grandpa got this chair for Ellie for the beach. She tried to get in it today on her own. First time, didn't work so I helped her. Second time, I looked over and she was sitting in it! I wanted to take a picture with the camera (not my phone) but Ellie wanted to try it out, too.

What? I've been getting in and out of chairs for weeks now...

Swinging!

Here's another fun laughing video. At around 10.5 or 11 months, Ellie learned the art of the fake laugh. She generally pulls this laugh out when the adults are laughing or if adults are chatting and no one is paying attention to her. She throws her head back, opens her mouth wide, and closes her eyes a little bit while doing the laugh. It's too much...and it gets the reaction she was going for!
This isn't the greatest video capture of the laugh (this would get a "C" rating as far as Ellie fake laughs go), but it's the only one I've got on tape and you'll get the point. It's at the very beginning of the video...so pay attention!

Notice also in the video: newer skill of walking around the table, new emotion called frustration and clenched fist when Mom won't pick her up, and that Mom attachment I referred to in the Hilton Head post..."I must have you, Mommy!"

Enjoy!

I'm One!!!

Ellie had her first birthday last weekend on 8.8.10.

Wow! It's really ridiculous that it's already been a year. It feels like it actually only took 3 or 4 months for this year to pass by. It was a great year and this birthday was very special. Here are some great pics of the party:

Ellie and Daddy have an amazing bond. I'm so lucky, as Mom, to witness it every day. Such a great Dad.

Cupcake time! She is always smiling. :)

Balloons were a hit with Ellie.

"Family hug!" This "family hug" Thomas has created and Ellie squeals when he comes over to do it. I'll be holding Ellie and he'll come over and yell, "family hug" and squeeze us. Too cute.

My first cake!!!

And afterwards. She was a mess! She loves her clapping trick and will do it on cue if anyone says "yay" or often times when someone just laughs. Can you see her two bottom teeth? Her top "fangs" area also in and her two middle top are on the way. Thomas says if the two middle top don't come in soon, she'll have to be Dracula for Halloween. :)

Happy Birthday, Ellie. We love you!!!