BIRTHDAY BEAUTY!!

Our Little Missy Moo,
How has the time gone by so fast??  I look @ your baby pictures + feel like I can't remember those days, yet, I remember every wonderful moment of your precious life!  All your first squeaks, smiles, laughs, cries, rolls, scoots, crawls, pull ups, crashes, bounces, dances, words, sounds, + steps... your FIRST YEAR has changed our lives forever!  Daddy + I are so proud of you!  Thank you my sweet princess for being YOU!

IT'S A...GIRL!!! are the words that stand out the most on this monumental day!

7lbs.11oz. 21in. born @ 9:31am MST:)

Elsie Anne was 'frank breech' (pike position), hence her first nick name...'crazy legs'...now you see why:)

BIRTHDAY MORNING:)  we are super excited!!

Birthday Breakfast w/ a doughnut pyramid, is a tradition for Momma + now we get to use it for EA!  Henry gets to enjoy EA's birthday celebration too:)

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
*walks 10 steps b/t Shawn + I
*wants to 'walk' up the steps, holding on to our hands
*knows to go 'feet first' down the steps + turns around 2ft before she gets there, too cute!
*climbs up onto our low couch, w/ a pillow to step on
*loves jumping/bouncing
*dances up a storm, her favorite music is rap, or anything w/ a good bump!!
*waves hello/bye-bye/night-night
*pee-pee on potty before bathtime (2-3/wk)
*sleeps 7pm-7am, generally
*eats finger foods
*4 top teeth, 2 bottom teeth
*drinks out of sippy cup + water bottle... NO MORE BOTTLES!
*loves 'driving' Daddy's truck (when its not cranked-up!)
*has to have food when we're eating, fun eating as a family!
*has to ride standing up in the front of any store buggy (not so happy Daddy showed her this trick)
*loves eating rocks (smooth ones for vases). she's turned it into a game where she puts them in her mouth, we hold our hand out under her mouth + she drops it into our hand + LAAAUGHS:)
*plays incredibly sweet w/ older or younger friends
*loves giving kisses + hugs, sometimes on demand:)
*feels like a big girl when she gets to turn off the lights!

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
*trumpets + stomps like an elephant
*barks like a dog
*squeeks like a monkey
*thumps her chest like a gorilla
*tweets like a bird
*caaws like a crow
*growls like a bear/lion
*moos like a cow
*quacks like a duck
*moves her mouth like a fish
*choo-choos like a train
*points to her eyes, when asked
*honks her nose, when asked
*grabs her ears, when asked
*blows kisses "MUUUAH!" w/ hand!
*ball: "baoowl" she sounds very southern :)
*balloon: "ba-ooo"
*"bubble"
*bunny: "ha-ha" w/ a bouncing motion
*HOT: "ha!" + puts her hand out in a 'stop' position like we do
*night,night: "ni,ni"
*up: "Uu!" as she is holding onto our legs + reaching up
*"MaMa"
*"DaDa"
*bottle: "BaBa"
*"Uh-Oh!"
*"Hi!" over + over, to people even in the grocery store, until she gets their attention:)
*Hey there: "Hey Daaare!"
*"Go,Go,Go"

This Time, Last Year...

LOOK @ that BELLY!!!  How did it get so big?!  This is @ our last appointment before our sceduled c-section.  We had no idea if we were having a girl or boy... the anticipation was killing us!!

Momma (Memere), Jane (GeeGee) + Andy (Granpa) were all here waiting for our miracle to show 'ITS' little face.

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY... stay tuned for a BIRTHDAY update:) 

Snowman Stampede 10mi Race!

I went down to Denver on Friday afternoon to hang out + stay w/ Laurie (bestie from Tally).  We had a fun dinner @ an Italian joint so that I could 'load up on carbs'!  It was a weird feeling... feeling GOOD about eating a whole bowl of very creamy Chicken Fettucini + Garlic Bread, but uuumm, it was so good!  Our slumber party was a well needed girly nite (my first away from EA) + made it very convenient to get to the race registration @ 8:30am!!  Shawn + Elsie Anne came down that morning to cheer Momma on:)

Before the race w/ Taneil

Crossing the finish line in TEARS...

...because this is what I saw!!!

Momma missed her baby so much!!

It was an incredible accomplishment... I RAN 10mi, I still don't think it has sunken in?!  But now I know that my 1/2marathon (13mi) on March 20th is 'do-able'!!!

Missy Moo...

We had a wonderful weekend nannying Henry + staying @ his house!  But it does feel nice to get back into our cozy little home + have our normal routines again.  It won't last long though, we have Henry again this Saturday - Wednesday!  Haven't I said how lucky I think I am... I get to keep my favorite little man AND make $$ doing it?!  Can't get any better than this... I think I'll be a lifetime nanny:)

Okay, so I've captured a few super cute photos today...
This morning, loving on her 'Laura' Zebra!

"MUUUAH!" this was the first morning she did it perfectly... and of course it was to her Daddy as he was leaving for work!

Blowing her kiss to Daddy...

'Finger-Painting' in the blackberry juice:)

What a great day it has been w/ my little sweety!

Weekend @ Henry's...

Friday we went to Family Gym Time + had a ball!  Our chill night @ home w/ Shawn was perfect:)

Saturday was filled w/ sledding + skiing @ Carter Park!  Big Boy Henry carried his own ski, and even hiked up the hill w/ no complaints!  He was so pumped to "go FAST" w/ Shawn!

Ready to go AGAIN...

Elsie Anne discovered SNOW for the first time, go figure?!  She couldn't get enough...

Sunday, we went swimming @ Grand Lodge on Peak 7 (one of Henry's hotels).  We didn't get any pics @ the pool, but we did a lot of relaxing that afternoon!  EA was trying to dunk her toes in Daddy's beer!

Sunday night we ate @ Mi Casa + then checked out some helmets @ a nearby Ski Shop.  I'm so proud of Shawn for finally making the decision to be safe while he does crazy tricks in the Park!  Henry melted when he didn't get to bring the blue helmet home.  He talked about it for the rest of the evening:)

Monday night we had our friends over for 'Taco Nite'... Nadia is almost 18mo + gets along great w/ Henry + EA! 

**GO PAST 'real quick' TO SEE MORE NEW POSTS THAT I'VE CAUGHT UP ON**

real quick...

I've been missing my blog... we've been so busy this week, + it's only going to get busier!  We had a great Valentine's weekend!  I will try to post some pics tonight, our last night @ home for a bit... we start 'over-nighting' Henry tomorrow @ 9am, until Tuesday @ 9am!  We've got big, fun plans for the weekend as a family of 4!  Friday we are going to 'Family Gym Time', Saturday we will go sledding + try out Henry's new skis, + Sunday we will go swimming @ Henry's hotel, Grand Lodge on Peak 7, which has a salt-water indoor/outdoor swimming pool w/ a children's walk-in pool too!  It will be a super fun weekend, but busy-busy:)  Henry is always such a joy to have around... if only we could have an  older sibling for Elsie Anne, she would be ecstatic:)

By the way... yesterday started the 2 week count-down until Elsie Anne's Birthday!!  She continues to surprise us w/ new words + sounds!  I'll do a detailed update of her progress for her Birthday:)

"PLEASE!"

Elsie Anne's new, and favorite, sign is "PLEASE"!  She now 'says' it in many instances... when she wants more food, when she'd like us to read to her, + when she needs help.  She is such a communicative little being + loves when she learns new ways of doing it...

This is her signing "please" for more snack + the library!  (rubs her belly instead of her chest)

Daddy was able to meet us for a Chinese Buffet lunch!  Elsie Anne loves edemame!  These 2 were ready for a nap + you can see it in both their eyes!  What a nice little cuddle!

Date Nite! HAPPY LOVE DAY!

Daddy took "his girls" out to dinner for Valentines Day... we all wore PURPLE, but this is the only pic we got of all of us!

Can't you tell Elsie Anne had a nice 'date' w/ Daddy!  She's showing off her new tooth!  Her top right tooth made it's way thru, now she has 6 teeth total!!