Kiesling Christmas Tradition

For the second year in a row, we hit up Railroad Park for a viewing of the lights. This year was a bit more interactive since last year she was only 2 weeks old. We rode the carousel, and were able to take the train through the park where they had fake snow blowing and an incredible light display that you can only see via train. She was such a trooper up a little past her bedtime and seemed to love the train ride. 

I can't wait to see her reaction next year!

Santa...NOT a fan.

I think it was her most traumatic life event since her trip through the birth canal. Thank goodness daddy was there with snuggles (and crackers).

Final music class of the quarter

We had our final class of the quarter a week or so before Christmas. It was pretty cool to think back to three months prior - maybe a third of the kids were even crawling, and by the end they were all hanging out together in the middle of the room, playing and having fun. It was a Christmas themed class, so of course we had to wear our finest :)

       

Earning her keep

Ellie's big weekend

We went big and decided to do Ellie's first birthday party and baptism in the same weekend. It was hectic, but so much fun! Mom and Dad came into town, as well as Evan (resident photographer) and Josh, and Claire.

Birthday was up first on Saturday. I got very into the party planning (not surprising) and all the details looked just perfect! I probably won't go this nuts for subsequent birthdays, but the 1st just seemed to require something special :)
I decided on a hot air balloon theme, and got most of my decor from Etsy. Mom even made a gorgeous fabric banner that we used to display Ellie's monthly photos. All in all we had about 20 people here which turned out to be perfect. Beanbag toss was set up in the back, and so the kiddos were able to run around and play (with some of the bigger "kiddos"). It was low key and full of love, just how I'd hoped it would be.
When the big moment came, Ellie was hysterical with her cake. She was SO delicate, gently touching it, very unsure of what she was supposed to do with it/if she was allowed to mess it up. She was also very big into trying to share bites with anyone who came over to say hello. After about 5 minutes of watching her sweetly poke at it, Brad shoved her whole hand right into the middle of it. She looked stunned, but immediately VERY happy. It was all bets off then, and she gladly dug right in, grabbing chunks and snarfing them down. I think she liked making a mess more than eating it, but either way, she was having fun. Cake success!
The party goers left and we were back down to our little posse of grandparents, uncles, and Aunt Claire, and we had a wonderful rest of the afternoon/evening.

The baptism was on Sunday and what a beautiful day. Even though Grammy and Grampy couldn't be with us, we felt like they were as Ellie was wearing a baptism gown that we had made from Martha's wedding dress. What a special family keepsake that we will continue to use and pass down.
We attended Mass at 10:30 am, and after had the private ceremony. Claire and Evan stood with us as Ellie's godparents, as Mom and Dad watched along with Lindsay, Brenton and Beckett. Ellie was fidgety but good - she did as well as we could expect for a 12 month old. We received a bottle of holy water from the font she was baptized from as well as a candle from Blessed Sacrament.

We headed back to our house for long, leisurely brunch of egg casserole, green salad, fruit salad, and cinnamon rolls. We even brought in the outdoor table (which matches up with our dining room table PERFECTLY) so all 9 of us could sit down to brunch together.

We continue to be grateful to our family and friends who make these big moments in our lives so unbelievably special. We are lucky, lucky people.
A link to all the photos is here.  Fair warning - there are about 200. Oops :)

12 months.

The stickers have come to and end.
Wow, have we really been parents for 12 whole months?! It's amazing to think how far we've all come, and just how much this little person has learned in one short year. The amount of growing and learning a baby does in their first year is INCREDIBLE when you stop and think that they went from being able to do absolutely nothing for themselves, to eating, moving and communicating independently. She continues to blow us away every single day at the sweet, funny and clever things she does.
We hear ALL the time how cute she is. (At Costco recently, she had four adults who were shopping together stopped in their tracks staring at her - pretty funny, actually). But not only is she cute as all get out, she's stinking SMART. And so gentle and loving - she's already such a little mama. And curious. And friendly. She is truly a people person - she loves waving and saying 'hi' and 'bye' to people in stores. She has opinions, but we've got a great thing going on, and somehow it seems like we just get each other. I'm sure the tantrums will come, but so far, we're managing without them. I have never been more proud of anything I've done in my life, and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for this incredible little person. 

Some stats and more of what's making her special these days below:

As of 12/9/15:
Weight: 19 pounds, 12 ounces (50%)
Height: 29" (44%)
Loves: water (swimming and baths), swinging, going on walks/being outside, Penny, mom and dad, music class and music in general - she loves to dance!, books, her baby dolls, cheese, cottage cheese, berries
Hates: other than vegetables, there's not really anything she consistently hates
Size: some 9 month still fits, but mostly 12 month clothes (and the 6-12 mo gap clothes), and in size 3 diapers

-We've weaned another feed, and now we're down to morning, evening, and one before her afternoon nap. She seems to be adapting splendidly.
-At the ped appt, Dr. B was going through the fine motor checklist (pointing, clapping, etc). Brad wanted her to show off a bit, so told E to do "touchdown". She did, and Dr. B was amused. He about fell out of his chair, however, when E put her hands down and said clear as day "tuh-down". He sputtered, "Did she just say touchdown? Your 12 month old just said touchdown. I can't believe it! I'm going to be telling this story for years!". Pretty hysterical, and needless to say he's not the least bit concerned about her development :)
-She also clearly says "mama", "dada", "moo" (for moosh), "baba", "hi" and "bye bye"
-She knows that socks and shoes go on feet, and when she finds one of them, she either holds it up to her own foot, or puts it next to my foot.

Mom and Dad adore everything about her. She bring us more joy than we ever thought possible, and usually our favorite place to be is all together, our little family of three. What a year it's been.

To my darling daughter on your first birthday,

How are have you been in our lives one whole year? And how has this year gone faster than any other I've lived? It hardly seems fair.

Watching you grow and observing the amazing things you've accomplished in 365 days has been the greatest joy of my life. We didn't know much when we brought you home, but we knew that we loved you so much it was scary, and that we would spend our lives trying to keep you safe and happy.

In one short year, you've turned from a 6.8 pound baby who did nothing but cry, nurse, pee and poop, to a little girl full of personality, opinions, and charm. You crawl, you point, nod and "talk" to get your message across, your favorite toys are books (and you want us to read to you over and over and over), you give kisses and hugs, try so hard to get your Penny-dog to play with you (sadly, to no avail), love being outdoors - walking, swinging, even just watching the big kids play, love music and music class, and little makes you happier than water - tubbies and swimming. Your "maternal" instinct is already so strong: you love babies - real and dolls - hugging, kissing and rocking them.

I see so many things about how fast it all goes, and if the first year is any indication, I feel like I'm going to blink and you'll be in college. I spend my days trying hard to meet you where you are, staying patient and calm and smothering you with love. And when the tables turn and you give me an unexpected hug or kiss, I absolutely melt.

Your innocence is incredible, and I want so badly for you to hang on to it as long as possible. My greatest wish for you, my dear, is that you grow to love, trust and respect yourself, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens. I don't pretend to be perfect, but my love for you is and always will be. I will apologize when I mess up because I want you to see that life is full of stumbles and mistakes, but it's how you handle them that defines you. I will work so hard to be kind and loving to all people so that you see the value and worth in everyone, including myself so that you, in turn, see it in yourself.

You are my greatest gift and I hope with all my heart and soul that you grow up knowing just how special you are.

Eleanor Claire, you are loved beyond measure, and if the years to come are even remotely close to the one we've just had, it's going to be an incredible life watching you grow.

To the moon and back,
Mom

And just like that...

Ellie and Daddy on birthday eve

...she's ONE. It's the most cliche thing in the world, but I suppose cliches are cliches for a reason. Time has absolutely FLOWN. We could not love this darling little girl any more if we tried. It's been a year full of joy, fear, doubt, excitement, panic, learning curves, trust, discomfort, and pure magic. We are immensely grateful to everyone who adores our daughter as much as we do, and I have never been more proud of Brad and me. Here in Phoenix, with no family and very few friends, and we have done a damn fine job of raising this little girl. There have certainly been frustrations along the way, but we're doing the best we can, and I happen to think that our best is pretty damn spectacular. She's thriving - happy, social, smart as all get out, funny, and charming. She makes us laugh all the time and loves an audience. Seeing pieces of our own personalities in her is so amazing - and there are still times when we look at each other and ask "Did we seriously MAKE her?!? We spent December 9 doing all we could to make Ellie smile: she woke up to balloons in her crib, she had a special birthday plate to eat breakfast on, she had the most perfectly girl birthday dress (and party hat) to wear, we went to music class, and we ended the day with a walk, swings and tubbies in the big tub. 

Pure one year old perfection.

BALLOONS!

Birthday morning family photo!

Chee-chee eggs on the birthday plate!

Ready for music class!

52 weeks!

Week 52. I took 10 photos, and here they are. My sweet, smiley, sassy, precocious 52 week old little love. I may or may not have cried when I finally put the camera down. What a year it's been. (Still trying to decide if the owl is officially retired, or if we might bring him back out from time to time...)

An assortment of cute

The bear ears KILL me.

All big eyes, pigtails and rose gold. Swoon.

Waiting for an oil change at the Hyundai dealership - they have a great kiddo space!

Cutest lunch date I could ask for!

She's getting SO cuddly. She snuggles her animals, toys, really anything that she can hold up to her face. And it's amazingly adorable.