1st Birthday

LE is ONE!  Where has this past year gone?  It seems like just yesterday that she arrived!

So proud of herself!

We took her picture as usual on Wednesday, but celebrated LE's first birthday Sunday.  It was wonderful to be able to share the celebration with our family and friends.  LE had a BLAST and was doing her best to keep up with "the big kids."

LE's personal cake
(Vanilla with vanilla buttercream)

The "big people" cake
(Chocolate with vanilla buttercream)

Trying to figure out how the slide works
(Thanks for sharing, Aunt Sue, Uncle Nick, Carter and Callen!)

Daddy introducing LE to the icing on her cake

Playing in the icing

Figuring out how funny this really is

I think the cake was a hit!

Opening presents with lots of help

Callen was glad to help LE open her gifts

This girl LOVES books!

We had a wonderful day--the weather cooperated, LE was her usual pleasant self, and it seemed as though everyone had a good time.  Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate LE's first year.  And to all of those who have helped me make it through my first year as a mom, I will be forever grateful!  I'm looking forward to many more wonderful years!

11 Months

My intentions to post to the blog are ALWAYS good, but now that this one is mobile--and becoming more so every day--it has become a challenge!  LE is crawling everywhere, pulling up and moving around quite easily.  I know it is just a matter of time before she's walking!

Hmmm...Let me see here...

LE has become quite opinionated about what she eats.  She LOVES blueberries, turkey and yogurt.  She will try new things, but, more often than not, she returns to her staples.  I have a feeling that she will thoroughly enjoy her birthday cake this year.

HEY PEOPLE!

I cannot believe that LE is almost a year old!  Time has definitely flown.

10 Months

See me!

Sunday, LE was 10 months old.  We also discovered that she has a seventh (!) tooth coming in.  Bamma said that at the rate she's getting teeth, she will be losing them by the time she's three.

LE is continuing to grow and delight us.  She is crawling at high speeds, entertaining herself with her toys, and attempting to pull up.  She can pull herself up onto her knees, but she hasn't figured out how to get her feet up under herself yet.  I have no doubt that she will get there in the near future.

Ken and I so enjoy spending time with her.  She is such a happy child and has such a sunny disposition.  LE is a true joy to us and we love her so much!

You know this is all about me, right?

Nine Months

How can it be that LE is already NINE MONTHS OLD?!?!?!?  Time is flying by!  She is still sleeping well, crawling EVERYWHERE, and beginning to try to pull up.  This little one has so much personality and is such a joy to be around.  Ken and I are so blessed to have a happy baby and we comment on it often.

So Happy!

I want to help.

Happy "9 Month" Birthday to my sweetest girl!

Visit to Santa

This past Sunday, Sue invited LE and me to join her, Carter, and Callen at the Country Club to have brunch and see Santa.  LE and I were delighted to do so!

We got there just before 11:00 and got in line to see Santa.  When LE got her turn, she sat on Santa's lap and was simply fascinated with him.  She kept looking at him like she was trying to figure out what he was doing, but she didn't throw a fit and I was pleased with that.  I didn't have an opportunity to take a picture with my camera, but I did snap a couple of pictures of C & C with LE.

Two Precious Kiddos!

What a good looking crew!

We had such a great time!  Thank you to Sue, Carter and Callen for inviting us to join them.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving celebration began the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving with dinner at my sister's house.  My brother-in-law is a FANTASTIC cook and, since everyone was going to be here, there and yon for Thanksgiving, we were invited to their house for a "pre-Thanksgiving dinner."  We had delicious food and even better company.

Prior to dinner, we were having appetizers, which included celery for a dip.  Bamma introduced LE to celery and she LOVED it.  I think she liked gnawing on it because it was cold, but she took to it like a duck to water--and proceeded to try to eat every piece Bamma picked up!

 

Hmmm...what is this?

Pretty good stuff!

Uncle Steve ROCKS!

Love my Carter! 

Bamma and Mini-Bamma

Ken, LE, and I left Wednesday night to head to LBF.  We figured--rightly so--that it would be easier to travel with LE at night because she would sleep.  She did pretty well until we got 45 minutes from the house and then she was FINISHED with being in the car.  We stopped to take a short break and change a diaper and then got back on the road.  I think I sang every Christmas carol and children's song that I knew to keep her from crying.

Thanksgiving Day was great fun.  Jackie came over to eat with us and play with LE.  There is no doubt  that LE loves her family!

Happy Girls

Bamma, Jack, and LE

The rest of the weekend was filled with busy-ness!  LE found LOTS to occupy herself.

Hey, Mom!  Whatcha doin' back there?

Ready to cheer on the Tide with Daddy during the Iron Bowl

Hmmm...what can I dig out of Bamma's purse?  (I'm sure Uncle Steve has some ideas!)

Maybe I can pick the winning numbers!

Who knew a plastic ticket holder could provide SO MUCH entertainment!

Bamma and the puffs are a hit!

On our way out of town, we made a slight detour to meet Jackie at the Bass Pro Shop in Spanish Fort.  The store was decorated for Christmas and there was a great deal to see.  LE was fascinated with the fish swimming in the tank, the stuffed animals, and she loved the stuffed ducks.  But what she was most interested in was the model train that was set up in the "Winter Wonderland."

Captivated by the train

I have so much to be thankful for this year.  I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, a loving family, and many other things too numerous to mention here.  Thanksgiving kicked off the beginning of the Holiday Season and I have a feeling that I will enjoy this one more than in the past because I get to experience it with LE!

8 Months

Who me?  8 months already?

My how time flies!  LE is now 8 months old.  She is changing so rapidly that it's hard to keep up sometimes.

She still hasn't really mastered crawling.  She is EXTREMELY proficient at the "army crawl" and can get somewhere in one big hurry!  LE thinks "patty cake" cures all things.  And she's picked up bobbing her head from side to side when she's "talking" to someone.  She is a true joy to Ken and me and we continue to enjoy watching her grow and develop even more into her own person.

Am I cute, or what!

Patty Cake, Patty Cake!

Baptism

Sunday was a great day of celebration in our household.  LE was baptized!  It was such a wonderful day and a blessing to have all of our family around us.  LE wore the dress I had smocked before she was born as her christening dress and I was so pleased that it still fit.

Meeting up with the family before the service

Loving on Bamma while Aunt Emily & Uncle Steve look on

Getting some love from Aunt Sue and Callen

I could not have asked for a better baby during the service.  She entertained herself in our pew during Mass (although she did get a little fussy right before the baptism).  While we were gathered around the baptismal font, she was enthralled by the water bubbling in it and when it came time to be "sprinkled," she reached out for the water in the font.  Ken pulled her little hand away, but Father McDade said, "Let her play in it if she wants to."  Little did he know how much of a water baby she is!  LE stuck her hand in the water and there it stayed until the process concluded.

After we all processed back to the front of the church, Ken and I went up on the altar and Father sat her on the altar saying, "This is the ONLY time you will ever be allowed to sit on the altar!" which, of course, got a chuckle from everyone.  After pronouncing her "...truly a child of god," the congregation clapped and she looked around the room at all those people.  I believe that LE was enjoying being the center of attention.  (I wonder WHERE she gets that???)

After the service, we took some pictures and then headed back to our house for a full blown family lunch of spaghetti, meatballs, Italian sausage, salad, bread and, of course, CAKE!  The cake from Olexa's was beautiful and it tasted heavenly!

LE with her proud Mommee and Daddy

Our little family with LE's godparents, Cynthia and Brad

What a wonderful blessing!

So precious to us!

With Callen (and Callen's boots)

Loving from Aunt Melissa

Beautiful Monogrammed cake from Olexa's

It tastes as good as it looks!

I feel so blessed to have had everyone join us for LE's baptism.  It was a special day and to have family and friends celebrate with us made it all the more enjoyable!

"Bugging" Out

LE's first Halloween was fairly low-key.  Since she isn't old enough to have any sweets yet, I thought the best thing to do would be to put her in her costume and go visiting!  Since she's "cute as a bug" anyway, I chose a Ladybug costume for her.

We started off the afternoon at my parents' house.  Bamma and Big Pat hadn't seen LE in awhile and it was good to visit with them.  LE definitely enjoyed being the center of attention.  And she even made a new friend--although Bonsai wasn't QUITE sure what to do about her being down on his level!

Being entertained by Bamma

Loving on Big Pat

A flying bug

Happy Baby Bug

Hmmm...who is this and why is he so fuzzy?

After leaving Bamma and Big Pat's, we made a quick stop at the Hardware store to see Daddy and Grandaddy.  They were thrilled to see LE!

Since Mama Jane was already at church, we stopped by there on the way home.  I didn't grab my camera out of the car when we went in, but suffice it to say that LE was introduced to EVERYONE there.  She was fascinated by all the children in their costumes, the colors, and the noise.

It was a fun (and tiring) evening for LE and her mommee!  But I'm looking forward to more of these events in the future!