Thursday, July 14, 2011

Eight month Elliot

Dear Elliot,
We are so glad you are in our family. We have no idea how you got so cute though. Everyone thinks you look like the Gerber baby. and look at those eyes. I am so glad you got Dad's lashes.
You have sprouted these past two months! It started with you letting us know you were still hungry. You go from angelic to Screaming!! in .25 seconds. My favorite was when we were in Target and you saw someone walking by eating a pretzel and you reached for it and screeeeamed!! Most of your outbursts are related to food. but you have put it to good use and are growing into a sweet petite little girl.
You make the funniest noises. It seems like each time you discover a new voice it lasts for about 2 weeks. I remember you blowing bubbles/talking, then it graduated into babbling the cute baby gooing and gaaing, then you discovered your tongue and would say La La la. Then I think the boys discovered you would smile and laugh at them and they were playing with you more, and Rocco is around, that's where I think you got the growling from. When we were in sacrament meeting I was holding you and I started to close my eyes for the prayer and I saw you out of the corner of my eye about to attack my face with your crazy growl. It was pretty funny. and now you have all the babbles and growls mixed up with these 2 second LOUd screams. Luckily you are still cute and its still funny. Needless to say we are trying to teach you sign language at least for food situations because you can get Loud!
You are sitting up so well! You Love to play with anything you can get your hands on. and if you find a good toy you will play with it or roll around with it for a good 30 minutes. You were sleeping on the floor in our closet until you scooted/rolled out into our bathroom. Now you are in a pack & play in our closet.
You've started getting a little Mommy sensitive lately. Up until the past few weeks you have been very mellow and laid back. Now, you get sad if you see me leave or if you realize you don't know who is holding you. The Young Women in the ward love to hold you (if you are in a good mood.) Rowdy is the only little little you will let hold you without crying, but you will also let Livee, cousin Kaidee, and Zoe and most everyone else bigger than them hold you.
You started clapping a few days ago it is sooo cute. and you have begun to clap when you smile. Its awesome.
We love having you around Little E. We especially like watching Rowdy and Ezra trying to make you laugh, and just love you. You are so special and we are glad you are ours.
Heart,
Mom and Dad

Monday, July 11, 2011

Full Swing





Summer is always so jam packed I find it hard to record keep. I plan to come back in better detail when its not so late at night. Locke and Katie are staying with us this summer & the Byrds were down the street with Lynda for a month. My Mom and Monica came for a weekish at the end of June. So it has been crazy and fun.


But the thing that is nagging at me most to record are these sweet kids. Elliot learned how to clap two days ago. She just looked at one hand and slapped it with her other hand and thought it was funny and now she can clap! I will have to re-post this in her 7th and 8th month posts but she is sitting up now and scooting backwards a little more. We have been making a concious effort to give her more tummy time. But between the four other littles in the house she has been through the gauntlet.

She can screeeeeam! so loud so fast. Mostly when she sees people eating. Yes, it is pretty embarassing in public. She saw someone in Target the other day eating a preztel and screeeeamed at them.

A couple of weeks ago she was shaking her head back and forth really fast and getting a little dizzy. I am pretty sure she just liked the way it felt. and she would copy us if we did it.

She always likes something in her hands. She searches for things to grab, play with and examine. She is just sprouting and changing everyday. She has been insatiably hungry... and funny.


Ezra has been cracking me up. He keeps getting hurt. Sometimes he is really hurt and sometimes he is just a little hurt but he will say (pouty voice) "I'm OK. Mom! I'm OK" He is so cute. He is talking a lot. He is in the mimick mode but will still bust out. He said his first solo prayer today for the food and blessed the family ( I think) and he always gets soo happy when he says Amen! He loves nursery and his Dad


Rowdy is loving all his cousins around. He constantly wants to have sleepovers at Miles house. He and Armanie get along well most of the time. He likes having a built in buddy. Aunt Katie gave him swim lessons in early July and he has been soing so good! We have an above ground pool in the back now that he can stand up in and he could stay in there all day. He could also sing "I will go I will do" all day. He is such a sweet big brother and a big help.


Cody has been working in the yard (as in trains), which has been nice. He just got released from nursery after 2 years. I think he is going to miss it. They are really going to miss him. He is so sweet with the littles and isn't afraid to get down on his knees and play with them or pick them up and help them stop crying. What a good man.


..and I have been married to him for 5 years. We went on a fancy anniversary date last Thursday after we got back from taking the youth to go do baptisms at the temple. It was beyond nice. and thanks to all the aunts who helped watch our kiddos.


so... hopefully this record keeping thing will become more of a habit. Thanks for the sweet pics Letti

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Happy Birthday America!

Fourth of July morning we rode our bikes over to the ward breakfast at Justin Park. I loved being able to ride my bike to a church activity. Then later we went to a fourth of July parade in Haslet. Rowdy looked around on his person and said , " Aw... I didn't bring anything for me to go to the parade in." Just then a lady came up handing out the kids random hats. He was so excited about his Fourth of July crazy hat. and it ended up being a nice candy catcher. I don't think he lifted up his head more than twice the whole parade he was too busy picking up candy off the ground. but I'm not complainin'. He got some good stuff :)

the cousins

Aunt Letti and Elliot at the ward breakfast

When Cody got home from work we went to big ole' firework store. It was a little crazy/funny you could buy an "all nighter" pack for 600$ if you brought your pickup truck to drag it home with. or $100 worth of just straight up firecrackers. We just bought 70 cent sparklers. It was mostly fun to check out the other customers. Takes all kinds.
We swam in our backyard and then took off right before dark and watched the big fireworks in Trophy Club, and yes if you aren't familiar that is the name of a neighboring town. I love Texas and all the but the city names? randoma. and Texas is so flat it is awesome on the fourth to see everyone Else's big fireworks. I knew Rowdy was going to like the fireworks, but Ezra and Elliot turned out to be fans as well. Ezra just sat there and kept saying pretty. and Elliot was actually really excited about them too. She would wave her arms and legs and talk when they would explode. You can always tell her mood by how much she moves her arms and legs. I just couldn't stop singing the national anthem. The words were just more poignant than usual today. Those first patriots were really putting everything on the line. "The rockets red glare gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."...I am sure that was a sweet moment amidst the turmoil of war and fervent prayers. "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." I am very grateful.