Ellie is 15 months old!!

My sweet baby girl is 15 months old today, and today is the first day I'm willing to call her a toddler... Because she TODDLES everywhere! The last few days she made the switch from crawling everywhere to walking. It is bittersweet... I'm not ready to admit she's that big already!

This last week Ellie learned to say the word "cracker" and she uses it any time she means food. She signs the word as e says it, and sometimes she even signs please! Ellie attempts to say James, but it comes out as "ga" or "ga-ga." James thinks it's hilarious and imitates her.

In news for James, he is finally (finally!!!) 100% potty trained. We don't remind him, and he's conquered almost all aspects. I'm so happy this is getting better, because it has been 9 LONG months of training!

Anyway, happy 15 months to my baby girl!!

 

Please ignore James crying in the background of this next one... he was in time out and not happy about it.

James's new bike

Santa brought James a new Disney Planes bike for Christmas... His first real bike! He rode it for the first time outdoors the other day and he LOVED it. He's still working on pedaling, but he's doing great!

Merry Christmas!

We had a busy Christmas at home today! After a breakfast of monkey bread and turkey bacon, the kids spent all morning opening up gifts from us and Santa. Ellie loved playing with her new Disney princess castle, pop corn popper, and ride-on horse (from my childhood). James got a new Planes bike with a matching backpack that I made, and also some planes and cars. 

The kids had lunch and then a nap/quiet time, and Eliot and I opened our gifts (it's so chaotic when the kids are awake we don't have a moment to open our presents). Eliot got some clothes and books he wanted, and I got the Frozen soundtrack and some books I wanted (plus my favorite shampoo an a book about Disney cruises). 

When the kids got up, James rode his bike around the kitchen while I finished dinner (ham, scallop potatoes, and asparagus) and Ellie had a snack.

We then opened gifts with Eliot's side of the family via FaceTime. Both kids were in love with the Disney klip klop stables, and James liked his new leap pad ultra.

After that, the kids were melting down and wailing throughout dinner because it was so late and we had all had enough, so we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus with my cranberry cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and then had bathtime and bedtime for the kids. 

Eliot and I spent about 2 hours cleaning up the house, which was a total wreck. Then we settled back to watch the Hobbit and relax, finally.

It was so fun watching the kids open their gifts... James was actually interested in it for the first time! Ellie could care less but tried to put all kinds of non-food items in her mouth. 

All in all, a good Christmas. I feel truly blessed.

Walking!!!

Ellie is walking!! She started taking a step or two last week, and then she took about 10 steps on December 16th and hasn't stopped since!

Ellie loves to play peek-a-boo with her hands and is picking up words every day. She said "cracker" today, and she loves to do a "come here" sign with her hands when he wants to see someone. She's a little ham and figures out things so quickly, I'm always surprised how fast she learns.

James is yet again obsessed with Polar Express and he always talks about how he has to go to sleep so the polar express can come. :-) His language has exploded, he will mimic anything you say. He is challenging at times because he is a bit jealous of Ellie, but overall he is a sweet boy with a kind heart who always wants to help or make others feel better when they are sad.

As we head toward Christmas, I look around and feel I already have everything could ever want. <3

Straw!

Ellie figure out how to use a straw today!!