...

I can't think of a title for this post... because, well... I just can't.
So - sue me!

I just wanted to share a few pictures of the cookies I made for a baby shower this past weekend. They didn't turn out quite how I wanted. But when I have a 10 month old who is my main priority... and an icing thing-a-ma-jig that BROKE while I was using it. I did the best I could!

The theme was sea turtles. What a hard theme to come up with decorations for! Luckily, the mother-in-law took care of the little things... I made the cookies and some tissue paper poms to put on top of a mini diaper cakes.

(I had nothing to do with the rest of the decorations... hence the turtle erasers. lol!)

This picture doesn't do the cookies justice!


I am no photographer - unfortunately... so this looks more like a mess than anything. But it really did look nice sitting on the cake table! And the cookies were delicious, if I do say so myself!

Eloise had a good time... and was, thankfully, very well behaved!
Although she normally is anyway!


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Double Digits!

Eloise is 10 months old today!

I can't believe we've come this far!


She is definitely a Daddy's Girl!
She happily wore his hat this morning before he
left for work! I can't keep HER hat on her head,
but she'll wear his BILLS hat, of all things!



She is quite the little ham!
She likes to make a squinchy face (above) while she
is eating. I haven't quite figured out why... except
she must know she's being cute!

My sister taught her to wave and say HI.
She also waves and says BYE BYE.

Yesterday, at a restaurant, I heard her saying "Hi".
It's not just a simple "HI."...
it's a drawn out "Hiiiiii..."

I turned to see her waving to a young guy
across the room at another table.
He and his tablemates were grinning
from ear to ear.

I do believe Eloise was flirting!
haha!


We have a bit of a picky eater.
Eloise likes weird stuff like squash...
but she isn't a fan of green beans or normal things.

She LOVES to eat with her hands though,
I think that's the key!

She is not just walking... she is RUNNING!


We have to watch her 24/7!
I can't tell you how many times she
has run into something or tripped over her
own feet only to bonk her head off of
the floor. It makes my
head spin!

But it's a lot of fun!
When Cory is home in the evenings,
we sit on the floor and he pretends to
chase her... and she runs, giggling, into
my arms.

Those are memories I'll keep forever!!

The funny thing.. is that we didn't encourage
her or work with her to walk. She took a couple
of steps in mid-October... and from then on,
she was determined to make it happen.
I'm a little sad, she is more toddler than baby!
But I am enjoying her stages... even if they are
happening sooner than I expected!


Her favorite toys are stuffed animals... she has
George and Gerry, Coby and Foo-Foo (bunny)
constantly in her arms.
Makes for a soft landing when she falls!!

She also loves to dance, "read", chatter and give High 5's!


Life is a blast... even if it is exhausting!

Happy 10 Months ELOISE!
We love you!

...More Please?

I found this scrumptious banana bread recipe
from the Heavenly Homemaker site.
Let me tell you... I never knew that banana bread
made with no white flour or sugar could taste so good!
I am constantly going to that site to find great recipes!
If you haven't... you should check it out!

Cory was enjoying himself a piece of banana bread the other day...
and to my surprise, he shared a little with Eloise!


"More Please?"

... and again...

Well, it's been a week since I last posted.... AGAIN.

If I'm being honest, in the back of my mind, I do feel a little guilty... but then I do a mini reality check and realize that blogging is not really in my top 10 of important things to do.
Maybe not even my top 100.
And really?... life will go on without it!

But then there is that part of me, guilty feelings or not,
that does want to keep up with it when I can.

So here I am...

...to tell you that I have been swamped!
Surprise, right?

I have a walking 9 month old little girl.
Up until yesterday, I was getting a little lightheaded holding
my breath all of the time! Ok, maybe not quite lightheaded...
but I can't tell you how many times I sucked in a breath as Eloise toddled
past the coffee table. I just had visions of trips to the
ER and little tears streaming down a sweet little face.
Luckily, that never happened and I
finally cleared the coffee table off and removed it from the living room for now.
Just until El is a little more stable!

It's also been quite the treat trying to get that girl to eat
anything but mama milk and cereal!


We've had some success with bananas...
but I sure wish it wasn't such a struggle to get her to eat some baby food!!

Along with regular household things (dishes, laundry, cooking, etc)...
I have been asked to help with a last minute baby shower.


I'm talking about... the shower is on November 26th and
we just got the invitations out on Monday!
My friend has just been so swamped with work that
she kept thinking she had plenty of time... and well,
time got away from her!
It was a hustle and bustle for me on Sunday to
run to a store and try to find invitations... only to
come up with something plain jane.
I added the embossed baby footprints and
tried to hand-address the envelopes nicely...
but it is what it is! At least they got out
in the mail!!

And I'm also helping with decorations!


This is only a little of what I'm working on!
I am also going to be making lollipop cookies...
a diaper cake... and other stuff that
is just too much to blog about.

I'll post pics after the shower!

If I'm not working on baby shower stuff when Eloise
is napping... (or household chores)...
I've been reading.


Highly, highly, highly recommend these books!!

Also... on my plate...


A project.

As well as the many other things I have to work on...

Finishing the baby shower stuff (finishing decorations and helping to pull it all off!)...

My nephews birthday presents (a little project I need to finish up)...

Christmas cards! (It's that time of year again!)...

Work (church secretary stuff)...

Christmas party that my mom and I are
throwing for the place I used to work.
We have handled it for the past 4 years... this will
be year #5 (hard to believe).
So that is all getting planned and in the back
of my mind!

... and I have a couple of letters to write...
which will probably go on the back burner!!
Sorry gals!

So, I shall post again when I can!
Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Oh.. and I meant to post about this back in October...
Someone I know gave me some extra fabric...
so I made Eloise a car seat blanky.


It's been washed a few times, if you can't tell!
But it is the perfect little blanky to cover her in the car seat
without having a ton of blanket hanging over the edges
and dragging against the floor or what-have-you!

Ok--I'm off! I do hope that you will continue to
pop in now and then to see what I've been up to!!

Oops!

I kind of forgot about posting this week!

OOPS!


Oh well!

Here's our little walker!!
The toys kind of tripped her up...
but she is doing well in obstacle-free spaces!
She's pretty fast too!
(Don't worry.. it's only a 6 second video!)



HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!