GERMAPHOBES- DON'T LOOK!

 
"HEY WY-WY! WHATCHA GOT?"
 
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"
 
"I HEARD YOU SAY NO MOM, BUT I REALLY WANT THE BONE."
 
"ANTIBODIES MOM, ANTIBODIES... THE GERMS ARE GOOD FOR ME!" 

BIG GIRL SMILES

 
 
WHERE IS THAT LITTLE BABY GOING? DOESN'T SHE LOOK LIKE SUCH A BIG GIRL?! 

GOT MILK?!

AS EVERYONE KNOWS, I PUMPED MILK FOR ELISE SINCE SHE WAS 4 DAYS OLD. SHE GOT NOTHING BUT BREASTMILK FOR NINE MONTHS AND IT WAS AMAZING TO WATCH HER ALMOST TRIPLE HER WEIGHT ON IT. SHE USED UP THE LAST OF MY FREEZER STASH AND IS NOW DOING GREAT ON FORMULA.
WHAT A WEIRD EXPERIENCE- THAT PUMP WAS MY LIFE... I FEEL LIKE I HAVE LOST AN APPENDAGE OR SOMETHING! I COULD PUT A MEDELA PUMP TOGETHER IN MY SLEEP! I DID LEARN TO MULTI-TASK AND I COULD LIFT WEIGHTS, PLAY ON THE COMPUTER, COOK, AND EVEN DRIVE WHILE PUMPING. HOWEVER, ELISE IS TOO MOBILE NOW FOR ME TO BE HOOKED UP TO THE PUMP, SO I DECIDED TO CALL IT QUITS. IT HAS BEEN OVER 2 WKS AND I AM ENJOYING MY FREE TIME AND LOVE PLAYING WITH HER, NOT STRESSING ABOUT GETTING MY NEXT PUMP IN.
THANKS TO EVERYONE AT THE IVILLAGE EXCLUSIVELY PUMPING BOARD FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT AND ADVICE. ALSO, THANKS TO ALL OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PATIENCE- I KNOW YOU WILL ALL MISS THE LULL OF MY PUMP!
SORRY IF THIS POST WAS TMI, BUT I CONSIDER IT A HUGE MILESTONE!

NINE MONTHS OLD!

 
TOP LEFT: 1 DAY; TOP RIGHT: 3 MONTHS; BOTTOM LEFT: 6 MONTHS; BOTTOM RIGHT: 9 MONTHS
 
THE OUTFIT SHE WORE HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL IS NOW DAISY DUKES AND A BELLY SHIRT- DADDY WILL NEVER LET HER LEAVE THE HOUSE IN THIS!
 
ELISE WAS 9 MONTHS OLD ON JANUARY 13TH! SHE WEIGHED 15 LB, 5 OZ AND WAS 27.5 IN LONG AT HER DR APPT. SHE IS RIGHT ON TRACK DEVELOPMENTALLY- CRAWLING, STANDING, CRUISING, AND TRYING TO WAVE. SHE NOW SAY DOGGY EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT DADA IS STILL HER FAVORITE. THE GIRL NEVER STOPS- SHE PLAYS ALL DAY LONG AND IS VERY CONTENT. 

SAFETY FIRST!

 
 
WELL, THE BED IS AS LOW AS IT CAN GO NOW BECAUSE PEANUT KNEIVEL STANDS IN IT AND TRIES TO GET OUT. I FINALLY GOT THE OUTLET COVERS- AND JUST IN TIME. ELISE IS IN TO EVERYTHING NOW...GONE ARE THE DAYS OF LEAVING HER ALONE FOR A MINUTE! 

FUN WITH MY NEW TOYS

 
 
 
ELISE IS NOW STANDING! SHE GETS A LITTLE BOLD AT TIMES- BRIAN CALLS HER "PEANUT KNEIVEL". SHE LOVES ALL OF HER NEW TOYS! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!

 
 
WELL, LET ME TELL YOU HOW HARD WE PARTIED... ELISE WENT TO BED AT 8:00, I FELL ASLEEP AT 10:00, AND BRIAN WENT TO BED AT MIDNIGHT. OH HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED! I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY THOUGH. 2006 WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL YEAR EVER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING EACH NEW YEAR WITH MY LITTLE GIRL! 

PAJAMA SPA PARTY

 
 
WITH ALL THE CRAZINESS OF THE HOLIDAYS, WE NEEDED SOME RELAXATION. WE HAD A SPA PARTY AND HAD A GREAT TIME! WE NEED TO START DOING OUR GIRLS NIGHT OUT ONCE A MONTH! 

FAMILY CHRISTMAS PICTURE

 
AMAZING- A PICTURE WHERE WE ARE ALL LOOKING AT THE CAMERA! 

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES

 
 
 
WE HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS- ALTHOUGH WE GOT THE BEST PRESENT BACK IN APRIL! ELISE GOT SO MUCH STUFF AND WAS THOROUGHLY AMUZED BY ALL OF THE WRAPPING PAPER. BY THE WAY, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A LITTLE CHAT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PACK ALL OF THE TOYS- IF I SEE ANOTHER CLEAR TWIST-TIE I AM GOING TO SCREAM!!! 

GINA HELD ELISE!!!

 
HERE IS PROOF THAT GINA FINALLY HELD ELISE! SHE HAS REFUSED IN THE PAST BECAUSE "ELISE IS WAY TOO SMALL". LOOK AT THE LITTLE CHUNK NOW! 

SANTA PAWS

 
OVER THE HOLIDAYS WE TOOK A GIFT BASKET TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. WE TOOK TOYS AND TREATS FOR THE ANIMALS AND COOKIES FOR THE STAFF. I WANT TO TEACH ELISE THAT "IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE", SO WE WILL DO THIS EVERY YEAR. WHEN SHE IS OLDER SHE CAN PICK THE CHARITY OF HER CHOICE. SHE SEEMS TO LOVE ANIMALS, SO I THINK SHE WILL STICK WITH THIS ONE! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

WE WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS! WE WILL POST PICS LATER OF ALL OUR FESTIVITIES...UNTIL THEN, HERE IS A COPY OF OUR CHRISTMAS CARD. WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE PICS OF ALL THE BABES OPENING THEIR PRESENTS!

EIGHT MONTHS OLD

SHE IS OBSESSED WITH CRAWLING NOW- SHE TAKES HER MILK "TO GO"

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A MONTH MAKES! ELISE IS OVER 15 POUNDS NOW (LITTLE FATTY!). SHE IS DEFINITELY GOING THROUGH A GROWTH SPURT...SHE HAS BEEN EATING ALMOST 30 OZ OF BREASTMILK PLUS HER BABY FOOD! SHE CAN CRAWL ACROSS THE ROOM (WE CALL IT "DOING THE INCHWORM"), SHE LOVES TO CLIMB AND PULL HERSELF UP ON STUFF, AND SHE FINALLY STARTED "TALKING". THE OTHER DAY BRIAN WAS SITTING WITH HER ON THE CHAIR AND SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM AND IN THE SWEETEST VOICE STARTED SAYING "DA-DA, BA-BA, GA-GA, & BLA-BLA". IT MELTED MY HEART!
ALSO, THE LITTLE STINKER IS FINALLY SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! AFTER TRYING ALL OF THE "NICE METHODS" WE HAD TO RESORT TO "CRYING IT OUT". WE HAD ABOUT 4 ROUGH NIGHTS, BUT NOW SHE WILL SLEEP OVER 12 HOURS AND GETS MAD WHEN I WAKE HER UP!!!! MY ONLY REGRET IS THAT I DIDN'T DO IT SOONER!

ELISE'S FIRST THANKSGIVING

ELISE ENJOYED HER FIRST THANKSGIVING. WE WERE SO THANKFUL THIS YEAR TO HAVE OUR LITTLE TURKEY! WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HER FIRST CHRISTMAS... IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN- GETTING ALL EXCITED ABOUT SANTA, SNOW, AND ALL OF THE HOLIDAY FUN. WE WENT TO THE MALL THIS WEEKEND AND SHE GOT TO MEET SANTA- SHE JUST PULLED ON HIS BEARD AND LOOKED AT THE PHOTOGRAPHER LIKE SHE WAS CRAZY!

DADDY DAYCARE

 
BRIAN HAS BEEN OFF WORK ALL WEEK, SO I AM WORKING A LOT. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LEAVE DADDY IN CHARGE! 

HAPPY ADOPTION PARTY

 
WE HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED SALVADORE FAMILY, BUT IT WAS OFFICIAL THIS WEEK. DAVE AND PATTY GOT MARRIED IN MAY AND DAVE FINALLY COMPLETED THE ADOPTION PROCESS. THEY ARE EXPECTING A LITTLE BAMBINO IN APRIL- WE WILL FIND OUT NEXT WEEK IF ELISE WILL HAVE A GIRL OR BOY COUSIN. WE ARE HOPING FOR ANOTHER PRINCESS! 

SEVEN MONTHS OLD

 
 
 
 
ELISE WAS 7 MONTHS OLD LAST WEEK. SHE IS SITTING UP ON HER OWN, STILL SCOOTING, BLOWING RASPBERRIES, REACHING FOR US, AND GETTING TO BE SUCH A BIG GIRL. THE BIGGEST MILESTONE OF ALL- I CAN FINALLY GET A BOW IN HER HAIR!!!