Friday, March 26, 2010

Eliana's First Steps! (click on 'walk' to see vid)

Hattie and I had been praying for Eliana to walk before Easter...no not because we were trying to be cute about the Resurrection!

But rather because Hattie gave Eliana a lovely grey linen dress for Christmas to wear for Easter and I did not want Eli to drag that lovely dress all over the church nursery!

Today our prayers availed! However before we prayed this prayer, JW and I had prayed a loooong time ago that Eli's first steps would be witnessed by both of us!

We prayed that when Eli was just months old because when JW went back to work after his paternity leave, he realized there would be much he would miss while at work. So we've prayed and prayed that he would not miss this milestone.

This afternoon JW came home and we were all sitting in the living room (along with walls of moving boxes...). We had a coral reef documentary on tv when all of a sudden Eliana, with Tata in hands, took several steps!!! We were taken by complete surprise!

However anyone that knows Eliana would NOT be surprised to know that Tata had to be included in this momentous occasion. She likes to hold Tata in her hands, over her head, as if making Tata dance.

Who knows what Eli was thinking when she stepped out holding Tata over her head...the footage on the link is JW and I trying to recreate what she did and a jellybean may or may have not been used to 'encourage' more steps...;)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This was her first Rodeo!

One small, happy family


Eli came equipped with her very first pair of cowgirl boots!


First mustardy-corny dog. Just wait till you taste Fletcher's!


Eli was not so trusting of the fake plush horse-man...


However she loved her pony ride.


Eliana loved the petting zoo!! Until a goat licked her hand...it never occurred to her that goats have tongues too. After that she was pretty nervous in there!


Dada thought the petting zoo would be the place of her 'first steps' NOT!


Clearly llamas have no photo etiquette! Scene stealer!


Unfortunately we didn't see many rabbits. But we did find the award-winning rabbits caged up! Eli loved seeing the rabbits and once we move we will take her to Tomlinson's to see all their lovely conejitos!

Eli's new skill

Guess what Eli learned to do? Open my lipsticks! Eliana and I had a good run with the whole 'playing with Mama's purse' thing but Tuesday it became clear it was over.

I was on the phone with her Tia with what, in baby time, was probably years so when I got off the phone with Tia Kim and looked over at Eli, this is what I saw:

Well, not exactly because first I had to run to get the camera when I found her covered in lipstick then I had to stop laughing long enough to even take a picture! In my cosmetics bag were (thank God!) 2 lipsticks. Sparkling Punch & Dahlia. I happen to collect lipsticks and glosses like some people collect baseball caps, so even though I have more lipsticks than I can count, each one is dear to my heart!

Apparently, Origins lipsticks also taste good. It must be the mint flavoring!


My ever-resourceful and increasingly curious Kitten found that if she stuck her finger in Mami's lipstick tube, she could eat it much faster. Yu-cko!


Though I am bummed that Eli can no longer play with my lipsticks (she would sit and play with one forever) and that she made a mess she could not possibly clean up herself! I was reminded of God's grace in all the chaos! Eliana ate Sparkling Punch. Even though I love Sparkling Punch, Dahlia is much more important to me! On Monday night when I shared my life story at church with a million people (ok like 100)I boldly wore Dahlia, a bright red, in defiance to the fear and anxiety I felt at the thought of standing on stage. Surely an Angel of Grace guarded that lipstick from Eli's prying fingers so I could continue to wear it in remembrance of my big day! God wanted me to learn a lesson about Eli's freedoms but He is so sweet and kind that He spared the red!

Naughty Tata got in on the lipstick feast too. The pink lipstick tube is Dahlia, proudly standing untainted by toddler hands!


Here is a close-up of what is left of my dearly departed Sparkling Punch.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Love waits

I took Eliana to Zilker park on Sunday but in the whirlwind of getting a contract for our home I have been a little busy for the joys of blogging. But if I dont post these pics tonight, I never will.

But before I lavish your weary eyeballs with pictures of the Queen of Gorgeousity, Eliana Liz, let me tell you about the worst 10 minutes of my day today.

I dread meal times. Let me just say that many times Eliana chooses to fling her food instead of eating her food. Enough said. Today at lunch I was giving her a total 'baby meal' (yogurt, cereal, milk, pureed fruit), which she is a little big for, I think? And even that she was refusing to eat!

She went into full-blown rebellion mode and gave me a very un-gorgeous temper tantrum. I was very frustrated because I had a big burrito from Torchy's to devour and Lil Miss did not realize how much I enjoy eating Torchy's burritos. Sigh.

I felt God say, "Wait." So I waited and made 4 more attempts at feeding her. After that I was going to give in out of frustration and just let her go play but I stopped because I heard a very tiny voice from Heaven say, "Love is patient."

So I sat back down and ate more burrito. After a few more minutes of kicking, rocking the high chair and more drama, she stopped. It was a total of 10 minutes!

I asked her if she wanted 'more' food and she signed 'more' as if nothing had ever gone wrong!! Sigh. One small victory for Mami, one giant leap towards agape love.

It's official, the hardest part of my job right now is feeding Eliana. It's unpredictable, stressful and yet absolutely necessary.

Maybe the real reason I am staying up late right now and posting these pictures is because I need to remind myself that there is more to raising her than waiting out temper tantrums.

Here is Eliana treating her Ta-ta like I treat her, however, I close my mouth! Eli has yet to master the peck, but she's totally got the french kiss down!


This is only the 2nd time Eli has ridden in a swing. Here she is NEAR...


and FAR


Ta-ta asked if she could go swinging too.


Just the two of us


Ta-ta sees trouble brewing


I don't know what it is, but I love it!


The question is: will both of us get time-outs for this?


Miss Gorgeousity has a blue baby beard


Eli hears an avion


Eli sees a conejito! Not really but it's fun to make bunny ears


I am at the mercy of Miss Sticky Fingers!