Today I'll write a tribute to Elise, since it's her special day. It's hard to explain a baby's personality, since it is mostly described by actions and sounds, but I'll try.
This year has flown by. As an older lady at our church says, "the days go slow, but the years fly by!" How true! I guess when each birthday rolls around, it's a big reminder to Dad and Mom that life is definitely going by fast. It's likely because we're so busy in it, that we don't notice, because I know for those who have little to keep them busy, time seems to stand still. If only we could even it out a bit. I do know that when a grandparent holds their grandchild, time speeds up for them, and slows down for the parent. What a blessing that is!
Anyways, Elise is getting to be quite a mischief maker. She loves climbing on stools, and reaching whatever she can grab (usually cups with drinks in them). She loves to be in the bathroom when the boys are, and no good comes of that! She has the sweetest little giggle, which is definitely all girl! So far her interests are pretty generic, although she does love to give hugs and has a big grin on her face all the time now that she can walk all by herself. Her other interests include digging in every cupboard, and opening and closing their doors. The one thing she can't handle is when a door is closed. For some reason she thinks I am behind it (even if I'm just in another room), but she'll cry and cry in front of any closed door. She is trying hard to use a fork or spoon, and gets very frustrated when the utensil is empty when she puts it in her mouth (as the food always falls off!)
This video was taken the other night when James wanted to show Luke how to change Elise's diaper. He had wanted to help me one time, so thought he was the "expert"!
This year has flown by. As an older lady at our church says, "the days go slow, but the years fly by!" How true! I guess when each birthday rolls around, it's a big reminder to Dad and Mom that life is definitely going by fast. It's likely because we're so busy in it, that we don't notice, because I know for those who have little to keep them busy, time seems to stand still. If only we could even it out a bit. I do know that when a grandparent holds their grandchild, time speeds up for them, and slows down for the parent. What a blessing that is!
Anyways, Elise is getting to be quite a mischief maker. She loves climbing on stools, and reaching whatever she can grab (usually cups with drinks in them). She loves to be in the bathroom when the boys are, and no good comes of that! She has the sweetest little giggle, which is definitely all girl! So far her interests are pretty generic, although she does love to give hugs and has a big grin on her face all the time now that she can walk all by herself. Her other interests include digging in every cupboard, and opening and closing their doors. The one thing she can't handle is when a door is closed. For some reason she thinks I am behind it (even if I'm just in another room), but she'll cry and cry in front of any closed door. She is trying hard to use a fork or spoon, and gets very frustrated when the utensil is empty when she puts it in her mouth (as the food always falls off!)
This video was taken the other night when James wanted to show Luke how to change Elise's diaper. He had wanted to help me one time, so thought he was the "expert"!
I think age 1 is getting to be a fun age. That first year, babies are so much work, and then with our sleep issues, it has made enjoying the baby stage not so enjoyable. So, I'm glad she's sleeping better (last night 8:30pm-7am, yay!), as that makes me a much nicer person to be around. I've also gotten my own sleep back on schedule, and even though it's pouring rain outside...we're all okay inside (which wasn't the case these past months/weeks).
I'm looking forward to learning more what kind of girl she'll turn out to be, and have been pleasantly surprised that there are many princess-free options for mothers of girls these days (my fear when she was born, if you recall). We've also come up with lots of nicknames for her that don't involve princess/beauty terms as well, which was another fear I had. (so many girls get called names that makes them think they are the center-of-the-universe, and then parents wonder why their attitudes are so unpleasant).
Here's a picture of her as Queen for the day. We have a tradition in our family that the birthday kid wears a crown all day. She didn't keep it on long, but at least for a few minutes. She also wanted to be poking in the icing rather than smiling for the camera, but hey, she's 1!
So, off to decorate James' cake. Wish me luck! (I'll post pics when I get it done!)
I'm looking forward to learning more what kind of girl she'll turn out to be, and have been pleasantly surprised that there are many princess-free options for mothers of girls these days (my fear when she was born, if you recall). We've also come up with lots of nicknames for her that don't involve princess/beauty terms as well, which was another fear I had. (so many girls get called names that makes them think they are the center-of-the-universe, and then parents wonder why their attitudes are so unpleasant).
Here's a picture of her as Queen for the day. We have a tradition in our family that the birthday kid wears a crown all day. She didn't keep it on long, but at least for a few minutes. She also wanted to be poking in the icing rather than smiling for the camera, but hey, she's 1!
So, off to decorate James' cake. Wish me luck! (I'll post pics when I get it done!)
