Pumpkins, Butts, and Cupcakes...
Really there is no other name for this entry and it didn't seem quite right to put her cousin, Andrew in the title. Later I think he will thank me for that one!Here is my own personal and life-sized Moonie. It talks and moons but it won't stay stuck to my car window no matter how many times I lick its hands!! Maybe I should try to return it and get my money back, well, on second thought I'll hang on to it, it makes for a great party trick!
We had a time last night painting pumpkins!! I figured that painting would be safer than carving but I didn't think of the messy factor... Ooops!
This was her work of art before she got hold of the black paint!
Ellie at the top of the street with her bike... we are still working on pedaling.
She did it on her own, granted it was only a few times, but she did it... she pedaled all on her own. However, it was short lived, the scooted all the way home. Oh well, we will keep working!!
Ellie out front helping Mommy get the yard decorated for Halloween.
Shopping for pumpkins with Meme and Aunt Margie.
Big girl must have been eating her Wheaties that morning!!
Look, my shining star!!
Cupcake face! I think she likes icing and only icing!! But hey, she wears it well!!
Ellie and Andrew playing with the Choo-choos!
Happy Birthday to you(s)!
Happy Birthday to you(s)!
Happy Birthday Andrew and Ellie!
Happy Birthday to you(s)!
Auntie Marg and Ellie playing with Andrew's computer.
Ellie and Mommy with baby Erika. Ellie was just taken with Erica, she loved to hold and kiss the baby!
MB with Ellie and Andrew (bird and bah-bah included)

Ellie playing with Andrew's Sesame Street workbench. Grandpa Jer, this is a good sign! Now I bet she will be getting Craftsman for Christmas!
Enjoy this clip... it is Ellie and Andrew singing and eating their birthday cupcakes. In case you can't figure it out they are singing "No biting" or at least that is what I think it is. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Big Girl
Well, now Ellie is officially a toddler. She is full of spunk, curiosity, wonder, and determination; I couldn't imagine her any other way. She is resilient, tough, strong (in more than one way), and smart as a whip! Every day she amazes me in new ways (and not always for the best). She is caring and compassionate and knows the best time to give a hug or a kiss, now it may be a drooly one, but hey, it doesn't bother me at all, sometimes they are the best! I won't bother to rewrite what I said last year even though I still feel the same but this year only more! Oh, and she makes the best animal noises ever!! We are working on using the potty like a big girl and Ellie has stopped using a sippy cup almost all together (usually in the car and when running crazy in the house). She is an avid nose picker and most of the time I can get the boogies into a tissue. She can run, in a very sassy way I might add, and jump, and go up and down the stairs on her own! We are starting to work on a bike now! She can count to 9 on her own and say some of the alphabet. We are still working on our colors but blue is the old standby. When you ask her a question that she doesn't know the answer to she will put her index finger on her chin and "Hhhmmm" loudly and look around as though looking for the answer. We are working on getting dressed on our own. And where dinnertime used to be very messy, it still is! She has gotten rather picky about her food but when she is hungry she can eat the whole house!!
You would be a fool to believed me if I said that the past year has been easy, it hasn't! Parenthood is full of responsibilities but I guess that is a no-brainer. But what I wasn't expecting was that I need her as much as she needs me! I will tell you what I tell her every night... "Baby, I love you more than the world itself" and I have never felt more strongly about something in my whole life!
Next year will bring new challenges and adventures just like every other year. I don't know if I am ready for all of them but I think that we are both as ready as we will ever be so wish us luck! Here we go...

Three Birthdays and the Days In Between
I will start by saying that the photos actually start at the bottom and then work their way up. That being said I will also warn you that there are a lot of pictures, we have been very busy but here is a brief recap... My birthday weekend was busy, between dinners and animals I had a fantastic birthday and I wouldn't ask for anything more!! For Ellie's birthday Deb, Jer, and Bill came up to visit. I would be lying if I said that there was nothing weird there, however I don't think that it was bad at all. Ultimately, I think that everyone had a nice visit and I know that Ellie had a blast, that is the most important thing!! Well, I think I have said enough so enjoy the pictures...
Sunday evening, October 22, 2007
Ellie's New BikeEllie sharing her new bike with Kailey.
Ellie on her new bike from Daddy, just wait until she gets the hang of that thing, I will be chasing her all over God's green earth!!
Sunday Afternoon, October 21, 2007
Lunch with Leigh and Sophie
Sophie and Leigh, wow, someone looks really tired. It was fantastic to catch up with Leigh, I haven't seen her in what feels like forever and now she is close by again. Yea!
Ellie and Mommy, just before we headed home for the evening. Look at those rock star sunglasses, I wish I could pull those off as well as she does!
They look miserable but they really did have a good time!!
Mmmm, nothing like a good set of keys in the afternoon!! They do need something though, maybe some ketchup? Sophie is sporting her Redskins jersey... GO SKINS!!
CHEESE!!
Sunday afternoon we meet up with Leigh and Sophie for lunch while they were passing through on their way back to Philly. Ellie was just taken with Sophie and here she was trying to help Sophie have some water. Leigh was such a good sport, thanks for your patience!!
Sunday Morning
Sunday afternoon Ellie is just relaxing in her rocker with her new Elmo hat! Nothing like a knit hat when it is 75 degrees outside!
Getting ready to leave on Sunday morning to say good-bye to Daddy, Ma-ma, and Pa-pa, Ellie is prepared like every good mommy... She has Kailey in her car seat and her diaper bag all packed! Looks like Schatzie is just checking to make sure that she has everything!
Ellie and Ma-ma in the hotel lobby sporting her new pink boots and lime green dress. What a diva!!
October 20, 2007
Schatzie's Birthday and Meme & Papoo's Anniversary
Happy Anniversary Meme and Papoo
Looks like someone is pooped!
Ellie with Kailey and Abbey in her new rocking chair. She had her baby bottles and all! Once I finally got her to bed, which was a struggle in itself, she woke up an hour and a half later throwing up... the culprit, too much sugar!!! But once I got her cleaned up and changed and her bed back in order she went down for the night and slept until 7:30 the next morning. Now that is unheard of!! I wish I had gotten that memo because I cat-napped from 5:30 on waiting for her to wake up!
After dinner, someone was all keyed up (I can't imagine why?) so we opened more presents after she insisted on getting almost completely naked (I had to bribe her to put her pants back on after she was trying to put the "balloons in my 'gina". Papoo was mortified so on went the pull-ups. Here is her new baby, Kailey. Ellie is going to be a fantastic mommy when she gets older and puts some clothes on!
Face first in the cake... I will tell you that this doesn't make her tired, just the opposite but you will see later!
Ellie wears Elmo's nose icing very well, don't you think?? Look we are on our way to an extreme sugar rush!!! Watch out!!
Bring on the cake... Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you... Look, Elmo cake, and as Rachel Ray says... Yum-O!
Ellie and Daddy at dinner having a good visit and waiting for all of the cake, I mean food!!!
Ellie and Ma-ma Saturday morning, after a yummy breakfast Ellie spent the whole day with Daddy, Ma-ma, and Pa-pa until we saw them at dinner that night!
My two girls stop and show their pearly whites for the camera on Saturday morning! Happy 4th Birthday Schatzie!!!
Oooh, more presents. This one is from Ma-ma and Pa-pa, it was about a million clothes!
October 19, 2007
Ellie's Birthday and Oma & Opa's Anniversary
Happy Anniversary Oma & Opa!!
And kisses after the cake. For a kiss like that I can definatly handle icing covered slobber lips any day!!
Ellie feeding Mommy some of her cake... Thanks big girl for sharing!!
Mmmmm, yummy cake! Ma-ma Deb and Ellie taking bites of the birthday cake!
Blowing our the candles of her cake, yeah!
Daddy, PaPa Jer, and Ellie at dinner on Friday night at Damons.
"Cheese" All dressed for school, the most beautiful birthday girl in the whole wide world!!!
Ellie playing with her new art set before school!
I am almost surprised that she wasn't carried away by all of the balloons!!
"I love balloons!! Melmo, Pooh, and Pablo, horray!!" Happy 2nd Birthday Ellie!!
Look, is all of this for me???

Ellie in her fairy wings opening up her first (of many) birthday gifts!
How to catch an angel...

1) You leave the kennel door open and leave a soft blanket on the ground. Sometimes a bribe of Cheerios and Kix will help!
2) Make sure that there is an angel flying around crazy and curious.
3) Pretend that you are not looking and if you are lucky she will swoop in and the door will close behind her! Look, we got one!!
Day at the Fall Festival
October 14, 2007
Aunt Margie and Ellie pause for a photo shoot. No, Ellie isn't very happy. Its not because she is with Margie, it is because it is after two and she still hasn't had a nap!!
Ellie, Mommy, and Margie at the Fall Fest.
Here is the donkey!
Ellie and her kitty cat whiskers. "Meoooow!"
Ellie and the baby cow. The cow says, "Mooooo!"
Ellie collecting acorns before church. She really likes those acorns even though they are very slippery! One afternoon we went out front and collected them to count, we really did have fun!!
October 11, 2007
MB's Birthday
Just Beth and I out on the town on Saturday after my birthday, I missed you guys so much,I am glad to be home!! I had a great (busy) weekend and got to spend time with people I care about, that is what is the most imporntant, right?
This is my welcome home gift... a good ice scraper and a Ravens license plate cover, now I will fit in! Happy birthday to me!!!
Ellie and Mommy with the baby and mommy bear that she got me for my birthday, I love it Ellie!!
Ellie and Uncle Sean, what a hairy man!!