We rented a beach house over Memorial Day weekend with Anne and Jason and the kids had a blast! I was a bit worried how Ellie would do with the beach, but she LOVED it the first day--not so much the second day!  Here are just a few pictures from the first day!

Yes, we're still alive.  Just seems like we've been living life in the fast lane.  I've been trying to slow things down, but it just isn't happening!

It happened.  My baby boy started kindergarten.  My stomach was in knots about it.  I worried.  Its what I do.  Have I prepared him enough for the big bad world that is out there?  Does he know right from wrong?  Did I teach him to be kind to everyone?  Does he know stranger danger?

I have to take a deep breath and believe that I have done everything I can to prepare my sweet baby.  He is in another person's hands for the majority of the day now.  Even though it breaks my heart into a million pieces not to have him home with me, I am beyond proud of him.  He is a smart, confident, kind, well rounded boy who I know is going to succeed beyond my wildest dreams.

That is not to say that I didn't cry like a baby the first day I dropped him off---who am I kidding, I still tear up almost an entire month later!  He loves school, though.  Loves his teacher, loves his friends, and loves learning.






So, between driving both the older kidlets to school and volunteering at N's school, life has been busy.  It seems like the days are long, but full.  My house is quiet and empty--just Ellie and I a lot of the time.  Its an adjustment that we are all trying to get used to.

I miss all my babies in my house with me.

My little happy baby is 11 months old and once again, I simply cannot believe it.  No way, no how.  But, these last 11 months have been wonderful.  Ellie truly has found her place in our family of 5.  She is my little jokester, my little rebel, yet she is also my sweetheart and my cuddle bug.

Ellie loves her big bubba and her sissy.  She loves to play with them, to aggravate them; she loves to make them laugh and worries about them when they cry; she loves to chase them and wants everything they have.  In other words, she fits right in with them!

This month Ellie has decided that she is officially done with baby food.  She wants whatever we are eating and whatever we are drinking.  She will accept no other.  In fact, she has sort of boycotted spoons all together, believing everything on a spoon is somehow baby food.

She has started saying ma ma, and saying it a lot.  The way she says it is so cute, I love it!  She is also saying "og" for dog and says it all the time.  She is obsessed with dogs, from real ones to ones in books.

She is not doing well with her glasses and will not wear them.  The minute I put them on, she pulls them right off.  There is no distracting her and I'm not sure what to do about it.  After her surgery in July she won't need them anymore.  So, we just need to get through one more month.

She truly is my happy baby, usually full of smiles.  She is getting better and better about going to other people finally!  Garett has actually been able to hold her recently, which is a huge relief.  I can actually do a few things with two hands again.  I sort of forgot what that was like!

She is cruising all over and will be walking soon I just know it!  She has too many things to do to crawl for much longer!

She loves swinging, playing in Emma's pink kitchen, her cow jack in the box, any dog, playing peek a boo, our neighbor Jax, and popsicles.

Happy 11 months baby girl!  I love you to the moon and back!