Post Brewing...

When the dust settles after next week, you will have four posts waiting to tantalize your irises.

A day in the life. I photographed a couple days in our daily life. I thought it would be fun. :) P to the S - What does it say about me that I included a pieces of this AWESOME chocolate cake to represent that post????

Aunt Becky Bows.

Also -

When did she figure out how to properly play with toys and not just throw them at Homer?

sheesh.

She's killin' me!

Attack of the Post-Its.

Need I say more.

The Aunties. Auntie Jenn, Auntie Krista and Auntie Marianne. (sigh) I love you girls.

Also

an unphotographed post regarding

the morning when the garage door repairman came 45 minutes early (8:15 am)

the dog was sick (read: vomit + runny bottom = gagging Momma)

all over the living room the night before

and baby took a spill

shortly after receiving a spanking.

Oh.

And she threw her first all out

mad as a hen

stiff-board-body

fit.

BUT the day was still good...

...more to come...

make my baby look Russian.

But I guess that's okay.

She is

after all

an eighth Russian.

I mean

Hello.

Do you know our last name??

She's owning it

in this hat

and

this coat.

Which, as it happens,

is one of the first purchases

Yia Yia

made after learning

Nells was

in fact

Nells.

And not

Jethro

or

Leroy.

Not that

we

would choose those names

for a boy

anyway.

Adorable

and

Luscious

and

Soft

and

Cuddly

and Feminine

and Cute.

I heart this set.

Alas.

They will have to be worn next

year.

At least,

we hope so.

CLEARLY

they are too big.

And Sesame's insane Momma

made her

wear them for

photos in the quickly falling snow.

Because.

Who wouldn't??

:)

Baby...Er...Toddler Love.

There are numerous antics and stories to retell:

The eating of Comet.

The opening of a Motrin bottle.

The discovery of lipstick

and

consumption of zippy coke.

She started walking.

Then running.

Then tug-of-warring with Homer.

Before I knew it she was going

down

the stairs

an addition to her perfected

up

the stairs

Her dexterity is increasing.

She uses crayons

not on walls

at least

not yet.

She loves to pull all the books off the shelf

toss them about manically

then proclaim

"DADA EEE BAHL!"

Which only Homer understands.

But we love anyway.

She will always be my baby.

But is starting to be

my toddler

too.

Bahl.

Last night around 9:00:

From upstairs: "Bahl!" silence "BAHL!"

I looked at husband...he muted the tv...he looked at me.

Me: "Did she just say ball???

Husband: "That's what it sounded like."

Me: "When did she wake up??"

Husband: "I think she's talking in her sleep!"

Last night around 3:00 am over the monitor:

"BAHL!"

silence.

I'm fairly certain Sesame is so obsessed with balls these days - she's dreaming about them! :)

Please, Oh Please.

Please click this link to this website.

Please go there.

Then please, oh please, click on the red leaf.

Then tell my awesome-tasitc, wonderful, amazing, fantabulous, stupendous, hard-working and loving husband how AMAZINGLY TALENTED he is.

:) Love you husband...and not just because you're more handy with the inter-webs and html/flash coding than I.

But that's part of it.

A small part.

But part of it.

;)

I also love your grilled cheese.

Overload.

Ever had one of those days where you have so much to do you don't even know where to start? And when you start working you find baby socks in your camera bag and chap-stick in the refrigerator? Have you ever been so overwhelmed that for lunch you a spoonful of peanut butter? Yeah...me neither.

Wait I'm having one of those days. :) But hey -- at least my day begins and ends with this gorgeous girly. :)

And you just can't beat that. :)

LaundryFalls

So about two hours after the previous post it was almost bath time aka Sesame discovered how to open her bottles...IN HER CRIB. Needless to say formula was EVERYWHERE and a bath was in order. So. We were happily playing and pho-toing in the batcave:

See. Happiness. In a cool photo-op. Aw. Bliss. Baths are relaxing. Soothing. Until there's a loud crash and a yelping dog. Then you very carefully keep your foot in the batroom (because that will keep the baby from drowning) and peek around the corner to see this:

Alllllllllllllllllllllllllll the 6-12 months clothes that the darling, damp babe in the bath has outgrown spilling down the stairs like a waterfall. Who's to blame??? The leaping, yelping Homer of course... sigh. Chalk it up to Daddy being out of town.

We didn't let our evening spoil though. We promptly held a tickle fest later in the evening:

Nothing can kill that grin. Not even laundry scattering dogs. :)

When It Rains...It Gets Wet...

So husband leaves to travel for work and this happens:

1. The back door stops working. How does this happen by the way?! It just doesn't turn anymore...actually it turns, the little latch thingy just doesn't respond?! I mean, honestly!!

2. Sesame falls. Twice.

She has a goose-egg on her left eyebrow and a knot on the back of her head. She also fed the dog tin foil. Yes, I let her play with the tin foil. No we do not condone feeding Homer tin foil. Yes, I have now relocated the tin foil.

3. Sesame has taken a lesson or two from Destructo-Boy.

She isn't quite in his league yet, but she can now remove the cap of the dry erase markers. Perhaps I should lock the Sharpies away and learn from Vintage Dutch Girl's experiences.

4. The toilet won't flush. That's right. Will. Not. Flush. It's just hanging out down there in all it's 1/2 bath glory. Ew. (Note: I did rectify this situation. Thank you Internet Overlords for inventing Youtube - it saved my patootie.)

5. The garage door opened halfway today. And stopped. And the closed when I pushed the button. And then raised halfway. And stopped. This went on for about 10 minutes. What's the definition of insanity again??? Repeating the same action and expecting different results?? Hmm... perhaps I should buy a ticket on the crazy train. (Note: situation also rectified...after another 10 minutes of pushing the button. Sometimes it pays to wear crazy pants.)

Needless to day...we're ready for Daddy to come home!!!

So. Big.

Guess who's one? :)

With grace and poise

she walked into her new year.

At 7:17 pm I kissed her and said:

"It's official."

Now I know why my momma

always

called

at 11:07 am on Feb. 7th.

There's just something about that moment

whether the day of

or a year later

that is just

special.

So happy birthday Nellianne.

:) I love you (:

The Muppets

So today I was folding laundry on the couch. Nells was playing happily at the other couch with our patient Homer dog - who lets her "pet" him. Nellianne's petting looks akin to a small dwarf beating nails into a block of wood. Home just takes it like a champ and then looks at me as if to say "Are you ever going to teach her how to really pet a dog??" Moving on...

So I was folding. She was "petting." Then out of the corner of my eye I saw these gangly, wiggly fingers. I looked up to see Nells walking over to me, arms distended straight into the sky, waving about all willie nilly. I must say I was less exuberant over her walking because I was confused. I honestly thought that Grover had invaded my living room and was running over to help me fold undershirts! Really? Is it just me or did anyone else's newly walking babe look like a disco-dancing Grover???

Okay...maybe she wasn't quite as balanced and rhythmic as Grover...but you get the idea!

Tired Much?

I think she's a little worn out from all the traveling and present unwrapping....

...what do you think?

Traveling Galore!

So very quickly -- I've missed writing on here and I am oh-so-glad to return to life around here. I have never been so excited to do laundry or clean a bathroom! I LOVED seeing you all in Reno, but home is home. :) I don't have much time (hello 5 piles of laundry in the living room, 3 shoot edits due, a felt playhouse to make and a birthday to prepare for!!!!) so I'll leave some captioned photos.

Day after Christmas - "YiaYia you're silly!"

"Momma, she's eating my Num-Num -- what are you going to do about it!?"

We are sooooooooooo close to walking it's not even funny!?!?

LOVING the rocking chair at Grandma's

Rough edits of Cousin Anna's head-shots in Reno

Isn't she GORGEOUS?! And talented to boot!

Out my plan window to come home -- love the Nevada painted sunrises!

Our double-ear-infectioned traveler.

Oh. That's right. The day before we left, we discovered our darling Sesame had a double ear infection. Nonetheless she was a WONDERFUL traveler and is MUCH MUCH better! :) Can't wait to share more!