Christmas in DC

Given the move and renovation this year, we decided to stay in town for Christmas. We were fortunate to have my mom and step-dad visit us for three great days, which included time at museums, wonderful meals and lots of laughs. Ellen also enjoyed getting many new toys. Daddy/Andy did too. Here are some great pictures he captured with his new SLR. Today we're expecting snow so we'll be sure to capture many more!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

Gordy waiting for Ellen to drop some Cheerios

Visiting the White House during the holidays is quite special.

Candid shot with Andy's new camera

Ellen is getting ready for our annual Christmas Day walk that ended in Gordy rolling in deer poo. Thanks, Gordy.

Santa and Ellen are not friends. Maybe next year...

Ellen with Grandma Bessy and Grandpa Rick at the DC Botanical Gardens

Sassy in Red

I had to share this recent picture that Lily captured of Ellen at the library. She looks so grown up with her new haircut :) As Ellen ponders the meaning of life below, we are slowly preparing for the upcoming holiday. We can't believe our renovation is almost over (please see me before you commit to a major home renovation with a small child!). Andy and I are so excited to celebrate Christmas in DC in our new place. I'll be sure to post pictures of our new house, with updates, very soon.

First Haircut!

So I finally broke down and took Ellen for her first haircut. It was time! Her hair was cute, but getting a bit wispy if you know what I mean. I took her to the local barbershop after reading a couple good reviews on yelp. She actually sat still for most of the haircut (to my surprise) and I think it turned out pretty darn cute! I did shed a little tear at this milestone as I tucked away her discarded hair for her baby book. How am I ever going to handle kindergarten!?

Ellen Walks!

I am very sorry for the delay in posting! We moved a week ago to our new house in Arlington, VA...pictures coming...and it's been chaos. We are in the midst of doing a major renovation to the second floor so Andy and I are currently living in the basement while Ellen sleeps on the main floor in the guest room.

Since moving into our new digs, Ellen has had more room to roam. I'm delighted to report that she is officially walking! Check out the video below. Although she is a bit of a late bloomer with her 14 month birthday nearing, I'm sure she'll pick up speed in no time! We're very excited to see her reach this milestone. I'm mostly happy because I'm ready for her to stop serving has a human vacuum cleaner picking up all things dirty on the floor :)

Ellen Turns 13 Months!

Ellen turns 13 months today! It's so hard to imagine. I visited a friend's newborn yesterday and can barely remember when she was that small, although she is still a little nugget. Even though she is still so small, she is turning out to be one tough cookie. For instance, she frequently launches herself over me and Andy, and even tries to climb over our big dog Gordy! Yesterday she got a shot at the doctor's office and didn't blink an eye. The nurse couldn't believe that tears weren't shed! I think this picture taken today captures her spunk and some would say "feistiness"! I wonder where she gets it?

Hoe Down on the Farm

While I traveled to Chicago for a family event, Andy and Ellen enjoyed some one-on-one time in DC. Andy took Ellen to the Falls Church, VA farm day at Cherry Hill Park. Ellen met lots of ducks, eat lots of hay, and listened to some fiddlers. Andy said that she was louder than many of the animals with her squeals of joy!

Happy First Birthday Ellen!

I can't believe the day is finally here...Ellen turned one this weekend. How long ago it seems that she came into our lives and how much things have changed. We held a "carnival" themed party on Saturday with lots of family and friends (see some pictures below). We had games, food, music, pictures and lots of fun. I'm also including a link to a video/photo montage that I created, which reminds me how much she has changed. Thank you sweet Ellen for coming into our lives!You are a true joy and gift to everyone who meets you. We love you very much.

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See full video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKaQTzSAHZg

Dancing Queen

Ellen's latest thing is dancing and making funny faces. Here you can see her moves in a video captured by Lily. She will now "dance" on command, which makes for a lot of fun during mealtimes! I can't wait to see what else she has in store :)

Joint Family Mountain Trip

Last weekend we went spent a great time with three other couples in the Shenandoah region of VA. It was so nice to let the kids hang out and entertain each other while we enjoyed the scenery. Although my pregnant friend and her husband left wondering how they got roped into this "vacation," it was a fun adventure and nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of D.C. for some fresh air and open space.

Owen showing his baby brother how to attempt a head lock

Why does everyone look so concerned except John?

Ellen and John enjoy a good read

Dedicated to Aunt Meggers

I wanted to share a cute picture of Ellen taken by my sister, Aunt Meggers. She does a far better job taking pictures of Ellen than we do sometimes! The picture below was taken with Megan's new iPhone, which apparently has some fancy photo finishing capability. Here she captures Ellen's growing spunk and personalty. Thanks Aunter Meggers for being a wonderful Aunt and sister!!

Hot Hot Hot in the City!

We are definitely in the dog days of summer here in D.C. They are saying it's the hottest summer on record--yikes! Ellen doesn't seem to mind it though. As she quickly nears her first birthday, she can be found crawling all over the place, hanging out in the park, and beating the heat indoors by enjoying the "jumperoo"; check out the videos below. Here's hoping that August is cooler than July (wink, wink)!

Ellen loves to jump!!

Ellen gets familiar with the letter "b"

Ellen Crawls!

Ellen hit a major milestone this week...she learned how to crawl (pictures to come)! She is now a mobile baby exploring every nook of our townhouse. The other exciting news is that we are in the process of buying our first house (pictured below) in N. Arlington! So, Ellen will have much more room to spread out later this year. In the meantime, she's staying cool by hanging out at the pool until the warmest DC June on record subsides. Also pictured below, Ellen hanging with Aunt Meggers at a cookout.

Aunt Meggers and Ellen

Hanging in the Sun

New House!

Ellen's New Look

So I finally caved...I put a bow in Ellen's hair, see below. I have never been a proponent of making Ellen look very "frilly". My mom even gives me a hard time for not putting Ellen in more dresses. Now that I've gotten over that hump and put a bow in Ellen's hair (yes, she has a lot of it) I have become a convert...she does look pretty cute!

Ellen Turns 8 Months

Ellen turned 8 months yesterday, May 19! She is saying "dada" although I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what it means, and showing off more of her personality. Last weekend we attended a wedding in Chapel Hill, N.C. and our friend and photographer Meg Daniels (http://www.megdanielsphoto.com/) took some great shots of Ellen in the UNC arboretum, the site of the wedding. See below for a couple of my favorites! Thanks Meg!

Hanging in the Park

Spring in D.C. is absolutely the best time of the year especially when you have a baby who loves the outdoors! We try to get Ellen outside at least once a day to enjoy the weather and get a breath of fresh air. Here you will see some recent pictures taken by Lily of Ellen hanging out at a local park enjoying her surroundings. Happy spring and Mother's Day!

Grandma Bessie and Rick Come to DC

My mom and stepdad recently came to town to help me take care of Ellen while Andy went to a bachelor weekend in Las Vegas. Ellen enjoyed getting lots of attention while they were in town and looks forward to their next visit! Below are some pictures we snapped during their visit.

Hanging with Lily...

Ellen spends three days a week with Lily, pictured below. She gets so excited to see Lily in the morning before we leave for work--it's adorable. Lately she's been trying Mum Mums (available at Whole Foods) and can't seem to get enough (and it helps buy me some time--thanks AMO for the suggestion). Lily snapped a couple of these pictures of Ellen enjoying her Mum Mum this week. Ahh, the sheer joy and intrigue of eating a rice cracker...

Ellen and Lily

Delicious rice cakes.....

Sitting Up!

Ellen has been sitting up a lot more lately, as seen below (sorry they are a bitty fuzzy!), although she is still a bit wobbly. She will be 7 months on the 19th of April. I can't believe how fast time flies. Seen here she is enjoying her new blocks, although she mostly just enjoys putting them in her mouth--no teeth yet! She is ready for Gramma Bessy to visit this weekend! We'll post some visit photos next week...

Ellen's First Easter

Ellen celebrated Easter with her Aunt Meggers, pictured below, and her Grandma and Grandpa Jerch. She also enjoyed seeing the Teague/Watts family who came over dressed in their Sunday best for brunch. Ellen is getting more vocal (I'm sure that's a big surprise to all of you who know me) and more active every day. Her latest thing is to blow "raspberries" much to everyone's delight (especially when she is eating). She is also rolling over, loving her solid foods and even sitting up without much help. Soon enough she'll be crawling, although I'm not sure we're ready for that yet!

Ready for Spring...

So if you're like me, you're really ready for the warm weather. There is nothing like being cooped up at home with a small baby to make you want to move to Florida. Here is a picture of Ellen today taken by our nanny Lily. She sent this to me right before they left for a walk to enjoy this wonderful spring day!

Jamming Out

Here is a shot of Ellen "jamming out" on her new piano (she just had a bath). She routinely enjoys banging on the keys and staring at Gordy as he howls. Who knew that a yellow lab would also be part hound-dog!

Family Photos

One of my best friends Laura Negri Childers who is a very talented photographer (http://www.lauranegriphotography.com/) recently came up to visit from Atlanta. She took the most wonderful pictures, below, of Ellen (5.5 months) and our family. Thank you Laura for these amazing pictures...we will cherish them forever!!