Happy Birthday Ellison!

One year ago, we were blessed with a little baby girl, 5 lbs 11oz, 18 1/4 in ...

...she is the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Ellison's first trip to to the Zoo!

We had a day full of many "firsts" when we set out for the Lincoln Park Zoo (near downtown Chicago). Although Jonathan and I have gone before, we have never gone as a family. Ellison got to experience the Metra (train to downtown), the "L" (train that travels through downtown), the Lincoln Park/DePaul neighborhood where her daddy went to school/played soccer/lived, and the Zoo! Here's a recap of our day:

Getting ready: She's not even 1 yet, and she already wants to do so many things by herself. She wanted to put her pants on all by herself. When I tried helping her, she got mad at me. Of course she started out by trying to get them over her head...

...then, tried putting her arm through...

...let's just say, she had to give in and let me help.

she made sure I had everything we would need in my purse

on the Metra (she loved it)

Finally, at the Zoo! Elle and Jonathan in the jungle.

Her favorite, the fishies!

Elle and I with the city backdrop

Running around in the park, picking up leaves (her 2nd favorite thing of the day)!

We all had a blast, and were all very tired when we got home.

Pictures from the last 4 weeks

I'm finally getting a chance to post all of the pictures from our transition time in Wausau, to our move here, to Cary, IL. It is so nice to finally be settled in and feel "at home" once again. We really love our new house. Elle has been adapting well, she has our new house all mapped out and really seems to like it - especially her new swing set! Plus there are many airplanes to watch fly over and neighborhood dogs walking by. She has been sleeping a lot better, both at night and at nap time (Elle is now down to one 2 hour nap a day). She is continuing to be a good eater and has been doing great with grown up food. Next week is our little girl's one year birthday, we are so excited and in disbelief our baby is going to be 1!

In Wausau:

Here's Elle trying out her new hand-crafted rocking chair from the Steve and Danielle Weiland (an early b-day gift). She loves to put her stuffed animals on it and rock them.

Playing with her 3rd cousins - the Weiland girls. - She loves necklaces!She loves putting them on and taking them off all by herself.


Elle and Greta Weiland

Elle and Bucky Badger

Looking cute in Daddy's hat

Packer beads

Thinking about reading a book...found the book, but stopped to look at the tv along the way
finding a place to read the book
found it

"Mom will you please read me this book?"

She knows she looks pretty with her necklace on

In Illinois:

Diapers serve so many purposes

At a petting zoo

Elle let the goats take a nibble on her fingers

Easter morning, finding all of the eggs left by the Easter Bunny

Easter dinner at Grandma Marcy's, and yummy carrot cake

...of course she had to put her beads on


Carrying around her new Easter chick purse

she loves to smell flowers