Tree Trimming

I may be a little behind in my posts, but at least with all the snow we've been getting you're able to easily conjure up a festive feeling. Elara was surprisingly good around the Christmas trees this year, there were definitely less ornaments on the tree after she was done, but none that didn't make it through the season. 

Awesomesauce

There's always a willing auntie to hold Elara. :)

Elara had her 18 month appointment today, and is doing great. She was 25 pounds 6 ounces, which is 50th percentile, and 32 3/4 inches long, 75th percentile. They asked if she had at least 5 different words, and I laughed, she has dozens!! This was similar to Zachary's 18 month appointment, there at least they asked if he knew 10 words. 

Elara knows, and says the names of pretty much everyone in the family, from Zah-Zah, to Poppa, to Ninnie for Auntie Ginnie, and Aaa for Grandma Ann. She knows that a rooster says DoodleDoodleDoo, and a horse says Nay (always done enthusiastically). She says ma-ma (spiderman and captain america). Appuls and Ihnnuh are some of her favorite fruits (apples and oranges). Cheez and Wahfah and ZsaZsa. Waffles just like Zachary said, and Sausages, which could easily be confused with Zachary's name. Of course, there is her most notorious and well used word (other than NO!) Nah (said in as nasally a tone as you can possibly muster up. Nah! Snack! She says beebee (baby) and prepre (blanket) bahbah (bottle). PrePre is also pretty, used to describe hair ties, jewelry and my makeup. She says pahbah for potty (and is actually using the potty chair successfully upon occasion, which blows my mind). She says Hat, nearly perfectly, just with a very hard H sound. She also loves putting on her shooz and sah. (shoes and socks). She can say and identify most of her body parts. This list could really go on and on, she has a great vocabulary! 

One story about my other awesome child: at the doctor's appointment, our doctor listened with the stethoscope, and then pulled out her next tool. She said, "Let's see what we have here," trying to get Elara to look at the light. Zachary speaks up, "That's an otoscope!" 

Honestly, if she had asked me--I wouldn't have had a clue! But he was absolutely right. 

Stripes and Plaid

I hear that mixing patterns is totally in vogue this season. Looks like Elara and Poppa are runway ready. Elara is already a bit of a fashionista, demanding the pink jammies, not the red ones, and definitely the boots, not the sneakers. She also LOVES accessories: hats, scarves, bows, socks, slippers, all favorites of hers. There will probably be a riot once she's really introduced to jewelry!

Stranger than Fiction

Sometimes there just aren't words to rightly capture a set of pictures. Elara and Poppa are innocently reading a book, trying to find the location of baby's pumpkin, and understand the true meaning of Snuggly Time. When from the depths of the deep, dark basement, arises: Zachamonster! Full Buccaneers superbowl hat, with clip on headlight, and a bonus flashlight, in case the headlight didn't blind you right off the bat. Elara absolutely abandoned reading time to steal the hat. Also note, both kids were still in their pjs. They'd probably been up for hours, not gonna lie. 

Free Play

Christmas break at Nonna and Poppa's house is awesome---there's always someone to play with the kids, and lots of toys they don't see every day, so they're entertained and busy. That puts the kids in a great mood, and lets me have a break from pretending to be a dragon, or a superhero. We all win!

I have to share Zachary's knock knock joke, which he pulls out every time Elara is getting a diaper change, and isn't very happy about it. He's a great distraction, a big help, and E laughs hysterically every time he tells it:

Knock Knock. (done by knocking on Elara's forehead)
Who's there?
Zachary.
Okay, I'll open the door. (Mimics opening a door)
Ahhhhh! (rubs his hand all over E's face)
My pet zebra is gone! 
Then sometimes he elaborates: and it's on the other side of the wormhole, and so is a dinosaur!

Elara isn't the only one who laughs hysterically. 

100% Juicy Beats

Yes, this happened. Zachary finished up his lunch, and then decided his ears were thirsty? Or maybe his minute maid was talking to him? Whatever it was, it looks like he was enjoying it!

Nap on Cat

Elara and I aren't very good at keeping things simple. Flying out to Iowa left this Momma with a pretty bad headache. Nonna and Auntie Kitty to the rescue! Sometimes naps just don't happen for Elara. Even when she is desperately sleepy, she will fight and fight. But with me out of commission and in desperate need of a nap myself, a nap (for me at least!) really needed to happen. Well, sometimes they happen, just not in quite the way you expected. Nonna rocked Elara to sleep, then instead of taking the risk of laying her down in her bed, slipped her into a very accommodating Auntie's arms! And we both blissfully slept. Doesn't Elara look all warm and snuggly and happy cuddled up in Auntie Kitty's lap? LOVE!