Best Auntie Ever..

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only pictures I have of Elara in her adorable I Have the BEST AUNTIE shirt, happen to be with her Uncle Robert. :)

cuts like a knife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zachary loves fun. He's also a mischievous little boy. Yesterday, I was changing Elara in the mudroom, and Zachary comes and starts telling me a story. He was telling me something about a big triceratops pushing the little triceratops into the hole, and how he can't get him anymore. I just listened and, oh-okayed him. 

Then it dawned on me. "Zachary, did you put the triceratops down the air vent?"

Blank stare. What in the world is she talking about...

"Down on the floor, like the vent by your feet. Did you drop the triceratops down there?"

"YES!" I've been saying this for ten minutes! "Can you help me get the little triceratops out?"

I told Zachary that I might not be able to get the triceratops back. 

"Don't you have a special tool, Momma?" Please please please Momma, my poor little triceratops!

Lucky for him I have long arms. "Zachary, If I see you playing with the vent again, you will get a timeout."

Later that night, Paul was going through Z's bedtime routine, including What-We-Did-Today. Z decides to recount the Triceratops Incident to Big Daddy Paul. "And then Momma said, "If I see you playing with the vent again.." and I said, "But Momma, you didn't see me. You were in the mudroom changing Elara."

Oh this child!

I'll Get You My Pretty or Fists of Fury

 

 

 

Those little fists are brutal. Elara has claws, even though I trim her nails every couple of days and she is learning how to use them. Just in the last couple of days, she is really starting to reach out and grab at things. She has grabbed fistfuls of clothing (and hair!) before as they happened to come into contact, but now she is moving her arms out and toward things she is interested in. We are now starting to put her into her jumper/activity center. We have to prop her up with a blanket, because she's just barely a supported sitter (she still topples forward even when she's propped up with pillow!) but she has graduated from staring and laughing at the sunshine, to reaching out and making the frog spin. It's fun watching her grow up and develop, I loved, and still love, watching Zachary evolve over time. 

Good thing your hair is up in a pony tail Auntie Lizzie--nothing is safe anymore!

Giggly Girl

 

 

 

Oh my goodness, those smiles!! I think there is nothing better, except maybe the accompanying belly laughs that have just started! Elara is very much discovering her voice, and the squeals and zombie grunts and happy screams are just musical to me. It might be one of those things that only a mother could love, but I think they are silly, wonderful, beautiful noises, and I just smile (and LOL) whenever she makes them. Yes, I also cry happy tears. I can't help it. She's incredible, and I'm an emotional Momma. I teared up today, over something adorable she was doing, and Zachary tells me, "You don't need to cry Momma, I'm here!" I MELTED.

bonding, auntie bonding

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auntie Lizzie and Elara shared some pretty good moments during our visit. I always enjoy it when someone else is holding Elara--and not just because it means I'm getting a break! You get such an entirely different perspective on the baby, when they aren't cuddled up to you. I feel like you get a better appreciation for how big they are, and how much they are looking around and interacting with others. It's nice being her go-to cuddler, but it's even more fun to see her becoming part of the family dynamic.

After the Party...

 

 

 

 

...You get to play with the toys...and Poppa! 

These dragons are super cool, and they all have names. There are 4 daddy dragons, and 4 baby dragons. There is Drag-a-Fly, Drag-da-dor, Bob, and Scott. And of course, Baby Drag-a-Fly, Baby Drag-da-dor, Baby Bob, and Baby Scott. This of course makes me laugh out loud every time Zachary tells me their names.

No Fork Necessary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timing was right over our last visit to my parent’s house for us to celebrate Zachary’s birthday. We had a real and true party, with balloons, toy story decorations, a dragon cake, family and friends, and of course presents! It’s one of those things that is always harder when you don’t live close to family. You don’t always get to celebrate the little events—you spend your time (and money!) for the big events. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Weddings dominate all your vacation time and travel budget.

So when we’re home for an unexpected visit, and it coincides with a birthday, I jump at the chance to celebrate. I have fun memories of birthday parties with my family. Elizabeth and I always shared our parties because she was born on the 12^th, and I was born on the 15^th. This meant I was usually stuck with vanilla cake, because she didn’t like chocolate. *sigh* It was mostly just our family, sometimes a few friends would join us. We always ate a meal, then opened presents with everyone.  Cake before presents or after, it depended on how stuffed you were from dinner. I’m glad we were able to celebrate Zachary’s birthday in the same fashion.

We had spaghetti and meat sauce that he hardly touched (even with Amanda encouraging him), and cake that he absolutely devoured.  Someone asked Z, if he needed a fork for his cake, and Z said, “No, I will just use my mouth.”  As usual he covered his ears as we all sang happy birthday to him. Although he should have been covering his ears to silence the crying baby Elara! Thank goodness Uncle Robert was there to keep her bouncing, and Amber Hunny played photographer for me, whenever I had to nurse Elara.

Z was terribly spoiled, of course. Everything from dragons from Nonna, and a Smiladon from Poppa, to an incredible grab-bag from Auntie Lizzie with bugs and coloring books and angry birds. Scott must be really impressed by Z, because he got him a Happy 4^th Birthday Card (and some really cool Avengers figurines!) Uncle Robert and Amanda got him his new go-to movie, Curious George, and Grandma and Grandpa  got him a very cool buzz light year car. The best part was trying to fit all of the new toys in the suitcase to get them to Connecticut.

And speaking of terribly spoiled, this was just the first of Zachary’s many birthday celebrations! Stay Tuned---Three Years old is a BIG DEAL.