Im slack-a-lacking

Sorry for the lapse in posts amigos.  Gavin is gonna work on getting the wifi working at the house to make it easier for me to post. I have all these amazing pictures and videos of Eleanor, but they're all on my laptop. Ugh. On a better note ...

Our baby girl is 6-months-old!!! 

It's so crazy to think that it's been half a year since she came into our world. I now completely understand why adults always seem so amazed by how fast kids grow. I look at Eleanor and Im just in awe at how she has grown and developed and learned about herself and the world around her. My baby is so big now! 

I consider it a huge blessing that she has such a curious personality. She loves to see and touch and eat (haha!) EVERYTHING. Gavin and I joke about needed to get her carpet samples because she loves running her hands over carpet. We bought her a little safety glass mirror so she can see herself and she is always curious about the baby that stares back. She always seems just content to watch everything happening the world; to observe and explore with all her senses. It's a beautiful thing. 

Ill try to post a bunch of 6-month milestone pictures and posts through out the month. Her doctor appointment is on the 14th (I think) so that'll get a post too of course. Ill also start posting all the awesome videos I have of her. 

Autumn has arrived.

Like so many other people, Fall is my favorite time of year. I start getting out all my sweaters, order my Starbucks hot, and don't get odd looks when I wear a scarf. The leaves change, the air gets crisp, and the pumpkins grow. Yep, autumn is my favorite. 

Our little pumpkin is growing too. She's getting longer by the day and she's super active. She doesn't crawl yet, just scoots and rolls, but she's ever so close to crawling. She can get herself up on all fours and she can move her legs as though she wants to crawl, but she hasn't quite gotten the arm movements down yet. Instead she gets in the right position and rocks back n' forth. 

Her curiosity is growing each day too. She is very interested in Lucky and his fur. I figure the different textures is what she likes. Lucky is pretty amazing with her too. He is very good with her -better than we ever thought he'd be. He lets her "pet" him, pull his ears, and stuck fingers in his mouth and nose. It's cute to see. 

Just two more weeks before she's six-months-old. Where has the time gone? From spring to summer and now fall. 

Five Months Already ... Crazy.

Eleanor Anetta Smith is 5-months-old. 5 months in this world and she's already learned so much. 

She knows if she cries one way she'll be held and if she cries another way she'll get milk. She knows her hands can help push her over or grab her favorite toy or help get her toes into her mouth. She knows her name is Eleanor. She knows her mama and her daddy and shes starting to know some of her grandparents. 

She is amazing, our little love bug, and watching her curiosity grow and her discovery of the world makes us so incredibly happy. Before we know it she'll be all grown up and watching her own children ... now there's a thought that makes a mommy emotional.

Chew toys (What?? That's what they are.)

Today's post features my child with various things in her mouth. Teething is definitely not very enjoyable and it can be hard to find the right chew toy for her little gums. Not to mention, the amount of drool all over my house is crazy!

(The last one is my favorite. Haha!)

Fantastic Four (Months)!

Miss Eleanor Anetta Smith is officially 4 months old! It blows my mind some days how much she has grown and developed in such a short amount of time. I catch myself getting teary-eyed sometimes when I realize my little baby is getting bigger. Weird too, since I have never been a baby person -though we all know I do get pretty sentimental. 

Work is work is work. I miss my little love bug like crazy while Im gone and the second that clock hits 4 pm you'll find me racing to the door. She does really well at daycare though. Everyone loves her -of course- and I like that she can experience new people and interact with other kids. Plus, it's still just 3 days each week. 

Gavin and Eleanor have their Daddy/Daughter days Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Im sure those are their favorite days of the week. It's cute to watch Gavin play and sing and act silly just for a smile from Eleanor. He's such an amazing Dad. 

Length: 24 3/4 inches (55%?)
Weight: 12lbs 7oz. (25%)
New skills: she can rolls from both tummy to back, and back to tummy! She scoots across the floor like a champ too.
Old skills improved: she can grab things first try and is a lot better at sitting up (supported by us or her bumbo).
Working on: sitting up on her own and "crawling" (she scoots).
Best part: when she giggles and laughs. Melts my heart to hear and see her so happy.
Worst part: she is teething so she drools like a St. Bernard and gets fussy when her gums hurt a lot. 

End note: Eleanor was baptized on July 20th in a beautiful ceremony at St. Philomena's Catholic Church in Des Moines. I've been meaning to post pictures, but Im having issues with my laptop and that is where the pictures are at this current time. Ill get them up soon though! 

Picture Post!

Since SOMEONE (*cough* Christina *cough*) is impatient for more pictures (even though I text them to her), here is a post full of pictures that haven't made it to Facebook. Enjoy!

Sweet Sixteen Weeks

 Our little love bug is 16-weeks-old today! It's hard to believe that we brought her home only 16 weeks ago. Long gone is the newborn who seemed too small for her car seat, who slept on her daddy's chest almost every night, and could easily be swaddled asleep. Our baby girl has grown in leaps and bounds the last few weeks.

Now Eleanor sleeps through the night, has favorite toys, is growing out of her clothes, and has discovered she has a voice (one she uses is a million different ways). We try to read to her every night and on weekend mornings, which she enjoys for the most part. She loves watching Veggie Tales Silly Songs or Food Network with her mama. Haha! She has discovered that her hands can grab and grasp things as well. Her favorite thing to play with is her Hunger Caterpillar which gives her a bunch of different fabrics, beads, and a rattle to explore.

My favorite developmental leap Eleanor has made is that she can rollover from her tummy to her back. This new skill was an elusive one for a few days. Eleanor would be in her cradle or on the bed on her tummy for some tummy time and Gavin and I would walk into another room for a second. When we'd come back and she'd be on her back! For days this happened -she'd roll over the exact moment we weren't looking. One night Gavin spent 15 minutes watching her attempt to roll over on the bed and she wasn't able to. We eventually witnesses the feat and now she rolls over when she is done with her tummy time.