Happy EARLY Christmas!!

November 30th: Playhouse-pa-looza!!!!

A couple of months ago, my super talented father-in-law approached me with an idea. He wanted to build a playhouse for the girls for Christ-Birthday-Mas (ie Birthdays and Christmas). He is super amazing with woodworking and building, so I immediately said "YES!" and "YES PLEASE!" I knew it would be super cute, but I just couldn't even dream how precious it would be. He did such an AMAZING job, and the finished product is beyond adorable!

GrandPop had been waiting and waiting to get to SC so he could start construction, and then when he arrived it started POURING RAIN for a week straight. Boo. Not to be deterred, construction started in the garage. Blakely had no idea what was going on, and wasn't even suspicious when we had to only go out the front door for a week.

Richard and his Dad spent several days over Thanksgiving assembling it, and the girls were all inside with the blinds drawn so as not to ruin the surprise. When I got home on Sunday, they were all dying to make the big reveal to Blakely.

Blakely was so excited and started shouting "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!!" and running for her new playhouse when she first saw it.

GrandPop had really "decked the halls!" He had put a Christmas wreath on the door, poinsettias and bows in the flower boxes and twinkly lights that come on every night!! It was super special surprise for his oldest granddaughter.

 

GrandPop had some fun! He put up a mailbox, our house numbers and solar powered lanterns. The whole thing was beyond super charming. I was totally stunned with how amazing the finished product was. GrandPop had really outdone himself.

 

Blakely went crazy!! She threw the door open and ran inside!! She kept saying "This my house!!! This my house!! That (pointing to our home) mama house. This MY HOUSE!!"



The house is 6x8x8 feet, so the girls will be able to have adventures for years to come.

It has real working windows with screens, shutters, a cottage door and then a BIG door for adults.

Her imagination is already carrying her away.



I can't wait for all the picnics, tea parties, slumber parties, camp outs and adventures that will take place in this little house.

Since she got her playhouse, she has spent several hours in it each day. I'll sneak out there and peak in the windows to make sure she is still in there. She can literally entertain herself "playing house" for hours. Love her little imagination.

Blakely and Katy Ellis are so blessed to have such amazing grandparents who love them and who could HARDLY WAIT to give them a huge Christmas surprise!! We love you guys!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you GrandAnnie and GrandPop for this very generous gift!! I know the girls are going to have so many wonderful adventures in this playhouse in the years to come!!

Nine Months Post

November 3rd: Katy Ellis is 9 Months Old

Wt 17lb 2oz
Ht 27 1/2 inches

Dr. Kate is currently on maternity leave, so we got to meet a new doctor... Dr. Thomas! She was great and KE really liked her. KE got a perfect bill of health!

Katy Ellis is pulling to stand on EVERYTHING! She is a wild woman and thinks she is such big stuff.

Nicknames: KK-Roo, KE, KK, KK Ellis, KK girl.

This month Katy Ellis got her first cold... and it has lasted 4 weeks! I kept waiting, and waiting to take her 9 month pictures so she wouldn't be a snotty mess in her pictures... BUT she never cleared up. So.... she is a little snotty in these pictures, and little bit closer to 10 months than 9 months. Sorry folks!

Katy Ellis has also been crawling everywhere! She lies on her tummy and pulls her self  forward in a butterfly stroke! She is like the next Michael Phelps! Watch out Olympics 2028!!
(Sorry GG, PopPop, GrandAnnie and GrandPop... Y'all are one of her favorite teething toys! HA!)

This girl is the best baby in America! Even when sick with a fever, she is just a sweet as can be.

Blakely loves to go nose to nose with KE... and then the two of them giggle like two maniacs! Hope they are always this close!

Milestones: Pulling to stand, crawling, table food (carrots, yams, banana, etc).

Likes: STANDING UP... like ALL THE TIME, free crawling around the house, oatmeal, yams, apple/mango/rice cereal baby food, cousin Banks.

Dislikes: Being stuck somewhere unable to crawl or stand up, baby food with meat in it, lying still on the changing table (HA!).



Cousin Banks is Katy Ellis favorite person in the whole world. He doesn't treat her like a baby; he thinks of her as another playmate. He loves to make her laugh and smile. He will get down of the floor and crawl with her and giggle. He loves to bring her toys she likes. He is going to be a GREAT big brother!

"Mommy, I am going to crawl right out of this chair! Watch!"

Love you little bug!! So proud of the big girl you are becoming!!

School Picture 2014



Fall 2014

 

This fall, Blakely has been attending Lexington Baptist Preschool. Technically, she is in a Mother's Morning Out, but they have an actual curriculum like a preschool. She has had a great year so far, and she always looks forward to school days. I am so very proud of her.

 

Blakely's School Picture 2014

Snip Snip!!

November 15th: Katy Ellis FINALLY gets her first haircut!!

Both of my children have been afflicted with rat tail/ mullets. No bald babies for me. Both of my girls have had LOTS and LOTS of hair. Katy Ellis was desperately needing a haircut, and Rich and I finally found a time when we were both available to be able to take her for her first haircut!



She's pretty cute for a hairy little monkey!

Princess Crazy Hair Part II

In classic Katy Ellis style, she was an angel during her haircut.

This little bug just smiled and tried to take the comb out of the hairdressers hands.

We had a sweet hairdresser at Sharkey's named Nana. She did a great job!

Looking so, so much better!! Good job KE!! Fair-thee-well rat tail!

First Daddy Daughter Date for Blakely

November 8th: Edventure Storybook Ball

A couple of weeks ago we got an invitation in the mail for the Storybook Ball at Edventure. It was gold and sparkly, and it had a picture of a castle and carriage embossed on it. Blakely went ballistic! You would have thought that she had been invited to a real ball!! Rich and I knew that she had to go, and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to start the Daddy-Daughter-Date tradition with Blakely.





 

To say that Blakely was excited about going is a mega understatement. She asked me about "the ball" every day for 2 weeks!

On the night of the ball, I helped Blakely get "princess ready!" We found her favorite dress in her dress-up box, a tiara and some hairspray glitter. She kept telling me "I so beautiful. I so beautiful." Oh the modesty of a toddler!

I DO think you are beautiful little princess!!

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Richard! He surprised me and Blakely by dressing up as her Prince! He found some old boy scout metals and pins and attached them to his jacket and pinned his graduation regalia to his sleeve! So so sweet. Made this mama cry to see how much he loves his girl!! THAT is a good Daddy.

Blakely was thrilled! She loved her "Prince Charming!"

 

Richard also got her a teeny, tiny corsage that matched her outfit.

She was so excited to have pink roses on her wrist. Daddy really hit this one out of the park!

Our beautiful little princess. I'm not sure prom-prep someday is going to be half as exciting!

Goodbye little princess!! Have fun at the ball!!

 

From Daddy's Phone: Blakely met princesses, but her favorite was definitely Ariel.

Dinner at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party!! Mac N' Cheese, Cookies and Lemonade??? Blakely was in heaven!

Hurry home Cinderella!! The spell will be broken at Midnight! So happy that Richard has started this special tradition with his girls!! Can't wait to see where the next Daddy-Daughter-Date takes them!