at the ol'e ball game

It's funny how my schedule got a whole lot busier after school ended. At least now, it's filled with more family and friends time which was much needed for Elle and I. Part of our recent shenanigans included a little league game filled with cousin love...

watchin' the game

 cousin Rainey cheering 'em on...

sleepy girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 kisses for cousin Genevieve.

 

 

 

 

 

pretty in pink.

sweet girls.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the little Red Sox did not beat the Yankees, but it was a great game nonetheless. (With these sweet girls, how could it not be?)

when it rains, it pours

Wow, what a week, and it's only day three (by calendar standards). I'm too mentally exhausted to elaborate in full detail, but let's just say, between school, housework, party planning, car stuff, a sick family, financial mishaps, house-sitting, yucky weather and the extra hormones that kick in around this time of the month, it's been quite a circus around here.

Amidst the chaos, we were able to visit cousin Kimmy this weekend and spend some time in the hills. So peaceful. The city was having an airshow, but sadly, it was a little disappointing. They were supposed to have hot air balloon rides, but no such luck by the time we got there. The kettle corn however, did not disappoint. (Truthfully, I can't think of a time it ever has; I do love my kettle corn.)

Elle was able to enjoy her new surroundings while mommy snapped some ten month photos...

 

 

Thank goodness for this face.
It makes everything else seem so small.

life at ten months

Baby Elle, 

I love you so much. You have grown into such a little lady this past month and eventually, I am going to have to start addressing you as such. For now though, you are still my ten-month-old baby and here are your little baby happs...

You now have four little chompers. Your two top teeth have joined forces with your bottoms and now mommy yelps even louder when you use her as a chew toy.

You absolutely adore dancing. Nothing makes Daddy and I burst out laughing quicker than your adorable little baby moves. You hop around on your squishy little knees, all the while flailing your arms up and down to the beat. It's really too cute for words, I'll have to get it on film.

You know exactly when you are not supposed to being doing something, but continue to do it anyway. You shoot Daddy and I a sly glance accompanied by a smirk, and wait for us to remove you from whatever it is you're doing.

You have yet to master the meaning of the word No.

The refrigerator is your new best friend.

You are walking. 

You have a favorite song. 

You have a favorite book for story time.

Gone are the days of you wearing headbands; for now at least. Your hair is coming in thicker everyday so barrettes are starting to become a possibility. Luckily, you have a harder time finding them on that sweet little noggin of yours.

You are warming up to the male figures in your life once more, and I’m not sure Daddy is too thrilled about this. You and I both know, he is, and always will be your favorite.

You have decided to call me Baba. I am not entirely sure if it is because I am your "ba-ba" when you are hungry, or your current state of congestion is turning your M's into B's; either way it's cute.

You’ve gotten your very first cough. Mommy instantly called your doctor and she assured me it will be gone in another week. It still breaks Mommy’s heart.

You have seemed to lose some interest in solid foods; however, you are constantly trying to get your hands on Baba's yogurt. Only five more weeks baby and Mommy will give in, I promise.

You get into screaming matches with Daddy to see who has the louder “Ah!” You win every time.

You can’t get enough of anything that teaches you “cause and effect.” Light switches, phones, remotes, buttons of any kind, that have any effect on anything, will keep you occupied for hours. We can no longer give you the remote without the batteries; you will just move onto the next, until you are certain you are changing something on the screen.

You adore sunglasses.

You have to be distracted during diaper changes.

And...

You are our perfect little ten-month-old.

feliz dia de las madres

A random rant on Mama's Day numero dos because baby girl's unfortunate cough is preventing outdoor play, and her mama feels like writing...

Those that follow popular culture may consider this old news, but one of the most famous musical talents of my time, Mariah Carey, had her two little bundles of joy about a week ago. My baby girl loves Ms. Mariah, and for a long while, the vocal phenom's musical stylings was the only thing that could send my little one into a a deep sleep. That being said... that lovely woman whom I used to adore, STOLE MY BABY NAME!

For those that know me well, know exactly what I'm talking about... She named her baby girl Monroe! Yes, I know my little one goes by the name Elle, (and trust me, I am just as much in love with it now as the day we wrote it on her birth certificate) but she was so insanely close to being a little Monroe Girouard (if only her daddy could pronounce it properly).

Five years ago, I had a dream about my future daughter. In that dream her name was Monroe. I had never heard that name (as a first name) before in my life.  I woke up and it just felt right. Every day while driving to work, I would pass Monroe Street and smile. You know you love a name when the sight of it written makes you happy, and it did.

Later, I meet my future husband, fall pregnant, find out we are expecting an XX bean and am thrilled to finally be able to use my girl's name. Well, apparently my husband was channeling his inner "old man from the south" because for the life of him, he could not change his pronunciation of Monroe (Mawn-ro) to Monroe (Mun-ro) like I had originally envisioned.

We tried speech therapy for awhile (not really), but Elle was meant to be my Elle, and I am just as obsessed with her name (like I said before), as the day I was when we filled out her birth certificate. She is my beautiful Elle Elizabeth and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Now that being said, (because I am textbook Type A) Shawn and I already have our future kids names picked out. We've had our boy name since (literally) two days after I found out I was pregnant. I spent the entire weekend scouring boy names (because I just knew we were having a boy), sent him a list of seven contenders, and he instantly picked the one I was secretly hoping he would. Boy name done.

Girl names however, have gone in and out of my head since probably a month after little Elle was born. I would hear various names, analyze them and then (most of the time) discard them. Until a miracle happened! I believe it was in reference to a picture of the late Marilyn Monroe, but whatever the case, Shawn spoke her name and absolutely nailed my preferred pronunciation! Girl name (number two) done.

If we were to give Elle a little sister, she was to be our little Monroe (Rosie) E. Girouard.

Well, the text messages rolled in with the news and I couldn't believe it. Sadly for me, a celebrity named their baby a name that was so uncommon it didn't even make the "top 1000 popular baby names list" for the last eleven years. (Yes, I do an annoying amount of baby name research to find the one.) I was certain I had found an unused gem.

I wish I was one of those people that didn't mind the popularity of a name, but unfortunately, I'm not. I don't want my baby to have to be referred to as "so and so + last initial" or have four other little kiddos turn around when addressing my child on the playground. As my friends and family have told me though, this of course doesn't necessarily mean Monroe will have the same chart-topping future as Reese's Ava, John T's Ella or Tom's Isabella, but still, it has lost some of it's pizazz for me. 

You never know what the future will bring; maybe a little boy whose name he's already been given, or an adorable family pet who would do my little Mon-Rosie justice. Either way, Mariah has two beautiful healthy babies, and for that I say congratulations. Feliz Dia de las Madres Ms. Mariah!

Okay, crazy random rant over. Will post my very special first Mama's Day happs shortly, but until then...

   Look at my baby's first pair of walking shoes...

found here

Absolutely love them! 

And if you're reading this little Ellie Beans, Your name has always been Mama's favorite. We couldn't have named you anything more perfect.

talkin' bout my best friend

 Oh how I love her.

a beautiful little biped

I'm so giddy right now I don't know that I'll be able to convey my thoughts as well as I'd like to. Instead, I'll just blurt it out like the crazy woman I am portraying at this very moment...

My little lady is officially a walker!!!

She has been taking 2 steps here and there, but I would not have said she walks with the best of 'em...until now. Okay not really with the best of 'em, but she is walking. She's still a little bit wobbly but she's on two feet and hands free!

She crossed over into the pedestrian world last night while we were visiting some friends. I had snapped some random photos of her around the house trying to get the hang of my point and shoot (I really wish lugging a single lens around everywhere was easier.)...

 

When she suddenly became interested in a toy I was holding and hopped to it, or "walked to it" I should say. These photos may actually be some of the very last photos of my little one crawling as she continues to embrace her newfound bipedalism.

I have her fancy footwork on video but can't figure out how to rotate and upload it. A few more Google searches and I'm sure I'll be able to share in no time. Until then, every contact in my cellular phone now belongs to a very elite club that gets to view my little angel workin' those tootsies...

 

And what beautiful tootsies they are.