I cannot believe this little princess is two years old. The time has flown by, as everyone told me it would. She is so much fun and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. At two years old, our Pearl Girl is full of energy and curiosity, learning new words every day, and such a joy to raise. She challenges me and makes me a better mama. I am so thankful for her sweet spirit and her determination.
Our darling girl turned one this spring, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown. I photographed her each month on a quilt made by my great grandmother, Alice. The color looks a bit different with changing lighting and effects, but I love how you can see her grow with the pattern of the quilt. Our Ellie Pearl girl is a delight and a challenge and a dream. She is fiesty and full of energy, and a girl who knows her mind. She has no fear and no sense of self preservation. She keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing. She is such a gift and blessing to our family, and it is pure joy to be her mama.
Our gorgeous girl is ten months old and full of sass. She has one tooth and a personality all her own. I am once again super late with this update, but determined to get it done anyway. This month Eleanor continued to bring pure joy in to our lives with her sweet giggle and determined nature. She is curious and sweet, but lets you know loudly when she doesn’t get her way. She is truly a blessing, gift, and reward from the Lord.
Our girl’s first year is flying by, and here I am late again with another baby update. Eleanor continues to surprise us with her mobility and curiosity. She and the Bear have been completely different in almost every one of their milestones. I think she is just trying to keep up with her big brother. At nine months she is pulling up and cruising across the furniture. She is beginning to use a walker to make her way across the floor.
What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
I gave birth to my sweet daughter, our second child, and had a healthy normal birth after a prior c-section. This VBAC was a HUGE victory and we are so thankful for the entire journey and for our beautiful, healthy baby girl.
What was your biggest failure?
Did you suffer illness or injury?
What was the best thing you bought?
Where did most of your money go?
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
What song will always remind you of 2013?
Compared to this time last year, are you:
What do you wish you’d done more of?
What do you wish you’d done less of?
How will you be spending Christmas?
With my parents and brothers in Little Rock, after an early mini celebration with just us in Dallas.
Who were your best friends?
What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?
What were your favorite TV programs?
Nashville – because Connie Britton’s hair {among other reasons}
Scandal, Modern Family, The Bachelor (don’t judge), The Black List, The Mindy Project, New Girl, Bones
What was the best book you read in 2013?
What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’ll call it a rediscovery. I remembered my childhood love of classical music. Nerd alert.
What did you want but did NOT get?
What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm… Well, I’ve seen one movie in a theater since the Bear was born, in 2011. Yikes. I really loved the new season of Arrested Development. Does that count?
What kept you sane?
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don’t really have any celebrity crushes, though I am more excited than I care to admit about Juan Pablo being the new Bachelor. Judge me if you will. Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time is a bit delicious. I love Mindy Kaling with all my heart. Michelle Obama is a rock star to me.
Who was the best new person you met this year?
Eleanor Pearl, of course
I will mess up as a parent and I have to be able to live with that. It doesn’t make me a bad mom or a bad person. I have to depend on the Lord to guide me and pray to be the mama my kids need each day.
Quote that sums up your year:
Be content where you are.
Our little girl is getting so big.
Our little Pearl girl is pure joy and sweetness. Her hair is still an lovely auburn and her eyes are the clearest blue. She is such a snuggler and loves to rock and listen to mama’s singing.
Ellie is in the 75th percentile for weight and height at 14 pounds 15 ounces and 25 inches long. Her head is still nice and normal at 16 1/4 inches and the 50th percentile. Bless her. The rest of us all have giant noggins.
She is still wearing 3-6 month clothes and the occasional 6 month outfit. She wears cloth diapers most of the time and looks so cute with a fluffy booty. She surprised us once again by rolling over from back to front. Now that she can roll both ways she figured out that she can get where she wants to by rolling over and over. She is sitting up in her bumbo chair and wants to sit up straight in the stroller and in our laps.
Ellie sleeps like a champ with only occasional wake ups at night. I feed her around 7 and then wake her up again around 10 pm to eat. After that she sleeps until around 7 am. She is becoming a more efficient nurser and loves to look around while nursing. She has never taken a bottle though we have tried a few times. I love nursing her, but definitely wish she would take a bottle so that I could be away from her for more than a few hours if necessary. The Bear never took one either, so I’m used to it.
