Did somebody say skiing???

A sign of things to come???

Today I got to see my first big snowstorm.  In total there was about 8" in just 24 hours.  All that to say that Dad took the opportunity to teach me about skiing.  I even got to try on his boots!!

Turns out that Dad and his family did a ton of skiing growing up - I guess you could say it is in my blood.  Mom likes to say  the only condition of their marriage was that she learned to ski.  I think dad still would have gone through with it - but she swears not. . .

I like to think I am not under the same pressure since Dad is already "committed" but I guess it is possible he would disown me if I didn't learn ;-)

Well dad stands ready to teach me - perhaps next winter???  I've always said [black] diamonds are a girls best friend.

And then there was food!

Miss Ellie is having light bulb moments all the time now.  She's starting to show a greater range of emotions...happy, giggly, frustrated, scared, etc.  She's reaching and holding onto all sorts of things.  She's also catching onto rolling from back to tummy.  She loves to be looking and interacting with the world.  After going through, what I thought was a growth spurt, we realized she was just ready for more solids.  She needed the additional calories now that she's bigger and more active.  It's started with rice cereal and then graduated to carrots.  We're now feeding her solids at both lunch and dinner.  Every feeding starts would with a "what the heck is this!" kind of face and then quickly turns to acceptance, if not enjoyment, of the carrort/rice cereal mixture.  We're moving on to apples and sweet potato this upcoming week.

She's a full blow baby now!

Story-Time

Uncle JD read a story to Maddy and me today.  Don't remember what it was about but I can tell you that I enjoyed the attention.

What a difference 4 weeks makes. . .

. . . It could also have to do with the talent of the photographer.

Thanks for making me look so cute Aunt Amber - Daddy is fired!!

Christmas with Toccos

My great grandpa started a tradition in the family called the money jar.  All the grand-kids get a chance to take as much money from a change jar as possible in one fist full!  It is a lot of fun as everyone cheers us on and hey - who doesn't like money??

My first grab into the money jar

I didn't do that great this year because I have small hands but uncle Tony made sure I didn't go away with empty pockets.

Christmas isn't all about money and gifts, it is about family.  I got a chance to see Celcia again as well as meet a whole lot of Grandma Weitzel's side of the family.  A lot of fun and good reminder of what Christmas is all about.  Good lookin' family don't you think??

Merry Christmas to ME!!!

It is always nice to be loved on by PAPA.  I have learned that when I show up to a Christmas party, he comes and finds me almost instantly and whisks me off to some quite corner.  I have a big family to share the holidays with so it is nice to be able to look forward to some quite time with him.

Merry Christmas!!

Love

Ellie

My First Christmas. . . safe in Papas arms.

Dear Santa

Ellie meets Santa for the first time

Mom and Dad told me about this neat man that lives at the North Pole.  Every year he reviews a list of all the little boys and girls in the world and brings gifts to celebrate the birth of Christ - we call it Christmas.Well, this year I figure I got a pretty good gift - the gift of life.  But that didn't stop him from visiting me in Ann Arbor.  I can't wait until next year.  Mom and Dad tell me that he will bring presents down the chimney - but I have  have to be good all year. . . hmmmmm.

Goin' to California

Russ and Sean hosted us at their home Sausalito

So this week was good.  I got to make my first flight, see California and meet some of Mom and Dad's dearest friends.  Here are a couple more pictures from the trip.

I got to meet CK - a 130 lb Swiss Mountain Dog

My new friend Sean

The hills in and around San Francisco are steep.  Dad did a good job to get me down safely but decided some help to get me up would be appreciated.

CK helps dad get me up the hill - the first step in my plan to convince Mom and Dad we need a dog

Travel with a baby

Why so much extra luggage for such a little person?

So before you were born, I prided myself in being able to travel light.  Mom and I could both do a 10 day trip in a carry-on.  Right up until mid August, I was traveling back and forth to California for work.  I will say that I got pretty good at the trip. I knew all the fastest routes. . .which escalator, which security line, where to stand on the train, and most of all, never to check luggage.

Today we broke all the "rules".  Traveling with a baby just requires more "stuff".  We checked bags - so many that we had to rent a cart to transport them.  Because of the cart and luggage we had to take a series of 4 elevators, 2 moving walkways and a tunnel to get to the sky-train.  Then 15 min to load the car and get the car seat in.  In total what usually takes me about 20 min to complete - took 1.5 hours with you . . and I have to say it was totally worth it!

Today was also your first airplane trip.  We knew you are a very content baby but were nervous about the cabin pressure changes.  You did great!!  Not a peep just enjoyed the time with mom and dad hanging out in first class.  Oh did I mention that you got upgraded on your first trip - don't get used to it but it was a nice way to start.

3 Months Old

So. . . 3 months old today - I have learned a lot.  Touching hands, smiling laughing and generally helping mom and dad see the humor in a situation.  My crazy hair is still going strong but dads favorite thing is that I have become more and more interactive.  I follow a sound or a friendly face around the room.  I like to grasp other people's fingers but most of all, I respond to a smile. . . Daddy tells me that it could melt icebergs - I'd be happy with just warming up this cold December. . . 

Winter is comming!!!

Sadly, I don't get to go on all Dad's business trips - he left me and Mom behind this time.  But that is OK because it means more time for walks and enjoying the outside. 

Both Mom and Dad like outside but Dad is particularly fond of winter. . . something about skiing I think.  Well in short, he keeps saying cold is no big deal, as long as you have the right clothes.  It would seem to me that he means layers but that doesn't mean a girl doesn't want to look her best.

Today I am trying on my sweater and the stroller cozy - turns out dad is right - the right clothes make cold weather a blast!!!

A little culture

Christian is having a birthday soon - yea!!  Since mom and dad are his God Parents (and because they love him) they decided to take him and Elizabeth to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).  The DIA is great because they have lots of old things - older than Mom and Dad if you can believe that!!  Christian and Elizabeth played "eye spy" and by the end of the day were getting pretty good a spotting even some of the little features in the artifacts.

My very first craft project

It was a special day for me at the DIA because they had a puppet show and we even got to make our own puppets.  Who knew art and culture could be so much fun???

Christian, Elizabeth and Ellie having fun at the DIA

I hope I have this much pull when I am older. . .

It is amazing how many people have come to see little old me. . .

Turns out while I am small and cute, people come from all around to get a look and more importantly, Love on me.  Today's visitors were Uncle Don and Aunt Nancy.  Don is my Grandma Robison's brother and Nancy - well, Nancy keeps him out of trouble. 

It was really nice of them to make such a long trip from Wisconsin just to see me and Maddi.  I got to spend the whole evening tonight getting special attention while mom and dad caught up with all that has been going on.

I hope all these great visits keep up - especially from Don and Nancy.  ;-)

Mmmmmm. . . TV

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad are running in the Turkey Trot which means another fun night in a hotel for me. Yea!!!

So. . . .Mom and Dad were setting up the room and turned on the moving picture box. . .  How amazing. I even stopped eating to watch Aladin. That Walt Disney guy is really cool. . . and what a good message ;-)
Tomorrow = turkey and the Lions football game. (And mabyee mom and dad will let me watch more shiny moving pictures)

Baptism

Today I received the first sacrament - baptism.  It symbolically washes away the sins of the past and welcomes me into the Catholic faith.  I am lucky because I have two great god-parents to guide me though life - Aunt Rose and Uncle JD.  Afterward there was a small party with the Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles at the house - so much fun to have everyone crowded around the table in my honor.

Oh - another cool fact.  Do you see the christening dress I am wearing??  That was hand made by my great grandmother Rose - who is my namesake.  It was been worn by nearly every aunt, uncle and cousin since - I would guess somewhere near 40 baptisms.

There's a whole big world

Ellie's realized there's a lot going on in her environment this week.  For the first time she's really started to look and stare at other people and things.  You know she's having fun because her whole body shakes with excitement and a big grin appears.

Photo Catchup



Yea Bathtime!!!



Ellie in Cleavland - First Business Trip



Ellie has her first cold...booo.  So Mom's waiting for her first prescription.

Here are some recent photos from a growing Ellie.  (Based on today's Dr visit, she's 14lbs and 24ins)

She's 10 weeks tomorrow and a very happy person.  When she smiles, her whole body smiles...her arms and legs shake.  It's infectious..at least to her parents. Smile.

2 months old!!!

Cute Outfit Day

I'm looking pretty cute today if I do say so myself.  Thanks Aunt Kristin and Kinsey for sharing!

Yoga baby

Mom's been forgetting to post about our cool yoga class.  There's a post-natal yoga class here in Ann Arbor that Mom wanted us to check out.  We've gone a couple times and hung out with other moms and cool babies.

Although Mom does most of the work, I get to chill next to her thinking "ohm-mmmm".  Don't I look nice and relaxed?