We're new to the blogging!!!

Hi!!

Well, as if I don't have enough to do on the internet...we have started this blog! We want to be able to keep in touch with our family...even the ones that are not on Myspace and Facebook! You can also read what we're up to. Our pictures might make a little more sense to you then.

August is winding down and I am getting ready to go back to school. I have to take Elizabeth to the babysitter for the first time on August 20th. Please say a prayer or two for us as mommy is really nervous. I am not nervous about our babysitter, Jen is absolutely wonderful. I have been teaching with her for a few years and she is so sweet and loving. She had a daughter, Chloe, in December and is staying home with her. Luckily, she is willing to take on Elle too! I am only nervous because Elizabeth is still a little picky about the bottle and she's still so little. She is going to be 12 weeks and one day on her first day. I am lucky to have had an entire summer with her, but I am going to miss her so much in the day now when I go back. I am glad that I teach kindergarten as the day flies by and the kiddos keep me on my toes. I won't have too much time to sit around and think about how much I miss her. I am tearing up thinking about this now. I just wish I was able to stay home with her. It's just not an option at this time for us. I know she will be cared for and I will pick her up around 3:15 each day. I just feel like a bad mommy for leaving her. Jeremy keeps reminding me that there are people that do it every single day that have wonderful, well rounded children. I definitely hope she adjusts well.

The family hasn't been doing too much lately as we're just adjusting to parenthood. We get out and about on the weekends and we enjoy our time when we're all together as a family of three. Elle absolutely loves her daddy. Jer can walk in a room and Elizabeth will start smiling. It is so cute! He is a great dad and he is already wrapped aroud Elle's finger. He adores that little girl. He always tells her she is the cutest little thing he has ever seen. He is a little biased of course.

Elizabeth is getting so big. She has been smiling for some time now (about four weeks), but she has just started to laugh. She is so cute when thinks something is funny. She laughs but she always gets the hiccups which make her really mad. Here's a picture of her beautiful smile.

She also has been starting to pick things up. She loves her playmat and will bat at the toys and grab on to them. She loves to hold her John Deere keys and loves her taggie blanket. I am so excited she can play with a few toys now because she can keep herself occupied for a little while. I can actually have a little time to go the bathroom or wash a dish or two. Her favorite toy of all is still her fist. She is so funny. She is forever chomping away at her hand. Sometimes she gets those fingers in there a little too far and gags herself. She's still working on controlling how far the fingers go into her mouth. Here she is with her keys.

Last weekend, Jeremy and I took Elizabeth to the pool for the very first time. It was quite an adventure. We were able to find a little swimming suit on clearance and got her a pack of Little Swimmers. Luckily, she is such a big baby that she was able to wear them. They are for 16-26 lbs. Elizabeth is about 13 1/2 lbs right now and we were able to work with them. We put her in the water and she didn't seem to care at all. She didn't even make a face. She was just chewing away at her hand. We didn't try to submerge her whole body yet as it really wasn't all that warm out. We may try again this weekend. She can't go in for long though as babies are not able to wear sunscreen until 4 months. Our pediatrician said some Dr.'s even suggest waiting six months. Here's Elle at the pool.

Lastly, I'll share a picture of Elizabeth visiting Washington, D.C. She loves to go and have lunch dates with Dad. Sadly, this is our last for awhile. Summer is coming to an end and mom has to go to work and we won't be able to pick up and go see him. Each time that we have traveled to see him she has been so well behaved. I was really worried because I thought for sure we would get stuck in traffic and she would scream her head off. Nope! She slept the whole way in and out of the city. She even behaved like a champ the one time that we rode in on the Metro. I couldn't believe it! No crying at all! Here's Elizabeth in Chinatown!

Have a great weekend!