ellie discovers the world

{photo courtesy of Blush Photography...i'm DYING to see more!}

it's been a while since i gave an E update.
a long while.
shame on me, since she is my world, my life and my joy these days.

i have to admit, having a little baby-toddler-person is a ton of work....but it also is soo magical in so many ways. my favorite reason is that you really get to rediscover life again (while the little one discovers the world for the first time). it makes you appreciate the little things...things that seem so amazing from those innocent (but feisty...curious...and sometimes crazy) eyes.

with that said, here are some of E's most recent discoveries:
{slight disclaimer: you may assume from these pictures that i only dress her in one shirt...or that these were all taken on the same day. both assumptions are false. thank you.}

the first three have to do with her new-found-mobility....which is arguably her most impressive, influential discovery of the last year of her life...

walking:


walking while holding things:


chasing after things:


the carousel:
(which freaked her out at first...but then she quite enjoyed herself...especially since she got to wave at dadda, gammy, aunt courtney, and bapa}


gammy's turtle:


an explosion of words...including (but not limited to):

• mama
• dadda
• hi
• buh-bye
• night-night
• more
• ball
  
• yummmm
• dog
• cat
• duck
• bapa (grandpa)
• miiimiii (my sista)
• baaaabbbyyy
• NO!
• soofffttt
• book
  
• and the most recent, sweeeet

the fourth of july:


cute boys:



kissing cute boys:


making cute boys blush because of an overly zealous kiss:


and other cute friends:

what it feels like to get a wedgie:


adoring babies...especially her cousin rosalie:


eating real food (all the time):



folding her arms to pray (melts my heart)(when i get a picture of it, i will post it)

swimming pools (water or no water....equally fun):


seeing aunt mimi and saying with the most adoration you could ever imagine: miiiimiiiii


reading books ALL THE TIME


making animal noises:

{case in point: the bunny says "sniff sniff"}

the heat:

{look at those rosy cheeks}

how to make any family photo op impossible:


pigtails:
{and she screams incessantly the whole time i'm knotting those rubber bands...and quite frankly, it brings back disturbing childhood-hair memories...poor lil thing)


burying dadda with all of the babies at gammy's and bapa's house:


how to make the touch-down signal (you can just imagine how proud this makes her dadda):

how to prepare for wimbledon:


and the most recent favorite discovery.....drummroolllllll....
the zoo:

{Ellie was pretty amazed that all of the animals in her books were real. this was her amazed face. i'm so glad we caught it}

{then she started pointing at everything as if to say: mom, are you seeing this? people, are we safe? }


{once she got over that initial surprise and worry, she really started enjoying herself...and couldn't hold back the smiles and gasps. so cute}

and so, my one-year-old has just only begun to discover the world...
and i've just begun to discover how much love i could have for another little person.
stay tuned for many more discoveries to come.

xoxo