Cute Pix

Here are some pictures of Elyse that I thought were worth passing along:

I got these sunglasses when I went to the eye doctor. Elyse like wearing them on her head.

Elyse just needing a cuddle with Mommy.

Elyse likes to climb up in her bouncy seat and just hang out.

Here Elyse is trying on Mommy's shoes.

Where's Your Head?

When asked, "Where's your head?" Elyse responds by doing this:

Caught in the Rain

The other day Elyse and I went shopping. Right as we were about to leave the store it began to pour outside and I, of course, left the umbrella in the car. There were two options: wait it out or make a run for it. For those who live in Texas you know that the rain could stop after a minute or go on for a long time. I decided that this was going to be a long storm and didn't want to wait it out. So I grabbed Elyse in one hand and the folded up stroller in the other and went out into the rain.

I got to the car and couldn't open the door. Finally it opened and Elyse and I sat in the back and we both began to laugh. We were soaked! This is the first time Elyse and I laughed together at something (where I wasn't tickling her). She was looking at herself in the mirror and was laughing. I buckled her up and got myself into the front seat and...it stopped raining. Ahhh! Oh, well, the rain allowed a great memory. This picture is of Elyse after we got home.

Stats

One year ago Elyse weighed 7 lbs 5 oz and was 19 in long. Today Elyse weighs 19 lbs and is 28 1/2 in tall. She is in the 25th percentile in both categories. Can you imagine more than doubling your weight and growing about 10 inches in a year?!
It is amazing how babies grow in their first year.

Details

On Elyse's birthday we had a great day. Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt were in town for Elyse's birthday so we decided to spend the morning at the pool. Elyse lounged, splashed and had a great time with her grandparents. We then went back to the house for lunch. For dessert Elyse had her first taste of ice cream. She wasn't too sure at first (perhaps because of how cold it was) but she seemed to like it. After ice cream, Elyse opened presents and then took a nap. In the afternoon we went to Gymboree which is always fun.

The Saturday following Elyse's birthday, we had a party. Her friends (and their parents) came over to play. We ate sandwiches and had some butterfly cake (which I made, thank you very much). She got some great presents, but it seemed like the thing she had the most fun with was a card made out of wrapping paper. She kept waving it around and putting it in her mouth. She had a great time with it.

Overall I think Elyse had a memorable first birthday.

We Are Moving

To some of you this will be quite a shock, for others it will be a confirmation of a rumor. We are moving... to Singapore. As of now our departure date is October 1, but this could change. We will be gone for about 18 months. This is a great opportunity to experience a new culture. Although the next couple months will be crazy, we are looking foward to this move.

Elyse is 1!!

Here are some pictures from Elyse's birthday. More details to come.