A City Life For Me

  Gypsy doesn’t know what to think about Elaine.  When Elaine was crying (early) this morning during a diaper change Gypsy came running from the next room to check out the strange sound! The hat is so appropriate for my dad, whom we refer to as “The Grinch” around this time of year.  It says, "Bah Humbug!” Elaine has been so fascinated with Lucky (the deer) on the wall.  Here Ben held her up for a closer look! We finally got Uncle Kenny to hold Elaine.  Both Kenny & Wes have been reluctant to hold her because they “don’t do babies.”  I’m not sure that Elaine does Uncles! Gypsy, Grandpa, and Lainey

Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve at my Grandparents’ house.  This was the first time my mom’s family had met Elaine, and she was the center of attention!  I enjoyed getting some generational photos.  Elaine with Great-Grandma Paul ' The Paul Generations – Andrea, Great-Grandma & Grandpa/MaryLou & Don Paul, Elaine, and Sherry/Grandma Godby The Paul Women – Andrea, MaryLou, Elaine, and Sherry My dad’s normal position on Christmas Eve – this pose has become a tradition! My Uncle Scott with Elaine.  She fell asleep and enjoyed most of the evening in his lap!

We hope that everyone is enjoying this special holiday as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!  Ben, Elaine, and I flew into Denver on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my parents and brothers.  Elaine did very well on both flights.  She slept straight through our flight from Norfolk to Baltimore, and though she was awake for most of the flight to Denver, she hardly made a peep!  Grandma and Grandpa were waiting and already fighting over who would get to hold her first.  (Grandma won :-) We went to my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family.  My Grandparents had a special treat as their son Nathan called from Indonesia.  It was a nice Christmas present for them.  My Grandma did something very neat with her gifts to the grandkids.  She told us how her daddy (who died when she was nine) used to her and her siblings to look at Christmas lights on Christmas.  When they got home there was always a gif...

That’s right.  Here in Virginia Beach.  Snow.  Enough to coat the car.  Big enough flakes so that you could tell it was snowing.  Elaine was all geared up to see snow for the first time when we go to Colorado for Christmas.  But she was able to see it tonight…here in Virginia Beach! Andrea & Elaine in front of the car so that you can tell we had snow Elaine got all bundled up in her snowsuit and hat & scarf to go outside and see the snow.  Andrea won the customized hat & scarf set in a blog giveaway.  Aren’t they cute?

Three guesses who this jacket came from… That’s right – Grandpa Godby!   Three possibilities why Elaine is unhappy: 1.  She misses her Grandpa 2.  She is too young to go hunting 3.  She lost her paci You decide! I just couldn’t get a happy picture. “Okay Grandpa.  I guess I can wait a few years to go hunting.”

Here’s a video from our teen Christmas party.  The teens played Taboo, then several very loud rounds of Pit.  They really get into this game!  We have seven teens, and it is an eight player game.  Ben was the eighth and I sat out to take care of Elaine.  So…I got to take video.  Here are the teens in action:"

We hosted a Christmas Party for the teens in our youth group.  We had a fun night.  Here they are: Hannah Stowe, Melissa Hafner, Kayla Russell, Kayla Hafner, Ben, Zach Russell, Josh Dietrich, Arron Dietrich Sometimes they get a little crazy…

Elaine is feeling much better!  She was even up to making a movie!  She just wanted to say “Hi” to Grandma & Grandpa Godby and Grandma & Grampa Hamilton!  Enjoy!

I want to start a new “series” of blog posts.  Every Wednesday I will post a picture, and let it do the talking.  I was inspired with the idea from another blogger, Suburban Saving Mama.  This is the first one…

Elaine was hungry and Mommy was finished her own supper, so Daddy improvised.  Take a look…

It has been just over five weeks since I went to th e hospital and gave birth to my precious Elaine.   It has been a learning experience packed with joy and special moments.  There are a few things that I have learned which I did not expect to be the case in this thing called “mothering.” For baby, it’s about the basics: sleep, food, and a clean diaper.  Everything else is superfluous.  Sleep for Mom is overrated.  I can still (sort of) function on a night that was short a few hours of my normal sleep time. Pacifiers are life-savers.  I had not intended to give Elaine a binky, but it has become my best friend. There are few things that are eternal.  God is eternal.  Life is eternal if you know Him as your Savior.  And the pile of laundry in my house is definitely eternal.  Just when I think it is all caught up, the dirty laundry fairy does something to make the pile reappear!  For a little person, Elaine generates the ...

It has been a while since I have posted a couponing/savings post.  That’s because I haven’t been couponing and shopping very much lately!  I stocked up the cupboards and freezer very well before Elaine’s arrival.  On top of that, we had two weeks of meals from the church, Thanksgiving at someone’s house, and the meals I had prepared and frozen.  This month we are attempting to clean out what is left in the freezer & pantry before starting our stock-pile again in January.  While I have not been actively couponing, the coupons have continued to roll in.  And since it is the holiday season, the deals have been even better!  Here are some items that I got for free this week using the holiday coupons which are meant to draw you in and get you to spend more money…   I had four $5 off any purchase of $5 or more coupons for Hallmark.  I used them to get the Nativity ornament, winter votive holders, four Yankee Candle votives, and two birthday c...

This is our family at the annual Christmas Banquet at our church.  Doesn’t Elaine look pretty?   Elaine’s “awake time” is usually between 6 and 11 p.m. (not the whole time, just in there somewhere).  She slept through the entire banquet – from 6 to 10 p.m.  Everyone loved her dress and commented on it.  She was the “belle of the ball” and didn’t even know it!  We were afraid she would be awake all night, but she slept through beautifully!

Do you like our new tree topper? Elaine loves the lights on our tree.  Those are Daddy’s fingers…in case you couldn’t guess! She’s almost there with her head…still needs to work on the side to side thing.  This is Elaine’s Bumbo seat to help develop good posture. The pretty dress that Grandma Godby bought before we knew that Baby Hamilton was a girl!  Elaine wore it for the first time to our church’s Christmas banquet.

While Ben was playing with Elaine last night I captured a couple of funny faces. With her onesie stuck on her head…she looks like a pilgrim or something! After getting a clean diaper…

Here are some videos of Ben playing with Elaine last night.  Enjoy!  

I took these pictures for a project, but I liked them and decided to share them with you.  I was inspired by an example at the portrait studio when Elaine had pictures taken.  There was a frame with about nine openings and different close up shots of the baby – some eyes, a hand, toes, etc.  The caption said “Pieces of Me.”  My mom pointed it out, and I thought I could make it myself with my own pictures.  It’s not quite the same in a blog, but the pictures are still great.             Pieces of Me!

Okay…she was one month old on Saturday.  I’ve been a little remiss in blogging lately.  Today is catch-up day now that the Christmas projects are completed and the cards are mailed. I wanted to finish the dishes, and Elaine was almost ready to fall asleep, so Daddy volunteered for baby duty.  Next thing I knew, they were both conked out on the couch!

 

Since Elaine’s umbilical cord stump fell off on Thanksgiving, she was able to get a real bath for the first time.  We waited until Tuesday night so that Daddy could be on hand to take pictures.  He got some good ones!   “I think I like this…” Please note – I am not supporting her head in this picture.  She is very independent in moving her head even when I am trying to support it!   “Maybe I don’t like this” “I think I’m going to cry” “Ahhh…I love getting my hair washed”   “Bath time isn’t so bad!”  Does it get any better than this?  I love that face!  See the dimple, Grandma?   “Mommy didn’t comb my hair fast enough.  I look like I have a ‘fro”