Elimena

Canberra in March

2008-05-13T19:01:00.003+10:00

Back in March, Mum & Dad took me to Canberra so they could go to Karie & Dave's wedding. Nanny Paul came along too to keep me company while the parentals were out partying.

While down there, we enjoyed some time in the sun near Old Parliament House.

We didn't have a camera with us, so as you can see from the photos, it took me a while to work out what Dad was doing with his BlackBerry.

One day the gate will be open...

2008-05-13T18:16:00.002+10:00

Occasionally Mum & Dad leave the front door open, and I always take the chance to go exploring. (Who wants to be cooped up inside all day?)

Dad was sooo surprised the first time he left the door open for me, I crawled straight out and up the stairs to the gate. (He didn't realise I could do that... hee.. hee...)

The joy of a cold dark picnic

2008-05-13T05:43:00.002+10:00

It's Friday afternoon, daylight saving has just finished, and you get a call from your friends saying "How about a picnic in the park for dinner?". Sounds like a great idea, particularly when your first summer has been too wet for much picnic action.

Next thing you know, you're enjoying warm conversation and food during a cold, dark evening picnic. That's the sort of crazy time you have with great friends like Chantelle, Jason, Griet & Harvey!!

Sensibly, we headed back to their place for a nice warm bath and a sleep while the parents kicked on.

Mother's group

2008-05-13T05:22:00.003+10:00

Ever since I was a little girl, Mum and I regularly have met with her mother's group. Lucky for me, they were also a great group of kids. We've been friends our whole life and you really do form a special bond when you've grown up together.

A couple of months ago (March 8), we brought along the Dad's for a picnic lunch.

Sorry for the delay in posting this, but Mum & Dad have been really busy so computer access has been difficult.

1st Birthday Party

2008-05-13T05:05:00.004+10:00

On the weekend we had a small family get together for my 1st birthday. It was the first time I'd thrown a party, so I didn't want to make a big deal about it. But, it had all the essentials: good company, cake and presents. (Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Wallace for the piccies!)

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-05-09T07:15:00.003+10:00

So this means cake, yeah?

11 months: onwards & upwards!

2008-04-11T21:16:00.002+10:00

Oh so big!

* I am now a tooth monster - with SIX teeth :) My seventh one came through at eleven months and 1 day.
* I am now a master crawler. I also love climbing/walking around things as I hold on to them.
* I love playing interactive games like rolling the big pink plastic ball back and forth or knocking down towers that YOU build.
* My favourite foods are still weetbix, yoghurt & fruit. Although I love eating the sand in the sand pit at play-care.
* Mum loves that I am an expert snuggler :)
* My favourite toys are the box from my new car seat, the musical table and the ball pit at play-care.
* I am an expert at going up stairs but really not so good at getting back down again.

Where to next?

Mug shot

2008-04-07T17:43:00.003+10:00

I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything!

Seriously though ... I can't say since I've never been overseas, but it's hard to believe that anything is worth the damage to my reputation that a photo where I cannot smile or show any emotion has to be taken.

Sweet or Savoury?

2008-03-23T09:52:00.009+11:00

Happy Easter!

To celebrate mum and dad had this kind of egg (see picture below, left). I had the other yummier sort of egg (see picture below, right). They did make me have a weetbix and some fruit first, but it was worth it.

Yummo - my first taste of chocolate and I want more!

Mum gave me a piece of bacon midway. She was trying to see whether I preferred sweet or savoury foods. So I confused her. I put the bacon in my egg and kept eating them both! If you look closedly you can see it below.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day?

2008-03-17T20:29:00.004+11:00

Look what mum did to me on St. Patrick's Day :(
I was the laughing stock of PlayCare.
Can I trade mum in on E-Bay?

Oh and since you can't read it, my shirt says "I've got Irish roots" and I was decked out from head to toe in green stuff :)

Mountain or mole hill?

2008-03-14T01:48:00.000+11:00

Hey Mum,
This is not going to work as a barrier for very long.........
Love Eli xx

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2008-03-13T21:14:00.008+11:00

After I do this.....

I like to do this.......

Some more piccies

2008-03-06T20:35:00.004+11:00

Giggles with Mum

2008-03-05T17:32:00.003+11:00

After a long day apart, nothing beats some quality time playing with Mum.

Video: GigglesWithMum.wmv (2.3MB) | GigglesWithMum-Small.wmv (0.7MB)

Special moments

2008-03-02T17:41:00.000+11:00

Occasionally Dad goes on about special moments he's had with us:

Mum 8.5 months pregnant and madly painting walls at 10pm during the crazy "let's paint the nursery" renovation that included changing just about everything in the house. (Disclaimer: Dad was the crazy one with scope creep, not Mum).
Seeing me open my eyes for the first time, about 10mins after I was born.
Family swimming at Milson's Point.
Exploring the house together on hands and knees.

My personal recollections of these events can be summarised as sloshy, bright, splashy & freedom.

Mum left me!

2008-02-23T16:00:00.002+11:00

Last Saturday night, Mum left me overnight for the first time ever. She was off to Karie's hens night. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but dad and I had a blast.

Hens night...does that have anything to do with BBQ chook?

Fuzz-ball or Fuzz-Eli-Bear?

2008-02-22T01:55:00.003+11:00

Check this out Uncle Gav?

I've come a long way :)

mmmm....me like BBQ chook!

2008-02-21T21:37:00.005+11:00

Yes the foot does help.....

One small crawl for Eli, one giant leap for household safety

2008-02-20T23:58:00.004+11:00

On Monday night, I learned some things...

The lounge room is connected to the hallway. The hallway is connected to the dining room. The dining room is connected to the office. The office is next to the bedroom. And, I can follow Mum into the kitchen!

While dancing, reversing and short sprints have been my focus until now; tonight Dad and I went on a crawling exploration of the whole house.

I admit that I hesitated for a moment before leaving the lounge room for the first time, but man that hallway floor is slippery. I also admit that I have to stop for a breather every few metres, but Dad's legs are a lot longer than mine. But, I will say this ... I've crawled everywhere man, I've crawled everywhere!

Mum, Dad, you are on notice... I now know the layout of the house. I know that I can follow you places. I can crawl into bins, I can find powerpoints, I can reprogram your home theatre system, I love pulling cables and I will slam my fingers in drawers.

Video: Crawling.wmv (2MB) | Crawling-Small.wmv (0.6MB)

More crawling...

2008-02-16T13:19:00.004+11:00

I was such a baby last week, I could only crawl backwards...but now I can go any direction I like :) I can go backwards, forwards, round in circles AND I can pull my self up on things. There is no stopping me now!

Too many to count

2008-02-10T20:26:00.001+11:00

It is confirmed...I have five teeth. I may be a little backward on the crawling / mobility front but I'm moving ahead in leaps and bounds in the toothipeg department. Hey look, once I work these things out I don't muck around :)

9 months: moving and grooving

2008-02-09T22:29:00.000+11:00

What else I have been perfecting in the last month?

I now have four and a half teeth. Two up the top, two down the bottom and you can see another one up the top just about to poke through.

I am much better at using "mum" and "dad". Other words I like to say are bah bah bah and bub bub bub.

Crawling-ish...but I told you all about that yesterday :)

I know that a smile will get me anything! Especially at day care.

I am a champion eater. I have three solid meals and three milk bottles a day. My favourite foods are still yogurt and fruit. I also like cruskits with cream cheese and toast soldiers with avocado and vegemite.

As I am more mobile now, mum and dad have made the sides of the cot bigger? After my sleeps, I like to sit up in the cot waiting to be picked up.
So the other morning I sat up ready to go but I forgot to call out to mum and dad know to come and get me. So when they came in to get me later, I had fallen asleep sitting up.

I've become pretty much immune to all the colds / rashes / viruses at daycare (for now). The last half of this month has been illness free.

I like to bop in time to music.

I have lots more hair all of a sudden. Since I don't like being called Grizz-eli-bear...the olds have started with Fuzz-Ball or Fuzz-eli-bear.

Backwards is the only way....?

2008-02-08T22:02:00.000+11:00

Well I'm nine months now so it's time to get on the move. I have always been particularly active moving around the cot as I am getting to sleep but now I want to start keeping up with the big kids. So I have decided to give this crawling thing a go. Let me tell you it is not as easy as it seems...for some reason I can only go backwards?

Unfortunately, because I can only go backwards, I keep ending up stuck under things. Its okay though - Dad saves me :)

There were 3 in the bed...

2008-01-25T08:13:00.000+11:00

... cause the little one said "I'm sick & lonely".

So they finally rolled over and let her in. As she hit the bed you could hear Mum croon "Please remember to cuddle mum all the time, queen size beds are only made for 2."

There were 3 in the bed cause the tired Mum said "I'm tired & squashed".

So mum rolled away with Eli next to Dad. As she breathed in his face you could hear Dad plead "Please remember that I'm a light sleeper, queen size beds are only made for 2."

There were 2 in the bed cause the weary Dad said "I'm tired & cramped".

So Dad rolled over and put Eli to bed. As she hit the cot you could hear her shout "Please remember to love me when I'm sick, queen size beds are meant for family."

Call me

2008-01-24T05:47:00.000+11:00

Although my first instinct is to "chew you out", I cheer up pretty fast after that.

Video: CallMe.wmv (2.2MB) | CallMe-Small.wmv (0.6MB)