I Like To Move It, Move It

Pulling things off of shelves.

Elsie has been on the move for 3 months now. Yes, that's right — she started a worm-like maneuver when she was just over 5 months old. Shocking that the second child who is rarely held figured things out so quickly, huh! Well, boy did she ever and the gal never stops now. She can crawl with the best of 'em and I imagine sings this tune to herself at least a few times over the course of a day. 

It's been fun to watch her interact more with her older brother, especially when it comes to the classic "It's mine" toy debacle. They enjoy a good tug-of-war every now and then and have also started wrestling. Luckily, they seem to rein it in before anyone gets hurt, although I do wonder if they're going to grow up to be those siblings who bite each other. Yikes!

Push ups in her Halloween costume.

She started pulling herself up on the couch (and us) a couple weeks ago and this morning I saw her squat a little so I'm going to go ahead and predict she'll master walking before her 1st birthday. Go Elsie go!

Literally on his heels.

Heading into the kitchen to bake herself a pie.

She legitimately won this match.

Both trying to open the Goro's Christmas package.

Look at me! I'm always in my PJs.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! How does 2015 feel so far? Futuristic? I wish I could say I stayed up to see the clock strike 12 but, to the surprise of probably no one, I fell asleep at 10:30. Luckily, I got to experience the first few hours of 2015 with my lovely daughter Elsie who woke up at 3am with a poop that not only exploded out of her diaper and through her three layers of pajamas but also onto her bleary-eyed mother. Thanks Els! I think she enjoyed that 3am bath just as much as I did.

We had a great Christmas in Ireland. With the excitement of Santa, a big family Christmas dinner, St. Stephens' Day dinner and Elsie's Christening all happening right after each other, it was a good week of unwrapping presents, playing, eating and socializing.

Instead of flying to Dublin like we usually do, we decided to take the ferry to Belfast this time. And, despite a longgggggg detour due to a landslide on the way there, it was a great move. The kids did fab in the car, the ferry was a blast and we got to bring (and take home) a LOT of stuff. Any way to avoid the wear-everything-you-own-situation-just-to-make-your-bag-light-enough for Ryanair works for me!

Here are some photo highlights of our trip:

Jammies all day

William, Elsie and her godfather Anthony

Kids table on Christmas

Elsie's Christening cake

We got hitched!

After nine years together, William and I got married November 21st at 2:30pm. We were thrilled both our families could make it (despite us giving them six weeks notice!) and a lot of our Edinburgh friends.

A couple highlights from the day -

- Getting my hair done by the fabulous Lesleyanne Kearns.

- My dad (who arrived in Edinburgh two hours before the ceremony) left his glasses in the taxi from the airport so I took him and my mom to a drug store on the Royal Mile on the way to the Registrar to get a pair.

- Then, because we were early (and tired), we stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee before walking the rest of the way up the Mile. Some great comments from the Starbucks baristas!

- Keeley and Freddie walking down the aisle holding hands. Margaret, the only one with her hands free, holding Elsie, a bottle and a burp rag.

- Anna having the rings instead of Stephen (and because Freddie decided last minute to hold Keeley's hand instead of the rings).

- Walking down the aisle with my parents and trying to hold it together.

- Nursing Elsie in the car right outside the Lothian Chambers building.

- Driving to our reception at Hemma with Freddie plugging his ears and yelling 'I don't like loud noise! No like loud noise!" (our exhaust pipe broke that morning)

- Great food and friends. Fun to have all the kiddos!

- Celebrating our 'honeymoon' by my nieces, two of my sisters, myself and Freddie getting the flu. Ha!


Thanks SO much to the talented Raymond Keith for taking our photos.