Merry Christmas

I know I know I've been a terrible blogger lately but hopefully since I have a new camera and a great new laptop I'll be a little better. You have to bear with me though as I get used to this camera. It's nothing fancy but I'm still learning all the settings and it's making for some pretty rough pictures. I wanted to share our Christmas with you anyway though! We decided last year that with Alfred's work schedule and the fact that I want Kingston to wake up in his own house on Christmas morning that we wouldn't travel. So this year we went to Candlelight Service at church which was beautiful and moving and just wonderful, I, however, didn't get any pictures of that so you'll have to use your imagination.
On Christmas morning Kingston woke up and had no idea what was going on. We took him upstairs to the bonus room and he immediately ran to this Harley Davidson Power Wheel toy that his Great Grandma sent.
Next he opened his first ever pair of Converse and he loved them. For the rest of the day I would say "What's the Reason for the Season?" Hoping he would say "Jesus" but instead he would say "Shoes." I think he might just take after me after all!

He loved his tent and tunnel and of course this item meant rearranging the bonus room yet again! But it's worth it to see him having such a great time!

After we opened all the gifts we put his new booster to use and put the high chair in the attic for a few months before Beckett needs it! He does really good with it and really likes eating like a big boy! Now if we could only get a little bit better with those utensils!

After all the morning festivities we decided to take Kingston to see his very first theater movie! Alvin and the Chipmunks Squeaqel. He did so good during the movie. He only squirmed around a little and laughed and cheered! We all had a blast!

It was a great Christmas! And our last as a family of 3 which is crazy to imagine! But we are so excited to see what the future holds for our little family! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas too! And took a moment to realize the true "Reason for the Season" and no it's not "Shoes"!

Baby Boy 2-Week 21

It's official all my intuitions were wrong and despite how very different this pregnancy is we are having another little boy. And we couldn't be happier. I haven't cared one way or the other from the beginning but I dreamed about a little girl and everyone I talked to was certain I was having a little girl. We named her Scarlett Inez and never really thought of boy names. We had the most awesome ultrasound tech this time around and we were discussing which I would prefer and I was telling her my pros for a boy and I went to launch into my pros for a girl and she said let me stop you right there Kingston's going to have a brother. I said "Obviously" as she showed me and we all laughed and it was perfect. Exactly how it was meant to be. We of course got to look at many more of his features. We think he looks a lot like his brother but then again I'm sure we are just making ourselves see that. He hid his face a lot when we tried to see him in 4D and he put his hands behind his head once like Kingston does and we laughed. I was worried since I've been through this all before that it wouldn't be as special this time around but it was! Seeing him for the first time was just amazing!! And of course his heart and lungs and brain and everything looked just "perfect". They actually said the word perfect to us so much we went out right after our appointment and bought a onesie that said perfect. It's officially his first article of clothing that's not a hand me down! Since then we've been trying to come up with a name so we don't have to keep calling him Baby Boy! It's rough since I love Kingston's name so much I want to come up with an equally perfect name for this little boy. We have a few ideas and we hope to narrow it down really soon.
As for me! I'm doing great! Right on track with everything. I've started incorporating some maternity clothes into my wardrobe but I can wear some of my regular clothes too so not much has changed there. I'm not sick anymore and for the most part I'm feeling pretty good. I've had a little bit of heart burn and my back is hurting a little but I'm still running about 3 miles at a time and doing 5K's whenever I get the chance. And so far I've had no swelling which was a big problem the last time. The 2nd trimester is pretty darn good!
As for big brother Kingston he's been doing a lot too and I really need to catch you up on his little life which I hope to do in the next few days! We've been pretty busy lately but that's not an excuse to not catch you up on our first little boy!! And as always It's great to be an Eller (even a pregnant Eller)!

Baby Eller-17 Weeks Pregnant

We had our 17 week appointment yesterday and it might have been the sweetest appointment yet. Kingston's daycare was closed yesterday for Veteran's Day and I didn't plan my appointment very well so we had no option but to take him with us, which didn't bother us but keeping a 1 year old entertained in a doctors office for 40 minutes can take some patience. When it came time to hear the heartbeat though Kingston looked at the doctor like she was awesome and started dancing around. She let us listen for about 3 minutes because Kingston loved it so much. My heart melted! I know Kingston didn't understand what it was but seeing him already interacting with his little sibling means the world to me!
Everything else looked great! The heartbeat sounds wonderful, I'm finally gaining weight since I'm not sick all the time and I got the controversial H1N1 vaccine! Our next appt. is Dec. 2nd. This is the one we've been waiting for! The one where we find out if we will be bringing home a sister or a brother! It can't come quick enough for me, I want to know right now! I have very little patience when it comes to this kind of stuff!

Kingston Chronicles

This edition of Kingston Chronicles is dedicated to Kingston's 18th month birthday! However, it's a little late since he turned 18 months old on September 24 and he's about to be 19 months old in a couple of days. Oh well I'm getting to it now and we've been really busy :)!!! So let's start with the stats:

Weight: 22 pounds 13.04 percentile

Length: 30.5 inches 7.86 percentile

head circumference: 18.9 inches 57.25 percentile

So what do you do when your baby turns 18 months old!! Have a half birthday party of course!! And what's a birthday party without a birthday cake!!

I think Kingston loved his birthday cake!! Or he just had one heck of a sugar rush :)!! This mess is spaghetti mixed with birthday cake, not the best idea we've ever had!

And we have one busy 18 month old these days!!
He's been "running" 5K's with his mom and dad (and our running friend Jodi of course)-rain or shine!! And we're even in a Monday night running group downtown and he's the mascot and loves the people in the group! Of course they spoil him!

He spends a lot of time loving on his mommy which is just fine with me!! The free unsolicited kisses are the best!

And of course he went to his first UGA game with mommy and daddy at Vandy and GA won! It was a cold game but we had a blast and we were yet again reminded this kid can sleep anywhere! He fell asleep 4th quarter laying on Alfred!

As for other things in his 18 month old life. He says quite a few words. And is starting to answer our questions correctly! He can repeat a lot of words and has started saying words unprompted. He still loves to dance and loves Barney and the Wiggles and Sesame Street. He is a very social little guy and has never met a stranger. He strikes up conversations with strangers in the grocery store. He loves pushing everything from the kitchen chairs to the shopping cart. He has still only woken us up during the night about 5 times since he was 4 months old. The kid loves his sleep. He is a great eater. He loves fruit and will try most anything you put in front of him. He does break down sometimes. Mainly when you won't give him what he wants. He hits at times and gets put in time out. He does very well in time out and hugs and kisses you afterward as if to say I'm so sorry. He is overall a wonderful little dude and I wouldn't want him any other way!! Happy 18 months baby boy mommy and daddy think you're pretty amazing!!

Baby Eller-12 Weeks

Has it really been 4 weeks since my last post? I guess that's what happens when you're sick all the time :)! Oh well at least I know it's all worth it in the end. At this months appt. we got to hear the sweetest sound on Earth. Our little babies heartbeat! It was wonderful adn perfect according to Dr. M! I forget how easy it is to fall in love with a woosh woosh woosh and know that in just a few months you will be holding that little person in your arms, getting to know there little personality and falling more in love then you ever thought imaginable and this time we know what that will be like and we have Big Brother Kingston to thank for paving the way and teaching us what a joy parenthood truly is! So all's well and until next month mommy and baby will keep growing :)! (Although at this appt. Mommy is down a few more pounds due to chronic sickness but I know that will all change soon enough!)

Baby Eller - 8 Weeks Pregnant

When we talked about having another baby and decided the time was right I figured I had it all figured out since I'd done this before. That couldn't have been further from the truth. This time around I've been really sick which didn't happen at all last time! This time around I have a toddler to take care of so I don't get to lay around all the time. This time is just different, I don't exactly know how to put it in words. It's different because we are giving Kingston a sibling. It's different because I know this time around how much in love with this baby I'm going to be because we've been here before. I can't wait to see Kingston with his little brother or sister. I can't wait to be a family of 4. But even before that I can't wait to hear the beat of the heart, to feel the first kick, to see the first ultrasound, to decide on a name, to decorate the nursery, to fall in love with someone more than I ever thought possible without laying an eye on them! As different as it's been it's still wonderful!

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend Kingston and I headed to Ohio to see my family and hang out with my best friend since Kindergarten and her family. We had a blast catching up and laughing until my sides hurt! The kids had a blast too! They played in the yard for hours despite the rain! Kingston of course spent a lot of the time pushing around there push toys since that's still his favorite thing to do! (Sorry the pictures sideways, I didn't realize until it was too late and I wasn't redoing the entire thing to change it, so tilt your head :)!

And when he wasn't doing that he was playing a little badminton! He's not very good yet but if he's anything like his Aunt Amanda and I he will soon be a pro. We used to spend hours every evening volleying badminton in our back yard! I still love the game!

All summer the boys have been growing watermelons at Mimi's and Pawpaw's. They've been in a contest with my Uncle Wilkie who actually didn't even grow watermelon's this year due to a heart condition but made them think he did, and boy were they competitive. This morning was the ceremonial watermelon picking day that they've been waiting on, and one of the main reasons Kingston and I made the journey! And wouldn't you know it rained. But that didn't stop them from picking thier prize!

And good thing because it sure was tasty!!

After a 6 hour ride back home we finally got to see Daddy who was thrilled to have us back!! I think he had a rough time this weekend since his Dawgs lost and we weren't here to console him!!

Tomorrow we go to our first Dr's appt. for the newest Eller! We are beyond excited! This time is so different because we already know the joys of parenthood and can't wait to do it again! I can't believe I'm already 8 weeks pregnant today! But enough about that I'll dedicate an entire post to the first 8 weeks tomorrow!

Kingston Chronicles

Friday morning we headed down to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital so that Kingston could have surgery. Oh course he had to wear his GA outfit for good luck! Mimi came down and went to the hospital with me since we weren't sure when daddy was going to be able to leave inventory at work and get to the hospital. Luckily he made it in plenty of time!

Finally it was time to get in the standard Vandy baby PJ's and head off with the team. This is a picture of Kingston getting a little overwhelmed by all the stuff happening!

I don't have any pictures of Kingston immediately after because we were too busy holding and loving on him! He did wonderful though and other than the 10 stitches you really would have never known he had surgery. Oh course he got some post surgery presents out of the deal. Mimi bought him a pack of match box cars which he loves and daddy took him out and bought him a red bean bag chair so he will have somewhere comfy to sit while he watches the GA games.

This looks like one happy baby to me!!

I have to take just a moment to give a shout out to Vandy Hospital! We are so lucky to have such a fabulous place to take our children should they need care. They not only took exceptional care of Kingston they went out of there way to make Alfred and I feel comfortable. They understood we were handing our little baby over to 12 perfect strangers and he was going to be put to sleep and that all of it was very scary for us. I would rather have not had to do it but since we did I'm so thankful for this hospital and there wonderful staff!

This weekend Kingston and I are heading to Ohio to see my sisters new house and hang out with my family. Alfred is staying behind to work but will be hanging out with friends on Saturday to watch the first GA game of the season! Enjoy your long weekend I know we will be!!

Don't Stop Believing!

This past weekend Alfred and I drove to Louisville to see Journey at the Kentucky State Fair for our Annual concert with our Louisville friends!! We had a blast! And we had great seats!

I even got to sing along with some of my favorite songs!

My wonderful mom drove up to watch Kingston and my friend Annie's 3 kids! Abby her oldest had a blast pushing Kingston through the neighborhood in the stroller!

And all this hanging out made for a tired mommy and Kingston!

I hope you all have a great weekend. Kingston is having his surgery tomorrow morning and I'm super nervous but I've put my confidence in our wonderful Lord and I know he will take care of my little baby! I'll keep you posted!

Kingston Chronicles

This weekend while Alfred had to work Kingston and I went to Louisville for our friend Gavin's 1st Birthday Party. The birthday boy had a blast eating cake, playing with his new toys and hanging out with friends and family!

Kingston had a great time too! He rode, or pushed, all of Gavin's toys everywhere he went!

And we discovered Kingston is a HUGE fan of the slip and slide, of course there shouldn't have been any doubt since he loves all things water!

And speaking of things he loves let's hope he loves sharing come April 20th!

It was time for a Haircut!!

I knew Kingston needed another haircut. It was getting in his eyes and starting to look like a mullet but I couldn't bring myself to do it or have it done where I would have to witness the aftermath! Since he's visiting my family this weekend I mentioned to my sister that it might be a good time to give him a trim since she cuts her boys hair all the time. I was imagining this would happen on Sunday as an afterthought before they brought him home to me and I would be missing him so bad I wouldn't even notice. Not the case. She called me at 7:30 this morning and said check your e-mail I trimmed Kingston's hair and sent you pictures.






I have to admit it does look pretty cute even if I did cry a little!! Not because I don't love it only because my sweet little baby is looking like a little boy!!

Kingston Kronicles

This is the reason Kingston had to have a helmet. That's right folks we have our very own bike rider! Alfred and I have been riding quite a bit lately so we decided rather than riding separately we'd get a baby bike seat so we could all ride together and we're so glad we did because Kingston loves it! Cell phones are something we thought we'd have awhile to worry about but no, Kingston picks them up whenever he sees one and starts gabbing away! I have to admit it's too cute!

Saturday Kingston and I went to A Monkey's Tree house in Bellevue to play and had such a great time. The Lego's were his favorite. If he found them anywhere else he would bring them to the peg board to try to put them on there. I think we have a smarty!

Saturday evening Alfred and I sat up Kingston's pool on the back porch while we worked and played outside and he loved it even if it was a bit cool.

Thursday Kingston is heading to West Virginia for the weekend so he can hang out with my family while Alfred and I go to Brewfest so I'm sure we'll have plenty to tell you about this weekend!

Kingston Kronicles

The Kingston Kronicles is going to be a new edition to Just Us, this is where you can read about all things Kingston. I'm going (hoping) to update this atleast once a week with the things he's been into. For this first edition we're going to share some of Kingston's new favorite things.

Line Dancing! Always the fan of dancing he's now taken it to the next level and in this particular shot he's mastering Soldier Boy!

Glow sticks!! Someone dropped a box and he quickly picked up about 100 of them! Good thing daddy can teach him to dance with them, therefore combining 2 of his favorite things!

Chasing girls! Need I say more?

Playing in boxes while mommy puts his clothes away!

Unrolling all the toilet paper in the house every chance he gets!

And his newest favorite thing required mommy and daddy to make this adorable purchase -- but more about that later! We have to keep you coming back for more Kingston Kronicles!

Boom Boom Pow!

What a difference a year makes!!

4th of July 2008
This fourth of July weekend has been a blast! I got an extra day off work so Kingston and I met our friends Rachel and Oliver at the zoo on Friday for a little fun. Kingston could have cared less about anything except the little water area. Once we got there he was in heaven!! He was such a big kid working his way to the front so he could get splashed, of course when it was time to leave he threw a fit like I was kidnapping him, good thing Rachel had some fig newtons!

Bright and early Saturday morning Kingston and I got up to do the "I run for the Party" 5K downtown with some of work friends. We had a blast even if I did discover too late that I would have to do the race with 2 flat tires on my jogging stroller! Oh well I figure this way I got an extra are workout! And Kingston did much better in this 5K then he did in the Zoo Run when it was freezing outside!



Finally on Saturday night Alfred got some time off so we could go see some fireworks together. Our friend Elizabeth gave us Kingston's patriotic outfit when he was less than a week old in a bag of hand me downs and I've been waiting until this night for him to wear it!



Kingston thought the fireworks were pretty cool. He was very calm during the entire event and just laid on me watching all the pretty colors!


This is the 2ND year in a row we've watched fireworks at the Church by Crockett Park, with our friends. We have such a good time. We get there early have a picnic of Mexican food, play cornhole, listen to music and just hang out until the main event. This year was a little rainier than last but we still had a blast!

We have one more party to go to tonight then it's back to work for mama! I hope all of you had a safe 4Th of July!