Playful Weekend

We didn't do a whole lot this weekend but somehow we managed to stay busy. Alfred had to work both Saturday and Sunday so Kingston and I got to spend tons of quality time together!

On Saturday I babysat our friend Phil and Elizabeth's little boy Riley.

This is really the first time Riley and Kingston have been able to play together. Before Kingston was too little to get the concept of playing with another baby! It's amazing how quickly they are growing up. And I was reminded more of that when Riley came over with his parents for dinner on Sunday night wearing a hat and looking like a big boy!

Kingston had a cold all weekend! He took longer naps, had a chapped nose and somehow still managed to be so adorable! He never falls asleep in his swing which is how I know he wasn't feeling the greatest!

But you would never know it 15 minutes later when he woke up rejuvenated and ready to play!

We had a great weekend staying close to home! I didn't want it to end especially when I came out of the bathroom to leave for work this morning and Alfred and Kingston were playing on the bed and I saw this face!! I know he was trying to make it hard for mama to go to work!

Have a happy and safe week!!

We are all officially Ellers!

Wow what a busy few weeks! First I'm officially an Eller!! Alfred and I got married on October 25Th at Union Station. It was a better than perfect day! And by that I mean I couldn't have ask for more! I don't know if it was because I am so in love with him or because so many of our friends and family came from all over to celebrate and celebrate we did but I'm pretty sure it was a little of both! I don't have any pics of Alfred and I at the wedding yet, I was too busy dancing and having a ball but I'll have some in a few weeks when my fabulous photographer (thanks for the referral Sarah these guys were amazing) gets them ready and I'll post some then! Kingston however wore the cutest little tux as you can tell from my banner pic (of course he isn't wearing his jacket in that pic). All in all it was a wonderful day and I thank all of you who came and celebrated with us and I look forward to all of you being in our lives for many anniversaries!

Also this past week was Halloween I might be a little late but I want you to see my little baby Superman!

Actually the city was very safe that night with not one, not two, not three but 4 Supermen!

All my nephews were also Supermen! It was so much fun to get to spend time with my sister and my family for Halloween it has been years since we've been able to do that!

There is so much more I could tell you, like Kingston got his first wagon, met his great grandmother, went to the Pumpkin House with my family. I could tell you about my wonderful honeymoon but you know how much I hate to play catch up so I'll give you the Kingston basics, he has 2 teeth and they are so cute! He can scoot anywhere he wants to go and should probably be crawling anytime now! He's a HUGE fan of mac and cheese and bread, loves those carbs just like his mommy! And he's still as happy as can be! Life just keeps getting better!

I think I can...

Today was a very exciting day! We got our first book from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library "The Little Engine that Could". (If you are a parent check into this) I was so excited when we came home and the book had arrived. First because it was something new for Kingston and I to read and also because it came addressed to Kingston Eller in care of Rachel Eller!! How exciting is that!!!! I know it isn't official yet but it will be in 4 days!! WooHoo! We had a wonderful time reading the book. Well I had a wonderful time reading it and Kingston had a wonderful time watching Laney while sitting on my lap. Oh well he will eventually understand!

And speaking of I think I can, I think I can I think I can!!

I knew I could, I knew I could I knew I could!

It's official folks we have a sitter!! Have a great week!

Fall Has Arrived!

The fall weather has arrived and it is wonderful!! Kingston and I went with Rosanna and Dawson today to Gentry's Pumpkin Farm and it was a blast! We went on a hay ride (well minus the hay of course since apparently they don't put hay on a hayride anymore but that's a different story entirely :), attempted a corn maze and got terribly lost, went on a Nature hike and of course Kingston picked a pumpkin! It was such a beautiful day to do such a wonderful fall event and it gave plenty of time for photo ops!

As for Alfred and I this time next week and yes almost this time exactly we will be husband and wife! We got our marriage license this week and I was like a giddy child I am so excited to take his last name and really make our family official! Of course we had to get pictures of us signing the big marriage book!

With that I say have a great week! And I'm sure I'll update once more as Miss Adams!

Big Babies Hold Bottles!

This weekend was a blast. We headed to Louisville on Saturday where my friends threw us a Wedding Shower/Party. Friends I hadn't seen in ages were there and we hung out and played games until about 2:30 in the morning! What a wonderful wedding preparty! And I would have pics of the party but I was having too much fun and I forgot to take my camera out!

So that we could enjoy our party to the fullest my parents met us there so they could baby sit Kingston and Marcie's little boy Gavin! What a wonderful treat for these 2 little guys and of course for mommies and daddies too! I think it is safe to say dad was in baby heaven!

As for Kingston we have some big news! He is officially a bottle holder! It's been a few weeks coming but now he can feed himself his entire bottle. Of course we have to stay close in case he decides to throw it but this milestone frees up a lot of mommies time in the mornings and besides he's just so darn cute holding that bottle!

And all that bottle holding wears a little guy out!
Have a great week! I'm sure I'll be updating with wedding preperation woes as the week goes on!

A little Catching Up!

OK I said I wasn't going to play catch up and I'm not but I am going to talk about the last two weekends! Two weekends ago we went to West Virginia, well technically Ohio but right across the bridge, for a wedding shower my family was throwing me while there we got to hang out with my family. My mom and Kingston! Dad and Kingston and although you can't see it in this picture he is where all the big blue eyes come from! Kingston and my nephew Corey. Corey was born January 22ND so he and Kingston are 2 months apart! The oldest of the grandsons and the first to steal all of our hearts! Chase, he's 5 and started Kindergarten this year! And then there's our little artist Andrew who is 3, and yes this drawing is hanging on my fridge! And one more of Corey just because I can't resist those big blue eyes trying to break out of the play pin!

This past weekend Kingston went to his first ever birthday party. It was his friend Riley's 1st birthday and it was really fun! Kingston met a few new friends while we were there!

This is Marissa! Thankfully she was just visiting from Macon because the two of them got a little flirty! And mommy and daddy aren't ready for that just yet :)!This is John! Kingston loved him! He kept playing peek a boo, one of Kingston's favorite and Kingston was laughing out load and cracking everyone up!! It was a wonderful party and of course I have to end with the birthday boy, Riley and his cake!

Not Catching Up!

So it's been awhile and I'm not playing catch up for everything that's happened over the last few months I'm just going to dive back in and let you know where we are and where we are going and try really hard to blog more! I think changing my background to something I love will help :)! Well Kingston is 6 months old and we celebrated with a 1/2 birthday cake!

Kingston enjoyed it so much as you can probably tell from the picture to the left! We had a great day as we do most days with such a happy little guy! Kingston can do so much these days. He's eating green beans, squash, sweet potatoes (his favorite of course), plums, peaches, bananas, apples, carrots, small bites of cheese when he can guilt us into giving it to him. All of which I make in the food processor. And for someone who hates to cook I've really enjoyed doing this!
He loves sitting in his walker so he's at Laney's level so they can play together. And Laney does so well with him!
He's a great little sleeper! He goes to bed at 8:00 and wakes up about 6:00 just in time to get ready for daycare! We really couldn't ask for much more!

As for Alfred and I we've been planning a wedding which will take place in 18 days!! It's been really fun and difficult all at the same time! The planning part has not been as fun as I expected but knowing that I get to marry such a wonderful guy that I love with all my heart is just amazing! And speaking of that wonderful amazing guy he's in Chattanooga all week so I'll have plenty of time to blog while I'm missing him! That's all for now hopefully I'll get back to this again this week and post pictures from a birthday party we went to this weekend! And thanks once again Sarah for your 1 year post which inspired me to keep up!

Childhood Dreams

As I sit here on the brink of my 30th birthday with Alfred at work staring at my sleeping son I wonder what his dreams will be. What he will do to acheive those?
I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't want to be an attorney. I was never the little girl that wanted to be the mother at Kindergarten play time I wanted to be the Principal because he was the most powerful person I knew. In high school my aspirations were to be a lawyer and then work my way into Politics because that is where I thought the difference took place. Once I was in college I was going to use my Speech and Debate career to get into Law School and then become a Political Speech Writer so I could make a difference. Sometime between taking the LSAT and filling out the paper work I lost my drive. I was tired of going to school and wanted to make some money before I went back to get my Law degree. Well that was 6 years ago and I'm still talking about when I go back to school. The thing is even though I'm 30 I still see myself as that naive 19 year old that thought I could change the world with one speech, one election, one dream. When people ask me what I do I tell them but I always say "But that's for now, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up". My question is when do I grow up? If it isn't graduation, my first job, my first house,having a child, turning 30...then when is it. When is it time to realize that I will probably never be an attorney, I will most likely never be on the cover of people and I will not write a speech that high school kids will have to memorize. Because even as I type this I can't use the word never because I still think in the back of my mind that when I grow up I will be an attorney and I will change the world and everyone will know me.
For now I'm satisfied helping my son write his future and changing the lives of those I love for the better everyday. I will continue to have the dreams of my youth while striving to move forward as an adult and I think that even though the 5 year old me never saw myself where I am now she would be proud of the person I have grown up to be and she would even play the mom sometimes and enjoy it more than she ever thought she could! Happy 30th birthday to me! It's better then I could have ever dreamed!

Motherhood and such!

Well this is my first Mother's Day and what a wonderful day it's been. I didn't expect or need anything because the pure joy of being Kignston's mother has been gift enough. He is an absolutely amazing child and watching him grow everyday is such a treat. I can't believe I have the joy of being his mother. In the 7 weeks that he's been here I've gotten to know so much about him and I've fallen in love with things I have forgotten about. Long walks in the park, sitting in the sun reading a book, roller skating, laughing for no reason, the true gift of family. He has made me slow down, be a kid again see things thru a new pair of eyes. At times it has been tough but even the tough times are pure joy. It's made me love my parents even more than I did which I didn't think was possible. It's made me strive to be a better friend. It's made me fall in love with Alfred the father as well as the man. And speaking of Alfred even though I didn't need a present for Mother's Day I awoke to a wonderful gift that brought tears to my eyes.

My friend Sarah took these and many more wonderful pictures a few weeks ago and Alfred took those and made me this beautiful collage. I am so blessed.

Now on to a pretty big week, not only is Kingston turning 7 weeks but I'm turning 30 this week and we are taking Kingston on his first road trip, to see Alfred's parents in Macon, GA. It should be a very eventful week so I should have plenty to blog about. Until next time Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers!

Playing Catch up!

This post will be all about playing catch up and I promise to get better at posting and by better I mean at least once a week!! So let's start with the basics, Kingston is 5 weeks old and weighed 8lbs. 12 oz. on Monday. Our big milestone for this week is that he moved up to the big boy bottle. He is now consistently eating 4 oz. so we have him trying for 5. With the increase in food has came a slight increase in sleep which probably would be better if he didn't have a cold which makes him cough. Apparently he has his mom's allergies.

Kingston is starting to really interact with us a lot more. We go to the park or walk in our neighborhood almost every evening and he loves to be in his carrier so that he can look up at us and see what were doing.

This also adds a little extra weight which will help mommy get back in shape!

and...

Kingston still really loves sleeping with his daddy on the couch!

And speaking of sleep. Kingston has yet to sleep anywhere other than in bed with us. We have a snuggle nest which is a thing that allows a baby to sleep in there own little bed that is in bed between the 2 of you and since we have a King size bed we thought this would be a wonderful idea for the first few weeks the only problem is that we've all gotten so used to it I don't know how we are going to break the habit, but for now it's working for everyone but I see a change happening as soon as he cuts out one of his nightly feedings! But I'm sure when that happens he will spend an entire night perfecting a skill he's already great at.... pouting and crying!!

As for Alfred and I, we are having a blast being parents. I was at my friend Natalina's baby shower the other day and I realized something while I was sitting there. The person I was last year could have never imagined the person I've become. I was talking baby items and tips with my friend Sarah who is also a new mother, I was talking labor with a few ladies who are due to have babies in the next few months. I never imagined myself as that person but now that I am I can't imagine that I was ever meant to be anything else but Kingston's mom but the balance between the person I was and the person I am has been a hard one to figure out. I still want to go out with friends, work, be independent but at the same time I'm a mom. It's been hard for me not to feel guilty at times for either choosing to leave Kingston at home and go out or say no to my friends and stay with him. But overall I've been managing a pretty good balance and I have to attribute a lot of that balance to Alfred for letting me still be me sometimes while he keeps the baby. And at the end of the day we are more in love then we've ever been and I can't imagine taking this journey with anyone else by my side!! My family rocks!!

Changes

Well little Kingston is 2 weeks and 1 day old and is weighing in at 6lbs. 8oz. according to our doctors visit yesterday. Everything was sailing along rather smoothly in parent world until Sunday night. Kingston who has been on a remarkable schedule decided to get off that schedule. He woke up screaming every hour and demanded food. Being the novice mother that I am I put a bottle in his mouth to keep him quiet so that Alfred and I could get some sleep. Poor Alfred had to drag himself out of bed at 4:30AM to get ready for his first day back at work since Kingston's arrival. So with daddy off to work it was mommy's first day home alone. About 7:30 AM Kingston started making a strange sound and then projectile vomited all over our bed, my hair, his own hair. Turns out babies will overeat if you let them.

Needless to say we spent the better part of yesterday evening trying to distract Kingston from eating so we could get him back on schedule and so far it seems to have worked and we have our Good Baby back!

We had a very fun weekend and finally got to enjoy nice weather with no rain. On Friday my friend Brandy stopped by, we work together so we caught up on work talk and friend stuff and just had a really good time visiting! She also thinks Kingston is just the cutest, and I totally agree!

On Saturday I went and had my hair cut shorter since being pregnant had taken it's toll and I want to start growing out the layers so it will be longer with shorter layers for the wedding.

After that Alfred and I decided to go on a date to Casa Fiesta this Mexican Restaurant that Brandy introduced us to that has the best margarita's in town. Since I've been pregnant the last 9 months I've spent a lot of time watching everyone drink these wondrous drinks and haven't been able to partake but on Saturday I had my first glorius sip and it was everything I thought it would be and more! Even Kingston enjoyed the atmosphere and took some time to nap!

On Sunday we took our first of many trips to the zoo. We went with our friends Phil and Elizabeth who have 6 month old Riley. We had a blast and look forward to using our family passes to walk around the zoo a lot this summer!

And yes I know I have a pudge but I've started walking to get rid of that!!

We got through week 2 pretty much unscathed and although Kingston and I miss Alfred very much it's been nice to get back into some sort of routine that doesn't revolve around baby!

Kingston's 1st Week!

Well it's been a little longer then I would have liked since I've updated but what can I say we are new parents getting adjusted! Let me first catch you up on Kingston's health. As many of you know he had to go to the pediatrician because of his jaundice, which was a crazy experience in itself. We went to the office of the pediatrician that was on call at the hospital but the reception staff was so rude we left in the middle and made an appointment with Harpeth Pediatrics in Cool Springs and it was amazing! Kingston is finally over his jaundice but has dropped to 6 lbs. which isn't much of a problem but we have to go back on Monday to have him weighed again and see that he gets back up to his birth weight!!

Now on to fun Kingston news! We've been rather lucky so far, Kingston is a wonderful baby! He sleeps between 3 and 4 hours at a time at night and only stays awake long enough for you to feed and change him. But during the day he loves to play! Some of his favorite things are tummy time,

his swing,

and by far his favorite thing is sleeping with mommy and daddy on the couch!



Kingston also had his first sponge bath this week and he had mixed feelings about it! At first he hated it, and then he thought it might not be so bad!

It's also been a week for some visitors. Our friends Rob and Natalina who are expecting Baby JoJo in June brought by some BBQ and some baby gifts! It gave us an opportunity to catch up and have adult conversation other than just Alfred and I!

And Jennifer and Ava came by and brought pot pie and Ava who is getting Baby Brother Maddox in June got to practice what she learned in her Big Sister Class and hold Kingston!

So for a one week old Kingston has a pretty full life!! OK technically I'm a little late on the blog so at this current moment he's technically 10 days old but at least I caught you up before his 2 week birthday!

As for mommy and daddy! We've had some things happening this week ourselves. My swelling has finally went down so after 4.5 months I finally don't have Fred Flintstone feet!! Yippee!! Other than that I've just been adjusting to being a mommy! It all happened so quick!! I really should have been studying the whole 9 months but I thought I could cram in the last month but Kingston decided I didn't get that last month after all! So I've been relying a lot on my sister, Elizabeth and Jennifer for there baby knowledge!

Daddy bought a lawn mower, weed eater, bush trimmer, ladder and some other various lawn stuff so when it hasn't been raining he's been working very hard in the yard!! And it looks rather great I must say! We are no longer those neighbors!

Well Jennifer's pot pie is almost finished and I need to watch Survivor so until next time...