Happy Birthday Alfred!

This past Saturday was Alfred's 32nd birthday and we packed so much into the weekend and had a blast! The morning started off with Kingston performing "Happy Birthday" for his daddy! And by perform I mean using his "microphone" snapping his fingers, dancing the whole bit! Alfred of course loved every minute of it! He was lucky enough to get some beautiful snow for the special day so after breakfast we went out to play! Kingston loved the snow until he fell in it and got cold then it was over!

I decided this year for Alfred's birthday we needed to get away just the 3 of us for a night so I surprised Alfred with a trip to Chattanooga so we could go to the Aquarium. We got there Saturday night and decided to ride the Incline Railroad which takes you to the top of lookout mountain, from there it looks like you can see forever! It was so cold but it was so worth it. Kingston loved riding in the train with no restraint!

The ride down was a little scary but so beautiful!

Kingston at the top looking over!

I made sure to get a hotel with a pool since our little fish loves the water so much and he had such a good time! We were in the pool for about an hour and he still wasn't ready to get out. He's also getting very good at swimming and even when he goes under he keeps going back for more!

The next morning we headed to the Aquarium and had a wonderful time!

Alfred had a great birthday! We discussed the fact that even though this
was Alfred's birthday trip it was a lot about Kingston but once you have kids the joy you get to see through thier eyes is what makes you the happiest so this was just perfect!! That's why every picture is about Kingston :)! Happy Birthday Baby we are so lucky to have you in our lives! Thanks for sharing your wonderful weekend with us. And because it is his birthday I think he should be in one picture!

Beckett's Bio - 26 Weeks Pregnant

This is the first Baby Eller 2 Post where we've actually known his name! Beckett John Eller! We knew his middle name would be John because it is Alfred's dads name but we could not come up with a first name, we looked at about 4000! Then my sister called and said how about Beckett! I loved it! I was certain Alfred would hate it but when I ran it by him he thought it was perfect. We slept on it, couldn't get it out of our heads and just knew that was supposed to be his name. As it turns out that mom was named after a lady whose last name was Beckett which cemented this even more in our minds. It is so awesome to finally have a name for our little boy!

I also had a doctors appointment this week and we got to hear Sweet Baby Beckett's heartbeat which never ever gets old! Everything else seems to be going rather well too. I've only gained 12 pounds total, although, I'm really showing now and there is no doubt I'm pregnant. I also have really bad heartburn again just like I did with Kingston so if the Old Wives Tail is true yet again Beckett should have a head full of hair just like his brother had. I feel him move all the time which is something else that never gets old, and I know from last time is something I will miss very much for months to follow.

I can't believe I'm already 26 weeks pregnant. Time has flown by with this pregnancy. I'm trying to take it all in because I'm 99.9% sure this will be the last but it's so difficult when I have a toddler to chase and laugh at and play with! I'm able to sit back and enjoy this pregnancy a little more and not worry so much. I don't worry about every pain and every symptom but at the same time I know what's coming this time around. With the waddling and the uncomfortable sleeping. And who knows maybe I'll even get to experience the last 5 weeks this go around. I already love Beckett so much and I can't wait to meet him but for now I really am enjoying having him all to myself because I know that will be over in a few short months and I will miss it.

Happy New Year 2010

This year Alfred and I decided to ring in the New Year at our friend Gwen and Tim's. We got to dress up and go on a date which we haven't done in a few months so it was really great and the party was fun too!My parents came in to visit so Kingston stayed in and watched "Hip Hop Harry" on the laptop with Mimi!

And staying up until midnight is tiring so the next day daddy and Kingston decided to take a cat nap while watching football.

On Saturday we decided to take Mimi and Paw paw to Pied Piper Creamery for some ice cream. If you haven't been here you need to go. Not only is thier ice cream amazing it is such a neat place. And so kid friendly. Kingston walks in like he owns the place and loves playing with all the toys!

It was a great start to what is sure to be a wonderful year!!

Now it's time to do a little reflecting on 2009. Well on the resolutions I made anyway! Last year my goals were to Recycle, which I'm proud to say I did very good at. And our community finally offers curb side pick up so it just got easier. My second goal was to Run which I am also proud to say I've done pretty good at. I did 10 5K's and competed in the Muddy Buddy. I also found a running group that I love which has helped so much. And this is something Alfred, Kingston and I love doing together so that's a huge bonus! My third and final goal was to be better at recording Kingston's life. I give myself a big FAIL on this one! I've managed to save a lot of his important stuff but I haven't been great at keeping up with his baby book or writing in his journal so I still need to work on that but I'm not dwelling on the negative!

Instead I'm moving on to my 2010 Resolutions!! Resolution #1 is to complete a half marathon. I wanted to do it this year but when I got pregnant with Beckett I wasn't far enough along in my training so I decided to wait until this year. Resolution #2 is to be better at printing my pictures and backing them up. I still need to print the pictures from Kingston's birth :)! Resolution #3 is to cook something from a cookbook every week this year. As many of you know Alfred does almost all of the cooking around here and I really need to be better at pitching in and coming up with new ideas. So there it is in black and white the 3 things I would like to accomplish this year.

So here's saying bye to a wonderful 2009 and hello to what I'm sure will be another wonderful year because it's great to be an Eller and we can't wait to meet Mr. Beckett Eller!

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!