Chelsea's Postcards

A Family Trip to Hilton Head

January 30, 2023

Papa with all of his grand children

When the shower is so big there is room for a pack and play!

Happy Hour with Mommy!

We had a fun filled *VERY COLD* family MLK weekend at Hilton Head. It was so much fun to get all the cousins together to play! We stayed at this hotel again and it was perfect for the kids. Sean and I went to Hilton Head several years ago and honestly weren’t impressed. This time was much different as we opted not to leave the resort except for grocery runs, and we had four kids with us! We brought some good heat and serve meals from home (meatloaf, lasagna, etc.) and really just kept the whole weekend low key. The resort is super kid friendly. We definitely made the most of our short visit. We swam, played on the beach, explored around the resort, and played lots of games. I loved seeing the kids together, Jax was so good with the littles and everyone just adored Ellis Ann. It was great to see Papa Sam have all of his grandkids together too! We’re looking forward to our next cousin trip already!

Ellis Ann is Nine Months Old!

January 14, 2023

Happy nine months my girl!! What a joy you are! This month was so much fun with you because you are really starting to explore the world more! You are now crawling anywhere and everywhere. You have a hilarious crawl and drag one leg, but it’s getting the job done! This month (38 weeks) you started saying “mamamama” and I just melt every time you do it, you’re babbling tons now using consonant and vowel sounds.

We are still working on eating food and sleeping through the night. Le sigh. You are showing little to no interest in food. You will play happily with the spoons covered in food and make the biggest mess, but when we try to feed you, you purse your lips together and turn your head in protest. I’m hoping this does not mean you are going to be a picky eater. And probably, because you aren’t taking in much solid food you still are not sleeping through the night. We’ve made major progress, you go down at 7 pm, sleep until we wake you for a bottle around 10 pm, and go back down until 4 am. After that you will typically go back down until 6 or 7, so I guess we can’t complain.

You found Bertie’s water bowl and want to play in it all the time. You have been working on pulling up trying to stand this month, at 35 weeks you were able to stand up in your crib, and you can sometimes do it by yourself on the furniture now. All you want to do is practice standing now, by holding hands with someone.

We celebrated your first Christmas this month which was so much fun! You are the sweetest girl! We love you big little one!

35 weeks – Christmas grocery shopping with Mommy

35 weeks – playing with brother

36 weeks – Christmas visit with Kaka and Kaki

36 weeks – Christmas Eve

37 weeks – Christmas Day

Worn out from your first Christmas Day!

37 weeks – at your first basketball game

38 weeks – scrub a dub

38 weeks – day at the park with Mina and Pop Pop

38 weeks – working on eating

38 weeks – poor baby sick again

38 weeks – the cutest little Tar Heel

Snapshots from the Holidays – 2022

January 10, 2023

We went to see Santa! Got some great pictures and there were no tears!! A win for everyone!

Matching Christmas jammies!! We spent lots of time by the tree enjoying the lights!

Nothing quite says “I’m 2” like a pose under the tree!

Brunch with Kaka and Kaki, this is the only picture…

A little cutie doing some Christmas grocery shopping!

Baking Christmas cookies with Mina and Kaki

We enjoyed our Christmas visit with Kaka and Kaki!

Sissy discovered the gifts! We opened a couple early, since she already took the paper off…

A little pre Christmas cozies!

Santa came!!

Christmas day fun! Presents everywhere!

The sweetest Christmas dress and Christmas smiles!

Ellis Ann’s first Christmas! Playing with her new doll!

Santa booty!

Papa Sam came for a visit and Graham got a bike and a HELMET!!

A Christmas family photo shoot by the tree!

Homemade pizza for Christmas dinner!

Practicing on the potty in Santa jams!

Exploring the lights at the botanical gardens!

Soaking up the last of Christmas!

New Years! Finally opening some special Champagne from our trip to Paris!

Ellis Ann is Eight Months Old!

December 14, 2022

My goodness sweet girl! It seems like time is just blowing by. I never want to compare you and your brother because you are each your own person, but man if it doesn’t seem like time is just going by so much faster with you. Between the chaos of having to keep up with both of you, I seem to have blinked and here we are with an 8 month old and a 2 year old.

You are still the sweetest snuggle bug. You’re going to bed easily at 7 pm every night now. You take a bottle and go down without a peep most nights. Some nights you’re back up at 10 or 11 for another feeding and some times you surprise us and make it until 2-4 am, but still not sleeping through the night. Daddy had his first weekend away from us. You did well but I was thankful to have Mina and Pop Pop to help out! We’re still working on eating solids, if I’m being honest it’s not going great. You are really not interested in eating and you gag on food so easily that it is really scary for us! At 30 weeks we could finally start to see your bottom two teeth peeking through, so maybe some teeth will help you start eating a little more!

Daycare is going wonderfully! You got a new teacher who you LOVE and we can tell she just adores you! At 31 weeks you started clapping and waving. I love seeing you clap for yourself and wave at us! You are ready to crawl and be able to chase after your brother, I can see it won’t be long! At 34 weeks you perfected sitting up from laying down. You are still loving swim lessons too!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the beach this month. We celebrated Graham’s second birthday. We had family photos taken. Our house is all decorated for Christmas. We have so much to be thankful for this time of year! I am extra thankful for our family! I love you big little girl!

31 weeks – enjoying the patio

31 weeks – Ellis Ann to the rescue!

31 weeks – snuggling

31 weeks – not interested in oatmeal but still the smiliest

31 weeks – a little pre Christmas carriage ride at Reynolda

32 weeks – Thanksgiving at the beach

33 weeks – snuggly girl

33 weeks – Jumpin’ girl

33 weeks – celebrating brothers birthday

34 weeks – dinner by the tree, just a spoon for you

34 weeks – no thanks for the sweet potatoes

34 weeks – the cutest baby and all the Christmas decorations

34 weeks – Go Mountaineers!

Family Photo Shoot – December 2022

December 10, 2022

We had a photo shoot done recently for our annual Christmas cards and Graham’s second birthday! We used Amber again, and per usual the photos turned out amazing! I absolutely cannot believe the we have a two year old and an eight month old. Life is so crazy and hectic right now that I am so thankful to have these beautiful photos to look back on!

Graham’s Baseball Birthday Party!

December 8, 2022

Graham is Two!

We had the best time celebrating Graham at his baseball themed birthday party! Graham is obsessed with all things ball right now, but really LOVES baseball the most! He was so thrilled with all the decorations and baseballs at his party. I had a friend make his shirt for him and he loved being a baseball player in his special shirt. We had mostly family over, and a few friends with kids his age. It’s fun to see him starting to play with other kids and make friends. We were lucky the weather was warm enough to be outside playing! I ordered all the decorations on Amazon and kept it super easy with food (peanuts, cracker jacks, popcorn, pretzels and, nachos). Graham is still pretty in to wearing hats (and wants everything to be a baseball helmet) so our party favors had to include team helmet, which were a big hit with the kids. I absolutely cannot believe our little boy is two! He is the sweetest, most joyful, energetic two year old and we had the best day celebrating him!

Thanksgiving 2022 at the Beach

December 1, 2022

paci’s allowed in the car… even though we gave them up months ago

straight to the park

Our house for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving sunrise with my sunshine girl!

Baby in a turkey hat!

Beach hugs!

Dinner at Mini Jalapeno! No more leftovers!

Mina with the pitcher of margs!

Sun setting on a perfect trip to the ocean!

We had the most wonderful trip to the beach for Thanksgiving! We rented a house that was on the ocean at Holden Beach for four nights. Mina and Pop Pop joined us for the trip and there was plenty of room for all of us. The house was recently renovated and we all really enjoyed the location. Holden Beach was quiet, but had everything we needed. There was a nice park that we went to right as soon as we arrived in town, and it was also walking distance from our house. It was amazing to be able to go in and out of the house right onto the beach. I had not done that since I was a kid and it is just the absolute best to play in the waves, come in for a snack, go out and dig in the sand, come in for a nap, go back out and run and play ball on the beach, and watch the sun set over the ocean. We watched the Macy’s Parade, which was a tradition I always enjoyed with my Mom, so it was fun to see Graham start to show and interest in the big balloons and the music. We bought most all of our Thanksgiving meal premade again this year which is a tradition that is really growing on me. There wasn’t much cooking to do once we arrived and this turned out to be such a good plan. We really got to enjoy our time at the beach as much as possible and no one was stuck in the kitchen cooking. We only went out for one meal this trip, the last night we went to dinner at mini Jalapeno. We were all pleased with the food we ordered. I am also happy to report that both Graham and Ellis Ann did really well in the car going and coming from the beach!! We are already looking forward to our next trip to the beach!

Ellis Ann is Seven Months Old!

November 16, 2022

Another month of fun with you sweet girl! You are growing by leaps and bounds! This month your big milestone is that you started sitting up on your own at 28 weeks old. You are a rolly poly playing girl now! Rolling all over the place to get to your toys and get into everything!

We celebrated Diwali with Mina and Pop Pop this month. We had your first Halloween this month, and you were the cutest Minnie I have ever seen!! We walked for our Francey this month. We miss her so much and wish she could be here to see you and your brother grow! She would just be over the moon for you!

We started trying to eat solid foods this month, so far you’re less than impressed. You like playing with the spoons, but that ‘s about it! You’ve had another ear infection this month, but are honestly handling really well.

Graham asks “hold sissy hand” on our walks now and I just wish I could bottle this joy up and keep it forever. My hope for you two is that you will always want each other by your side. Seeing him love on you brings me so much happiness. We love you big little one!!

26 weeks – Six month check up

26 weeks – waiting our 15 minutes after covid shot # 1

26 weeks – wear pink day to school

27 weeks – trying out the high chair at the table for the first time

27 weeks – first bite of real food (baby oatmeal)- not a fan

27 weeks – “Gah hold sissy hand” the sweetest thing

27 weeks – working on sitting up, almost got it mastered

27 weeks – Happy Diwali

28 weeks – giving avocado a try

28 weeks – no thanks, I’ll just chew my spoon

28 weeks – Halloween celebration – Mickey, Minnie, and Disney tourist

29 weeks – matching Halloween PJs

29 weeks – A visit from Jo Jo

29 weeks – your first Halloween

29 weeks – wearing purple and walking for Francey

29 weeks – the perfect fall day to remember our girl

30 weeks – movin’ and groovin‘

30 weeks – 7 months – the flexibility is impressive

30 weeks – back for covid shot round #2

Ellis Ann is Six Months Old!

October 18, 2022

Ellis Ann how can it be that a half a year has flown by just like that?? What a joy it has been to watch you grow! Our big milestone this month is finally getting you on a schedule. It is helping us all sleep better! We took your first big trip and spent a week at the beach. You loved the pool!! Jody and Penny came with us and boy were we glad to have their help. Traveling with two under two is no joke! Our week away, really helped us realize that you needed a bedtime routine to help you start sleeping better at night. You are going to bed around 8 now and sleeping until 3 or 4, wake up to eat and fall back to sleep for a few more hours with any luck. You’ve really perfected rolling over this month and now if we put you down on your back you roll right over to your stomach. This has also really helped at night with your sleep since you prefer to sleep on your stomach.

Absolutely everything is going straight for your mouth now. You’re drooling like crazy and we feel like some teeth have to be coming soon but still no sign of them. You had an ear infection last month that seems to be still hanging around this month. You are putting up with it really well, but I’m really hoping tubes won’t be in our future. You and Graham have really started to interact and play and I just love seeing you two together! We started swim lessons with you this month and you are loving it! You are still the happiest little joy, and go with the flow for almost everything! We love you big little girl!