I'm a big girl!

Ellie's new favorite activitiy is sitting in mini-chairs. Here she is squeezing into her bebe Pod.

She's a little big for it so she gets stuck trying to get out! Santa may have to bring her a bigger chair for Christmas.

Pumpkin Patch

A few weekends ago Ellie and I went to my sister-in-law's (Becky) parents pumpkin patch (did you follow that?). Ellie went on her first hayride (and so did Maizy) and picked out her pumpkin.

Ellie with her cousins Keaton and Kyndra admiring Ellie's pumpkin.

My cousin Danielle, Ellie, and Me (with some fabulous looking hair!)

Our Lil' Lady's Ladybug Birthday!

Ellie turned ONE on October 17! I can't believe our little baby girl is already one! It has gone so fast, but has been so fun! We had a ladybug party for our cute little ladybug.

Here, Ellie is only 12 days old, sleeping on Grandpa Raska's lap.
Now she is one and showing some attitude!


Some new stats on the birthday girl:
23lbs. 84%
31 inches 90%
Sleeps about 10-12 hours at night
Takes two naps, but is starting to not like her afternoon nap

Ellie and her cousins: Kyndra, Keaton, Dovie, and Sylas...with their ladybug antennas on!
Ellie ate ALL of her piece of birthday cake. YUM!! YUM!!


Ellie's Favorite Activities:
Eating! She loves EVERYTHING!
Taking everything out of the cupboards
Unrolling the toilet paper roll
Taking baths, she gets VERY excited for bathtime
Standing in the middle of the room and clapping
Crawling, fast, especially after Maizy's dog food
Walking around holding furniture
Saying mama, dada, hi, maymee (Maizy) and lots of jibber jabber
Reading books and flipping the pages
Pushing her push-toy around the house
Chasing Maizy
Playing with her cousins and friends

Peeking

Ellie, trying to follow Maizy thru the couch and end table...she got stuck and was not happy! But Mike had to take a picture before helping her.


Whoa, second post of the day for me! That is impressive! I had to show a few photos of Ellie doing her favorite thing, peeking out the windows.

Fall Fun!

Ellie LOVES looking out the windows in our house. Here she is peeking out the window in her room!
Ellie and I (Nicole) took an afternoon trip to Crane Orchards in Fennville with some friends today. It was Ellie's first time apple picking. The weather was definitely warmer than fall weather, but still perfect for picking a few honey crisp apples and some peaches.

We even picked a few baking apples to make Daddy an apple pie or maybe some apple crisp!



And one last cute picture of our busy little Ellie crawling around her room before going to the apple orchard.

Stuck in the Rain!

Note to self: if it looks like it might rain, don't go for a long walk, especially with a baby, two dogs and your 35 weeks along pregnant friend who can't run fast out of the rain!

Teeth!

Oh and I forgot to mention that Ellie has 1 1/2 teeth. One in and one trying to come in. Now she is enjoying a wide range of food options! Yum Yum! This girl loves to eat and we haven't found anything she will turn her nose up at yet...cross our fingers.

I'm a crawler!

Our little girl is getting big so fast! Two weeks ago, just a few days after Ellie's 9 month check up she started crawling and last night she pulled her self up to her feet in her crib! Ellie is 22lbs 2oz. and 28 1/2inches tall, both in the 90/95th percentile for her age. Here's a sneak peak of some of her 9 month photos... (also had to add in a cute picture of Ellie with her cousin Parker, my brother Jason and sister-in-law Kellie's cute little one year old!)

Weekend at the Cottage!

Here are some pictures from the annual Vandeberghe weekend at my parents cottage on Houghton Lake. We had a redneck themed evening, with corn on the cob husk centerpieces, shotgun shell salt and pepper shakers, and costumes! Good times! Also, we had our annual softball game, where the west siders kicked some serious east side butts! (I may be partial...sorry eastsiders!)

Easton and Ellie, official softball cheerleaders pooped out! Softball Attire, Big Muscles a Requirement!

We know we're good looking you don't have to tell us!
Mike and Nick picking up ladies on the canal!

Winners of the Redneck Party, cousins Danielle and Larry.

Father's Day Weekend!

These pictures are from Saturday at the Tulpa Family's home & pool in Howell! We had lots of fun celebrating Brian (Mike's brother) and Leah's engagement with the Cochran side of the family. (Can't wait for the wedding in August!!) We don't get to see the Cochran side of the family often since we live in Holland and they are in Jackson/Howell/Detroit area so it was fun to see everyone and catch up! Ellie had lots of fun going swimming in the beautiful pool! At first she wasn't too sure about the pool since it's bigger than her bath tub at home, but she got semi-used to it.

Father's Day morning we spent with my parents in Rockford. Ellie ate her first cheerios, I think she had maybe 4 and 20 of them went to the eagerly awaiting Maizy. Then we headed home and out to the beach for dinner with Mike's family and some of the Brouwer family. Ellie did great traveling around all weekend. She is a fabulous car seat sleeper which we are oh so thankful for!

Happy 1st Father's Day to Mike and to all the other Dad's! We love you and are so blessed to have you in our lives!

Ellie and Maizy

An update from Ellie

My mom and dad are taking way too long to update the family blog so I decided to give you my own update. Here's some updates on me, Miss Ellie Morgan!

*I will be 6 months on April 17!
*I wore a birthday hat for the first time at my friend Noelle's 1st birthday party!


*I had my first ear infection which the doctor found at my 4 month check up (actually double ear infection).
*At 5 months I weighed in at 16 1/2 lbs.
*I love to sit up, but fall over a bit if no one is helping me, no more laying on the floor for me!
*I rolled over when I was 4 months old (twice), both times mommy wasn't watching (I am so sneaky!) but I'd rather just roll from my back to my side and then to my back again for now.
*I told mommy and daddy that I am so over my swing and now they got this new thing out with lots of toys that my puppy can't steal! And I get to look around the room in it too.



*I love to eat cereal before I go to bed! Yum! Yum!
*I just tried water for the first time out of this cool sippy cup mommy got me! I can even hold it by myself!



*I love to say ooooooo and jibber jabber, and I can squeal REALLY LOUD!
*I am very ticklish and love to laugh!
*I love to stick my hand out for Maizy to lick.


*Maizy still likes to steal my pacifiers, especially in the morning if mommy and daddy don't pick it up off the floor before her. (I can spit it out really far when I am sleeping.)


(That's my Maizy, trying to steal my pacifier right out of my mouth while I sleep!)


(Maizy also thinks she is my guard dog as she sleeps in front of my crib, and sometimes underneath)

*All this activity makes me so sleepy at night time that I sleep for 9 hours!



PS Mommy says she is going to update the blog more often now, so please check back next week to see what new tricks I can do!

Best Friends! (sometimes)

Back to work!

Happy New Year Everyone!

The New Year has brought more sleep in our household, which Mike and I are SO grateful for! I went back to work the second week of January and things have been going great. Ellie gets to spend her days with her cousins Dovie and Sylas and her new friend Maylee. I am working 3 days at Action and a day at home. So far so good. We are so thankful for having wonderful people to watch our precious little girl. (Thanks Brenda and Jenna!) And Ellie loves watching the kids play.

Ellie is now 3 months old! Wow did that go by fast. She smiles all the time at her mommy and daddy, or pretty much anyone that will talk to her and she loves to coo and jibber jabber. She is now starting realize she doesn't like when Maizy barks in her ear but she likes when Maizy licks her hand. (gross!)

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! Stay Warm!