E and B have their first Thanksgiving together

This was Brigid's first Thanksgiving. She slept through the primary dinner. But when we got home, all E wanted to do was hold her baby sister.
B's first Thanksgiving
The only thing that makes E smile for the cameraThe headdress was made at E's school, she was very proud of it.

Thanksgiving on the Farm

For Thanksgiving this year we were invited to celebrate the holiday with Opa and Gigi's friends on their farm. Elizabeth was so excited about it she talked about it the night before and sang songs about it all the way to the farm. "We're going to the farm, Mommy! We're going to the farm, with Opa-Gigi!"
Jeffrey suspected they might have pond and brought a little rod and reel. They had a pond! Jeffrey caught a fish for Elizabeth and she was fascinated. She even touched the fish. It was a little slimy for her, but she was enthralled. After the meal was served, E wanted to go fishing again. She also got to feed the cows and run around with the farm dogs. A day of playing outside, with Opa, on a farm couldn't have been more wonderful.
Gigi and DaddyMommy and Brigid (she slept the who time)The PondWhere are you going Elizabeth? "I want go fishing"E and OpaIn from the cold with Daddy

Decorating Cookies

I came up with the "brilliant" idea of entertaining the girls by baking and decorating cookies for Thanksgiving. The idea came from seeing a suggested kids project of cutting out hand "turkeys" in cookie dough. FYI-that project is best for kids 5 and up. But fun was still had by all and my girl/angel cookie cutter provided a canvas for the icing and fun. While we did do the hands, we only did one of each hand and that's as far as they could cooperate. Lessons learned today--when decorating cookies with little kids--do the baking in advance and two year olds only care about the frosting. It was still very fun to see the girls enjoy themselves and Claire, the lone, 5 year old, proved to be quite the frosting artist.
Claire, Anna and ElizabethAnnaElizabethClaire (she decorated her's all by herself)Another Claire designWatercolor effect created by, as Claire put it, "licking up a storm"E likes the blue icing bestClaire decorating her hand "Turkey"E's hand turkey and my quick draw versions of Elizabeth, Claire and Anna

AKA Sporty McCool

Brigid in her sporty stripes and sneaker socks. I think we have a nearly identical picture of E somewhere.

More doting sisters pictures

Elizabeth adores her baby sister, Brigid and mommy likes that E will actually sit still and look at the camera when she's allowed to hold B. So there will be a lot of posts like this.

The Princesses McCool

My little girls sporting the regal color purple. What are they looking at?

They are looking at our other little princess, Lucy, who claimed Elizabeth's old boppy as her own.

Anna's Birthday Party

Elizabeth's best pal, Anna had a Curious George party to celebrate her second birthday. Elizabeth was delighted to be invited to celebrate. Sundae fixingsAnna and her daddy, JackAiden and Elizabeth enjoy her banana split Elizabeth tries to claim a balloonmmm, birthday cakeEmma, Anna, Claire and ElizabethAnna and Elizabeth play a favorite game--called running up and down the hall

Going Home

Brigid happily settled into the carseat and snoozed all the way home. Mommy was still pinching herself a bit realizing she now had two beautiful little girls to care for and love. What a blessing.

Sisters

We have discovered a way to get E to sit still AND smile for the camera...put her sister in her lap. Before Jeffrey took E to school this morning he told her that her sister would be home when she was done with school for the day and she would finally get a chance to hold her (she'd been irked that we didn't let her hold Brigid when she visited us in the hospital). She patiently waited until after her bath to finally get to hold her baby sister. She could barely contain her excitement. She did great. Brigid didn't even make a peep. E even told B she loved her. Mommy's heart just melted.

The Arrival of the Second Princess McCool

The short version: At 8:28 in the morning, after a only 2 hours and 28 minutes of true labor, Brigid McAnnally McCool arrived. Her father was there and everything! She weighed in at 7 pounds and 12 ounces and measured 19.5 inches. We are so delighted.

The longer version started on Halloween. While taking Elizabeth trick or treating with her Opa, I slipped on some wet leaves and fell nice and solidly on my hiney. About 20 minutes later I began to have regular contractions--not painful but distinct and about 5-6 minutes apart. Since E came so quickly, I was instructed by my OB to go to the hospital as soon as I noticed regular contractions. I decided to wait and see if they would go away. I ate dinner, checked out E's trick or treating haul and finally, since the contractions kept coming Jeffrey and I left for the hospital. The hospital we chose is about 30 miles from our house. By the time we'd arrived my contractions were about 6-8 minutes apart. We checked to the gigantic birthing suite. My contractions slowed still. I was all set to go home, but it was determined I was really in early labor and they decided it was best for me to stay. So Jeffrey and I spent a less than comfortable night in the delivery suite (it had a futon for Jeffrey). My contractions had all but disappeared until around 4 am. They induced at 6am on the nose. I sent Jeffrey out to get himself breakfast at 6:30. My labor progressed much faster than they expected, we almost missed the window for the epidural (thankfully we did not). And two hours and 28 minutes later, I held a new little princess in my arms and felt my heart grow at least 2 sizes larger.
8:28am
Brigid's hair looks thicker than her sister's did and is about the same color it was.7lbs 12oz 19.5 inches
all scrubbed and clean
proud papa
big sister was more excited about baby sister than the picture suggests, E just does not like to sit still for the camera.

Happy Halloween!

BEE Happy
HIVE a
HONEY of a
HALLOWEEN!!!

La Petite Academy Spirit Week

Elizabeth's school held spirit week to celebrate the season and do some fundraising for Make-a-Wish Foundation. E participated everyday. Whether her mommy or she had more fun is up for debate.
Monday-Silly Hair Day

Tuesday was an inside out day but mommy forgot to take a picture.
Wednesday-Crazy Hat Day

Thursday-Pajama Day

Thursday-La Petite Academy Fall Festival

Opa and Gigi joined us at the festival--E ate more candy that night than she would ordinarily get in a month.

Burningtree Harvest Festival Bouncy House

The home owner's association had a harvest festival. After mommy finished her volunteer duties, E took over the bouncy house.

Driveway Chalk

Sometimes you have to ignore your "to do" list and answer the call of the princess, "pway my chalk wiff me, pwease."

Celebrating the anticipated arrival of the our second Princess McCool

Our good friends, Pam and Jack, threw a couples dinner party/baby shower for us to celebrate our eagerly anticipated second little princess. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the shower before delivering but it worked out just fine. Dinner was delicious, the company was delightful and a lovely time was had by all.

My cousins, Judy Slate & Jenny Hartselle, Quentin Gillette and Jack Alford
Gigi and Opa, Rick Hartselle, Judy Slate

Claire Alford, Emma, Elizabeth, Bennett & Jason Lack, Jeffrey, Opa & Gigi, Rick Hartselle

The BIG sister

Gigi, Pam, Anna & Jack Alford, Quentin & Beth Gillette

Eager parents, Suzanne and Jeffrey

Morgan County Fair

After weekends and weeks of rain and gloom, the last day of the Morgan County Fair was filled with gorgeous sunshine and a pleasant breeze. We took advantage of the blessing and went to the fair with Opa and Gigi. As you can see there was nothing for E to do. She was bored silly.

Racking Horse Show

Aunt Carol and Uncle Larry came to visit from Arizona. One of their many activities included going to one of the Racking Horse shows at local arena. We'd never seen one before, so when Opa and Gigi invited us to join them, we happily accepted. E was in HEAVEN! She loves horses and since dogs were allowed in the audience (many of the horse owners travel with their dogs), she got her fill of her two favorite animals. And she got Opa time. It couldn't have been a more fun occasion for her.

E sat herself down in the front row of a reserved seating area--they were empty and had the best view--why not?
E, Opa, Gigi, Aunt Carol and Uncle Larry


E, obviously, having a terrible time.

Grandparents Day

Is there a better way to spend Grandparents Day than to help mommy make a cake for Opa and Gigi? Mmm, cake. Opa is the one who handed her the spatula, by the way.

Later, we called Nana and Poppy and she talked their ears off. Yay, Grandparents!

Growing like a...beautiful flower

Lucy grows inches in her sleep (if you go without seeing her for more than two days you'd think we had a different dog) and E keeps isn't holding back either. E's 36 inches and 31 pounds now. Lucy is almost 3 times the size she was when we brought her home a month ago. She'll bypass E in weight before too long.

Swimming lessons

We found out a Decatur city community center offered evening swim lessons for children and were excited. When we found out it was $20 for six weeks of twice a week lessons, we knew even if they weren't life saving lessons, they would be worth it. And they were. E had a blast and looked forward to her lessosns. Jeffrey did lessons with E since her very pregnant mommy was not interested in public bathing suit wearing.

The friendly little princess

We were heading up for a bath and bedtime when I noticed a tree frog had landed on our front door. I called E over to see it and it jumped onto the side of the door way. I opened the door to give E a better view and let Lucy out. E stepped out to get a closer look and (without mommy having video camera in hand, darn it) proceded to have a chat with the frog:
"Hi Frwog! Hi! I Elizabeth and dis Lucy. Don't worry. Hi! It's okay. I Elizabeth. Come Lucy, look at frwog. Hi Frog..."
I was all I could do not to sweep her up and cover her with kisses for being the sweetest little person I'd ever met. I went and got a camera instead. If I couldn't get a video of the conversation, at least I could get a picture or two of the meeting.

Diaper Bag

Elizabeth loves to take Lucy for walks. She insists on carrying a "diaper bag." I also carry a few bags too, because Elizabeth prefers to fill her bag with acorns, pine cones, sticks and leaves. Frankly, I prefer her to carry those instead of the stuff I end up putting in it.

A girl and her pup

Elizabeth wakes up and asks "where Lucy" and gets home from school and wants to "see Lucy." And Lucy appears to feel the same way--when E is in the room, we simply don't rate. Exactly the way we want it. This is a shot from after school, in the back yard. It was about the stillest shot I could manage. In general, these two are perpetual motion machines.

A Sneak Peak at the second Princess McCool

We got a sneak peak at Elizabeth's little sister today. Elizabeth went along, but she found the toys in the room more interesting than the video but when we looked at the video later, she did remember that it was of the "baby". She looks a lot like Elizabeth when we did the 4d with her. Like her big sister, our second little princess was inclined to hide her face with hands (and feet) and press her face against the placenta. We had to work pretty hard to get a few shots. She's still mostly alien looking but beautiful to us, nonetheless.

Celebrating turning 2 at School

Elizabeth celebrated turning two at school with Mommy's homemade fairy cakes. Her Nana was there too. It wasn't apparent that she understood it was all for her but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

Elizabeth and her favorite teacher, Miss Baggett

Celebrating turning 2 at Home

We celebrated E's second birthday with a small dinner party of E's grandparents and our wonderful friends and neighbors, the Alfords.

E came home from school and a saw this--her response--"look at that, Mommy, PRETTY!"

Two of E's favorite people in the world, Anna and Claire, with Princess E

Nana and Gigi

Poppy, Nana, Jack, Anna, Pam, Opa and Gigi

Our little birthday girl

Right about here is when she began to fully understand that the party was for and all about her.

Introducing Lucy McCool

We've been visiting puppies for a little while now. We'd very much wanted a good sign that the dog we chose really belonged with us. Our beloved, Martha, picked Jeffrey (ask him to the tell the story if you haven't already heard it). So we really wanted a dog who wanted us.
Today, we went to see a litter we'd seen before that was now ready for new homes. This litter had four beautiful girls--two black and two yellow. Looks wise, we'd have been happy with any of them. Elizabeth saw them in the their pen and squealed in delight--she actually wanted to get in the pen with them. When the pen was opened, E was so excited she shrieked and ran--one pup followed her immediately and continued to follow at her heels for the next half hour. The other pups just hung out around the pen gate.
In five minutes we kinda knew the choice had been made and after 30 there was no question. By the time we got home, Lucy knew her name and bonded with both Elizabeth and her new mommy. After Jeffrey gave her a bath and good rub down, she knew he was her new daddy. If there was any question in my mind about how wise it was to get a puppy when a new baby is due in a couple of months, it was put to rest with the joy displayed by both E and Lucy when they are together. This is another McCool/puppy pairing that was meant to be.

Celebrating Aunt Louise's Birthday

Louise Fortenberry and her children, David, Jessica and Jacob came up from their Florida summer home for a visit. The visit just happened to fall on Louise's birthday so we had nice little pool party to celebrate--Elizabeth just loved it! Not only did she get to play with the Fortenberry kids, but the Alfords came over too, so she got to play with Anna and Claire. She was in hog heaven. Hopefully, Louise enjoyed it a little bit too. She made me promise not to post any pictures of her taken that day.
Jeffrey and JessicaJack Alford, Claire and ElizabethDavid and JacobJack and ClaireAnna, Jeffrey and JessicaElizabeth and Jessica

Pam, Jack, Claire, Anna, Elizabeth, JessicaJessica, Jacob, Jeffrey and DavidJessica, David and Jacob

I Dancing

Elizabeth is her mother's daughter, meaning, she is a dancing fool!

Patriotic Princess

Elizabeth happily donned a festive dress (thank you, Nana) to celebrate Independence Day but insisted on adding pants to the ensemble. This worked out well as E's knees met that grassy field several times that afternoon.

Elizabeth also learned to play frisbee, sort of.

Ultimate Frisbee For One

Elizabeth was given a frisbee at the Independence Day festival had a great time trying to figure out how it works.

How to Eat a Jelly Sandwich

Elizabeth was given a sandwich with a bottom and top, but apparently she really wanted an open face sandwich, so the top was quickly discarded. And mommy and daddy soon learned why she wanted an open face sandwich.

Swimming with Daddy

E love to "ride back" or ride on Daddy's back around the pool.

E was back to laughing again a minute after the dousing.

Splash Park

One of Decatur's historic city parks has recently been refurbished with a great little playground and, much to E's delight, a splash park.

First Dip in the Pool for 2009

Big Bugs and Water Features

I thought Elizabeth might enjoy seeing the giant bug sculptures at the botanical gardens, but she was actually much more interested in the water features throughout the park.

Balloons

Elizabeth combines her fondness for hats, balloons and accessorizing.

Martha's Last Days

The night before Martha passed Elizabeth was extra attentive to the dog she loved, opting to play next to Martha even though she was away from Mommy and Daddy. It was very much as if she knew something was not right and that Martha needed some extra love and attention.

On the morning we lost Martha, Elizabeth, again, seemed to know something was going on and was very concerned. She gave Martha extra love and attention. Very sadly these are the last pictures we have of them together.

Fancy Nancy Birthday Party

Elizabeth's friend, Claire, turned 5 on May 8th and celebrated with a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party. Elizabeth put on her fancy shoes and gladly mixed and mingled with the other kids. The balloons were her favorite part of the party.

Martha McCool--the best dog EVER!

Martha is the best dog ever. Elizabeth wakes up in the morning and looks for Martha and comes home from school and looks for Martha and Martha always greets her with a smile and a tail wag and the patience of a saint.

Easter Egg Hunt

E had her first Easter egg hunt in her grangparents' backyard. She had no trouble getting into it once she figured out the game. However, she was not willing to let go of the half egg of jelly beans from her original basket, so progress was, perhaps a little slower than necessary. But with snack breaks in between gathering new eggs, she definitely had fun.

My cinematography can use some work so you might take some dramamine before you watch the videos.

One, two, three JUMP

Elizabeth loves to climb and jump off of things. She is fearless. At home the climbing often involves chairs and sofa, so in the grand scheme of things this is not a seriously adventurous venture, but she is delighted none the less--I think it excited her that she didn't need anyone to catch her when she jumped. The delight for me is she was counting 1 2 3.

Happy Easter!

Elizabeth spent her second Easter at her grandparents house in Loudon, Tennessee. The Easter Bunny had no trouble finding her, much to her delight.

Dancing Fool

Elizabeth loves to dance, but sometimes she gets a little dangerously carried away.

Bathtime

Elizabeth love bathtime, if you suggest it's time for a bath, she'll race to the stairs, scramble up and start pulling off her clothes. Sometimes, she even suggests it's time for a bath on her own.

She's gets all excited because she pulled the drain plug out of her tub.

Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow

It was supposed to snow last night but it didn't start until about 5:30 this morning (yes, I was up), by 8:30 we'd accumulated about a half inch to an inch all over the yard and deck. The sidewalks and driveway were clear so no need to shovel we just had to play.



We had enough clean snow on the deck for Elizabeth to make a small meal out of it.

After breakfast (she had much more than snow), Elizabeth insisted on going back out. So we built a snowman. You can see from the back ground that by 10:30 most of the snow was already gone but there was still enough on the deck to play in for a little while.

Elizabeth loved the snowman so much she got a little carried away with showing her affection.

All she wants to do is dance.

Elizabeth, like her mommy, loves music. And like her mommy, she loves to dance. However, it's very hard to catch her at it with a camera in hand; she always gets distracted by the camera. Here are a couple attempts at capturing the future dancing queen...
February 27th

February 28th

Reading

Elizabeth went into the kitchen to hang out with Martha and apparently, to read to her. No kidding. The book is an Old MacDonald book and Elizabeth was pointing out the different animals and making their sounds. I couldn't get to the video fast enough before she caught me spying and stopped.

Sick Day

Elizabeth came home from her first week at daycare with a nasty bug that kept her out all of her second week (and eventually took out mommy and daddy, too.) One day both Mommy and Daddy had important work things to do so Opa came over to take care of the Princess. She couldn't have been more delighted with the company. When she was awake, that is.

First Week at School Celebration

After her first week at daycare, we thought it might be nice to give Elizabeth a little treat. So we took her to the mall and let her run around and ride the little rides as much as she wanted. (She's 18 months old, so that was just as good as going to Disney World as far as she was concerned)

Valentine's Day Party at the Academy

On the Friday of her first week at school Elizabeth had her first Valentine's party. Parent's were invited so I went. There were lots of tasty treats and later they even exchanged valentines. Who knew all this started so early?

First Day of School

Elizabeth at the start of her first day of daycare.

She was raring to go

This was not the trend for the rest of the week.

Bananasicle

Opa introduces Elizabeth to banana popsicles, aka Bananasicle.

One very good reason to live in Alabama

On the first day of February, Elizabeth and I came home from church to weather so warm it called for playing outdoors. Luckily, Daddy had proviced a nice little "playground for Elizabeth to play in.

Potty Time

Since this is a site dedicated to the growth and development of Elizabeth, I think it's okay to put this here. She's to little to hate me for it and Jeffrey and I are so proud and delighted, I just have to blab about it a little bit.
In the last couple of weeks, Elizabeth has been saying the word "poopy" and usually shortly before and after she actually did poop. She also started saying it when she tinkled. I must admit, potty training my 16 month old was not even on my radar. I hadn't even considered trying until she turned two. But the books and our nanny suggest that she was signaling it might be time to get her a potty to at least familiarize her with the concepts.
We got her a potty on Sunday. And today she actually used it. Her nanny had started changing some of her diapers in the bathroom so she would be comfortable with what went on in there. And she seemed to get it because this afternoon, she told the nanny "poopy" and when she got her diaper off, she sat on her new potty and peed. Fortunately, I was working from home and could go praise her and share in the excitement.
Now, we thought, it could have been a fluke and she might not do it again for months, but before her bath, she said "poopy" again. I let her sit on the potty and she actually pooped! Then later after her bath she indicated she need to go again and she peed! She even tried to wipe herself.
We're not giving up the diapers just yet but we are so delighted. This has all been driven by her. Who knew you could get so excited about toilet related activities? There are a couple of pictures but I think we'll keep them for the scrapbooks. It's enough that I'm gushing about it on the internet.

Everybody Loves a Parade

We went to the annual Decatur Christmas parade with our friends, the Alfords. It was seriously chilly, but our girls still really enjoyed it, especially the marching bands.

Thanksgiving

It was a relatively quiet Thanksgiving this year. We celebrated with Dad and Grace, at their home in Madison, and our niece, Christine, who was visiting from Tennessee. Elizabeth LOVES Christine. Christine gratiously kept Elizabeth entertained most of the day. We enjoyed the meal, the company and only having to drive 20 minutes to get to dinner.
Opa, Elizabeth, Daddy, Christine and Gigi
Elizabeth and Christine explore Opa's backyard.upon Elizabeth's request, Christine shows her the fish tank screen saver--AGAIN

Power Breakfast

I do not know where she would come up with this but here it is, all without prompting. I just handed her the phone when she asked for it.

Sunday in the Park

We took Elizabeth to the park on a Sunday afternoon just for fun. Elizabeth loved swinging and sliding

Big Feet

Elizabeth, not unlike her aunt, Elise, seems to be obsessed with big shoes and pretending her feet are big. She's actually getting quite good at getting around in my big shoes.

Family Ties

One of the reasons we moved to Alabama from Virginia was to be closer to family. Living in Decatur we managed to move very close to a dozen or so cousins from my dad's side of the family, but Alabama is also home to many people from my mother's side of the family and I have finally managed to introduce Elizabeth to some of them. Toni and Nora Hardiman are my grandmother's cousins, so I believe that makes them my cousins twice removed and Elizabeth's cousin's thrice removed. Whatever--they are family and Elizabeth and I took a drive down to Birmingham to see them. It was a beautiful day and Elizabeth behaved like an angel.
Nora HardimanToni Hardiman
We also visited with my mother's sister, Billie Holladay but someone forgot to take pictures. Next time we'll get some.

Happy 1st

We are very fortunate to have friends down the street who have a daughter Elizabeth's age. They also have a 4 year old daughter--Elizabeth adores both of them. She thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Anna's 1st birthday with her.

Anna and ElizabethPam with Anna and ElizabethMmm CakeJack and AnnaPam and AnnaClaire (Anna's big sister) and Leanna show of there dance skills

Happy Halloween

My family has always enjoyed Halloween and my father and I made sure Elizabeth's first time trick or treating was memorable. Daddy and I took Elizabeth out while Grace and Jeffrey manned the house and got dinner ready.

Elizabeth meets the dread pirate, OpaElizabeth gets a little stressed, so Martha and Gigi come to the rescue!

What? I don't get to trick or treat at my own house?A fairy godmother and her magic pumpkin (I forgot and left my wings in the house)

Elizabeth made Opa take off that nasty mask for to go trick or treating--she thought it was too scary.Some people I know would have found this mini Cindy McCain too scary.One of the best parts of Halloween is counting the loot.

Elizabeth with Claire Alford

Cinderella

Work, work, work, I try not to complain but washing, mending, stretching, bending--every day's the same.

I promise I do not suggest or even encourage this. She goes and gets the swiffer on her own. She also likes to put things in and take things out of the washer. No doubt this will pass, most likely just about the time she figures out mommy's not playing a game.

Music Lessons at Opa's House

Opa thought Elizabeth might find his Celtic drum interesting. He was right. Please tell me I don't have a future percussionist in the family.

Why yes, Opa, I think I should be banging on that.

Opa also thought it would be a good idea to show Elizabeth his singing bowl. Gigi made it clear it would not be a good idea to let Elizabeth try to play the crystal bowl, however.

Halloween Hoot

Elizabeth and I went to old town Decatur's annual Halloween Hoot with our friends, Pam, Claire and Anna.

Elizabeth, the lion, Claire, the witch and Anna, black catClaire

Anna

Elizabeth

Pam and I didn't dress up but we got to have an almost adult conversation at lunch. Yes, the girls were that well behaved!

A Day at the Beach

We went to Florida for the weekend with our friends, Pam and Jack and their daughters, Anna and Clair. Pam and I took our girls to the beach while their daddies went fishing.

Anna and Elizabeth sample the white sands of Fort Walton Beach

Pam, Claire, Anna and Elizabeth

Mall Playground

After the beach we took the girls to the mall for play on the soft playground. Elizabeth went down a slide by herself for the very first time--this kid is pretty darn fearless.

Pumpkin Farm

Nana and Poppy and cousin Christine came down from Tennessee for a weekend visit. We all, including Opa and Gigi, took Elizabeth to a local cotton farm/pumpkin patch. Elizabeth had a great time. Next year, when she better understands what's going on, she'll really have a blast.

Scarecrow Trail

The Huntsville Botanical Gardens celebrates Autumn by filling the gardens with scarecrows created by local organizations, businesses and artists. Elizabeth just loved running around the gardens, I'm not sure she even noticed the scarecrows.

TOGA! TOGA!

Chelsea, our nanny, and Elizabeth have a Toga day. Elizabeth loved it. I can't wait for Halloween!

Hanging Tough

Elizabeth works on her street cred.

Hartselle Depot Days

We (Jeffrey, Suzanne, Elizabeth, Opa and Gigi) went to neighboring town, Hartselle, for its annual festival celebrating its rich train town history (there are still several active lines going through town). Elizabeth and Opa began some serious bonding. She's got him wrapped around her little finger already.

Dada (look at me)

Elizabeth and her nanny, Chelsea have fun playing with Elizabeth's hair. Elizabeth knew she looked especially adorable so she wanted to show someone she knew would be amused.

Unfortunately, he was out working. Thank goodness for modern technology. Now we all can share in the fun.

Aunt Elise Interviews Elizabeth

Spagetti with Red Sauce

Labor Day

On Labor Day we were invited to spend the day at our friends' lake house. There were lots of kids for Elizabeth to chase around.
Claire Alford and ElizabethClaire's cousin, Elizabeth and ClaireElizabeth and Martha have "tea" party
Elizabeth and her Daddy went out on a jet ski.
Ready to go.
Video of part of the ride
Apparently it wasn't very exciting to Elizabeth

Poor Cicada

The Cicadas are out in full force and Elizabeth found one in our driveway. She chased it around for a bit trying to make friends, however there is such a thing as too close:

First Birthday Party

Since Elizabeth is 'home schooled' she doesn't have a lot of friends her age yet (we're working on it) but we had a lovely afternoon celebrating her first birthday with friends and family.

The princess fresh from a nap greets her guests with a pillowhead and sillypussMmm CupcakesJack and Claire AlfordTommye & Tom Rowell, Jennifer Smatt, Judy Slate and Jenny HartselleElise Crocker, Birthday Girl, Mommy, Tommye, Caire, TomStan Addyman, Robert Slate, Tom RowellRick Hartselle, Pam and Anna Alford Jennifer, Elizabeth, Suzanne, Margaret Addyman, Tommye, Judy, Claire

Aunt Elise and Elizabeth

1 Year old!

Elizabeth celebrated her first birthday with an small dinner party which included her parents, her Martha, her grandparents and her 'aunt' Jen

Mmm Chocolate cakePoppy and Nana

Kisses, anyone?

Mommy, big girl, Daddy"Aunt" JenA sated birthday girl. are those for me? Bring 'em on!

Ahoy Mateys

A little fun in the sun on the emerald coast. Jeffrey made lunch while we splashed around a bit.
Bathing Beauty, ElizabethJeffrey grilling brauts

Goddess, Louise FortenberryThe fabulous Fortenberrys-David, Jacob & Jessica

Early Birthday Celebration with the Fortenberrys

"Aunt" Louise and David, Jessica and Jacob baked and decorated cupcakes for an early celebration of Elizabeth's upcoming first birthday. Daddy made delicious kabobs so everyone had a healthy meal before the sugar explosion.

cupcakes a al FortenberryJacob models his poncho and shares toys with ElizabethJacob, David, Jessica & JeffreyHappy birthday, Dear ElizabethMmm chocolate icingMartha wants in on the actionCrashing in "Aunt" Louise's arms

Nichelle and Gideon get Married

Nichelle, Elizabeth's first nanny (and a very loved one), got married on a bright and sunny Sunday on a vineyard outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. This is Elizabeth's third wedding and she's not even one year old! This wedding was catered by Nichelle's father, who specializes in Carribbean fare. Elizabeth, however, was most fond of the cake.
pre-ceremony with Daddymy dress matches the colors of the weddingGideonNichelle and her fatherGideon serenaded his bride as she walked down the aisleMr and Mrs St HelenWedding and groom's cakeElizabeth and Nichelle's cousin

Time to Meet Cousin Summer

Three month had gone by since Summer Grace arrived and Elizabeth hadn't met her cousin, so she and her mommy took a little road trip to Columbus, Mississippi. It was only supposed to be a day trip but Elizabeth had so much fun with her cousins, Summer and David, we spent the night.
Rub a dub dubThree babes in a tub.

with Aunt CaseyUncle Dave, Summer and David

Bruiser McCool

While the visit with her cousins inspired her to walk full time, she still was a little wobbly and upon returning home from Nana's and Poppy's she tried walking on one of her toys and slipped and fell, face first into the coffee table. Jeffrey and I were horrified. Elizabeth came away from the incident with a nice little shiner.

Much to our dismay, within the following 24 hours Elizabeth managed to fall into the coffee table two more times. The table was moved, needless to say. And Elizabeth let it know it was not to hurt her again.

Running with the Cousins

All the attention Elizabeth got from her cousins encouraged her to really work on her walking skills.

Future Politician?

Or just a pontificator like her Opa? Only time will tell.

Visiting with cousins at Nana's and Poppy's

Jeffrey's brother Joey and his family came down to Tennessee from Richmond, Virginia. for visit with Jeffrey's parents. We saw this as a perfect opportunity for Elizabeth to meet her cousins, so we drove three hours to Loudon and had a great weekend with our family.
Arlie, Elizabeth and Poppy

Gavin, Arlie, Logan and Ethan make sure Elizabeth is entertained at every moment.

Her cousin's took her out to the garden and picked a few flowers for her--definitely supporting the princess title we've bestowed upon her.

The McCools on the water-Elizabeth, her Daddy, Joey, Ethan, Poppy, Gavin and Logan
Logan, Elizabeth and Jeffrey laze about
Elizabeth hangs out on the boat posing, while the boys rode behind the boat on the float.
The McCools-Logan, Jackie, Gavin, Elizabeth, Joey and Ethan
Elizabeth continues to hold court with her cousins.
Elizabeth followed her cousins around when they weren't following her. Prior to this weekend, Elizabeth had started walking but would resort to crawling when she wanted speed. But I think she got inspired by the boys, because after this weekend, she started walking full time and FAST.

Independence Day Holiday Weekend

For Independence Day and the weekend that followed Elizabeth celebrated America's birthday with her Opa and Gigi, the Browns (Tommy, Gavin and Lauren), Miss Heather and the Alfords (Jack, Pam, Claire and Anna).
Sampling hummus with GigiAnna AlfordJack Alfordwith 'Uncle' Tommywith Miss Heather

Swimming with the Fortenberrys

The McCools and the Fortenberrys (sans Dr. Eric) took a little cruise on the bay for some fun in the sun. Despite some sweeping downpours and getting stuck on a sandbar we still had fun, and boy do we have some good stories to tell now.
Elizabeth and Aunt LouiseDavid, Jacob. Jessica and Elizabeth splash about on the sandbar
Jeffery and David Fortenberry
Jacob Fortenberry (Elizabeth's betrothed)

"Uncle" Charlie gets Married

One of the original Lunch Bunch (Suzanne's high school friends), Charles Nunn married his sweetheart Lisa on Princess Beach between Fort Walton Beach and Destin. Children were invited so Elizabeth happily attended with her parents.

Elizabeth and Daddy

Lisa and Charles Nunn
Mommy's crazy friends, Charlie, Gary, Tommy, Ed and Louise

Elizabeth exploring at the reception

Elizabeth checking out Lisa's bridal bling.

Ten Months Old

Elizabeth celebrated her 10 monthiversary with her cousins and her Nana and Poppy, at her grandparents house in Tennessee.
The day started out with some time on the lake cruising around on Nana's and Poppy's pontoon boat. We stopped to splash around for a bit.
Poppy, Chloe (on the float) and Elizabeth with her DaddyElizabeth and her Daddydrinking up all of Aunt Gena's water--mmm ice cold water
We spent the rest of the day relaxing around the Nana's and Poppy's house.
In the sunroom with Chloe and Claire

With Aunt GenaShowing Poppy how I can walk
Claire, Elizabeth and Chloe
Aunt Gena, Elizabeth and Chloe
Elizabeth with her Nana

Wobbly

This is from her early days of getting the hang of walking.

Little Mermaid and Friends

Elizabeth loves having friends come play in the pool with her.

Mommy, Elizabeth and AnnaMommy, Elizabeth, Anna, Miss Pam and Claire

First Steps

For a while now, Elizabeth has been walking around all over the place as long as she has something or someone to hold on to. Today she started to get more brave and has begun to take a few steps without a 'hand rail'. It won't be long now until she's running down a soccer field.

Holding On

Baby Steps

Cupcakes

On Memorial Day, Elizabeth had her first cupcake.

After that experience we decided cupcakes would be best served in the bathtub.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day we had our friends, the Alfords and some of our Slate family cousins over for some swimming and burgers and whatnot. Elizabeth's Opa was in town too so it was a very lovely afternoon.
Claire, Pam, Anna and Jack AlfordOpaElla SlateGrayson Slate, Claire Alford, Robert Slate, Will Henry SlatePhil Crocker, Judy Slate and a very excited Elizabeth

Napping with Mommy

Napping with mommy appears to be a recurring theme in the photo journal of Elizabeth's first year. But some days call for a nap and a snooze on the couch is good for the soul. Jeffrey took these shots because Elizabeth appears to be mimicking her mother while sleeping. She's a regular mini-me.

Bye Bye Nichelle

May 16th was a very sad day at the McCool house. We had to say good-bye to our beloved nanny, Nichelle. Nichelle graduated from college on May 10th and is heading back home to North Carolina to plan her July wedding and prepare for her new career in graphic design. She was a wonderful care-taker for Elizabeth and great friend and we will all miss her very much. But we know she is now off to bigger things and we couldn't be happier for her.

Elizabeth helps Nichelle open her graduation/farewell presents.

Mother's Day

Elizabeth and her mommy celebrate Mothers' Day with Daddy and friends from the neighborhood.

Pam and Anna Alford

Mommy's Birthday Bubble Bath

Mommy didn't ask for much on her birthday, just a chance to soak in the tub with some bubbles and her baby. Baby had a blast in her first bubble bath.

Beached!

Jeffrey beached our boat on a little island and he, Martha and Elizabeth tested the waters in the Gulf of Mexico (I stayed on the boat to man the cameras and keep out of the sun--being a vampire is tough duty). Elizabeth took to the water immediately. She is most definitely her father's daughter--a true waterbaby.

On the Briny

We took a little vacation to Florida to celebrate my birthday and so Jeffrey could get a little fishing fix. On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, Elizabeth got her first ride on her daddy's boat. She didn't care much for the life jacket initially but apparently it's a comfy ensemble for napping.

Tail of a Whale

Being part vampire and part mermaid isn't easy. Elizabeth was slathered with sunscreen, placed in a shaded water toy and after a few minutes of fun in the sun, was forced to wear a hat. Still, she loved the water. She splashed and kicked around getting water on her face and in her mouth, but the only time she got stressed out was when we took her out of the water.

shoes and Opa--two of my favorite things

Giddy Up, Daddy!

Spring in the Garden

Our neighbors, Stan and Margaret, are master gardeners and have a spectacular yard. At the peak of the azalea bloom, Margaret suggested we come over a capture Elizabeth's first spring at its peak. We were delighted to oblige.

mmm, can I eat this?

so this is what it's like to be a garden ornament

yes, I am a happy girl

CRAWLING!!!

After about two weeks of threatening to crawl, she's finally done it.

Watch her go on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkLkXJPFZ9Y

Standing

Elizabeth has started pulling herself up on just about anything in her path. We've started to think she walk before she crawls.

Sleeping Beauty

Mmmm Prunes!

Elizabeth love a little fruit with her cereal and has considered becoming a spokes person for the benefits of fruit and cereal facials--apparently it keeps the skin looking youthful.

Sitting up on her own

Elizabeth has become more and more mobile--scooting, rolling and wriggling her way around rooms. She really wants to crawl. In her efforts to learn to crawl she has learned to sit up on her own. She also seems to have more and more to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F03h5hlVhsg

Happy Easter from Tennessee

We spent Easter with Nana and Poppy in Loudon, Tennessee

Rubber Ducky You're the One

Daddy bought me a bathtub that we can take on the road. We even took it to Nana's and Poppy's house for our Easter vacation.

Are facial expressions inherited traits?

People are always commenting on who Elizabeth looks like. At first glance it's easy to think she looks most like her mother--the redhair, pale skin and hazel gray eyes are all like her mothers, but with a second look you can see she has her father's ears and nose and the same shaped eyes as her daddy. And most of the time facial expressions look an awful lot like her daddy.
However, when I interrupted her enjoyment of a gift pack from our friends, Wayne and Sylvia, Elizabeth shot me a look that well, I'm afraid she could only have inherited from me.

Her recovery was quick though and this expression is totally her own.

I love my Opa!

Elizabeth giving her Opa a hug when he and Gigi came down for a visit.

A visit from Aunt Casey and the Davids

Elizabeth and Aunt Casey
Cousin David discovering that his girl cousin has some cool toys.
Elizabeth and Uncle Dave
Examing Easter baskets from Opa and Gigi

Aunt Casey, Uncle Dave and cousin David came up to visit when Opa and Gigi were down here checking on the progress of their house. We had a great time watching little David run up and down the stairs and chase Martha. Elizabeth will be chasing David up and down the stair before we know it, but for now she's content to be held by doting aunt and uncle. In May, Opa and Gigi will have a third grandchild, Elizabeth will have her sixth little girl cousin, and little David will have a little sister.

A Future Career in Plumbing

With a father who's spent most of his career life working in construction related fields, it's not surprising Elizabeth is showing signs of becoming a plumber.

Ugh, One Can Never Seem to Escape the Paparazzi

Elizabeth went on a walk with mommy, daddy and Martha on a very sunny and warm Sunday afternoon. Elizabeth kept those sunglass on for nearly 45 minutes of the hour long walk. The hat, however, didn't stay on quite as long.

Sunny Day Exploring

We had a very warm day and decided it was time to break out sunny day clothes and go play outside.
Elizabeth gets aquainted with grass.

Elizabeth finds a leaf.
Mommy is about to drop the camera to keep the leaf from becoming an afternoon snack.

Sitting Up

All of the sudden, Elizabeth started sitting up without support. She still can't get up by herself but she can stay sitting and playing for a long time now.

Elizabeth Meets Fiona

Despite our best efforts, we did not manage to see everyone we wanted to see during our trip to Virginia, but we managed to introduce Elizabeth to Fiona, who is 4 months her senior.

The seemed to like each other.


Fiona Hendry and her daddy.

Auntie Jen plays Peek-a-boo

Jennifer teaches Elizabeth the fun art of Peek-a-boo at Opa's and Gigi's house in Virginia.

Excuse Me, I'm Dressing!

Elizabeth, at Opa's and Gigi's house, during one of her many wardrobe changes.

At Opa's and Gigi's

Since Mommy had to go to Virginia for work, Daddy and Elizabeth went with her. We stayed with Opa and Gigi. Their apartment isn't very big but Elizabeth always managed to find a comfortable place to sit.

First Flight

With her mother averaging 80-100 thousand miles a year, and even managing to get in about 70 thousand miles while pregnant, it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth got on a plane.

At the gate in Huntsville International Airport


Just like her mother, she's out by the time the plane takes off.

Any place is a good place for a nap

It appears that, like her mother, Elizabeth can sleep just about anywhere.

In good hands

Now that Mommy is back to work, someone has to take care of Elizabeth during the work day. Since Daddy also has a job, Elizabeth had to make a new friend to keep her company. Elizabeth's new friend, Nichelle James, is a college student at UA-Huntsville. She's in her senior year of a graphic design degree, so unfortunately, we'll lose her in May, when she graduates. In the meantime, she's wonderful. She plays with Elizabeth and reads to her in her beautiful Trinidadian accent and takes good care of Elizabeth while Mommy and Daddy work. Elizabeth really likes to her.

Snow in Alabama

It was the top story in the local news, a nice dusting of snow in Decatur, Alabama. It didn't last very long but it looked pretty magical in the light of the setting sun.




Elizabeth is wearing an Anne Geddes ensemble given to her by her Opa and Gigi. It came with a matching dolly.

Fly Girl

Check out those boots!!!

Daddy's Little Girl

Oatmeal-Dinner of Champions

Lauren and Gavin Brown come to Town

Mommy's and Daddy's friend Tommy came to visit with his children, Gavin and Lauren. We went to the NASA space center together.

Elizabeth-ready to go to the museum
Gavin Brown
Lauren Brown
Gavin on the personal rocket chair

Lauren in the space station.

Why Elizabeth has so many wardrobe changes...

In case, you wonder why Elizabeth seems to wear an awful lot of outfits in a single day, rest assured it is not because her mommy is treating her like a dress up doll. While Elizabeth is very healthy and generally, very happy, she is more than a little spitty. But as you can see, being spitty doesn't bother her at all and fortunately, she's got a pretty big wardrobe.

Napping with Aunt Elise

Elizabeth naps best when someone naps with her. It's generally not hard to find a volunteer.