It's been awhile...

So I know that it's been several weeks since our last blog post, and yes, we are still alive. yes, we still live in Waco. yes, we still have the most beautiful and amazing little baby in world history. So I guess a lot has gone on, but we will not be discussing much Rhodes news on this post. I do not have the energy. I will, however, post a few videos and pictures.

This first video is of Eleanor walking. She has been walking for 5 or 6 weeks now, and this video was taken 2 or 3 weeks ago. She can walk a bit faster now, but you get the gist.



This next video displays a few of her latest tricks, which include touching her nose on request, whistling, fake hilarious whistling, saying "Pop", and just generally being astonishing.



And for our final video of this post, we have Eleanor laughing. It is wonderful.



And here are a few pictures that we've taken in the last few weeks.

Nikki hosted a Mary Kay party, and decided to put makeup on Eleanor.

This was her new favorite expression for a few weeks.

Again, this time on her swing.

And playing peek-a-boo behind the treadmill.

We did some landscaping in our backyard (with Nikki's parents' endless help)

Surprise!

Elle has a hysterical new expression that she mimics when we act excited and raise our eyebrows at her. See for yourselves.

Eleanor laughing is like a song.

So this video was taken a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to putting it up. For a few weeks now, Elle has decided that spitting out her food is more fun than eating it. Sometimes we'll put the food in her mouth, and as soon as we move the spoon away, she starts spitting it out. We say "no" and this works sometimes, but not always.

This video was taken at Nikki's parents' house in Jacksonville (they're doing some re-modeling on the inside, so that's why the background looks like a disaster zone). As Nikki's dad was feeding Eleanor, she was of course spitting out the food. But for some reason, when he said "no" to her, she thought that was absolutely hilarious. This was the most she had ever laughed.

Let it be known: he promised to call me "Master Nikki"

... he also told me that once he got his PhD and everyone starts calling him Dr. Rhodes (hypothetically), that mine would still be better because the rule is that you always go by your final degree, and mine would of course be Master, and everyone knows a master is better than a doctor--- please.

he won lots of points that day.

In all seriousness, he has won a LOT of points every day for the past two years as I have been commuting to school, working, pregnant, and mommy-ing. I haven't been what you would call "around" much, but Jeremy and Elle have both been the most supportive, patient, and encouraging little family I could ever ask for. I owe my ability to finish to them and the good Lord for holding us all together.

People Eleanor Loves

Nikki and I were talking the other day about Eleanor and love. Of course, everyone has heard a million times about how much you love your children, beyond your wildest expectations, blah blah blah. What has been surprising in these first 7 months or so, however, is how it affects us when other people love Eleanor. When someone loves Eleanor, I seem to connect with them in a new way. I'm grateful to them for loving that which I love the most.


This is one of the main reasons why we love hanging out with our parents so much. Milestones and new skills happen all the time with Eleanor. Some of them are pretty important (crawling), some of them are less than earth-shattering (hair seems to be 1/8" longer than 6 months ago). But regardless of how unimportant some of these things seem to most people, even to close friends with children of their own, these things are never unimportant to our parents. With who else can we talk for 30 minutes about the syllables she can pronounce, or the fact that she likes this toy but not that one, or the noises she makes when we drive in the car? Only four people in the world care as much about that stupid stuff as Nikki and I do: our parents. We love them so much, and they all make Eleanor smile more than anyone, often more than we do. I'm not making that up.



So here are a few pictures of Eleanor with the four people she loves the most.

Pop

Honey

Grammy

Grandpa

Visit from the Kings

So Kristin and Russ brought Cambell to see us this weekend, and we had a great and relaxing weekend. Here's some pics.

Beautiful little girl.

Eleanor had a consistent urge to gouge at Campbell's eyes. We told her, "eye gouging is only for 6 month old babies."

Eleanor planning her next eye gouge

If Elle can't gouge Cambell's eyes, she will settle for an uncomfortable stare

They already have the same taste in clothes. Amazing.

Fourth of July and other pics

We went over to Nikki's parents' house (Nikki's parents are called Honey and Pop) on lake Jacksonville for the 4th of July weekend, and we had a great time relaxing and hanging out on the lake. Here are a few pictures...

Elle in her new floaty swimsuit thing.

a 4th of July outfit that her Grammy and Grandpa bought her

swimming with Pop

tubing with Mom

And now a few non-independence-day-related-photos

not sure which of these two enjoy the Baby Einstein DVD more

Elle's Uncle Brian and Aunt Stacey had a shirt made of their niece.

What's better than this face?

Eleanor doesn't seem too fazed by the fly ball that I saved her from.