Thanksgiving 2012

 

As always, we enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast at my parent's house this year. We also got the girls dressed up in Christmas red and tried to take a few pictures while we were at it. I mean, how likely are we to all be dressed up at the same time again before Christmas?! Here are some photos taken that day.

 

 

 

Each of us with our girls

 

 

 

 

All of the Lebow grandkids together

 

 

 

 

Pops holding Eleanor...I knew I had better get this shot while I had the opportunity!  He suffers from infant-phobia and it may be a while before you catch him toting another newborn!

 

 

 

Jeff holding Eleanor.  Yes, she is wearing a little boy outfit with a turkey on the bottom, but I knew there would only be one chance to wear a newborn Thanksgiving outfit, and this was the one we had!

 

Alice at Thanksgiving dinner like it was her last meal.  It was nice to enjoy some time off from toddler picky-ness.  You would think she had never seen corn on the cob before!

 

 

 

One shot of all of us after we were thoroughly stuffed!

November News 2012

November really flew by here at the Merrell house.  It's amazing how a little sleep deprivation can make the days run into weeks in  flash.  Here are a few of the highlights from this month...

 

 

 

Mimi came to visit our girls when Eleanor was 2 weeks old.  Alice really enjoyed spending time with her and having Mimi "sleep over" in her big girl rom, and it made us feel great that she was getting a little more attention than we had been able to give her the last couple of weeks while we were adjusting to the new little member of out family.

 

 

 

 

 

So peaceful when she sleeps.  It's amazing what a big miracle a tiny little baby is!

 

 

 

The weather around here this year has been anything but "fall like" with daily tempratures reaching 80 degrees.  Alice had her cousin Kendall over to play in all of the leaves that have invaded our backyard, and they had a blast!

 

 

 

 

 

Alice spends about half of her time these days playing dress up.  Here area a few of her latest costumes...

 

The princess ballerina

 

 

The...errr... fairy princess/super-hero is what she likes to call this one.  She says the purse is her helmet.  I guess safety comes first when your dad is the regional safety coordinator!

 

 

 

 

The Veterans Day Parade

 I am so proud to be raising little patriots, and Alice takes her flag waving job very seriously!

 

 

 

 

 

A big thumbs up to Thanksgiving Feast at Children's Day Out.  Alice said the best part was the macaroni and cheese.  So easy to please...

 

 

 

 

Sweet sisters...Alice really likes her new baby sister except when her crying interrupts Sesame Street.  Once this happend and she said "Mom, I can't like Eleanor.  Can you take her back to the hospital?"  I told her the window on the return policy had closed!

Dancing Queen

Halloween 2012

 

 

Halloween was really busy around here this year with the new baby, but we managed to have plenty of fun.  We took Alice to the Fall Festival at the library the week before Eleanor was born, "just in case" we had a baby and she had to miss out on trick-or-treating.  She wanted to be a "fairy princess ballerina" for the event, so we raided her dress-up clothes and did our best to come up with a costume for this. 

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy helping Alice make a pumpkin craft at the fall festival

 

 

 

 

Here she is ready to go to the Halloween party at Children's Day Out

 

 

 

 

Eleanor was a dragon and she stayed home with mommy and helped pass out candy to the neighborhood kids while Daddy and Alice went trick-or-treating

 

 

 

 

Alice was a a ladybug for the big event.  She and Jeff  managed to return from trick-or-treating with enough candy to cause a mouthful of cavities.  We are currently rationing the loot, and will probably still have some left over next year! 

 

 

All of the Merrell girls ready for Halloween

Meet Eleanor Kate

 

 

On October 25, 2012, the three of us became four. We welcomed Eleanor Kate into the world at 12:26pm. She weighed in at 7lbs. 6oz and was 20.5 inches long. It was actually a big surprise for us, because most everyone, including both Jeff and I, had guessed that she was going to be a boy. In any case, we are both delighted and overjoyed with our new daughter, and I don't think Jeff could be more excited about being the only man in a household full of girls!  Looks like it will be all sugar and spice for us...

Here are some pictures (I am sure the first of many!) of our new little doll. 

 

 

 

Absolutely perfect in every way.  Eleanor is such a beautiful little blessing. 

 

 

 

One very happy mommy

 

 

One very proud papa!  Jeff is such a smitten kitten when it comes to his baby girls.   I have never seen anyone wrapped around such a tiny finger so fast!

Alice meeting her new baby sister.  She told us she wanted a baby girl, and she got her wish :)

 

We are all madly in love.  I am sure there will be many more pictures coming.  We are planning to head home with our new addition tomorrow...

 

 

 

Pumpkin' Pickin' 2012

 

We took Alice to the "pumpkin patch" (not exactly a patch, more an empty lot next to the grocery store) last weekend and let her pick out some pumpkins.  She took the task VERY seriously.  We found ourselves taking pumpkins out of her wagon as fast as she was stacking them in there.  Apparently, she must have thought these pumpkins were free.  She had a great time though, and now requests to go back and get more everyday.  I think the kid really likes autumn decor!

 

 

 

Stacking them high...She rounded up enough pumpkins for the whole neighborhood!

 

 

 

 Looking for more "must haves"

 

 

 

                    Taking a break from the hard work                               The look of success!

 

Autumn is here, time to prepare for Baby #2!

September was all about enjoying the new autumn weather and preparing for Baby #2!

Daddy and Alice at the Tri-State Fair parade.  Alice has become a big fan of parades, so now we make an effort to attend all of the local small town parades that we can.  

 

 

A trip to the Tri-State fair

Alice fell in love with this turtle.  If it had been up to her, he would have come home with us.  She is still talking about it.

 

                                           Biker Chick                                                             Riding the train

 

Alice "won" a stuffed cow.  (Her Dad actually forked out $5 for it.)  She named him Sunny and sleeps with him every night.

 

 

 

 

 

Here area a few photos from the "Baby Sprinkle" held to celebrate our upcoming new arrival.  This was hosted by my sister, and attended by the many great girlfriends I have that spoiled us with diapers and essentials for the new little one!



 

 

 

 

It's almost time...we have spent a lot of time lately trying to explain New Baby to Alice.  I hope she is as excited to be a "Big Sister" as it seems that she is right now.  Big changes for us are on the way, and luckily she finished potty training just in time!