Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Fairchild's!!

I want...

Take the picture please.

So pretty in the dress made by her Great Aunt BooBoo.

Helping get the decorations out of the box.

Halloween

I made Elliana's Halloween outfit. It's a flower. See the stem going up the shirt and her head band is the flower. She looked so cute. I found the outfit I want to make for next year and am already looking for supplies. She'll be such a cute chick!!

Walking

Well, we are offically in Van Buren, AR. Brent is working at St. Edwards. Elliana started walking about a month ago and she is saying so many words!! It's amazing how quickly she changes and grows. Sorry it's taken me so long to post a new entry. It's hard to get back in the swing of things. PLUS now that she's older, she demands more of my attention.

Hopefully, I'll start doing better.

Moved

Well, I guess you can say we've moved. We found a house to rent in Van Buren, Arkansas and have most of our things in the house. Tomorrow we go and try to organize it all. As soon as I can, I'll post some photos of it.

Elliana took a step yesterday. Soon I believe she will be walking. Her 14 month birthday is this week. My prediction is that she'd walk by then, so we'll see.

1st Haircut

Elliana's first haircut. They put in a 'Baby Einstein', sat her in a car and went to cutting. She kept trying to see what the lady was doing. Now her hair is all shaped up and we can let it grow out. My goal is all one length. I think long hair is so pretty on little girls.

Welcome Ollie

We recently had the opportunity to add to our family. Meet Ollie, Brent's new puppet. A co-worker of Brent's gave him to Brent. Elliana loves him.

On the Move...

Time for a family update:
* Our house is sold, papers signed, money deposited!!!!
* Brent got a job!!
* We will be moving to Ft. Smith, Arkansas. His residency ends August 22. So we will leave Ohio around the 27th.

I have lots of emotions concerning these major events. First of all I am so THANKFUL. What a weight lifted when the house sold. Second of all I am so RELIEVED. It is nice to know that we have a job with a payscale above the poverty line. I also have a sense of LOSS. I'm going to have to leave my favorite scrapbook store and settle for Hobby Lobby and Michael's. Don't get me wrong, they have great things. It's just Archiver's offers some serious expertise. I'm also going to have to leave just the convienence. If I want to go to IKEA, I can. (Not that I go there much...at all. Actually, I've only been there twice, but I'm sure you understand.) But more than that, I am going to have to leave the church I love and the family I have found there. What seems worse to me is that Elliana is going to have to leave the only extended family she knows, the people with whom she is comfortable. Oh, I know we will make new friends and meet new people, but the loss is still there. The nice thing is we will be only 3 hours from both my family and Brent's. I also feel OVERWHELMED. We need a place to live, pack up our apartment, say good-bye, and move all in 2 1/2 weeks. Also, I'm wanting to work part-time once we get settled, but I want to go ahead and start the licensure process. I'm sure that will get pushed back till after we've moved.
You know, it's therapeutic to write. I'm glad I have a space in which to do it.

NOTE: I will try to post something in the next week or so, but I figure it may be September before I get back to regular postings.

New York! New York!

Niagara Falls, New York

Brent and I took all the girls to the American side of Niagara Falls.
Brent went with Jordan and Hayley on the Maid of the Mist.
Joe took us out on his boat on Saturday. Elliana and Daddy got in the water. Someone is so tired she fell asleep on the boat.
After she woke up, we went for a ride in the tube.

Backwards

I tried to turn the video before posting it, but it wouldn't let me, so turn your head and get ready to watch. She's going backwards on her new car. I'll pull her forward and she'll push back. She's so cute. The car will switch so she can stand behind it. She's not quite got the hang of that. But it will come. She is catching on so quickly to things these days.

So Sleepy

Sweet girl was so sleepy that she fell asleep in the wagon when we went for a walk.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday!

The Hat I made for Elliana's Birthday.




The cake. Not fancy, but does the job.





Elliana was feeding Daddy her cake.







She didn't get too excited about the cake. In fact, she made a face. I think it is the texture of things she's not crazy about.










Elliana got a chair just her size.





A couple of families from church came to celebrate the day with us. These are some of their children. (Clockwise) Elliana, Adele, Augusta, Olivia, Annie.

She seemed to really like the car. There is a little spot in the front that she can put things in. She kept lifting the lid, putting things in and taking them out.

Due Date

Brent called today (he's been out of town) and said his phone alarm went off this morning and it said "Baby girl due." He had set his alarm LAST YEAR and didn't take it off. I thought that was pretty funny. I can't believe it's been a year. I had forgotten that today was her due date. Actually, I don't think I new what today was. When you stay at home all day, there's not much need to know the dates, only days. In one week and a day we will celebrate Elliana's 1st birthday. Wow, she has grown and changed so much in this last year. Sometimes I try to imagine what she'll be like when she talks and walks. Adorable I'm sure. But she changes so much now, that it's hard to even anticipate.

Well, I just felt the need to point out that today was Elliana's due date last year. Crazy, but true.
Have a great weekend!!

Blondie

We were in Gymboree the other day and Brent took a wig off the mannequin and put it on Elliana. How does she look??? Blond.

Who's Who?

When Elliana says "Mama," I'll pat my chest and say, "I'm Mama!" Now when we ask "Where's Mama?" Elliana pats HER chest. As you see in this video, she does it for Daddy and Elliana as well. Brent is at work tonight and I had him on speaker phone and he said, "Elliana, where's daddy?" She smiled and patted her chest. Well, at least I know she knows what we are saying. I'm amazed at how quickly she is beginning to pick up new things. For instance, she has a baby doll that she will hug and kiss. This morning the baby was on the bed and so was Elliana; Brent said, "Go get your baby," and she crawled over and picked up her baby and started hugging her. Elliana is such a girl. She likes to try to put clips in her hair (or mine), loves the baby doll, and makes funny faces when you give her something of a different texture. She is so fun and changing so quickly. I hope you're enjoying the videos and pictures.

He's Got the Whole World...

Singing with Daddy.

Sorry you can't see her face. At least you can see her doing the motions. Today when I was trying to upload this video, I played it. When she heard Brent singing, Elliana stopped what she was doing and started doing the motions. Too cute!

Cicadas

We went to the park on Father's Day and their were Ciacadas (locusts) everywhere. I have never seen them like this. I realize this is nothing like the plague the Bible talks about, but can I just say, they are everywhere. And they are loud. It's like an alarm of some sort. Even now (at 3:05 pm) I sit in my apartment and can hear them. Just looking at these pictures makes my skin crawl.

Occasionally, while sitting and talking or eating, I would feel what seemed like sprinkles, but would see nothing on my arm. Something I realized at the end of our time at the park (I feared it, but would not allow my mind to go there), is that I think that moisture was coming from the Cicadas. Is it possible is was pee? Uck!!
I have to say I think the picture below is pretty good. You can see their beedy eyes. I bet it makes your skin crawl too.

Blueberry Pie

Brent said he enjoyed his father's day. The Peanut Butter Fudge Cake was rich and yummy. We grilled pork chops and corn and I also made a Blueberry Pie that turned out pretty good. I don't make many pies, but would like to start making more (mainly to perfect the art of it). I got the recipe on the Martha Stewart web site.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Brent's first father's day(with Elliana on the outside), and I got him a shirt!! Not really. This is his father's day card that I made out of paper. Pretty cool, huh?

This is actually what Elliana and I got Brent for Father's day. Brent likes to eat his cereal out of a big, deep bowl, so I thought it would be fun to personalize one just for him. Fun is a bit extreme. My advice...don't do something like this with an 11 month old unless you have someone there to help. Can I just say, the native (Elliana) got restless.



This is an attempt to get Elliana's had print on the side of the bowl. You know, 11 month old children are not very cooperative. And of course when I gave her the paint brush, she just wanted to paint herself, not the bowl. Oh well, Brent liked it.

Brent and Elliana on Father's Day. Elliana's out fit was made by her great Aunt Boo Boo. It's for her birthday, but we just had to wear it today.
After chruch, we went to Nisbet Park in Loveland, OH with the Willaford's. We walked down to the river.

Daddy and Elliana sharing a snow cone.

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals

On June 12, we went to the last of three games between the Reds and the Cardinals. Several families from our church joined us. We had a great time!



Mama and Elliana, just before we entered the ball park.



The ball park overlooking the Ohio River. What a fantastic veiw.
Daddy and Elliana.
The Willaford's (Tasha and Josh)
The Heinrich's (Heather is holding Elliana and Brad had his chin on his hand)






Our Family.

The Cardinals lost: 6 to 2.