Flo-Rid-A

  We just got back from 10 days in Florida.  While this trip was extremely stressful  to me when we started planning it before Elle was even born, it went better than I ever imagined it could.  Elle was such a trooper and continues to blow my mind at how flexible and easy going her temperament is.  People commented over and over on the plane at how good she was.  She slept for the majority of the flights and just hung in her Baby Bjorn during our layovers in Atlanta.  She loves people watching and thought the terminal tram was so fun!  I am so happy that she travelled so well.  This will save years on my life not needing to worry about how she will travel in the future.

  While in Florida Elle met tons of extended family and all Matt's friends.  We kept busy going out to lunch, taking her to the pool each day (which she LOVED) and shopping.  Elle watched two Gator games on TV (she's to young to go, but her Daddy is already counting the days until he can take her) visited her Gigi at school, and made a trip down to Orlando to visit our good friends from Virginia.  We were all worried that when she returned home she would be a nightmare for me because she was used to constant attention.  It has actually been the complete opposite.  You completely exhausted our baby girl.  She must have been running on adrenaline by the end because she has slept sooooooo well since we have been back.  Our little world traveler is tuckered out and taking full advantage of alone time in her crib to catch up.  Again can we say perfect baby?

  Matt and I just wanted everyone to know we had a wonderful trip.  We loved showing our baby girl off and letting each of you have a chance to get to know her.  Thank you all for the gifts and all the loving toward our baby girl.  She is so spoiled and lucky to have a family who loves her to bits.  We can't thank Pops and Gigi enough for all the free babysitting allowing us some time alone to relax!

Best Friends with their Grandbabies

Uncle Brian and Aunt Chelsea

Swimming with Pops and Gigi

Elle at Gigi's school sitting on Elle's desk 

Perfect baby, passed out on the floor during a loud Hudson Family dinner

Convincing Cale and Christi that it's time.....LOL Love you two!

Meeting Paw Paw and learning about technology

Matt and I enjoying the Florida Sun!

Cuddling with Grandmommy

Cheering for the Gators with Gran-Nana

Reading Mommy's Magazine on the plane

    

Slight Obsession

  When I was younger it was my dream to be a stay at home mother. I loved doing crafty things and baking.  I even wanted 10 kids at one point, so including my husband and I, we would have a birthday party every month (that's right it's Duggar, not Davis).  Anyway, I grew up and got way too much education and in doing so changed my sights to be a career woman.  When we found out we were pregnant it was exciting and fun but I was a little worried about filling my time while at home on maternity leave.  While the first month was spent strictly adjusting to life as a new mother as time went on I found myself with more time and a huge interest in Do it yourself (DIY) projects.  Now that Elle is 3 months old and finds talking to her hands more interesting than talking to me, I have some time to try out some of the things I have been reading about on other blogs and watching on decorating shows.  

  While we are currently under going a bedroom reno (which will give me lots of projects to blog about) my most recent DIY or DIM (do it myself as I like to call it) came from one of my biggest obsessions...HAIR BOWS for babies.  Nothing bothers me more than when someone asks me how old by son is.  (Note to all mothers, always include a hair bow with a blue and white outfit for a girl). I have found it very difficult to find bows here in Canada which has lead me to many hours and many dollars shopping online for the cutest bows in town.  My in-laws have also helped me with this hunt and provided us with all kinds of bows for everyday use. Since that fait-ful day Elle has not left the house without a bow.  All this to say I decided, when I added up all the money spent on bows, that I could totally do it myself for much less than I had be spending.  In doing this I could customize them for Elle's most special outfits and make matching ones for her and her cousin.  Since my niece does not have the collection that Elle does I caught her up quickly with a couple of the below images.  I watched a few tutorials on youtube and headed to work.  It was way easier than I thought and ridiculous how inexpensive it can be when you do it yourself.  I did it myself!

Here's what you need:  Glue gun, lighter, ribbon (Michaels has amazing choices and a sale bin which is super cheap), a clip (I used roller clips they were 8 for $1.29, you can also get these at Michaels but they are a little more there) string, elastic (again bought at a fabric store, you can use stretchy lace ect)  and anything else you would like to use to decorate.  I used buttons, beads and sequence, but for the most part used old things I had around the house.

Here are a few of the finished bows:

The headband on the left was inspired by a blog I follow by a super creative mother of 3.  She does a ton of crafty things that add personality and warmth to her beautiful home.  She wrote a tutorial on how to make flowers she used for a wreath on her door which you can find here.  I thought the flowers were beautiful and LOVE how they turned out on the headband...I love multipurpose.

I also love this one below.  It was inspired by a hairband I bought from Aldo for $12.00 for myself.  All I did for this one was make a band out of elastic bought at a fabric store.  Stitched the ends together then cut out a flower shape in chiffon bought in the ends section (so cheap) at a fabric store.  I staggered the flowers on top of one another, put a stitch in them and then hand stritched some sequence in the middle to add some flare.  This probably cost me $2 max to create this adorable piece.

I finished my nieces collection with some traditional bows.  I watched a few tutorials and learned a nifty trick to make your bows look perfect.  The key is to put them on clips that way they can be interchangeable on other hairbands or even beanies like the Kushi one shown below allowing you to match the bow to any outfit you would like and making different combinations look like new.  I made a hairband to clip the bows I have on however,  you can by those very cheaply online so I ordered a few generic bands to clip my personalized creations to.  The other fun thing is these bows will grow with your child.  You can order larger headbands as their head grows and then clip them onto their ponytails as there hair is long enough!  So fun!  Here's my suggestion...shop the expensive boutiques for inspiration then go to town yourself.  Not only will you be super proud of your creation, your hubby will appreciate the money saved...at least my did!

Three Months Old

Elle is 3 months old today.  She has recently found her own hands and as I am sure you will all agree your hands truly are a facinating part of your life.  I swear she could lay and stare at her own hands all day long.  We think she might end up being right handed because she can't get enough of it but can't seem to find her left hand.  She is funny and loves the attention of anyone who will give it to her.  We again have been blown away by what an "easy" (I say that with some hesitation) she is.  She is a good baby and a real trooper.  We took her to Niagara Falls a few weeks ago while Josh was visiting from Jacksonville. 

She recently had her first sleep-over.  She stayed at Nana and Papa's house while Matt and I spent a night in Toronto.  Matt and I enjoyed some time away just relaxing and eating out.  I think I missed Elle more than Matt but we were both so proud of her for being so well behaved while we were gone.

We took her to a Jays game on Tuesday of this week.  She is generally content and happy if she is being snuggled and loved on.  Matt and I were a little concerned about how she would do at the game, but she was great. She watched for a while and then was content being snuggled up in her hoodie and a blanket.  With these adventures under our belt we feel ready for our next!  We will be getting on a plane in a week from tomorrow and taking Elle to Jacksonville.  We are pretty confident that she will do great travelling.  Hopefully she loves flying as much as her Daddy does!

Elle's growing everyday and is trying to keep up with her older cousin Abby.  Abby is 2 months older and yet when Linds and I take them out people ask if they are twins.  Do you think they look alike?  I guess size wise they look similar but I really think their features couldn't be any different!  Either way they are so funny together!!!!

She's the Davis of our Lives!

Just as our blog is entitled, Elle Ryan really is the "Davis" of our Lives.  As I expected, the summer is flying by with every second centred around Baby Elle.  Elle is such a ham, and I love seeing her little personality develop more each day.  She smiles all the time and if she could I am sure she would be laughing too.  She loves any attention she gets and as soon as she catches your eye she smiles as big as she can.  She is mimicking mouth movements and tries to copy things you do.  Matt had her on his lap one night and she was staring at him so intently.  Every time he moved his head one way or the other she would copy him.  While this seems like such a stupid thing to get excited over, it just shows us once again the miracle of this little life and how incredible our creator is.

As I said, our summer is flying by.  Since I last posted we spent as a weekend at Muskoka Woods for me to work.  Matt and Elle came with me and Matt got a small taste of how much work it is to take care of a baby all day on your own.  I was so proud of them both.  Proud of Matt for following all the instructions and even giving her his first bath on his own, and proud of Elle for not being too difficult for their first day alone.  They weren't entirely alone as I was there working but Matt still handled her for the most part giving me the chance to see the camp and participate in two events the foundation was hosting.  Elle was such a trooper and slept in a foreign place no problem!  We were so excited that she adjusted so well as we plan on doing a lot of travelling with her.  

On Friday I had to take Elle to 2 doctors appointments.  We went and had her hearing tested since she failed the test at the hospital.  As we suspected though her hearing is perfect and she passed the test no problem.  Secondly, now that Elle is 2 months old it was time to return to the doctor for her two month check-up and immunizations.  As I was warned by a number of people this visit was WAY harder on me than it was on her.  I was so apprehensive about her needles but aside from the initial pinch she had recovered by the time we left the office.  Way better then my sleepless night previous too and knot in my stomach for the rest of the day following.  She was a little crabbier than normal following her shots but seems to be back to her regular self now.  The doctor checked her over and she is developing perfectly (I could have told you that...my baby is so smart!).  

AT BIRTH:  7 lbs 6 oz, 19.25 inches

2 MONTHS: 9 lbs 15 oz, 22.5 inches

Finally...I have a serious addiction with taking pictures of her every waking moment.  As my Mother-in-law always says you can always delete them so the more you take the better chance you have of getting a good one.  Problem is my Elle Belle does not take a bad picture. Hahah can you say first child.  Here's the photo journal of our lives lately!

Sporting her new hat and running shoes to show Daddy, purchased for our weekend at camp.

Elle Belle stressed about spending the whole day with Daddy while Mommy worked at camp.  This is not how Mommy starts my morning.

Visiting Mommy at her event at camp.  Even though she looks like she is hanging by her neck, she isn't and loved being able to see.  Once she gets tired though we flip her around and let her rest her head on our chest.  Ask Matt about who helped him flip her around.

Getting ready to go swimming for the first time in Nana and Papa's pool. We waited until she stopped crying to take her in.  We also have a video.

Experienced Mom's,  and Mom's with experienced sisters, know that Costco has the best and least expensive baby wipes.  Here is Elle and cousin Abby all set to go buy more diaper wipes!!!!

Visiting with Mr. Josh.  Not sure what was wrong with my camera.

Posting Brought To You By the Letter E

    Baby Elle Belle is 2 months old!  I cannot believe it.  She is growing so much and developing her own little personality.  The second month with Elle has been as much fun or more fun than the first.  People keep telling me that each stage is so fun and to enjoy each moment because they grow up fast.  This could not be more true.  I don't want Elle to grow at all....however I love my little baby girl more with each new thing she does.  She started smiling randomly at about 6 weeks but will now smile on command.  When she wakes me up in the morning I stumble into her room tired and unimpressed that she's awake but the moment she sees me she gets a huge frog smile and I can't help but smile back at her.    She is starting to talk as well.  Once she is fed and happy we lay her on the couch or the floor and she kicks her arms and legs until the tiniest little sound comes out.  It is the sweetest sound in the world.  She spends more time awake during the day but is sleeping so well at night.  She will sleeps from between 9:30 and 11 until 6 or 7 in the morning.  She is so flexible and definitely fitting into our life perfectly.  We are heading to Muskoka Woods this weekend for me to work.  Matt is coming to take care of Elle and help me feel more calm.  We are excited for our adventure and the weekend as a family. 

    

Elle is starting to like her baths.  I have about a 10 minute window to get her in, out and dressed before she starts yelling.

Lindsay and I did a photo shoot with the kids.  For some reason Linds and I thought it would be easy, but what we quickly found out is it is much harder than it looks to get a 2 month old, 4 month old and a 2 year old to all cooperate at the same time.  Lindsay was the photographer and I was the artistic director.  Elle spent the first half crying (which is abnormal for her) and Abby and Caleb were angels.  Unfortunately by the time I got Elle to cooperate the other two were exhausted and not wanting to do anymore.  Even still we got some great pictures.  When I looked through them the next day I started to cry at how blessed our families are to have happy healthy little muffins.

Caleb trying to comfort his cousin Elle

Abby and Elle showing their anger in being dressed identical.  This picture is priceless

Caleb unsure at how to deal with the screaming women.

Love this picture of Baby Elle!

Beautiful Girl!

Precious Moment.

Celebrations

On July 12, 2010 Matt and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary.  This year was spent a little differently than last year.  Last year we spent the night in Niagara Falls and did all kinds of touristy things.  This year we planned to stay in for the night and celebrate with our whole family.  Matt bought steaks and sent me flowers and I got Elle all dressed up for the event.  We spent the night playing with our baby girl and eating a romantic dinner for two at our place.  So much has happened over the past two years and it was fun to reflect on how far we have come and the adventures we have had.  We feel so blessed to have great jobs, a great place to live and a beautiful baby girl!  

This weekend we celebrated my Peppy's 85th birthday with the family.  My parents hosted a pool party and BBQ with the family.  Over the past 5 years (since the last big celebration) we have added two more spouses, a few great significant others and 3 great grandchildren to his life.  I know he feels so blessed by his family and we all love him so so much!!!!

Too HOT for Clothing!

It has been incredibly hot here the past few days.  Soooo HOT, even Elle wanted to wear less clothing.  Anyone who has spent anytime with her knows that the minute our girl's clothes come off she screams.  She is a very modest baby!  The one day as I was changing her there was almost a sense of relief when her clothes were off so I let her play on her blanket in just her diaper.  As you can see she was very very happy!  Our little Elle is growing everyday.  She is still tiny (which I love) but looks bigger to me everyday.  She is becoming much more aware and seems to recognize Matt and I.  It is incredible how she knows who we are and that we are who she should rely on. She is really good about visiting with others but when she is super upset there is nothing quite like a cuddle from Mommy or Daddy.  So sweet!

Last week we also enjoyed having Matt's Nana and Granddad visit with us from Florida.  They spoiled both Elle and Matt and I.  We really enjoyed introducing Elle and spending time here in Guelph and in Niagara on the Lake as well as celebrating both Canada Day and 4th of July with them.

Here are some pictures from our visit.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy 4th of July! (Her Shirt Says "Daddy's American Beauty!")

Granddad Planting the Garden

Nana helping with the garden by taking care of Elle

Nana and Granddad in Elle's Garden

Matt and Granddad biking in Niagara on the Lake...Granddad may or may not be in better shape than Matt...LOL