Eliot Got One Before Daddy Did!

Daddy is just a little jealous that Eliot got a cop car before he did!:)

Thanks, Papa Tom & Mama Kris...I really like my new toy!!

The Hamster Maze

Chloe got this super fun tent system from Papa Tom & Mama Kris for Christmas. Once we got it set up we looked at it and thought it looked just like a hamster cage with all its colorful tubes, etc. We had a great laugh! Chloe has so much fun crawling through the tunnels & having Jack (the cat) run through with her. She especially loved it when daddy got in it and Eliot, too (see photos below). Even her cousin Aidan has been over to play in it with her and they have so much fun together. We hear Chloe yelling "Come on, Jack" or "Come on, Daddy" when she wants us to crawl through with her. Did we think this was our house? It is a pretty fun place for the kiddos and that makes our hearts happy.:)

Thanks, Auntie Di, Uncle Gordon, Hope & Hailey, for my dress up clothes & Sleeping Beauty dolly (you can sorta see the dress in the above photo & she is holding the dolly whom that and mickey mouse are the two she loves to carry around).

Christmas Night

We were at my folks for dinner & more Christmas fun!

The cousins...good buddies!

The littlest one's first Christmas dinner.

The spread & the fam

Merry Christmas!

I was able to take a moment this am to quickly post some adorable photos. We will be on our way to Grandpa & Grandma's house for more Christmas fun and dinner with my side of the family & some friends very soon today. Merry Christmas, everyone!




We did not see Nate's side of the fam for Christmas this year because it was the year to be with my side and Nate's side was all in So Cal this year and we stayed at home. So, this is a little thank you note to them: Thank you, Papa D, Mama Julie, Mama Lois & Mama Flink for all the fun gifts you gave us. We love you! Love, Chloe & Eliot. We look forward to more Christmas fun with the Doyles when they get back home!

Christmas Eve Family Photo

We attended our church's candlelight service on Christmas Eve. It was very beautiful. We really took the time, as a family, to worship Jesus & reflect upon the miracle of His birth. My parents came with us and then we headed back to our house for a pizza dinner, some cheesecake, and a lot of fun visiting!

Wise Actions & Words of Babes

Sometimes at nap I let Chloe take a few books in with her to quietly look at. And now we keep her door opened a little so she can go out to go potty if she needs to. Well, I was just checking in on her at nap today and this is what I saw...her baby Jesus story book laying over her face while she slept. What a precious sight! She tells me daily that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of baby Jesus and that Santa Claus is not real, he is just for fun. Such wise words from our 2 year old! I know that she is just repeating a lot of what she is taught from us & from Sunday School, but, my fervent prayer is that the Lord will continually guide us in teaching her about our Savior, Jesus Christ, so that He may soon become her personal Savior, as well. We pray this for Eliot, too. And in as much as I think we are teaching our children, I know they are teaching us, too, about unconditional love. And when I see stuff like what is in the photo above, my heart just sings as Christ just shines through our children.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

We have such cute kiddos (love the gingerbread jammies)!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

We went to the Holiday Festival in Sutter Creek on Friday nite.

Santa was there...Chloe was too shy to sit with him so we both spoke with him.

Eliot all bundled up in his bucket.

We stopped at Starbucks afterwards to get a warm drink.

We were grovin' to some Harry Connick, Jr. & Frank Sinatra Christmas albums while we trimmed the Christmas tree & decked our halls.

More Trimmin'

Eliot's 1st Haircut

Yup, it was time...I cut it last week. Such a handsome boy!

Our cute kids!

Eliot sorta sits without help (I call it "the fold sit" for obvious reasons).

Thanksgiving

The Doyle's hosted a great thanksgiving meal this year. Gpa & Gma Traxler, Grt Grandma Flink & Grt Uncle Don stayed with us for a few days. Grt Gma Lois & Mary stayed with Amy & Trevor. It was a lot of fun & the food was yummy, yummy! The kids continue to do great! Chloe has been diaper free & accident free (night time too) for two weeks now, yippee, & Eliot had his 6 mos doc app today & is growing well. He is now in the 64% for weight at 18 lbs 3 oz & 98% for height at 28 3/4" long. Enjoy some fun photos of thanksgiving day!

Who are these people? Oh, yeah, Mommy & Daddy to Chloe & Eliot (the best kids ever!)

Fun, fun!

Chloe loved to see & talk to the fam.

The spread!

The fun keeps on going!

Diaper Free!!

We have been very busy around our house, but, the biggest thing that has happened is that I started potty-training Chloe a week & a half ago & she has been diaper free ever since (it is so wonderful). It only took a day for her to really get the concept down & every day she got better & better & 3 days later she was practically accident free (she has had only one accident since then). I am totally amazed & proud of her (I was not looking forward to potty-training but I have a new confidence now!) She has even been dry at nite the last 4 nites in a row. When she gets up in the am she asks right away "Big girl potty, mommy?" & we walk into her bathroom & she can do all the steps & even wash her hands after (I still have to turn on the facet & give her soap to wash with but other than that she does all the steps by herself). Our baby girl is growing up. It certainly is nice being back to just one in diapers. Eliot is doing very well. He is 6 months old next Monday. He rolls & scoots all over the place. He smiles at everything & everyone...he is a ham! I thought I would post a cute photo of him below.

Eliot's 1st visit to HB

We went down to Huntington Beach last week to visit Gpa & Gma Traxler. Eliot met a lot of extended family & we all had so much fun! We met Ava who was born at the end of Sept to Matt (Nate's cousin) & Giselle Rudesill (she is their first baby & she is so cute!) We spent time with family, relaxed, went to the beach, & Gpa & Gma watched the kids for us for an afternoon & Nate & I were able to go out & Christmas shop & just enjoy a beautiful afternoon together. Eliot rolls all over & now even puts his legs under him & scoots forward some. He eats rice cereal & I have just started him on jar foods (he likes it all so far). Chloe is growing & learning so much. She can count to 10 (sometimes 15), knows a lot of colors & shapes, can spell her name (first & last), her words grow all the time & she says cute stuff like "What are you talking about?" And "Where did that come from?" So cute! Enjoy the slide show of the kids, us, Gpa & Gma Traxler, Grt Gma Flink, Aunt Joy, Uncle Mike, Ava, Ava's Gma & Chloe playing with the kids in Gpa & Gma's neighborhood (they were so sweet to Chloe & really liked playing with her).

Fall Festival

Fall Festival was held at our Church on Saturday night & it was lot's of fun! Nate is the children's Church worship leader & this year he was able to sing & play his guitar with our Church's worship band at the Fall Festival. He was so AWESOME! Eliot enjoyed his very 1st Fall Festival as the most adorable pumpkin & he was able to see everything while sitting in the baby bjorn in front of me (and I got a great workout). Chloe was the prettiest Cinderella & she had so much fun in the bounce houses, eating good food & some candy, watching daddy sing & play his guitar, hanging out with family & friends & much more. Enjoy the show!

Pumpkin Time

Solid Foods

Eliot had a good introduction to rice cereal this am.

Chloe's 1st Haircut

So, I cut Chloe's hair last nite. I was very nervous as this was her very 1st haircut in her entire life & I was not sure how it would turn out. I just cut about 3 inches or so off, a glorified trim job, but, since I have never really cut hair before, I think I did a good job. I kept the clippings of her hair & put them in her memory box. I posted a few photos below to show off her new due! (I know, hard to tell that I did anything at all!!)


Look at how straight the back of her hair looks...I am so proud!!

To the Zoo

We had a fun trip to the zoo with the Doyle fam. We were able to snap a fam photo just before Eliot fell asleep for the rest of the trip.

Our fam at the zoo.

Chloe & me looking on at a Bongo (Antelope)

The lemurs! (Chloe's fav)

Mama & baby kangas...a.k.a. Chloe's mommy & Chloe...:)

More Video of the Fam

Watch Me Roll!

See us play!

Eliot had a great check up today...he is 16 lbs 0.4 oz (74%), 28" long (99%). He is a tall boy! He did really well with his shots & is growing & developing so much & so well. Enjoy the cute video I took this afternoon of the kids & turn up the volume so you can hear the kids talking & laughing!!:)

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Eliot is 4 mos old today and he is fully rolling...it is so cute!! He rolled from back to front to back at Auntie Amy's this morning and was trying to keep going. He is growing and changing so much...my kids are such a joy to watch. Tomorrow is his 4 mos check up but I took some totally cute photos of him today so I thought I would post a few of them.

What a handsome boy!!

I found my toes and like them a lot...

Back to Glasses

So, the other nite Nate & I noticed that Chloe began turning in her right eye just a very little. She would quickly self correct this, but, Nate & I were concerned that this meant that her eyes were reverting to crossing again. Fortunately, she had an eye doc app the very next morning. The doc was still very pleased with her eye alignment, but, said we should go back to having her wear the glasses because they can keep her right eye completely aligned. He also said that this slight turning in is not to be unexpected because of how severe her eyes crossed & flipped upwards before the surgery. Her eyes are so much better than before that we are still very pleased with the outcome, as well. It would have been nice to not need the glasses anymore, but, she looks so cute in them & likes wearing them so these are pluses. So, we were relieved to hear that the doc did not think another surgery was necessary & very relieved to hear that he was still very pleased with her eye alignment. He said that she will more than likely grow out of the need for glasses probably in the next few years at most. We will see, one day at a time, & we continually pray for the health of our children. We are so blessed.

Tootsie Roll

I went in to get Eliot up from his nap yesterday afternoon & found that he had rolled from his back to his belly. I can't believe that he is already rolling at 3 1/2 mos old. The above photo is a cute photo of him performing one of his new tricks...the spitting...:)

This outfit was Nate's when he was 2 (it was homemade by his mom & I love it & so does Chloe...she says "daddy's outfit" & is so proud to wear it...so cute). It has finally been cool enough for her to wear pants for her outside playtime so when she wore this for the first time I took a bunch of cute photos of her.

Still Lookin' So Good!

Chloe's post-op app went really well. Doc confirmed no more glasses for the time being. He was very pleased with how straight her eyes are now. He said her eyes are slightly over corrected but he said it was very minor with no more correction needed. We keep looking at her & think she looks so different (it has been almost a year that she has been wearing glasses & she has crossed her eyes since birth so to see her without her glasses on & not crossing her eyes is different for us but we love it!) God is so GOOD! We can not thank Him enough. Her eyes are no longer puffy & red, just a little pink still but she is healing beautifully. Eliot is doing very good, too. He is so close to rolling over & his newest ability is spitting (& it is pretty cute but not so cute when he does this in the middle of the pastors sermon in church...he, he, he). I snapped a few more cute photos of the kids today that I posted below.

I am not sure if you all can see how straight her eyes are but this is a pretty good photo of her eyes & how well they are healing. If you wish to see them better you can just click on the photos.

Our Pretty Princess

Papa D & Mawma Julie (Gpa & Gma Traxler) gave Chloe this dress & crown (& even some light up Cinderella shoes) as a post surgery present. She loves it! Auntie Amy gave her the tinker bell necklace (it lights up, too)...so cute!! I took this photo the day after her surgery so I know she is feeling better (her eyes were too sensitive on the day of the surgery to take any photos of her straight on). She is doing great & her eyes are so straight (so far no glasses needed). We have the post op app on Thursday so I am very interested to hear what her doc says. Her eyes are still a little red but the swelling is gone. Thanks again for all of your prayers.