Laughing and growing...

Eléa is becoming so big and is now able to sit up on her own (aka: propped against cushions on the couch).

She also has been laughing and smiling so much more.  She absolutely loves to stand on your stomach (when you're lying down) as she loves being taller than you.  Here's some video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljO04CWWksg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj99X2bwjF0

Halloween 2010

Eléa was a red chili pepper for her first halloween and we must say she was adorable!  She got to hang out with her friend Charlie, the lion, and his parents (see the awesome pic below).  She got offered her first candy bars (score for us as she has no teeth!) and bravely walked through the haunted forest (in the daylight).

Eléa, the traveler

Eléa recently got a chance to go on a second trip, she really is quite the traveler, with her abuelitos and tia.  We drove up the Berkshires and spent the nice in a relative's beautiful home (thanks so much Clem and Lisa!).  We saw some lovely trees, mountains and lakes, ate some yummy food, and had some fun play/bath time.  Eléa did great, if we leave out the car trip.  Did I mention that Eléa despises being in the car seat in the car?  Anyways, she slept well in her new crib and abuela and abuelo were nice enough to share a room with Eléa and let tia sleep in a bit.  

Abuelitos in general were amazing and eagerly returned to NYC to help out while Luke was struggling to get some applications in.  They took care of Eléa during my first week back at work, shopped, did laundry and abuela once again proved her superstar status by sleeping over the entire week to let Luke get some work done and some sleep.  Muchisimas gracias

First Trip!

Eléa and I took a trip to Fire Island with tia Ariane and friends to celebrate her birthday on Columbus Day weekend.  My friend Holly was super nice and agreed to come along to help me since papi had to stay home and study.  Eléa was a super trooper and managed a 6 hour trip that consisted of a 45 minute subway ride, a 2 1/2 hour wait at Penn Station (a missed train), a 1 1/2 hour train ride that included a transfer, a 5 minute car ride and a 20 minute ferry ride.  It was tiring for me, but she did great.

After arriving in Fire Island we went to dinner and Eléa went to sleep in her very own bed at around 9pm and didn't wake up until 6:30am (bravo!!!).  That day we really missed our swing as napping was a bit challenging, but she did great and luckily there was a magic fountain in the yard of one of the nearby houses that would instantly mesmerize her and calm her down if she was upset.  The next night she also slept well (8 hours the first stretch followed by a 1 hour stretch) and at 5am while I was walking her near the fountain to get her back to sleep we had a close encounter with a wild buck!

                                                     Holly and Elea on the ferry

                                                     Pretty!

                                                     The power of the magic fountain......

                                                    Bundled up at the beach.

                                          The crew

We made it back to NYC no problems and Eléa was very happy to see papi and be back in her own crib (though she demonstrated this happiness with a good thirty minutes of crying).  We had a great time in Fire Island (thanks Tia)! And special thanks to fantastic, incredible Holly!

Videos Galore!!!

We apologize for the onslaught of videos (though they are all pretty dang cute!), but they take so long to load up so it is easier to do it all at once.

Here is Eléa's first time in the bumbo chair... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFmt-yAaNe4 .  This is a few weeks old so she is not quite bobbly-heady right now.

The swing has proven invaluable. This morning Eléa slept in it for almost three hours!  You can already tell she loves adventure because she likes it best at the highest setting.  Next thing we know she'll be jumping out of airplanes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykau7XkvlW0

Eléa has started making lots of new sounds.  They are pretty awesome and she is a great conversationist.  Check it out for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVtpaC9E8os

Eléa has started grabbing at things, including her clothes.  Check out her showing off her yummy belly:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ZDfokkVoM

Some more love for the legwarmers:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao7xd8FgWBU

We have been swaddling Eléa at night because of the cold, but also we think it helps her get some longer stretches of sleep (she slept 9 hours last night!!!! but then of course was up and wanting to play at 4:30am).  It is so cute to watch Eléa wake up and get unwrapped from the swaddle.  Watch her appreciate her freedom:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvvv4smHbnc

What?

Huh?

I Love My LEGWARMERS

Eléa's tia Ariane bought her the best legwarmers ever and now that the weather has cooled down, we can not stop putting them on.  They are pretty darn awesome!!!! Thanks Tia!!!