Elea: Live in Action

Check out these amazing videos of our adventures over the last month!

Eléa loves the piano:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94_F9GYL_zA More piano fun:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjSfgUBDLNA Eléa the mighty:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuB8ZW-lTw0 Dressing up, Eléa style:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J2e8FkT940 Dressing myself... with ALL my clothes:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMrybKhqDGA Cracking up:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GSp10rvhpc First taste of sugar:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8mi4p0Fg0I Austin bats:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRyKhUsy2vs

Austin fun!

We have been enjoying life in Austin, and Eléa has visited many a splash pad and played some guitar at the Children's museum.  We were also able to see the Austin bats (largest urban colony of bats) one night as grandma and grandpa were nice enough to invite us and abuelo, abuela and tia ariane were nice enough to babysit.... Thanks!

too cool for school.

what?

Eléa turns 1

A few days after our arrival in Austin, both sides of the family and some friends gathered in the park/splash pad to celebrate Eléa's first birthday.  She enjoyed her Venezuelan 'sandwichon' and her first taste of sugar (carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting).  Eléa loves playing in the splash pad and was able to continue the Eigler tradition and have her first of hopefully many pinatas.  Thanks to everyone who helped with making it a wonderful day!  Eléa also had a fantastic time opening presents and LOVES to rub her face in all her new clothes....

for me?

so soft on my face...

yummy icing!

Eléa and her fashion twin Helena!

I love tia Ariane!

Amtrak

From St. Louis we took an Amtrak train down to Austin.  We splurged and booked a superliner room so we could spread out a bit.  We checked in 9 suitcases and had about that much in carry on as well.  The train left St. Louis at night (supposedly at 8pm, but actually at 9:30pm) and Eléa slept relatively well on her shared bed with Luke.  Everything was smaller than we had imagined and the train moved an awful lot making it more challenging for Eléa to walk around, but she got a hang of it eventually.  We ate our meals in the dining car and had some good play time in the observation car.  We arrived in Austin the next night at around 8pm and were very happy to see Luke's parents and be settled in one place for the next month.  As one would expect, Eléa charmed her fellow passengers and was overall a real trooper on  these past two weeks of travels and constant moving.

St. Louis

We visited our friends David and Elizabeth in St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, for a few days.  Eléa had a blast playing in the cities many fountains and David was able to get some serious chuckles out of Eléa (see video in upcoming post).  We ate some good food (aka: homemade ice cream  and pizza) and had a nice time exploring the city. 

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Chi-Town

We had a fantastic time visiting friends in Chicago, where the adults (Luke, Cindy, Darcie and Chris) barely outnumbered the children (Eléa, Reese and Sylvia).  Three children is hard work!  Reese, 16 months, had a blast with 'baby' Eléa and bestowed frequent hugs and helped us with feeding Eléa regularly and sharing her water.  Eléa reciprocated with stealing the water bottle and some toys, but also pushing Reese around in a cart.... (video to follow in upcoming post).  Sylvia entertained adults and little ones alike and is a bundle of non stop energy.  She has grown up so much, and makes me look forward to, with perhaps some trepidation, when Eléa can start telling us what she thinks.  

Out trip confirmed our suspicions that two children is a lot of children and cemented Eléa's status as a fatty-bo-batty.  At almost one year, Eléa weighs in at 25 pounds, while 16 month old Reese was a svelte 19 pounds... More Chicago pictures from Darcie's much nicer camera to follow.

Eléa befriends a dog

play!

hugs...

more hugs!

Eléa's July 4th outfit which Sylvia proudly picked out

Like father like daughter!

the bean!

Fun in the Millennium fountain 

Feeding

bath time!

Rest stops galore!

As we said goodbye to NYC, Eléa embarked on her first road trip with stops in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Chicago and St. Louis.  Being that she is a born New Yorker, she is not the biggest fan of cars or car seats.  Consequently, we planned our road trips to coincide with Eléa's naps.  2-3 hours driving in the morning, followed by a 2 -3 hour stop at a rest area and then another 2-3 hours.... We have some documentation of our times in the rest areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois.