Living Room

Mom wanted to see pictures of our couch and living room, so here you go.... This couch was worth every second of the wait. We love it! (don't mind Ellen in her favorite napping spot)

my first video

Look what Daddy and I put together! I hope you enjoy it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7wkqikFWH4

A whole year later

I'm about to celebrate my 29th birthday, and I'm sitting here thinking about how much change has happened over the last year. Erika and I both started new jobs, sold our condo, and moved. Oh, and throw in having a baby in the mix. I wouldn't feel any older, except having a child really shows you how much time passes by. Ellen is already triple the size she was at birth, and that seems like yesterday!!!

Ellen on Sept 1st, 2007.

Ellen on Sept 1st, 2008.

I don't know how we survived it all, but it certainly helps having a little smiling face to come home to and a wife who keeps it all running smoothly. So, here's to another year!

Update from the perspective of Ellen

Brrrrrrrrrrrrllllurp. Oooohhhh. Awwwooooooooo. Gurgle. Aaaaaaaaaooooooooh. Mmmwa. Awo awoooo aaaaa. Uuuuuuuuhhhh. Rargh. Goooooooo-ooooooh-oooohhh. Ooooooooooooooooooo. Ha ha ha ha.

Yaaaaaawwwwwnnnnn.

Look Who's One!

Ellen turned 1 today! She had a fun party. Thanks to everyone who came, and for all the great gifts!

House and Baby

I feel like a real grown-up now. We have an almost 1-year-old, a big house, and sore backs from too much house work.
We spent 11 hours Friday painting the living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom. Here are before and after pictures

Before (with all of the previous owner's stuff too):















After - don't mind our lack of wall-art! This lighter color was like adding a 300 watt light bulb. It looks so blah in these pictures, but it's really so much lighter and brighter!
















Ellen has been especially cute lately. Here are some pictures:














She really loves her high chair. She's been falling asleep while eating lately. The picture below is her showing off her hair after a bath. She's always so happy when bathtime is over!















Here she is helping me fold her laundry














She's figured out how to crawl underneath her exersaucer. She must have really wanted those keys.

Move and San Diego

We moved! The move went smoothly, thanks to the help of our friends and the moving company. I was really worried I'd have bad buyer's remorse, but I love the house. I love all the extra space, I love the privacy, and I love that all my appliances work. I miss our old neighborhood, but I think I'll get used to suburbia eventually. Here are pictures of our favorite features:

Bigger living room

Built-in desk off the kitchen

Deck that isn't molding, about to fall off the house, or practically on top of the neighbors roof

And my favorite feature...

That's right - 3 bathrooms! (2 of which will eventually be painted)

Just when we had finished unpacking, we went to San Diego. Ellen did so well on the plane and through all the travelling. She wasn't too sure about the beach. I think she was worried I was going to give her a bath...

But she really loved the zoo when the animals were big enough for her to see.

And now we are back home and trying to settle in. Ellen is crawling all over the place and putting everything in her mouth, so we're really on our toes all the time now. Her crawling is the cutest thing I've ever seen! I just wish she could do it without stuffing foreign objects in her mouth.