December 17, 2011: Ellie's Baptism

December has been one crazy month. As if taking care of a newborn, participating in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and taking a trip to Colorado weren't enough to keep us busy this season, we decided to pile on one more fun, family activity: Ellie's baptism. On December 17, 2011, Ellie received the sacrament of baptism at St. Angela's Catholic Church in Pacific Grove, the same church where I was baptized. We were so happy to have close friends and family make it to this special event.

For her baptism, Ellie wore a beautiful dress purchased by her godparents, Tia Heather and Tio Jeremias. And she was wrapped in the same gorgeous white blanket that I was wrapped in when I was baptized.



Father Jerry, the sweet, now retired, priest that we grew up with, was kind enough to come back to St. Angela's to officiate the ceremony. Father Jerry has always had a warm, casual, and inviting style that makes all who enter the church feel welcome.





We celebrated the occasion with lunch at Pacific Grove Golf Course following the ceremony and, after that, Grant organized a putting contest for everyone who attended. We couldn't have asked for a better December day in Pacific Grove. It was absolutely beautiful!





Thank you to all who were with us - in person and in spirit - for this important day!

An Early Christmas in Colorado

We were so glad earlier this month to celebrate an early Christmas with Papi Andy and family in Colorado. Ellie had not yet met her Tia Jenna, Grant's company Christmas party was scheduled, and Southwest was having discount fares. We didn't need any more excuses! We got Ellie geared up for the snow and headed East!


Grant and I were a little nervous about how the flight would go with Ellie, but she traveled like a champion. She slept the whole way there and back! And so did we. :)

There are nothing like the beautiful, snow-covered mountains of Colorado to get you in the holiday spirit. We enjoyed family walks along the trail by Andy & Linda's house, attended the Essette Christmas party where Grant and I took third place in the blindfolded gingerbread house making competition (a difficult feat!), celebrated some new Christmas traditions with new family, and went to the Denver Zoo Lights! What a wonderful weekend! Here are some pictures that capture the fun we had:













Thank you Andy & Linda for opening your home to us, and to Megan for taking so many great family photos of Grant, Ellie and me!

December 4, 2011: Ellie is 2 Months Old!

At 2 months old, Ellie is really starting to interact. We have been able to receive some smiles and coos from our little girl and it just melts our hearts. One night, Grant found that bouncing Ellie up and down could produce a big, gummy smile every time. Isn't this just the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Some additional 2 month milestones include:

• At her 9 week appointment, Ellie weighed 11 pounds and was 22 3/4 inches long.
• She recognizes our voices and seems to look for us when she hears us.
• When we hold her upright in front of us, she can stand and respond to our talking with coos and noises.
  
• And most importantly, she has slept through the night (7.5-10.5 hours!) almost every night since Thanksgiving!

As Ellie grows and becomes more interactive, it makes parenting that much sweeter. All our exhaustion melts away when you see a face like this:

Thank you Grammy for capturing these wonderful pictures!