Saturdays at the park

Actually today was our first trip to the park ever! Last fall Elem was really to small to be getting outside, and when he was finally old enough to go out, it was just too dang cold! So now, finally, warmer days they are a comin! As always, the temp here in good ole Arkansas fluctuates from nice, to cold within minutes. But luckily Elem and I headed to Mills Park around 3:30 just in time for 30 minutes of nice weather. I figured he would do well and enjoy all that the park had to offer, and he did! Elem LOVES outside, and even though we only ventured to the itty bitty kiddy side-we didnt even set foot into the big kids side-he loved it! Well most of it that is!

It was a little chilly, so I think his nose is probably red in some of the pics and I knows it running in a few. But its so hard for me to take him anywhere and pass up a good photo op'. I love taking outside pictures too! They always turn out so much better than indoor ones. Anyways, Seth and Spoon were at another park playing basketball and we were actually heading to meet up with them and have a nice afternoon play date, but we went to the wrong one. It all turned out for the best and Elem and I had a great afternoon at the park with some great pics to show for it! Not just some but a TON of pics to show for it. I must warn you, I got so excited and took so many pics so if you dont want to look at them all please just scroll on down! I just want to make sure when I look back on his first ever trip to the park I know exactly what he looked like for every station and moment of it!

First stop the bouncy little fire truck! Not too sure about it at first...


still thinking still thinking


wait a minute, it rocks and bounces and I can do it all by myself. I DO like this


then to the blue police car-exactly like the other one. I love these things.


And then we ventured to the swings. Elem was a little cautious at first but he was thinking about it. I could tell. (And Kylie-do you see his shoes? Those are the vans you got him before he was even here! It seems like it took him forever to grow into them, but seriously they are size 4 and 1/2 which usually like a 15 month old or so can wear those! Him has big feet. But they are so cute! Way to go Aunt Kylie! )


After just one little push he liked it. Yay!


I love this one. He just swang and swang and people watched. There wasnt even that much going on, but he sure was interested in all the trees blowing, cars pulling up, kids running around. Just like me, likes to soak it all in.



So far a success I would say. Next stop, the climbing stationary object with with slide. He was sooo mad when I got him out of the swing that I didnt know if he would even play at all. But after a second of checking it out, he warmed up rather quickly. At first he just kinda stood there, like what fun is this? You know? But then he started to feel it and hit it and just look around to see what the deal was.


Peepin through the tunnel


Wow mommy this is so much fun! I love the park, I love the park. ( this picture is my favorite. It totally captures how he looks all the time. Just carefree and all smiles!)


Tell me you love the botty, eh? Baby booties in baby jeans could be one of my favorite things in this world. He just looks like such a big boy. Had to get one from behind.


Checking out his first stick. Good job Elem.


Of course the day wouldnt have been complete without sitting down and just playing in the mulch and dirt. And then of course eating it.


hahaha! I know that was a freakishly lot of pictures but man it was such a fun day. I have so so many more too, that I wish I could just post them all. I am really proud of Elem for always branching out and trying new things, He is pretty much never afraid to do anything or go anywhere-as long as mommy is insight! He is such a good calm baby, and his personality is still getting sweeter and sweeter every day.

These days he is talking like crazy! And loudly! From what my mom tells me sounds like he must get that from me-it appears I was a rather loud child! But yeah he just rambles and rambles and screams and talks. Not sure what he is talking about but he sure is saying it! He is also crawling anywhere and everywhere on all fours. Took long enough I tell you! And he is taking more and more steps everyday! He can get from one place to another by walking, but after 5 or 6 steps he gets going a little too fast! Its soo funny! Well its about 6:20am and I am going to see if Elem would like to go back to bed now! Hopefully we can get a little nap before I have to go to work!

Fun with dog bowls

Needless to say, every morning at our house has the possibility to be a crazy one! Elem and I usually get up around 7:30 or so and head on into the living room for some good ole play time. Next comes a diaper change, breakfast, playtime with Sage, getting dressed, and squeezing in a morning nap. ALl this PLUS myself getting ready-taking a shower, getting dressed, seth getting ready, us eating breakfast, blah blah, all before we head off to work! Even though we are always in a hurry and have plenty to do every second before we head out the door, we always tend to have a pretty smooth morning.

But then there are those days that are filled with the innocent trials of our 9 1/2 month old. Simple unknowing messes if you will, all because he is just trying to figure out what each and everything in the house is and its purpose in his little world.

Friday was one of those days. We were already running late, and I hadnt even gotten Elem dressed yet for school, when Seth and I were in the bathroom brushing our teeth. I of course do everything in this crazy super fast mode, because I KNOW the trouble Elem can get into in just a few unwatched seconds! SO we left him in the middle of the living room, playing by the stool with some toys and sage. Then before I could hardly get the toothpaste on my toothbrush, we heard banging!! I was like, no way he got all the way into the kitchen that fast.

Oh yes he did my friends! He may be small but he is quick. We ran into the kitchen and this is what we found! (Please take into consideration that there was water all over the floor and he was sitting in it)



Now I could have been upset and frustrated that we had to leave in about 10 minutes. But no-what kind of mom would I be if I did not allow time to explore with the natural wonders of the house. Messes will be made and in comparison, this one was very very small. He dumped and then he banged.



He wanted to eat, of course. And I am pretty sure he tried a piece.



Messes will be messes and little boys will be messy. I can only imagine the future messes to come. This one was quite humorous to me, only because I knew it was coming one day soon. Elem has ben obsessed with the dog bowl since he stared walking in his walker. But look at that face-why would anyone want to stop this baby from his exploring?

9 month milestones!

Wow 9 months has come so fast! My baby is soo close to being a one year old I can almost taste it! haha. I am already getting ready to plan the big shebang! I am not going to spill the beans because that is not what this blog is about, but...I will tell you that it is going to be lots of fun and I already have a theme planed! Elem approved and all!



Now, in regards to 9 months milestones..here we go:

-walking...taking a few steps that is-but can walk anywhere he wants as long as there is a wall or door or anything to hold on to.

-totally knows what shaking his head for no means. If offered something he shakes his head no if he doesnt want it. If he wants it, he just takes it from you! Such a little smarty!

-can feed himself pretty much anything

-can still say momma, although it is not said everyday

-sings himself to sleep in the car-he likes the vibrations

-can pull up from anywhere and everywhere

-just started taking formula this week, but still taking a morning and of course all night feeding from mommy dearest!

-plays with sage and holds toys and food in front of her waiting for her to take it

-dances to music anytime anywhere

-is currently not wanting to eat any baby food-only people food, mostly mashed potatoes

-looks for dropped objects on floor and can pick them up with no problem

-major separation anxiety-mostly from mommy

-waves hello or goodbye at times-but knows what you are doing when you say bye

-stands alone for periods of time without even knowing it! I love it!

-takes about 3-4 steps alone, and then starts going relly fast and falls

-can play basketball-put ball in hole

-understands no and stop

-recognizes name

currently hates to get his diaper changed, but we are not sure why. Every time is a difficult situation and distractions galore are made to avoid crying fits

-throws fits when upset, bucks head back, and flails body is upset

-laughs and smiles all the time and at things he enjoys


I think that is all. I am sure there are plenty more, but those are the gist! The pics were taken actually about 3 weeks ago. But they are soo good I wanted to include them! Ill add some more on a blog tomorrow to capture his 9 month size and look!

Sleepy baby...so pretty.


Up close, look at those lips. Daddy??? Uhm yeah I think so.


Play time with daddy


Elem has grown up so much in the last month, and he is really turning into such the waddler-if you will. He understands what we are saying to him., he enjoys walking around the house on his own, likes to choose what he wants to do, and makes his own decisions. I am happy to say that our little baby is a little itty bitty boy, but a boy none the less. He is developing such a great personality, I couldnt have asked for a better one. He knows what he wants and he has such a great disposition. he is still breastfeeding for the majority of the night and morning, and formula feeding the rest of the time. This seriously helps me out during the day and for when I get home from work. Next we will be working on weaning him altogether! Although I a not sure he will ever be able to let "the boob" go!

I love....
his laugh, the way he sleeps with his arms all spread in every direction, the way he looks for me when he comes into a room with someone else, his babbling, his smile, his picky eating (just like me), his dimples on his hands instead of knuckles, his fat feet, his long and silky hair-which is growing to be gorgeous, his beautiful big blue eyes, how his eye lashes get longer every day, when he says momma, his love for music, his dancing, and just the way he looks at seth and I every single day-like he trusts us with every ounce of his body and knows we are there to take care of him! Elem is such a great baby and is growing into a wonderful little boy. I cant wait to see all the things God has planed for him and the little person he is going to become!

Ball pit...here I come!

For Cecilia's 1st birthday her parents totally got her the best gift ever! ....A BALL PIT!!! I mean are you kidding? What a cool gift for your one year old! This past week Elem went to visit cousin Cecilia and they played together in the Elephant Ball pit for a little to break the thing in! It was Elem's first time in a ball pit of any sorts and he freaking loved the thing!



As soon as he saw it he was like crawling towards it! And once he got in, he loved loved loved all the balls. He was slapping them, and just trying to crawl around!

My first time ever! I dont know whats going on, but it feels fun!


Cecilia,-get in here with me! I need you to play balls with me!


Uhm, does anyone else think this thing is silly? It is a gigantic Elephant! How fun!


Elem-you silly, my ball pit not silly! I loves it!


Unfortunately, Elem has not quite mastered the crawling skill, so the trunk had to be removed to ensure that he could get in! Although he can army pull himself any where he wants to go, the quickest route right through the elephants mouth was our entry for the night.

Just so many to choose from, I dont know which ones I want! But this red one is pretty.



And the little dude is ready to climb out...but can he make it?


Oh yes he can!



be back soon, bubba up, think he might have had a nightmare..poor baby!

We luv us some Giants

Yes yes yes we do! Although it happened quite a few days ago, I must say we are some happy campers here in Bryant! Now many people tend to jump on the superbowl bandwagon come January or so. But I am happy to say that I have been a giants fan all year! Of course my favorite player IS Plaxico Burress who I chose as my wide receiver on my fantasy football team! He always came through for me and early on in the season Seth and I decided to pick new teams because I felt that the Steelers just werent doin' me justice any more. And I chose to go with the Giants and Seth chose to stick pretty much with the cowboys; although he never really found a team he loved. But I did love me some Giants. Eli I like but Plaxico I loved. Seth leaned a little more towards Brandon Jacobs and took him for his all star player on his fantasy team. So through out the year we have loved watching the Giants and hoped they would at least make it through the playoffs!

What do you know- this year they came all the way?! We had planned to all three go to Uncle Chad's to watch the superbowl and kind of party it up as much as two parents and a 9 month old can, but plans changed pretty quickly. Uncle Spoon came over for the day and daddy and I and Uncle Spoon headed over to grammy and pappas for the a little pre game chillin and some good ole hot wings of course. What do you know-Elem falls a sleep before the game even started, so I staid with him, thinking I would be meeting up with daddy and Uncle Spoon by the 2nd quarter at Uncle Chads. But nope, it ended up being super loud over there, so Elem and I just met daddy and spoon back at the house around 3rd quarter!

We were so stoked to see the giants hanging in there and playing so great! The last few minutes were awesome and we took some photos to commemorate the evening!

Go Giants Go!

Daddy we did it!


Momma -Plaxico DID catch that pass!


Uncle Poon you have been a true fan all these years, I wike you team. I wike em a wot.


Elem totally is up past bed time and we are one happy family!!


Daddy and Spoon-they super happy, and look like they have been "celebrating" all day....Super bowl sunday what do you expect!?


Can I have my own hat? Its my first super bowl?


oh no, I ready for bed! no more Giants..I need to go night night. (Please disregard the beer in this pic-no we were not giving bubba beer. ) :)


By the end of the night, we were all so pumped up it was almost hard to go to sleep. I can honestly say this is the first super bowl I do not even remember one commercial. Its a lot harder to watch commercials when our kid is playing and crawling around! But again, we are so stoked to have the giants as our super bowl champions! And happy to celebrate it with Uncle Spoon who has been pulling for ole Eli since he made the jump to the NFL. Go Giants! And go us!

He talks!

Yes I just wanted to make a note that as of 2 days ago-February 4th, Elem has said his first word! Momma! Not that he says it every time he sees me or anything, but any time he really needs me or can see me but cant get to me, he totally says it! I am so excited. We also think he is saying dad, but just not 100% sure. So momma it is. My little boy is so smart.




Also he just cut another-yes ANOTHER -tooth! Hard to believe, but he just cut if you were him, his left tooth right next to the top two front teeth. Does that make sense? Well its there, and I can only hope that now that my 9 month old has 6 teeth he can put the rest on hold for a few months. He has been poppin out teeth like it is nothin! In the pic above you can see a few up close.

And now Elem Zane Shelby in his first appearance.....

yes folks that is right. Now introducing the one and only Elem Zane Shelby in his first ever basketball appearance! Both Elem's parents are former basketball superstars and we know elem will one day be a true all star in this sport as well as many others! haha. Right, well it sounds good for now, and goodness knows I would like to see himself pay his way through college with his athletic abilities some day. I just bought life insurance the other day and at the same time we started Elem a college fund. And during the process of setting it up, our friend who was doing the application, showd us how much college would be when it was time for our kids to attend. Did you know that by the time our children go to school, it will cost like $100,000 just to attend a mid grade college. I mean are you serious?? Seth and I dont have nor will be ever have that kind of money! So while we plan to start saving as of a few weeks ago....but really we know that with the abilities that Elem has been showing already at almost 9 months, he will most likely be a basketball superstar! Watch and see:

Dance baby Dance!

Elem's new favorite thing to do all day long is to show us his dance moves. he has been doing it hard core for about 2 weeks now and it is just the cutest thing ever! As you all know Seth and I are serious music lovers and I guess that love has been passed along to our son! At least once a day, usually at night when we get home and are getting ready for dinner or eating dinner, the music is on, and of course there is dancing! How can you have music without dancing people??

Just all of the sudden Elem starting bopping his head, like crazy! And now he does it all the time every day. Any time music is on, and I mean any time, like if one of his toys is making music, if we are at Walmart, or anywhere, he just gets down! Ill let the video speak for its self. Enjoy!

Happy 1st Birthday Cecilia

February 7th is Cecilia's 1st birthday! But the party was this weekend! I can not believe, and I mean CAN NOT believe that she is turning one! Holy cow, she is only three months older than Elem, so if she is turning 1 that means that little dude is right behind her, and is so much closer to being a 1 year old than being a little baby! Where in the world has time gone?

Please take note of the birthday girl's outfit! She had her very own tutu, along with a rhinestone shirt that had her name on it as well as bloomers that had her name in rhinestones! It was soo cute. I will never ever get to dress Elem up in Rhinestones so let me enjoy the dress up time while it lasts with my little neice! She looked so cute-I loved it! All you with wittle girls to play dress up with, I am envious.


Needless to say Ali totally planned a great party for Cecilia! Although there were a lot of people there, it was totally chilled! The peeps that were there included the parents of course and grandparents of both sides and then the great grand parents too! Cousins and aunts and uncles from both sides, then a few friends and little baby friends of Cecilia's as well! She totally racked up on presents and Ali did a good job of telling people not to get her toys and to stick to just clothes and books. Cecilia is not much of a sit down and play with a toy for a long period of time so I think she made the right decision.

This is my favorite pic-the birthday girl and mommy looking both so so cute! Both ready for some serious party action.


Cecilia in her tutu getting ready to open presents!


Elem and Cecilia playing as usual-they are two peas in a pod-




Cecilia seriously focusing with her slippis during the whole shebang! Hers was getting worn out I believe!


A shot at the birthday girl from behind!


Elem partying it up at his first official birthday party celebration! Wahoo.


The spread...I am so impressed.


The decor..I loved it!


Cake time! Cecilia seemed to enjoy her very own party cake!


Daddy and Grammy calling cake time to a quits. Baby C was not one to enjoy cleaning time.


"oh mommy, it was hard work turning one. I can only imagine next year.."


Elem and Seth -the hogs vs. Florida game was on dont ya know?


"Uhm Cecilia-this party is serious business, you totally racked up"-Elem-
"Yeah I know, but people wont quit taking pics! I am here all week people"-Cecilia-


Aw-Mommy, Daddy, the birthday girl and Elem!


Daddy and the birthday girl on their way to take a nap and put and end to this party thing!


Man it was soo much fun and such a production! I was very impressed with Ali's creativity! It only makes me feel that much more pressure for Elem's big day! I already have the idea for the theme for his party and some ideas of what we are going to do! But the funny thing is, he wont even remember the thing!

All in all it was such a fun day! Cecilia got so much great stuff, including a ball pit from her mom and dad-which Elem will be totally taking part in for play time-haha, and I think she had fun! I cant believe she is already one though! it seems like just a month ago that Seth called me and said Ali is in labor, and it could be any time. I took off work and headed to the hospital. Only to head back to work about 5 hours later, and then find out around 3pm that little Cecilia Rebecca Kate Suitor had come into the world-perfect-a little jaundice, but perfect! Cecilia, we love you so much and cant wait to see what a beautiful woman you grow into ! We are here for you anything that you need. As long as you dont introduce Elem to any of your hot little girl friends! hehe, What a great day!