Looking Back: November {Eloise at 6 Months}

On November 15, five days before Eloise turned six months, she finally figured out rolling from back to tummy.  Unlike some milestones, that creep in unnoticed, this one was like a dramatic switch was flipped!  The chilled out, laid back, happy to stay in one place and play with one toy baby had turned into a little girl on the move.  Interested in everything around her, and now with the ability to go after it, she was in a whole new world.  

She continues to get stronger and stronger sitting up too, and is grabbing at toys, playing with things and gnawing on everything. While she lights up with a little extra joy and recognition at her family (and most especially Clara, of course), she doesn't seem to exhibit any fear of strangers and is still happy to be passed all around.  She's social (hard to believe in this family, huh?) and recognizes her name.

Her favorite form of communication is the squawk.  In the weeks leading up to her six month birthday, she was not sleeping especially well at night (although she's a pretty good napper!), but right at six months we cut her off from nighttime feeding and did a little mini-boot camp and her night sleeping improved.

She loves her lovies and her pacis and is becoming more and more engaged in books (she has to listen to her sister be read to a lot!).  She's snuggly and squishy and does usually does really well in the car, in the stroller, in the ergo, on the go.

Her eyes are continuing to darken; it looks like she'll definitely be our brown eyed-girl. And her hair is dark, too and starting to really come in.  No teeth yet, but surely any day now as she's really working on the bottom ones.

She loves her bath, kicking and splashing.  She's not nursing as much these days.... too distracted in all the world around her.  We waited until six months to start any solid food, but a few days after she hit six months, we finally began.

She's full of laughter, full of personality, and full of love. And our hearts are full of love for her. Can't believe we're already halfway through her first year!

Thanks be to God!

Looking Back: November {Hootenanny, Family Portraits, Charleston, Thanksgiving}

November, you were a fine month.  But I'm about to really skim over you and sum it up in one post because I'm trying so hard to get through all of 2014 before 2014 is over and there's so much Christmas to cover.  So, here goes!


We kicked off November with the sixth annual Hardy Hootenanny.  The original date was a yucky, dreary, cold, rainy day and so we ended up having to reschedule last minute.  We had a slightly smaller crowd, but sill a good turnout and we enjoyed being together!

Thanks to all who faced the cold and joined us!

Clara's preschool had a fall photo fundraiser for families.  Thanks to Morgan Greene Photography for these:

Here are my girls on a November Sunday:

We took a weekend trip to Charleston to visit some dear friends and also to attend a wedding of my childhood neighbor.  It was chilly for November, but we bundled up and had a wonderful time.  I love this place.  

And.... Thanksgiving.

I enjoyed visiting in Clara's classroom for their Thanksgiving feast. 

And we traveled to GA for Thanksgiving itself.  Here's the family reunion.  A slightly smaller showing this year (80-something), but sill so much good food.

Here's our thankful tree that we added  leaves to all month long as we reflected on our many blessings.  And Clara's thankful pumpkin, too.

And here is the quick cell phone round up from November!

November is a time for being thankful, and oh how much we have to be thankful for!