Happy Birthday to ME!!

In honor of MY birthday, I thought I would post about ELOISE and HER birthday!!  Alot has been happening around here at the Baker Household - Chattanooga :)  Since I posted last, Eloise has turned 11 months old AND 1 year old!  I can hardly believe she is the big ONE now!!! :)  She is doing so much and is growing so fast!  She started standing by herself around mid-May and has been walking with assistance since then.  She still isn't walking independently yet, but it shouldn't be much longer. 

Right after her 11 month birthday, we (Eloise, Izzy, and I) went up to Nashville for a day/night to visit Ryan and Sarah which was SO much fun!  We really enjoyed our visit and were so glad to see our friends.  While we were up there, Eric was in Kansas City with some of the boys helping his friend Adam Jessen celebrate his wedding!  Eric had just finished kind of a whirlwind travel week with his trip to KC, so we were happy to have him back on Sunday which was Mother's Day!  I am so lucky to have spent my first Mother's Day with my two girls and then with Eric once we all met up!  Luckily for me, I have an incredible mom in my life that has taught me all about how to be a great mom! 

Right after that weekend, we started weaning Weezie!!  We had already had one bottle feeding in place with her being at daycare each day, so we started by trading in our bottle for a sippy cup which she did FABULOUSLY!  Since that transition was so easy, later that week, we dropped her 11:00 feeding and gave her breastmilk in a sippy cup instead.  Once again, she rocked it!  We finished up the school year with two sippy cup feedings a day because I knew that dropping our morning feeding would be a bit more challenging.  Once school was out for a couple days, we dropped our morning feeding and eventhough she was a bit more fussy and clingy, she really did a great job and was going with the flow after a few days. In the next day we will be dropping her night time feeding which I am a little worried about.  I know she will do great after a couple days because she has done so well up to this point, but it has been such a part of our bedtime routine for so long, I don't want it to impede her great sleep time! I will let you all know how this goes in my next post! 

Other than the process of weaning, we have been closing out the school year, getting into a running routine with the jogging stroller, relaxing and enjoying our time together, throwing a baby shower, and hosting friends and family for Eloise's birthday!!  Eloise's honorary Auntie Trinace will be having baby Townes around the beginning of July, so we (myself and my friends Melanie and Erica) threw her a baby shower at the end of May.  Of course Eloise came and helped Trinace open all of her goodies which served as good practice for opening up her own presents for her birthday ;)

The big birthday weekend came so quick and Eric and I spent the entire week before cleaning the house from top to bottom, putting in a little garden, and Eric sanded and stained the deck!  Whew!  My mom, dad, grandpa, and AJ got into Chattanooga around 4 on Thursday and then Jenny and Cheri's flight came in a little before 11 Thursday night.  We started off the weekend with a bang by going whitewater rafting on the Ocoee river on Friday.  While mom and Grandpa stayed home with Eloise and Izzy, the rest of us risked our lives on the river!  We had such a great time and no one got hurt too bad! ;)  On Saturday, we checked out some of the tourist attractions around Chattanooga and went through Ruby Falls.  Saturday night and Sunday morning was party prep time and the Sunday afternoon was the PARTAY!!!  We had so many visitors come to help little Eloise celebrate her special day!  Aunties Erica and Trinace came with Melanie and her little girl, Anna Catherine; my friend Courtney came with her husband Dave and their little boy Jake; Eric's boss John came as well as my teammate Wendy!  Little Eloise has so many people that love her and we were so honored by all of those friends and family that were able to come and help us celebrate our little girl! 

By noon on Monday, everyone had headed back home and it was time to take a breath and relax!  Eloise took some great naps this week!  I think all the excitement wore her out!  I know it wore us out!  Check out some pictures from our weekend!

Our little family

me, Jenny, Cheri, and Eloise

Grandpa and Weezie

lovin the cupcake

Rafting (AJ is "riding the bull")

We just want to thank everyone who was able to help us celebrate Eloise's birthday.  We know how hard it is to take time from work and travel the distance to Chattanooga.  We are so honored that you all could make it and be such an integral part of her special day!  Love you guys!!