Visiting the Family, Part 1

Last week, Mary Ellen took her first trip to St. Louis. I had nearly developed an ulcer from my stress level leading up to the trip, but true to form, Mary Ellen handled all the traveling like a champ. It didn't hurt that she got to have her own seat on the plane, that she was hungry immediately upon boarding the plane, and that she slept during a good chunk of the flight. We couldn't have asked for a better baby on the plane. The return trip was an entirely different story, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Here are a few pics from the first leg of our trip:

Mary Ellen got to meet her Grandpa Tom for the first time. He's a very experienced Grandpa, and she fell in love with him right away!

Thanks to Grandma Mary Annie and Grandpa Tom for putting us up for a few nights. The Fleming house is used to having little ones stay there, so Mary Ellen made herself right at home.

Mary Ellen has a way with the Great Grandmas. She got to meet Great Grandma Mary on Friday, and the two of them hit it off.

Four generations: Great Grandma Mary, Grandma Mary Anne, Brian, and Mary Ellen

The Fleming family has grown by leaps and bounds. Can you imagine what Christmas will be like this year? Fun? Yes. Crazy? Yes!

We were lucky enough to be in STL to help Brooke celebrate her 3rd birthday and to help Mary Anne celebrate her birthday, too. Gary and Kelly threw her a great party on Saturday, but the family celebrated with her a little early. Brooke is such a sweet girl, and she was super excited to meet Mary Ellen (apparently, Mary Ellen's famous in Brooke's house).

So fun to have the uncles together! Some things never change.

Happy Halloween!

Here's a little snapshot from Mary Ellen's visit to Barry. Grandma had the house and yard all decorated, and we took full advantage of the fall weather and atmosphere. Happy Halloween everybody!

Travel Time

In case you hadn't noticed, I'd taken a little vacation from writing blog updates while we took Mary Ellen on her first visit to St. Louis. We had an absolutely wonderful, unforgettable trip. I promise to write more about our adventures, but a tired Lisa needs to keep it short tonight. For now, here's a glimpse into just how excited we were to take Mary Ellen on her first plane ride.

Vocabulary Update

Here's a little example of Mary Ellen's growing "vocabulary." Please ignore the fact that her outfit and bouncy seat give the impression that she is a boy. It's her. Promise.

Working Out

Mary Ellen's gym work continues...

Mary Ellen is 3 months old!

My little girl is three months old! I can hardly believe it - we've been told so many times that they grow up so fast, but here's the proof:



Here are a few facts about Mary Ellen at three months:
• She loves being outside. She is so content to sit on the porch in her pack-n-play and just listen to the birds and watch the fan and breathe the good air. She has also taken to riding in the Baby Bjorn while I water the plants, and she likes looking at all the plants, too. This is a great thing, too, because I don't think I'd get to have a fall garden if she wasn't willing to "help" me water.
• She is finally starting to tolerate being on her stomach and is lifting her head more and more. We play a little game where I roll her from one end of the blanket to the other, and she just loves it!
• Books are finally fun! She's got a few favorites already: Baby Colors (DK) and Baby at the Farm (Karen Katz).
• She loves to snuggle with both Brian and me, and she's more huggable every day.
• She continues to be an aggressive eater. She spent a few hours with my friend Paula today, and I think Paula said it best. "Lisa, I've never seen a baby suck down a bottle the way she did." Atta girl!
• She's super chatty. One of her favorite pastimes is to hear us echo what she says. If she's in the right mood, she will this for 10-15 minutes. It's a riot.

Ready to Roll

How cute is this? The hat never stays in one place too long, so I just had to get the snapshot while she had it on.