St. Patty's Day

After I picked E up from school, we went to the park!!! We have really been enjoying the longer days--it's no longer dusk when I am picking her up! We have also been enjoying the wonderful hints of spring!!! Anyway, it was our first trip to the park and her first time to swing. She loved it all!! I need to get her some shades, though, the sun was very bright especially reflecting off the water. I am really looking forward to this spring/summer with her!!!

We LOVE Saturdays!!!

Oh what a fun day we have had today!!! Dada was home all day with us (normally he's working) and we had such a fun time!!! We all ate b-fast together then played and watched TV. Then E and I went shoe shopping!!!! We racked up and I think (hope) E will be set for the summer!! I LOVE shoes and just know she will too one day...she likes to eat them now but I'm sure that will change soon!! While we were out , we also went to a fun toy store to get Quince some b-day presents!! He turned 3 on Friday and his party is tomorrow, we can't wait! Happy Saturday everyone!!!

The plant!!!

Here's a pic of E trying to eat the plant she is obsessed with at my parents house...it's so funny!

YAY!!

I am finally home to my baby girl!!! She hugged me so tight when I first saw her and smiled and giggled and just looked at me with those big blue eyes--it was so precious! I cried of course b/c I thought she might have forgotten me...thankfully she didn't!!
While I was away, I missed a few things... :-(...she is crawling on all fours now and Pammie said she has said "hi" a few times! I'm still waiting to hear it though! She has this new face that cracks me up! She'll smile really big them squint up her eyes and nose and stick her tounge to one side...it's hilarious!! Kaden Thomas taught her how to clap!!! She loves it, especially when it makes a noise! Thanks Kaden!!
Although Ryan was very very glad to have me back (I don't think he has ever missed me as much as he did!) he and Ensley really had a good time together. They have a new special bond that is so sweet to see.
We have tried to have fun since I've been home but the poor thing has been so sick! She started getting sick on Monday then came down with a fever on Thursday for the first time ever (ranging from 101-102.5!). We went to her doctor on Friday (Pammie took her on Weds and somehow the doctor on call missed the redness in her ears and rattling in her chest...won't be going back to him!) and both ears are very red. They did a breathing treatment to rule out other things and luckily the congestion isn't in her lungs. She had 102.2 in the night but so far today hasn't had any fever, I really hope she is on the upside of all of this and that she stays well for a while!!!!

PIcs from Ryan

Ryan has been sending me pictures so I don't miss anything being away from E. By the way, I am in a Winter Wonderland! LOTS of snow! I'm not sure the exact amount but somewhere b/t 8-11 inches I think (I'm on Long Island). NYC schools are closed for the first time in 5 years!! Crazy! Thanks Daddy for all the pics!!!!

PLaying in the floor...
Playing with all of her Disney movies!! Ryan said they had been watching the Little Mermaid and she LOVES it!

Watching TV with Daddy

Waving in the car seat

Eating dinner!

Standing up!!!

Attempting the stairs...

Here's a cute video of sweet baby E...I miss her so!!! 5 more days and I will be home to her!

Anyway, the conversation on the video about the plant is quite funny(the video has nothing to do with the plant I just wanted to explain b/c it's funny!)...mom has a plant that Ensley LOVES. It is actually missing a small part of a leaf and mom is just certain Ensley ate it when she was in Harrison while we were in Mexico. We were all in Harrison last weekend and I was able to see Ensley's obsession with the plan first hand...she gets in her walker and goes over to the plant and tries to eat it and pull the leaves off. I had to say "no!" a few times to her and at one point she looked at me and smiled and grabbed the plant again!!!---with a look in her eyes that she knew she wasn't supposed to be doing that but did anyway!!! Oh my! That's starting early...I just wonder where she gets that rebellion from????..... ;-)
I do see one of my traits in E already--curiosity!! I have always been a curious cat and Ensley is very curious about EVERYTHING and into everything as well!!
I think I forgot to mention I had to call poison control-again! She loves the trashcan in the bathroom and one day it was pretty full and she grabbed a Tide pen out of there (it was empty luckily!) and was sucking on the end of it (the pen part-no lid was on it)...literally 2 seconds was all it took! Jeez!! (It's only hydrogen peroxide if anyone has any future concerns) Moral to the story--empty the trashcan more often! Oh yeah, and never turn my back!!!

Waving and saying DADA!!!

I love her laugh!

Ensley and Miss Arkansas!

February!!!

What a fun month this has been!!!! Ensley is just more and more fun every day! She loves to wave "bye bye", thanks Mom, Dad, and Meme for teaching her!!! It is the cutest thing ever! She'll wave to me when I pick her up from Miss Niki's and it melts my heart!!!

She has said her first word-DADA of course!!! I was really trying to teach her to say HI (something neutral!) but it wasn't happening so we started working on DADA. Her voice is so sweet and I can't wait to hear more of it!! We will work on MAMA next!! I will post a video soon!

For Valentine's Day, we went to Memphis for a wedding and had a great time. Emily and Jonathan were there to celebrate V Day too so we got to have dessert that night and brunch the next morning with them! It was fun, I love Memphis and miss working over there!

Well, we finally did it---Ensley is in her own room!!!!!! It was a big step---for me I guess!! Kind of funny--I had to move the matress to the lowest level, b/c she is so big and was pulling up!! I was afraid she would fall out! I think she likes it so far, the first night we put her in there it lasted an hour--she woke up so I moved her in our room. But, she has done great since then! I think this week while I am in NY, she is in the pak'n'play in our room near her Daddy, I hope they're having fun!! I am missing her but I think I'm okay...but it is only the 2nd day away!! I did sleep in till 10:30 this morning and took a 2 hour nap this afternoon, which was very nice...but I'm kind of lonely for my baby girl!!! Oh yeah--and Ryan too :-)

Ensley is now 8 months old!!! I can't believe it!!! Enjoy!

Mexico!

Here are some pics from our trip to Mexico...we had a great time! Ensley stayed in Harrison for the week and started waving "bye bye" while we were gone!! It's so cute! Ensley's Great Aunt Garlanda came to Harrison to help mom out and to see baby E--thank Garggie for all your help, huggs, and kisses for E!!!! SHe loves you and hopes to see you again soon!!!! Thank you Grandjan and Pop for keeping baby E--she had so much fun and LOVES it at your house!! Meme and J thanks for all your help too!!

Hi!!

Hey everyone! I am in New York for work this weekend and all of next week so I am looking forward to getting our blog updated!!!! Lot's to come!!! Hope everyone is doing well!!!!

Puffs!

Ensley loves her Puffs!

Too Funny not to share...

CRAWLING!!

Here is a video taken about a month ago of E doing her army crawl. I took another one the day we left for Mexico but accidentally deleted it!! WAH!!!! Anyway, she is still doing the army crawl but she is so fast now it's scary!

January Pics and Updates!!

The start of 2009 has been fun, busy, and great. Heather and I took the kids to the Peabody for a night of fun and my did we ever leave a trail wherever we went!!! It was hilarious but so much fun!! None of us slept very much either!!! As you can see in the pics, Ensley and Luke love each other and totally carry on conversations, it's so stinkin cute (they are 10 weeks apart)! Ensley can upset him though, I don't know if it's b/c she may be a little much at times and it's overwhelming to him, or if she is telling him something that upsets him. They are precious together and Quince loves them both so much. He doesn't like it when Ensley eats his cars, though.
We celebrated Ryan's, Al's, and Brad's B-days (Jan 11, 8, and 12 respectively!!!) at Pammie and Grandad's in early Jan.
Grandjan and Pop came for a visit and to babysit while Uncle Brad took me to a wedding reception (Ryan was out of town).
Ryan went on too many trips this month but I got a few swimsuits and a new purse out of it so it's OK!
Ensley had her first ear infection this month--WAH! We got rid of it quickly, though, so she is better now. We went to the doctor 10 days apart and she gained almost a pound in those 10 days! She weighed 18lbs 12oz! Maybe it's b/c we've started eating three meals a day this month too.
She is still doing the army crawl this month but is super duper fast--and into everything!! I had to call Poison Control the other day b/c she was eating one of those spider traps/boxes!!! Luckily it's just sticky stuff and no poison, and she didn't have it in her mouth very long thank goodness!! I literally turned my back for 2 seconds, but I have learned that's all it takes!!!
We introduced the sippy cup, she does OK with it, haven't really used it lately, I kind of forgot-whoops!
Enjoy and hope to have more up soon!!

Ice Storm 2009

Wow! Whatta storm!! It hit us on Tuesday Jan 27th, our power went out that early evening and we didn't get it back on until Thursday night. We thought the showroom had power so we went up there Weds night and it flickered on and off all night...crazy stuff!! I think there are still people without power! How awful!! I think it will be a while before our trees ever look the same, some are ruined. I felt sorry for them, they looked so sad! We kept E bundled in a snowsuit mom and dad got for her for Christmas, so she was warm. She had been sick with a cold and an ear infection prior to the storm, and the storm only made her cold workse, but her ear infection luckily went away!!

HOLA!!!!

Hola! We, Ryan and I, are in Mexico!! We are having so much fun! I planned on totally updating our blog this week, but obviously haven't quite gotten around to it...maybe the sun, ocean, and vacation have kept me from it, who knows!??! Anyway, we miss our baby E but she is safe and sound in Harrison with my parents. I will get this thing updated ASAP!!!! Here's a pic of the beautiful Cozumel sunset on our first big vacation away from our precious baby girl. We miss her greatly but are having a really nice time. We've gone zip-lining, had some fun times at Carlos and Charlies and Senor Frogs, thorougly enjoyed the spa servies, and tomorrow are renting a catamaran and going snorkeling. Fun times but can't wait to hold my baby again!

In memory...

Although 2008 was the best year ever and we gained Ensley and Jmac, we did lose 2 very very special friends, our great danes, Chivas and Shiraz. They were our first babies and it was not easy on either of us. Their deaths were within 6 weeks of each other (but E was born in the middle so that helped!). We especially miss them when we have food left over at dinner--or any meal for that matter. They were wonderful companions who loved us unconditionally and we will remember them forever!


Chivas Heringer
Sept 1999-July 2008


Shiraz Heringer
April 2003-June 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

What a wonderful wonderful year 2008 has been for our family!!! We gained 2 very special people!! Jonathan McIllwain on May 24 and Ensley Elizabeth on June 26th!!! What a fun, busy year we have had!
To celebrate New Years, Ryan and I went with some friends to the 501/Omars (same thing we have done the past 3 New Years!) and had dinner...and were home by 10:30!!!!!! (--Same thing we have done the past 3 New Years!!!) New Year's is overrated anyway, right!??! We had a good time and maybe next year will do something outrageous like stay out til midnight!??!!? Happy New Year to all and Happy 2009!!!!!!!!!

Last family picture of 2008!