Here's to a New Year!!

Well Happy New Year!!! I cannot believe how behind I got!! To give myself some credit, I have had this post started for weeks, but can't seem to finish it! There is alot going on now, thats for sure! We had a great Christmas and New Years! Christmas Eve we always spend at Davids parents house in Paradise, and this year they invited my family to join them. It was a BLAST!!! We played games, and ate (homemade Pasole with New Mexico chile...mmm), and even put on a nativity (one of my family's traditions since forever). It was so fun! As is tradition in Davids family, Santa comes to visit and give presents on Christmas Eve. We were all speculating on how well that would go over with Codi and Eliza...and we werent too far off. Codi actually did great! She was so cute, she just sat there and stared at "santa". Eliza on the other hand immediately burst into hysterics...and didn't calm down for about 15 mins. after the traumatic experience. Poor baby. In my haste that day, I left my camera at home, very sad about that, but fortunately there were atleast 4 other cameras present to document it all.

New Years Eve day was a beautiful sunny 70 degrees, so we wanted to do something a little different and memorable. We have never taken Eliza to the zoo, so we figured it would be the perfect opportunity. It was perfect! There were not huge crowds and all the animals were out. Eliza loved it!!!! She loved loved the monkeys...of course. It was adorable!! She was watching them play and was just giggling and growling and yelling=) I cannot wait til it gets warmer to take her again. We spent that evening at my parents house. All of my family was there and our friends Cody and Kendra. We ate alot of food, played some singstar and rang in the new year. Eliza slept through the whole thing amazingly!!

Daddy and Eliza on Christmas

Love my baby girl

Yelling at the monkeys=)

She wouldnt even look up for a picture

Our little family on New Years Eve
(Eliza was ready for bed, if you couldnt tell)

I am so blessed to have such an amazing hsuband!!!

I will update on life in an apartment, and our texas snowstorm soon=)

Big changes!!

This whole year has been full of big changes for us...the greatest was our lil munchkin. But since we have been married, we have yet to make the big change of being out on our own...until now! Unless you count the two weeks we were in Houston right after we got married, which we don't. For the past nine months we have been living with Davids parents, and it has been such a blessing! They have gone above and beyond to help us and we are Eternally grateful to them!! We are moving to Bedford which is close to where my parents live (about 15 mins.) and we will live like 5 mins. from school for David! It is going to be an exciting and challenging adventure for us I'm sure. We will have new stresses, that we have been so fortunate to have missed out on the past two years. But we have been looking forward to this day since we've been married! Who doesn't? I know that for me it is way more exciting! ha David keeps asking what is so exciting about an apartment. He is definately excited, but I think for a woman, it is on a whole different level when you get your own place. It's kind of like nesting when your'e pregnant, it just comes naturally....an innate desire to have a place that you can decorate and take care of, to be able to cook dinner for your family in your own kitchen! Come on...Exciting!! So we now have electricity in our names and an address to call our own. Ha I'm sure someday I will laugh at that statement. We are really going to miss living with his parents though, they have honestly been so easy to live with and we have had so much fun! They are so good to us! Eliza is sure going to miss not seeing them everyday...She is so spoiled!!! But I am excited to be close to my parents again, and for them to be able to get to know Eliza better and vise versa. And so aside from that excitement, here is what has been happening with our little crawler=)

Baby food doesn't really cut it enymore, so she eats table food, like whole green beans,

peas, rice, pears, some pasta...she loves it!!

While doing dishes one day, we turned around to find this! She is a big helper=)


David brought home one of her Christmas presents and when he put it down

she just sat there and stared at it for a long time

then crawled up to it and squealed and talked to it=)

She has been so good about the tree, for the most part

she will just sit and stare at it...so sweet=)

But she is already sneaking candy! We came back into the room
to find her chowin down on a candy cane from off the tree!!

Trip to Albuquerque

So we finally embarked on our first major road trip with Eliza. David's parents were driving up to Albuquerque, NM. so that his Dad could go hunting with his moms brothers like they have done every year for practically all their lives! They invited us to go, and even though David couldn't come because of work and school...we decided it would be good for Eliza and I to go so she could meet his family. We left bright and early on the 20th at 5 AM! Eliza did so so amazing!!! I am so proud of her! She didn't fuss or cry much the whole way....Just about the time she was getting ready to we would stop to use the bathroom, fill up on gas, stretch our legs, eat, etc... including one longer break for lunch at our halfway point in Amarillo. We arrived in ALB. at 4pm NM. time. It was a warm welcome from Grandma Baca, Uncle Frank, Marcus, and Arianna. It's so fun because everyone is so close there...literally. Uncle Frank and Marcus live with Grandma, and Uncle Johnny, Aunt Juanita and Arianna live across the street. So we got to see them everyday. Eliza with second cousins Marcus and Arianna

Marcus looks alot like David

Eliza and Ari were friends right away...Ari is such a sweet girl

and it was her 12th b-day the day we arrived

Happy Birthday Ari!!

First things first when we arrived...food!! Gardunos of course!! Yummy stuffed sopapillas with red chilli...just a preview of our eating habits while in NM. Def. gained a few pounds =/

The first night was a little rough for Eliza...and Me. She has really never slept overnight anywhere other than her own crib, so the strange travel crib, in a strange house wasn't cutting it. But she DID fall asleep and each night got progressivly better. And luckily even naps went pretty smoothly...as long as I kept the room dark. I had a hard time because I havn't slept alone for over a year and a half...pathetic, yes I know.

The next night we met Dads family at El Pinto. Everyone wasn't able to make it, but we were able to see Aunt Cindy and Uncle Tony, Uncle Brian and Brent and Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dennis.

Aunt Cindy and Uncle Tony

Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dennis with
their great granddaughter

Friday night was girls night! The guys left that morning for the mountains near Colorado to hunt, so we went to Uptown with Moms Sisters Joann and Sandra and Joanns Daughter Sammy and Grandma Baca. We decided to take a break from Mexican food and went to a nice Italian restaurant. Eliza was sorta protesting all the driving and staying out late, so dinner was a little rough. Poor baby, she is such a Trooper!! But it was still alot of fun=)

Auntie Joann, Sammy, Auntie Sandra and Grandma with Eliza

The ladies

Eliza has been getting ready to crawl for a few weeks now, and David warned her that she better not start while he wasn't there....so of course she did! Now she is everywhere!! It is the cutest thing to turn around and see her chasing after me!

Eliza posing at the Chili stand

Of course you can't come to NM. and not get fresh roasted chili! So we went to a place Grandma had been raving about where they sold green chili called "big Jims". Turns out they did have some awesome chili...and an owner who Grandma thought was really cute...haha poor Grandma we were giving her a hard time about "big Jim" the rest of the trip! She is so cute!

Posing by the red chili ristras

Eliza loooved playing with all of her second or third cousins....im not sure...they are her dads cousins kids. But she is not too far behind Jude (lil guy in the yellow shirt) so it'll be fun to get them together as they get older. David has a few cousins who just had babies so hopefully they will all get to meet soon.

And she loved loved Grandma Baca! Luckily she gets to come up for Thanksgiving=)

Sunday we went to church in the Ward mom and dad were in when they first joinded the Church 30 years ago! There were only a few members there that they recognized like the Thurgoods (Brother Thurgood married them, so that was neat). And Davids Sunday school teacher. It is always great to go to other wards and know that the church is the same wherever you go. I love that.

Eliza and Memaw bundled up at the Ore House restaurant in Santa Fe

Monday we drove about 45 mins to Santa Fe. It is such a beautiful Drive!! All of the mountains and mesa's...such a nice variation from flat Texas.

It was a long, pretty chili day.

We had so much fun even though it was a little cold and windy and we spent most of our time looking for someplace that sold stuffed sopapillas ha...we didn't know that in fall and winter all the restaurants close at 2!! Dont worry we did find someplace to eat. I cant wait to go back with David.

The guys got back Tuesday, and Dad had shot a deer! Way-to-go Dad!! They had alot of funny stories to tell, as always! What a great bunch of guys...I'm Glad Eliza got to meet them all=)

Getting ready to skin the deer...disgusting.

Wednesday we just stayed home, packed, and enjoyed our last day with family in New Mexico. We left at 5AM on Thursday and got into town about 5:30PM Texas time. We stopped by to see David at work because I was really anxious to see him=) Eliza was happy to see her Daddy too=) A week is a long time to be away from your hubby! But we had the best time!! Eliza was a little angel and loved meeting her New Mexico family! Hopefully it wont be long before our WHOLE little family gets to take the trip.

Live[ing], Love[ing],Laugh[ing]...Pray[ing]

First time in her high chair!

She is rolling and scooting everywhere!


I missjudged my timing on making dinner
and her feeding time...
so the highchair and a couple towels came in handy...

Auntie "A" and Auntie "M" =)

Grandma and Grandpa

I am just so grateful that at this point in our lives, we have been blessed with circumstances that allow for me to be a stay at home mommy. Growing up thats what I always wanted to be, and I knew I would love it...I just could'nt have imagined HOW MUCH! I get so much joy and satisfaction every day from watching this sweet little angel grow and develop....watching her fun little personality coming to life, and trying to pick out the traits that come from me and the ones from David. It's so amazing!! Getting married brought me closer to my Heavenly Father for sure lol, but becoming a mom has made me realize even more how much I depend on, and owe to Him. My everyday prayers have become that much more fervent because I want to be the best I can, especially for Eliza. I want her to be healthy and strong. I want to be strong for her. I want to be close to the promptings of the spirit to keep her safe, and to know of her needs. And I know that Heavenly Father answers my prayers everyday. I know things won't always go like I maybe want, but I know he loves us and will always watch over us. I was just brought to that realization again the other day when we noticed that Eliza's right eye, which from the time she was a couple weeks old had a blocked tear duct and was constantly watering and goopy, had been dry and discharge free for over a week!! That has never happened!! We had been referred to an opthomologist by her pedi. because, if by six months it isn't healed they often need help. So we went to the opthomologist, and he said that our options were an in-office procedure where they stick a long needle down into her tear duct to un-clog it, or we wait it out...with a 10 percent chance that it will clear up on its own. So since it wont hurt her or cause any problems we decided to wait...and pray. Had her eye not cleared up within a month we were going to go back and just do it, because we knew that it was bothersome for her, and that would have in no way caused me to doubt in Heavenly Father, but it truly was a miracle. I am so grateful!

Happy, Healthy....HOT!!!

Well, we are finally all almost completely healthy again!! Knock on wood! Last Friday night Eliza started getting really congested. She had alot of drainage and boogies and her voice was raspy. She was running a low grade fever. All of a sudden...out of no where! So we broke out the humidifier, Vicks, Tylenol, bulb syringe and Saline and just tried to keep it under control. Fortunately it didn't get too bad, and she is almost back to normal. Poor thing. It was a long week of restless nights and lots of boogie sucking (which by now she has started blocking her nose when she sees it coming). So we are glad she is feeling better=)


Today I really wanted to get out of the house and take her out in the sunshine, and have been wanting to take her to the park. So after Memaw got her hair done, we met her in Bridgeport for Some Raymonds BBQ, and then went to the park...for literally like 10 mins!! It was sooooo stinkin hot!! I obviously got carried away with the whole idea of being out of the house and didn't even pay attention to the fact that it is 92 degrees PLUS humidity!! But We found a shady part of the playground and let Eliza set on some of the toys and slides, and she enjoyed it. I cannot wait until its in the 70's - low 80's and we can enjoy being outside!!

All Flushed from the heat
But still happy to be at the park=)

Big kisses for Memaw

Eliza is also really starting to figure out that she is in control...of moving around on the ground that is=) She will go from Sitting to her stomach and then scoot around...mostly backwards, but she now loves being on her stomach whereas before, not so much because she didn't like being stationary. She turns herself around and rolls over (alot more stomach to back than back to stomack) And then all of a sudden this week even being sick she started pushing up on her hands and tippy toes! Her cousin Codi has been doing this for a few months incredibly and we were all in such awe...and thinking "poor Eliza, with all that chubb its going to be a while before she can lift it off the ground", but she showed us!! She has even gotten up on her knees a few times=) Look out world...Eliza's movin OUT!! She continues to love dancing!! Anytime a good beat comes on she cant help but move....and its gone from flailing arms and legs to bouncing up and down with the head bobbing...sooo adorable!! We couldn't love her more!

Loaded!!

The theme for this past month is definately "Loaded". Loaded with laughs, love, blessings, fun, craziness, friends, family, you name it!! Looking back all I can see are the blessings we've recieved. We have loving families who do sooooo much for us! We have a beautiful healthy baby girl! David has a job, and is able to continue his education (and I am able to be a stay-at-home-mommy) among countless others! I cannot beleive how fast this month has gone by! I mean you hear about how fast time flies the older you get, but once you have a baby...Look out!! Before you know it, six months have just flown by!!

Eliza is now pushing 20 lbs., sitting up all by herself, chowing baby food and teething bisquits, and is the proud owner of two adorable VERY SHARP teeth=) She is almost rolling over from back to stomach. The dr. wasnt too concerned...she said that some chubby baby's take longer to master that one. But she is babbling and squealing like crazy! She's found out that she is the one in control and making those noises and she loooves the sound of her voice...and so do we! Her fav. thing to do while she is playing is to scream. Not because she's mad, but just a scream of pure joy! It is so fun to hear her laughing and playing to herself. She has such a personality!! We took her and cousin Codi to get portraits this past Mon., and she was all smiles and giggles, the pics turned out so great!! She is just a sillly, happy girl and we couldnt be more in love! The older she gets, the more precious she is...I didnt think it was possible!!

We also went to a wedding for a good family friend of David's, Chris Eckenrode. He married a sweet girl Brittini...they are such a cute, in love couple. This Month David also took almost a week off to go to a wedding in Canada, but then was unable to go so we had him all to ourselves...Bwahahaha=) We had a fun week just being lazy, and enjoying the heat (in the air conditionded house). But we did take Eliza for her first swim at my parents house and I forgot my camera! But she loved, loved, loved it!! We will def. be doing it again when we can...with camera!

I really wish I could stay true to my goal of keeping up with this blog so I didnt miss so much! Its impossible to remember everything! But we've had a great summer! David is about to embark on anther full semester plus work, so we've been savoring the last lazy days before we never see him again...=( I am so grateful that we are blessed to live with his wonderful parents while he is getting some more education under his belt, so we can save and work on getting our own place. But it is has been such a relief to not have the huge stress of rent and other bills while we are starting out. It wont/cant last forever, and I look forward to the day when we have a place of our own, But it is so helpful right now. Like I said...we're Loaded with blessings! Philipbar ladies at the Eckenrode wedding

With the newly weds


Eliza loves being on daddy's shoulders!

Such a good daddy <3

taking it easy in the grocery store:
If theres a way to recline, she'll find it=)

Getting sleepy....

and she's out!

Love this face!!!

practicing the sippy=)

Big smile...showing off the teethies!

Big girl....=/

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