Bee's Nest

Welcome to my Sweet Pea's little nest. Oh! My girl loves her bed so much! She loves to go to sleep and is so easy to put to bed. We just rock her for a few minutes while she sucks her thumb and rubs her satin blanket. Next we put her in her bed on her tummy and she scoots her bottom in the air, snuggles under her blanket, pops her thumb in her mouth and rubs her satin with her other hand. The next thing you know she is having sweet Bee dreams. I am really jealous of how easy it is for her to fall asleep. I think she gets this from her daddy!

My mother made this bedding. We went to every fabric store in Houston at least three times before I picked this fabric. Thanks for putting up with my indecisive pregnancy brain, mom! The bumper is a blue toille and has toddlers playing in a park. So sweet! The skirt is velvet and the whole thing is washable!

My mother stitched two sets of sheets for the crib. This set is a sweet lamb and the other is three bunnies. Ellen loves these little details.

This is one view of Ellen's mobile. My mother made this also. We wanted it to have contrast so that Ellen could see it even when she was newborn but didn't want it to be black and white. Ellen still loves to lay in her bed and look at these little animals and see the shape swing around. Some mornings she just lays in bed singing and talking to herself and her mobile.

This is Ellen's bassinet. I didn't want a pink nursery because I knew my Lovebug would be covered in pink but we decided that pink would be fun for the bassinet. I thought Ellen would sleep in this by our bed as a newborn. There was something that Ellen did not like about the bassinet and this didn't work out. I'm not sure what it was though. Now it is at Cece's house filled with toys and later she will be able to play with her dolls in it. I love Ellen's room and I think she does too! I hope you enjoyed the tour! Elizabeth

Nursery Tour

Let's take a tour of Ellen's nursery! We'll start with my favorite part - her closet filled with sweet baby girl clothes. A lot of her first clothes belonged to my sister and I. I loved dressing her in these. We have more for her to grow into but the newborn stuff was the best. I have already cleaned out her closet twice. She is growing so fast. My mom and I are alike in a lot of ways but there is something so different about the way she holds on to everything and how much I love to get rid of stuff! I am so grateful that she kept all of our baby things and have really cherished that Ellen has been able to use them.

Here is the Bee's bookshelf. It is full of books and stuffed animals. Bee loves to read her books. Her first favorite book had photos of babies and animals. She would laugh at the page of a baby and lion sticking out their tongues. To the left of her shelf is an oil painting my mom did of one of my sister's paperwhite dresses. It looks so good in Bee's room.

I guess I have lots of favorite spots in her nursery. This is another one! This chaise used to be in my room at my parents house. My mom had it recovered and the fabric worked well in her nursery. The pillow on the chaise has a Pomeranian on it and my mom had that made for me a while back. The table has a linen table cloth that my mother sewed. The goose light was in my nursery. I love sitting in the rocking chair and rocking my Angel to sleep. My mom painted the chair and covered it in linen. She also gave us the pillow that sits in it that has a bee on it. There are two Tip and Mittens prints in Ellen's room. You can see one here. My mom found these at the Round Top Antique show and framed them for us. When I was pregnant Lloyd would often find me sitting on the chaise with Muffy just loving Ellen's room and waiting for her to get here. I was so excited to think about her in this room that we planned so carefully. I couldn't wait to see what she would be like and what part she would love. It quickly become my favorite room in the house.

Here is Muffy waiting for Ellen in her crib. The yellow rabbit pillow plays music and was needlepointed by one of our friends, Kay Simonds, for me in my nursery. After 31 years it still works and Ellen loves to hear it play. I love that my parents still have the same friends after all these years and that we have grown up with them. The other white bunny pillow is from Olivine in The Village. My mom got it for me and gave it to me at one of my showers. I love it!

Here is the other Tip and Mittens print above her changing table/dresser. Lloyd stripped and painted this dresser for me and my mother painted robin's eggs on the knobs. The top two knobs are ceramic robins from Anthropologie. My mom painted little branches that they sit on. The grey elephant is a wicker laundry basket. This was also in my nursery but was painted to match Ellen's nursery. I was lucky to have all the painting help when I was pregnant and was avoiding paint fumes. I will post later about her bedding. I am so happy to have my Little Bee fill this room. I hope she loves it as much as we loved designing it for her. Love y'all, Elizabeth

Meeting Santa

After Ellen's stellar Christmas school performance she got to meet Santa and tell him her Christmas wishes. Our PTO arranged to have this Santa and he was great! We love our school so much!

Mommy, who is this guy?

What is this stuff on his face?

This is after Santa told Ellen she was too young to get an iPhone for Christmas.

Then Santa felt bad for making the Sweet Girl cry so he cried too! Oh well, Bee. We'll try again next year for the iPhone and a photo with Santa. Love y'all!

Ellen's Christmas Pageant

Ellen's school did the cutest Christmas Pageant! The older kids acted out the story of Jesus's birth. They sang and narrated the birth story. So sweet! Ellen's class started the show by getting all dressed up in their Christmas best and being strolled in by Miss Angela. That is her in the back. We are so crazy about Miss Angela! That is Ellen in front with her BFF, Betsy.

Here is our Christmas Angel when she saw Mommy in the audience. "Look at me, Mommy! I am on stage!" We were so proud of our Little Star. She remembered all her lines and delivered them with perfect timing.

Ellen and Betsy were so cute in the front of the Bye-Bye Buggy! This is one of the items that our PTO purchased this year. Ellen's class loves to go for walks when it is pretty out. After the show Ellen got to meet Santa! Stay tuned for those pictures! Love y'all, Elizabeth

Merry Christmas from The Little Bee

Mommy took a much needed break from blogging these past few months. Our Little Bee has been battling one illness after the other and my attention was on her and helping her to feel better. Mommy first, blogger second! Good news! After an ear infection that lasted about two months and through three rounds of antibiotics, our Angel is a healthy girl! This was the best Christmas present Mommy and Daddy could have gotten. I am going to work on a few posts to update y'all on what the Bee was up to that you missed. Merry First Christmas from The Little Bee!

Ellen's First Bestie!

Here is a sweet shot of Ellen and her first BFF! They have so much fun at school together. Often when I pick her up they are sitting in opposite bouncy seats and having girl talk. Girl friends are the best! Love, Elizabeth

Bee as a Lunching Lady

Little Bee has gotten to meet Chrissie a couple of times even though she is living in Australia! The last time Chrissie came to visit we met her and some of our other friends at the Galleria for lunch before Chrissie went dress shopping. (Sorry that I didn't angle my cell phone camera better and cute Julie half way out of the shot!) Ellen was very well behaved at lunch and so I got her a little treat in the baby section of Neimans after lunch. She is pretty good when we go shopping but it is not her favorite hobby. We'll work on that! Love The Best Shopper in Texas, Elizabeth

Smart Little Bee

Oh Bee! You really do think you are grown. Ellen is lounging in Galveston with her grandpa and trying to convince him that she is a big girl and that she feeds herself. She tried to convince Muffy of this too. They would get the bottle in her mouth and then she just took over. Slow down, my angel! I will love you in every age and stage but can't you be a baby just a bit longer?
See that turquoise ring around Ellen's bottle? Those are Orbit labels by Inchbug. They are great and I highly recommend them to all moms. They are printed with Ellen's name and come in a bunch of different colors. They are nonadhesive and will be moved to her sippy cups and then water bottles as she grows. I guess we will be in sippy cups before too long! Love, Elizabeth

Poor Little Bee

Sweet Bee gave Mommy and Daddy a little fright on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. She had funny breathing, a barking cough, fever, and was not her typical smiling self. After being up with her in the night we consulted with a nurse who told us to take her to the emergency room at Texas Children's. So we trekked over there and got some steroids and a breathing treatment for the croup and she feels so much better now. She spent the rest of the day with Cece while Mommy and Daddy got some work done. In this picture she is getting her breathing treatment. I loved that the little mask was a puffing dragon! Aunt Muffy had to do breathing treatments a lot as a kiddo and would have loved a purple puffing dragon mask. She slept through the whole breathing treatment and didn't even know she was wearing the mask. Ellen was an excellent patient and is happy to report that she feels so much better. She went to the doctor today and he said she will be back to herself in a few days. He also gave her some medicine that she can take at night when she feels the worst. Thank you to our sweet friend, Brooke who stopped by the ER and declared the Bee well! Love, Elizabeth

Fall Festival - Honey Bee Attack!

This weekend Ellen's school had their Fall Festival and Muffy and Cece came to play. There was a clown, a children's singer, games, a train you could ride in, a petting zoo and all of Ellen's favorite teachers. We love her teachers! Here she is in her costume with Muffy.

Muffy and Cece took lots of pictures of the Little Honey Bee while Mommy and Daddy worked the auction. This year I co-chaired the school's silent auction. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. I really like the other parents at her school and it was such a great way to get to know them.

The Little Bee might be turning into a ham. Look at that silly girl posing for the camera!

Our sweet angel had such a great time watching all of her friends play. She also loved looking at the petting zoo but was too little to try to pet all the animals. You could just see her little wheels working as she looked at the animals and tried to figure out what was going on. Here she is crashed out after a very successful Fall Festival. We love you, Sweet Bee! Elizabeth

5 Months Old

On October 21 our Little Bee turned five months old! Happy Birthday, Lovie! You can do so many things now. You know how to roll and scoot across the floor to get to Muffy, put your bink in your mouth, you try so hard to hold your bottle yourself, and you can sit up assisted and would rather sit than lay down. You have a new interest in your toys. You love to play on your tummy time mat or in your bouncy baby gym. Oh, Bee, you love love to watch Muffy and King play! We have to lock them in our room at night so that you don't hear them. If you do hear them you want to get out of your bed to play! You love to snuggle and I think you are starting to try to give kisses. You come at Mommy and Daddy's face with a big open mouth and kiss us. Sadly, you love our Iphones and we are trying to keep these out of your little clutches because we think that 5 months old is too little for a phone. You love your Daddy like crazy! When you see him you are so happy because you know it is play time. We think you have your first best friend. When we come to pick you up at school you are always chatting away with Betsy and your teachers say that you love to play together. You also tried rice cereal and did very well eating it. We are so proud of our Little Bee and love you to pieces! Elizabeth

P.S. You love to sleep like this and Mommy and Daddy think it is so cute. We always show each other and snap your photo.

Hungry Bee

On Sunday I tried to eat my Mommy's BLT and Diet Coke. They decided it was time to see if I liked rice cereal. Here I am sitting in Cece's stroller and trying to figure out how to eat this rice. It seems complicated to a Little Bee like me.

Here I am getting my first taste. I am lounging in Cece's portable swing. Mommy gave me my first bite while Daddy filmed me and then they traded and Daddy fed me some too. I think I liked the cereal and kicked my legs after each bite. I even started to get the hang of opening my mouth for the spoon.

Mommy says that I am going to get so big if I eat this stuff so I am going to eat it all up!

Here is Daddy filming me while Mommy feeds me. I am so loved! Aunt Muffy and my great grandpa were there too.

Here is the jingle bell spoon Mommy used to feed me. I guess it will take me a while to get this whole eating thing down but I am looking forward to trying again tonight! Love you all, Little Bee

Pumpkin Patch

A couple of weekends ago Little Bee got all dressed up in her first Halloween costume and headed to the pumpkin patch to meet Charlie. Ellen decided to go as a Killer Bee this year just like her aunt and mommy did when they were little. This idea came from an old Saturday Night Live skit.

Here are the daddies with the Pumpkin and the Bee.

Sweet Bee buzzing around the pumpkin patch in the costume Cece made for her.

Mommy getting some kisses from her Honey Bee. Love you, Elizabeth

Relationship Status - It's Complicated...

Ellen and Muffy have a somewhat complicated relationship these days. Muffy has always been a little suspicious of the tiny squealy bundle that moved her out of her Mommy's lap. They seemed to have come to an understanding that involved Ellen taking over my lap and Muffy resting her head on me and getting a stray pet here and there. Then Ellen enhanced her fine motor pincer grasp and got a fist full of Muffy's face fur. Since then Muffy has been a little more wary of getting within reach of Ellen's tiny fists of fury. She still licks Ellen's toes and ears but does this with a look in her eye of "I'm just doing this so Mommy thinks I like the new baby". This morning she let us know how she really feels about her new sister. This is what she was working on while I was feeding Ellen. Ellen is oblivious to Muffy's feelings about her. She is still crazy about her and just knows that they are best friends. We have started to lock Muffy and King in our room at night because if Ellen hears them walking around outside of her room she insists on getting up. This new sleeping arrangement has helped all of us feel a little more rested! I know that Muffy and Ellen will resolve their sibling rivalry. I have a feeling that it will happen around the same time Ellen is eating finger foods and dropping little bits here and there for Muffy. Until then things are a bit complicated at our house. Love you all, Elizabeth

Bee's Christmas Letter to Santa

I am so excited about the Bee's first Christmas and have already started to think about what Santa might bring her. These are a few of the things I have been thinking about. This first item is by Melissa and Doug. The alligators chomp as she toddles along behind it. I know that she won't be walking yet but I love the classic feel of this toy and know that she'll be there sooner than we expect!
This cute "Bug Jug" is also by Melissa and Doug. It is a cute take on the more common shape sorter toys. Ellen can practice putting the bugs in and out of the jar. This also helps her learn about cause and effect. I think the bugs look like a bunch of fun but I am not sure how we will keep them away from Muffy and King!

I love silver and know that Ellen will want to pick her own pattern but I love Gorham's Buttercup. I could understand if she didn't want a full service of this pattern but I want to get her an infant feeding spoon with these sweet flowers on it. Her doctor says that she can start eating rice cereal around Christmas time!

This funny little guy is called a Singamajig. I know he is weird looking but I think Ellen would love him! He sings when you squeeze his tummy and if you buy more than one they harmonize with each other. She loves music and I think she would get a kick out of making these guys sing.

I have also thought about learning how to needlepoint and making her a Christmas ornament every year. I know I couldn't get it back in time for this year but it would be a sweet tradition to start. Bee has been very good this year so I think Santa will be very good to her!

First Signs of Our Little Bee

It seems like forever ago that Lloyd and I went to the doctor to find out that our little angel was going to be a girl. These are images from this visit. I was ecstatic. I have wanted a little girl so bad my whole life. I haven't been posting much lately. Things have been busy around our house and I have been spending every free second with Ellen. I promise to pick up the pace once we get a few activities out of the way. We have Ellen's school's Fall Festival coming up and I am chairing the silent auction. Between that, my job, being her room mother and the Junior League I am a bit over committed. There are some other things that may change in our life pretty soon, so stay tuned for that as well! Even with all this chaos, Lloyd and I couldn't be happier about our lives and our little family. I love my Little Bee and the Daddy Bee too. Love, Elizabeth

Sneak Peek at the Bee's Halloween

Can you guess what she is?

Sugar and Spice and Everything Chocolate?

What's the Little Bee made of that makes her so smiley? According to Annie Murphy Paul in her new book, Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives, Little Bee owes her sweet disposition to all the chocolate I ate when I was stressed at work. Paul notes that babies born to mothers who eat chocolate daily during their pregnancy smile and laugh more at 6 months. I wonder what all the french fries did for her? Keep smiling, Angel! Love, Elizabeth

Art Walk

This was one of my favorite baby gifts Ellen received! If you have a baby or you are in need of a baby gift I strongly suggest a sweater or blanket (or both!) from Art Walk. My uncle's sister, Shelley Hunt, is a children's fashion designer and these are from one of her latest lines. She has another popular line called My Boy Sam. Both lines can be found at stores like Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. Boutiques like Doodles and Motherhood Maternity also carry Art Walk. Here is a link to the whole line www.jamesgirone.com/artwalk . Each set has a sweater, hat, blanket, and booties. Shelley and her mom let me pick a set that I liked and let me tell you this was difficult! I picked Hey Little Diddle but I also love Hoot Hoot, Ducks in the Pond and the boy's Noah's Ark - to name a few. Ellen loves this set and sports it all over town. The knit blanket is backed in the softest cotton and the sweater and hat are so cozy. Ellen also loves the 3D details and plays with the cow's tail and the stars on the blanket. Thank you again, Shelley and Bonnie! Ellen and I love this sweet set! Love y'all, Elizabeth

Bee's Dress!

Oh, Little Bee! If only you knew how hard Cece worked on this baptism dress for you! Here is a shot of the bodice with the sweet hand embroidered bee.

This is the full dress with tons of ruffles and lace. Dr. Pace said it was the longest baptism dress he had ever seen.

This is the slip that Ellen wore under the dress. The slip was also made by Cece and was pretty enough on its own. She had Ellen's full name and baptism date monogrammed into the slip. We plan to pass this dress on and continue to monogram each baby's name on the slip. It's so fun to think of all of our babies and Aunt Muffy's babies wearing this dress. Little Bee, don't you look forward to siblings and cousins? It's a good thing you're a patient angel because it's going to be awhile! Love ya, Elizabeth