she keeps us on our toes

a recent mishap that is every parents worst nightmare made me realize this was not the first or last heart attack i will have with this little girl. 

she's what we call a 'tremenda' in mexico. i.e. wild; borderline crazy; a terror.

she has accomplished so much this year alone, that i wanted to sorta blog about her for a good while. so be ready for a quick Elena photo dump & prepare your 'awwws'

this year, Elena has learned how to walk up + down the stairs--with no support. like a boss. 

she is very cautious but when she learns how to do something, she does it like a pro. remember when she learned to climb up the trampoline? 

she knows how to get into her carseat when i tell her 'let's go!' or get up on the bench in our dining room to eat food. 

another thing she has learned to do is not wear diapers. even though we cloth diapered for most of the time, i was fed up. both boys were potty trained before 2, and while we still have our good days + bad days, she is still learning how to communicate those needs. 

this little girl gets into everything. the boys were destroyers. they would jack up crap every.where. 

but her? she'll climb into my cabinets and dislocate everything. she'll find the only marker in the house & scribble on my walls & herself. 

she'll sneak the mini-marshmallows & drink daddy's dr. pepper. she will find all the coins or gum pieces in my purse & make them disappear. she's a magician and a clown. 

her abilities to keep up with her brothers are amazing. it took her just a little while to learn how to operate her tricycle. even when the merry go round in the playground is going full speed, she'll want to join. and don't even start jumping without her on the trampoline...she'll just hop on.

and more often than not, she'll get her way. how can we ever resist such a cute little face? 

when we go out, all the little old ladies go nuts over her. and the little girls too. they think of her as a doll and won't let her breathe. she's the cutest little girl on the planet to me, and others think so too. 

she's blessed with a nana & a moomie as she is the only granddaughter they have. smooches + besos + sugars are never in short supply.

this little girl is my everything. i am so stupid blessed to have her and i wouldn't want life any other way. 

she loves to be outside. to dig in the dirt. to play in the water. to haul her blankie everywhere. she loves candy even more.  

but she loves her daddy the most. he is the first thing she blurts out in the morning. i love it. my heart cannot stand it. he carries her around everywhere and in exchange, he receives the most scrumptious kisses + loveable hugs.

this little girl is our world. she will test us. make us smile. impress us. completely drive us nuts. but we love her to 'the death'. 

we are super lucky to have her in our little family.

i hope you enjoyed some of the silliness we are so privileged to have in our lives. have a beautiful week with loved ones & family as we celebrate the birth of our savior in a couple of days!