The Weynand Blog

Dear Eisley,

Well, here it is. The day has come, and you, my dear, are now one entire year old. This time last year, Mommy and Daddy were headed bright and early to the hospital to prepare to bring you into the world. You took some time making your entrance, and at exactly 6:07 pm you arrived. The first time we laid eyes on you and heard your sweet cry we fell in love with you more than either of your parents ever thought was possible. Daddy kept you company while the nurses weighed you and made sure you were okay, and you took the time to let him know that you already recognized him by wrapping your tiny little hand around his finger. Mommy suspects that it was that exact moment that you stole his heart.

When they placed your little swaddled warm body in my arms and our eyes met, I honestly couldn’t believe it. You see, Mommy and Daddy often refer to you as ‘the survivor’. You were the strongest one. There is much more to that story, and one day we will share everything with you. Just know that we are forever thankful for your strength and resiliency.

We look at you today and are constantly amazed by the wonderful child in our presence. You are so sweet and good-natured, and quite a social little being (possibly living up to your Leo status). You never hesitate to share your adorable smile with others.

You have the most beautiful eyes, and they shine so brightly all the time. People are forever commenting on your eyes and they, along with those mile-long lashes of yours, will no doubt be used as artillery against your parents in the future. Daddy and I will be fully preparing ourselves for that day (but you might just win anyway).

It’s a true joy to watch your exploration of the world on a daily basis. You have a great curiosity and a need to figure out how things work. In fact, your inquisitiveness sometimes leaves your parents breathless from trying to shut a door or put an item up high. We realize that at this age learning typically doesn’t take place when sitting still, and all the darting about Mommy and Daddy do is good for our health.

You are right on the verge of walking, and it is so exciting to see. You can stand alone now and we know that those first little steps are going to happen soon. Then there will be no stopping you!

Your personality is shining through all the time, and you have a way of making us laugh often as you imitate us. From all of the fun we have now, Mommy and Daddy get to see glimpses of what you will be like when you are a little older. We think you are an amazing child and such a beautiful little being. It has been said so many times before, but how lucky we are to have you in our lives.

Thank you, Eisley, for being the strongest one. Our lives are forever changed because of you, and in such a fantastic and incredible way.

We love you more than you can possibly imagine,

Mommy and Daddy

On Thursday, July 30th, Eisley turned one. This has honestly been the fastest year of our lives and I’m sure there’s no slowing down from here. We’re enjoying the ride though.

From her parents, Eisley received a comfy chair with her name embroidered on it.

Video: Eisley gets a chair for her birthday

Later that afternoon, Granna (Courtney’s mom) brought over two cupcakes, one for her and one for Eisley. Thursday was Granna’s birthday as well. When it was time to eat, Eisley knew exactly what to do. She promptly picked up the cupcake and shoved it into her face. She quickly turned a perfectly formed cupcake into a sugary disaster.

Video: Eisley eats a cupcake

Eisley had a big day on Saturday. From 10:00 – 12:00, she had all her friends over to the house to celebrate her one year birthday. The parents stood around and watched the kids swim in one (or all) of three swimming pools, play in the sandbox, ride in the wagon or hide in the castle. About halfway through the chaos we took a break to watch Eisley devour a swimsuit cake that Granna made for her. This one was more of a challenge than the cupcake, but she fared pretty well.

Video: Eisley eats cake at her birthday party

After filling up on sugary goodness, Eisley took another dip in the pool, then played at the sand table with her cousin Finley.

Video: Other activities at the party

Thanks go to everyone who helped make Eisley’s birthday a special occasion.

Photos

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Uncle Eric is a traveling man and only makes it up to Austin every now and then. We were lucky to have him for 6 weeks recently and Eisley met him for the first time on May 29th. She took to him right away (and I think he was pretty fond of her as well).

Some of the activities Eisley enjoyed while Eric was in town were:

• A trip to the Frio river
• A day at Dick Nichols park
• A day at Barton Springs pool
• The 4th of July in Pipe Creek, Texas
• Backyard lounging in the baby pool
• Plenty of eating out
• Lots of family gatherings

Of course the camera was always nearby and we got a few pics of them together. Eric, Eisley already misses you and can’t wait to see you again.

Photos

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Dear Eisley,

A few short days ago marked your 11th month of living life so fully in this world. Your first birthday is right around the corner, and just as quickly as we are headed towards July 30th, your mommy is headed straight to complete denial that it is even happening. You make it quite hard to be in denial, however, because you are doing so many big girl things each and every day.

New words are popping up all the time these days. You have really gotten into saying “da da”, and have added “wow” and even “Heidi” to your vocabulary. I think Mommy and Daddy could listen to you squeal with excitement and say “ha-deeee” all day long if we could (we’re not exactly sure how Heidi feels about it though). With the talking comes lots of smiles, and now we get the occasional laugh from you when others are laughing. Ever the social butterfly, Mommy sometimes finds it takes awhile to get things done when we are running errands. People always want to stop and talk to you, and while you aren’t talking back just yet, you really take the time to let them know you are listening with your easy-to-come-by smile and even a gratuitous little giggle.

You are really starting to put your piggies to the pavement, and cruising happens all the time. At this point you are quite steady, and Daddy and I both feel that you will be walking in no time. Bella brought you a walking toy recently and you practice with that a lot. The stairs in the house have proved to be no match for you as you have managed to climb them (with MAJOR supervision) two times now. Gulp. Thank goodness those gates are up.

And let’s not forget about the kissing. Oh, the kissing. You are such a sweet little girl and Mommy and Daddy love the fact that you will lean over and give kisses to us now. It truly leaves our hearts in a puddle on the floor. Recently on a family trip, you decided that you would bestow lots of kisses on a little boy that was just a mere 3 days younger than you. You grabbed him by the shirt, leaned over, and planted some of those sweet kisses on him. Daddy is now on high alert to such activities…

One of the most significant things that occurred during the cusp of your 10th and 11th month was meeting your Uncle Eric. You see, you had never met him before and had only seen him by web cam. He flew a very long way to meet you, and you took to him pretty much right away. You have gotten to spend quite a bit of time with Uncle Eric while he’s been here, and we think you adore him. Unfortunately his visit is almost over, but luckily he will be coming back in November. By that time you will be able to run around and play with him.

One of the things that Uncle Eric did while he was here was work with your daddy and Granddad to build you a sandbox. They put a lot of hard work into making it for you, and you will undoubtedly spend lots of time playing there. One of the other things we did while Uncle Eric was here was to go to the Frio River with the Weynand family. You had a wonderful time playing with the kids, and you LOVED the water. We all had a very good time!

Another milestone to remember is your very first cousins’ slumber party. Bryson and Finley came to stay with us for a night, and we all had such fun. We swam, cooked, played, and went to the park, and Granna came over to join in the fun. We hope it will be the first of many cousin slumber parties!

Another month comes and goes. And the next month? Well precious girl, that will be your 12th month in this world and we have special plans to celebrate. Rumor has it that there will be some sugary goodness to be had, as if you needed help being any sweeter than you already are.

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Eisley loves the water and Barton Springs was the perfect place to cool off on this 100+ degree day. I’m sure this will be the first of many, many trips.