NOLA!!

Yes. Walt and I ventured to New Orleans this weekend to celebrate a great friend's 30th birthday.
BUT...before I post pictures of our incredible weekend getaway...I MUST talk about my littlest love.
Holy moly..she is 11 months old.
Like, I am talking I got something in the mail today talking to me about my one year old toddler.
Whew...
let me just take that in.
and a walking toddler she is about to become.
This girl is pulling up on EVERYTHING.
All she wants to do is STAND...all the time.
We made a little trip to the dr.'s office because I suspected she had an ear infection, and thank goodness I was right.
So...4th infection...time for tubes.
Yay...but, at least now she won't be hurting anymore.
And...when I went and took her to the dr., they weighed her, so I was able to see how big she was for 11 months.
She was 18 1/2 pounds.
I went through and looked to see how old Eloise was when she was that big...
Eloise was 18 1/2 pounds at 8 1/2 months.
Either I have a large baby Eloise or a small baby Emerson.
and at 11 months Emerson you:
Eat anything I place in front of you.
Which makes this very easy for me...because I can give you anything I am eating and you will eat it.
You still drink 4 bottles a day... 1/2 formula, 1/2 whole milk.
You take 2 naps... 9-11 and 1:30-3:30
Your favorite food has now become vegetables...green peas, corn, broccoli, green beans
Like I said earlier...you are pulling up on everything, and you get into EVERYTHING!
You love to play with your sister, and bang pots and pans...like really bang them.
Your favorite show is Bubble Guppies and you get so excited when your daddy comes home.
You are still the happiest baby, and I have mixed emotions about your ONE year birthday.
Your daddy and I love you and your sister more than anything in this entire world.

I asked her how old she was going to be next month...
she proceeded to let me know.

This past weekend, Walt and I went to NOLA with some of our closest friends to celebrate Patrick's 30th birthday.
What an incredible weekend...
We left at noon on Friday and returned home on Sunday around 2:30.
We had so much fun and were in the BEST company.
Walt and I are both so thankful for Pat's friendship...and we know he had a wonderful 30th birthday!!
Starting off our weekend!!
The girls!!
Sue, Me, Poco, Jen and Leslie

Poco was such a trooper...
she came down with the 48 hr. stomach bug...
here we are after making a quick trip to CVS for some medicine....
the guy in the background just had to ruin the picture!!

Me and my Sue watching the Baylor game!!
Our boys made it to the Elite 8!!

Proud to be a Bear!!

Going to celebrate on Bourbon Street

2 of the biggest Baylor fans I know!!

Sweet Leslie and Todd

Fun times celebrating our win!!

and of course McKamy and Patrick had to dance!!
A win only deserves the BEST dance moves

Buddies!

Saturday morning, we got up and had brunch at a great little restaurant...the glass slipper
then it was off to the French Quarter

and there was a food festival going on...
the boys were so excited!
Matt just had to stop and have a taste of Sangria

the always fashionable Poco and Sue

the boys eating their festival food

and then it was off to a fun little bar that had the Lady Bears on t.v.
And the Lady Bears dominated, and of course, made it to the Elite 8 as well!
Me and my Baylor favs!!

and I've decided that I want to get married (ok, remarried)
in NOLA... how FUN is this?!? Right after getting married having a band play and you walk through the streets...SIGN ME UP!! SO FUN!

We then stopped off at one of the oldest bars in NOLA...
Pat asking me if I accept his rose. s

then it was off to dinner, for Patrick's birthday.
Me and Walt with our sweet Matt and Sue.
So thankful for the friendship we have with them.

and we couldn't NOT take a pic of the besties with their girls...
Pat and Todd
with their girls Leslie and Poco.

singing "Happy Birthday" to Pat

his reaction after his birthday shot.

me with my love.
what a great weekend.

and after the birthday dinner, we made our way to the Ritz and listened to a jazz band play...
and maybe we all made our way out on to the dance floor and danced with our favorite men.
Had to snap a picture with this girl...
love you.

Lalee came and watched the girls for the weekend.
I think my girls had so much fun with Lalee as they both slept until 8:00 today....and that NEVER happens.
It's always fun to go...but coming home and seeing these two faces...makes it ALL worth it.

and we've been up to some fun things lately...
We've decided that now momma can get a picture of both girls, SMILING, at the camera....

we've taken plenty of walks...the weather has been so nice.
and look at that...sisters.bestfriends.holding hands.

and if we go for a walk, we HAVE to swing...
this is an EVERY DAY occurrence.

my girls have been cooking up a lot of things in their kitchen...
Eloise does the cooking...Emerson does the banging of the pots and pans. :)

oh goodness...and it's SPRING..
which means, it's HOT in HOUSTON
We've gotten out our pool and swimsuits and played..ALL AFTERNOON

and spring time means,
spring flowers.
Eloise LOVED helping daddy pick out flowers and plant them.

and of course our days are always filled with arts and crafts

Easter is on its way...so we've been practicing hunting eggs...
Eloise will dominate at the Daingerfield State Park Easter Egg Hunt...

and lastly, I was able to spend some time with one of my former students.
She was on a mission trip here in Houston, and I was honored to be able to pick her up and have her spend the night with us for a night.
She was such a delight!
Here she is playing with my oldest baby.
Such fun we have had lately in the Bass household.

and is it possible that Emerson is having her one year pictures taken this weekend?
WHERE does time go?!

spring break

It's just like me to not post for a while and then all of a sudden have to upload 30 pictures. But to be honest...I haven't blogged because after Eloise's birthday bash things calmed down for a while...and I've been fighting an on again off again virus...
so most of my nights have been spent going to bed.
This week is Spring Break...but it has been more like Spring Busy.
I love spring break...seems like there is always a ton to do.
We started off spring break by going to a birthday party for a sweet friend of Eloise and Emerson. My girls were having so much fun I didn't take out my camera and snap pictures, as I was playing with them...but
we did get a little picture of the family before we left.
It's not the best...but...here we are!

On Saturday, Walt's mom and brother came into town.
I love when they come visit. Yes, because I love hanging out with Lalee and Tucker, but also because when Lalee is in town, it is always a good excuse for Walt and I to go on a real date!
We know that Lalee would much rather be with her grandgirls!! :)
So...Walt and I went to a nice dinner, then went and had drinks with some of our friends...and finished the night off by going to a house warming party.
Perfect Saturday night.

and we always know that when Lalee is in town we will have some fabulous desserts!
Lalee watched the girls on Monday while Tucker and I went shopping at the Galleria.
While we were gone Eloise and Lalee whipped up some yummy chocolate chip cookies for us!
Chef Eloise is getting the BEST baking advice from Lalee!!

and of course the Houston Rodeo is going on, so what's a girl to do with her boyfriend?
Why go to the rodeo of course!
Eloise, Emerson and myself ventured to the rodeo yesterday with Jaxon and Miss Elysia.
Jaxon and Eloise have quite the relationship.
It is so fun to see them together!!

he's going in for the kiss....

got it!!

Jaxon and Eloise spending a day "on the farm"

you must feed the chickens...

and in return you get an egg...
OH MY GOSH!

waiting in line to milk the "cow"

"this way momma"

checking out the cow

Miss Elysia and my E

Jaxon was not afraid to milk the cow...Eloise wanted to just let him do it.

picking the peaches off of the tree

playing in the corn...

and at the end of the day...she was able to get "paid"
for all her hard work, and pick out a treat!

Looking at the baby calf that was literally just born

eloise warming up and
petting "elsie" the cow

so excited to see the cows walk by...

and a rodeo wouldn't be complete without a ride on the merry go round...

and here are these two...tuckered out!!
Emerson was so hot...I said, what the heck..and took off her pants! :)

and I felt bad because I had all of these pictures of Miss Eloise...but Emerson was strapped to me, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of her...
So...to be fair...here are three pictures from a recent photo shoot we had..
sweet girl...
can't believe her 1 year invites are going out in the mail, TOMORROW!!

now..if I could just shake this virus, for good!!