No-No

I think there is something wrong with me. I honestly think it's cute when Eli says 'no-no' back to me. In my defense, he hasn't said it meanly or to be defiant yet. Most of the time he's saying it as he is reaching for or pointing to something I typically say 'no-no' to (like the remote or the computer cords). The rest of the time he just repeats it after I do, like he's learning a new word. He scrunches up his little mouth and tries to his best to enunciate so properly. If I had this captured on video I would no doubt post it as I'm sure most of you would side with me if you could hear his cute little voice saying 'no-no'. There...I've used up my quota of the word 'cute' for the year.

Eli Walks!

Here's some video from our trip to prove it:

Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum

Eli, Treis & Lehr had a blast one night out west drumming on some pots. The show lasted a good twenty minutes; here is a sample.

One Week

We had a great holiday week in Washington. Eli loved seeing 'Mater again, though he didn't really need to rely on him as much since he decided to exercise his walking skills the day we got there. He met my grandmother, his great grandmother (G.G.) for the first time. Even though they had a few tender moments, for the most part he gave her a really hard time. Lehr and I called him a 'brat', but she insisted he was anything but. Eli caught up with his cousin, Treis, who loved chasing him around with 'Mater, talking back and forth, playing with Eli's new toys, or beating on the pots like they were drums. We were fortunate to have one really good snow day, so Eli was able to get out and build a snowman. On Christmas Eve we went ice skating downtown and Eli got a ride around the rink with Grandpa Jim. He also rode on a mini-carousel (think $0.25 in front of Wal-Mart) for the first time and LOVED it. Eli gave G.G. and Grandma & Grandpa a DVD and a photo book for Christmas; of course they were smitten.

On a surprising note, the plane rides weren't horrible. The way out was a little tough, but they way back was smooth sailing compared to last time. (The last flight we took out west proved Eli to be "that" baby.) This was quite shocking considering Eli's age and teething status (another tooth or two popped while we were out west). A pleasant surprise, but still a surprise.

Another Big Reveal

We waited to tell my family the big news until we traveled out west for the holidays simply so we could deliver it in person. We purchased a "Big Brother" t-shirt for Eli so he could 'tell' everyone; we thought it would be quite obvious. Not so much. It took a little explaining each time someone new saw the shirt, but at the end of the day our secret was out and everyone was very excited.

Walk Like A Man

I know I'm on vacation, but a computer is very accessible to me and I could not let such an anticipated milestone go 'un-blogged'. Eli is walking!!! He's taken a few small steps here and there at home, but nothing to write home about at all. (Almost every one of them has been on a downward motion on the way to the ground.) Since we arrived at my parents house around noon, Eli has been a walking fool. He took four steps, then six, then nine before he stopped and stood for a few. NUTS! The whole family is very impressed that he decided to save his new skill set for Christmas so they could all see it. I don't have the means to post pictures or video from this computer, but I will upload them as soon as I return home.

Merry Christmas!

ele5.com is on 'holiday' for the week - back after Christmas!

A Few Random Things

1) So I've mentioned how Eli has been very protective of his toys and his house recently, to the point of complaining if/when other children play with his toys. Thank goodness it seems to have passed for now. Monday morning we had a playgroup at the house and Eli did GREAT for two whole hours. Every once in a while he would get into a small dispute over a toy, but nothing out of the ordinary.

2. Another recent mention is Eli's recent lack of variety in what he'll allow to pass his lips. (Keep in mind that I'm still offering different foods each meal, but he's been flat-out refusing to eat for that meal if what I'm serving isn't 'acceptable'.) So last night I make chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli (steamed without any seasoning). Eli ate more broccoli than either Lehr or I. Seriously. The kid would not stop. I know from previous experience that this means nothing for future eating, but the amount he ingested last night buys me three or four days of no vegetables.

3. Eli had his last Little Gym class this morning. He has enjoyed them all semester, but the last two have found him in a more surly mood, no doubt due to the teeth. (That's Eli's excuse for everything these days.) Today was quite the opposite though. During our warm-up circle time, Eli ran/crawled over to the teacher two separate times to sit in her lap (something he's not done before), completely unprompted by me or the instructor. He climbed and rolled and pulled his way through the rest of the class in a great mood. I will definitely be signing him up for that class again in the next year.

4. Eli had his first haircut this morning. His hair is quite thin and it is growing in weird patches, but the long pieces were getting a little too long, so I chopped them this morning. It's not very obvious in any area except his neck (which is now 'clean'), but here's a photo anyway. Eli did a GREAT job of sitting still while I first 'buzzed' his neck and then cut the rest with scissors.

Heartbreaker

Never before have I felt as bad as a mother as this morning. Today was Eli's Mother's Morning Out, which he attends once a week. Normally this kid is very happy to be there; he doesn't even notice me leaving because he is so quickly crawling towards the many toys. Unfortunately today was quite the opposite. We arrived in the baby room and I placed Eli at my feet while I unloaded his bag and talked briefly with the caregivers. Not only did Eli not take off towards the other kids as he usually does, but he started to cry like I had just dropped him off in the middle of the mall and walked away. The caregivers (who he is very familiar with) picked him up and started to console him but he was NOT going to give up without a fight. He reached for me and cried like I've not heard him cry before. The workers hurried me out of the room assuring me he'd be fine, but I hung in the hallway (out of sight) for five minutes, just to be sure. He calmed down after a few minutes, but I could hear that he was still a little upset. Talk about a shot to the heart! I felt horrible! It helped that I was Eli-free for a few hours - I had some major cleaning, packing, and wrapping to do - but it wasn't like I had no choice but to drop him off. I realistically could have kept him with me. The agony....I've said it before and I'll say it again: My heart goes out to mothers who have to drop off their children every day when they go to work. This is NOT an experience that I'd like to go through on a weekly, or even monthly basis.

I felt at least as bad when I picked him up and they told me he cried off and on the whole time. He didn't play; he just sat in their laps. The main caregiver assured me she wasn't telling me because he was a problem, but rather because he has never done this before and he always plays non-stop. I assume it's the teething, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

Traditions

Every year since I can remember holiday 'light-seeing' has been a must-do in December. When I was a kid I loved to drive around and see all of the beautiful displays of lights covered in snow (I grew up mostly in the great white north). When I moved out and started my own traditions with Lehr, this is one that stuck. Like it or not, each year Lehr is 'lucky enough' to drive around with me in search of the best decorations. This tradition is one I plan to continue with Eli. A few weeks back we drove around after dinner one night looking at lights and Eli loved it. Luckily it was warm enough that we could keep his window rolled down, giving him an unobstructed view of the Santas and snowmen. Tonight we went out again, but this time it was to an outdoor display in Centennial Olympic Park. Since the weather is still unseasonably tolerable, we walked around the park for an hour or so while Eli 'oohed' (no 'aww's) at all of the lights, trees, and decorations. There was a mini-train driving around the park which caught Eli's eye; his version of "choo choo" is "doh doh".

A few people have commented on Eli's "Chicks Dig Me" shirt. I cannot remember the website I found it on, but there are similar t-shirts available on Uncommon Goods and Cafe Press.

Look out world: Eli thinks he is the king!

Eli's friend Tyler came over tonight to hang out for a few hours. Eli was already in a surly mood due to teething, so I didn't expect him to play nice anyway. An alarming trend with Eli that held true tonight is his need to not have any other children play with his toys. No matter what Tyler pulled out of the toy bin (even if it was something that Eli has never shown an interest in), Eli whimpered and protested. This did come in handy when Eli was eating his dinner, however: Tyler pulled up on the chair and tried to grab Eli's milk which caused Eli to snatch it back and gulp it down as fast as he could. (Eli had been refusing to drink the milk, so that worked out great.) The insecurity Eli felt was quite unfortunate considering how eager Tyler was to play with him. He was a very polite and friendly guest, not that it helped Eli's territorial attitude at all. There was one feel-good moment between the boys when we went to the playground. They both loved the slide and while they took turns, Eli never complained that he had to wait for Tyler. (Hey, I'll take what I can get!) Eli's favorite way of enjoying the slide is to go down on his stomach, backwards (so his feet hit the ground first and he's looking back up at the top of the slide.) I took many pictures, but he was moving so fast that they all blurred a bit, which is a shame because Eli could not stop laughing and smiling.

Not So Humble

Eli's having a trying couple of days with the molar-pain again. Since there is nothing blog-worthy to report, I'll just post a picture I shot of him this morning, before he remember the agony he was in. (The shirt reads: "Chicks Dig Me".)

The Ugly Side of Teething

Yup. It's back. That stubborn molar that was just below the surface a few weeks back when Eli popped three in such a short time. Eli ran a little fever today and he's miserable and unhappy. This makes the days interesting as Eli has become impossible to entertain or feed when he feels this way. He has become a bit picky with his food in the last weeks (right around the same time the molars started beating him up); he doesn't like foods from one day to the next and the only thing you can count on him eating is dried fruit, which he'd eat his weight in if you let him.

Eli had another gym class this morning. Before we started the classes he LOVED to do forward somersaults, but not anymore. He won't even tuck his head if you try to 'force' him. That's why I found it quite interesting that he has no problem doing the back handspring (over a 'hot dog' apparatus). I'd think that would be scarier than a silly forward roll. Shows how much I know!

This Kid Is BEGGING For Chores!!

So Eli is still very eager to help out around the house. Lehr stopped at Home Depot the other night and picked up a few hole-patching supplies so we can finally get to work on some of the 'mistakes' we've made in our home decorating. Eli found the 'taping knife' (not sharp like a real knife...relax) tonight and decided to investigate. He crawled around for a few minutes, one in each hand, and then he stopped and tried to figure out how to use them. This is great news for us as we have many holes that need to be patched and painted over...no time like the present to put Eli to work!

During the entire 15 minutes of exploratin, Eli was wearing his cowboy hat, which seems to be a real staple these days. He really thinks it is the coolest thing and he loves to wear it while crawling, playing....he'd probably wear it in the bath if we let him!

Daddy's Little Helper

For quite some time now whenever there is work to be done in the garage, or whenever handyman tasks are required around the house, Eli is more than happy to help Lehr. He loves nothing more than to sit and watch, and when Lehr allows Eli to help, he is beside himself with excitement. Today was no different as Lehr and I hung a mirror in the bathroom. Eli was very intrigued by the stud finder, and he was quite enthralled with the tape measurer and hammer. While Lehr was on the ladder Eli often came behind him in an attempt to climb up with Daddy, so when we were done we snapped a few photos. (Don't worry: the photo doesn't show that Eli was tied-off with a net below him. He was completely safe.)

Lessons to Teach

There are so many things I want to teach Eli. I often worry that I missed my window for starting to teach him things or instill certain values in him. I always wanted to teach him to sign and that's worked so far, but I also wanted to teach him French. So far that hasn't happened at all, but in my defense, he hasn't picked up on English very well either.

Growing up I was my own person for the most part. Sure there were times when I followed the crowd and times when I wanted certain CD's or clothing because other kids did, but all in all I flew my freak flag and I was ok with it. That is something Lehr and I really want to teach Eli: it's ok to be who you are. PLEASE don't follow the mass herds of sheep milling around on MTV and in LA as they try so hard to be 'in' and accepted. PLEASE don't mindlessly regurgitate what the kids at school say and try to pass it off as your own original thoughts. PLEASE think for yourself about what you believe and who you are.

In summary, this is what I want to teach Eli:

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Dr. Seuss

A Few Of My Favorite Things

I just realized that it has been a long time since I've mentioned my 'newest favorite' thing about Eli. I assure you I haven't run out of them; I've just neglected to document them.

#1 - Eli has learned some pretend play. About a month ago I started using his stuffed animals to show him how to 'be nice'. (He often forgets how to do this when other children are playing with his toys, or toys he perceives to be his.) I usually hug his frog or rub his bear's back. Every once in a while if we are playing with one of his spoons, I will pretend to feed me, Eli, or the stuffed animal. A few nights ago Lehr and I gave Eli a sippy cup of water while he was on the kitchen floor playing with his stuffed frog. When we turned around we saw him 'feeding' his frog the water. Adorable.

#2 - Eli loves to put on things on his head. First we thought it was just hats, but now he does it with the washcloth in the bath or clothes while I'm folding laundry. Today Eli pulled one of Lehr's undershirts over his head and thought he was the coolest. He then proceeded to crawl with the garment covering his face. Inevitably he ended up bumping into the wall. I started to laugh and he pulled off the shirt and laughed with me. Now it's a game to make Mommy laugh, so Eli pulls the shirt over his face again and crawls even faster. This time when he ran into the wall it wasn't so funny; he looked at me and pouted a little, but never actually cried. (Needless to say, he wasn't up for blind-crawling any more.)

#3 - Eli is very smitten with his new snow boots. We just purchased him a pair in preparation for his trip out west in a few weeks and they currently sit in a corner in his room. At least once a day Eli goes over to the boots, picks one up, turns around to face Lehr or I and signs "please". As in "please put this boot on my foot". So we do, and Eli sits very patiently as they go on. He will then crawl around for as long as we allow, happy to be in his boots. And yes, Eli's shirt does read "PLAY NICE". As I mentioned above, Eli needs to be reminded of this often.

First Midwife Visit

I went for my first prenatal visit this morning. You've got to love three hours of bloodwork, paperwork, and meeting with the nurses and midwives! Anyway, we had a quick ultrasound to see the 'age' of the baby: 9weeks. The due date is early July, so this will be the first year that I will have to miss the Peachtree Road Race. I am NOT happy about this, but I'm thinking that would be a guaranteed labor-onset situation, so I guess I'll skip it this year. The baby (which totally resembles a tadpole right now) had a heartbeat of 161, which is right in the target zone, and everything else looked normal. Now if this silly morning sickness would just go away, we'd be set!

Great Day!

Eli has had two great days in a row. Maybe, just maybe, the teething is subsiding for a while. He still has not popped the most recently detected molar, but it seems it's at least giving him a break for now. Eli was so wonderful and happy all day yesterday (except when the pediatrician's nurse gave him his shots), and that continued today. It's nice to have my happy baby back! (BTW - at Eli's appointment yesterday he weighed in at 22 pounds and measured 31 inches long.)

After his appointment yesterday we went to the park with Cooper and then home for lunch and a great nap. After dinner the three of us sat by the fire (which Eli LOVED) before bathtime. This morning Eli was in the church nursery for a few hours with his friends, and then we ran some errands after his nap. For dinner I made a veggie pasta dish with green beans and asparagus. Even though Eli is typically an easy eater, I did not expect him to like these greens much. Shows how much I know: Eli could not get enough, especially of the asparagus (the last thing I thought he would have liked!).

My Buddy

Eli got to spend a lot of quality time with Cooper this weekend. Friday night he came over for dinner. Both boys played (independently) and then we gave them a bath together. No real interaction between them, of course. Yesterday we met at the park and then had dinner and then today we met at the park again. It was rather cold this morning, but the boys were good sports and played for about 45 minutes before we left. Eli still loves to climb climb climb, and Cooper is a pro at going down the slide by himself. (It's pretty cute actually: Carissa counts, "1, 2, 3" and then he lefts go and slides down, grinning the whole way.) The cold weather apparently kept everyone else away because Eli and Cooper had the whole place to themselves!

Beep Beep!

Eli's new favorite activity is playing in Betty while Lehr is cleaning the car or the garage. Eli LOVES to stand at the steering wheel and pretend to drive, but not as much as he likes to check out all of the gadgets and buttons available to him. Often times after one of Eli's play sessions, Lehr will turn on the car only to be blasted with loud music, blinded by blinking hazard lights, or jolted by the windshield wipers furiously wiping back and forth and break-neck speed. Alas he can blame no one but himself as he introduced Eli to this new 'toy'.