Garden Variety

Cooper's mom and I took the boys to the Botanical Gardens today. They have a monthly storytime we wanted to check out, plus the scenery isn't too shabby! Although the pictures show them looking incredibly bored, I think they will really enjoy the storytime in about a year. (There is a mini-amphitheater set up in the Children's Garden, which is a really cool playground-ish setting for kids.) I thought Eli would enjoy the surroundings more, considering how silly he gets whenever he sees flowers up close. He did enjoy 'petting' the flowers any time I moved his stroller close enough.

Eli is threatening to become more mobile; he's been showing more signs of crawling when we take off his bar each day. His newest trick is to get up halfway on his knees and push backwards, eventually running into a wall and getting frustrated, but cool nonetheless.

I'm going to have to start turning over the spoon to Eli soon, also. For over a month now he's been 'helping' me feed him from time to time, but in the last few weeks he's been reaching more often and giggling uncontrollably as he helps me put the spoon (full of food) into his mouth. I might as well invest in a steam cleaner for the walls and floor now....

More Unrelated Ramblings By Eli's Mom

I'm not a big crier...I didn't even cry when Eli was born (and Lehr won't let me forget it). However, Eli's birth ensured that I now get choked up watching Maternity Ward or any other birth show. (And, for the record, I didn't cry at Eli's birth because I was so exhausted...but now I get teary-eyed just watching him nap.)

Also, I've said many times that Eli's page is about Eli and Eli only. I do not want to blog about my political or religious views, nor do I want it to be endless ramblings about just anything. I really want(ed) it to be ramblings only about Eli, and yet here I am, for the second time in as many weeks. So I promise to continue my attempt, and make this my last 'non-Eli' post for a really long time. (Cross my heart.)

THAT BEING SAID...
In the past week I've read about, seen, or heard about so many stories of adoption and foster care. It has really had an impact on me, so I thought I would share a few of the stories I've come across.

I saw a show the other day about a couple who was adopting. They had a 3yo son and wanted more kids but couldn't have them. So they adopted a little girl from Korea. She was probably 6 months by the time they got her, but you got to follow them to the airport where they picked her up. I got so emotional watching it....I could only imagine how they must have been shaking as they walked into the airport knowing they were about to meet their new daughter. (I tried to liken it to going to the hospital to deliver Eli, but I had so many other things (PAIN) to distract me, so I don't think it was the same.) This family was so excited to meet their newest member; there were tears of joy on the parents' cheeks before they were even able to hold their daughter. Video from weeks after her arrival portrayed a very happy, normal family. It did not appear that this little girl was in any way different, and thus not an equal member of the family. It was wonderful to see how her arrival was just taken in stride, and how welcomed this little girl was by the entire extended family.

The next day, I found a blog about a family who recently adopted a Russian boy. He is so cute and the family's (including two biological kids) dedication to him is amazing. They talk about how he is growing attached to them and how his life has changed since leaving the orphanage...unbelievable. They were lucky to get him at a fairly early age (approx. 18 months?); hopefully he will not remember too much of the loneliness he felt before he met his current family. Also in the adoption ring is a couple at our church. They adopted a beautiful little girl from Russia about a year ago. She was older (maybe 2?), so she probably remembers the orphanage more than this little boy. Regardless, both children appear to be as happy and healthy as can be.

The point of me rambling on is to talk-out my feelings on adopting. I love, love, love that I look at Eli and see so much of his father in his face. I like knowing that people look at him and see me at times also. But when I see a a child 'born' to parents under less conventional means yet still basking in unconditional love, it makes me realize that blood does not a family make. These kids are so special because they were hand-picked by their parents. How lucky they are.....

(If you are interested in learning more about adoption in Russia, here is a link.)

All Grows Up

It happened. Right before my eyes. The first of many times when I will look at Eli and realize how 'grows up' he is.

This weekend Lehr installed Eli's new carseat. I keep calling it a BarcaLounger because when Eli sits in it, he seems to totally relax and become like a couch potato. The first time I put him in it I realized how mature he looked: pretty scary!

Then today, after his morning nap, Eli waved for the first time wtihout being totally prompted by me or Lehr. For the past few weeks I've been showing him how to wave all the time: when we see someone new, when someone leaves the room, before he goes down for his nap (we wave 'good-bye' to some things in his room), after he gets up from a nap... For a few days now he's been kind of shaking his arm after I shake it for him several times, but today he shook it completely on his own. I walked into his room (with the camera, thank goodness) and started talking to him and he waved! (Video) Before I know it, he'll be walking and talking...

Mummified

This morning I had a few things to get done around the house before Eli went down for his nap, so I left him to play on the floor in our bedroom. As usual, I gave him three or four toys and came back to check on him every few minutes (relax: at any given time he was less than 12 feet from me). In one of the shorter spans of time, he managed to roll over to my bedside table, take my kickboxing wrap off of the shelf, unwrap it, and mummify himself. Once I discovered him I saw how he was wrapping himself up: he would roll around while he held the majority of it in his hands (smart kid).

After we finished upstairs I took Eli down to eat. He provided me with the perfect opportunity to snap a few pictures of him fussing for no real reason. (Lehr has been bugging me for months to catch these moments on film.) These pictures are for all of the people who see Eli and believe it's not possible that he might fuss or cry unnecessarily. This photo was taken mere seconds after I placed (gasp) a piece of avocado (a food he loves) on his tray.

Sushi and Kimonos

Tonight we went to our favorite local sushi restaurant for dinner. It's a small little neighborhood joint, but we think it's the best sushi in town. Plus the waitresses know Eli (they frequently pick him up and walk around the small restaurant holding him), and they usually smack Lehr on the forehead and say "Look like Daddy!" when they compare father and son. The last time we were there, Eli was too young for solids, so this was his first 'real' sushi dinner. The only thing we ordered that doubled as a meal for him was the tofu, but he loved it. I knew he would, as he's had this at home already. However, this was the first time he ate it off a chopstick. I couldn't decide which he enjoyed more: the taste of the tofu or the feeling of the chopsticks in his mouth. Either way it was a picture perfect moment, but without the camera.... I promise to bring it next time.

Pool Shark

Eli and Cooper had a playdate in the pool today. It was a beautiful day and the pool area was empty so it was a perfect opportunity for the two boys to get their 'swim' on. They have matching sunglasses (Baby Banz) and matching floaties, so they were quite the pair to see.

Lucky for me, Eli has not been impressed enough (or intimidated enough) by Cooper's army crawl to follow suit. I think it's the coolest thing; today Cooper crawled right over to Eli and got in his face. There was nothing Eli could do about it....we see who's boss here!

Eli's fever has fluctuated a bunch over the last few days. He's still a little tired and cranky at times, but no other side effects.

Hot Stuff

Eli has been running a fever for the last 24-hours. It came on rather suddenly, especially considering there isn't a cough, or runny nose. When I put him down for his morning nap yesterday he was fine, but when I woke him up, his head and body were burning up....to the temperature of 102.5 actually. He doesn't seem too affected by it, luckily. Eli still wakes up happy and all-smiles, but he has been more tired and cranky than usual. The doctor says not to worry yet - he doesn't have any other symptoms, so it's probably just a virus running it's course. The fever didn't' stop him from enjoying his new bath letters last night. Check him out!

Blatant Discrimination, Indeed....

I don't normally use this blog for anything more than an update on Eli, or a shameless ramble about how much I love my family. However, I couldn't let this topic pass by without a comment.

Anne Maddox brought an article to my attention after I posted Once Upon a Random Thought. If you don't feel like reading the article, here's the summary: babies are being aborted (later in pregnancy) due to small abnormalities including webbed digits and clubfeet.

How horrible to think that innocent babies are being denied life based on small, correctable 'imperfections'. I'm not trying to start a debate on abortion; the devastation here has more to do with the thought process behind why to abort. The birth defects listed in this article are not life-threatening or even immobilizing, in my opinion. More importantly, most, if not all, are correctable. I certainly hope that the "parents" referenced in this article made this decision based on the lack of information they had about correction or therapy regarding their baby's abnormality. At least if ignorance prompted their choice, there is hope that we can prevent this tragedy in the future through education by the media and doctors. However, if they made their decision because they couldn't handle the idea of a less-than-perfect child, God help any future children they might have. I pray that those children never stutter, or lag behind in gym class, or develop a lisp...

Once Upon a Random Thought

When we first found out about Eli's feet, we were caught completely off-guard. Even though I was born with a clubfoot, my parents were told it was not genetic, so the thought never entered my mind that the condition would be passed on to my child(ren). Thank God for the internet: we were able to find enough information about clubfoot treatment in the months before Eli was born to put our minds at ease about his chances at being 'normal'. The only thing that continued to bother me was how he might be viewed by outsiders: kids, parents, teachers, strangers... Thankfully, I've been asked a million questions about his condition, his casts, and his brace in the last nine months, but to-date, I've never been met with any obvious displays of horror or gawking. Maybe I'm just not looking, or maybe society is becoming more accepting of exceptions to the norm. Either way, I never look at Eli and see a handicapped, compromised, or special-needs child, even though I'm sure some doctors or teachers might place him in that category. (Unfortunately, this acceptance we've been met with is not always the case. I've connected with several moms who have been met with horrified stares and 'accusations' about their children's feet.)

So far the correction of Eli's feet has gone better than we could have imagined, and we have every right to think he will be just fine. However, you never know how this condition might affect him when he gets older. We don't know if he'll be able to have a career in track and field, or ice skating, or (take a deep breath, Lehr) dance. There are still plenty of unknowns, just as there are in every child's future. Regardless of all that, looking back, I don't think twice about how things have turned out. Though I would never wish anything but a carefree life for Eli, I don't think I would change his feet even if I could. (Hopefully, any resistance or struggle he meets as a result will make him stronger and more determined.) I associate Eli's bar (and casts) with him as my son; it's hard to imagine him without the foot-gear. In fact, when we were in Florida last week, he spent a lot of time out of the bar and it took a lot of getting used to on my part...I'm not accustomed to seeing his bare feet so much.

I am so lucky to share this blessing of a child with someone who feels the same way. Not only has Lehr been so supportive and strong through the entirety of Eli's 'foot-story', but it seems he and I are constantly on the same page. When planning our trip to Florida, we decided to try and get some sunset pictures on the beach with Eli, all dolled-up and in crisp white linen. The day before we were set to take the pictures, I started running through my check-list for necessities for the photo shoot. Camera, check. Tripod, check. Eli's white linen suit, check. Eli's shoes..... Faced with the question to take the pictures with or without the bar and shoes, I decided for myself that I really wanted the brace in the picture. Again, it's who Eli is, and I have a weird sense of pride about it. However, I figured it was only right to ask Lehr for his opinion also. He looked at me incredulously when I asked if the pictures should be with or without the bar and said "With the bar, of course." Few moments have I loved him more.....

Exercise Fool

Eli has discovered my big red exercise ball. While in our bedroom yesterday, he seemed to be totally transfixed by it, so I thought I'd give him a spin.

He. Loved. It.

Eli giggled when I let him sit on top and bounce. He thought it was funny when I let him stand on the ground and lean against it for support. And he became hysterical when I put him on top of the ball on his stomach. We then continued the fun by rolling it back and forth to each other (one of Eli's favorite games). Of course, when we demonstrated for Lehr later that night, the game was taken a bit further and Eli enjoyed getting 'hit' with the ball (video). Some things never change....

He's On A Roll....

Eli just went down for a nap, but not before covering every inch of his nursery floor. He rolled from one end to the other and then back again. We were just hanging out in there, playing on the floor when he started. At one point he rolled into me and couldn't flip all the way over, because I was in his way apparently. He started to fuss at me as if to say, 'Get outta my way, lady!'; the attitude is always present.

Eli is still 'challenged' in the crawling department; he'll do a full push-up with his arms (ala Up Dog), but he refused to get up on his knees. Still no complaints for me. That means I have at least one more weekend before I have to baby-proof the house.

The Simple Life

Before I begin my unnecessarily long ramble, let me warn you that weekly update blogs are not my forte. My normal daily blog tends to miss the mark on wit as it is, but these longer ones are definitely less organized and harder to follow....good luck!

Lehr, Eli & I spent the last week living as beach bums in Watercolor, in Santa Rosa Beach Florida. (Seaside, which was the set for The Truman Show, is a neighboring community.) Watercolor is such a neat place to visit; it's quite a step out of the hustle-and-bustle of Atlanta life. One of my favorite aspects of Watercolor/Seaside is the amount of bike traffic. Most people make their way around town by foot or bike. Unfortunately there are still vehicles (due to new construction, mostly), but the general feel is reminiscent of a more simple time. I found myself going for several bike rides a day, often while Eli napped. I felt like a kid again; guiltlessly coasting down hills and then peddling like hell on the inclines (only one gear!!). Also, there is no need to lock up the bikes when you park them to eat dinner or go to the beach; it's a pretty crime-free area. (That being said, Lehr's bike was 'borrowed' twice, but we believe it was more a case of mistaken bike-identity than intent to steal.) We were able to enjoy the beach and pool every day since we had unbelievable weather the entire time. Unlike Central Florida (where Lehr and I went to high school) or Tallahassee (where we attended FSU), there was no humidity or intense heat from the sun. Instead we had cloudless skies coupled with a constant breeze: breathtaking.

Eli hasn't been in the pool since his swimming lessons, but he didn't miss a beat. He loved getting in the pool and swimming, or floating around in his yellow floatie. (The best $2.99 spent to-date.) It probably didn't hurt that the pool felt more like a hot tub. As for the beach, Eli loved the sand. He loved to dig his fingers in it and he loved to eat it. We figured the desire to consume would fade quickly, given the face he made after every bite, but it didn't: he continued to eat until the last day. The ocean scared him a bit in the beginning; the water was much rougher than we anticipated due to unseasonably strong winds. However, by day three we was laughing and smiling everytime the waves crashed. And his favorite water activity was 'kicking' the waves as they crash. Of course this was aided by Lehr or myself holding him under his arms and swinging his whole body into the waves.

Back to the bikes: I loved riding around on the rickety old, one-speed bikes (that's right: pedal back to break!). The coolest thing about them was the little kid-caboose you could rent. We attached it to the back of Lehr's bike and zoomed around the whole area on the first day. Eli seemed skeptical in the beginning, but he never fussed. Most of the time he was cooing or yelling at the birds or other bikers. Speaking of which...

Fathers: lock up your daughters now. Eli is a shameless flirt who will stop at absolutely nothing to gain the attention of women young and old. I am not exaggerating when I say that each and every woman who came within 20 feet of Eli got sucked in by his smile. Regardless of what he was doing, he would stop as soon as he saw a new female and flirt by smiling or talking until their eyes met. At which point, it was all over. The women would play peek-a-boo with him, or rush over to talk to him, or smile and flirt back....it was ridiculous! We were unable to go anywhere without getting bombarded by cooing females. The day before we left, one of Eli's victims commented on this behavior. She said he locked in on her as soon as she stepped foot in the pool. Dads, don't say I didn't warn you...

For months now Lehr has been threatening/warning Eli that he was going to bury him in the sand. A man of his word, he did just that. Twice. Lucky for him, Eli didn't' seem to mind at all. In fact, we think he enjoyed it because the sand cocoon made it impossible for him to tip over, regardless of how much he would reach for toys, water, etc. We nicknamed his sand seat his beach-bo (after his bumbo seat at home).

We had an amazing time. Lehr and I have been looking forward to this first family-only trip for several months. It is our opinion that this is the best type of trip to take with kids: one that offers good, cheap fun. Our week of clean living proved to be much more rewarding than any trip to Disney or Discovery Cove, or any other over-priced family vacation. No need for loud music or bright shiny lights, nor long lines and expensive gift shops. Quality together-time is the best: Ahh, the simple life.

The Mother of all Mother's Days

Alright, I know it was only my first one, but it was great. I didn't expect much, only because Lehr and I normally don't do much to celebrate holidays outside of Christmas and birthdays. He broke that rule and set the bar way too high for Mom's Days to come.

I woke up to find a card and one of my favorite pictures of Eli and I (right) framed, along with the indication that I am to enjoy a spa treatment or two while we are on vacation next week. Had the day ended there, I would have been over-the-moon happy, but Lehr had more up his sleeve. As soon as we got home from church, he pushed me out the door to go hiking. I protested at first, saying I wanted to spend the day as a family, but he reminded me that Eli always crashes for a few hours after church anyway. So off I went. (My favorite hiking spot is about 15 minutes north, so I got to drive Betty at high speeds with the windows down and the stereo blasting; Life Is Good.) As soon as I returned from my 90-minute heaven-on-earth hike, Lehr whisked the three of us off to The Flying Biscuit (one of my favorite restaurants) for a late lunch, followed by a walk around Piedmont Park. To add to that, the weather was phenomenal all day. It was pretty much the best day I've had in a long time, which is saying a lot considering that since Eli was born, I've had a lot of really good days.

I know he will moan and groan because he always does when I get all sappy in Eli's blogs, but I have a pretty great husband. You rock my world, Lehr....Eli and I are very lucky to have you.

New Video Clips

I don't have any thing new to report today; Eli is still (making a mess with) eating finger foods, teething, and testing my limits in general.

The clips I added (link to Eli's video located to the right) today include:

• Eli playing with his xylophone; no doubt he'll be this generation's Bach.
• Eli playing with his changing pad (his favorite "toy" for as long as I can remember).
• Eli playing in his crib, including doing 'tricks' once Mommy is present (much like a dog).

Enjoy!

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

I took Eli to the Georgia Aquarium again the other day. (This was his fourth visit.) I've found that when I go during the week, first thing in the morning, we miss all of the crowds, so we can get through there in about 90-minutes. Although Eli enjoys it now, I am looking forward to when he's able to talk a little so we can 'discuss' the aquatic life on display.

Eli's menu has taken a new turn: finger foods are here. In the last week he's had tofu (big mess), pancakes (bigger mess), toast (not too messy), sliced fruit (too slippery for his fingers), grilled cheese (mess), and a few small pieces of chicken (no mess since they were fed to Eli from his father's fork). He seems to really enjoy feeding himself, but I need to have a better system for cleaning up. Or better yet, containing the mess. It's bad enough that he squishes all of these already messy foods as he's eating, but then he's drinking water or juice at the same time, so everything becomes a messy, liquid paste. On a related note, I think he's finally coming to terms with the sippy cup. After two months of trying to get him interested, he used it a few times on his own today. Not such a dim bulb after all.....

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da...

Eli has been talking for months, but up until now, he was the only one who could made any sense of what was coming out of his mouth. For the past week I've been working on "Daddy" or "Dada" with him, and he has come around. (Disclaimer: He has NO clue what he is saying; in fact, he seems to only say "dadadada" to his toys or to his crib, and not to Daddy himself.) Sometimes the dadadadada turns into blablablabla, but it's still cute.

Eli kinda sorta fed himself with a spoon today. When he's teething (which is almost all of the time and will continue to be almost all of the time until he has all of his teeth, I imagine), he seems to be more fussy about eating. Today when he started in, I filled the spoon and then had him hold it with me as we put it into his mouth. He loved this game and never tried to take it totally away from me. (I'm aware this will not last, but for today's battle of wills: Mom - 1, Eli - 0.)

Angels Among Us

I know he fusses unnecessarily sometimes. I know he has been clingy to the point of annoying this week. I know when he was younger and woke up during the night, I would curse on my way to feed him at 3AM. I know some days I get frustrated when he refuses to nap (and then stays in a permanent bad mood all day because he's overtired). I know he is already testing my limits with his stubborn streak. I know that for the next three years (at least) I will be picking up Cheerios and sippy cups off the floor during and after every meal.

More importantly...

I also know that I will never forget how I felt when the midwife placed him in my arms for the first time. I also know that even though I would curse on my way to his nursery at 3AM, I would also smile and cherish the special time I got to spend with him while the rest of the world slept. I also know that hearing him talk and laugh is music to my ears. I also know that when he is asleep I miss him. I also know that every week I have a 'new favorite thing' that involves him. I also know that he makes me smile every day.

As I type, Eli is asleep in the other room. After a long afternoon of playing with Cooper and then (patiently) watching everyone eat for an hour or so, Eli remained quiet on the drive home and went into his crib for a nap without so much as a peep. It's moments like these when I know that God has truly blessed Lehr and I with our very own angel.

If You Give a Pig a Pancake

(I guess I'm moving to book titles now?)

So I gave Eli his first pancake this morning (multigrain, of course, with no syrup or butter). Had I thought it through a little more, I would have covered the floor with trash bags and put an empty bucket of water on the back porch to dip him into once he was finished. Alas, hindsight is 20/20...

Within 30 seconds of placing the pancake on his tray, Eli had it crumbled and all over his shirt, face, and the floor. At that point I realized I needed to capture this moment on video, so here is a clip. (You'll hear Eli's "fake cough" as he's eating. It has returned; he does it anytime he's excited.) Long story short, after just ten minutes with the new food, there were crumbles of pancake in his hair, on the floor, on the table, in his diaper, under his legs, inside his shirt, and any other obscure place you can imagine that I have failed to mention. Luckily our back porch is just feet from his high chair, so I was able to take him outside and shake all of the crumbs off of him that didn't already fall onto the floor.

The Last Outing for Eli the Frog

I asked Lehr to bathe Eli tonight and instead he came downstairs carrying the happiest frog I've ever seen. We keep Eli's frog Halloween costume hanging on his coat rack (because it's so cute), so when Lehr went to undress Eli for his bath it caught his eye and, I guess, he just couldn't help himself. Since it was a nice night, we took the soon-to-be-too-big-for-his-costume frog outside for a few pictures. Today, six months after Halloween, Eli seemed happy to be in his costume; he didn't fuss once. Too bad, considering it's no doubt the last time he'll get a chance to wear it.

Daddy Wins

As I drove up to the house tonight (around 830PM - after Eli's bedtime), I saw Lehr in the window signing to me: "Daddy. Win."

You see, once upon a time, when Eli was a wee lad of three months, we had a great nighttime routine which included Dad giving Eli his last feeding (via bottle obviously) and then putting him down for the night. For whatever reason, that stopped around the holidays and we never went back to it. Fast forward to a month ago when we pick up Eli after having been out to dinner until 10PM to find he refused to go to sleep for Cooper's parents. I finally figured out that without exception, I have fed Eli and put him to bed every night since Christmas, inadvertently creating an unhealthy need. (That's right; no matter how many books I've read, I will still get it wrong many times.)

About two weeks ago we started to work on 'breaking' that nighttime mommy-dependence, first by having Lehr feed Eli a bottle before bed (instead of me nursing him), and then by having both of us put him to bed (to re-introduce Daddy to the equation, and then hopefully remove me). Last night was the first attempt to remove me completely (as I was not even in the house), and with a weak attempt at a fight (20 minutes), Eli gave in and Lehr won the battle (this time anyway).

On a separate note, I was out of the house because I went for my first training walk for the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. Thank you to everyone who has already donated in my name; if you haven't yet and want to, I will keep the link up on this page until the money is due (late summer).

Hit Me With Your Best Shot...

I'm sorry - I have a problem - I can't stop with the song titles...

Eli has a new favorite game: rolling the stuffed soccer ball back and forth with Dad. Lehr started this with him last week and Eli really has the hang of it now (video). I decided to play for a little while this afternoon, but after about five minutes, Eli decided he'd rather throw his weight to the side and lie down. This was fine: he was still in a position to push the ball back to me. He wasn't paying attention to me when I rolled it though (read: he was ignoring me), so it hit his arm. Eli exploded into giggles and a new, more aggressive, game was born. The object of this one was to 'hit' Eli with the ball to make him laugh. It started with rolling the ball into his arm or legs and it soon escalated into bouncing or dropping the ball on his legs or torso. This new game made Eli laugh uncontrollably for quite a while. He's already living up to his father's motto: "Pain Don't Hurt!"

On the Cheerio front, Eli has become a master. When I take him out of his booster seat now there are few, if any, leftover Cheerios in his chair. He appears to have figured out the hand-to-mouth motion.

Drop Me Off In New Orleans...

(Yes, another song title.)

HAPPY JAZZ FEST 2006!!

As most of you know, Lehr and I have gone to New Orleans for Jazz Fest each year starting in 2000. This year was no different; Eli experienced the wonderful city for the first time this last weekend. (Actually he did go last year, but he was still in my stomach, so it didn't really count.) For those that haven't attended Jazz Fest, it is a great celebration that lasts two weekends. We attended the first, so if you don't have plans for next weekend, a road trip is in order...

This was Eli's first long-distance drive, so we didn't' know what to expect (other than the unexpected). All in all, it was a success. The drive there was a cake walk, considering we only stopped once for lunch and he napped most of the time. The ride home was a little more trying, but we know it could have been (and probably will be someday in the future) worse.

The fest itself was amazing; I dare say it was the best I've attended. We had Chamber of Commerce weather, unbelievable food, and great company (Eli's Godfather David and "Uncle" Tom went with us). On top of all that, despite the horrific year the residents have had, their spirit is still strong. The performers were passionate and the people on the street were just as friendly, if not more so. The first day we camped out for Eli's first Cowboy Mouth performance (My highlight of the weekend; if you've never seen them perform you are missing out.), and followed that up with a show put on by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra led by Irvin Mayfield (joined by Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty). The second day resembled a wind storm, so we moved a few times to avoid the dust and debris flying around (I think Eli still has dirt in his ears). Our final destination was the tent where the Herbie Hancock Quartet performed. The rest of the time was spent walking around from music tent to food tent to arts and crafts tent taking in all of the wonderful sights, smells, and sounds of NOLA. Despite his best efforts to stay awake and take everything in, Eli did give in and nap a few times in the backpack, but not before he tasted his first red beans and rice, witnessed his first Big Chief parade, and purchased his first Jazz Fest t-shirt (which won't fit him until he's at least 5).

If you aren't convinced after reading about the best outdoor festival this country has to offer (and possibly the best music shows you'll ever see), we also had some great dining experiences. Jacques-Imo's turned out to be a phenomenal dinner spot, but get there early or you'll wait in a long line. Savvy Gourmet (run by a friend of ours) is not just a cooking school, but also a great place to grab a quick lunch. I highly recommend their veggie sandwich.

We weren't able to take any extra driving time around town to check out areas that were hit the worst by Katrina, but you don't have to look far to see the devastation. As we drove into town you could see neighborhoods from the highway that were still deserted. Many of them were in various stages of repair, with FEMA trailers out front of each house which, I assume, are for the families to live in until their house is livable again. Several of these neighborhoods had dozens of piles of debris throughout. I saw businesses and restaurants still boarded up, or worse, broken into and demolished inside by the storm and looters. Our hotel was downtown, and most of the buildings in that area weathered Katrina pretty well from what we could see. However, many stores and restaurants are still closed because there aren't enough people in New Orleans: people as patrons and people as employees. The desk clerk at our hotel told us they were short-staffed, and a friend of ours who lives nearby told us many restaurants near her house close at 8PM due to lack of staff. Some of these establishments are re-opening, but it is a slow process. This past weekend was the first time Preservation Hall re-opened it's doors. Even in the areas that are habitable, houses still bear the infamous spray-painted "X" and tarps cover most of the rooftops.

It really hit home for me how close we came to losing one of the most culturally-rich cities we have in the United States. It saddens me to see such depression and devastation in a place that used to exude nothing but life and happiness. I hope by the time Eli is old enough to remember, NOLA will have returned, stronger than ever... If you haven't donated time, goods, or money to the relief efforts in the Gulf areas yet, I strongly urge you to join me in doing so. I've added a link to the right to make it easy for those that might not have had the time to seek a worthy organization. This link will take you to a grassroots local organization dedicated to rebuilding one of the greatest cities I've ever visited.

Doctor, Doctor...

Yes, I often title my blogs after songs...

Eli had his 6-month DBB check up with the pediatric orthopedist this morning, followed by a trip to the orthotist. Dr. M said he doesn't see any sign of relapse (Oh Happy Day!!), and Eli's feet are doing great. Same prescription as before: he needs to have the bar on most of the time and once he starts to crawl he can scale back to only nights and naps. We went across the hall to the orthotist afterwards to get a larger size shoe. Eli's current shoes fit fine, but since we don't have to go back to Dr. M until the end of July, we figured we should stock up since we were there anyway.

Splish, Splash..

Eli has once again graduated to a new bathtub. Since he had his casts on for the first nine weeks, he was only allowed sponge baths, modified slightly. Then when the casts came off, we used an infant tub, but only for a week or so, as Eli was too big for it. Since then, he's bathed in our big bathtub with one of us in there with him. Now that Eli is a professional sitter-upper-by-himself (yes, those are real words), I figured it was time to move him to his own bath (previously the guest bathtub). Tonight was his maiden voyage. The new bathmat on the bottom of the tub was the main point of interest for Eli, but the whole experience in general seemed to leave him wide-eyed. Not only was he alone in the water, but he is in a different bathroom. A bathroom that, despite the fact that he passes through there with me at least once a day, seemed completely foreign to him.

Food, Glorious Food

Eli has tried several new foods recently. His Cheerios grab-and-eat technique has improved tremendously; yesterday he got four to his mouth successfully. He figured out that if he grabs the Cheerio and places it in his fist, he then has to open his fist in order to make the transfer to his mouth. Smart lad...

I also gave him his first rice cake (go ahead and groan now, but I love 'em). I broke off 1/3 of a plain one I was eating and gave it to him. Much as you'd expect, after five minutes of gumming, the item previously known as a rice cake was a disgusting piece of goo.

Lentils made it onto the menu this week. Eli will eat them, but only because he loves to eat. Even after three days, he still makes a hideous face once he swallows. On a trip to Harry's this afternoon, we were able to sample cantaloupe for the first time. I skewered a piece with a toothpick and offered it to Eli so he could lick/gum/whatever at his leisure while I pushed the cart. Before you call DFACS, I did not give my 8-month old son a toothpick. That was the one time I was thankful for Eli's preference to be lazy and have me hold his food for him as he eats. Otherwise, he would have squished the melon all over his hands, outfit, and hair by the time we finished shopping, much like he did with the Cheerios yesterday.

Weekend Update

Eli got in some quality time with Cooper this weekend. I guess he realized he's going to be surrounded by adults all next weekend, so baby face-time was in order. It's so interesting to see the two interact one minute, and then be completely unaware of each other the next. I came across some video of the two of them from a few months ago...the boys were interacting so much that at one point they rolled into one another (they were on their backs) and had a 'hug', and then later Eli stuck out his hand and Cooper sucked on his thumb. Can you think of a better Hallmark moment?

A Monkey, A Caterpillar, And A Wild Tongue

"I'll take 'Three Random Thoughts' for $1000, Alex."
or
"Three New Eli Videos for $200."

I posted a blog on Tuesday about Eli's long-awaited milestone of rolling from his stomach to his back, and then his ability to spin in circles. This has continued, and today he finally demonstrated that he can roll even with the bar. Bad news for him: this means I will no longer be conned by his "help me" cries when he's rolled over in his crib.

Eli has also developed the greatest belly laugh (and I'm not biased because I'm his mom), so I also posted a video clip of that today.

A Monkey
For some reason Eli has a fascination with scratching the top of his head. I had him in his blue chair this week and couldn't resist capturing it on film. He gives the strangest look and then throws his hand over his head and scratches, exactly like the primates you might find in your local zoo.

A Caterpillar
When my mom and nephew visited us in March, they stopped at Cracker Barrell and picked out a crazy caterpillar toy for Eli. It's cute, and it moves, but it is CRAZY loud and there is no volume control. (Lehr and I think it is loud; Grandma says we're just getting started with the loud toys.) The other day when Eli was fussier than normal, I pulled the noise-maker out and turned on the camera. Just by luck the toy went right to Eli at which point he picked it up and started to inspect it. He seemed quite confused by the way it moved...

A Wild Tongue
I just uploaded a clip of Eli in his high chair not attempting at all to control his tongue and his urge to smack his lips. I'm not sure where he picked this up, since this is one of the few odd noises I haven't demonstrated for him. I can only guess that he's gaining more control over how his tongue and mouth work, and he wanted to show it off. He's been doing this for about a week now, in and out of his high chair, along with some crazy 'pppbblllllll' noises (think an elephant). Unfortunately, Eli knows when the camera is on and he refuses to perform.

Rave on

Today was obviously a big day for Eli...

It appears Eli either a) was a raver in a past life, or b) is a future raver. Grandma Cathie gave Eli two rubber rings that light up (strobe-like) when squeezed. Today he discovered how to put them in his mouth (club-kid style) and turn them on. I guess the day-glow necklaces and clothing comes next?

Look Out!

This little boy is on the move!

So Eli finally figured out how to roll from stomach to back the other day. Great. Stop there and let me adjust for a few weeks, please. I should know by now that I don't get to dictate when and how Eli will move on to the next phase in his life, but obviously I'm a slow learner. So today I have Eli down on the ground doing some independent play while I'm on the computer finalizing the Eli's Feet blog. Eli is sitting and playing, then he free-falls back and plays on his back, and then he rolls over to his stomach. Nothing new so far; this is the Eli I've learned to expect.

Then out of nowhere he starts rotating around in circles. Not Linda Blair style, but slow, methodical circles, keeping his belly button on the ground at all times. He doesn't realize I'm watching him (or he'd be sure to stop and play the helpless-baby), so he then proceeds to use his arms to push up (up-dog, yogis). Then he rolls 90% of his body over, so his back is on the ground (but his feet are still face down).

WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?!?! Guess I better open up that pack of outlet covers I bought a few months ago....

What's All The Fuss?

If I didn't know better, I'd think Eli was a (moody) toddler after the day we've had. He's been whimpering and crying at every little thing! Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's teething, or maybe it's the fact that the Cubs lost last night...Regardless, I hope it's short lived! He actually conjured up tears when I gave him some plum slices to play with this afternoon. Let me re-phrase that: I gave him plum, and to get him interested, I put it to his lips (and he licked the plum) before I placed it on his high chair tray, at which point the tear factory started. It appears he expected me to stand there and hold the plum for him so he could explore it with his mouth; never mind the fact that he is 100% capable of holding the fruit himself (which he demonstrated quite well for 20-some minutes last night). When he realized that I wasn't going to be his personal fruit-holder, he whimpered a little and then picked up the fruit and entertained himself for a few minutes before crying AGAIN because one of the plum slices had fallen into his catch-all bib and he couldn't get it out. (NEWSFLASH: That's why I gave you multiple slices, Eli!!)

By this point you're probably thinking, "Man, is she in for a rude awakening when he hits 2!" Rest assured, I am aware of what is to come; Eli shows me on a daily basis that he will give me a run for my money in the stubborn department. He goes so far as to push my hands away when I try to show him how to sign...there's gratitude for ya!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'.....

It's about time! Today Eli rolled from his stomach to back for the first time. This peer pressure thing is great at the moment; I took him to the 'older' baby Mom & Me group this morning and that's when he checked that milestone off his list. When we got there I took his bar off so he could 'play' on the floor with the other babies, which really just consists of the other babies crawling (or walking) over Eli, stopping occasional to snatch the toy he's playing with (seriously, what's he going to do about it?). After about 10 minutes of sitting and playing, he bungee jumped back so he could be on the floor. He quickly rolled onto his stomach, but less than a minute later, he rolled right over to his back again. I thought I might have imagined it, but when he was on his stomach a few minutes later, he repeated his new trick.
Before you start giving him credit for being so smart, you should also know that just 10 minutes after his repeat performance, he got 'stuck' on his stomach again....the memory of a goldfish, I tell you.

A Week in Photos

When Eli was born, and we decided I would quit my job to stay home with him, I worried about losing any skill set (applicable outside the home) I might have had. To try to maintain some 'office-worthy' brain cells, I threw myself into creating and maintaining a website for Eli. Then I decided to try to pick up a challenging 'hobby': photography. As much as I would love to take classes, it's not happening now that I've got a 2-foot cling-on with me at all times. So for now, learning will have to mean lots and lots (and LOTS) of practice. Thank God for digital cameras, because otherwise we would have gone broke due to film costs alone! Though I'm finding I'm able to take better pictures than I did when I started, it's not because I'm learning more about my camera; I'm just learning what lighting works better, what framing works better, etc. (I'm too lazy and too overwhelmed by the instruction manual of the camera to even tackle the many buttons available to me.) So with that said, this week's Ofoto submission of Eli is a big one: he had two 'photo shoots' with mom in the last 5 days. But with such a willing subject, can you blame me?

HAPPY EASTER!

Sign of the Times

I really think Eli is starting to pick up this sign language thing; I could swear that he's been trying to communicate with me via his hands the last few days. Ok, Ok, so Lehr tells me (as does common sense) that I'm imagining things, but I think I'm right. I know when Eli starts to sign that it won't be clear what he's trying to do considering his less than complete control over his fingers, so when I say he's signing, I mean he's doing something with his hands. Every time I nurse him now (when I usually sign "milk" to him), he's been giving me a hand signal that I can only hope is his version of "milk". And when he's eating, he has been bringing his hand to his mouth (not to eat his fingers) a lot more, so again, I'm hoping he is signing "eat". See for yourself: here is a picture of Eli signing "I Love You".

Cha-cha-changes..

I'm not sure how it's possible, but Eli's voice is already changing. Ok, I guess maybe it's not puberty yet, but he does have a deeper voice now. Usually when he's talking or singing he prefers to use his falsetto voice, which is quite cute and baby-ish. About a week ago Eli started using what I call the "Cooper-voice" (since Cooper's voice has always appeared to be lower than Eli's). He has become quite fond of starting out with a few 'AH!'s and then moving to loud yells. It's hard to tell him 'no', because he's not screaming out of frustration or anger; he's just experimenting with his new voice. I captured some video of the new octaves; it's on Eli's video page (which has a link to your right, and which also contains some Cheerios-chasing footage).

The Thrill of Fear

I've been playing peek-a-boo with Eli for quite some time now without much response. However, he loves this game when his daddy plays with him. Last week I discovered why: the game I play is not nearly as exciting as the knock-you-off-your-feet, take-your-breath-away, heart-racing excitement he gets from his father's version. Lehr crouches under the table, or just out of Eli's site and then pops up quickly shouting "PEEK-A-BOO" (or just "BOO") and scares the living daylights out of my son. Alas, in the process he also makes him laugh uncontrollably.... And yet this kid still cries when people laugh at or around him. Just last night Lehr was feeding Eli and started to chuckle at him at which point Eli froze, looked back and forth between the two of us (not moving anything other than his eyes) and then proceeded to wail the hurt-feelings cry. This kid better toughen up; he's got many years ahead of him of people laughing at him, if for no other reason than because of who his parents are...

Bump-ba-di-bump

Now that Eli's a pro at sitting up by himself, we often place him that way to play (rather than on his stomach or back, lying down). However, Mr. Bigshot hasn't figured out a smooth way to transition to the ground when he wants to get in some floor time. His solution? Throw his arms out to the side and lean back (a la bungee jumpers jumping off a bridge) making a loud thump noise when his head bounces off the floor. Luckily he's only done this upstairs (on carpet) so far. I fear the day he decides to base-jump downstairs where we have thin hardwood floors atop a concrete slab.

Hold On!

I wouldn't trade Eli for anything in the world. And although I love every minute I spend with him, there is one thing I miss about my pre-Eli days. Before I even start, let me say that anyone who knows me knows that I am not into cars, both for what they look like and for what’s under the hood. That being said, I think the hardest adjustment to parenthood has been my new wheels. Before Eli, I drove a beautiful blue 2000 Honda Civic Si. This was the first car Lehr and I bought together, and when we retired the Nissan, Lehr got a new car and I happily took over as primary driver of the Honda (at which point I ‘installed’ Hawaiian seat covers, I hung a sea bean from the rearview mirror, and I immediately named the car “Betty”). I really love(d) that car; nothing made me more happy than to throw my bike on top, pop in a No Doubt CD, roll down the windows and just drive…. I knew this would have to change once Eli arrived. For starters, the car is a two-door, so maneuvering a car seat in and out of the back seat would be difficult. Then there is the whole ‘safety’ issue that Lehr kept trying to hammer into my head. I tried; I installed Eli’s seat in Betty and gave it a good few days, but after bruising myself even more than usual climbing in and out of the cramped back seat, I resigned. The car Eli and I cruise around in now, Earl, isn’t a bad car by any means. (“Earl” is a black, 4-door Acura RL.) It is, however, a sedan, and it is, however, ‘safe’ (read: B O R I N G). No seat covers, no sea bean, no stick-shift, too big, too grown-up… I know in my mind it is the right car to drive with Eli, but in my heart, I miss Betty every day….

This brings me to my Eli moment of the day. I had the opportunity to drive Betty a few times this weekend (I snuck out when Lehr and Eli had their backs turned), so when I got into Earl this morning to drive Eli to the park, I was still in Betty-mode as far as my driving goes. I didn’t really notice until I looked in the rearview to catch a glimpse of Eli holding on to the car seat handle as if it were a roll-bar and we were about to go down a bumpy road. Maybe I should stop driving Betty on the weekends; old habits are hard to break. It just made me realize that you can take the girl out of Betty, but you can’t take Betty out of the girl…

Also, Eli's second tooth popped through while he was sleeping; he now has a matching pair on the bottom. (If you look closely, you can see them.)

Cheerios

This weekend I bought Eli his first toothbrush. He's been chewing on everything in frustration over teething, so I figured why not help his oral hygiene at the same time? (Actually I though, 'My fingers need a break...what can I give him that is similar in size?'.) Eli looooves the toothbrush. He chews on it and sings at the same time as if to say "Haaa-llelujah!"; it obviously feels really good on his gums.

Eli's latest trick is manipulating Cheerios. I introduced them on Saturday and it's been a riot to watch him learn. Eli has still not perfected his pincer grasp, so for the first day all he did was push the little O's around on his chair tray. This activity kept him entertained for quite some time; it was as though he thought they were moving on their own, rather than moving because he pushed them. He was so intense in his pursuit! He's getting better; he can get them into his palm more often now, and every once in a while one will end up in his mouth. He's been practicing with baby puffs for a few weeks now, but they are a little larger, so the Cheerios have proven to be more difficult to pick up.

As I type, Eli is sitting on the floor next to me with a pile of toys untouched. He is swinging his arms up and down and then shoving his fists into his mouth as he giggles and smiles his huge snaggletooth (still only one!) grin, oblivious to the fact that he is the only one that gets the joke.

New Discoveries

I think my plan worked! I brought Eli to the older 'babies' Mom & Me meeting this week for the first time. (We missed all of last month due to swimming.) He was a pretty fussy since he's been working overtime to pop another tooth or two through his gums (no success yet). I was eager to bring him to the group in the hopes that he might pick up some pointers from the older, more mobile, babies. At the very least, hopefully he'd be shamed into rolling from his stomach to his back. Still no change on that front, but he was doing a bit of an inchworm this morning; more than he's ever done before! I had him on the floor in the guest room as I was tending to my email and he rolled onto his stomach and started playing. As usual, I look down and play with him every few moments and after 3 or 4 interactions I noticed him sticking his butt WAY up in the air. Almost to the point that he was standing on his feet (down-dog for fellow yogis out there). Looks like someone is practicing for his next meeting with the older kids....

Eli is becoming very aware that he can control what happens to his body, his face, his mouth, etc. He knows he has hands and he knows they can exert force! This week he's made it impossible to feed him, give him a sippy cup, take his temperature, change his diaper, clothe him...whatever he doesn't want, basically. The struggle begins.....

As I type, Eli is peacefully sleeping in his crib, like the angel he is. The poor guy has had a rough week; not much sleep and not many solids. (This teething stuff is hard work!!) He woke up from a full 12-hour slumber this morning in a great mood though, and he happily ate every bit of his breakfast (and lunch, which I gave him this morning because he still seemed hungry after his oatmeal). We started zucchini and papaya this week, both of which he seemed weary of in the beginning, but he appears to be coming around.