Cribs

Eli has had a pretty uneventful few days. His teeth have been bothering him more than normal (though I fully realize the first two years he will ALWAYS be teething), so there have been some fussy days in recent past. On Friday Eli spent the entire morning (from 9:15am until 11:00am when we had to leave for his music class) in his crib. It was not a punishment; it was completely Eli's preference and choice. In the midst of breakfast Eli started pitching a major fit and didn't stop when I took him out of his high chair, when I put him down, when I picked him up, when we went upstairs....you get the picture. Finally I thought, "I'll put him in his crib for a minute to see if that calms him and then we'll move on from there." (Note: Eli has a blanket that he sleeps with that he absolutely loves. (I've nicknamed it the "magic" blanket.) It's use is restricted to the crib only though, except for rare exceptions like a plane ride. Sure enough, once he was in the crib with his blanket he immediately calmed. Even though he wasn't acting tired, and he'd only been up for 45 minutes with a full 12-hour night's sleep under his belt, he put his head down and stuck his thumb in his mouth. (That is another trick of the blanket. Eli doesn't typically suck his thumb, but once he sees or feels his blanket, the thumb is like a magnet to his mouth.) So he calmed and reached out his arms like he wanted out of the crib. I picked him up but he was barely over the rail when he started to complain again and reach back for his crib. We repeated this three or four times before I realized he just wanted to be in there and he was happier in there. I walked away and started laundry, coming back to check on him every few minutes. He was happy as a clam, singing, humming, pointing...all the while clutching his blanket. That kid stayed in there (un-entertained by me) for almost two hours. He did nod off at the end, getting a short little snooze before we left, but for the most part, he was awake, disproving any theory I might have had about him being tired. Go figure...sometimes this kid just wants to lie around in bed all day!

Another oldie but goodie in his crib: his aquarium. Eli not only knows how to turn it on and off, but he knows how to adjust the volume and how to change the 'station'. (There is a button to toggle the music/sounds available). It is rare for me to come into Eli's room in the morning and not find Eli lying on his blanket, on his stomach with his knees under him and his thumb in his mouth as he stares at the aquarium which he turned on minutes before.

Donation Corner: Previous Spotlights

Here are the links to charities and organizations previously spotlighted:

• 
  
• Medals4Mettle
  
• Reuse-A-Shoe
  
• Operation Smile
  
• The Jessica Project
  
• Angel Flights/Air Charity
  
• MercyCorps
  
• Idol Gives Back
  
• Orphan Foundation of America
  
• Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer
  
• Walking On Water
  
• Make It Right
  
• World Vision
  
• Charity Navigator
  
• Operation Christmas Child
  
• My Sister's House
  
• AnySoldier.com
  
• Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer
  
• Shepherd Center
  
• Fugees Family
  
• MUST Ministries
  
• Angel Flight America
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
  
• Ready, Willing & Able
  
• Emergency Communities
• Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer

Fish Out of Water

Eli and I went to the Georgia Aquarium today. It's been so neat to see how much more he gets into the fish and other aquatic life each time we go. Today he was so excited to see the sea lions as they zoomed past him in their tank. Also the tropical fish caught his eye; he watched them swim around and around for a good ten minutes.

I've mentioned before how much Eli likes the water to run for his entire bath. We usually fill the tub up enough for his bath and then let the water drip for the remainder. His favorite activity is placing his open mouth underneath the stream of water. It doesn't matter if the water is dripping or on full blast - he wants to drink. Since I usually let Lehr bathe Eli his 'new' trick might not be that new, but yesterday was the first time I noticed it, so my label is sticking for now. I often place the wet washcloths on Eli's back or head, like a cape or hat. He usually pulls it right off, but last night he put it back on his head again and again. Tonight he repeated this trick for me several times.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs....

I forgot to mention Eli's newest sign in the post about our trip: flower. This is a sign that has been viewed by Eli at least three times each day since I began signing with him because of Eli's love for flowers. Everytime we go to the grocery store we stop at the flowers outside and/or inside so Eli can point and giggle. Last week we came upon some flowers and Eli started to move his hand near his nose (as close to the sign for "flower" that I've ever seen from him), prompting Lehr to recognize this as Eli communicating. He's also become more specific with his "more" signs. When I'm feeding him from two bowls at home he'll sign "more" and then point to which bowl he wants "more" from. (Quite demanding, isn't he?) Also, his "please" has become more frequent. We still have to request it from him, but he complies more often now. Like most of his signs, "please" is not quite correct. Instead of rubbing his heart, he rubs his stomach.

Happy Halloween!!

Eli enjoyed his first Trick-or-Treating experience tonight. We were hoping Cooper could join us, but he was a bit under the weather today so we'll have to wait until next year for that. After dinner we got Eli dressed in his costume and we sat on the front porch handing out candy to a few neighbors. Eli was quite taken with our jack-o-lantern. He could see the flame inside and he wanted to touch it. (Even though he knows it is "hot" and will sign that to you, he doesn't quite understand the concept of "burn" yet.)

Once we started making our rounds Eli turned comatose on us; he was a complete mute with a total lack of expression on his face. I guess the whole routine of going up to houses and meeting new people was overwhelming enough to make him shut down. He never fussed though, even when we prompted him to walk holding our hands for some of the houses. Eli did enjoy seeing the other children in their costumes. That was probably the highlight for him. That and the house that gave him a box of Nerds (he loved to shake it like his egg shakers).

When we returned home Eli finally got to see what all of the neighbors had been putting in his pumpkin carrier. He was quite interested in the different colors and shapes of wrappers. I'd think by now you'd all know me well enough to know Eli will NOT be eating any Halloween candy this year.
Yup.
That's right.
I'm a horrible mother who is undoubtedly scarring my (fourteen-month-old) child by not letting him eat processed sugar products for which he has no taste and therefore does not realize what he is (or is not) missing. I can only imagine the hours of therapy he'll need....

Here is some video of Eli's first 'official' Halloween.

Like My Own Little Puppet...

So I mentioned in my blog about the weekend that I've been trying to teach Eli how to crawl off of higher up surfaces by going down feet first. Even though he tried to climb down the front porch steps head first this afternoon (at which time I corrected him and he proceeded to comply), he did his first unprompted dismount tonight. Lehr had Eli on our bed after his bath (Eli's bath, not Lehr's), and Eli went to the edge, turned himself around so that his legs faced the drop-off instead of his hands and face, and lowered himself off. Our bed is pretty high, so he could still hurt himself if no one is there to supervise, but I have to think any injury sustained from the backwards dismount has to be less in severity than a forward falling one. Lehr said Eli performed again unprompted twice before he summoned me upstairs to view our prodigy.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

We were fortunate enough to travel to Watercolor in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida this last weekend. Even though the weather didn't cooperate 100%, it was another phenomenal experience. Eli was not crawling at all the last time we visited, so this trip was much more exploratory for him. Unfortunately it rained on Friday, but we still managed to get to the pool and beach on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday before we left. Eli really enjoyed the beach this time around. He didn't eat much (if any) sand, but he did discover the birds. He loved to chase them (doing his best ape-walk, of course) once they landed on the shoreline. Of course they never let him get close enough so he could touch them, but he sure tried! He also got much more courageous regarding the ocean. Although it was too cold for him to go swimming until the last day, he would crawl to the edge of the water and start to 'chase' the waves a little. Lucky for him, he never got completely soaked.

Eli spent a little time in the pool also, and he was MUCH more adventurous there. He liked to crawl to the edge and put his hand down to test out the water. Of course, then he wanted to lower himself in. I've been trying to teach him how to crawl off of couches, chairs, stairs, etc. by turning around and lowering his legs down first, but that only works half of the time. One afternoon by the pool Eli tried to climb out on top of the water and ended up swimming by himself for a few seconds. He actually stayed up pretty well considering he had no help. Another pleasant surprise: he didn't freak out or get scared enough to cry.

We rented a 'co-pilot' attachment for our bikes again, so Eli would have a way to enjoy the bike rides with us. He absolutely loved it. Before we left today, Eli and I went for an hour-long bike ride through Seaside and Watercolor, and all I could hear the entire time was Eli singing, laughing and talking.

The house we stayed in was amazing. We rented it with three other friends which turned out to be a great arrangement because we could cook at the house, saving money on restaurants and such. We brought along one of Eli's walker toys, which he used constantly to explore the house. There were several large screened-in decks for him to play on; one included a small Adirondack chair just for him!

Our ride home was not terrible, but Eli only napped for 40-minutes the whole (5 1/2 hour) time. Since he's been in the larger car seat he has not been able to nap long-term. One of the payoffs to getting older I guess.

Gone to the Beach....

Back on Monday....

Drop It Like It's Hot

A few things I've neglected to mention in the last couple of posts...

#1 - Eli 'drew' his first drawing last week. I bought him some washable crayons and let him go to town. I honestly didn't even have to demonstrate what to do; I just let him pick a crayon and away he went. He picked four crayons (and drew with each one) before he decided he was done. The masterpiece is currently hanging on our fridge.

#2 - Eli is signing hot all of the time. He knows what objects are hot, but he signs it even for objects that aren't, as if he's asking us, "Are these things hot?" The other day Lehr walked into the room and Eli signed "hot". Right on!!! I've been trying to convey the meaning of hot to Eli, so he would realize it's not just something that refers to objects, but rather their temperature. I often give him a warm piece of food and wait until he touches it and looks at me quizzically before signing to him "hot". We've gone through this process with the laundry too. As soon as I open the dryer door I pull out a warm towel and let him touch it while I sign "hot". Today was the first time I think he understood. I gave him some lunch that was warmer than normal (not on purpose) and he went to pick it up and dropped it quickly and signed "hot". NICE!!

#3 - Eli says "nana", as in BAnana, almost every time he sees or eats one. Last night he was pointing towards the counter (as pointing is his favorite sign) throughout his dinner. After he finished most of it I went over to the counter and picked up a banana and asked him if he wanted one. He said "Na-Na", very slow and deliberately. Same thing this morning. He likes to say it and then have me say "banana" back.

W.I.R.E.D.

OK....who did it?

Who slipped the Red Bull into Eli's milk at dinner?

Eli woke up from his afternoon nap screaming in what appeared to be unbearable pain. After trying to soothe him in as many different ways as I could think of for 15 minutes, I figured it must be teething and gave him some Motrin. Shortly after he returned to normal (just in time for Daddy to come home....it figures!). Once dinner was finished, Lehr and Eli went upstairs to play for a few minutes before Eli's bath. I could hear the animated screams of delight all the way downstairs. I could also hear the crazed solo laugh of Eli as he played by himself. When I went up to check things out I saw a baby on speed. Eli was zooming in and out of rooms (on all fours), moving from one toy to another so quickly it gave me whiplash. He pounded the mallets on the xylophone, then he shook the bells, then he picked up the cup and pretended to drink, then he climbed up the chair, then he crawled into the bathroom, and so on and so on and so on. All within 20 minutes of his bedtime.... Eli normally has a lot of energy, but at 7:45PM, it was quite a tenacious display. My only guess is the Motrin gave him a little extra boost tonight.

Here Comes the Big Parade

Eli went to his first parade tonight. One of our annual (Atlanta) traditions is the Halloween Parade in Little 5 Points. We missed it last year, so this was Eli's first L5P experience. Even though this parade is more scary than friendly Eli didn't seem to be too freaked out at all. He probably doesn't know enough to be scared yet - give him a few years! The only time Eli started to cry was when someone threw glitter/confetti on him. For some reason that was too much for him to handle! He thoroughly enjoyed the stream of costumed dogs, as well as the five or six marching bands that passed through. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience for Eli. Next stop: Mardi Gras!

Click here for more pictures of the parade.

Eli-ese

Shake It Like A Salt Shaker...

In case you weren't aware, Eli has been taking two music classes for a few months now. I signed him up for the first (non-free) before I found out about the second (free). I figured if nothing else it would be another good social outlet for him (and me!). He seems so interested in music at home; he sways his head and arms, uses sticks to bang on the drum, or spoons to bang on the pots and pans, shakes the tambourine, strums his apple, etc. However, once we arrive at either class, he does nothing but explore the instruments with his mouth. This is surprising to me considering we have almost all of the instruments he sees at home already. That changed yesterday. We got to the 'egg shaker portion' of class today and Eli went to town. (It's only fitting since that's the instrument he's had at home the longest, and the one he uses most frequently.) He shook that egg like crazy for three whole songs; the class leader even commented on that. Ahh, my little rockstar....

More of the Simple Life

Lehr took Eli to Home Depot this past weekend for the first time in as long as Eli can remember (his memory-span is lacking, however). You'd have thought they were at Disney World given Eli's excitement. Lehr said the race car shopping cart took up the whole isle, but the look of contentment on Eli's face made it all worthwhile. Apparently he thought he was hot stuff, 'driving' the cart from the top. Apparently the cart was complete with a steering wheel, so Eli felt like a navigator. I guess that's another trick in the bag for a rainy afternoon!

Real Simple

Eli is very into the simple pleasures of life these days. The vacuum is (and has been for some time) his favorite toy. On the days I vacuum the floors Eli spends a good 20 minutes inspecting all of the tubes and compartments before I plug it in.

In addition to his pots, pans, and tupperware infatuation, Eli is a little obsessed with socks. Usually his own, but if I'm folding my socks he still perks up. Recently he started trying to tighten his shoes with the tool each night; now he's using the same tactic to attempt returning his socks to his feet.

Another 'simple' game Eli plays is the silo game. He has a Little People barn with a silo attached. There is a operable door at the bottom of the silo for Eli to collect dropped toys. This afternoon he dropped the sheep down the silo, opened the door and took her out, dropped the sheep, opened the door, and so on and so on for close to ten minutes.

Finally there is Flounder. We have a large stuffed Flounder from back-in-the-day when The Little Mermaid first came out in theaters. Since Eli is mobile enough to wrestle with the toy now, it has become a big source of entertainment. See for yourself...

(BTW - we recently got a new computer with new video software, so if the clip looks to be of 'older' quality, that is the effect I was going for. Yes, I'm aware that particular effect is lost on web-viewers considering most video looks 'old' online anyway. I'm excited about the new software - bear with me.)

Eli's Feet

I am posting this on the "Eli's Feet" page, to the right. It shows the progression of treatment for Eli and his current state. My hope is that it will also ease the minds of the many parents who email me about clubfeet and how it will affect their baby when it comes time to walk/crawl/pull up.

When Lehr and I first found out about the potential for Eli to have clubfeet, we were very encouraged by the information we found online, mostly posted by parents of children also affected. Once I began blogging about Eli's treatment I immediatly started receiving emails weekly from other parents-to-be, or friends of parents, or neighbors of a family, thanking me for providing Eli's story and other (useful) information. I can honestly say that documenting his process and helping other families dealing with this has been (and will continue to be) a pleasure. I consider it more of a 'pay-it-forward' type of service considering we were once in the shoes of those who are uncertain what the future holds for their child(ren)'s feet. What I'm trying to say is Thank You to everyone who has left comments or sent an email regarding the posts about Eli's feet. When I hear the stories about successful treatment and the process a friend or family member has gone through with clubfeet reminds me why I keep Eli's website public. More importantly, I'm so thankful that what I've posted is helping someone.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

How Corny!

Eli had his first official corn on the cob tonight. He has tried it before, but without too much interest. Tonight we gave Eli a whole cob and he went to town! Seriously, I think if I had enough, I could have fed him ten cobs and he would have finished them all!! When we put the corn on his plate, he first tried to eat it by putting one end in his mouth and chomping down. After watching us for a few minutes, Eli caught on to the more efficient method of consumption and there was no looking back. Before we knew it Eli had finished a whole cob on his own. I guess I'll be adding corn cobs to the grocery list!

Pumpkin Shopping

Since our move to Atlanta several years back, it has been a tradition to drive an hour north to Burt's Pumpkin Patch to pick out our pumpkin(s) each year. Last year Eli got all decked out for the occasion, but this year he opted for comfort over fashion. We got up early this morning to meet some friends at Burt's, and no sooner did we arrive than the camera started clicking away. Eli only got one pumpkin this year (to be carved next week), and no wheelbarrow rides. The weather was absolutely gorgeous: lots of sun with just a hint of fall in the air. This was the first year we arrived before 10AM....MUCH better than the noontime crowd we've contended with in the past.

Stealing Kisses

Lehr was rewarded for going into the office late this morning. Eli blew kisses to him three times as he walked out the door.

Fall Kickoff

The weather is starting to cool, we're going pumpkin shopping this weekend, and the leaves are changing.... Fall is here!! To start off the season, Eli and I went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with Cooper and Carissa yesterday. The boys had a blast crawling around the kids' garden playground. We managed to snap a few pictures of them, but, of course, they never seemed to look at the camera at the same time. The ABG have a great display of fall-themed scarecrows right now; it's worth the trip if you're in the area!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Eli has been imitating phone use for a while now; if he sees a telephone, or if he hears it ring he will hold his hand to his ear, cock his head to the side and say "yah?" Now he has moved his imitation skills to dressing. Each night before Eli goes to sleep we put on his bar and shoes and tighten the screws on the bottom so he doesn't come 'undone' during the night. (He tends to kick a lot and this loosens the screws.) The wrench we use to tighten the screws is of great interest to Eli. He loves to hold it and turn it over and over in his hands while we get his shoes tied. In the last week instead of handing it to us after we've attached the shoes he's taken the tool to the bottom of his shoes directly in an attempt to tighten them himself. He even knows which side does the tightening. One smart cookie!!

Ants in the Pants!!!

That is Lehr's new nickname for Eli. He cannot seem to sit and focus at all these days. Lehr actually asked me yesterday where Eli got that from. (Seriously? You have no clue?!) From the airplane trip to any occasion where Eli has to sit on someone's lap for more than two minutes, Eli is all over the place. Toddler-hood is here, I guess. He wouldn't even sit on the front porch long enough for me to take some pictures of him this morning; he had to crawl over to the watering can, down the stairs, up the stairs.....

One of the most obvious manifestations of Eli's condition is his newfound interest to act like a dog or cat and chase objects around the floor. He bats around gator-ade bottles, soccer balls, tupperware..anything he can find. Clearly he is starved for attention and has no playmates. We captured some of this behavior while out west: Eli chased a (soft) pinecone around the deck for a good 15 minutes.

Fall is Here!

The weather in Atlanta is beautiful this weekend, so we took Eli along for a bike ride this morning. Of course, this meant the camelbaks were out again, which was music to Eli's ears. Our little scuba diver look-a-like had a blast figuring the valve system out once again! He also got to explore the vast array of leaves falling to the ground at the trailhead; as usual, Eli hiked with Lehr while I rode and vice versa. His newest game is saying "Uh Oh" when something falls (or when he drops something purposely so that he can say "uh oh").

The Big Dipper

For about a month now Eli has been eating with a fork about once a day, but we have to really work with him to make that happen, considering he cannot get the food onto his fork by himself. I decided to start trying the spoon with him now because it should be easier to load that utinsil on his own. Last night I gave him his little dipper (a flat ended plastic utinsil that he can dip into thick foods) with his applesauce and millet while I made dinner. I showed him once or twice what to do and he seemed to catch on pretty well. If I stopped paying attention he tended to allow his fingers to wander into the bowl, but that's to be expected, right?

The Sign

Eli has become a signing fool. Some of you may have noticed that his 'current sign' list to the right of the page has grown in the last week. He is signing "more" pretty consistently along with "milk". Now when he hears an airplane overhead (quite often considering we live near an air force base), he tries to sign that. Also "hot" (which is similar to "thank you", so there is sometimes confusion there) and "telephone", which has been the easiest to teach.

Standing On Top Of The World

Eli is not walking yet, but he is motoring around as much as he can. He uses the wall, the stairs, furniture, people, whatever he can to cruise. When we are upstairs he often uses my large red exercise ball as a walker. It rolls at just the right pace on the carpet. For the last few days he's been letting go of his support (whatever it may be at the moment) and standing/balancing on his own for several seconds before sitting down. Last night he pushed the ball a few feet, stopped and let go to stand, then put his hands back on the ball and repeated several times. All the while he was very controlled in his movement. Pretty soon, I tell you!

Wild, Wild West

What a week! The trip started with a not-so-bad four-plus hour flight westbound. Luckily we were on a newer plane with individual television screens so Eli had something to help distract him. Lucky again, the seat between Lehr and I was empty so we had three between us to spread out. We decided to stick around the house the following day to get Eli acclimated to the new surroundings before abandoning him to pursue our own activities. Grandma Cathie knew how much he enjoys his walker/rider at home so she bought him one for his time out west. Eli is going to be very disappointed when he wakes up to play with his original here because it is far inferior. The vehicle in Tahoe lights up, talks and has a large compartment under the seat to store toys. My favorite audio: "Mah name is 'Mater. It's like tuh-mater, but without the 'tuh'!". (I guess he is one of the characters from the movie "Cars".) Eli absolutely LOVES 'Mater and spent many hours pushing him around the house, walking with him on the deck, running him into walls, and riding him down the driveway. Even though Eli stuck pretty close to my side that first day, he was happier than a clam the next day when we left before he woke up to go for a hike. I guess it helps that he has Grandma Cathie wrapped around his finger. The next day when Grandpa Jim arrived Eli acted like he'd become reacquainted with an old friend. "Grandpa Who" no longer! Eli was quick to show Grandpa that banging the keys on his laptop was really the best thing for it, and that soy Chick'n Nuggets aren't really that bad. Eli had such a good time that Lehr and I were able to steal away twice to hike, once to bike, and once to take a computer class. (This was great for us as we were able to complete three portions of the Tahoe Rim Trail: just over 24 miles hiking and about 14 miles mountain biking, including the well-known Flume Trail.)

There is a creek and an irrigation 'creek' running behind my parents house, so Eli spent much time throwing leaves into the water and watching them meander down the stream. He loved to add a little fake laugh after he tossed the foliage. On the way back up to the house one day we encountered a mother deer and her baby. The two were very aware of our presence (especially the mom), but they never ran, even when Eli let out a huge giggle. The trip ended with a less-than-preferable flight home, but we made it. And Eli recognized his car, his house, his crib immediately. He was very well behaved on the hour-long ride home after the flight, and he stayed up until his regular bedtime 'running' all over the house and inspecting all of his toys.

Here is the link to more pictures, if you're interested.

Sweet Home Atlanta

I have never been as glad to land in Atlanta as I was today. If anyone reading was on Delta flight 1174, or any other flight in the area anywhere between Nevada and Georgia today, you would know why. Eli was not a happy camper for the entire flight. He got up at 6am so we could get to the Reno airport and he didn't sleep again until 25 minutes before we touched down in Atlanta. That's right....approximately seven straight hours of waketime for someone who can do four on a really good day. Lehr and I alternated walking around the cramped plane for most of the time; I even had two grandmothers offer to help me get him to sleep since he was so obviously unable to be soothed. Whatever...I have been on many a plane full of screaming kids in my day and I have never once given the parents of said kids the evil eye, so I figure I have some good karma points banked up.

Despite the last five hours, our trip out west was great. Pictures are uploading now, so I'll post details tomorrow.

Quick Note

We are still on vaca, but I stopped into an Apple store to post. Eli is having a blast in Tahoe; the weather is very conducive to outdoor activities. He spent the day riding his new car/walker up and down the driveway with Grandma Cathie yesterday while Lehr and I hiked 13 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail. We snuck away for a few hours today to take in a quick iMac class at the local outdoor mall and we just HAD to buy Eli his first pair of Vans... How pathetic are we that even when we steal away for the afternoon he is still at the forefront of our minds!

Farewell

Tomorrow Eli is taking his second plane trip out west. We are looking forward to a week of fun in the sun as we hike and bike (no biking for Eli yet). (Grandma and Grandpa are looking forward to a week of chasing Eli around their house and massive deck.)

Last night Cooper and his parents came over for dinner. No pictures to share this time (the camera batteries were being charged), but the boys did have a few cute moments. We were just commenting on how funny it is that they don't play together at all when they started. Eli and Cooper were sitting on the floor playing with pots and pans and colanders when Eli decided to put the strainer on his head like a hat. Cooper thought this was funny (but not as funny as Eli thought it was!) and 'helped' Eli put it on his head a few more times.

Walk Like a Man

Eli is walking as often as he can. Not without his walker or a proper substitute, however. It's so neat to see him so excited about his newfound mobility. As soon as we walk through the door I'll put him on the floor and he'll race over to his walker. He's even maneuvered a few corners completely on his own (without hitting the walls). But most of the time he collides with the walls and furniture so much you could mistake our living room for a demolition derby rink! The funniest thing about Eli using his walker is the resemblance he bears to a grocery shopper. Not sure why, but his wheels remind me of a shopping cart...

Somersault and Spin

Eli loves to somersault! He's not walking or standing on his own yet, so he can't really set himself up to perform the gymnastics on his own. It usually goes something like this: I will pull him to a standing position and hold onto his hips. I then tell him to put his head down, at which point he puts his hands and head towards the floor while tucking his chin (oh-so-cute). Then I move his hips over his head and lie him flat on his back, completing the roll. He grins and attempts to get in the 'ready' position for another somersault.

In the past few weeks Eli's dancing has become much more animated. Currently he claps whenever he hears music along with his standard head shake. The latest dance move is a one-arm swing: very suave! Eli's other new trick is the sit-n-spin. I'm not referring to the hard plastic toy from our childhood; Eli is his own sit-n-spin. He will sit on the wood floor and spin by pushing his feet around in a circle while leaving his torso (read: butt) in place. This kid is a one-man circus!

Back to Normal

Eli did very well this past weekend while Lehr was on 24/7 Daddy-duty. Not a lonesome tear was shed. However, once I returned, Eli was quick to pay me back for deserting him. He was extraordinarily clingy and whiny Sunday afternoon and Monday. I think that has passed now as he is back to his usual vocal and active self. (Read: the loud bull in the china shop has returned.) His cruising skills have improved drastically in the last few weeks: he now moves around the entire room, using various objects to keep his balance. The picture above shows him using the foot of the bed for leverage which he moved to after the desk, then the chair. He is quite the little monkey!

A Big THANK YOU!

For those of you who have been following my posts, you may remember that this last weekend was my 30-mile 2-day Walk for Breast Cancer. I made it back in one piece and Eli had a great 40-some hours alone with Lehr.

The walk was quite a success. There were approximately 1,000 walkers and we collectively raised over $1.2 million, at least 70% of which will stay in Atlanta to help with research and support for breast cancer patients. For those who have never participated in a walk similar to this, I encourage you to give it a try one year. The experience is amazing, even if you just work as a crew member at pit stops or registration. Thank you all again SOO much for everything. For those who donated, with your help we surpassed our fundraising goal and have helped over 45 local breast cancer organizations with educational, research, financial assistance and support programs. For those who sent me words of encouragement, your support means so much to me and it helped me finish the last stretch Sunday morning when my body was telling me it would rather sit than walk!

Rock-A-Bye Baby

I just realized that I am going to be away from Eli for over 36-hours this weekend (My two-day walk has finally arrived.), and it's hitting me like a ton of bricks. I'm not concerned that Eli will freak out due to my absence. I'm not worried about Lehr's parenting skills. It's not even being away during the day that has me sad; when we visited Tahoe in the spring I was away from Eli for ten-hours a few days. It's the night-times that have me feeling perplexed. I have never slept away from Eli and it's hitting me harder than I thought it would. It's really silly that I'm making a big deal out of this; he sleeps through the night so from 8PM until 7 or 8AM, so in those hours I never see him anyway...

As I was thinking about sleeping away from him for two whole nights I recalled the first night in the hospital after he was born. Eli was born at 8:28AM, so we had plenty of time to hang out before bedtime rolled around that night. At midnight Lehr and I decided to put Eli in the hospital nursery for two hours so we could get some sleep. We were both exhausted and I knew I wouldn't get any rest knowing no one was standing over Eli making sure he was still breathing. Ironically, as soon as Eli left the room I was unable to shut my eyes. I couldn't sleep knowing he was not with me, which was odd because looking back I don't think I really 'got it' yet (the love/bond thing). I think I dozed for a total of 20 minutes before I finally went and got him again at 2AM. So here I sit thinking about the upcoming weekend and wondering how I'll sleep knowing Eli and I are separated by many miles.

Ridiculous, I know. Random, I know. But as Lehr can tell you, my thoughts usually have about six degrees of separation. Sometimes (much to his *delight*) I ask him a random question or share an out-of-the-blue thought with him and then explain to him how I got there. For this random though the issue of sleeping away from Eli came to my mind as I was considering bringing some Tylenol PM to the hotel tomorrow night. I often have a hard time sleeping (no clue why), and I want to be sure to get enough rest for my walk. Then I started thinking about how I was going to sleep in general without Eli in the next room.... Random thought over (for now). I promise.

Boys Will Be Boys

This morning there was a touch of fall in the air so I was finally able to dress Eli in long sleeves. Since we were going for a walk outside I put a new shirt on him that I bought on sale over the summer. He was very intrigued as he has not worn long sleeves since he was about seven months old (he probably doesn't even remember that). He kept pulling at the sleeves the whole car ride there...too cute! (Check out the one-sock look also: Eli pulled the missing sock off in the car.)

Eli's new favorite toy is the pump for my exercise ball. He loves that he can put the black spout in his mouth and make funny noises. What he likes even more is when someone compresses the pump and air blows on his face or in his mouth. This contraption is right up there with the cardboard diaper box I gave him the other day. He spent lots of time exploring the box inside and out, finally using it as a walker. When Daddy got home we took turns pulling Eli in the box (it's big enough for him to sit in). This was especially fun when Lehr spun Eli in a circle for several seconds, making Eli completely dizzy. When the spinning stopped, Eli (still in the box) tilted his head all the way to the right side, as though he couldn't keep it up. I was laughing, but I felt sorry for his confusion so I picked him up. The poor little guy was like a newborn: he couldn't keep his head up or control his back. I told Lehr not to do that again....unless he had the video camera rolling.

Eli had a little haircut last night. Not his first official, since he doesn't have that much hair, but two snips were cut. Eli's hairline is so defined, much like Lehr's, and he had two or three little hairs that were significantly longer than the rest. I finally cut them last night. He resembles Lehr even more now.

Bumps and Bruises are here! Eli often uses his head to navigate while he crawls which means I hear "BUMP" several times a day as his head meets the wall. You may remember my entry last week about the fork holes in Eli's forehead... Well they're gone but now he has a big bruise on his cheek from falling into the table corner earlier this week. Also, Eli has become quite fond of forcefully falling down. When he lets go of the table or his walker or the chair he tends to heave himself, hands outstretched, towards the hard floor. That's just another bruise waiting to happen.

Missed Milestone

It wasn't until I went to the pediatrician last week that I even realized Eli was getting himself to a sitting position on his own. When he first started his army crawl, once he got himself to all fours he was stuck there. He could roll, but he couldn't get himself into a seated position. That was two months ago and now he is going from sitting to crawling to pulling up to lying on his back....basically everything. When the doctor asked me if he was sitting on his own I had to think about it. I hadn't witnessed him do it, but I see him crawl and then the next minute he's sitting, so I answered yes. As soon as we got home I started watching him carefully to see if he was indeed moving to a seated position, and if he was, how was he doing it? It's quite a cute process, actually (what a shocker!): he pushes his butt back until he's sitting. The main time he displays this behavior is when he crawls over to his book shelf, pulls off all of the baby books (the ones he's "allowed" to pull off), and sits down to read.

Also, he is clapping much more. It's very common for me to look in the rearview mirror and see Eli clapping and swaying his head side to side. Go White Boy Go White Boy Go!!!

How Will You Remember?

Cubs Win!

Well, not exactly, but it would have been nice if they had!!

Eli went to his second Cubs game tonight. Although the seats were not as good and the fireworks were absent, he still had a great time. Tom, Megan, and David joined us this evening, so Eli had a lot of friends to play with and sit with during the game. He even made friends with the fellow Cub baby in front of us!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

That's right. Eli went to his first Cubs game tonight, which also served as his first Braves game. Although the Cubs had quite a poor showing, Eli brought his A-game. This kid never ceases to amaze me. He has a short nap this morning before his music class, and an even shorter one this afternoon for reasons unknown. But instead of acting fussy and overtired during the game, he was happy and entertaining the entire nine innings. He even managed to flirt with and wave to many women seated around us. Of course once Lehr finished a beer, Eli had to play with the bottle (read: pretend to drink from the bottle). We've obtained quite a collection of beer-drinking pictures so far, also seen here and here. We got a surprise at the end of the game: they had Friday Night Fireworks at Turner Stadium. This was great news considering we missed our Fourth of July fireworks this year. Eli seemed to really like the spectacle. He sat on Daddy's lap and pointed to almost every explosion. He even bobbed his head to the music from time to time. He managed to keep his eyes open all the way back to the car (2 1/2 hours past his normal bedtime), and even though he fell asleep on the way home, he didn't cry at all when I stumbled around in his nursery trying to change him before I put him down for the night. At one point I was trying to get his Cubs shirt off and he patiently took his thumb out of his mouth and 'offered' his arm to me to pull the sleeve. What an angel...

Just Another Injury

So Eli is still eating with a fork at least once a day, but today was a less than successful demonstration of utensil control. Inbetween bites, when the fork was unloaded, Eli hit himself in the head with the end causing two small fork holes in his forehead. (You have to look really closely at the picture to the left. The spots are above his left eyebrow; click on the picture to enlarge.) I was instantly reminded of Steve Martin in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (Freddy was his character's name, I believe) sitting at the table with a cork at the end of his fork to prevent such injuries. Add this to the scratches under his mouth (no clue where they came from) and the blisters and scratches covering his right foot (products of crawling on concrete): this kid is a bruiser!!

Nevertheless Eli put on quite a show of signing "more" repeatedly at dinner tonight. The motivation? Fresh porcini ravioli....the kid loves it enough to perform as his parents ask.

Afternoon at the Park

We have had a wonderful reprieve from the oh-so-hot temperatures recently. So much so that I dared venture outside with Eli after 1PM today. We went to his favorite park for some playground action. Somehow we timed it right so most toddlers were napping, and school kids were not quite home yet because the park was pretty empty. There wasn't a piece of equipment untouched by the time we left. Eli especially loves the slide. He rode it a few times by himself and then proceeded to 'ride' it his preferred way.

Sick Day

Eli woke up with a stuffy nose and some coughing this morning, so instead of going to a new Mom & Me meeting at the church, we stayed home. (I didn't think that would be the best impression for Eli to give the other children. "Hi. I'm new here. Don't mind me as I wipe my mucus on you...") It's no surprise he's under the weather given the amount of people (and children) he was around this weekend. No biggie: his first of many colds I'm sure. To make the time in the house worthwhile, Eli and I had fun using his walker and his keyboard. Here are some clips:

#1: Eli playing his keyboard:


#2: Eli babbling a language only he can understand:



#3: Eli walking with his walker (no audio):

Labor Day Weekend

Eli's weekend was quite action packed! He spent his weekend hanging out with friends from church, catching up with family he hadn't seen in a while, walking with his walker at the park, exploring every corner of the church nursery, swimming, mountain biking, running errands, and celebrating Cooper's First Birthday. What a celebration that was! Cooper and his dad share a birthday, so the celebration was actually for both of them. However, Cooper was the only one eating his cake with his hands. His cake-technique was far different from Eli's. While Eli focused on the icing and ended up with cake all over his face and arms, Cooper ate a good amount of the actual cake and stayed pretty clean.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COOP!!!