Donation Corner: Operation Christmas Child

I know I'm behind on my Donation Corner Spotlight...it's been a busy month! The charity I'm linking to this time is one I find very worthy, especially this time of year. Yes, it's time again. The hustle and bustle. The endless lists. The parties that consume our every weekend. And the stress. That stress is caused by many things, but for most of us it is stress over finding the perfect gift. Imagine if that quest could be accomplished in ten minutes in Target! For the recipients of Operation Christmas Child, the perfect gift is that easy. The children who receive their Christmas gift from Samaritan's Purse are underprivileged children located all over the world; some are refugees, some are survivors of natural disasters, and some are poverty-stricken. The common thread is they all need joy and hope in their life.

Lehr and I participated last year, and we will be doing so again this year with Eli's help. The website will give you any and all information you need, but the basics are simple. Buy a plastic shoe-box container and fill it with small gifts ranging from pens and paper (for school supplies) to tee-shirts and hard candy. You can find a drop-off location on the website, but most are collecting mid-November which means time is limited. I especially like this opportunity to give back because it is an easy way to involve the kids. Children can pick out toys, supplies, etc. for the boxes, pack them, and write a letter or draw a picture for the recipient. Eli and I plan to go to Target this week to prepare our boxes; we hope you do the same!

'Picy

That's what Eli says when a food is hot or spicy: 'picy. He said it a few times on our trip last week, but last night took the cake. We went to Willy's for dinner (a staple in our house), and Eli ate his whole burrito bowl, as usual. (That is an adult helping, by the way.) Then he started looking for more, so we offered him some of the regular salsa, which is mostly cut up tomatoes. He didn't like that idea, but he wanted to try the other 'dip'. We told him it might be hot, but allowed him to try a chip in it. He did fine for the first few bites and then all of the sudden he got the funniest look on his face (similar to his sand-eating face) and he said, " 'PICY!!!", as he put the chip down and grabbed his water. Lehr and I were laughing hysterically because after he sipped the water, he went back for more several times, repeating the " 'picy" acknowledgement each time.

I keep talking about it, but the language explosion continues each day. Yesterday Eli told me "habber. pix. washer-dryer. broke-d." Translation: our washer and dryer were broken (replaced last night) and he wanted to take his hammer into the laundry room to fix them. His sentence structure could use some work, but he strings at least three words together most of the time now. I feel like he was still speaking in single-word-sentences only a few weeks ago!

Back To The Grind

Eli went back to school, Lehr went back to work, and Maddux and I went back to our MOPS meeting this morning. No beaches or pools or sun in sight, unfortunately...

Eli adjusted rather well to returning to school, given that he missed all last week. The teacher said he seemed a little 'out of it' first thing, but snapped back in his routing quickly. He did take a spill off the ladder to the slide, but tears were minimal. Maddux faired pretty well at MOPS also. I didn't have to leave the meeting to feed her until the time I'd planned, which was great news for me. The best part about today is both kids sleeping again. While we were on vaca, Eli woke up at 7AM each morning (maybe 8AM once), and Maddux at 5:30. AM, that is. Eli slept until I woke him at 8:30 today, and Maddux didn't make a peep until 6:45. Still on the early side of things for her, but hopefully that was just an adjustment on re-entry.

The End Has Come

Unfortunately we had to end our vacation today. After six wonderful days in Watercolor, we packed up the car(s) and drove home. Eli did pretty well on the drive home. He and Lehr drove home with Uncle Dave, while Maddux and Carolyn were in my car. Although chatty to no end, Eli didn't have any meltdowns and actually slept about 20 minutes (he is NOT a car sleeper). Maddux, on the other hand, had a difficult ride. Even though Carolyn got in the back seat with her to entertain and whatnot, she cried the first 90-minutes, almost non-stop. Come to find out she had less-than-fresh drawers, so maybe we were to blame. All in all, both car rides were better than expected: Hallelujah!!

The trip was awesome. I've updated the past few posts with pictures, if you want to see more than what is in this post. Eli's golf swing improved, as it should have considering the amount of practice he put in each day. He enjoyed the ocean and the pool (especially the kiddie pool), and he had a blast sleeping in the same room as D each night. (Apparently he woke Dave up each morning by throwing Elmo, then his Nemo pillow, then his blanket at him.) Eli got to see tons of butterflies up close too. They were everywhere, but one day we saw more than usual on a few bushes near the 'frog' pool. Eli got to touch them and he found that it 'tick-ole-d' when their wings touched him.

Maddux had a pretty good time too, but she seems to be unable to shake the 20-minute catnaps she's become accustomed too. I will say that vacationing, especially to a beach, is difficult with a 3-month old. They eat 5-6 times and nap 3-4 times each day....add that to the fact that they cannot sit up on their own and relaxing becomes near-impossible. Maddie spent a lot of time in the bjorn and the BOB (stroller), so I doubt she enjoyed her trip as much as Eli did.

Rest and Relaxation??

That is not the definition of vacation when you have kids. Or at least my kids. We are having a great time, but both seem to have forgotten that they sleep in (till at least 8AM - go ahead and hate me now...I have to WAKE Eli to go to school usually because otherwise he'd sleep in until 9AM when we have to leave the house.) Anyway, this week Eli has slept until 8AM once, but the other days he woke up right around 7AM. I think part of the 'problem' is that he is in a very bright room and he's sharing that room with "D". So when he wakes at 7, he sees that it's light out and he sees a playmate in the room, whereas at home he would not see the sun and he'd hit his aquarium on and roll over to fall back asleep. I'm not sure what Maddux's excuse is: she's been waking up at 5 or 6AM to eat (when we've had solid 12-hour nights from her for a few weeks now). Oh wait...she's sleeping in a bathtub right now...that's right. I guess I can't blame her then.

Besides the lack of solid sleep, the kids are having a great time. At least Eli is...Maddux's trip has been pretty uneventful. Today Eli got to chase the waves again and build sandcastles (which really just means shoveling sand). Each day we are sure to hit a field of grass so Eli can hit his golf balls, or baseballs, or throw the frisbee (kiz-bee). He's gotten "CC" in trouble a few times, but what fun is having a fairy godmother if you can't give her a hard time, right?

Happy Birthday, Finley!!

I hope I'm spelling that right!!

Cooper's baby sister was born tonight: Finley is here! Since we're not home, we haven't met her yet, but I hear she looks just like her brother did when he was a baby.

Fun In The Sun

Maddux had her first beach visit today, though she didn't seem to care too much. She napped once on the beach and once at the pool, but both naps only totaled about 40 minutes. She did seem to enjoy watching the waves, though that might have had more to do with the rhythmic sound than anything.

Eli hit the ground running today. He woke up at 7:45AM (again, very early by our standards....I hope our sleep goes back to 'normal' when we get home) and didn't stop 'running' until 3:15PM. It took a bit of convincing, but Eli had a blast at the beach. (Honestly, the first 20 minutes of our time on the beach made me second guess our decision to take this trip. Maddux was fussy and Eli was whiny to the max.) Eli didn't like the ocean at first, but he warmed up a bit by the end of the day. He's been pretty sensitive to loud noises recently ("L-ow-D", as Eli says), so I think the waves crashing freaked him a little. We saw a bunch of dolphins swimming (not too close), but I don't think Eli understood what they were. He liked the pool too, of course, but he preferred the kiddie pool, probably because he could swim without help in there.

We brought a bunch of Eli's sports paraphernalia (baseball bat, balls, golf clubs, foot ball, etc.), so after his nap we hit a few of the beautiful grassy fields. Eli alternated pitching and hitting every few minutes, all the while watching Daddy and D throw the football. After a quick dinner and bath, both kids were asleep without a sound again.

Road Trip

Yes, we're on vaca, but the Inn has public computers, so I can blog if/when I can get 15 minutes to myself, but no pictures until we get home.

Whew!!! We had a very uneventful and (dare I say) calm ride today! We woke the kids up at 6:45AM, which is quite early* by their standards, loaded them in the car, and headed south. Eli is very much not a car-rider, but he did exceptionally well. He never once had a meltdown, and he was even pleasant at times. Maddux did great until the last 15 minutes or so, and we only had to stop twice to feed her. Speaking of which, we stopped once to eat at Cracker Barrell and once in a random spot somewhere around the AL/FL border. Eli was quite pleased with that spot since we found a small grassy area with picnic benches where he could hit his baseball and run around.

* When Lehr went into Eli's bedroom to wake him up, it was still dark. He gently spoke to Eli and asked him, "Hey Buddy - do you know what time it is?" Eli responded, "Nigh-nigh time." Too funny.

Since Eli didn't sleep at all on the way here, we put him down for a short nap when we arrived which, of course started the bad note that would continue until bedtime. He was too excited to sleep, even though he could barely walk since he'd been up for a record nine hours already. Then, because he prolonged his slumber for so long, we had to wake him at 5:30PM, even though he'd only napped for an hour by then. We went to the beach and the pool for a short bit, but Eli's fuse was beyond short. After a quick dinner, both kids were asleep before 8PM. Hopefully tomorrow will be a more fun-filled day.

Gone Fishin'

We're off to the beach for fun in the sun. Check out how small Eli was when we went last year!

Video Stars

Before we leave for vacation, I thought I'd leave you with two 'cute' videos from the last week. One is of Eli, the ham, thanking Gamma Cappy (sometimes called "Caff-ee" now) for the "o-wools".



The other is of Miss Maddux demonstrating her constant vocal rehearsal. (She makes the same spastic movements her brother made at this age...it's like having Eli as a baby all over again.)

Spike

Like Father, like Son. In honor of Eli's mohawk (which is growing out at a rapid pace), Lehr decided to take advantage of his 'in-between-jobs' time and duplicate his son's haircut. When Lehr went in to wake him up this morning, Eli's first word was, "pike". Eli found it quite amusing that his dad's hair "tick-oled" as well.

In the last week Eli has become quite accustomed to Lehr's presence during the day. Next week will be a harsh dose of reality when his dad returns to the working world and he only has Mommy to play with during the day.

Another First

Maddux surpassed her brother in another 'first' today. She slept for a full 40-minutes in the church nursery. (Eli has yet to sleep a wink at church.) Granted, I was working in her room today, but she went down without much of a fight and she stayed down even when noise happened around her.

Maddie is such a social creature already. She fought her late afternoon nap today, but each time Lehr or I went in to check on her, she stopped crying right away and started to grin and 'coo' at us, as if her fussing was just a ploy to get us to come back in and 'play' with her. She loves nothing more than to stare at people and make eye contact, at which point she makes the funniest noises as she tests her vocal cords.

OT: Knitting

I finally finished Maddux's baby blanket today. I started knitting it about a week before she was born and it's taken me three full months due to the 'busy-ness' that is my life these days. (Eli's blanket only took about a month.) The blanket is much smaller than Eli's, but he didn't get his until he was almost two years old. And since it was my first non-scarf project, I didn't realize how big it was going to be until I finished. I can use his blanket to cover me up, whereas Maddux's is much smaller and more suited for a 'baby blanket'.

New Words

Eli is still talking up a storm. Even more than new words these days are new sentences. He will put them together all on his own most of the time too. "Mommy. Chair. Sit. Eat." "E-i. Hit. Golf. Ball." "Curl. (Squirel) Nuts. Eat." And so on. Today Lehr sneezed and Eli immediately responded with, "Bess-ou, Daddy." A first. His newest phrase (a personal favorite of mine) is 'here-go'. What Eli means is "Here you go.": something I say to him probably a dozen times each hour.

Last week before my family showed up, Eli played in his crib for over an hour before his nap. I finally went in around the 90-minute mark to see what was keeping him up. I believe it was the excitement over Gappa Jib's soon-to-be arrival. I reminded Eli that our guests wouldn't get there until after his nap, so in order for them to arrive, he had to sleep. Then I told him to lie down and close his eyes. Ever since then he'll tell me, "coze-eyes" when he speaks about sleeping. Today he saw the neighbor's garage door close (they only close it at night) and he said "Nigh-nigh. Coze-eyes."

The Older Crowd

Eli has always seemed to prefer his 'older' friends, but recently he's gravitated towards them even more. One of Eli's teachers has a 6-year-old son who only speaks Chinese. Until this week, he spent his days in Eli's class, playing with puzzles and whatnot while his mom taught. Eli often speaks of this boy at home, but I thought their interaction was the same or less than that he had with other kids (his own age) in the class. Today I spoke with another mom from the class and she corrected me. Since she has been in the classroom with her child almost the entire time each day, she has seen Eli and this older boy play as if they were best friends. Apparently Eli gravitates towards him several times each day, to do puzzles, to play with trains, or just to hang out. When Lehr and I visited the class on Tuesday, we saw the two of them together when Eli and his class went to the drop-off area, where the other boy was waiting also. Immediately Eli and he started goofing around. Lehr and I found this quite amusing, considering they don't have much verbal communication. After all, Eli doesn't understand Chinese at all (to my knowledge), and the other little boy is very limited in English (his mom says he has about a handful of words). I wonder what they talk about?

Life. Is. Good.

No real reason for this post other than to gush like a sappy mommy, once again. I'm reminded almost daily now how much I love having two kids and how much I love being part of this family. I went to another parenting class last night (this one was just for moms), and while I sat during the Q&A portion, I realized that I have no real 'issues' I currently need help with. Eli is still challenging us daily, but I feel (for the most part) in control of it. I think what that really means is I've come to terms with the fact that he will not be good 100% of the time, nor will I always be in control of the situation 100% of the time. And Maddux is sleeping great at night, but her daytime schedule is on track one day and off track the next. So just because I'm feeling good about things, they are far from perfect.

Who knows..... Maybe it's the extra sleep talking (yes, Maddux is still holding at 12-hours). Maybe it's the fact that Lehr is home this week, so I have extra help with Eli. Maybe it's just a good month. I'll take it, regardless of the reason.

Joe the Turtle

Eli has his first pet...at least for today! It rained on and off while Eli was at school this morning, and in that time Lehr noticed a small turtle crossing our driveway. He created a small home for it in a cardboard box, and captured the turtle so Eli could see him when he returned. Eli was so excited....couldn't stop smiling! It did/does worry me that he claps his hands together (a threat?) when he sees the turtle. He calls him Joe and he says "tick-ole" when he touches the turtle's back. We'll probably keep him around for the day and then release him near the creek by our house. From what I can tell, Joe is a Three-toed/Ornate Hybrid Turtle. Not sure if they're common in our area, but we live in a neighborhood with a lake named "Turtle" lake, so I assume Joe has a lot of friends to hang out with here.

Terrific Tuesday

We're taking advantage of Lehr's mini-vacation from work to do things we can't normally do. Today that meant visiting Eli's school for their song-circle. Of course as soon as we entered the room, Eli started saying, "Home. Golf." He semi-sat for the remaining ten minutes of class, which included about three more songs and putting away the carpet squares they were seated on. Then he lined up with the class while Lehr and I followed behind. It was great to see the other kids in Eli's class and how they all interacted. Eli showed us his artwork around the room, and even pointed to 'his' box on the bookshelf.

Maddux spent the morning at MOPS with me. She did very well until 11AM when it was time to eat again, which lined up with her schedule, so hip hip hooray! (Also, we're up to three nights in a row of 8-8 sleeping.)

A Family Affair

Our house was a full one this weekend. In honor of Maddux's dedication, Gappa Jib, Gamma Cappy, GG, and Treis came to visit. Eli absolutely loved having the extra attention. He idolized Treis and did whatever he could to spend time with him. The two played hoops, golf, and Eli requested book-reading by his cousin before bed a few times. This is not to say he didn't enjoy the rest of the lot, but while Treis was here, he seemed to be #1. Followed closely by Gappa Jib. Eli's favorite game of the weekend was golf with a twist. Eli stood on our deck and hit the golf balls, which inevitably fell through the slots on the railing, while Gappa Jib was *asked* to retrieve them. Eli thought it was hilarious that his grandfather fished around in the bushes for the little plastic balls. (Actually, we all thought that was a bit funny.) Even though Eli favored the guys, he had kisses, hugs and smiles for GG and Gamma Cappy too.

Maddux was happy for most of the weekend also. She loved having a constant stream of people cooing and doting on her. She even allowed Grandma Cathie to give her a bottle today (which we still struggle with sometimes). She's been showing off her vocal skills and her dimple for three days straight. The house will be much less exciting tomorrow, that's for sure!

It's A Date!

Not a phrase heard in our house very often. In fact, not at all in about six months. Between the house and then Maddux, Lehr and I have not had any date time recently other than watching the Cubs after the kids go to bed at night. (Speaking of which, post-season, here we come!!!) This weekend we had three able-bodied baby-sitters in our house, so we took full advantage and got out. About a week ago I suggested to Lehr that (in the spirit of kid-free time) we get out on our bikes since that is something we rarely get to do anymore. And when we do, we have to take turns riding the trails so one of us can watch the kids while the other rides. After Maddux woke up (at 8:10AM - the streak continues!!), we bolted. Although the lake was incredibly low due to drought conditions, the weather was awesome: perfect for a ride. We both managed to not injure ourselves and finish in respectable time, despite the fact that we've not ridden at all in 2007. We came home to find Maddux asleep and Eli out front playing golf with Gappa Jib. Life is good.

She Slept Like a Log...

Maddux gave us a full 12 hours last night for the first time. We've been very pleased with her sleep thus far, but 8-10 hours was more the norm that we'd settled into, which meant I was normally up somewhere between 5-7AM for her first feeding. Today was 8:15: Hallelujah!!! This means she has less feedings each day, which could be a problem. Maddux seems to be smart though, since she upped her feeding time yesterday and today to make up the difference. She's now up to 30-minutes per feeding (go ahead and throw your stones now - I know that is not *long* by nursing mom standards). Now I've successfully jinxed myself for tonight and probably many nights to follow...signing off.

Baby Dedication

Maddux was dedicated in a ceremony at church this morning. We asked Cooper's parents, Dave and Carissa, to be her Godparents, and they happily accepted. Although she was much better behaved than Eli was during his ceremony, Maddux was still a little fussy while one of the pastors held her. Despite her awesome night of sleep, she had only cat-napped in the car on the way over, so she was a bit overtired. We had been unable to locate the christening gown for almost a month now. (This gown has been in my family for over 100 years; my dad wore it, my brother and I wore it, and Eli wore it.) By the sheer grace of God, less than an hour before we left the house this morning it turned up. Mad Dog's godparents, "D", Aunt Megan, Gamma Cappy, Gappa Jib, Treis (cousin), and GG (Eli and Maddux's great-grandma) were all there to celebrate with us this morning.

Little Miss Sunshine

Maddux is quite the flirt these days. I joked with Grandma Cathie that she warms to strangers so quickly because she is starved for attention at home. I do get to spend at least one of her 20-minute 'windows' each day completely focused on her, but between Eli and the house and everything else, she definitely does not get the undivided attention Eli got when he was her age. Which is probably why he didn't always smile at strangers in the beginning, and maybe it's why he cried when people laughed too hard...he knew he didn't have to impress outsiders because he got loads of attention from Mommy and Daddy.

Regardless, she loves when you sit and make eye contact and talk to her (who doesn't, right?). She smiles the goofiest smile and 'talks' back, which results in some very interesting sounds. Of course she's going through another growth spurt, so I've been up at 4AM the last two nights. Still not complaining though....I know it could be worse!

Terrific Thursday

Eli had another great day at school today. I love how he smiles while walking towards the car when I pick him up. He is always in such a good mood, and the teacher usually has a good report to give. Today she told me that Eli wanted to go to the zoo. Apparently they had been looking at pictures of animals, specifically pandas, and that triggered Eli's memory of our recent trip to the zoo (where we saw the pandas). Eli painted a large yellow chicken ("cuck, cuck" or "birrrd", according to Eli) and proudly brought it home to share today. We are officially out of room on our refrigerator. I think I'm going to start taping the artwork to the back of his bedroom door so he can see it (after it makes its debut on the fridge, of course).

Like Mother Like Son

I think I've found a new hiking partner!! Eli, Maddux and I joined Tyler and his mom for a 'hike' this morning at Kennesaw Mountain. First we pushed the kids up the mountain road in their strollers (so we could get a workout in before we allowed the boys to dictate our pace), and when we got to the bottom, we let the boys out of their strollers so they could 'hike' along some of the easier trails. Both Tyler and Eli took a few spills as we walked towards the entrance of the woods, and it was dangerously close to lunchtime, so we bailed on a longer hike. Nevertheless, Eli really seemed to like walking and touching the trees and leaves. I hope to take him back to the mountain next week to see how long he will last going up the mountain by himself.

Why I Love My Job

Nights like tonight make it all worth while. I went out to dinner with a friend while Lehr watched both kids. That could be my punchline because that in itself is a wonderful thing, but there is more.

Maddux has been giving us some trouble where the bottle is concerned: the last three days she has all but refused it when we tried our once-a-day bottle feeding. Tonight I came home from dinner prepared to struggle with her only to find her chugging away without any protest at all. 4 1/2 whole ounces!!

And Eli has made my week, month, and possibly year. I came home and he ran to me immediately. He, Lehr and Maddux were on the couch watching the Cubs game when I walked in. Apparently Eli had been patting the cushion next to him saying "Mommy? Sit?" before I walked in. He missed me (melt melt). A few times as we were sitting there, I had to get up to prepare her bottle and then check to see if it was warm enough. Eli got up and followed me to the kitchen each time. He also told me what he ate for dinner: app-ohs (apples). dye-foo (dried fruit). Hoh baaagh (whole bag). Even if the pay sucks, the benefits are great.....

Sing. Sing A Song.

Eli is now requesting songs before his nap. I have sung "You Are My Sunshine" to him since the beginning, mixed in with "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" in the last year or so. When we finished reading our before-nap-book yesterday, I told Eli is was time to sing a song and go to bed. He looked at me and said, "Tun-tine?" I didn't understand at first, but after he asked a few times I realized he was saying "sunshine". Melt melt.

I've been leaving words out of the songs for a while too. Eli will usually correctly fill in the blanks: "You make me (Happy) when skies are grey. You'll never know, (Dear), how much I love you." and "So I hung my head down and (cw-aye)." He'll do that with "Take. Game." (Take Me Out To The Ballgame) also. "Buy me some peanuts and (cah-ker dack).....Root, root, root for the (Tubbies)". And today we started that with the alphabet song. I was quite happy to find Eli does in fact know some of his ABC's, even though he's been hesitant to show off that skill before now. He filled in almost any letter I left out.

My favorite thing about Eli singing is when he sings to Maddux. Sometimes when we are all in the car and she cries, Lehr or I will ask Eli to sing to her to make her happy (we tell him she cries when she's sad). Eli's version of singing is speaking in a drawn-out high-pitched voice. And the only song he sings is "Turkey Dee" (The Thanksgiving Song). And the only lyrics in Eli's song are "Turkeeee Deeeeee. Turkeeee Deeeee." Good thing he likes to play sports because he will obviously not be pursuing a singing career.

In Your Wildest Dreams

I think Eli has dreams each night. I know by age three toddlers can have them, but I'm not sure what the 'studies' say about two-year olds. What I do know is that at least twice a week I will wake Eli up in the morning and while he is still squinting his eyes and stretching, he tells me a few things, out of the blue. Today is was "soff-ball!" (softball) We went to a softball field last week, so I think he dreamt about that. The other day it was "pool. jump." We haven't been to the pool in about a month, so I think that was a dream also. In addition, we have a sleep-talker on our hands. I still have the monitor in our room because I've become a heavier sleeper since Maddux was born, which means I might not hear Eli crying in his room without it. A few times over the last few weeks I've heard Eli say one random word, but no other noise occurred. Now Eli does wake up from time to time during the night and play, but when these sleep-talking incidences happen, no aquarium turns on, nor do I hear him roll over and hit his bar on the crib wall (which always happens if/when he is awake). Usually it's a 'ball' word: hoop, tee-ball, or home.

Eli's vocabulary is still expanding daily. He repeats as much as he can from Mommy and Daddy, and he makes his own sentences all the time. The other day he saw a Cubs game where a player slid into third base. The next day during lunch he told me about it: "Ball-bat! Tubbies. Run! HOME! Bay-sss! Pall-down! Hurt!" (The 'hurt' was accompanied by a sad face on Eli.) Some of his newer words these days are:
- Cart
- Run
- Cry-baby (He means to say "Baby is crying", I think.)
- Pish-stick (fish stick)
- Bow-er (blower)
- Mower
- Gasss (gas or grass or glass)
- Doggie
- Coh-d (cold)
- Pah-Tah (pasta)
- Dee-ner (dinner)
- Seat
- Race
- Ow-tide (outside)
- Hap-Birt-day (Happy Birthday)
- Tash (trash)
- Jac-o-naler (or something, which means "jack-o-lantern")
- Punkin (pumpkin)
- Me-on (melon)
- Um-ball-ah (umbrella)
- Tink ou (thank you)

Sorry about that - once I started, I just couldn't stop! He has many more words, but I think I've bored you enough for now.

Weekend Update

Eli woke up five of the last six days with blood-stained drool on his pajamas or his sleep-sac. That pretty much sums up the mood he's had. His irritability due to the teething pain is only matched by his toddler 'tude these days; the combination can be brutal at times. On the flip side, when he is not in pain or acting out, he's extra sweet...I guess to make up for the other times. On a good note: today has been great and Eli had a very fun morning at church and in general.

Eli must think birthdays are an every-day-occurrence. Wait...they are! Well, he must think they are an every-day-occurrence in his immediate circle. In less than a month he's had his birthday, Gracie's birthday, Cooper's birthday, Cooper's Daddy's birthday, his cousin, Rachel's, birthday (he calls her "Dee-dol"), and birthdays for the little girl across the street and a co-worker of Lehr's. Yesterday was another birthday party with yet another jump castle. This was Eli's third encounter with the bouncy-floor, and he finally took to it a bit. The first time left him a bit standoffish, as he was very unsure of the unstable walking surface. The second (at Kangazoom) was a little better, but Eli still didn't really enjoy how hard it was to walk when someone else jumped up and down next to him. This time he went in and out of the castle two or three times before opting out. I think he doesn't like it because he has not yet mastered the two-footed-jump.

Maddux has made the turn. She gives us 9-10 hours of consecutive sleep more than half of the time. (Can I get an 'Amen'?!) Last night was a step in the wrong direction, but I remember Eli did this for a while also. We'd get three nights in a row of eleven hours, and then he'd be up once or twice the next night. Then back to the eleven hours. So even though last night wasn't great, I'm smiling because of what is to come.

Also, Maddux went into the church nursery for the first time today. I sent a bottle with her which she did not take very easily, but she barely takes it for Lehr, so I wasn't too surprised by that. The good news is they did not have to call us out of the service at all - rock on.

Hanging Out With The Guys

Eli, Maddux and I spent the morning at Tyler's house hanging out with Tyler and Noah. Correction, we spent the morning playing in the backyard. The boys could not get enough of Ty's cool collection of outdoor toys including (but not limited to!!) a picnic table, two ride-in cars, golf clubs, and Eli's favorite, a lawn mower. Eli pretty much monopolized the mower until Tyler's mommy pulled out the golf clubs. Then Eli made the switch and for the most part did not allow any one else a chance to play. We had a quick picnic lunch on the lawn before heading home, and all three boys were pretty exhausted by the time we said our good-byes.

I'm getting ready to talk about how great my son is again, so stop reading if that bores you (and I totally understand if it does). Eli had a few tantrums at the house before we left; they were severe enough for me to consider not even attending our play date. He also waged a small battle with me during the picnic. But the majority of the morning, the car ride to and from, and his after-nap time were awesome. Eli showed such self-control and patience during our outside play before dinner....even when I didn't remind him to! I would turn around from putting the ball on his tee and see him standing with the bat at his feet and his hands clasped (his physical manifestation of patience and/or self-control). He thanked me for setting the ball on the tee several times without me prompting him, and he obliged each time I asked him to put away his toys before pulling out new ones.

My reason for commenting on this good behavior (yet again) is because of the rough roads we've had in the last few months. I know we are in no way out of the woods yet, but it has been a nice change of pace to see some good habits forming. And since parenting tends to polarize you (either you're being too hard on yourself or your only seeing the good in your kids to a fault), I'm trying to recognize the good in each day, while not overlooking the fact that even good days contain tantrums and disobedience. I think most of you who are parents can agree though, when you see your hard work pay off, it really makes it all worth while. I think this is an especially rewarding experience for those of us who are stay-at-home-parents. Before you get your feathers ruffled, that is not to say that those who work outside the home do not still spend hours teaching and training their children, nor is it to say that they do not relish the joys of their parental consistency. But the ones who stay at home and do not have any other job than to be a parent, like myself, usually don't have any other outlet to accomplish 'big' things. When I worked outside the home, I completed many tasks each day. I got little pats on the back from time to time, and even when I didn't, I was able to take pride in my work regardless of what was going on at home. Not so true anymore....what is going on at home is my main job. It's the only outlet I have for achievement at the moment. Sorry...I got way off-track with that. Carry on!

The parenting philosophies that Lehr and I subscribe to remind us that bad days are ok. The question we need to ask is, "Is Eli characterized by that behavior?" Usually (on the bad days), the answer is no. More and more (on the good days), the answer is yes. Life is good.

And An Angel Baby....

Maddux has never followed 'the routine' in her two months out of the womb. Not that it was easy with Eli, but I had nothing but time and energy to devote to getting him on my schedule. Time is a little short these days, so even though I have followed the order of events with Maddux, her timetable hasn't matched mine thus far. Today we changed that. Even though we had an eventful, out-of-the-house morning and afternoon, she took 60-90 minute naps, ate every three hours (almost on the dot) and fussed very little this evening after the family dinner. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Send Me An Angel

I realize that by posting this I am most likely jinxing myself for tonight, and maybe tomorrow as well. But given the amount of not-so-good days recently, it's a chance I'm willing to take. (I also realize I need to start a new 'label' for these braggadocious posts, so you can be forewarned. But why have a blog if you can't brag on your kids!?!)

Eli has been outstanding today. Seriously angel-esque. I had to wake him up this morning, but he was in a great mood anyway. (He usually prefers to wake up on his own.) We had a good breakfast and only a minimal tantrum before heading off to school. Apparently his morning at JKP went well, as he came into the car smiling when I picked him up. The two of us (and Maddux) had a good time playing outside for 15 minutes before I told Eli it was time to go in for lunch. This would normally result in some resistance on Eli's part, due to hunger and fatigue mixed with his ever-strong desire to always be outside playing baseball. However, he happily hung up his bat and followed me into the kitchen. After we ate I asked him to go upstairs and pick out a book while I cleaned the kitchen. He complied without a second of hesitation and when I came upstairs, he was sitting in front of his bookshelf, thumbing through the book he chose. We read the book and he went down without a fight.

I suspected the afternoon would differ since around 3:30, Eli woke up from his nap crying. He never does that. Never. I went in after a few minutes and found the poor kid bleeding from the mouth. The bleeding gums have returned, apparently. After rocking with me in the chair for ten minutes or so, he asked to read a book. Halfway through the book I heard Maddux wake up, so I told Eli that we needed to go have some blanket time so Mommy could feed Maddux. He asked (in his own special way) if he could bring his book to the blanket to read, and he followed me to the computer room without any protest. Eli sat on his blanket and read for twenty full minutes while I tried to feed Maddux (she's being a pill, but that's another post). Here is some video of my angel (this time his furrowed brow is due to concentration, not out of anger)....days like today make me so happy I can't stand it!

Giggle Giggle

Maddux has had these odd, laugh-ish sounds coming out of her since almost the beginning. However today I think she had her first from-the-belly laugh. Eli, Maddux and I were in Eli's room getting ready for his nap and I was changing her on Eli's pad. As soon as I finished she let out this laugh, and then took in a breath and continued the laugh....for three or four breaths, which made me think it was definitely real. I looked over at Eli to tell him that she was laughing, but he already knew: he was smiling as much as I was. He grabbed his book and came over to share in the joy. (Eli's first belly laugh was around this age also.)

Chains of Love

All Eli can talk about these days is Gappa Jib, Cappy, and their upcoming visit. Maddux will be dedicated at our church in two weeks, and they, along with Treis (Eli's cousin) and GG (Eli's great-grandma) will be in town for the event. I decided to help Eli make a paper chain to countdown to the arrival this morning. He had a blast. We cut out 12 links and Eli colored all of them. Then I wrote the names of the four guests each on a link and Eli recited the names like crazy. Of course he had to help me with the glue stick, but his favorite part was counting to ten each time we glued a link and held it. He even clasped his little hands like we used to do when we counted to ten for self-control.

After our arts-n-crafts morning, we went outside to play (what else) baseball. We had to draw a new diamond because we got some rain over the weekend. Eli was quick to point out I drew home plate in a spot that was not the same as the original. (He's a stickler for details!) Of course Maddux woke up hungry about ten minutes into our game. Since Eli has been such a pill these days when his playtime gets interrupted, I decided to give him a choice. He could either come inside with me to get Maddux (a choice I knew he didn't like), or he could sit on the driveway and wait for me to come back. Lehr has done something similar with Eli sitting and waiting before, so I knew Eli was aware of what was expected of him. He chose to 'seet', so I ran in and grabbed the baby quickly. (Sidenote: Our driveway is long and we live in a cul-de-sac, so I was confident even if Eli did not obey, I would be back outside before he'd make it to the road.) When I came back out I was so proud to see Eli sitting and waiting so patiently. He was hitting his baseball bat on the ground and singing to himself: what a ham!

Weekend Re-Cap

Eli had a pretty good weekend, considering "the teeth". He got his Elmo fix on Friday night, then on Saturday he got to help Daddy clean out the garage. Then the two of them went through some old clothes and Eli found his first Halloween costume, among other things. Of course he asked to try it on. Saturday night we went out to dinner and the waitress gave him a balloon. This was a first, so Eli was totally thrilled. Afterwards we went to a nearby park and let him run off some energy. After his bath, he and Daddy sat on the upstairs couch and watched a few minutes of the Cubs game. When I finished feeding Maddux, I joined them. Eli insisted I sit in-between them. Then he got all cuddly on me. He snuggled into my arm and played with my hand the whole time. He loves to watch the Cubs, and he is usually very good about sitting still and not getting too hyper during the inning or so we let him watch. We went to church on Sunday and then ran a few errands after his nap. That was when I had to make a few more split-second parenting decisions.

Eli loves the Depot. He goes ga-ga for their carts, and anytime he can be surrounded by hammers and drills and mowers and grills, he is in heaven. We had a few things we needed to pick up, so the four of us piled in the car and away we went. Lehr drove, which meant I was sitting in front of Eli in the car, which also meant I was the one to take him out of the car when we arrived. Eli did not like that. He wanted Daddy and made sure we both knew it. I told him too bad so sad because Mommy was taking him out today. He squirmed and whined, so I told him to get some self-control. We were about five feet away from the car when he started to hit. Since this has started to happen more often, that was the last straw for me. I told Eli that he does not hit Mommy, and then I informed him he would not be visiting the Depot today. I took both kids back to the car and let Lehr run in for the items we needed. Eli was so stunned, he didn't even fight me as I strapped him back in the car seat. I put Maddux back in and started to drive around the parking lot. After about a minute, I stopped the car and turned around to remind Eli what he did; I then asked for an apology. He said, "I 'tarry, Mommy." as he nodded. I told him that he was forgiven, but he had lost the privilege of the Home Depot cart today because he hit. As we drove around for the next ten minutes, Eli tried to rectify the situation at least five more times. It went something like this: "I 'tarry, Mommy. Dee-po?" or "I 'tarry, Mommy. Cart?" Each time I said, "thank you. You are forgiven. No Depot today because you hit. Next time we will work more on self-control so we can ride in the Depot cart." I found it quite amusing how he thought an apology meant he would get what he wanted. I'm glad I didn't give in and let him go after his first 'tarry! Given how insistent he was about the cart and how sad he seemed that we were not in the Depot, I think this 'punishment' got through to him.

Rock-a-Bye Baby

So Maddux is still not napping great during the day. She will typically nap an hour or 90-minutes for one of her naps, but the rest are a bust. No biggie except it means she eats every 2 1/2 hours sometimes, when she *should* be able to go longer. However, I could care less because most nights she sleeps for 8 hours. The past three nights have been 11-7 stretches and I love it. The only problem is, it makes it a little more difficult when she doesn't sleep all the way through because now I expect it and my body needs that sleep. Such is life....

We took the insert out of Maddux's car seat this weekend; she is getting too big to buckle if we keep it in. She is such a chunker!! I do not worry about her not eating enough, that is for sure! I even got to turn her around in the baby bjorn the other day so she was facing outward. She is holding her head up much better these days, so the bumbo is right around the corner too.

Capital "E" Elmo

Eli will need to thank Cooper for a long time. Tonight the four of us got to join Cooper and his family in box seats at the Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music production. Since Eli is Elmo's #1 fan, despite the fact that he has 'mean' parents that don't allow too much TV (meaning he has barely seen a dozen Sesame Street TV shows), we jumped at the chance to go see (Capital "E") Elmo 'Live'. When Elmo and the gang took the stage, Eli could not stop saying "ELMO!" as he pointed towards the big, red character. He also pointed out Grover, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, and Zoe. He was quite excited to see the musical instruments they took out, especially the drums at the end. I wasn't sure how he'd react, given how far away from the characters we were seated, but his attention stayed focused on the show the entire time.

Before the main event, Eli, Maddux and I went to a local 'jump room' (Kangazoom)since it rained all morning. Eli had a great time with his friends, Tyler and Noah, though I think Eli would have been content just to be in a room with four or five bouncy balls that he could throw around(the jump castles didn't wow him too much). In one room there were a few very large inflatable slides (probably a two-story room and the slides started all the way up at the ceiling), with inflatable steps (think a slide with slats on in). Since I had Maddux strapped to my front, I couldn't climb up with Eli, so I figured he'd just have to sit this one out, or go up with another parent. However, when he saw Tyler's mommy climbing up with him, Eli followed right behind: all by himself! I was quite shocked, considering how high up it was and considering he really didn't know what was in store for him at the top. He went down the slide by himself too, which was great to watch; he spun around a few times, but ended up feet first when he got to the bottom. Of course we returned home and Eli decided to throw a monumental tantrum resulting in no lunch (totally not something I want to take away on a regular basis, but Eli was completely uncooperative). So, good morning, bad afternoon, good night. Still a good day in my book!

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?

I recently read an article in Parenting Magazine: 8 Things No One Tells You About Being A Mom. Then I heard some commentary on a parenting podcast this week and it reminded me of the truth of the article's words.

The first item that I related too more than just a passing "Amen" was the one about running in circles. I think that is the best way to describe your day to someone who doesn't have kids. Now that I'm trying to form Maddux's routine, while (hopefully) still maintaining Eli's, I feel like my day is a series of clock-watching. Not because either routine/schedule is tied to the clock, but because Maddux, much like her brother at this age, is a ticking time bomb. We went through a phase when Eli was about six-months when a clock was essential to his happiness. He was a 90-minute baby to the second. He would be happy and alert at minute 88, but if you mistook that to mean he wasn't ready for a nap, minute 91 would come and you would regret your lack of action immediately. When you put him down at minute 88, 89, or 90, he would happily talk and gurgle to himself for a few minutes before he dozed off, all on his own. If you tried to put him down at minute 95, he would wail and carry on forever. I learned my lesson quickly and always kept an eye on the clock during that time. Though Maddux is not quite a 90-minute baby, she has her own rhyme and reason, which I'm still trying to nail down. The one thing I'm sure of, my mind goes numb from the constant sleep-eat-diaper-play cycle. The challenge with two kids: two cycles at once. Luckily Eli only has one nap a day to contend with, but he's a ball of energy and toddlers require a lot of stimulation. His cycles are more about activities in and out of the home. Balancing these two "circles" is a challenge.

The main list item I identified with was "You Don't Get Instant Replays". No brainer, right? You rarely get those in real life either. The explanation of this one is where I found my feelings put best into words: "You will say the wrong thing. You will do the wrong thing.......But with a child it's especially tough because you're making so many split-second decisions in any given hour — and the repercussions of those decisions are helping to form a growing psyche." Wow. Totally the pressure I feel, and I know I'm not alone in that. I don't think you can truly appreciate how many little, immediate decisions need to be made in the course of an hour until you spend a day or two alone with a child, especially a toddler or pre-schooler. The challenge is to not allow yourself to over analyze the (wrong) decisions you make.

Carry on....just a few random thoughts from a rambling mom while (both!!) kids are napping.

These Are The Moments....

Even through Eli's tough moments, I really think this is my favorite stage so far in his development. It is so neat to have a sorta-kinda conversation with him and have him add to it. We're not to the place yet where he tells me what he does at school when I pick him up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but often a few hours later he'll tell me about it in a random moment.

The other night I was upstairs when Lehr, Maddux and Eli were down in the living room listening to music. I peaked my head around to watch Eli dancing and bobbing his head to Joe Bonamassa (one of his new favorites, since he plays the 'tar'). Minutes later, Eli ran upstairs to get a cutout guitar from one of his wooden puzzles so he could play along with Joe. Then a few minutes after that he came up to get his mini drum set so he could play along with a different instrument. Lehr told me later that he noticed Eli taking a long time to get the drums, so he walked towards the stairs to see what he'd gotten into. Apparently Eli got distracted by a book. He looked up from reading and said to Lehr, "book!", and then went back to reading. Once he was done he put it down, picked his drums back up, and continued on to the living room for his encore.

Last night Lehr came out of Eli's room later than the normal bedtime, so I asked if he'd fallen asleep while reading Eli his bedtime books. (It has happened before, btw.) He told me that they were just in there talking and reading. Eli asked for his 'obey' book (a book about disobedience) and while he was reading it to Lehr, Eli looked up at him and said, "Daddy. Obey."

After I picked Eli up from school today, we came home to eat a quick lunch before his nap. I knew he was tired and the molars are giving him discomfort, so I try my best to not get into the 'tantrum zone'. After he ate, I took him out of his highchair and told him to go up and pick his book while I wiped off his tray and put the dishes in the dishwasher. I do this all of the time, but it usually means Eli wanders through the room with toys on the way to the stairs until I catch up with him. Today he went upstairs and when I opened his door, he was sitting on the floor by his bookshelf with his blanket (a bedtime privilege only) and a book, patiently waiting for me. Melt, melt!

One last tidbit: Eli is getting better with showing patience and self-control in non-conflict times. Yes, I know that is the easier time, but for a while he wouldn't do it at all, so I'm excited. When he was about 14-months we started showing Eli how to have patience at the dining room table by folding his hands and counting to ten (even though every number is "2" to Eli). We had great success with this until about 20-months when he decided he didn't like the idea of patience or self-control. In the last month he has pulled that old trick back out and I could not be happier. Several times a day I find myself reminding Eli to 'be patient'. So many times now I look up to see him with his hands folded, eager to meet my eyes for recognition that he is listening and following my directions. It doesn't get much better than that.

De Plane! De Plane!!

Eli, Maddux and I went over to play with Cooper for a few hours before nap today. For the first time ever that I've seen, Eli and Cooper really got along. I only saw one or two toy-snatchings, and they were not that big of a deal, especially considering the way things normally go with them (c'mon, they ARE two, after all). I'm not picking on Cooper either; my rating of a good or bad visit has everything to do with Eli and how he handles himself, regardless of how the other kid(s) behave. Usually when with Cooper, Eli will snatch toys, or freak out if/when Cooper snatches them. Not so this time - hooray!!! Anyway, they played really well together, turning on and off the lights in the play room and even wrestling a little bit. Cooper was determined to smoother Eli with a pillow at one point, and Eli thought it was funny, so no harm no foul. They even had a quick match of ping-pong, though I don't think the ball ever made it back over the table after the initial serve...

After an hour of playing, we all went to the park at a small nearby airport. Eli and Cooper ate a quick picnic lunch before watching the planes take off and land. This was the first time I ever got to sit back completely and watch Eli play on the playground. The equipment wasn't too high that I had to worry about him falling, and he entertained himself enough with Cooper and a few other kids that he didn't need me to watch him do anything. Bittersweet as it means he's growing up, but it took a lot less energy from me, which was nice.

As for Eli's molars, they are definitely giving him some grief. He told me when he woke up, "Teef. Hurt." as he scrunched up his face and reached back in his mouth. I gave him a little orajel before we left this morning to head off any pain-related tantrums. Then, while at the park, he told me the same thing again, as well as three hundred times on the way home. Poor kid had some tears running down his face as we pulled into the neighborhood, but he's sleeping it off as I type.

Too Cool For School

Eli had his second day of 'school' today and he brought home an art project: a caterpillar magnet. He is so proud of his "cap-eh-tiller"! When Lehr got home, Eli directed him to the fridge and yelled, "Cap-eh-tiller!" several times until Lehr saw it. As much as I love his new-found pride over his artwork, between school and his new 'older' Sunday School room at church, our once clean refrigerator has turned into what most parents' fridges look like: a display of anything and everything marker-ed and glue stick-ed.

I also brought the camera with me to pick Eli up in the hopes of snapping a picture of what I saw last week. Unfortunately I was very far back in the car-pick-up line, so I had to zoom in a lot and even then, the photo is not such great quality. You can see that Eli (yellow shirt) is at the head of the line though, holding on to one of the teacher's hands.

Let's Roll

Maddux and I went to Kennesaw Mountain for a hike this morning, but we were disappointed to see that the 9/11 memorial was not there anymore. Last year Eli and I went to see all of the flags set out representing the Americans lost on that day, six years ago. Please take some time today to remember the brave men and women who served in some way that day, many of whom lost their lives.

ER

Maddux is setting new 'records' in this family every day. She rolled over when she was just weeks old (way before Eli did), she started a heart-felt cry younger than Eli did, and now she has been to the ER before him.

Last week Maddux started to cough a little bit. She usually chokes while eating, causing a cough, but this was in non-eating times as well. Luckily her 2-month doctor appointment was already scheduled, so I had Dr. Jernigan check her out for the cough too. Her lungs and ears were clear and she hadn't had a fever yet, so there was no need to worry. Fast forward to this weekend and the cough hadn't gone away. In fact, now you could hear her cough during the night, where she hadn't been doing that before. After church I decided to call the pediatrician's nurse-line to ask a few questions and set up for another doctors appointment Monday. After answering all of the nurse's questions, she told me to take Maddux to the hospital right away, mainly because of her young age. The nurses and doctors at Children's Healthcare of ATL were great - pretty speedy too, considering it is an ER. After taking her vitals and checking her out it was determined she is still fine. Just a slight cough and nasal congestion, but no infection and no congestion on her lungs or ears. For now we are just to continue suctioning her nose (oh the joys) and keeping her hydrated. Thank goodness this happened on a weekend so Lehr could stay home with Eli! Even though the staff moved quickly, I was still there for two hours...can't imagine how Eli would have fared that visit!

Friday Night Lights

Last night Lehr, "D", and I took Eli and Maddux to their first high school football game. Since Eli has shown such an interest in musical instruments (tuba, drums, trombone) recently, we figured he'd enjoy the half-time show at least. We got to our seats around 8PM, so he was already a little tired, but he stayed awake and attentive until the we left (after the show). Maddux hung out in the bjorn the whole time, nodding on and off. She was a bit disturbed by all of the noise, but from time to time she caught a few winks. Eli sat wide-eyed on D's lap until half-time when we moved higher in the stands. Then he sat with Daddy and pointed out the 'dddddrums!' and 'too-bah's. D taught Eli to say 'foot' and then 'ball', but he preferred to refer to the experience as the 'geeem' (game). I think this will become a more regular fall activity for the kids.

She's Got....Personality

Maddux is finally starting to really smile as well as 'coo'. She and I have been able to hang out one-on-one a little more recently during Eli's nap. This means no down-time for me, but it's worth it to see my little girl as she's growing up since honestly, while Eli's awake, she rarely/never is the center of our focus. (Just part of being the second born, I guess.)

Maddux will gurgle for a minute or so and then you'll hear these cute little sounds come out of her mouth. I'd forgotten how neat it is to watch them start to develop their social skills! She is smiling more and more, especially during these Mommy/Maddux moments. I caught a few of them with my camera yesterday, though they are not really in focus because she would only smile if I was holding her up with my hand (and it's difficult to manage my clunky camera with only one hand). Also, Maddie's cry is more 'sad' than Eli's was at this age. He just had the regular old cry/wail, where she has a sad lower-lip 'waa-aaa-aaa' cry sometimes. Granted, her life is harder than his because she doesn't get as much attention, and when she does it is sometimes in the form of an older brother sitting on her, kissing her too hard, or pulling off her socks or blanket. So maybe she is justified in this cry. Regardless, it is sad to hear.

First Day of School

I earned the nickname "nerd" last night when I told Lehr how excited I was for Eli's first day of school. Something about the new school year always got me so giddy each fall...I miss it! I guess that's why you have children...to live vicariously through them for the experiences you like but no longer qualify for?

Eli woke up this morning and had a great time getting ready for school and eating his cereal. This was a very welcomed surprise as yesterday's morning time (before his meet-n-greet) was horrible. He absolutely refused to say his prayer before eating. No way, no how. I don't expect him to recite a long prayer; in fact, this time all he had to do was fold his hands while I sang the prayer and then say "amenen". Silly, but that's something I'm not going to compromise on. Anyway, today was much much better and the whole drive over to the school/church was great too. I think my excitement was infecting his mood! We were one of the first cars to arrive to the loading zone in front of the classrooms, and Eli waited patiently with me while the teachers got into their spots. When the door opened I told him I loved him and his teacher greeted him with a smile and a few kind words, and then he was off! When it came time to pick him up a few hours later, I was one of the first cars again. It was so neat to see the teachers walking the kids in lines to the hall where they waited for their parents. I did not bring the camera, but I will next week because it was a cool sight (for a parent). When the teacher's aide put him in the car (he was all smiles, by the way), she told me he did really well, especially considering he is the youngest in the class. Go Eli!!!

Product Review: Luvs Bear Hug Stretch

A Luvs representative recently emailed me asking me if I'd be interested in doing a product review on my blog. As I've never done one, I wasn't quite sure what that entailed, but after a few emails back and forth it became clear. Would I be interested in receiving free stuff? YES!!!

When Eli was born we went back and forth (depending on what size he wore) between Pampers and Huggies, usually favoring the Pampers. We had too many leaks with store brands, and since I'm not a fan of cleaning up blow-outs or wet sheets, I have paid up for the name brand ever since. Our local store does not carry Luvs, so I've not had a chance to try them out before now. The new "Bear Hug Stretch" is not available in Maddux's size yet, so we could only try the product on Eli (thought they did send some size 3's for her, when she grows into them - BONUS!).

Enough background - on to the review! The side tabs do offer a great stretch; they are very comparable to Pampers in that respect. Eli tends to drink a lot of water in the afternoon, and again in his bath, so his overnight diaper often weighs about 8lbs when he wakes up in the morning. If/when I use a cheaper diaper, or even if/when I do not fasten it 'just so', Eli wakes up with a wet spot or two on his sleep sac. So far, no such occurrence while using the Luvs diaper. It appears their "Blue Leakguard Core" really does keep leaks in their place! Luvs advertises no sagging or bunching in their description of this diaper, which proved true. Eli is very active, so lots of running around can move the diaper out of the designated area. Again, so far this has not happened with Eli: the diaper stays put! Overall the diaper seemed to stand up pretty well to the Pampers I hold in such high esteem. I have not seen them in our local store yet, but as long as the cost was the same or cheaper than my Pampers, I would definitely use this new line of Luvs. Overall the diaper seemed to stand up pretty well to the Pampers I hold in such high esteem. Two Diaper Pins Up!