Stop The Insanity!!!!

These eye teeth are giving Eli at least as hard a time as the last two or three teeth.... He's had some very sweet and endearing moments in the last month, but most of the time he is Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde and there is no telling what will cause him to switch at any moment. This picture sums up Eli's feelings on teething.

God's Work is Good

One of the clubfoot-parent message boards I belong to had this article posted today: Walking With Faith. It's a great summary about Ponseti's work with John Mitchell, and how the two have worked together to transform children's lives.

Happy Easter!

Our little Easter Bunny was a little grumpy at church, but had a great rest of the day. After lunch he was playing in the living room and bumped his head on the wood floors (a very regular occurrence for Eli). He didn't cry, but he displayed an upset face and proceeded to mumble some incoherent words about it as he pointed to his head. Obviously he didn't get the reaction he'd hoped from Daddy, so he came into the kitchen where I was. Eli pointed to his head and 'told' me again. Then he proceeded to re-enact the moment for me: he put his hands on the ground and touched his head to the floor and then stood up and pointed again, nodded and repeated what he'd said before.

After his nap we took Eli out to the park and searched for eggs. I hid a dozen plastic eggs filled with Kix (Eli's absolute favorite these days) in the grass and landscaping. He was very intrigued by the colorful eggs randomly placed in the wild, but he didn't quite get the concept at first. He would put an egg in his basket, but then he'd take it out before he put another one in, leaving no more than one in his possession at a time. After three or four eggs he stopped that practice, but then he would say "moooh" as soon as he put an egg in the basket. (As in, "More eggs, NOW!") Finally he exhausted the egg supply so we sat on the bench and opened them all up. Eli was quite excited to find "kiiiih" inside and repeated his "moooh" each time he finished a mouthful.

Random Friday Thoughts

Good News/Bad News. The bad news is Eli will have to miss Jazz Fest this year (something we haven't done since we started going several years back). The good news is, he'll be moving to a new house that week. It's as official as it can be before we close: our house sold and we bought another one! We spent the better part of the morning at the new house with the inspector. Eli's behavior was similar to post-bath time: red-bull wired. He could not stop running from one room to the next, up and down the stairs, so on and so on. Unfortunately I might have to invest in more gates once we move in, to block off certain areas of the house, just so I can keep an eye on him. I didn't realize until now how 'easy' it is to keep tabs on Eli during the day at our current house! We have one gate at the top of the stairs and that's it! Oh well....if he gets on my nerves now I can just send him out to the yard for the day, right? (Kidding!!)

Before we left for his gym class this morning I turned on the TV to catch up on a few minutes of tivo. Keep in mind I seriously NEVER do this when Eli is home/awake. (Not trying to sound high and mighty - it's just not something I do unless it's one of the rare occasions every few weeks when I pull out a sign language DVD for him.) I had a music special on Kenny Rogers that I've not been able to watch for weeks now. (Yes, I admit it: I LOVE Kenny Rogers. He's always been a fave of mine.) Eli was playing with his toys in the living room, but once Kenny started singing, that kid couldn't keep his eyes off. When the song ended and they went back to talking, he resumed pushing trucks around, but each time a new song started, he stopped, stared, and sometimes started dancing. Take that, Grandpa Jim!

Yesterday Eli and I went to the Botanical Gardens with Tyler and Shannon. The boys did great but Eli's newest obsession (also seen in the house this morning) is doors. If he can reach the knob (which he can't in this house, but he can in the new one) he HAS to open and shut a million times. There are a few random doors in the Children's Gardens at ABG, and Eli was sure to find them. In fact, to get him to move on I had to physically remove him and carry him to the next exhibit...that's how focused he was.

Finally, I checked in on Eli during his nap the other day and captured a shot of him practicing yoga (child's pose) in his sleep. When he looks this peaceful it's harder to remember the tantrums. On a slightly related note, I put Eli to bed tonight and while I read him a story in the rocking chair, I gave him the blanket I made (rather than the 'magic one') and not only did he not protest, but he stuck his thumb in his mouth (something usually reserved for the one-and-only-blanket) while we read stories. He still says, "Mommy" when he touches that blanket too....melts my heart.

Smarter Than Your Average Bear? (Doubtful)

I mentioned the other day how quickly Eli picks up new signs now. I'm not really pushing the signs, but sometimes a new one pops up (while I'm working on him actually saying the word) and he soaks it up like a sponge. Yesterday in the car this happened with "bird". Eli loves birds, and was pointing to one out the car window as he said, 'buhhhrr!'. I told him that was right and repeated the word 'bird' as I signed it. He thought this was hilarious and mimicked my hand motions. This morning we watched about ten minutes of a Baby Einstein video we have, but haven't watched in forever (due to Eli's lack of interest in TV....so far). This one has a lot of household objects and their signs. Eli sat in my lap and looked up at my face each time they introduced a word. He would try to say the word, which usually sounded like 'bahh', as he watched me to help him with the sign. Sometimes he would move his hands first, but at least half of the time he would look at me to help him make the sign correctly. He did really well with "chair" and "table" all on his own, but don't ask him to repeat it.....so far it was only during the video.

Since I'm in the mode of bragging on Eli, I'll continue with blanket time this morning. I've been trying to do this more and more when I'm home alone with Eli to prepare him for when the baby needs to eat and I'm not 'available' to him. Today I cheated in a way because I brought out a box of toys that had been in a closet for the past month. These books and toys became new to him, so I was able to get a full 25-minutes (whine free) out of Eli. That isn't the brag though.... For about ten minutes of that time Eli went through one of the books he used to love. Each page has a picture of an object and the name written below. Eli 'read' through the book alternating signs with words as he flipped the pages. I had to stop knitting to watch him out of the corner of my eye as I saw him sign "airplane" and then flip the page and say "NANA" (banana), and then flip and sign "train" while he said 'tee tee' (his version of 'choo choo'), and then flip and say 'keee' (kitty). Even though this is a brag, notice I did not go so far as to outright say how smart my child is. That is mainly due to the fact that after he finished 'reading', Eli played the xylophone for a few minutes and then proceeded to stick the mallets in his eyes, ears, and then his mouth, repeatedly gagging himself. What a scholar...(as apparent in the photo)

Eli's Tomatoes

Week 4:

Stopping To Smell The Roses

Eli still has not mastered smelling things (such as flowers or candles), nor has he figured out totally how to blow out candles or bubbles. Instead he prefers to mix the two together in a scrunched-face, pursed-lipped, in-and-out breathing using both mouth and nose. While playing in the backyard today I was finally able to capture this on camera while Eli attempted to smell the flowers that had fallen on the ground. I hope he's not faced with having to smell too many things in a short period of time because I'm confident he'd pass out from the excursion he puts forth. He seriously could be the poster child for lamaze breathing.

All in all, Eli had a great day today. He picked up a few more signs (chair and bird) and he behaved really well except for 20-minutes almost immediately following our backyard adventure. He will now say "moooh" while signing "more", and he uses his signs in ways I didn't know he'd figured out yet. For example, we taught him "water" in association with drinking water from a cup. But when he sees a puddle or a body of water (in a picture or in real life), he signs "water" to me. He even did it today when it started to rain.

Hair By Fruit

Eli's lunch included a fruit cereal bar yesterday, which he ended up mashing in his hair. He's never done this before, so I had hoped I missed out on the food-in-the-hair phase. Apparently not. I did my best to wash it out of his hair before his nap, but as you can see, when he woke up the leftover fruit residue acted as a gel and gave him crazy bedhead.

Don't Make Me Count To Three....

Eli is not letting up on the temper tantrums, but he is starting to realize that it's my way or the highway, so that's something. Twice today he 'tried' me and threw a tantrum when I gave him instruction, but once he realized I was not budging he gave in (though begrudgingly).

First thing this morning I changed his diaper and then let him play in his room (door closed with me in there too) while I pulled his clothes out. When he pushed 'Mater to the door and asked "please" (as in he wanted out of his room) I told him, "Yes, but first we have to put your clothes on." He stamped his feet and said "noooooo" with his furrowed brow and pursed lips in response. I sat back and waited. He then pushed 'Mater to me and signed "please" so I pulled his shirt over his head while he babbled on about something.

The second time was right before his nap. We were in his room playing and he eventually went to his crib and signed "please" (as in he wanted to be in his crib with his blanket because he was exhausted). I told him, "Sure, but we have to change your diaper first." Same reaction as this morning, but even more animated and loud. After about a minute of me remaining by the changing pad he pouted his way over and sat down so I could change him. Not quite obedience "all the way, right away and with a happy heart", but one out of three ain't bad!

Donation Corner: Shepherd Center

A few years back I was able to visit the Shepherd Spinal Center when my employer participated in a fundraiser for them. Before that time I'd never heard of Shepherd, which is surprising considering it is one of the leading facilities for research and rehabilitation in the United States. I know a nurse who worked there for a while and she said the patients she saw at Shepherd came from all over the country because it is so highly esteemed. They provide medical care to people with spinal cord injuries and disease stemming from birth defects to catastrophic accidents (sports related, car crashes, etc.). Shepherd Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital that has been helping patients through life-changing experiences for over three decades. (In fact, since 2000, Shepherd Center has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best rehabilitation hospitals.)

I chose this hospital to highlight this month because it is a service any of us could need at any time. Many of these patients never thought they'd end up in rehab for a spinal injury, but accidents happen. Shepherd is not only in need of monetary donations, but also volunteers. If you feel led to contribute to this wonderful center, please read more about Shepherd Center and how you can help.

You Gotta See Tha BAY-Bee....

Eli will pick up certain signs within a week's time now....Monday he started signing "apple" back to me. He sorta says "ple" while he does it, but his sign is more indicative of what he is trying to communicate. A real shocker for me: he picked up "sleep" today on the first shot! I used to do "sleep" with him way back when we were first starting out, but I dropped it a long time ago, mainly because I stopped putting him to bed (Lehr does that). Today we were in our Little Gym class and one of the moms brought her newborn in his infant carrier and set him up in the corner where he slept during class. Eli was very intrigued and kept going over to see the baby. He did great; he never once got close enough to touch or disturb him, but I still reminded him each time that it's "A baby..please don't touch." One time I said, "It's a baby. Please don't touch because he's sleeping." When Eli looked up at me, I signed "sleep". He looked back at the baby, then back at me and put his head down on his forearm like I'd done a minute before, signing "sleep". He continued this during the class every time he got close to the baby.

Oh, and as for the picture: Eli found his 1st Birthday Hat this morning and requested to wear it while he played before class.

Eli's Tomatoes

Week 3:

Water, Water, Everywhere...

Eli had a really really good day today which included a 2 1/2 hour nap (he's been more of an hour or 90-minute kid in the last week, much to my dismay). He then happily ate a pear in his booster seat, allowing me to prepare a quick dinner and clean the downstairs floors (unfortunately that has to be done every few days while the house is on the market). Had the day ended there it would have been good enough, but then Lehr came home and took Eli outside to play for a bit. I know I should have grabbed the camera, but for once I decided to just sit and take in the moment instead. Lehr was hosing off the thick layer of pollen on the back deck and Eli was playing in the yard. Every few minutes Eli would climb onto the deck and attempt to touch the water. This turned into a game which included Eli laughing hysterically while Lehr sprayed him on the head. (Very reminiscent of a scene from "Billy Madison", which I tried to find a photo of, but could not.) At the end of this, Eli was soaking wet, but happier than usual at 6:00PM. He politely asked Lehr for hose-possession and since he was already drenched, Lehr gave in. This was quite amusing to watch, but what was even funnier was watching Lehr run away from Eli as he twisted and turned while holding the hose (covering everything in a 10-foot radius). He then ate a great dinner and even asked to sit on the 'bah-dee' (potty). Not that it resulted in anything, but that's secondary.

Master of Distraction

When we bought our shiny new iMac several months back, we put the Dell in our bedroom 'temporarily'. (I'm not sure about your definition of temporary, but ours usually means 'until we move or need the space'. Translation: the PC is still on our bookshelf.) Eli is a big fan of keyboards, even though they are a definite 'no-no' (one we struggle with EVERY day). His latest trick is to wander around upstairs while I'm doing laundry or some other task preventing me from watching Eli for a few moments. His wandering ALWAYS leads him to the keyboard in our room. After about 30 seconds of silence I always call out to Eli to get a location check. In the last few weeks his response to that call is to run into the hallway (where I can see him) and start to dance. As cute as it sounds, it's a dead give-away that he was up to no good. Lehr and I have now caught him in the act, and as soon as he sees us or we say his name, he stops, turns around, smiles, and starts to stomp his feet and snap. Wow....they learn so young.

Picture Page

More evidence that my 'baby' is a full blown little boy now. His "cheese" smile is evident in the first and his tough guy persona in the second.

Eli signed a few more sentences today. "Milk. Please." and "More. Please." For several months now Eli has been using 'please' instead of 'more', but in the last week he's picked it up again. Also we had a huge breakthrough in the behavior department, at least for today. When we walked to the park, Eli held my hand the entire way without once trying to squirm away. (Though he did pull and go limp on the way home, resulting in me carrying him home.) Also, when we came inside after the park he didn't cry once. This amazed me, especially considering it was Eli's nap time so he was tired.

Midwife Appointment

Today was the big Gestational Diabetes test day. For those who have not had the pleasure, it includes the patient (me) drinking 8-10 oz of a very sugary orange soda-ish liquid and then hanging around for an hour before the lab draws blood to test. Luckily Lehr was able to help me out in the Eli department again, because I'm not sure how keen he would have been on sitting 'quietly' for an hour or more. Besides the test we heard the heart beat again (still strong) and the midwife measured my stomach to make sure I was progressing at a rate comparable to the baby's gestational age. After the next appointment we will go to 2-week visits. YIKES! This pregnancy is going so much faster than last time; we're already at 25 weeks! Also, this baby is giving Eli a run for his money in the kicking department. When s/he decides to stretch his/her legs and arms, look out!

Sunday Morning

Eli, Lehr and I joined some friends downtown (and midtown, Emory and Highlands areas) for the Atlanta Marathon and Half-Marathon this morning. It was very inspiring to see all of the runners (and walkers - they gave me hope!) out for this great event. Tyler cheered on his Daddy at five different stops!

Eli has learned how to knock on doors. It's quite amusing to see him curl up his fist and turn his hand upside down to rap-rap-rap at the door. It's even more fun when there is someone there to answer his knocks.

Today was a "first" for Eli: he signed his first sentence! Even though he is progressing with his verbal skills, he still has about a dozen signs he uses regularly. After Lehr cut up some hamburger for Eli's dinner, Eli took a bite and then signed "Thanks. Daddy. Thanks. Daddy." Even though he says "Daddy" quite well, he still loves to point to his head in reference sometimes.

Another One Bites the Dust

Due to the warmer weather recently we've been spending a lot of time outside, which means Eli has had a lot more room to run around. This, of course, means he falls a lot more, which means, because he is wearing shorts most days, he has a lot more scrapes, cuts and bruises. It doesn't seem to bother him though; he is very interested in his skin changes. Lehr taught him to say "boo-boo" and now Eli is quick to show you where his boo-boo is (or rather where they are), whether you ask or not. He scraped his knees today for the first time and as soon as he stood up from his fall he pointed to his knee immediately and said "boo-boo". I'm thinking this kid is going to have a scab collection. Lucky me.

Good Day Sunshine

Since we have been blessed with another beautiful week in Atlanta, Eli and I met two other moms and toddlers for a walk and a park-lunch today. The boys (all three are boys) weathered the walk pretty well, but were much more excited when we arrived at the playground. Of course Eli's favorite structure was the small "choo-choo" right near the pavilion, but he enjoyed going down the slide several times also. Noah and Tyler both seemed to like the plastic bridge they could crawl and walk on, at least until Tyler tried to stand up and found the monkey bars over his head getting in the way. These boys are all climbers; I think we should enroll them in the rock gym now!

All three boys posed for a few shots, but Tyler seemed very interested in the noise my camera made. It seems he and Eli share that camera curiosity!

Eli's Tomatoes

Week 2:

All Grows Up

I've used that title before, but it seems this last month Eli has earned that title more than ever. It's amazing how big he is, all of the sudden, and how grown up he appears! Just today after I picked him up from Mothers Morning Out he was in his car seat and when I looked at him I saw no traces of the baby he once was.

Eli has two favorite songs that he will request through hand gestures: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes and The Itsy Bitsy Spider. For the first, he'll touch his head with both pointer fingers, and then maybe his torso (I guess that is supposed to be his shoulders?). His request for the Spider song resembles the sign for "more" due to the way I touch my fingertips together when I sing the song to him. Also, his mealtime prayer is sung to the tune of Frere Jaques, and he often sings (no real words) along with me.

Man Overboard!

After dinner last night we took advantage of the great weather and longer daylight hours. Sope Creek is one of our favorite spots to hike and we've brought Eli along several times, usually in the backpack carrier. Lehr mentioned the last few times they have hiked he has allowed Eli out of his carrier to explore. (Remember the snake?) His favorite thing to do when he is out of the backpack is throw rocks (or wood, or whatever) in the creek/pond by the dock. When we first arrived last night Lehr let him out to throw right away, given that we were already losing daylight. I'd brought along the camera with the stipulation that I was on camera duty and Lehr was on Eli duty. Immediately Eli rushed towards the very edge of the deck as he threw his rock, scaring me to death. Lehr assured me that he knows to stop at the edge, but I still reminded him that should Eli trip or allow his momentum to carry him into the water, he would be the one swimming with Eli. So I snapped one or two before, no surprise to me, Eli toppled over the edge, head first. Lehr was right there to grab him by the pants, but not before Eli's head was submerged in the cold water. He came up crying, more from the scare factor than anything (though he did get a few small scrapes on his nose from the rocks below the surface). After I held him for 90-seconds tops, Eli was ready to resume his rock-throwing. This time we asked him to sit down and throw instead....

OT: Knitting

I finally finished my first 'real' project. It took me about three weeks, but I knit a blanket for Eli. Of course I know it will not replace his favorite blanket, but hopefully it will finish in a close second place. Eli was very intrigued while I was knitting, and now when he touches and plays with the blanket he says, "Mama", so at the very least, he knows where it came from!

Bottomless Pit

Ever since Eli started eating non-pureed foods he's taken issue with fruit. He loved it when I mashed it up, but if I gave him an apple slice or a piece of a peach he would turn up his nose. For months. And months. I always keep dried fruit on hand since he appears to prefer it and if it gives him a few fruit servings, that's what we'll do. But it appears I might be able to rely less on the dried variety because for the last few weeks Eli has shown much more of an interest in 'real' fruits. When I give him apple slices (as I've done at lunch time 2-3 times a week since he turned one) now, he'll chew on a few and even (gasp!) swallow when he is finished!! And last night we gave him a nectarine, which has been the favorite for some time, and he ate the whole thing even after he'd finished his dinner. He's eaten 1/2 here and there, but last night he consumed the entire fruit and then licked the pit until all flavor was gone.

Bragging Rights

As a parent of a toddler I've found it very easy to get hung up on the less-than-fun moments of daily life. The tantrums, the power struggles, the meltdowns, the defiance. Even if those events only encompass 10% of your day, their effect on the parental psyche usually outweighs any good effects from the other 90% of the day. Although I feel I make a concerted effort to thank God daily for the wonderful son He has given me, I am guilty of letting the bad overshadow the good.

Most of you know that I've been struggling with Eli's recent upgrade in tantrums; I have been trying to determine if I'm expecting too much or too little of him. There have been several days in the last month that have left me frazzled beyond words. In those moments I definitely lost sight of the big picture which is, in my opinion, Eli is a great kid!

If you choose to continue reading, be forewarned: I'm about to get a bit bragadocious. After all, it is my right as a parent. (One of the great things about having kids is the liberty I now have to brag about Eli at the drop of a hat.)

Grandma and Grandpa visited this last week, and while they witnessed a few (relatively small) tantrums, they were not shy about commenting on his good behavior. With the exception of the last night they were here, he let one or both of them put him down for naps and bedtime without any protest. He also freely gave kisses, hugs, and smiles all week long. All in all he was very pleasant during their visit. Last night (after a week of company and 'performing', mind you) we went out to a later dinner with a few out-of-town friends. Eli is not as familiar with them as he has not seen them in months, yet he sat through the entire dinner (which was lengthy due to the busy restaurant) without complaining. We overheard several patrons (and a few people at our table) noticing how good Eli was through the meal. (The score is now Eli: 2.) Finally, as we were walking out of church this morning I was approached by a woman who often works in the nursery for both Sunday service and MOPS. She made a point to stop and tell me how happy she was to have Eli in her class today. She gushed about how fun and good he is, and how she often 'steals' him from his MOPS class to cuddle because he is so snuggly. Nothing warms my heart more than to hear that Eli freely gives affection to people other than immediate family. As much as it saddens me that he is growing up and not a baby anymore, I love to hear how he is growing into his own person with relationships that have nothing to do with Lehr or me. Alright...bragging finished. I just had to share how overwhelmed with perspective I've been this last week.

(Of course, when Lehr brought Eli home from church, he ate his lunch and then threw a 20-minute long tantrum over touching the stereo.)

On a side note, one of Eli's girlfriends (Gracie) came to our church today. As we were saying our good-byes, Eli leaned over and gave Gracie a kiss (open-mouthed, of course. He still hasn't learned the social norm of dry kisses.) totally unprompted. Since Gracie is usually the one chasing after Eli with her affection, she seemed quite happy about this.

Boy, Oh Boy!

Eli and Lehr got me a nice new camera for my birthday, so expect more pictures this week. This one is showing off one of the many bruises Eli currently possesses (center of his forehead - mostly just yellow now). He had three head contusions this week (one scrape, one scab and one bruise), all from different incidences. And don't get me started on his legs.... Due to the unseasonably warm weather this last week, Eli has been wearing shorts most of the time and we've been outside whenever he is not eating or sleeping. The result is more slivers, scrapes, bruises and scratches than I can count. This one is all boy!

Eli's Tomatoes

Upon Lehr's suggestion I've decided to post a weekly picture of Eli's Tomato plant. (It sprouted yesterday afternoon.)

Week 1:

It Was The Best of Times...It Was The Worst of Times...

Lots of ups and downs for Eli this week... Today we went to the aquarium and before even walked through the first exhibit Eli was melting down. One of those don't-hold-me-but-I-won't-be-in-my -stroller-or-walk melt-downs. You know, he doesn't know what he wants...that sort of thing. I'm sure he was just tired/overstimulated from all the activity this week. That was my fault; I thought twice last night about bringing him vs. giving him a day off and I should have stuck with my original feeling. Oh well - live and learn! So Eli and I mainly stayed in the center area of the aquarium while Treis and Mom saw the exhibits. He was a mess that whole time (even when I offered him a snack), but he did calm himself down when we sat down for a quick lunch (even though he was still just eating the same snack food). Eli was a gem on the ride home and he even ate a WONDERFUL lunch when we arrived (complete with a full 1/2 apple). Then he played joyfully and let Grandma Cathie put him down for his nap. Of course he only slept about 50 minutes and then was a complete mess for over an hour. Same type of tantrum/meltdown. Now he is happily playing outside with Lehr and Treis.

Idol Mania

No, not of the televised American variety. Eli's idol is currently Treis, his older cousin. He and Grandma Cathie are visiting for spring break and there is not much more Eli wants in life than to study Treis' every move. Ever since he arrived yesterday, my mini-me is hard pressed to let Treis out of his sight. It's a good thing Treis likes Eli just as much; otherwise he might be pretty annoyed, understandably so!

Today the four of us went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the 80 (yes, 80 mid-March) degree weather. Eli and Treis had a great time running around the children's garden; Eli loved to go down the slide (on his stomach, feet first, of course). After two hours, Eli was exhausted, so we had a quick snack and left. All in all a great day!

Gym Class Hero

Eli visited his weekly Little Gym class this morning. I brought along the camera, but as usual he was so active that it was difficult to get a good picture. He did "ta-da" after his forward and backward rolls for the first time. (I think it helped that the adults in the room were all very involved; he is one to mimic.) He also lifted up his shirt as soon as he saw the instructor bring out the bubbles (for the routine 'bubbles-on-the-belly' portion of the class). Right before the bubble, Eli had a blast playing with the balls. He really focused on kicking today, more than usual. We just might have a soccer player on our hands!

23 Week Belly

snakes, Snakes, SNAKES!

When he goes outside all he wants is to be let back in and when he is in all he wants to do is be let out. Am I talking about a pet or my son?

After church today Lehr took Eli on a hike at Sope Creek. The weather was so nice (70!) and Eli hadn't been in the hike-pack in a while, so he took advantage of the boys' afternoon. At one point Lehr let Eli out to explore the trail on his own, as he loves to do. However due to the amount of leaves and branches covering the outskirts of the trail, the terrain was a bit difficult for Eli to maneuver, so he opted to crawl a bit on top of the pine needles. Wouldn't you know a snake (probably harmless) was right underneath Eli and the leaves.... Lehr said he jumped about 10-feet trying to pick up Eli before the snake discovered him.

Don't Blink

It seems like each day I look at Eli and he seems even more grown up than the last. First off, he has these full on 'conversations' with us all the time. One day this week he and I pulled into the neighborhood and he immediately pointed out the window and started saying something that resembled "mihm at loow". So as we drove towards the house I asked, "Do you see the houses? The trees? The sky? The cars? The birds?" All of these were met with him uttering his phrase again, telling me that I was not naming same object he was. So we pull into the alley and I stop while the garage door opens and turn around to ask, "What is it, Eli? Do you see the garbage cans?" His response was hilarious: he had a look of disbelief on his face and he said, "No! mihm at loow!" Seriously. His expression was priceless. It was as if he said, "Honestly, are you even listening to me?!?!?"

After his bath each night either Lehr or I slather lotion all over Eli before putting his pajamas on. Half of the time he'll hold out his hand in a request for a little lotion. When we put some on his hand he usually wipes his hands together to rub the lotion in. The other night I took a shower just before we gave him a bath and he came into the bedroom with me while I put lotion on myself. He watched me very carefully as I put it all over my arms and legs, and then he came over to 'ask' for lotion on his hand. Instead of his usual hand rub, he took his now-covered-with-lotion hand and rubbed it on my legs again and again.

After our all of our stops yesterday, Eli's nose was becoming a mess during our ride home so I handed him a wipe (something I've never done before) in hopes that he'd wipe his face like he does when you give him a napkin (something we didn't teach him - he just kinda picked it up on his own). Not only did he wipe his face, but he blew his nose into the wipe. WOW! Neither Lehr nor I have been sick at all with sinus issues in the past six or seven months, so I'm not sure who he has seen blowing their nose, but obviously he learned a lot from the demonstration!

The moral of the story is: Don't Blink. They grow up way too quick even when you think you are watching their every move.

Tomato, Tomah-to

Eli and I have had a pretty stellar day so far. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself; it's only naptime and we still have the afternoon/evening to tackle.) After he woke up (still no fever...hopefully that was just his usual hot self from sleeping yesterday) and ate breakfast we went for a walk at the river. (Sidenote on breakfast: Eli is becoming quite adept at his spoon and fork skills. He still spills a bit, but his technique has come a long way.) We followed that up with a short trip to the Lakeshore Learning Store where I bought Eli a new wooden puzzle and some sidewalk chalk (I'm keeping that in my back pocket for now; it will be pulled out one afternoon when he's 'bored'.). When we arrived home I took Eli onto the back porch so we could plant the tomato seeds we got from MOPS yesterday. I painted a little pot with his name on it and he was quite excited about that. He was very interested in the whole process of pouring the dirt in the pot, opening the seed packet, placing some seeds in the dirt, and finally covering them up with dirt and 'patting'. Once we finished he carried the seed packet all around the deck, spilling leftover seeds everywhere (that will be fun for the future owners of this house). He then meandered around our small backyard for close to 20 minutes, never ONCE making a move towards the back alley. This is huge since that is a battle I've been having with him. (If the cherry tomatoes grow I'll be sure to post pictures, but Eli dumped the pot three or four times after we finished, so who knows the state of the seeds and growing environment.)

Snuggle-Bug

I can probably count on one hand the amount of times Eli has fallen asleep on me. Even when he was a baby he wouldn't lay his head on your shoulder to sleep or curl up in bed with anyone. In fact, in the past one of the most telling signs that Eli has been under the weather is a sudden willingness to snuggle. (The only other time I can recall is over Christmas this year when overstimulation got the best of him and he unexpectedly collapsed on me for a nap.)

Today was one of those rare occasions. Eli woke up from his nap rather early and played a little, but then he was silent again so I assumed he went back to sleep. Ten minutes later he started crying. Hard. I went into his room to find him in his crib on all fours, crying his eyes out. I picked him up and he immediately melted into me. (Again, this is NOT normal. He usually gives quick hugs or kisses and is then DONE.) I swayed back and forth for a few minutes trying to calm him, but he was burning up and very upset. Another thing Eli is not a fan of is cuddling in a chair, but I sat down anyway (my back was killing me!) and started to rock him. He still snuggled into me and eventually stopped crying. He was still warm, but after about ten minutes he felt more normal and he fell asleep on me. I could have deposited him back into his crib for the rest of his nap, but I decided to take advantage of one of the few times Eli has let me hold him and cuddle. We rocked in his chair and he slept for almost a full hour like that. These are the moments.....