Hey Guys....

you know that turkey that mom and I made this weekend....it was only 2-3 lbs lighter than me! Can you believe it?
I hope mom and dad don't think they can stuff and roast me next?

Love,
Elijah

Grace in the Small Things # 8-Weekend Bliss

1. Elijah time-It was so fun to spend time during the day with Eli. He is a different character during the day than he is at night (at the "witching hour" as my parents call it-dinner time/bed time). He laughed a lot, smiled tons and talked about everything. He played so well with all of his toys and crawled everywhere. It really amazed me. He's in to everything and has now had his first few boy-bumps on the head. He recovers well and I was flabbergasted when he found the fridge when it was accidentally left open.
2. A frozen turkey-Eli made his first turkey this weekend. There was no reason for it except that it was in the freezer and we had the time. Eli was in the Baby Bjorn while we cleaned it, stuffed it and seasoned it! I didn't learn how to do all of that from my mom until I was probably 12!3. A helpful husband-Andy is so helpful on the weekends. Yes, he watched his share of basketball (March Madness is truly that-MADNESS when you're bracket STINKS) but he also helped in the kitchen, watched the lil man on Friday night so I could go out, folded baskets of laundry, installed a new semi-permanent baby gate and even pureed cantaloupe and black beans for Eli's meals!
4. Some good sleep-We are working on letting Eli cry through the night when he usually wakes to nurse/eat. The last 2 nights have been pretty good and for some reason (maybe the time change last weekend) he slept a bit longer in the morning too! This is definitely a work in progress and harder on me than it is on Andy.

5. Impromptu visits- we had planned on visiting my grandpa this weekend (Eli's great grandpa!) and we found out my parents were going too so we made a group visit to Great Grandpa Schneider. He seems to be well and even held Eli on his lap for a bit. This leads to #6....

6. The Cheese Factory-On the corner by my Grandpa's town there is a REAL cheese company and boy do they have the BEST string cheese ever. I bought 2 packs and one went in the freezer. I could eat a piece at every meal!

7. Good conversation-On Friday night I went to an indoor multi-family rummage with a friend of mine who is pregnant. When I drove her home to drop her off, we sat in the car for at least an hour chatting-like women do. It was great! Thanks Jessica!!!!

8. Naps-I napped Saturday and Sunday when Eli took his morning nap. THAT IS BLISS.

Grace in the Small Things #7 (Bailee Style...WOOF WOOF)

1. My new baby brother: ok so he's not so new anymore. He's 9 months old. But it took a while for me to get used to him. The best thing about him-he now eats in a highchair. Yes a HIGH chair-meaning he drops things off the side and I am RIGHT there for it. Yes, I now get nibbles of graham cracker, fruit and veggie puffs and sometimes splatters of applesauce.

2. A walk with mom: Tonight I had some alone time with Mom. No stroller at my heels. No conversation I had to decipher between mom and dad. Because the NCAA basketball is on-Dad is monitoring the "monitor" (AKA listening for my lil brother to make a peep) and mom decided to take me for a walk. What a wonderful event. It has been a while since I got to walk with just mom. I let my tongue hangout and went wild!

3. The crate: I don't need it anymore!! Mom and dad have entrusted me with free reign of the basement, kitchen and dining room. I stare out the window and sleep on the couch. I also have access to my food and water. No more "Cage"! Last weekend Dad even folded it up and put it in the basement. I'm. So. Proud. Of-MYSELF!

4. The weather: So fun to chase the bunnies in the backyard which brings me to #5----

5. The fenced in yard: Mom and dad let me run wild.

6. Nicknames: I've had a wholllllle slew of them. But hey eli! Who should they call Stinker pants now??????

It's been a great year. I love my life!! Love, Bailee (WOOF WOOF)

Because Today

I had the honor to stay home for the morning with my lil man-I can't keep up with his runny, schnoozy nose. I had to remind myself of what he is like with a dry nose.

Sometimes I would describe my

WORRY

as

terrifying.

Terrified worry.

uggggggggggggggggggg
Just had to share.

Dear Eli,

I've been meaning to write to you for a while now. I just want you to know how life is as you grow up. And this is your glorified baby book.

Times will be so different when you finally learn how to read and can understand this post. And times will be changed even more when you finally find any meaning in any of these blog posts. I figure by the time you are aged 5-8 you will be able to read some (and I should use the word most here as my writing is a very simple style) of the words in this post. But it won't be until you are about 26 that you will find any meaning in any of this. Maybe someday you will get married and that wife of yours will want to read this and find it special. I know I would love to hear what my mom felt as I grew up, or what Dad's mom thought when he was learning all that you are now.
You are 8 1/2 months old. You are at a stage. Every day...you are at a different stage. And every day I can't believe it. Dad still says from the other room "Raina (that's me-mom!) come here" and I sigh loudly, thinking...really? I have to get up from what I'm doing to come see? But then. THEN! Then I see why he calls me in the room. It could be any simple thing you have learned to do. It could be something special. Cuddly. Funny. Exciting. But it's worth it to stop what I'm doing and see your every movement. And I do the same thing to Dad.
Our days as a family are crazy. Every day is go-go-go! Dad and I both work full time right now. So every morning we get you up, dress you, feed you and let you play while we get your milk, your food and your other necessities ready for the day. Dad brings you to daycare every day and then calls me to report that you were smiley and that he told Ms. Debbie everything she needed to know. That gets me through the first part of my day. Then I end up e-mailing Debbie to find out if you were eating, sleeping, pooping or smiling- all that good stuff. That gets me through lunchtime. Sometimes I read Ms. Debbie's email a couple times a day or send the email from her to Grandma and Aunt Sarah and Peggy so they can comment on it. Any little conversation about you helps me through my day. By 3 o'clock, I'm ready for another update. Dad or I pick you up and your nightly routine begins.
Lately, and I don't know why I say lately because I should say "as always" I 've been emotional about you. I've been feeling many different emotions: excitement, love, fear, anger, pride, wonder etc etc etc.

I feel excitement when I walk in the door and see your smiling face. You are always happy to see Dad and I.
I feel SO much love for you. It's amazing. And it's the kind of love where you feel something swell up in your chest and it is hard to swallow. Today I felt it when Ms. Debbie emailed and said that you were trying to steal the other kids' sippy cup. Made me LOVE that you were involved with the other lil ones, playing and stealing just like the other kiddos. Of course that is a silly reason to feel love. But when I walked down the hallway at work, I thought of that look you get when you are determined and wondered if you had that on your face when you were trying to get that sippy cup. A little later Ms. Debbie emailed again and said that you were drinking water out of your own sippy and I just swelled with love thinking of you being content with your own sippy cup!
I feel fear because I watched a video of your cousin Charley skiing down a big hill and wondered how I will deal with that in the future. How will I ever allow you out of my sight to grow big and strong? I can't shelter you. Ohhhhh but I'll want to! I have fears that something could happen to you, but I also fear that I won't be very strong to let you do all that you need to grow and become an independent person. I guess I have Dad to keep me in line?

I have anger when you whine while I'm changing your diaper in the middle of the night. It's not real anger at you! No....I just feel anger that I, as a parent, have not taught you to sleep through the night. I should do that for you. So I feel anger that when the whining is happening that it is my fault.

I feel so much pride when you eat a new food (you never spit it out!), make a new face, do "SO BIG!", smile at someone special, grab food and put it in your own mouth or learn to crawl!!!!

I feel wonder when I think about you every day. I wonder what you're doing, how much you've cried, how many times you've smiled at other people, if you like getting in your car seat, if you ever think of me, if you're happy, if you're tired, if you're going to poop today, if you love your bath, if if if. I wonder all day long about you.
Other emotions come and go too. Being a mom is like that I guess. It's never ending.

Well you probably don't care about any of that.
You want to know the goods-what you're doing and what's new.
You:
~ have 3 teeth
~weigh between 14.5 and 15.5 lbs
~love to pull hair~have found your ears and tug on them while you eat
~still nurse and eat from a bottle
~love fruit but eat your vegetables without a problem-I'm amazed you eat spinach and black beans!!!
~flip and sleep on your tummy at times (in a sleep sack-you're out of the swaddle blanket)
~have figured out how to crawl
~attended your first funeral
~like to knock over towers of stacked things
~could eat a whole magazine (seriously your favorite thing is stuffing paper in your mouth)
~are learning to drink from a sippy cup
~put your arms in the air when we ask you how big you are "Soooo big"
~ride in the stroller without your car seat!

And there is more-I could go on for hours.Nothing else to say...except I love you to pieces.
A lot.
And
All the time!
Love,
Mom

Who has 6 minutes?

If you have 6 minutes to watch lil Eli move around.....then you are a lucky soul!
No really-the first 2 clips are of Elijah learning to crawl (with an excited Dad in the background!).
The 3rd clip is of Eli in his new jumperoo. Take note:
1. Watch Eli's feet at 1min and 40 seconds in and on. Makes me LAUGH!
2. I don't know this song in the background-it is on my itunes-but definitely was not meant to be on the video :)

The 4th clip is for only DIE HARD Eli fans. Seriously-he doesn't do any neat tricks or anything. But he pulls himself up and tries to grab a jar of popcorn seeds for about 5 minutes. It makes my heart swell. So I shared it with you-the world-but mainly all the folks who can't make the trip to see Eli for a while.

He is growing up so fast and a total joy right now.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com


Oh yeah and this video montage makes me fall in love with Andy all over again. He truly loves our boy and I love to hear the joy in his laugh and eyes when he see's Eli do these new things.