Nine Months

Oh Eli, how we love you!  I have had more people comment on how laid back, easy going and how you are just such a GOOD baby and I can only beam with pride and agree.  You are a joy!  You make every rough day better and can always put a smile on my face.

Nicknames: Eli, Booga Bear, Lil' Monkey, Peanut...you answer to alot but you definetly know your name!

Likes: Grabbing hair!  You seriously almost made a donation to locks of love from your sister's head of hair, not once but twice in a matter of minutes!  Johnny Jumper - finally figured out how to bounce well enough and go to town; when mommy does jumping jacks - this is hysterical, when I lay you on your back and do them in front of you, you move your arms and legs in the same motion and then stop when I stop, all while cracking up laughing!; OUTSIDE - you literally cry when I walk to let the dog out but we don't go; the jogging stroller (hence you are outside); any attention; your bed

Dislikes: Being told no that we cannot go outside; coming back inside (you get the idea); when your food runs out (you have a belly and an appetite!); getting your diaper changed - you try to flip over which makes it more difficult; being left alone in a room

Milestones: Sitting up as long as you want; sleeping through the night (more on this in a bit); getting top two teeth...they have broken through but aren't showing that much yet; first word!  Mama!!!!

Feeding: You are down to nursing twice a day, a bottle of breastmilk and one of formula; you are eating breakfast/lunch/dinner and have started having some snacks.  You like sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, black beans, tomato soup, corn, peas, peaches, apples, pears, mango...thus far you don't like avocado or cantelope and bananas are a hit/miss depending on the day

Sleeping: I have never been so excited to write about this topic for any of my children!  You have been sleeping on average about 8-10 hours each night.  You usually go down btw 7:30-8 and will sleep anywhere between 3:30-5:30...on the weekends if you wake up you will nurse then go back down for another hour or two.  You take about two naps a day one for maybe 45 and then the other for an hour to two hours depending on the day

Clothing: Size 3 diapers, 6-9 month clothing but some of this is tight.  You have a belly!  We go to the dr next week for your 9 month check up but I am guessing you have to be close to 18 lbs or so

Firsts: Said your first word...MAMA!!!!  Followed by DADA, but MAMA was heard and not just by me!  I have witnesses (Mimi,Jac and Nana)  Sleeping through the night consistently (praying by typing this I am not jinxing us); trying new foods (corn, black beans, soup, gerber puffs, gerber yogurt melts, asparagus, broccoli); first St. Patrick's Day and First Easter---the bunny treated you well

Looking forward too: Crawling?  I really think we are a ways off from this, you show no signs of even being interested, or pulling up.  I am guessing if we go with how long it took you to sit up then you probably will crawl at 12 months and walk at 18...hey, slow and steady wins the race right?

Eli, you are amazing.  You are the sweetest little boy and baby I know.  You have stolen my heart.  I can not thank God enough for entrusting me with you precious one!  We love you!!!

Reese

There are so many times that people will ask me now how life with three children is.  By no means are my boys perfect, but I will say, their sister makes them look like they have halos on their heads far more often than not.  Deep down, I always wanted a little girl, and I am beyond thankful that I have Reese as my precious daughter, but to be fair, this child keeps me on my toes, makes my brown hair start to turn gray and makes me question my parenting all the time.  I know, you ask, how can someone with those big blue eyes and sweet dimples pack such a big punch!  I task you with 12 hours with her and you may get a small taste of what she can bring.  I will also promise a lot of laughs, some sweet and tender moments and some of the best hugs you could ask for. 

I wanted to write down a few special Reese moments from lately....

*I walk into my bathroom to find an empty bottle of pink nail polish....and some pink tile and grout to match....thank you Reese (oh and her heels were pink so no denying the culprit)

*I walk into the laundry room to find a white rug hanging to dry, now having a large stain with liquid dripping from it....next to it, an empty bottle of wood floor cleaner...thank you Reese

*Walking into Target with just Reese and she finds a penny!  Lucky girl.  I put Reese in the basket and in the middle of Target she screams out "Mommy my penny is in my pee pee!  My penny is in my pee pee!"  Due to the fact she was wearing leggings without pockets she felt it was necessary to put the penny down her diaper for safe keeping.  After many stares I quickly made my way to the check out line to leave the store and get the lovely task of removing/finding the lost penny....thank you Reese

*After making cupcakes with Ashton and Reese and letting the kids decorate them (supervised!) Casey discovers an empty sprinkles bottle only to find the once full bottle's contents now all over the table and spread out to make sure every part of it sparkled with pink....thank you Reese

*I am starting to introduce Eli to puffs (those little star shaped Gerber snacks).  After buying a brand new bottle and openning it and giving him just 2 (there are probably well over 200 in the container) I could not find it.  I walk in the playroom to find the empty bottle and inside the pots, pans, oven and sink of the play kitchen are all of the missing puffs....thank you Reese

*I had left over spaghetti which Reese requested for dinner last night.  Being the helper she is, as I was heating up the noodles and sauce I took out the container of parmesean cheese and set it on the counter telling Reese not to open it.  My voice fell on deaf ears as I turned around to hear, "Ooops!  Sorry Mommy!  We buy some more?"  To see the entire bowl of parmesean now on the floor and our dog enjoy a cheesey treat....thank you Reese

*While I was changing Eli's diaper I left Reese to color a coloring book.  I returned to find my kitchen tile colored purple, blue, and yellow.  Thank you CRAYOLA for making your washable markers washable!  Ms. Reese has put these to the test more than once!...thank you again Reese!

All in all, this little darling is a wonderful child that has could easily put Curious George the Monkey to shame.  In the whole scheme of things, these are nothing and I can look back and laugh at all of these.  Oh Reese, I love you and can't wait to see what you will do next!

Mo and Mimi time!

Last weekend Casey went to Midland to be with Molly, Grandpa, and Mema as Mema underwent bypass surgery.  Thankfully Mema made it through the surgery and is working on recovering as we speak.  We are hopeful that God will help her body mend quickly and that she will be back to feeling good soon!  While Daddy was away, Mo and Mimi stepped in to help Mommy for the entire weekend.  A HUGE thank you to them!!!  The kids LOVED every minute with Mo and Mimi and while Mo and Mimi I think left Sunday a bit more exhausted than they normally feel after having a weekend, the kids just wanted them to come back for some more fun!  As always, I try to get pictures of everyone looking...never happens...but its the effort right??

Eight Months

EIGHT!  Wow!  This is bittersweet....you are growing so fast, yet still are so much of a baby to me which I love.  Time to breakdown this month....

Nicknames: Eli (of course), Mr. Eli as said by your brother and sister (so formal!), peanut, booga bear, Lil' Man

Likes: Grabbing Mommy's hair (ouch!), grabbing the blinds when I am trying to change your diaper, making raspberries a.k.a spitting, rolling...still prefer your back, your big brother...you are a bit leary of your big sister (rightfully so, j/k), eating solids, bath time

Dislikes: Split Pea Soup!  I have the funniest video where you are making gagging faces and even shiver after one bite, it is hysterical; being left alone, your crib (UGH!)

Milestones: You are sitting up for more than 5 seconds, but really still have not mastered this...I guess I think you are the Turtoise in the Tortoise and the Hare where slow and steady wins the race and just need to remember that you will get there in your own time.

Feeding:  We have dropped another bottle!  You nurse in the mornings, eat cereal for breakfast, take a bottle, eat fruit/veggie for lunch, take a bottle, have one more bottle during the day, eat fruit/veggie and yogurt for dinner, nurse and off to bed.  You like your food and your big ole' belly shows it!

Sleeping: You tend to pass out between 6:30-7 each night until around 11, up for 15 minutes or so and back down until 3ish, up for 15 back down and get up usually around 5....a work in progress but better than nothing

Clothes/Diapers: 6 months, some 9 months...diapers size 3.  You have a belly that is for sure and while some 3-6 month stuff still fits, it is snug on that bowl full of jelly you have there

Firsts: Split Pea Soup (FAIL), sitting up on your own, managing to tip the bumbo...that was scary but not bruises to show, thankfully; learning to shake his head No, No, No excessively...its hysterical

Looking Forward to: Sitting up LONGER, working on pushing up...hopefully thinking of crawling, sleep...or maybe that is just Mom/Dad, trying some new foods....maybe finger foods??

Eli, you are such a sweet lil guy who just melts my heart with your toothy grin.  You give the best kisses (open mouth for mommy) and you are a snuggle bug.  I love these days with you (and nights to) and am so thankfully God picked me to be your Mommy!

 

Eli was NOT in the mood for a photo shoot today...and as we like to call it, he was having a "Mo" hair day (takes after my dad!)



If this is what sick looks like...

So Friday morning Reese woke up complaining that her ear hurt and she was running a low fever.  I stayed home with her and brought her to the doctor.  The pictures below are what she looked like before the doctor came in.  My smiling girl quickly turned on the drama queen when the doctor came in and asked what was wrong.  Reese said pouting "My ear hurts and I stubbed my toe."  What an actress!  An ear infection sure enough.  Thankfully we are on the mend.

I love my Pink Cowboy

This week at school Ashton had PINK day and then he had Go Texan Day.  The night after pink day, I had him try on his cowboy boots to make sure they fit and he posed for me.  When I asked him if all the kids wore pink that day he said, "The girls did, the boys didn't."  I said, "So you were the only boy wearing pink?"  His response: "That's okay Mommy, I looked good!"  Glad we are good in the self confidence department!

I Phone Dump 2013 (and some of 2012

I am awful about downloading pictures from my phone....so here we go!  There are ALOT of pictures...you can pretty much watch Eli grow up in the last two months!