Extended Family Time

We love when Molly and Grandpa come to visit and of course when they have to leave that is always the worst. Thankfully after a great weekend with Molly and Grandpa, we had some more special visitors come! Aunt Jac, Uncle Mark and our favorite cousins Cash & Walker and then Mo and Mimi all came over this morning to play! And talk about how things change...since the last time all 5 cousins were together, two are learning to walk and one has two new teeth!  We love our family!!!

 

 

 

Friday Night Fun

We had a great time Friday night just eating pizza, drinking wine and laughing a lot with friends.  The kids played a ton, baked cookies, took a bath and then unfortunately knocked heads resulting in a bruise on Reese and a BLACK EYE on Luci!  So sorry Luci!  But like she told her Mommy, she is tough!  It helps so much that the kids all love Ms. Luci SO much!!!  Can't wait to do it again!

7 Months

7 Months!  And what a great month it has been!  It is hard for me to remember life without this little man since he brings so much joy to our family!  So time for the breakdown...

Nicknames: Mr. Eli - this comes from Ashton and Reese, so proper right???  Little Man, Peanut, Booga Bear.

Likes:  Mommy!  I can proudly say he lights up when I walk into the room which melts my heart!  He also smiles so big when he sees Daddy, Ashton, Reese and Mr. Spook!  Loves that dog!  Food!  More about that later, but this boy loves to eat.  Likes the exersaucer, toy football, rolling all over the place, his feet, and a new favorite...blowing major spit bubbles...not so cool when he has a mouth full of food

Dislikes:  When Mommy walks OUT of a room.  Having your nose wiped, and we have done a lot of this the last two months, along with eye drops; whenthere is no food left; being laid down (really likes to snuggle); being alone in a room

Milestones:  Rolling front to back, back to front across an entire room, one and a half teeth....the first one popped through finally this week and the second (both bottom front) we can feel and is making its way out

Feeding: Down to 4 bottles a day at the sitter's house; nurses in the morning and at night and on the weekends during the day.  Taking about 6 oz at each bottle.  Eats oatmeal cereal in the morning with a fruit sometimes.  Lunch is a veggie and fruit.  Dinner is usually a combo of veggie/fruit/yogurt.  He has tried sweet potato, carrot, peas, avocado, apples, pears, bananas and yogurt.  So far he likes everything but the avocado.  And while he loves the bananas they don't really do him good (TMI??? they stop him up for DAYS!!!)  so we are kinda cutting this out for now.  His FAVORITE by far is yogurt (no surprise there!) and will try to steal the spoon.

Sleeping: Thanks to illness, and now teething he still isn't sleeping consistently.  Usually he goes down between 6:30 - 7:30 and will sleep anywhere from 12-1:30.  He then will go back down until maybe 4-4:30.  This hurts!  Mommy and Daddy are tired!

Clothes/Diapers: We finished up our size 2 diapers and are now in size three.  At his six month check up he weighed 15 lbs 15 oz so I am guessing we are probably close to 17 lbs by now.  He is in six month clothing but can still fit in some 3-6 month stuff and the occassional 9 month sleepers too.

Firsts: Lots of new first foods all were introduced this month.  First tooth!  First time in his high chair...we have been using the nap nanny/bumbo seat/and this other mini saucer seat which we really like.

Looking forward to...sitting up!  Eli isn't quite able to hold himself up very long, he can push on his hands to hold up, but not for long.  I can tell just in the last two weeks how much stronger his back is getting though so I think this will happen this month.  Getting outside some more.  We have had some beautiful days and I love letting this guy get some fresh air.

Eli you are such a wonderful baby and lil man.  We love you more each day and I literally run out of work each day to get to you and your brother and sister and can't wait to kiss those sweet cheeks of yours!

A tooth and a water hose

So before I forget I wanted to write this down.  Eli got his first tooth yesterday!  His bottom left is coming in, which may explain some long nights lately.  And then, just for a random post, where else can you find kids wearing shorts and playing with a water hose in JANUARY????  Houston, Texas of course!!!! 

Cuteness....

 

Be scared Reese...he is armed with a bucket full of water!

 

She is a hot mess

 

Chillin' watching his big bro and sis go after each other

 

And he attacks...

 

She thinks he is hysterical

 

She is a smart one, gets the bigger hose

 

And proof that they really do love each other!

Wonderful Sunday...even a week later

We love getting to spend time with our Mo and Mimi.  Last weekend when we had gorgeous weather they came over and played outside. 

 

Riding his new Green Machine...thank you Molly and Grandpa!

 

We tried for a shot of Mo and Mimi with the kids, unfortunately not everyone was always looking or smiling at the same time...always a challenge

 

Oh Princess...you are something!

 

He Shoots!

 

He SCORES!!!

 

Sweet Moments...

Christmas Part II

Since we have family that lives out of town we get to have Christmas not just once but twice and even sometimes three times!  Nan and Nannie Marge came in the day after Christmas and helped keep Eli and Reese who were both under the weather on that Thursday and Friday.  Eli had a rough two days since he wasn't feeling the best but thankfully he had his Mo, Mimi, and great aunts there to cuddle him.  Reese managed to keep everyone entertained for about 36 hours.  She was her typical self by getting into Nannie Marge's lotion and then the Vick's vapor rub.  You can not let her go for a minute or you will be sorry.  She is definetely a curious one!  Ashton was still in Midland enjoy some quality time with Molly and Grandpa.  Then on Saturday Nannie Marge and Nan headed home, Mo and Mimi headed to the lake to meet Jac, Mark and the boys, and then Molly, Grandpa and Ashton arrived home.  Oh how I missed that boy!  I just wanted to hug and kiss him as soon as he walked in....he on the other hand was ready to have Christmas with Molly and Grandpa.  Thankfully he agreed (not very willingly) to let us have dinner and then we did Christmas again. 

The kids, and Casey and I all love when Molly and Grandpa come to visit.  They graciously kept all the kids on Monday while Casey and I worked and then headed home today.  We are always sad to see them go, and get questioned relentlessly from Ashton on when Molly is coming back.  So hopefully they won't stay away for too long!  Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

Presents gallore!

I think the BIG wheel may be bigger than her

 

 

 Under the weather but cute as a button!

 

 

 We tried to get a happy family picture....Ashton didn't get the memo to smile

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See he was happy to be there!

 

Our Princess all dressed up and ready to entertain

 

Eli spent a lot of time snuggled up in Grandpa's arms

 

This is the face I now get when I ask her to say Cheese for the camera (oh and please notice the bended knee as she "poses")

 

Where did my baby/toddler go...this picture makes her look SO grown up to me :(

Happy Half Birthday and Happy New Year

Six months, a half year?  Wow!  Oh Eli, all you bring is joy, well maybe a little sleeplessness too, but that is quickly forgotten when anyone just looks at you and you show that melt your heart smile. 

Nicknames: Eli, Peanut (still daddy's favorite) and Booga Bear(mommy's name)---nothing has changed here oh but Mommy sometimes calls you Lil' Man

Likes: Mommy, Daddy, Ashton, Reese, bathtime, being outside, your activity mat as long as your favorite octopus is hanging down and you are trying to swat at it, exersaucer and banging on the buttons, looking in the mirror, having people blow on your belly, tickled under your neck (that is your sweet spot), frog carseat toy...and you have figured out how to hit the buttons and make him light up

Dislikes: Medicine!  Oh and we have had to deal with this a lot lately as you have had a rough month with illness, being left alone (crave attention), food (work in progress)

Milestones: Rolled over from your back to your stomach and then grabbed on to something to scoot yourself to where you wanted to go....you are a smart little cookie!, started eating solids, sitting better with support

Feeding:  Still taking roughly 4-5 bottles a day but now have rice cereal or oatmeal in the morning...you love oatmeal, rice not so much.  We have tried bananas, apples, and sweet potatoes and so far none of them seem to have you reaching for the spoon like the oatmeal does.  We are working on this though and hoping things change....I really hope you aren't as picky as Ashton.  I am still nursing and have no plans to give it up yet as long as you are willing, I will be too.

Sleeping:  Oh this is a sore subject.  As mentioned before, this has been a rough month with illness.  Pretty much since Thanksgiving we have had something going on.  This last week we have been fighting RSV so between horrible coughing and middle of the night breathing treatments we are not very successful in the sleeping category.  We just need to get better and then we can get some good nights in.  You are still taking 3-4 "cat naps" during the day...anywhere from 30 min to an hr each.

Clothes/Diapers:  Size 2 diapers but you have really started filling those out.  You are in 3-6 month clothing.  You are over 15 lbs and have really put those two pounds on in the last two weeks I swear.  I love that belly you have and I have been known to kiss it a few times between diaper changes and bath time

Firsts:  First time with cereal, and LOVED it!  First Christmas was wonderful, and First New Years Eve...we saw midnight with a breathing treatment, and today is your First New Years Day, First time to roll from stomach to back

Looking Forward To...trying some new foods, getting a better nights sleep, getting our other exersaucer that can let you "walk" in it, snuggling up on our winter nights (that is somewhat of a joke living in Houston)

Eli the only thing I can say is your Daddy, brother, sister and I love you more and more each day if it is even possible.  You are a little ray of sunshine everyday and I adore you.  Happy Half Birthday Buddy!!!!

Lookin' pretty cute even though he has RSV