Memorial Day

We had a great day yesterday at Aimee and Gary's for a Memorial Day cook-in. We had to stay in because of all the rain, but it was still great. All thru dinner I just kept thinking of how blessed we were to be sitting there enjoying our meal and games while people like Jonathan are out serving our country. They are the ones that should get to be home enjoying a nice day. We miss him so much and can't wait to see him. Elijah and I are sitting at home. Beau had to go back to work today and it sucks. He has been taking such good care of me and I'm realizing how much I need him home right now. Maybe I can call him and get him to come home. When you don't move very fast its hard to keep a crawling baby out of trouble. I also can't pick him up off the floor. That makes our day interesting. I better go he's eating paper! Does a bank statement have any nutritional value. Please say yes.

We're crawling (for real - no more scooting) and moving toward eating solids. Elijah says "Thanks for the cookie idea Juju!) He also loves his swing. Its so relaxing!! Please keep me in your prayers, my surgery is on Thursday morning. I better go Elijah is thinking he should just crawl over Beau's gym shoes instead of around them and he's stuck.

He loves his new swing!!

Just hanging out in the front yard. Thanks Papa for our new swing!!

My first Mother's Day

I was so excited for my first Mother's Day. I tried to explain it to Beau by telling him "you don't get to remember your first Christmas or birthday, but you get to remember you're first Mother's Day". He only shrugged. I woke up to breakfast in bed with a card and chocolates (of course they were dark). Then off to church. I was so excited to hear the sermon (again: my first Mother's Day sermon). Well, Elijah usually only makes it to communion and then gets fussy. No different this time. We went back to the "training room" because it has a big window into the auditorium and speakers to hear the sermon. Usually we go back there and he calms down and falls asleep. The only problem is I have an incredibly wonderful baby who does not like to be rocked to sleep but would rather go to his bed. This is obviously a problem at church. He started crying (he never cries) as soon as the sermon began. He was climbing all over me, pullling my hair and being so loud. Then, no exageration, he fell asleep during the invitation song!!!! I missed the entire sermon. Then, since we were going out for lunch and he really needed to get some kind of a nap in, I sat in the training room in the dark with the lights off until everyone was gone from the building. So I didn't get to hear the sermon or see anyone afterwards so they could tell me "Happy First Mother's Day"! WELCOME TO MOTHERHOOD We went to Beverly and Jon's for lunch and had a wonderful time. It was hard, I wanted to see my own mom on my Mother's Day, but that family has taken us in and made our time here so much easier. Anyway, here are just a few pic (I also forgot to get a picture with my own son on Mother's Day). ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! Oh well. He had a great time on the piano.

Any day now

I really think today could be the day Elijah starts crawling! I went to get him out of bed this morning and he was up on all fours playing. I went to the end of his crib and put my arms out. He took one "step" with an arm and a leg, then picked up the opposite ones to take the next "step" and fell. I just hope he either does it before this weekend or waits until next Tuesday because starting Friday I work thru Monday and I really want to be here when he does it for the first time. Anyway, today we have his 6 month checkup. Beau has his last final of the day and we're going shopping for a few things. I found out that Elijah really loves to swing so we're going to see if we can find one to hang up outside. I was going to go today and Beau came home and said a couple from church gave him a BabiesRus giftcard. They said they never gave us a baby shower gift! So there you go! I also have my appt with the doctor Thursday to schedule my surgery. Keep me in your prayers please, I'm not looking forward to it.

A few funny things

I captured Elijah falling asleep while bouncing in his bouncer on the video camera. If only I could figure out how to download it. Anyway, super funny! I'm not saying he is kinda bouncing or swinging himself to sleep. I'm talking hard bouncing and then BAM nothing and he's asleep. That bouncer is by far the best investment we've made! Anyway, I worked all weekend and yesterday so today we are just laying around. Elijah has not been feeling well... we think he is teething and its really bothering him. Anyway, he woke up from his nap and played a little. Around noon he started whining and I thought he was getting hungry. I opened a new package of diapers (he's graduated to the 9 oz bottles) rinsed one out and made the formula. I sat down to feed him and he was just whining a lot and pulling at his ears. I thought his teeth must really be hurting. I read that when babies are teething they may refuse to eat from a bottle for a while b/c it hurts to suck. So I put some teethers in the freezer, gave him some to chew on, a little tylenol and let him play. In about 15 mins he was whining again. I decided to try a bottle again. This time he was really acting hungry, but would start crying when he started sucking. I felt so sorry for him that he was hurting so bad. I thought I would give him the formula in a sippy cup since it probably doesn't hurt as bad to suck from that. I got up, went to the kitchen. I wanted to do my own experiment. I know it doesn't take much effort to suck from the sippy cup ( you moms know you've drank from one too, don't judge)! However, I had never tried sucking on a bottle. I put it in my mouth and barely sucked ( I did not want to get a lot of formula, that stuff is gross). I wasn't getting anything so I sucked harder, still nothing. I thought, "man he does have to suck hard!" Then it hit me. I looked at the top of the bottle - no hole in the nipple! I switched out the nipple and Elijah sucked that bottle down in no time! Poor kid, his teeth had nothing to do with it. Now I need to go check the other new bottles for holes!

We had a great Easter, I guess. It was a little lonely. Beau had a retreat all weekend so instead of being here by myself I decided to fly home. Elijah and I left for the airport Friday morning. Getting through check-in and security was the hardest. I wore him on me in a carrier and had our suitcase in one hand and the car seat in another. Everyone is really helpful, though when you're toting a baby. The flight to Dallas was fine, Elijah slept the whole way and I looked at a magazine. He would wake up and whine a little during the descent, because his ears were popping. I would give him his pacifier and he was fine. We had lunch with Mandy and then met Katy and Brooklyn to go home. It snowed all day Saturday. I'm not just talking a few light flakes, either, I'm talking a lot of snow! I would send pic, but you can't tell very much because its actually snowing so hard the pictures just look fuzzy. Anyway, Saturday we had a big lunch with my mom's family. We went to church on Sunday and then Zac took us back to the airport on Sunday afternoon. The flight back was fine. The flight is actually so short it lasted just long enough for Elijah to eat a bottle ( well, eat the formula. I don't actually feed him bottles!) Anyway, it was great to get home and see Beau. I think it was harder on Beau since he's only been away from Elijah for one night before. Anyway, the pictures are of my dad with Eli and Brook. The other ones are of Brooklyn trying to "love on" Elijah. We couldn't hardly lay Elijah on the floor b/c she just wanted to hug and kiss him. My dad always kisses her on the back of the neck so that's what she was trying to do to Elijah. She would pull down his collar to get a better smooch. Pretty cute! We did have to keep a close eye b/c she wanted to pick him up and bring him places to play.