Recent photos

Ahoy, matey!

Finally feeding myself

Thanks, Auntie Pam!

Where'd that mustache go?

Aren't I precious?

Words Eli Can Say...

Ba Ba (Bye Bye)
Ba! (Ball)
Da (Dad, Grandpa)
Ma (Mom)
Shoes (Self-explanatory)
Ga! (Cat)
Geee! (Keys)

We had his 1 year check-up today. He's doing great, and handled the shots like a champ. I just wish it didn't take 1 hour and 40 minutes! Why?!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I don't know if it's because I'm with Eli all day now, or because he's at the age when he is starting to understand a lot more, but I am learning a LOT every day about parenting. I am so much more involved in trying to teach Eli positive behaviors and wrestling the control away from him. It is a lot of work, but I'm so glad I'm getting a chance to do it. Seeing him a few hours a day like before, I wasn't doing much of that, and I wouldn't really call that parenting.

This week I've started taking advantage of the free day care at the gym, and Eli has been none too happy to be dropped off there, so I became determined to go every day and get him used to it. Every time I peak in, he's being held by one of the staff, which means he isn't happy playing on the floor. But I am going to go as often as possible and hopefully that will change. At least he didn't cry when I dropped him off today.

I also bought a membership to StrollerStrides--an exercise class for mommies and their stroller-children. I figured it would be a good way to meet some other moms and toddlers. Which means I have been working out twice a day. I eat whenever I get a chance, but if I keep up with this routine, there may not be much left of me =).

Anxiety Bites

Today was the first day since I've been a SAHM that has been on the challenging side. Eli seems to be suffering from a severe case of separation anxiety. Every time I stand up, he starts freaking out, whining, crying, screaming, begging to be held. I can't even walk to the kitchen anymore, which he can see from the living room, without picking him up and taking him with me. I am trying to teach him about hand holding, but sometimes he just wants to be held. I almost lost my temper over it today, then I felt bad because he only feels this way because he loves me. I guess I just have to trust that this is a phase and it will be over someday. I just fear that by giving in to his anxiety, I'll be creating a momma's-boy-sissy-pants. Does anybody out there have any advice?

On a positive note, in case anyone's lost track: Eli's first birthday is this Saturday! We already had one birthday party for him in Cincinnati on July 4, and we're having one at our house on the 18th with a luau theme! (This is going to be confusing for me when I'm old and trying to remember Eli's first birthday--"I seem to remember having a party in Cincinnati and one in Wilmington. Which was which? What the hay, hand me my dentures, Chris".) We're WAY more excited than Eli is, but he'll have fun when the day comes. I am crossing my fingers for no rain--we have invited more people than we can fit in our house, and the forecast is calling for rain. Maybe I should rent a tent.

Eli's a model!

He starred in this ad for a "Caught Reading" library photo contest. Maybe we could put him to work for us. =)

Friends

I'm still loving it. I have visited a few friends lately who have two or more children. Some of them have had a three month old and a three year old. It seems incredibly hard. You can look in their eyes and see that they just don't have the energy to discipline the three year old, and are half-zombies from lack of sleep. These same parents don't have children who nap. I can't imagine. Eli naps twice a day every day and usually one nap is at least 2 hours. I'm lucky. But I keep asking myself, when is the right time to try for another? I guess every child is different, but 2 or 3 sure seems like a tough age to bring in another baby. But I don't have that many child-bearing years left so...

Yesterday was the 7-month anniversary of my mom's death. That is hard to believe. It still seems very impossible that she's not here, and I still find myself thinking about calling her and then I remember that I can't. Today I visited a childhood friend from Cincinnati who happens to now live in Wilmington. She asked how my parents were. That was very hard. She said that her mom remembers my mom as a good friend. Who doesn't? I told her that I learned from my mom that you can never have too many friends.

I want to pass along a link to another blog that I have become addicted to. It's www.thespohrsaremultiplying.com. The author had a child prematurely and did not know whether she would survive at the beginning. The little girl, Madeline, was a fighter, and she did survive, but had to use oxygen occassionally at night. One day a few months ago, the one-and-a-half-year-old's breathing became more difficult and she passed away unexpectedly. The author, Heather, writes almost every day very honestly about her grief. Reading this blog, I somewhat identify with her grief and at the same time I am reminded of how lucky I am to have Eli and I am reminded to stay in the present with him.

I am so glad I decided not to work. Eli and I are having so much fun, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything anymore. And I have even had chances to do a bit of cleaning.

Briefly while Eli's napping...

And I'm taking care of things...

I'm loving staying at home so far. We've been pretty busy so far, going to Charlotte this past weekend for Eli's cousin-to-be's baby shower, and visiting with my dad here in Wilmington before that. Today we're just chillaxin and watching Wimbledon, thinking about all those times I watched Wimbledon with my mom. I wish she was here, but she'd be as disappointed as I am that Rafa's not playing. I'm glad she got to see him win last year.

Eli's walking now. He started almost 2 weeks ago with a few steps and now he hardly ever crawls. He is just so excited to be upright. I'll try to get Chris to post a video as evidence sometime soon.

My one regret with staying home is that Eli doesn't have kids to play with most of the day. But I'm working on that, trying to set up some play dates and such.