Tootsies

Eli has discovered that he has feet! For a couple of weeks now, I have noticed him looking at them when he sits in his Bumbo chair, but today was the first day I actually saw him grab and hold them. Josh probably isn't as excited as I am (HE HATES FEET!) but it's yet another milestone our little guy has checked off his list. I can't believe how fast he is growing up.

Checking out his newest discovery...his feet!

Look at those chunky thighs! They're so much fun to pinch and love on :)

Tummy time brings out smiles these days. Thank goodness!

He can roll from tummy to back, but we still like to practice every day. Here he is in mid-roll.

Mr. Frizz Head

Eli decided this past weekend that he no longer likes being on his back to play. Great, huh? Not really. My little boy thinks he's older than he really is and has decided that he would rather sit up all day. This is great if you have a baby that is developmentally ready to do this. When you have a baby that just recently accepted being on his tummy and slouches forward when you try to make him sit unassisted, this isn't a pretty picture. What's a Mommy and Daddy to do? So far we have found that he's happy when we prop him against pillows on the couch, sit him in his Bumbo seat, prop him on his Boppy pillow, or lean him back against our legs. However, there comes a time when little babies just have to lay down so their parents can do things like eat, go to the bathroom, cook dinner, etc. He's okay for about the first five seconds after you lay him down and then he's had ENOUGH and he lets you know it, too! Today was better than yesterday (he played on his activity mat while I vacuummed and put away clothes) so I'm hoping tomorrow will be better than today. This just started out of the blue, so we're hoping it's a phase. He is so curious and anxious to explore his world and I think he gets frustrated because he can't move the way he wants to yet. He has figured out the rolling thing, so he's well on his way to mobility. Start praying now for his Mommy and Daddy because when he gains full mobility, OUR world is going to be turned upside down!

Sitting in his Bumbo like a big boy.

Watching Daddy surf the net.
(Please note: For all of you who worry, Eli is only in his Bumbo seat like this when one of us is right next to him. He is never let unattended in his Bumbo. Felt that explanation was needed so some of you wouldn't fret...)

Reclining on the couch like a big boy.

Earlier tonight we propped Eli on our couch because he wanted to be upright and when he got tired of that, he slouched down causing a little bit of static electricity! Look at my little Frizz Head! It looks like he stuck his finger in an electrical outlet! What a cutie!

"Whoa! What just happened?"

"I can totally pull the spiky look off!"

You gotta love Mr. Frizz Head! (at least I do!)

Rolling

Eli rolled over today! It actually happened about 10 minutes ago and since I am THAT mom I had to hurry up and share his accomplishment with the world :) We're so proud of our little roller! This time on film was the sixth time that he rolled over in a span of 10 minutes. That little stinker has figured out how to get out of doing tummy time now :)

Almost a Laugh

I found out this week that my child is very ticklish. What fun that is for me! Josh says its torture because he can't really defend himself yet, but if he didn't like it wouldn't he cry? We caught him doing a semi-laugh the other night when we stopped for a tickle session during his tummy time. It's not a belly laugh, but a breathy chuckle that's so sweet to my ears.

Jeep Stroller

When Josh and I were registering for baby things when I was pregnant, he only had two requests. He wanted a jogging stroller and a manly diaper bag to go on the list. After all of our showers, I had enough gift card money to purchase the jogging stroller for Josh. He enjoys running so much more than I do, and this would be one way that he and Eli can spend time together. Plus, this particular jogging stroller has a plug-in for your IPOD and speakers so you and the baby can listen to music while you jog. Too cool!

Sunday afternoon we decided to assemble the jogging stroller and test it out. Eli is still a little too young for it, but we went ahead and took a quick walk around the neighborhood to see how it drove. We really liked the music and Eli really enjoyed sitting up and looking forward. I think once he gets a little older and the weather warms up more, he's going to really enjoy the jogging stroller a lot!

I love this picture! Look at the pure joy on his face. He LOVES looking out at the world!

Beautiful Clothes

So the story goes that when Tammy's son, Benjamin, was young he hated wearing what he called beautiful clothes (dressy clothes to the rest of us). When he got to a certain age, he pronounced to his mother that he no longer wanted to wear beautiful clothes; he wanted to wear little boy clothes. Well, one day in preschool a little boy came dressed in an outfit his mother had picked for him, yes...beautiful clothes. Benjamin saw and, since he no longer had to wear beautiful clothes, decided to start the chant "______'s wearing beautiful clothes, _______'s wearing beautiful clothes." That poor kid was embarrassed in front of all his classmates!

Well, today Eli wore beautiful clothes to church. Someone from my parent's church gave him this sweet outfit and I knew he was about to outgrow it. I didn't want that to happen before he had a chance to wear it, so this morning I put on his first set of beautiful clothes :) He looked so sweet in them that we did another photo shoot (shocker, huh?) :)

So, so precious!

1st time to wear church shoes

Mommy's clue that the photo session is DEFINITELY over!

This is why we have to buckle him in now...

My little wiggle worm :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from my smallest Valentine :)

Happy Valentine's Day from Eli

There are pictures to come, but here is a Valentine's Day message for all of Eli's family and friends. Happy Heart Day!

Lots of Splashes

I told you the other day that bath time has become more of a workout for Mommy these days. Here's a video showing all of Eli's fun in the tub!

Valentine's Package for Eli

When Eli and I got home yesterday there was a package waiting for him by the door. It was from his Grammy and Pop in Shreveport! We hurried inside so we could open it. I put Eli in his Bumbo seat and told him that he had a Valentine's surprise from his Grammy and Pop. He was very excited and couldn't wait to open it!


We opened the card and I read it to Eli, but he was hungry and was much more interested in how it tasted than what it said. Don't worry, Grammy and Pop. It's been saved for the baby book, so one day he'll go back and read what you said :)



Inside the box, Eli had LOTS of Valentine's Day surprises. Grammy and Pop got him the book "Goodnight Gorilla" and sent along a gorilla that looks like the one in the book. The gorilla tried to give Eli a hug, but he was more interested in seeing what it tasted like than hugging it.



Grammy and Pop also sent Eli a cute red onesie that has a necktie printed on it and a pair of matching pants. They look so cute. I can't wait for him to wear them. Thanks Grammy and Pop for all the great Valentine's Day presents. We love you!!

All Smiles for Church

Eli was super excited to go to church Wednesday night. It must have been because he knew that Nick-Nick was going to be there! Normally he cries, whines, and arches his back when we put him in his car seat (confinement, remember?), but Wednesday night he was a little ham.

Gummy smiles are my favorite! He absolutely melts my heart every time he smiles :)

I help with our kids program at church on Wednesday nights, so I couldn't leave to pick Eli up from the nursery until about 15 minutes after church was out. Nicki took some pictures of Eli enjoying all the luxuries in the nursery and showed them to me when I got there. It appears he had a very relaxing time!

This next picture CRACKS me up! He is konked out in this one. The swing in the nursery put him into so deep a sleep that he couldn't even hold on to his pacifier. Now that's some good sleep!"This is the life!"

Finger Lickin' Good

Why use just one finger to suck on when God gave you five on each hand? :)

Getting Close

Over the past week, Eli has started to show signs that rolling over may be in his future very soon. I know they say babies typically roll from stomach to back first, but Eli has gotten closer to rolling over from back to stomach. He practices both every night, so we'll just have to wait and see which one comes first. Josh and I were watching him do tummy time last night and we both noticed that he's already practicing some crawling motions, too. He can plant his feet and push himself forward when he's on his stomach. We both looked at each other because we instantly realized that the days of putting Eli in one place knowing that he couldn't move anywhere are quickly coming to an end. Mobility is in sight and it's going to keep Mommy and Daddy on their toes!

He's rolling onto his side a lot now!