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!

Eli and Jonah

We went over to Josh's grandmother's house last week for dinner and Eli and Jonah had a great time "playing" together. (Eli can't really do too much as far as playing goes, but Jonah was GREAT!) Eli was sitting in his Bumbo seat working on his ab muscles when Jonah came and sat down beside him-completely unprompted, I might add-and started rubbing Eli's hair. He announced that Eli liked to have his hair rubbed. I have to agree with him. Eli definitely didn't complain at all. He LOVED the attention! Then Jonah decided to share his sports balls with Eli. How sweet was that? I'm so glad Jonah and Eli get along since they'll probably be spending lots of time together over the next several years. It's going to be fun to see this friendship/big brother relationship develop :)

Tax Write-Off

This little man is bringing smiles to my banker of a husband these days. Tax season is approaching and we have our first deduction. WOO HOO! Bring on the refund!

"I'm worth HOW MUCH?"

"So, what toys do I get with MY refund?"

A "Tax Write-Off" and proud of it!

Bath Time Fun = Workout for Mommy

Bath time is getting to be quite a challenge for Mommy these days. I guess Eli is testing me to see how quick my reflexes are. He got too big for the sling that fit on top of his infant bath tub, so I took it out. We've been using just the tub for about two weeks now, but my little man has gotten SO much more active lately. He used to just sit back, recline, and rest when I was giving him his bath. Now his arms are splashing, his legs are kicking, and when he splashes himself with water and surprises himself, his whole body goes rigid and he slides down into the water. It's quite entertaining, especially since he doesn't realize that he is the one splashing himself! After about five slips into the water last night, I drained all the water out of the bath tub and started using a different bath tub called a comfort bath tub (it's got a cushiony ring all the way around and it sits down into your regular bath tub). Maybe this one will keep him contained better!

3 Months Old

Today Eli is 3 months old and what fun these past three months have been. You know those Johnson's baby commercials where the catch phrase is "A baby changes everything"? Those words are so true! Josh and I have realized in the past three months just how much our little man has completely changed our world. We used to talk about each other's day, what we were going to do on the weekends, things we wanted to do to the house, etc. Now we talk about all of that interspersed with conversations about bottles, feeding, wet/poopy diapers, sleeping schedules, and tummy time. My how things change! Josh was over at Tammy's the other day for lunch-he goes almost every day to check on Eli-and was talking to a friend of his, who just had a baby, about tummy time. Tammy called Josh's mom to tell her that she had just overheard Josh and Guy having a serious conversation about tummy time-something no one ever imagined happening. When Josh found out that she told on him, he said the sad part was that he thought that conversation was perfectly normal! How funny!

Today I also finished my first week back at work. I'm suprised that it went by so quickly, but also very thankful for that. My kids were very excited to have me back and I was so happy to see them, too. I have a feeling that these next four months are going to pass by really quickly. I'll be with my little man all day again very soon. For now though, I'm just working my tail off during the day and leaving right at 3:15 every day. I used to be one of the first teachers to school every morning and one of the last ones to leave, but my priorities have definitely changed. I love my school kids, but I want to soak up every precious second of time I have with my little boy, so I leave as late as I possibly can in the mornings and as early as I can in the afternoons. I'm trying my hardest to find the balance in being a great wife, great mother, and great teacher all at the same time. I'm definitely learning to manage my time better at work, and I must say it is so refreshing to leave with just my purse. I used to be one of those teachers that would take a huge bag home every day. NOT ANYMORE! I do what I can at school, but if I don't finish, I leave it there until the next day. When I'm home, I just want to be a wife and a mommy and that's it! Those are my two favorite roles these days!

Now on to the 3 month updates. Here are Eli's current likes and dislikes, along with some of the things he can do now.

Likes:
*Mommy and Daddy-he recognizes us now and smiles SO BIG when he sees us when we pick him up from Tammy's
*Baby Einstein activity mat-if we could have one thing, Josh and I have said this is the one baby thing we would have
*Bumbo seat-he loves to look around!
*NUK pacifier-always have one on hand!
*Going outside-he calms down and relaxes when he's outside
*Bath time-kicks his legs and actually smiles now
*Taking naps next to Mommy and Daddy on the weekends-he's so snuggly then!
*Looking at himself in the mirror-that other baby is pretty cute!
*Sitting up-he loves to look around
*Talking-he only knows vowels, but he can carry on some serious conversations!
*Having his diaper changed-so weird!
*Books-loves to look at books with bright, contrasting colors

Dislikes
*Taking naps-he fights it all day long at Tammy's and just crashes when he gets home. We're working on it!
*Being confined in any way
*Car seat

Things he tolerates now, but doesn't yet enjoy
*Tummy time-he will do it now and not cry (thank goodness!) but he's not smiling yet
*Bottles-eating has become quite a challenge recently. We think it's because he's been somewhere new during the day; however, today he ate really well over at Tammy's, so we hope it's getting better. There are days he will gobble down 4 oz every 2 hours and then days where you can only get a couple ounces in him every 3 hours. It's frustrating and Josh calls me a food pusher but it's hard not to be. I don't want him to lose weight! This is something we're going to keep working on. Say a prayer!

Eli is an excellent baby. He's still sleeping at least 7-8 hours at night. Now granted he's still being swaddled. The Miracle Blanket is made for babies 0-3 months, so our swaddling days are pretty much over. Josh and I are absolutely in love with the Miracle Blanket...what a GREAT purchase! I'm scared that when he is left on his own no one in this house will get sleep. His little arms are in constant motion during the day and even for naps I usually have to put a blanket over him and bind his arms down tight to get him to go to sleep. Say a prayer for us over the next few weeks as we go through some new sleep training. I'm not looking forward to it, but I don't want him still having to be swaddled when he's a teenager. Can you just imagine him going to his friend's house and asking his friend to swaddle him so he can sleep? (a little extreme, but you get the point!) At least we know he'll be a great camper one day! Sleeping bags aren't going to bother him at all!

I say this all the time, but I feel so blessed to be a wife to Josh and now a Mommy to Eli. I enjoy nothing more than spending time with my two boys. God has blessed and is still blessing our lives so much!

3 months old

Back to Work for Mommy

Getting ready to leave for work. Eli wouldn't look at the camera
(he had just eaten and was SO tired).

Today was my second day back at work and things are going great. I felt yesterday as if I had never even left, which made me so happy because I thought I was going to have to re-train my students again since I had been gone so long. NOPE! They are doing so well! (Watch them be AWFUL tomorrow now that I've bragged on them!) There have been a few little kinks, but nothing major. And even better...they all did GREAT on their reading assessment last week. The majority of my class is reading right where they should be. I'm so so thankful for my sub. She did such a great job making sure they were prepared for this test.

It feels good to be back in the classroom. My students were very excited to see me. My aide said that they must have missed me A LOT because she had not heard them work that quietly since I left. Maybe they're nervous that I'll leave again if they act up...kind of like the story "Miss Nelson Is Missing" :) Of course, my students have never acted like the kids in that book!

I was worried that Josh and I wouldn't be able to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, feed Eli, and pack up to go in time to make it to work, but we have so far. Go us! It really isn't that bad either. I wake up at 5 o'clock and get ready. Around 6 o'clock, I feed Eli (he usually just "sleep-eats") and then put him back in bed. This allows Josh and I time to finish getting ready before we have to leave. Josh drops him off at Tammy's and makes it to work right on time. I don't like the fact I have to get up at 5 o'clock to make this happen, but I'm hoping my body will adjust very soon. I'm just a little tired (read that sentence as "I am barely able to keep my eyes open and I can't quit yawning.") I'm not tired from being up with Eli...he's still sleeping at least 6-7 hours every night. I'm just tired because I am constantly on the go now. I do not sit down until I get home with Eli in the afternoons. It's exhausting, but it's the type of exhaustion where you go to bed and you feel good because you know you're tired because you REALLy worked that day. I told Josh that I was already looking forward to the weekend so I can take a nap during the day. I used to look forward to the weekend so I could sleep in, but Eli doesn't quite understand that we sleep in on weekends yet. (I can't wait until we can teach him this!)

Eli is slowly getting used to being somewhere else during the day. If you think about it, say a little prayer for him. He was much better today than yesterday, so I have hope that it's only going to get better from here. I figure by the end of the week he and Tammy are going to have their routine down pat. Once again, I can't express how thankful and how blessed we are to have someone like Tammy take care of Eli. When I tell you that I didn't worry one second my first day back at work I am not lying. It was so great to have that peace of mind, especially when it comes to your child! Oh, and the greatest thing ever is the look my little boy has on his face when he sees his Mommy walk through the door every afternoon. WOW! It melts my heart every time. I wish I could bottle that expression up and keep it with me whenever I need a pick-me-up! I love holding him and snuggling on him after not seeing him. It's such an amazing feeling. Josh also gets to see this look when he goes over to Tammy's for lunch. Tammy said that the past two days Eli couldn't quit smiling, cooing, and laughing when his Daddy came to visit. So so sweet! I love it!

So, all in all, it has been a very successful two days. I know the next four months are going to pass by so quickly (at least, I hope they do!). I can't wait to spend the summer with my little boy. It's going to be so much fun! Please remember to keep all of us in your prayers! Thanks!

This was Eli after his first full day with "Mammy"
He was tuckered out!!
(he was even doing some baby snoring when I took this picture!)