On the Road to Utah

Today we embarked on a road trip up to Utah with Adam's parents for his brother's wedding, which is this next week.  It has been a little adventure, that's for sure!  We left early and had everything (or so we thought) and everything was going great.  We took a rental car and we were good and comfortable.

My boys napping.

Then, in the middle of nowhere in northern Arizona or somewhere, Adam picks up Eli's little basketball that was next to him in his carseat and it's wet.  And a second later we realize that Eli had a poop explosion and it was everywhere!  All over his outfit, his back, his carseat...  Everywhere.  We pulled over on the side of the road to clean it up, and tried to get the smell out as best we could.  We got most of it.  We bagged up the poopy diaper and napkins and wipes and drove down the road to the nearest trash can.  Some people (I won't name names) wanted to just leave it on the side of the road!  I said no way, and we stopped at the next stop.  It was a weird little stop with an old pump station and old dinner, and a machine gun attraction where you can shoot a machine gun.  We may have stopped if we had more time to spare.  And there were a bunch of those cardboard cutout things where you stick your head in the hole and take a picture...  But they were all of aliens doing different things.  And there was a painting next to the gas pumps that said "fill your tank with Uranus gas" - whatever that means!!

Adam let Eli suck on some beef jerky and he liked it.

The rest of the trip has been mildly uneventful.  I forgot some parts for my breast pump, so we had to make a Target stop in Vegas.  I also realized I forgot Eli's cape to go with his Batman onesie.  :(  I'm super bummed about that!  I pooped my pants when I saw him wearing it the first time!

This is his sweet batman outfit.

We stopped somewhere in Utah to change Eli's diaper and take a bathroom break.  Eli liked being outside (and out of his car seat) and looking up at the big blue sky and the cars and big semi trucks that drove by.  The poor guy cried every time we put him back in his car seat the whole second half of this trip.  Adam's parents got some ice cream at the Dairy Queen at the rest stop and Adam's dad gave Eli some vanilla ice cream.  It was a cone and he didn't know that you could eat it.  When Adam's dad put the ice cream up to Eli's mouth he was confused when he tasted it.  The next taste try Eli got more on his mouth and he brought his hand up and slowly put it on the side of the ice cream!  Oops!  Of course, it was cute.  Isn't everything your own baby does cute??  :)

Mommy and Eli 

Eli's first new state: Nevada
Eli's second new state: Utah
Eli's first long, overnight trip: August 3, 2013 - to Utah for Uncle Nate's wedding

Celebrating 3 Years

I'm playing a little catch up...  (Aren't we all??)  At the beginning of June, Adam and I celebrated 3 years of marriage.  I can't believe it's been 3 years, and I also can't believe it's only been 3 years!  It's been a fun and awesome journey and adventure so far.  Some things that have happened in the last year include:

- Adam completed his 3rd year at the School of Architecture at the UofA
- We bought a house
- We had our first child (son)
- I started dancing again (ballet) 
- My grandfather passed away, and I got to sing with my cousin at his memorial service
- My brother got married
- We learned our son would need major surgery (Craniosynostosis)
- My other brother got married
- Eli started swim lessons
- Eli went to his first D-Backs game

And lots of other good and fun things!  We celebrated with a nice dinner at home after Eli went to bed.  I love my husband, and I love my family.  I'm so happy we were able to be married not only for time but also sealed for eternity in the temple.  What a wonderful place the temple is, and what great blessings it brings to our home and to our family.  Jesus Christ is the foundation of our love, our happiness, our joy and hope and everything!

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

5 Months! (Baby Eli)

Eli turned 5 months (old two weeks ago)!  It's so crazy, I can't believe how time flies.

- He's reaching out for and grabbing at things
- He loves balls, they seem to be his toy of choice
- Pretty much anything he gets in his hands goes into his mouth (or at least he tries!)
- Still playing with his feet and sucking on that big toe!
- He chews on his thumb (to relieve teething soreness is my guess) and sometimes all of his fingers at once (sometimes both hands at once)
- Almost instantly he rolls over to his back when he's on his tummy, most of the time -- He has rolled over to the right a couple times, but almost every time he goes to the left
- When he rolls to the left he leads with his head; when he rolls to the right he leads with his bum
- The past couple days he has been rolling onto his side by himself and on June 7 he rolled from his back to his tummy all the way, all by himself, with no prompting from us at all!  (So proud!)
- He watches tv.  (He'll turn his head to the side to look at it when I'm burping him on my lap.)
- He smiles at us when we smile at him, and even from across the room
- He's pretty smiley in general
- He laughs and giggles when we tickle him, and he likes flying in the air too
- He's been eating rice cereal, and grabbing for the spoon and opening his mouth for the next bite!  He seems to like it.
- He's gotten really good at tummy time!
- And he's gotten really good at head control too.  Still a bit wobbly, but he's doing so good!
- Lately he lifts his bum right when we're putting a new diaper on him.  Silly boy!
- Sometimes he doesn't like sitting like normal.  He'll straighten his legs and throw his head back a lot!
- And he scoots.  He doesn't stay sitting for long if he can help it!
- On May 16 he went "under water" in his swim class for the first time.  He did great!
- And went all the way under water this week in class!  Like 5 times!  He's such a pro!
- He splashes a lot in the bathtub with his feet
- He still kicks his feet out by lifting them up and then straightening them and kicking them down.  It's cute and silly!
- He helps Dad play his Xbox games by putting his little hands on Daddy's hands holding the remote, and sometimes he goes for the joystick himself
- He tries to stand sometimes and can almost hold his own weight for a second or two
- He went to his first DBacks game!!
- He's very patient
- He's still making cute sounds, yawning and cooing and humming and squealing
- His favorite toy is a little bug stroller toy that jingles.  He always reaches for that one when we give him an option.
- He reaches for and puts his hands on our faces when we hold him or if he's close enough to touch them.  He also likes to put his hand in our mouths and hold on.  He's also started touching other people's faces when they hold him.
- He likes to be upside down
- We've called him a variety of silly things: little bug, coconut, birdie, buddy, rolly-poly, baby dinasoaur
- He likes to suck on our camelbak water bottles
- He lounges and sleeps with his legs out (and knees bent)
- When he's on his tummy he looks like a seal or something because he lifts his legs up in the air and sometimes his whole bottom half, especially if he's trying to get his arm(s) out from under him
- Ticklish on his feet!
- Loves swim class!  He kicks his little feet and likes to play with the toys now.
- He likes it when we sing, and he likes to try to sing along
- Instead of falling asleep instantly in the car he talks to himself for at least about 10 or 15 minutes.  It's so cute!
- Adam will put out his hand to Eli and say "high five!" and Eli will reach his hand out to his hand :)

It's hard to recognize all the silly, quirky things he does sometimes, just because we don't know anything else!  I hope we can remember most of them at least.  Here's to trying.  :)

Update on Eli: It's Almost Time

Well, the waiting is just about over.  Eli goes in for his surgery Monday morning.  All this time we've just been putting it off in our minds, feeling like June 10 was always so far away.  But now it's right around the corner.  We're still trying not to think about it, but it's becoming even more inevitable.  The nerves are starting to sink in.  And if I'm being honest, it makes me sad and want to cry.  His cute little perfect peach-fuzz head won't ever be the same.  Or at least not for a little while.  He'll have a nice long scar from ear to ear, and probably a shaved head.  He's worked so hard at growing the little hair he has now!  We're still not exactly sure what recovery and care will be like after we come home after our hospital stay.  I just know we're going to have to be extra careful with our cuddles and probably cut back on them for a while.

Our situation really isn't bad.  Eli's condition isn't life-threatening, and neither is the surgery.  It's just reconstructive, really.  And the plastic surgeon and neurosurgeon are highly trained and skilled.  I'm definitely grateful for that.  I know everything will be "OK."  You just never want to see your child go through any kind of surgery.  Especially not your baby, your infant.

Thank you to those who have given us your love and support, through words and thoughts and prayers.

I'm grateful to know that our bodies will be perfected after this life when we're resurrected, made possible by Jesus Christ, because He broke the bands of death and rose again.  I'm also grateful to know that because He conquered death, we will too, and in addition to that, the laws and ordinances in His gospel allow our family relationships to extend beyond the grave.

Eli will always be ours.

I love this little guy to pieces!

Update on Eli: Dr Visit - Opthamologist

Another little update.

We saw the opthimalogist last week by suggestion from the plastic surgeon just as a precaution. Everything is fine and normal. He does want to see him a couple months after the surgery as a follow up to make sure everything is okay from the surgery since they will be doing stuff around his eyes  So we'll be seeing him again in August.