Wednesday, July 10, 2013

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

Friday, June 14, 2013

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.  :)









Saturday, June 8, 2013

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!

Monday, May 6, 2013

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.








Sunday, April 28, 2013

4 Months! (Baby Eli)

I can't believe it.  Eli is 4 months old today!!  Time goes so fast.

Life has been so crazy and so awesome.  We just LOVE having Eli in our family!  It's the best!

4 months:

- liking tummy time more; he's gotten really good at holding his head up! he's beginning to be more stable
- loves swimming classes!
- drooling everywhere! he's definitely teething, which also means he hasn't been letting me sleep through the night anymore :( and he also spits up everywhere
- loves to put everything in his mouth - especially his hands! and by hands I mostly mean fists
- smiles when he sees Mommy or Daddy; and he recognizes our voices through the phone too!
- still loves looking at lights and fans on the ceiling; but he's looking at people more and even the tv!
- looks at the camera when we're taking a picture of him, but he hasn't gotten down the smiling for the camera part yet (he'll smile for us, but not the camera)
- so wiggly!
- I think his eyes are going to be green
- plenty of hair on the back of his head (although some is getting rubbed off from sleeping on his back) but still just little hairs on the top of his head! they are so little and not very dark and it makes him look bald
- recognizes himself in the mirror and smiles and then gets shy!
- finally starting to (kind of) get the hang of long naps (yay!)
- loves playing with Daddy
- talking like crazy - especially during prayers!
- talks a bunch when we sing to or around him; I think he's trying to sing along!
- doesn't mind other people holding him - he's pretty friendly
- loves to stick his feet in the air!
- holds onto his toes (we're still waiting for them to make their way into his mouth!)
- falls asleep in the car, but not all the time
- breastfeeds like a champ!
- takes a bottle like a champ, and even holds it (for those few times when Mommy has to be away)
- giggles every once in a while
- apparently tickleish on his neck! he's been laughing when we play with him and tickle him sometimes
- kicks and flails his arms and legs like crazy when he's excited
- still curls his toes up around things like they are hands trying to hold stuff

I'm sure there's probably tons more, right?  But he's doing awesome.  He's the best!

Here are some super cute pictures:


Swim class!

At Mommy's dance class

Love holding onto his feet!

Eli today! 4 months!