Eli's 1st Christmas!

Well, Eli has experienced his first Christmas and it went wonderful! We woke up at 5:30...yes, ugh, way earlier than normal (I guess we have to get used to this for many more Christmases to come). Keith, Eli, and I all had a small family Christmas celebration first thing in the morning with a nice breakfast and presents. We opened gifts and played with toys, and then put Eli down for a nap. Eli got a nice wooden block toy (that he has already been playing with...way to go mom and dad!). He also got some other toys, clothes, and cars. Everything seemed to be quite the hit!

After our little celebration, the Granddads and Uncle Matt came over for more celebrating...and more breakfast! Yes, this time, I made an even BIGGER breakfast for all of the men. After that...more presents. Eli got a really cute Home Depot smock from my dad, which Keith can't wait to put him in. And from Keith's dad he got a totally awesome Radio Flyer wagon.

So, after that celebration...and yes, another nap, we set off to my moms, where we ate another breakfast! Gotcha...ok, finally the breakfasts came to a halt and we moved onto lunch (which was delish). We hung out with my mom and brother who got Eli some really cool stuff, and my mom even made Eli's stocking! She made my brothers and mine when we were little and we still have them/use them today. My mom also got Eli this precious chair with his name embroidered on it!?! Isn't it amazing? Believe it or not...Eli LOVES it. He will totally just sit in the chair and hang out. But, his favorite thing to do, is to treat it like a jungle gym and climb all over it.

After my mom's house we headed home, where Eli's first Christmas had come to an end. Eli logged two breakfasts, one lunch, three naps, three celebrations, lots of presents, and unconditional love from everyone one in the family that he encountered!

Santa is coming to town...more like we are trying to find him...

In preparation for Santa's big day in town, we thought that he and Eli should meet beforehand. I wanted Eli to have a chance to tell him what he wanted for Christmas. So, this is a chronicle of our attempts and some pictures. And, as I have been typing this, I discovered a small little miracle. Anyone that knows Eli knows that he has never done well with the car. Well, he is fine in the car now, but still isn't a baby that goes to sleep in the car, EVER. However, in a small little Christmas miracle, our Santa attempts have caused Eli to pass out on the end of our adventures...so precious, had to take pictures!

So, our first attempt to meet Santa was a week ago, to Willow Bend Mall in Plano. This is where Eli met the Easter bunny for the first time. So, why not give it a shot...it was easy then. Um, yeah...'no'! I guess it was easy, because I went during the work week when all of the other parents were working. Keith and I entered the mall to see this......

(this happened to be on the Family Guy episode the night of our first encounter).

Ok, so no Santa shot, but we were able to snag these cute pics with Keith and I near some of the holiday decorations around the workshop.Pass out #1.

So, attempt number two. I took Eli up to the Villages in Allen after work one day. I got there around 5:15 or 5:30 to run into a 3 hour wait and already have the line shut down..yeah, um..I don't think so.

Yes, this was the line from where I stood, in addition to the virtual que that was already 3 hours long.

So, Eli and I went shopping instead! But, couldn't resist taking a picture of his cute outfit. See his cute argyle sweater and little black dress shoes!?! He looked just like Daddy!

Pass out #2

Finally, today...we have lift off! Keith and I went back to Villages in Allen after signing up for the virtual que. It was awesome! I got constant text updates on our progress in the line, while Eli napped at the house, heck yes. We got ready with 'Santa outfit #3' and Keith decided on the hair do, very cute. We arrived right in time to stand in the actual line for only a few minutes. Santa was really sweet and mentioned that we might want to 'back Eli into the picture' instead of facing him forward. I guess babies and get a little scared. But, Eli did great! He posed so sweetly for the pictures and even smiled in a ton of them. :) So, here is what we got...

So sweet! Santa gave Eli a kiss!

And pass out #3, success!!

Woosh!

Ok, I get it...it comes in waves, but I feel like I just got hit by a tsunami. Our kids grow up WAY WAY too fast! You may have remembered me chatting a few posts back about all of my friends having babies...(heck, who's friends aren't, right!?!). Anyway, starting in November a bunch of babies have been born, and are going to continue to come through July 2011.

With all of these new little babies entering into the world it is also natural for me to start going back and looking through Eli's hospital and newborn photos. It is mind boggeling to really do the math on it all. 'Yes' 10 months is a long time in 'baby time', however...when you realize that just 10 months ago Eli was only 3 days old and brand new to the world is crazy! Even crazier? This time last year, literally...I was pregnant and sporting a nice lil' baby bump, while Eli still had two more months of cooking.

Sorry, I know that I am not even making since right now, but I just feel like it all needs to be said. I can vividly remember our experiences in the delivery room, the hospital, our trip home, the first few weeks, first few months, ect..ect. It is hard not to feel a little sad about it all, but so so happy, on the other hand. I can't wait until Eli can start walking, talking, telling me stories. I want him to have fun at school and enjoy family vacations. Everything!

Crazier thought!? There will eventually be another Eli. Okay, so I am not saying that I want to name both of my children Eli, but...'hey, if I can't come up with anything'. Although, I like to think that I would consider myself original enough to not need to name my children the same thing. Guess we will cross that bridge... But, anyway. There will (hopefully) be another child in the future, and it is crazy to think that we get to do it all over again. And, then again...we do it all over again! To start back at square one is so exciting and scary at the same time. More crazy to think about doing it all over again, with an older Eli! Cra-zay! I know, only time will tell. And I don't doubt that God gives us more than we can handle.

Sorry for my rant...just needed to be said. So, I will leave you with some of Eli's newborn pictures...and recent pictures!

Here is Eli minutes after he was born!

Here is my sweet little angel sleeping in his hospital bassinet.

Eli heading home from the hospital

And, here we are NOW. This is Eli giving us one of his 'Blue Steel' poses for the camera.

Strikin' another pose

And our VERY HAPPY little boy and his spaghetti

10 months and counting

Well, Eli is 10 months old, today! Yes, that means that he will be the big '1' in just two more months. At that point, Eli will officially not be considered a 'baby', anymore? Thoughts? Does he become a toddler? It is just crazy for Keith and I to witness our incredible growing son day in and day out.

In the mean time, we are quickly approaching Eli's first Christmas. We can't wait to start some family traditions and watch Eli play with his toys and open presents. Man, I really hope that Keith and I get good at Christmas, because we aren't off to the best start. As in, we bought Eli's 'big' gift from Santa...and totally caved. Not only did he get to see it and 'test it out', but it is totally in the floor now on display with all of his other toys. Ummm, yeah...we couldn't wait until Christmas morning. There are a few other things that are waiting for him, and hopefully they can wait until Christmas.

So, here are some videos of Eli cutting up with Keith. He seriously laughs, giggles, and smiles 24/7 now. It is so much fun!

Got them Gable teeth..

Well, not a lot to report from the G house this week, sorry. Except that Keith is full blown sick, so Eli and I have been trying to fly solo, to avoid getting sick too. Not to mention, give Keith a chance to recover and get better.

Eli is still all laughs and smiles, and his top two chompers are really coming in. And, 'yes'..we think they are going to be big..haha, :) Got mama's teeth. It is so much fun to imagine what he is going to look like with a mouth full of pearly whites. Eli is also started to wave...yay! It is very 'flalely', and sporadic, but I know what he is doing. He is also a major chatter box. He stands around growling, 'aaahhing', and practicing is constants all the time. He has got a couple of his letters knocked out, but not quite discovered the 'd' yet....sorry Keith! But, he is rocking and rolling on saying 'mama'. :)

Here are some of the pictures we snapped from Thanksgiving.

Is it just me...or is Eli looking GQ in this picture?

Keith, Grandad, and Uncle Matt

Yes, those are goats! Eli basically got to visit a petting zoo on Thanksgiving. Those goats were so awesome and friendly...and crazy!

Yes, that is Keith holding my sweet, precious, fragile baby by his feet, dangling in the air....and Eli LOVES it! He is such an adrenaline junky, and the more physical the play, the better.

Tis the Season!

Well, I am sure that you can tell that there is a new background...tis the season! I, however, waited until Thanksgiving to make the changes, unlike the retailers of the world that have had decorations up since July. I refused to acknowledge the holidays quick approach up to this point...but now, 'game on'. I am feeling that festive flair!

Here at the G house, we have a lot to be thankful for. Of course, most of all is the blessing of our little baby boy, Eli, in 2010. In addition to the obvious, we have wonderful family, friends, home, jobs, and so so much more. So, thank you God for all that you have given us!

Also, I just had to make a note of all of the other little blessings that God has been dropping off at houses around the area....babies! Something about mid to late November, but it is a time for births. I have a lot of friends that are celebrating 1st birthdays this year, as well as a lot of friends having the actual baby's birthdays. I was just telling Keith that it is so thrilling getting to be a 'fly on the wall'...(or facebook stalker, depends on how you look at things), and watch all of these little babies coming into the world. It makes me shocked to realize that Eli was that small just 9 months ago, and what a quick change happens in such a short amount of time. It is also so fun to watch all of the pictures of the new parents coming home, giving baths, ect. It totally takes me back to all of the 'newness' with Eli..and what a true whirlwind it is...for the first day, week, month, 3 months. Wow! While, we will certainly want to have another baby one day (God willing), we have some time before that happens. So, in the mean time..I will continue to watch at a distance (or behind my computer screen) to see all of the wonderful new parents getting to experience their bundles of joy for the first time. Congrats to all of you!!

Speaking of bundle of joys...?? Eli just had his 9 month check-up, and I thought that I would update you on his stats.

Weight: 19lbs (lil' less than 50%)

Height: 28in (50%)

Head: 18in (50%)

All in all, Eli is batting average, and great to be there. The doctor thinks that he has two more top teeth coming in. So, he could possibly have 4 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth, very soon. She also gave us permission to move forward with lots and lots of table foods. So, that means lots and lots of Thanksgiving dinner....yum! :) He is also well into his crawling...and getting around quite well, perhaps, a little too well. Hopefully Keith or I will snag some cute pictures of Eli this weekend and I will be sure to post them, if we do.

Rock n' Rollin

Man, when it rains it pours....at least for milestones, anyway. This has been a very busy week for our little man. Not only is he officially in 'crawl mode', but he just had his top two teeth break the surface, as well! I have to admit that Eli still seems to prefer standing and side stepping over crawling. However, he certainly knows that if he wants to get to something that hands and knees are the most effective way to get there. So, with that being said...Keith and I are both sitting inside a gated 'couch area' right now. As Eli made a b-line for the entertainment center this morning, I made the same b-line for my computer and Craig's list. An hour later...here we sit. Oh, I failed to mention that Eli is napping...but that won't stop us from enjoying it.

As for the teeth? Well, they are here. So, our little guy now has four teefers. I am so excited, because now we can continue to broaden his food horizons. Eli is an unbelievably independent baby, and prefers to do things himself. So, now that he can chew more foods I think he will be a happy little guy.

I think that is it for the major stuff that happened this week. But, just to make note of it, he is doing that little 'baby bouncing dance' thing. You know when they stand there and bounce up and down. Don't really know why, because it isn't to music or anything. But, he is doing it. He is also shaking his head 'no'....a lot. Well, that is it in the land of baby-g. I will be sure to update everyone on Eli's first Thanksgiving and the whirl-wind travel day that goes along with it.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and enjoy the feasts! Keith and I are very thankful this year for our little blessing, wonderful family, great jobs, roof over our head, and ...of course, eachother.

Here are some pictures from a little outing this weekend.

Oh Boy!.... 9 months old

Ok...while I was out of town...what aliens abducted my tiny little baby and dropped off a full grown little boy? I admit that Eli has been making a lot of strides and achievements lately, all of which I have noticed. I think I might have even noticed him getting bigger. But, it takes a tiny trip out of town to really knock you in the face with the changes.

I was out of town in New Orleans for the last few days. 'Yes', it was a fun trip, but I missed my boys so badly! When I return home, there is a full grown... (ok, maybe I am exaggerating)...little boy sitting in my living room. When he saw me, he began to army crawl in my direction. Yes, I guess he is officially 'crawling' now...well, when he wants to, that is. I also saw a big-little boy that was towering over his toys, and walking around the couch and toys (while holding onto stuff). He also is sitting himself up now, as well. I have been watching these small milestones take place, but for them to all be so clear as day was crazy, not to mention...he is so big.

So, it is only appropriate that all of this happens on the day that Eli turns 9 months old! I think that I have finally come to realize that he is not far away from turning 1, at all. He is more than half way there...actually only 3 months away!... and I can only imagine him running around the house in no time. The last 9 months have certainly been a wild ride, and so much fun. It is amazing to think how quickly a child develops and changes in such a short amount of time. It has been amazing. I love you Eli!

Oh, and, one of his official favorite things to do right now (outside of standing and slowly walking)..is to turn pages. Ha ha, that's right, he loves to turn toy pages and book pages. So, here are some somewhat recent pictures and videos of our little 9 month old.

Eli's 1st Halloween

Well, Eli has officially celebrated his first Halloween. We celebrated our 5th annual Halloween party this week, in conjunction with my 30th birthday. Not thrilled about turning 30, but it was a great party! I enjoyed celebrating with all of my closest friends and family. :) My actual bday in on Wednesday, November 3rd. But, it just seemed like a natural pairing. So, Saturday night Eli spent the night with Gammie and had a blast! Then, this morning (Halloween) Keith and I woke up (feeling surprisingly well given the night's events). We did a brunch with Mary and her boyfriend Brad at Blue Mesa, and Eli did great. Although, there was an incident where Brad and Eli got into a staring contest. Brad ended up winning that game and hurt little Eli's feelings. After the intense stare down, Eli turned to Keith...hugged him and proceeded to start balling. He was so upset and teary eyed, it actually took a lot of work to get him calmed down. Poor thing. He did, however, enjoy munching on some tortillas and his outside table view of the pond and fountain. So, after lunch, naps and other afternoon activities it was time to partake in his first trick or treating experience.

We were invited to the Jones's house for some dinner and trick or treating. I just had to put on my costume as the 'Wicked Witch' for themed mommy/Eli pictures. So? What was Eli? .....a Flying Monkey! After a lot of deliberation on what his important first costume should be, we settled on the flying monkey. It was so precious when we saw it online, a completely original costume idea (didn't think we would be seeing a lot of them around the neighborhood this year), and we were able to coordinate mommy-daddy costumes too (Wicked Witch & the Scarecrow). My mom had to do some alterations to make his costume work, but it turned out great! The one hic-cup? Well, Eli HATES having stuff on his head! So, we were pretty certain that he would throw a fit when we put the monkey head on him. To our surprise...? He didn't mind it at all! After a few seconds of discomfort he forgot all about it. This was the major shocker of the evening.

So, after dinner, putting on our costumes, and a few quick pictures, the boys were off. We loaded them up in the radio flyer wagon, buckled them in, gave them their candy buckets, and hit the houses. The boys were great! They were having so much fun in the wagon playing with their buckets they had no reason to complain. As Eli started to collect candy, he would quickly take the pieces out of the bucket put them in his mouth and then drop them back in the bucket. He continued this for the entire 7 or 8 houses that we hit. Pick up a piece, put it in his mouth, drop it onto the sidewalk or back in the bucket...pick up another piece, put it in his mouth, ect..ect. Finally, tiredness set in, and we were done. Back at the Jones's we snapped some more family pictures and then called it a night.

All in all, we had a great time and were really impressed with Eli's impersonation of a flying monkey. Not to mention, the fact that he actually wore the head piece. Here are a bunch of pictures from the night!

A Mother's Love

I wasn't really planning to blog again until I had a fun Halloween update, but just felt compelled to tell you about my day.

So, today I had the pleasure or curse of traveling to Atlanta, GA...up to your interpretation. The city is an awesome place, and my meeting went well. However, the 'monstrous storms' that were attacking the east combined with the stupidity of the Atlanta airport makes for a worse case scenario.

Anyway, while I was eating lunch with one of my female co-workers we had the pleasure of talking about everything but work. We talked about her possible engagement soon, eating healthy, wedding showers, baby showers...anything girly and 'non beer' we could think of. So, I was telling her a little bit about what motherhood is like and how I manage to balance the 'work-mommyhood' balance. Also, how much I think working has helped me as a person, a mom, a wife, and overall as a family. I do, actually, feel very blessed to have the job that I do and help provide for our lil' G-unit. Our conversation continued and we starting talking about all of our friends that are pregnant and a HUGE 100+ person shower she threw a month ago. But, this shower was so deserved because the couple had struggled with getting pregnant. Additionally, she talked about a miscarriage/still birth that her in-laws experienced at 6 months. It immediately made me think of my sorority sister who just lost her 1 and half year old son in an accident. The conversation instantly got directed on the blessings and curse that we experience as mothers. I explained, in the most sane way I could, how much torment we put ourselves through to look after our babies. The mother's mind has the unfortunate ability to think of the extreme worst case scenario and feel such fear just to keep our babies safe. We have to talk ourselves off so many ledges and realize that so many babies now and before our time have survived under tougher circumstances. But, God simply has us mommies wired to protect our young and think of all of the scenarios (that is my opinion). So, we often just have to take a deep breath and leave in God's hands and just enjoy every minute of the ride.

So, my coworker mentioned that her boyfriend is a pharmaceutical sales rep and calls on psychiatrists. And, one of the doctors once told him, "that there is no greater love in the world, than the love that exists between a mother and her child". I instantly got goose bumps, and couldn't agree more...or feel more validated.

4 hours later...I am sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for my (later) 4 hour delayed flight...after my Delta flight was canceled. Suddenly....I notice my sorority sister walk by. Yes, the same sister I mentioned earlier. This was the first time that I have seen her since college over 6 years ago. We start making small talk, which turns into my condolences. Not to get into too much detail...I pray for her and think about her nearly daily. What she and her family went through are a person's living nightmare and I couldn't feel more terrible. However, despite her tragedy I was amazed at how strong of a woman and mother sat in front of me. Her strength should be admired and is worthy of an award greater than any stupid trophy we hand out for actors, musicians, or athletes. It broke my heart, but made me so happy to see that she travels with his baby blanket, as a precious reminder. It was ironic that all in this one Atlanta day I had an opportunity to talk about, feel, and witness the different levels of a mother's love. All in all, it was a very good day.

Here are some pictures from my day. This is the view from my airplane window this morning....simply stunning!

S

Drive down memory highway

Well, I had the pleasure of driving to and from Austin on Wednesday. Needless to say it was a long day. But, the fun part, was that it was the first time I had made the trip since the 'Eli-mommy' vacation that we had back in April (when Eli was just 2 1/2 months old) when Keith was working down south. He was traveling so much, I wanted Eli and I to spend more time with him and have a little River Walk fun.

So, as my coworker and I were voyaging down to the state capital I would occasionally glance off the side of the road and remember all of the stops that Eli and I had to make on our trip. I was still breastfeeding at the time, and stopping every 2-3 hours along the way. And, that was 2-3 hours from the start of the feeding. On top of that...that was the same time that Eli officially made it known that he HATED the car seat. The trip down to San Antonio was supposed to take 5 1/2 hours, but took our dynamic duo 8+ hours! I still can't believe that I attempted such a feet. To drive, solo, such a distance, with a young baby that hated the car seat. It was fun to look back on the trip in hindsight I am not saying that it can't be done, but we weren't the 'model road trip'.

The things that I remembered most from our little trip was Eli crying about 50% of the time, our little stops every hour and half or two, hitting HORRIBLE traffic with a crying baby in the back in Waco and San Antonio, singing 'The things on the highway go...." (sung to the tune of 'The Wheels on the Bus'), and trying to be more quiet than I would have ever imagined. I remember at one point, Eli was asleep and I was afraid to turn on my windshield wipers when I had bug splatter all over my car. I dared not make him unhappy.

So? Would I do it again...lol. Of course, just for the experience. Practically? No. ha ha. Knowing Eli like I do now, I should have known that his will is stronger than any other person I have ever met. And, there are no alternatives to him not getting his way. :)

What is he up to now? Laughing and having the most fun all the time! Seriously, Eli is all giggles and laughs, all the time. It is so much fun to discover a new noise, face, funny sound, game, or tickle spot that will set him off. I have had several friends say that every 'new age' is their favorite, as their babies have got older. And, I have to agree. Eli is growing into a little boy with a personality bigger than Keith and I combined. So, everyday is a blast!

The Weekend

Well, I gotta admit, we don't have a ton to report, this week. Eli's Halloween costume came in, and needs some major altering. However, I can vouch for it being super cute...now I just need to get him used to the head piece (not a fan!). Keith and I went to the Ranger game on Saturday and had a blast. Not to mention, we got to see the Rangers win their first ever series home game. Then, on Sunday we hit up McKinney Trade Days. Eli was quite the trooper, while Keith and I tried a large assortment of homemade salsas, jellies, kettle corn, and sweet tea...I'm stuffed just thinking about it...."Leigh, get back on the band wagon."

Here are some pictures from the week.