Treasure in Jars of Clay

Psalm 31:1-5

2011-02-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

Meme

2011-02-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I did a meme. This one's from my sister-in-law. Leave your answers in the comment box or post them on your own blog.

1. What color are your socks right now?
I am not wearing any!
2.What are you listening to right now?
"c is for cookie"
3.What was the last thing you ate?
a banana
4.Can you drive a stick shift?
nope
5.Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My mom
6.Do you like the person who sent this to you?
I like her a lot!
7.How old are you today?
31
8.What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
olympic events
9.What is your favorite drink?
COFFEE--decaf
10.Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yup
11.Favorite food?
Pizza
12.What is the last movie you watched?
Twilight: New Moon--For a class people!!! Don't give me any slack!!! (No pun intended, Patty)
13.Favorite day of the year?
Summer
14.How do you vent?
Call Lela
15.What was your favorite toy as a child?
strawberry shortcake doll
16.What is your favorite season?
Spring
17.Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries
18.Do you want your friends
to e-mail you back?
Yes!!!
19.Who is the most likely to respond?
Mom
20.Who is least likely to respond?
Gk
21.Living situation?
Married with children
22.When was the last time you cried?
yesterday
23.What is on the floor of your closet right now?
storage bins with my "skinny clothes"
24.Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
depends on who reads it
25.What did you do last night?
Took care of my sick hubby and baby
26.What are you most afraid of?
Becoming a "cat lady"
27.Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese
28.Favorite dog breed?
Border collies
29.Favorite day of the week?
Saturday
30.How many states have you lived in?
3
31.Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds
32What is your favorite flower?
Rose to look at, Lily to smell

Cool Tools--Part 1

2011-01-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

In the picture above are two of my most favorite cooking "tools". They both hold olive oil and make it easy and convenient to cook and grill. A bonus is that I don't have to buy another can of non-stick spray again!

In our quest to be healthy in 2011, Geoffrey and I are using a food scale and rationing, I mean "portioning", out our meals, It has been pretty handy and beneficial in learning about portion size. In a "super-sized" world, it's like re-learning how much to eat! You may notice a couple of other things I use often, my peppercorn grinder, my spoon caraffe, and my environmentally safe cleaner.

Stay tuned for more episodes of "cool tools".

It Stuck!

2010-11-09T09:38:00.001-08:00

Little Boys, Big Pumpkins

2010-10-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Fall Fun

2010-10-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day for "picking pumpkins". Although we don't have a wonderful pumpkin patch here in Juneau, we do have a small place to go and get a few photos. Here is a preview of what we selected:

"Don't make me pull this car over!"

2010-10-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I can...Yes, I did.

For the first time in my life I said the words I heard so often as a child (to my brother, never to me! Yeah, right!), "Don't make me pull this car over!" I don't know if Eli understood what I was saying, but he certainly understood my expression. And for one car trip, he didn't un-do his seat belt.

This just may be the first of many phrases I never thought I'd say to my child.

Oh well, I turned out okay, right!?!

Trusting God

2010-10-02T12:48:00.001-07:00

It's hard seeing someone you love in pain.

This week has been full of pain and trials. The boys are sick, Geoffrey and I are exhausted, and my Grandma is still in ICU. My thoughts are filled with prayers to God for healing, for strength, and for understanding.

Today I am home, missing an event that I have been looking forward to for so long, so I can care for Lucas. Life can interfere with our plans, but I must cling to my trust in God that he has a purpose for each of us.

Please God, give us peace, give us healing, and give us strength.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Driving Boy

2010-09-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Found My Thumb

2010-09-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

sleeping babe

2010-09-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Healthy" Addictions

2010-09-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

As our family continues to grow and our commitments continue to increase, I find great pleasure in a little addiction I was introduced to by my sister (in-law). Lately, I have little "cracks" of time that are filled by a couple minutes of word-finding fun named Lexulous. She'd tried to include me in this game before, but I've brushed it off for "lack of time". I am thrilled that I finally spent the $1.99 to purchase this app for my iphone.

When Lucas calls me in the wee hours of the morning it is just enough time to fill in a word. Though the points may be few compared to my sis' cognitive dictionary, I still feel a sense of accomplishment when I am able to find a word in the few spaces that remain. I currently have 9 active games, 4 with my sis, and 1 of which I am hoping my mom will join me in. Either way, I am enjoying filling in the "cracks" of time with this little addiction.

It feels like I am sharing a conversation with someone I love. In a sense, I am. I love you, Patty!

Eli shares a picture

2010-08-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Eli Loves You!

2010-08-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

A Special Thank You.

2010-08-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

My dad has spent most of his summer helping Geoffrey and I.

He traveled from Missouri to Juneau just a few months after a traumatic injury to his leg to help me while I was on bed rest at home and in the hospital. He cared for children in my day care. He folded laundry. He cooked dinner. He finished house projects. And when we were life-flighted out of Juneau to Anchorage, dad didn't hesitate to step in and care for Eli. Dad was there for us.

During his August visit, he helped keep the house clean, fixed things, cooked, kept Eli occupied with "monies" and lended a hand wherever he was needed. This was a blessing to us once again since I spent most of that time with pneumonia. Dad stepped in right when I needed him. Not once, not twice, but over and over.

Our heavenly father does the same thing. He gives us exactly what we need over and over again.

Thank you, God, for my Dad.

Momma's Flowers

2010-05-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

My little boy loves spring time, being outside, and picking my flowers!

Mother's Day and Bed Rest

2010-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day is different than the other special days I've experienced. I won't be going out to brunch, I won't get to hug my own mom, and in fact, I won't be doing much of anything. On Wednesday, my physician put me on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. 5 weeks until my scheduled C-section. I've heard stories of women put on bed rest earlier in their pregnancies or having to endure the rest in a hospital bed and although I am blessed with a less severe experience, it is still difficult to comply.

I feel the burden that Geoffrey must now undertake, caring for Eli, myself, the house, our friends, family, and his 3 jobs! I know that he is putting on a brave face and caring for me in sickness and in health, but it doesn't make it easy to watch. I want to help him. I want to clean up after Eli. I want to take care of the chores, make the meals, and serve him. God has placed in me a desire to be my husband's help-meet and I am grieving that loss just as Geoffrey must grieve the loss of closing out his classroom.

I must say that I am not the most willing and obedient patient. Geoffrey and I need your prayers. I need help in being obedient to the doctor and my husband's orders and directions. I need help not to put myself and the baby at risk by doing chores that I shouldn't be doing. I need help letting others do for me. I need help. I need prayers. I need strength to let go and let God.

Also, I ask for your prayers for Geoffrey. He needs help, too. He needs help with Eli, with his classroom, with cooking, and with caring for me. Most of all he needs the strength to be our family's leader. Please pray for him as he is relying on God to receive that strength.

We believe that God hears our prayers and has already taken care of us. We thank our friends and family for the visits and calls, for the help, for the meals, for the generosity and prayers that you've given to us. We thank God for the blessings in our life. We thank God for our lives, even during its' trials.

This Weekend's Home Project

2010-04-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned that Geoffrey and I have committed ourselves to completing a home project each weekend. This past weekend was no different as we accomplished a major goal--downsizing our belongings and having a garage sale. Though we have not truly finished our quest to downsize, we are $300 better off, and now have access to our garage. I'd say the 4 hour morning was a success.

Eliminating some of our "unnecessary" belongings was sometimes difficult, but mostly we felt liberated. I've always been more of a "pack rat" than Geoffrey, so I blame most of our accumulations on myself...it also doesn't help that I enjoy shopping. I am always striving to better myself and to let go of the things of this Earth. One new rule that Geoffrey and I have made for ourselves is that every time we buy something new, we must rid ourselves of something old, too. But for now, we will put our downsizing on the back burner and look ahead to this weekend's project.

To Do:
1. Dust off the shelves on top of our kitchen cabinets.
2. Wash our display plates and decorations.
3. Paint the wall!!! (Yeah--I am most excited about this!)
4. Dust and clean all of our light fixtures and ceiling fan.

What's on your list for the weekend???

God Gives Us What We Need

2010-04-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is difficult to find the words to express what is on our heart to the Lord. Lately, this has been the case for me. I want to pray, but I stumble over the words. I have something to share with God, but I get distracted by other things happening in my life. I feel sad, lonely, or overwhelmed, although there doesn't seem to be a reason.

This Sunday morning a dear friend shared a prayer with our congregation that put the feelings in my heart into words. It happened in a big way. It felt like God was shouting through a megaphone to me saying, "wake up girl! You are a fighting a battle here on Earth and Satan tells you lies! He is whom you battle with, not other people. But don't forget, we win in the end!"

Many Christian friends have said that walking in and with Christ is like riding a roller coaster...there are hills, there are steep drop offs, sometimes we are up and sometimes we are down. In my time of weakness I turned to God and He answered. I know I am not perfect and that I will continue to fail, but I can do anything through Him and I can get through any situation with God by my side.

So when you don't know what to pray about remember this scripture:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.--Romans 8:26

A Family Reunion

2010-04-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

For spring break this year, our family traveled to Vancouver and Seattle to visit our family. It was a special blessing and reunion because of our 4 day excursion in Seattle celebrating John's 70th birthday. The days were filled with stops to Pike's Market, the Pacific Science Center, the Space Needle, Whirligig, and fun little stores with toys, books, and jewelry.

Photo credit: John Wyatt, outside Seattle's REI
Visit Papa John's site for more details on our family reunion.
http://avuncularjohn.blogspot.com/

One of my favorite events was the Argosy Harbor Cruise. It was a joy to receive kisses from my little boy and to watch him bond with his cousins. (Not to mention the nice cruise and sightseeing opportunity!)

The next time we reunite our family will have grown by one...can't wait to introduce our newest addition to these very special people.

Happy St. Patty's Day~!

2010-03-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are having a Potluck at church. We are bringing green foods and wearing green clothes. I didn't have a lot of ideas for what to make, so I fell back on an easy "fix"--green food coloring and frosting. I even got a little daring and added food coloring to the batter. I love to make baked goods and typically prefer to share them with others than eat them myself.

Out with the Old!

2010-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

With the new year, Geoffrey and I decided that each weekend we would try to accomplish one "home project". Our projects have included organizing our closet, cleaning the garage, moving furniture, and cleaning carpets. I am constantly trying to find ways to organize the living room space to make it safer for the kids, cleaner for me, and effective for the needs of my day care.

Geoffrey let me buy this cubby shelf and organizing cloth buckets for the kids' toys. If you look a little closer you may notice that we even painted our "half-wall" a shade called honey butter. I have been hesitant about painting or decorating because the decisions feel permanent to me. However, with kiddos, the walls have been scuffed, marked, and damaged. I've decided to bite the bullet and with just a little drywall putty and paint, I feel the living room has a whole new feel!

We have just under 3 months until our baby boy arrives and I am looking forward to continued decorating, organizing, and down-sizing.

Next on the list: prepping our bedroom for the baby and sorting through Eli's "old clothes". Geoffrey and I have a deal...for everything that comes into the house as a new purchase, something must leave the house, too. This is a fair deal and just the first step to minimizing our worldly possessions.

What ideas do you have about organizing or minimizing your possessions???

26 weeks and counting!

2010-03-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to be welcoming our second addition to our family. Baby Boy Wyatt is due to join us via Cesarean Section on June 14th. Yesterday our baby boy was happy to be photographed at our ultrasound. He is growing quite rapidly and is about a week and a half ahead of schedule. Everything looked good to the ultrasound technician and we were excited to find all of the the "missing parts" from our previous ultrasound. He has a 4 chamber heart, kidneys, and feet! Woo Whoo!

The doctor says he weighs about 1 pound 13 ounces, and is about 12 inches long. We were pleased to learn that there was plenty of amniotic fluid and our baby boy made lots of movements while the technician worked. He sucked his thumb, kicked his momma, hiccuped and turned his head towards us. We were even able to confirm that he was a boy--100% money-back guarantee!!!

Enjoy the photos.

Sucking his thumb!

Looking this way!

Treasures in Jars of Clay

2010-03-11T14:41:00.001-08:00

In a world that is full of sin, I hold on to the fact that Jesus is ALIVE and that He lives in me.

Though I feel pressure from every direction, I am NOT crushed. Though I feel confused, I am NOT in despair. Though I may be persecuted I am NOT abandoned. And when I am struck down I am NOT destroyed.

The Bible provides me with comfort, with reassurance, with love. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 reminds me that there ARE treasures in jars of clay.

I am that clay.

I put myself in our Father's hands.

Mold me, use me, change me.

Make me a servant for you.

This is my prayer.

Week 18

2010-01-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while, so let's start with the basics!

We are in week 18 of our second pregnancy and officially into the 5 month of pregnancy. I started feeling the baby move last week, which is reassuring! I know in a month or two I may start complaining about those mid-night kicks, but for now I love it.

This pregnancy has brought another round of gestational diabetes, but with a little encouragement from my friend Amanda, I am able to successfully take care of my insulin injections on my own.

I am also pleased (and blessed) to share that I am starting to feel much better and my morning sickness and nausea seems to be decreasing. Although Geoffrey considers my morning intruder a nice reminder of the baby growing inside me, I am much happier without that particular type of reminder.

In other news, I have definitely started growing out of my clothes and now have a good excuse for my "extra padding". With the start of the new year, a new little baby (6 months old) has started at my day care and I am pleased to see how well Eli has adapted to the change. He is gentle with this little one and careful to touch him with "soft" hands.

Next week we will schedule our second ultrasound and will hopefully have news on the gender of the baby soon! Stay tuned!

Baby #2 Update :)

2009-11-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

We had our first official prenatal visit this morning. Things look to be on track and for those of you that have been betting, there is only 1 baby in there! The baby looked great and his/her heart was beating at 179 beats/minutes. We could see kicking and movements and the heart valves pumping. Ultrasounds are always very comforting to me and this was no exception. I praise God for the miracle of modern medicine and for a look inside my growing belly. Geoffrey and I need to venture to Bartlett on Friday for another ultrasound and, hopefully, a better view of the baby. In the picture below, the head is on the right and the body is bending left. The amniotic sac looked pretty large and open to me, but the Ob nurse said that it was normal! Yeah!

Official Due Date: June 13th, 2010

Countdown: 28 weeks, 4 days

Gestational Age: 11 weeks, 3 days

Trimester: 1st

Length: approximately 2 in, 0.5 oz.

What's happening with the baby?

This little one is forming hair follicles, fingernail and toenail beds, and lot's of growing!

What's happening with the momma?

Lots of nausea and mood swings!

Broken Tooth=Broken Mommy & Daddy

2009-11-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day, the snow was falling, the kids were happy, and I had a brief respite from morning sickness. I decided that we could all use a little fresh air so I bundled up the kids and we went outside.

Eli and Genevieve spent a lot of time exploring the snow, tasting the frosty treat, and falling all over the ice! We had about 20 minutes of fun in the yard and then took a walk to the playground. Eli is no stranger to the playground and he made a dash for the slide. As I helped Genevieve get to her feet, I looked over and saw that Eli was nearly to the slide. I called to him, he didn't look back, so I started towards him. As I did so, he started to fall and hit his face/mouth on the metal steps of the slide.

The poor guy was screaming by the time I reached him (it was only seconds, but felt like a life time) and when I picked him up he was covered in blood. I gently lifted his upper lip and saw what looked to be his two front teeth and gums detached and bleeding. I picked up Genevieve and ran to the neighbor's house who began calling places to determine if we needed to go the the dentist or the emergency room. By the time Geoffrey arrived, one tooth had come out completely so we ended up with a dentist.

Eli cried most of the way there, although I believe it was because he wanted his daddy to sit next to him. The doctor took a peak around his mouth and looked at his tooth and determined that not much could be done right now. Eli's gums are ripped up to his lip but no stitches were necessary. His other front tooth is pushed up into his gums. We will return to the dentist next week, but are praying that the second injured tooth will remain and hold strong in his mouth.

This was actually Eli's first tooth to come in. It is also the first tooth he lost (root and all).

Eli's new toothless grin. Get used to it--it may be like this for the next 5 or 6 years.

Lil' Ham

2009-11-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween is definitely NOT Eli's favorite holiday. It really isn't mine, either, but I do enjoy any time when I can get together with friends and fellowship. I also enjoy pumpkins and all that comes with the joys of fall.

This year, we picked out 2 pumpkins. We stripped Eli down to his diaper, opened up the tops of the pumpkins and expected a "free-for-all"...we were wrong. Eli wouldn't have anything to do with the cold, slimy innards. Although his first pumpkin carving was anything but a success, Geoffrey and I enjoyed the fruits of our labor and yummy oven-roasted seeds.

The night before Halloween, our church family held a Harvest Festival with all sorts of games, prizes and foods. Eli's favorite game was donuts on a string. The object is to race your opponent by eating through the donut tied to a string. The only racing Eli did was back to Ms. Janet to get another donut! He truly enjoyed those yummy treats. After an hour of fun, Eli was ready to go home and sleep off his sugar-high.

On Halloween, we dressed up our little man, passed out candy, and then took Eli down the street to visit a few neighbors and collect candy for Daddy. Eli decided he really didn't like his monkey hood, so he spent quite a bit of time pulling at it. He did enjoy, however, receiving treats and chewing through little bags of M&Ms. All-in-all it was a nice evening. We hope you enjoyed your weekend, too!

Baby #2

2009-11-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here comes baby #2 . We are due some time in mid-June...so around 9 weeks along now. If you are curious, here is some info me and the baby.

THE BABY:

Is about the size of a grape!
Doesn't quite weigh in at 1 ounce.
Has all major organs with a 4 chambered heart.
Still a few more weeks before we'll know if the baby is a boy or a girl.
No longer has a tail! (We hope!)

THE MOMMA:

Has morning and evening sickness.
Is enjoying eating when not nauseous.
Is already having trouble sleeping through the night.
Has LOTS of mood swings--just ask daddy.
Is very excited to meet him or her.

Our first doctor's visit and ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, November 25th. With Elijah we had his name picked out long before he was conceived. So start putting on your thinking caps for names you may like. We plan to share the sex of the baby as soon as we are able to find out. Until then, we thank you for your prayers and well-wishes!

Eli's First Haircut

2009-10-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

Getting the cut

Side View

Posing with Daddy after his bath.

He likes his new doo!

After much debate in the Wyatt household, I finally talked Geoffrey into allowing me to cut Elijah's hair. We originally wanted to wait until his second birthday, but after realizing how fast and thick his hair was growing I decided I couldn't wait any longer.

There was another reason why I couldn't wait until his 2nd birthday. It wasn't so much that strangers asked how old our "little princess" was or that his curls were longer than his beloved Genevieve's. No, it was his daily ritual of rubbing unwanted food into his hair at meal times. I don't believe a haircut will prevent the little protester from rubbing his food into his hair. But, at least I won't spend 15 minutes trying to get it out only to have to stick the kiddo into the bathtub for a quick rinse.

Eli did pretty well for his first haircut. At first, he just gently tipped his head away from me, which actually helped me get to his hair better. After trimming with scissors in order to save some precious locks, we moved onto using clippers. This is where it started to go down hill. He either didn't like the sound or he didn't like the feeling of the clippers on his head...or both. Needless to say there were some tears, but pretty in genuine.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures!

Feeling Fall

2009-10-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

We are thankful for another beautiful fall day in Juneau. Eli has been enjoying the sunshine and extra walks. Although the air is chilly, he is happy to walk just about anywhere nowadays. His current favorite outdoor place is the playground near our house. He just discovered that the sand sticks to his hands and he also enjoys picking up rocks and other inedibles.

How do you like to spend a cool, sunny fall day?

Distracting Eli

2009-10-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today a friend wrote on Facebook that he was thankful for Baby Einstein because it allowed him a 30 minute break...I agree! In fact, I would settle for a 5 minute break! Being a parent is a 24 hour/day responsibility. Whether you choose Baby Einstein, a sibling, or a cardboard box, it is healthy for our children to learn to entertain themselves. Some families are blessed with little ones that are content to play with their "box of toys" for extended periods of time, or with a child that is happy to explore books or watch an appropriate video. Although I am blessed, Eli usually needs to be "entertained" by multiple things because he is active and gets distracted easily.

Elijah can also be a little "needy" and he is starting to experience separation anxiety. He loves for his mom or dad to give him lots of attention. I think it is important for us to give him attention, but there are times when we may need a moment to ourselves. I would like to share a story with you and ask for some advice. It may be considered a "taboo subject", but it is something that occurs daily in the Wyatt household and may provide you with a little comical relief. So, reader BEWARE!

I am currently working on a little pre-potty training with Eli. The purpose isn't really to prepare Eli to use the bathroom, but for him to learn to allow others to use the bathroom privately. Eli, when he sees I am headed that direction, puts his crawl or walk into full gear and races to beat me to the bathroom door. I usually win, however, there are times when he is quicker than my aging feet. If he succeeds at entering the bathroom first, he promptly heads for all of the areas I want him to avoid: the garbage can, the toilet, the toilet brush, the toilet paper roll, and the bathtub itself. As a last resort, when I carry him out of the room and tell him "no", he reaches for the cabinet doors or drawers and tries to swipe something within his reach. This is particularly amusing to him, but he panics when figures out his fun is over and when I begin to walk away to return to the bathroom.

His second attempt at racing to the restroom is rarely successful. Now, it may seem to you that I've won the battle--but it really depends on what you consider a "win". About 75% of the time Eli bangs on the bathroom door and screams for me to come out. Although I am alone in the room, (1 point Mom, 1 point Eli) it is anything but quiet. When I am finally reunited with my son, he then clings to my leg for the next 10 minutes as if I'd left him for a week or two.

So, my question to you is this:

How would you "handle" this little guy?

My Husband

2009-10-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

My husband is the most manly and caring person in the world. I can't believe how sexy and wonderful he is.

And he knows my password.

Walking!!!

2009-09-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 months, Elijah has been "practicing" his walking. Geoffrey and I have been urging him, clearing a path, and waiting for him to take off. It is only in just the past week that he is doing this unprompted. As a parent, it is easy to push our children into doing things that they may not be ready for. I have been pushing Elijah to walk and when I did he'd reject my attempts. As I let go of the control I was seeking and grew in patience, Eli became more willing to walk and enjoyed the results of his success.

I think that my walk with God is similar. When I feel I am being pushed, I bolt, I fight back, I defend myself, I even crawl away. But when I let go of the control I seek to have, I begin to walk in joy, patience, and love. I may stumble, I may turn away, but when I reach for God's hand, He is there. I plan to be there for Eli, too. More importantly, I pray that Eli will reach for God's hand and walk with Him in his ways.

The Break Is Over

2009-09-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

After a nice long break from blogging, Elijah and I are ready to get back to it. We have been enjoying catching up on everyone's blogs and I think we can manage a little time to share what's been happening in our world.

With Daddy back to work, I have started up Day Care again with our dear friend Genevieve. Eli and she acted like long lost pals when they got back together. Both are more mobile, more vocal, and show each other a lot of love. It is a blessing and joy to have them together in my home.

Elijah is also approaching a new milestone--walking. He is taking 4-5 steps at a time, unassisted, and he is VERY proud of himself. However, he knows that his crawling is faster, so he just keeps crawling away from us! He has been practicing his walking for over a month now and I expect that any day he will just take off and not look back.

Fridays are special days for us because we get to join our friends over at the Church Annex. Eli sees his buddies and I get to see mine, too! Sometimes we just chat, sometimes we craft, and sometimes we pay bills or write cards! Whatever your fancy, it is good times with good people.

How do you spend your Fridays?

Stand Tall Eli

2009-04-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Eli is STANDING and CRUISING!

He has pulled himself up before with my assistance and using the couch. But this time Eli was determined to get out a toy from his toy basket. In fact, he wanted ALL of the toys.

Eli's First Tantrum

2009-03-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Lately Eli has been testing the waters. I put on a bib, he rips it off. I sit him up, he wants down. I put him in the walker, he wants out. I put a new diaper on, he wants it off. I feed him peas, he wants bananas. Enough is enough.

Last night I told my dear friend Amanda that Eli has been making this noise that drives me crazy. It sounds like "mmmm........mmmmmm........mmmmmmm" and it goes on (and on and on and on) until he gets what he wants or doesn't. If he does, he is happy as a clam. (There is my first mistake!) If he doesn't he usually moves on and forgets about it. Again, I say, enough is enough.

In an effort to work on his understanding of "no" and to stop the whining, when Eli makes this noise, I have been consistently telling him "no". For the entire day he's responded with a surprised look and has successfully moved on. He stopped ripping off his bib. He sat up. He played in the walker. He got a new diaper. He ate his peas. All has been well until Mr. Grumpalumpagous woke from his most recent nap.

As usual, I gave him comfort and then proceeded to change his diaper once he was done snuggling. Thus, I recieved Eli's first tantrum. In fact, I am still experiencing it as I sit here and write this blog.

His diaper was super messy and as I began changing it Mr. Man then started slapping my hands, arching his back, and attempted to turn himself over. I consistently said "no" and continued to change the diaper. He started screaming and hasn't stopped for the last 45 minutes. However, to keep my sanity, he is down in his crib and I predict he will drift off into dreamland soon enough.

Although today marked another "first" I predict that it will not be his last as I've just entered this chapter called "Motherhood".

Eli's Nicknames

2009-02-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

1. Sug Sugs (Sounds like Sugar)

2. Bob-a-loo

3. Fussy Monkey

4. Monk Monks

5. Boober Lips

6. Beau Beau

7. Kunta Kunte

8. Droolmeister

9. Stinky Boy

10. Grumpalumpagous