8 months old!

Our little E is growing up!

If we're friends on facebook, you've seen the monthly photo I post of Eli in his chair.  I just love seeing how he has grown each month!  It blows my mind!

Prior to restarting this blog, I have been keeping an "Eli journal."  I started writing entries every week after we found out we were pregnant - how I was feeling, what I had learned about his development, what I craved, and how we felt when we learned "punkin" was a boy!!  I also wrote Eli's birth story and have been keeping track of his milestones there.  I intend to give it to him when he's old enough to care (then again, he is a boy... will he ever really care?).  ;) 

Anyway, I am going to continue the monthly post here and attempt to write more about what typical days are like for us at this stage!

Eli at 8 months old

 Dear sweet little Eli,

You are absolutely a ball of joy these days!  You are such a fun baby - you are so curious about the world around you that when we are out you hardly make a sound... you are just taking it all in!  We love introducing you to new things - you get so excited!  Last week we had Thanksgiving with two different families in one day and you were passed around all day.  I was a little nervous because you had started showing signs of stranger anxiety, but you never cried once!  Everyone loved on you and you loved every minute of it!

You have been growing so much lately... I hear more about how big you are rather than how skinny you are, which is a huge relief to me!  You wear 6-12 month & 6-9 month clothes, and some 9-12 month clothes (PJs and tee shirts).  Pants with elastic waistbands fit you best... the others are still a bit loose on you!  

You weigh approximately 18 pounds.  Some days 18.5, others 18 even. You don't eat as well when your teeth are bothering you, which seems to be a constant issue these days!  You have FIVE teeth - and are working on the 6th.  I can't see it yet, but I expect to see it any day!  You are drooling like a madman and constantly have your fingers in your mouth!  And, you grind your teeth (uuggh - even the thought of it now sends chills down my spine!) and smash your jaws together right now, which has always been a sign of a tooth near its debut!

You have mastered so many skills lately, it's hard to keep up!  You learned how to sit up on your own around 7 months,  2 weeks.  You love sitting up and playing with toys, looking around, or taking your socks off!  Sometimes you sit up, then get back on your hands and knees, only to spin around and sit facing the other direction.  It's pretty funny!  You also learned how to pull up this month!  You pull up constantly now - during bath time, during naptime, and during play time!  If I get my fingers or hands close to you, you are clamoring after them so you can pull yourself up!  Daddy had to end bath time early last night because you refused to sit down!  You are still army crawling, which you started a little after 6 months old.  I tried crawling on my knees the other day and it hurt!!  I don't blame you one bit for army crawling!  

Attempting to pull up on daddy

OH!  The funniest trick you do these days is pushing your little sit & stand toy.  It's so funny!  

You eat three meals a day.  We typically start breakfast off with yogurt - you love it!  You haven't enjoyed cereal for a couple of months now, even when I add cinnamon or fruits.  So, we give you cheerios instead.  For lunch and dinner, we typically eat veggies.  You LOVE roasted butternut squash. 

Enjoyed prunes so much you wanted some on your nose for later.  Typical - at least one sock is pulled off. 

 I just love this picture - Bill and Eli going to spend some QT out at the garden on a beautiful fall afternoon.
  Bill loves his garden and loves sharing it with Eli!

I'll write some about our garden.  Unfortunately, the latest freeze wiped out all of our veggies besides the turnips.  If anyone has turnip recipes, please share!  :)  Bill's experiments usually result in experiments of my own in the kitchen!  ;)  Don't let that scare you - Bill has requested I not try new recipes with guests.  :)

Family pic from O'Connor Christmas. 

 Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we finally got to introduce Eli to Caden.  These boys are 6 weeks apart and Em and I have shared so many similar mothering experiences.  Talking to her through these last several months has helped spare my sanity.. it's always sooo nice to talk to people going through similar experiences!  Caden is such a sweet and animated little guy... these two are going to have a blast playing together in the future!

 Bill thought the pics through the chair were strange.  I was just trying to get ONE picture of them both looking at me!  It didn't work.  But, thought these pics of our guys were too cute to not share!

I thought the pics below were funny.  This was during an attempt at his 8 month pic.  You can see the moment he spotted his jumperoo next to him, then his steps to get there!  Look at the excitement in his face!

 

I guess I should show the last picture, too.  You can see where this is headed.  By no means can he walk.  Nor has he mastered getting off his chair into a standing position.  It usually ends this way:

Delayed reaction of putting the camera down... but at least I got my foot up there??!  ;)

It's OK though.. many moms remind me bruises and falls are necessary evils at this age.  Well, and probably will be for another 15 years, at least.  Gotta love boys!!  :)

Love!

So Thankful

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you."

I receive a daily devotional and this was the verse for today's email.  I remember using this verse on a frame I made for Bill in college, so it has sentimental value as well as spiritual value.  

I love Thanksgiving.  I find it so refreshing that we have a holiday devoted to remembering all for which we are thankful.  A thankful heart, joyful and full of love, and a full belly!  Sounds pretty perfect, really!

This has probably been the biggest year in my life.  My heart has doubled in size with the addition of our sweet little E.  I'm pretty sure I could peg motherhood as being one of the hardest things I've ever done, yet easily the most fulfilling thing, too.  Easily.  I literally burst with joy when he smiles at me.  I still cry randomly when I look at him - it is just such a beautiful thing!  I am so thankful for our little guy and can't wait for the adventures ahead!

I am so tremendously grateful for my love, Bill.  He's absolutely my best friend.  He knows ME - the real Cristin that doesn't wear makeup and works in sweatpants and who cries when a player gets tackled at an OSU football game (all the while complimenting the tackle, but crying at the thought of that kid being someone's son.... and how my son will likely play football one day... and I'll have to watch him get tackled!  Eekk!!  Stop now... my throat is tightening!).  He calms my nervous mind in regards to raising a child, has been my biggest supporter in nursing little E and constantly compliments me on my effort to raise a healthy and happy baby boy.  He knows that I am miserable at words of affirmation, yet lovingly affirms me daily through his words and actions.  He is truly a man after God's heart and I love his Godly leadership in our house.  I look up to Bill and am honored to be his wife.

Phew.  that was heavy.  let's lighten this up a tad....

I'm grateful for this blog because I intend to treat you like a best girlfriend.  Sharing stories about my kid, sharing pics of fashion I love and either wish I could have, or wish I would have the nerve to wear, sharing pics of home design that inspires me, and sharing just little tidbits that have motivated me that day.  

I'm grateful for a fabulous family - on both sides.  Bill and I are so fortunate to not have any 'inlaw' stories to share when people start dissing their own.   I know it's nearly a rite of passage to despise an in-law, but we don't.  We love ours!  What a blessing!  We have wonderful, loving siblings and wise, fun parents.  We love you guys!

I'm grateful for some pretty amazing girlfriends.  While I need doses of time by myself, I THRIVE on time with friends I love and adore.  They have encouraged me through my postpartum days, through breastfeeding woes, and all the joys of being a new mom.  I got to share the fun days of college with many of them and am getting to know the joys of living in Muskogee with others.  I love you all, and hope that I can contribute to your lives to repay how you have touched mine!

Finally, I'm thankful for you.... reading all the way to the bottom!  :)

Love you, and have a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!

 

If there isn't a photo of the event.... did it really occur?

I have a horrible memory.  Ask Bill.  It annoys him.

I'm especially bad with names, especially if I've simply heard of the person and not met them face-to-face... or... if that meeting was brief and ages ago. 

I'm finding that my memory isn't terrible with Eli and his milestones, but he is only nearly 8 months.  Give it time. 

That thought depresses me, which explains the nearly 3,500 pictures I have in his honor.  That's approximately 438 pictures taken per month of this kiddo.  I need a larger hard drive!  If I have a picture, I can't forget, right?!

Enter Shutterfly.

Not only have I used this site to purchase several hundreds of photos, I have also purchased personalized Thank You cards for the days when I was writing dozens of thank yous after generous showers.  What a blessing that was!  The Thank Yous AND the showers!  :)  The little cards said "baby Shelby" on them below little animals.  They were super sweet.

I also plan to use Shutterfly for our Christmas cards.  Bonus -- they are offering 50 free cards for doing a blog post featuring their cards!  Um... YES, please!  :)

In the past, we haven't sent cards because 1) my husband is cheap and didn't understand the purpose, and 2) we weren't too excited to share a picture of the two of us.  We haven't changed drastically in the past 8 months.  No one really cares to see our faces on the card!  But, there is a new star in the Shelby household, and he'll be starring front and center in our Christmas card!  You're welcome.  ;)

There are so many cute ones, I am having the hardest time picking just one!  Basically, I'm forcing myself to narrow it down based on wanting flat cards, not folded, and needing horizontal orientation.  Here are some examples:

I think the last one is my favorite.  Which one is your favorite? 

My dear friend, Jersey Girl, took these pictures of Eli.  Aren't they just absolutely so sweet!  We're so grateful for her talent... and for sharing with us!  I'm also grateful because my intentions of getting family pics with the pumpkins never materialized.  So... I'm so thankful to have these pics of Eli handy to use for our card!  Thank you!!

Ok, enough for now.  Go check out the cards at Shutterfly - they do not disappoint!

Love you all!

PS - If you want to blog about Shutterfly, here is the link!
http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

Where to "begin"....

This blog originated as a way to stay in touch with friends and family overseas while Bill and I lived in Sydney.  As you can see from my previous post - from 2007! - once we returned, I sort of 'retired' the blog.  Life just wasn't as interesting then, since we were back home.  Well, it wasn't interesting... until now.  :)

 Enter Eli David Shelby.

Eli was born on March 26th at 10:20 pm.  He was 7.1 pounds and 20.5 inches long.  Healthy and beautiful.

It is hard to imagine life without him.... how incomplete it was, but yet I didn't realize.  I am so grateful for the time Bill and I had as simply husband and wife - just a little over 4 years.  It was fabulous.  We built a strong foundation for our relationship.  We took time to go on adventures and explore together.  We learned new things and tried new things together.  Bill introduced me to life as a farmer's wife.  I introduced him to sushi and red wine.  ;)  It was beautiful and perfect.

Leave it to God to take something already acknowledged as beautiful and perfect and up the ante.  There is no way we could return to life pre-Eli and find it as fulfilling.  Yes, welcoming a new little person into the world brings new challenges and struggles, but it also brings joy you never thought you could experience.  It's the most fulfilling thing of which I have ever been a part.

I will share pictures, stories and challenges that I have encountered along the way.  Eli is nearly 8 months old now (gasp!) and each week brings something worth sharing to the masses (because everyone is as interested in my child as I am, right??!).  ;)

While Eli is the star of my life right now, I will share stories from other facets of my life as well.  Take, for instance, the at least 8,000 pumpkins left in the field after an already tremendously successful pumpkin harvest.  That was interesting.  People still stop on the side of the road and take pictures.

Love you all, and I'm excited to be able to share stories from my life with you, again!!

Our New Home!

Isn't it cute!! Bill and I are so thrilled to have our first home! We are enjoying having a space to finally call our own - and Bill is excited to have a yard to mow!! :) If you are ever in Oklahoma, or Muskogee, come stop by and see us!!


Bill and I were reunited with our university love - OSU!! We went to the first football game of the season and had a blast seeing old friends and just being back in the awesome atmosphere of Stillwater! We actually won this game - which was nice! We're trying to stay positive about the rest of the season!

Greetings from America!!

How cute is our little nephew Maddux!! Isn't he just adorable! Bill and I played 'good aunt and uncle' on Easter, helping Maddux get as many eggs as possible (and trying to help Maddux remember who we are!)! It was a very cold morning, as you can tell from his cute little coat! He is almost 1 1/2 years old and VERY cute!

This is my parent's house in Tulsa. Tulsa during Spring is hard to beat - there are beautiful big trees everywhere, along with heaps of azaleas lining the streets. Below is a picture of Bill's favourite treasure to return home to.... HIS TRUCK!!! Haha... looking back, I don't know how he managed with that little '89 Toyota Corolla we had!! This is a picture of my sister, Carolyn, and I with our dad, John. I have to be honest - I've only really missed Sydney once since we've been home - otherwise, I've been on a buzz from seeing all my friends and family! I know that once things settle down a bit I won't be able to get Australia out of my head! But, until then... we're just enjoying the company!

Three weeks after we landed in Oklahoma, my cousin Erin got married! My cousin Kelley and I were both in her wedding and got to wear gorgeous blue silk dresses! My mom, Lucia, Carolyn and I stole the bride away for a minute at the reception for this cute picture! Congrats, Erin!

Now for the update on our lives!

We are building a home!! Bill and I are going to build a house 3 miles south of Muskogee! We are so excited! It is about 5 minutes from the Turnpike, which is how Bill and I will both get to work everyday! We have already met some of our neighbours - we can't wait to move in! Unfortunately, the house won't be ready until mid-August.... SO... until then, we'll be living with our parents!! :)

Bill has started working at the farm - he loves it! He comes home covered in dirt - it's great for my allergies!! ;) haha... guess I need to get extra-strength laundry detergent! He is actually handling most of the 'business/planning' issues for the farm, but likes to get his hands dirty every once in a while!

I am going back to work for IBM on the 7th... I am really looking forward to rejoining the group there! I'll still be an IT Specialist, but working for a different team than before.

Well, I know some of you mentioned that you might come see us in Oklahoma... guess what... we are building TWO guest rooms in our house just for you all!! :) I guess you have to come see us now!! ;) Just teasing, but Bill and I are so excited that we might get some ozzie visitors! If you are ever in the states, please consider coming to see us in Oklahoma!!

We love and miss you all! Please stay in touch! And, we'll post more updates when they come!

Have a great day!

Final Australian Post :(

Sailing, Snorkelling, Deep sea fishing, Flying over Sydney, Zorbing, Surfing lessons with a World Champion, New Year’s Eve on the Harbour, the Chudleigh show (oldest continuous show in Australia), Cuddling koalas, Taming wild donkeys, Wine tasting in Mudgee, Weekends away to the south coast, Weekends away to the north coast, Horse racing with the Starks, Greyhound racing with the Shelbys, Meeting 8 out of 9 Starks siblings, Australia Day, Anzac Day, An Aussie Christmas, Boxing Day, Celebrating Thanksgiving on the reef, 2 - 50th birthday parties, Train delays, Hostels, working 4 Caringbah markets, 2 encounters with the Prime Minister, White water rafting, Whale watching, Loads of dolphins, A waterview, Herding cattle 3kms from Weemelah, 1 chipped tooth, Bananas hit $13 a kilo, lawn bowls,1 shower with a Western Brown, About 5 World Heritage areas, Beaches, Budgey smugglers, The kiss greeting, Loads of museums, A few tourist traps, Driving a manual on the opposite side of the road from Pymble to Caringbah on our 1st go with no idea of what to do at a round-a-bout, 3 parking tickets (rear to curb?), only 1 speeding ticket, 100 boxes of Kleenexes, staying with ‘strangers’ 8 times, 2 High Distinctions, 4 American visitors, greyhound races, a proper bush dance, pie and peas at Harry's, Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, 1 book club, 1 night at the Opera House, Singing the American National Anthem at our 4th meeting, Mrs. Shelby singing “Oklahoma”, boot throwing competitions, 5 days in aboriginal village, an encounter with stingless bees, Meeting the coaches of the Canteen Creek Blues, 1 night at Kings Cross (all we needed!), Sharks game, Swans Game, Warne gets 700 wickets, Commonwealth games, Melbourne Cup, Socceroos in the World Cup, Netball??, Mountains, 3 days as a waiter, 12 apostles, 3 sisters, Tassie devils, Devil’s Marbles, Gullet and Kitchen, Morning tea, Afternoon tea, Reefs, the feeling of being “outsiders” in an outback pub, Rainforests, Waterfalls, love/hate relationships with the birds, car sickness, sea sickness, Deserts, a giant rock, fjords, perfecting ‘G’day Mate!’, a 13 month honeymoon, 2 Austrian exchange students, 10 Rotary presentations, 2 Rotary District Conferences, emus, cane toads, millions of sheep, heaps of roos, Heaps more roos dead on the road, & 100 Australian roast dinners makes…

2 True Blue, Fair Dinkum Aussies!!!!!

(stay tuned for more updates from Oklahoma!!)

Final Rotary Preso

Look at these great centerpieces that Pam made for our final Rotary meeting! Aren't they neat!! Australian bottlebrush, eucalyptus, little koalas and kangaroos, and Australian flag all featured in a McDonalds (aka American Embassy/Maccas) cup!! Thanks, Pam!!!
Here we are with Pam and Lloyd... our current landlords! We have been so fortunate to know the Markwells and have really enjoyed getting to spend this time with them! Pam, Lloyd, Bianca and James have been so generous to us - taking us for boat rides, letting us borrow their cars... to letting us live in their home!!! :) It can't get better than this... we are going to miss them!! Thanks, James, for the free Maccas!! ;)
And here we are with our Australian parents, Phil and Glenis Hayes. Aren't they sweet!! They have been such a blessing in our lives this year! We couldn't have asked for better 'Rotary hosts', friends, and Australian family! We love this whole family so much, and can't wait to see them again!! :)
Here's the 'Naughty Table' feeding the pokies $10!! haha... This is their after-Rotary ritual! Good Luck, fellas!! ;)
Bill and I had such a blast giving our final presentation (aka preso) to the club. As you can see, we're both dying laughing! We were so fortunate to draw the Caringbah club - and enjoyed every second of it.... even working the markets!! ;) Thank you for a wonderful year!

Last Adventures...

Look at Us!! :) Bill and I were lucky enough to have personal surfing lessons from a local surfing legend!! Andy, and his wife Pam, took Bill and I to Gerroa last Friday to find "the perfect conditions for learning to surf!" We spent about 3 hours in the water - and after some wise counsel - were able to stand up and 'catch a wave'!! :) The best part was when Bill and I both stood up on the same wave, looked over to say "Hey, Look at me!" and realized that we were both standing!!! We had a blast surfing... if only we lived near an ocean back home!!! ;) These are two great people that we really enjoyed from our church in Sutherland. Rohan Dredge is an Associate Pastor at Shire Live and his wife Megan was my cell leader when we first came to Sydney. They were a lovely young couple that we really enjoyed getting to know!

This is Bill and I eating 'Pea Floaters' at a Sydney Icon.... Harry's Cafe de Wheels!! Robert Gray, and his wife Narelle, took us to Harry's on Wednesday night -- surely we couldn't leave Sydney without a proper meat pie with pea mash!! ;) We had a great night and enjoyed the perfect weather with a stroll around the Woolloomooloo pier. Look at those pies!!!
This is a view of the Harbour bridge with something very interesting happening... RAIN!!! Bill and I were enjoying a nice afternoon around the Rocks when all of a sudden we were in the middle of a downpour! Fortunately, we didn't have too far to run!

North Island

These pictures are from the North Island of New Zealand. While the South Island is more striking, the North Island has so many different, interesting things to see and do!

Below is Bill standing with the Giant Kiwi! Near Tauranga, there is a kiwi farm called Kiwi 360. We went on their tour and learned some very interesting facts! I tried a kiwiberry for the first time - they are like kiwi-grapes... very yummy! We stopped at the Agrodome in Rotorua and got a private showing of Sheep Shearing! We were in-between tours, but the shearer had to maintain his daily quota so we got to ask him all kinds of questions! It is really amazing how quick they move!
Bill and I had a great time at the Tamaki Village near Rotorua. It was very interesting to learn about the Maori culture. We met some really neat people and enjoyed the food! Bill got up on stage at one point to learn the moves, but I didn't get a good pic!

This is taken from Mount Maunganui. It was a really beautiful day - perfect for a walk around the Mount! We stayed with Phil and Glenis' daughter, Lisa, and her husband Murray Denyer - and their two beautiful kids, Richard and Emily. We had such a great time learning about this part of New Zealand from locals! They are truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country! This last picture isn't very attractive, but shows the clouds of sulfur that were everywhere at the Wai-o-Tapu park near Rotorua. It was a beautiful day, but I just couldn't fully enjoy it - I hate the smell of sulfur!!! Rotorua is a very interesting city, though. There are pockets of boiling mud all across the city, as it is right on a fault line. It was very interesting... and very stinky!! It also has the largest population of Maori people in all of New Zealand. There were many beautiful churches and buildings with incredible carvings and details.

All-in-all, we had a fantastic time in New Zealand. It is just so beautiful! I know I have said it before, but if you get the chance to go, Take IT!! :) You won't regret it!!

South Island of New Zealand - Land of the long white cloud

Sorry to take so long with the captions!!

Bill and I had the best time in New Zealand - it is just absolutely stunning!! We spent 8 days on the South Island and 4 days on the North Island. We had such a great time seeing the sights and meeting heaps of new and interesting people!!
We set the timer on the camera and put it on the car - so it is a little bit slanted!! Sorry!! One of my favourite things about New Zealand was this crystally-blue water near Mt Cook. It is hard to tell here, but the water is full of minerals from the glaciers which causes it to appear almost opaque. It was truly wonderful to see!
This is a photo of Bill and I white water rafting the Shotover near Arrowtown/Queenstown. The water was VERY cold, but soo clear - I actually felt safe drinking it!! :) We had a great time rafting and made some new friends! (Side note - look at our funny guide - he's covering his eyes! He liked to consider himself an 'Eco-Sexual!' I about died - He was so funny!)
This is us at the Fox Glacier. We actually crossed ropes saying that we should not walk any further, we just couldn't resist! I really wanted to touch it! It was just starting to rain this day and was pretty cold, but luckily we touched it before the real rain started! Down at the ground level, the glacier actually looked quite dirty, but up in the mountains it was a beautiful ice blue colour. The creepiest thing about the glacier was that it was creaking! It made noises that made me so nervous... I thought it was going to collapse at any given second! I actually think I was starting to run away in this picture! ;) It was a neat experience though - one we are grateful to still be around to tell! ;) haha
This is the beautiful Mitre Peak of Milford Sound. Bill and I took a day cruise at Milford Sound and it was just stunning! It rains 200 days a year, so we were lucky to have clear skies! I have so many beautiful photos from this day - too many to post here! If you want to see more, just let me know!! The end the great day, dolphins (my new favourite!) started swimming with the boat. They were gorgeous!
This is one of my favourite pictures from the South Island. I just love the contrast in colours - how the gold meets the blue of the far off mountains. We pulled over to take this picture... we were pulling over ALL THE TIME to take pics. That pretty much sums up New Zealand... every where you go there are beautiful things to see! We saw rainforests, waterfalls, paddocks full of sheep, deer farms, crystal blue water lakes, amazing snow-capped mountains... the list goes on! We definitely recommend going to New Zealand if you get the chance!!

Fun in Sydney

Bill's Flying!! Bill and I had a fully packed Friday before we left for Tasmania... we went flying in the morning, and then sailing in the evening!
Roger that! I had the best time playing Top Gun with my earphones on! :)
Here's Bill with Brian. Brian was so great to take us on a flight over Sydney! We almost didn't go out because the morning was overcast and cloudy, but fortunately things cleared up a bit! It was a brilliant day for the flight! Sydney is such a beautiful city no matter what angle you see it from, but I must say - seeing it from the air is my favourite!
Later on, we met up with Andy from the Rotary group (he's also our neighbour!) and participated in the evening sailboat races. It was so much fun! I had never realised how much work was involved with successfully sailing! Bill and I really just ran from one side of the boat to the other when they would yell "Tack!" We had a great time!

See that guy in the red shirt? He's actually driving - not me! :) I was just pretending... I had this weird feeling that I would tip the boat over if I were driving!

Pretty sunset after sailing - tough life, huh! :) We are so grateful for all of these opportunities! We can't wait to show these Australians a good time in Oklahoma!

Alright, enough for now! We are going to New Zealand tomorrow morning (at 4 am!!) for 12 days and will surely have heaps of photos and stories to share afterwards!

Thanks for reading!

Time in Tasmania, Part IV!

Salamanca Markets in Hobart. Really fun atmosphere and neat items! And, some really talented buskers! Bill and I at Port Arthur, in front of the old prison.
This is the Cascade Brewery in Hobart. A truly beautiful building!
One of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to! This is Wineglass Bay at the Freycinet National Park. We had to hike up the mountain to get to this lookout point, and then walk down to the beach. It took us a full hour to walk to the far southern part! It was a beaut day! And, to make it even better, we saw dolphins doing full flips out in the distance! I literally almost cried it was so spectacular!
A view from the southern end of the beach. Amazingly clear water!! (Can you tell I loved it!!) :)