18 month, nearly 19 months, post

And.... we're back.

Hopefully I can stay on track a bit better over the next few months.  I'm not sure how long this style of post will exist for us, but we'll see.  I just love being able to read back as Eli gets older, and I'm sure I'll refer to them with #2!

The last "month post" I did for Eli was 14 months!  EEK!  SOOOOO much has happened and changed since then! 

Quick Stats:
75% Head -- 19.5 in
95% Height -- 34.25 in
40% Weight -- 24.75 lb

You're still long and lean, but you're starting to really shoot up in height.  This has presented quite the challenge in finding long pants.  :)  You outgrow Gap pants in length after a couple of months, where a 6 month wear-time is intended.  I have found that Carter's brand pants (while not as cute) tend to fit you better and longer.

Walking with Pops

You LOVE climbing!  You often sit up on the top of the couch.

Love my little cowboy!

Ch Ch Ch Ch -- turning the drink dispenser into a train

Things I love about this stage:

* You walk around randomly counting -- "two, three, four, five,... daddy, seben, daddy, nine, TEN!".  So far, you have not once said "one".  :)
* You still LOVE reading books.  We read about 15 every day.  Your current favorites include either "fooball" or "tractors".  When we read the OSU book, you start singing on the page that includes the words to the alma mater.  It's pretty sweet.  You also point your finger when we say "Go Pokes!"  If we are reading about tractors, you say, "Daddy, Tractor, Papa, Tractor" while pointing at each one we see.
* You also know where there are tractors along our common routes and will yell "TRACTOR!" when we pass them - even if it's 10 pm outside and you can't see a thing!
* You also love to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and do the motions for the spider.  There's really nothing cuter.  :)
* You are really getting into trains and love saying "ch ch ch ch" when you see them.
* You LOVE driving cars, tractors, etc.  When your daddy gets home, you often run to the door begging to be taken outside.  Once outside, you stand by his door until he puts you inside.  You could pretend you are driving for hours!  It's pretty funny to start my car and have to immediately turn off the windshield wipers, blinkers and bright lights.  :)
* We've introduced a baby doll to call "sister" so that we can practice being gentle, etc and you are SO sweet with the doll, giving her kisses and hugs and shoving the bottle in her mouth.  :)  I cannot wait for you to get to meet your little sister!
* You insist on using utensils at every meal, and if I'm sitting next to you, you prefer to use a grown up sized fork or spoon.  You call them all "spoon" at this point.  :)  You are mostly self sufficient at meal times - I really only help when you eat yogurt simply b/c I don't like cleaning up the mess.  :)
* There's nothing sweeter than you grabbing a book and immediately backing up to sit in my lap.  I just love it!
* You had all 16 teeth by the time you were 16 months old.  I'm so relieved to have a bit of a break from teething - those molars were real doozies!
* You love stacking your blocks and counting with it.  You rarely pass 6 blocks before you knock them all "dowwwwwww" and laugh!
* This week, you said your first Spanish word, "agua".  It's pretty cute!  Sometimes you say "water" and other times "agua" -- I couldn't be prouder.  ;)
* You are heavily dependent on your "night night" these days.  Luckily I have 4 of them, so we rotate pretty regularly.  I'm considering cutting one into four squares (they're aiden & anais swaddle blankets, so quite large) to see if you can handle a smaller version.
* I bought a big boy bed for you recently.  We're going to work on that transition here in the next couple of weeks.  The intention is to be transitioned before sister arrives.  We'll see about that.  ;)
* You love walking around saying "Mama, Daddy, Eli (pronounced "I-li" -- all the kids in his PDO pronounce it that way for some reason)."  I'm trying to get you to incorporate "sister", and sometimes you'll add "baby".

Your current schedule is:
7:30 - Wake
Breakfast of yogurt, raisin toast and fruit
Play
11:30 - Lunch
12 - 2:30 - Nap
Play
5:30 dinner
Bath
7:30/8 Bedtime!

You LOVE:
Watermelon
Grapes (Baps)
Apples (you request "apple" all day long - you eat at least one a day!)
Bananas
Green Beans
SPAGHETTI
Peanut Butter (you are my son, afterall)
Pizza (you easily eat 3 pieces!)
Cheese
Toast - another request you make throughout the day
Crackers
Broccoli
Party Burritos at Bueno (we're raising you right with the Bueno influence)  ;)
Pistachios
Chips & Dip
Chicken - especially nuggets from Charlie's Chicken or My Place
Blueberry Muffins
Cheese Enchiladas



You are adding new words and phrases every day.  Today, you said "I don't know" and held your hands out, copying me.  I also asked you to slow down while eating the apple this evening, and you started repeating "slowwwww" in a very dramatic tone.  It was pretty funny.  :)  We called your daddy today and you sang the ABCs with me, and we both held the same letters - "A, B, C, D, E, F, Gggggggggggg; H I J K L M N O Pppppppppp; Q R S T U Vvvvvvvvvvvvv; W X Y and Zzzzzzzzzzzz.  And we crack up after each long letter (if this is making any sense.)  I'll try to record it and put it up here.  Mind you, he's just mumbling noises with each letter until we get to the one we hold.  :)  Just so you don't get the wrong idea about his genius status.  ;)

You definitely have a stubborn side (go figure) and have started screaming when you get upset.  It only lasts a second, and you look at me immediately after doing it.  I'm torn between getting on to you for doing it, or just ignoring it.  Suggestions welcome.  :)  You also had your 3rd haircut attempt -- only the very first one was successful.  Your daddy WILL be taking you next time - or at least accompanying us there.  For now, your hair is a little bit "poofy", but better that than buzzed off!  I just can't bring myself to do that to your sweet blond hair!

We had a few swimming play dates this summer - I think the size of the pool was a bit overwhelming to you.  You started to get the hang of it, but definitely prefer your little pool in the backyard and the bathtub.  :)

I mean, come on.

Lucky boy with unlimited watermelon!

First OSU game - wasn't quite sure what to think of it all! 

Wearing your hat, like Daddy, and "driving" the truck!

I'm hoping that by posting more often, they won't all have to be novel sized.  I let this one keep slipping by each month to where it was almost too much for me to remember and overwhelmed me... you're just growing and learning and changing so much!

Your daddy and I are BEYOND smitten with you, little man, and we love you more than either of us thought we possibly could.  While we're officially worn out at the end of each day, there is no one else we'd rather hang out with than you!

Love you!
Mama

Bun in the Oven Update

Are you as addicted to Pinterest as I am?  I was just on there adding some recipes to a few folders and now have baking on my mind, hence the "oven" reference above.  Seemed fitting.

As anticipated, I have been miserable at logging details of this pregnancy.  I journaled each week when I was pregnant with Eli.  So, in an effort to not blow it completely, I figured I'd put a few notes on the ol' blog.

Funny story -
I thought I was all "expert" about this baby thing and was convinced I was feeling the baby at a very early 12 weeks.  I mentioned it at my 13 week appointment and my Dr just smiled and said that I must be feeling my small intestine.  My uterus (can I say that on here?) was still below my belt, NOT where I was feeling the thumping.  Strange.  I've never noticed my small intestine before.  :)  Just another "perk" to pregnancy.  ;)

Fun Facts:

Strongest cravings:
Raisin Bread - as toast or for sandwiches
Black Cherries - fruit or jam  (helped sustain me through 1st trimester yuckiness)
***Best of both worlds - a Black Cherry Jam & Peanut Butter sandwich on toasted Raisin Bread.  Some say that's gross.  To them I say, "it could be much, much worse."

Chips & Salsa

Chocolate Milk (this was also a strong craving with Eli)
Albacore Tuna (unfortunately I can only have this once a week due to mercury levels)
Donuts (for approximately 2 weeks, also in the 1st trimester)
Pickles (yes, I know that's a bit cliche but it's the truth)

Apples with Peanut Butter

Fortunately, I eat a lot of greek yogurt, so I am getting protein even if I can't convince myself to eat much meat. 

Smell Aversions:
I have a very strong sense of smell typically, but pregnancy only enhances that to dangerous levels.  The smell of the straw below the watermelons in the trailer at the farmer's market about did me in two weeks in a row.  Had to sit down, out of smelling range.  Also, the smell of cooked sweet corn literally sent me running.  People - these were both things I was exposed to regularly.  Why couldn't I have hated the smell of brussel sprouts?  While I typically do love those things (roasted, with bacon, to be specific), at least I can control when I'm exposed to the smell.  With watermelon trailers and sweet corn, there was basically no way to avoid it!  Phew... glad that's over for now!

With this pregnancy, I felt more exhausted than I remember feeling with Eli.  I'm sure the fact that I'm chasing around a not-quite-1.5 year old toddler only contributed.  I often fell asleep on his floor while he played around me.  Note for next house -- having a twin bed in the nursery sounds like such a brilliant idea. 

I also felt nauseous for basically the entire first 15 weeks.  I remember feeling nauseous with Eli ONCE, and I kind of got excited about it.  This time, it was constant.  Early afternoon seemed to be worst, but any time of day was fair game.  After Eli went down, I basically crashed, next to a bowl of black cherry pits.  Poor Bill ate lots of sweet corn (when that was in season -- read above about the smell aversion) and watermelon dinners.  Pretty sure he wouldn't complain about that, though.  He's addicted.  Good thing we get that stuff for free.  ;)

I have not taken ONE picture of my fully clothed belly (or bare, for that matter), but will post it here when I do.  I had grand visions of creating something like this... perhaps it's not too late. 

Sorry for the wordy and picture-less pic!  To redeem myself, here's a pic of the cutest 17 month old I know!! 

17 month chair picture

Love!

Sweet Corn love language

So, it's Wednesday, and I've had a post on Paisley nearly ready for almost 2 months.  But, I am having a hard time finishing projects these days.  So, that will have to wait.  I know, I'm sure you are all bummed.  If you're like Bill, you love reading about my favorite patterns.  ;)

Well, today I wanted to share some recent highlights in our little world.

First -  Eli did THE CUTEST THING ever the other night.  We were all sitting on our bed, and I was asking for night-night kisses from Eli before Bill took him to his bed.  So, he gave me a kiss.  Love that, but it gets better.  Then, Bill and I kissed... you know, because we were there and it seemed like the right thing to do.  We caught Eli watching us and smiling, but what he did next blew us away!  He came over to me and pushed the back of my head towards Bill, asking us to kiss!  He would give me a kiss between each Bill kiss, but eventually he had his hands behind both of our heads, moving us together to kiss!  It was really the sweetest thing he's done in a lonnng time.

So, as you all well know, it's produce season.  This corn season flew by in a blurry of sleepness nights, ears of corn, and post it notes.

Wait, huh?  Post Its?

Does that make you all think of Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion?  On another note... that reminds me of the fact that my 10 year high school reunion is next month.  Sheeeesh.  I'm old.

Alright, back on track.

Bill and I resorted to leaving messages on our mirror as our form of communicating during those four weeks. Here are just a few examples:

Ok, fine.  I'm a big cheeseball.  ;)

He's such a one-upper.  ;)

These stayed on our mirror for a few weeks and were a sweet reminder of that hubby of mine that was off loading semi loads of sweet corn.

These led Bill to comment that perhaps our love language really is corn.  I couldn't get him to actually read that book, so he doesn't know that ISN'T an option.  ;)

Here's another example of how messages were conveyed through post its:

Surprise!!!  Or, did my earlier hints give it away?  ;)

No, I didn't inform him through post its, but I did leave it there as a reminder for him for a few weeks.  And, yes, I was shocked, so TWO tests were required!!

Sweet Shelby Baby Dos is due February 5, 2012!  Eli will turn TWO on March 26th, so I pray daily for just some sanity.  I don't expect full sanity - I know that's nearly impossible with a newborn - but at least some would be appreciated!  We're beyond thrilled for this sweet blessing!

Thanks for hanging in there with me as I basically pretend I'm a blogger.  :)

Love!!

Farming Friday

One of the most popular questions we hear at the Farmer's Market is "How do you freeze the corn?"  Truth be told, we generally repeat the method the person before had just finished telling us about.  We don't have much personal experience freezing our corn, which is a shame and something we have set out to rectify this year.

Because Bill is super picky about his corn (spoiled by Shelby corn, I suppose) :), we basically don't eat corn outside of corn season.  If the flavor or texture are not just right, there's no chance he's eating it.  So, in order for this momma to have another veggie side for her family, I really need to figure out how to preserve the "good stuff".

"Putin' Up Corn" (that's the official country way of saying it) 

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Shuck the ears and remove the silks.  Put 4-5 ears in at a time, being careful to not overcrowd the pot.  Leave the ears in for only 2-3 minutes.  Remove them and immediately place them in a large bowl filled with ice water.  This will stop the cooking and cool the ear before freezing.

Once the ears are cool (3-5 minutes), remove them from the water and pat dry.  At this point, we used two different techniques that we'll have to report on as we actually eat the ears this winter.

Technique A:
Use Ziploc Vacuum seal bags.  I bought these when they were brand new and they had coupons all over for them.  They're actually really great.  You use a little plastic hand pump to remove air from the bag.  No sucking through a straw or anything to remove air (bleh).

Technique B:
This approach was mentioned by a customer our last corn market.  They said they do the same process as above, and then wrap each individual ear in foil, then put them in a freezer bag.  Basically, we ran out of Ziploc vacuum bags so decided it was a great opportunity to test out another approach.

For some reason, the smell of the corn was making me sick, so I had to leave the kitchen while Bill finished it up.  So, unfortunately, I don't have any "in the process" pictures, only "end result" pics.  :)

If you use a different method and approve of the results, please share!  I suspect sometime this winter I'll end up sharing if we think it's worth the effort.  :)

Hope you're having a great Friday!

Love!

Almost 96

For the past several months, I have been running at the church after I drop Eli off at the church's daycare twice a week.  When I first started, I couldn't get through a mile without stopping.  I did this for several weeks before telling Bill about how horrible of a runner I really was.

He told me it was all in my head!  The AUDACITY!!  ;)

Actually, it was exactly what I needed to hear.  Now, I'm working up to 2.5 miles without stopping.  :)  Some of you reading this might very well be seasoned runners and think 2.5 miles isn't impressive.  Clearly, I am not a "runner" and find myself shocked - still - that I can do it!  Let me have my moment, Ok?  ;)

Well, I've been plagued with some serious fatigue these past few weeks (more on that later).  One day I fell asleep stretching in the locker room before running!  And, today was another one of those days where I just couldn't bring my body to do it.  So, I turned my iPod up louder (I listen to sermons from FBC Tulsa Pastor Deron Spoo when I run -- they're soo good!) and headed for the track to walk instead.

You know how something just touches you and you can't really explain why?  Perhaps I'm a tad emotional these days, too (more on that later).  But, I feel like the Lord had a sweet little blessing intended for me on that track.

His name is Charlie.  He's 95, "almost 96", years old.  He came onto the track as I was almost finished with 1.5 miles, so I took the last few laps extra slow and just chatted with this sweet man.  He told me about moving to our town when he was in grade school, then moving to Indiana for dental school, where he also stayed and worked as an instructor for several years.  Then, he was called back into the armed forces and was sent to Europe during WWII.  He told me about a night where the Germans almost found him (he was building landing strips during the day) when he and a fellow soldier were in a tent by the strip one night when they heard the Germans walking close by.  They could hear them talking!  He said they moved their tent into the trench that night and barely slept for several nights to come.  

He said he used to run the track, but in his old age, he just tries to walk it several times a week.  Remember, he's 95!!  I hope I can get out of bed when I'm that age!

He said his dad died when he was 3, but that he had the sweetest, most caring stepfather.  And, he had the most precious mom -- he still thanked God for her every day.

Something about our conversation just really touched me.  I think I cried three times after that talk before I got home.  He was just such a sweet, gentle spirit... and the fact that he had 95 years of living under his belt was really blowing my mind.  I'm 28, and in a way it's like life is really just getting started... so, it's hard for me to fathom another 70 years!! 

In a recent sermon that I haven't been able to forget, Deron talked about an imprisoned woman whose prayer was, "Lord, show me who I can love for you today."  That has been my prayer for the past couple of months since I heard it.  I love how it forces me to take my mind off ME.  Anyway, today I think I was supposed to love Charlie.  Of course, that was only around 10 am, so the rest of the day is open for more loving.  ;)

It also touched me how much he adored his mom, and I was left with this overwhelming desire to be so caring to Eli.  He is so precious to me!  In college, both Bill and I were involved in so much.  I had pretty high expectations of myself upon graduation, particularly in terms of my career.  Well, now I find that my only real goal these days is to love Eli and Bill to the best of my ability and to be an example of Christ in their lives.  Career, shmareer.  ;) 70 years from now, I sure hope I'm not talking about my time with IBM.  I want to talk about my wonderful family, and great-grandkids, and all the fantastic adventures I've had along the way!!

As I was leaving, his wife (who was walking much faster than him with a friend of hers -- she looked to be in her young 70s), said, "Honey, you just made his day."  All I could do without crying (see?  emotional) was turn and say a quick, "No, he's made mine!"

I challenge you to add that quick line to your prayers... and pray you are touched by the love of Christ daily!

Love!

Farming (ahem) Friday

Shhh.

It's really Sunday, but let's pretend it's Friday. 

K?  K.  Thanks.

We had our last corn market on Saturday.  !!!  We still sell watermelons and cantaloupes, but they're not quite ready yet.  I'm secretly praying for a Saturday off next week, but we'll see about that!  :)

Check out our sweet little sweet corn model. 

Look at that grin!  That's an "I love my daddy!" smile!  :)

mid-"Cheese!"... he says it the moment he sees the camera.  I just need to work on getting an actual smile from him now.  :)

He's such a goof ball!

Knock, knock. Anyone home???

Sorry for the absence from the blog lately.... it's ironic to me that I can't even manage to post a Farming Friday post when we're in the throes of produce season.  It's definitely not for lack of material.  :)

I'll have several posts coming up, and I think I might even go so far as actually writing my Farming Friday posts and scheduling them to publish on Friday.  Gasp!  Me, an IT Specialist, actually using technology??  So, we'll see about that.

Today I am going to share with you my recent obsession.  Chocolate Caramel Cookies.

Oh my.

So, I used to say I didn't like chocolate.  That all changed during our time living in Sydney.  Their chocolate was sooo good.  It was part of the 4 Cs that I blamed for my weight gain while we were there. 

Cappuccino (totally unlike anything we've had in OK.  we can only find it in the odd coffee shop.) 
Chocolate (Lindt with Hazelnuts.  yummmmm)
Cheese (how had I lived to 22 without eating Gouda or Edam before??!!)
Cabernet (really, it was just all the beautiful wine)  :)

Yes.  Seeing that list, it should come as no surprise that this newly married (and physically fit) woman settled in to a lifestyle of enjoying the finer things and ignoring the flabbier things.  hahahaha.  It was all part of making that time so special, so no regrets here!  :)

Ok, so while I still say I don't much like chocolate, I think I need to amend that.  I like only milk chocolate, and in small amounts.  I prefer for there to be nuts if I'm going to be eating it plain, specifically almonds or hazelnuts.  I do like brownies (I am American, after all) and love hot fudge sauce.  Chocolate cake?  No thanks.  Chocolate cookies.  No way. 

Until today.

This cookie dough is enough to convert me.  And, slip in some caramel and I'm hooked.  I'm going to just straight up copy and paste the recipe here, and link to the blog where the recipe originated.  It's so yummy.  I'm not a huge Rolo fan, so I'm considering alternate fillings.  Please let me know if you have ideas!

How can you resist that beautiful picture?

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
recipe makes about 3 dozen
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (3.2 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package Rolo’s Chocolate Candies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the pudding mix and mix until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop equal balls of dough and place one rolo in the center of the dough. Cover and roll into a smooth ball. Place cookie dough balls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Don’t overbake.

That time of year again...

Alright.  My life is currently CRAZY!!!

1.  We have added on to our back patio.  I'm going to wait to show you pictures -- do a sort of before and after.  :)  You know what it still needs?  Furniture.  Lighting.  Stain on the pergola.  A little counter section against the back wall and a little counter section that will house the grill.  I've ordered Adirondack chairs to go around the fire pit that still needs to be purchased.  We've also purchased the makings for a dining table, but it has not been made yet.  This little project has me slightly uneasy.  And, let's not forget about chairs that need to be purchased.  Who knew they were all so expensive?!  :) 

2.  I'm finally making some (subtle) changes to the living room. I have one pillow left to find a fabric for, a painting to change a bit... and... that might be it.  We'll see.  Pics to come.

3.  Um... produce season?!  Have I mentioned that?  Last week kicked off Shelby Sweet Corn harvest 2011!  :)  That means Bill gets home at 3 am most nights and leaves the next morning around 7:30, after only a few hours of sleep.  We both love corn season, but can't wait for it to be over at the same time!

4.  We sold at our first market of the season on Saturday.  That means leaving for Tulsa at 4:30 am (after Bill arriving at 3:30!), with Eli in tow.  We loved seeing so many familiar faces - we have so many loyal customers that come back every year!  This is our 5th summer selling at Cherry Street and we really love it, despite the interruption to our normal routine!

Pops and Eli playing in the corn!

5.  Eli turned 15 months yesterday and I can barely keep up!  This kid is EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!  15 month post is in the works.  :)

We're missing events left and right, and sleeping at weird times.  But, it's corn season.  :)  It will last no longer than 1 month.  After that, Bill will return to coming home around 9pm, and that makes a HUGE difference to all of us. 

In the meantime, more corn (only) dinners for us! 

Love!
Cris

Watermelon Chasers

Have I mentioned before that one of Bill's main hobbies is checking out other produce farms?  When we lived in Australia, we took several trips specifically to see other produce farms, making it a "trip" along the way by taking a few days to get there.  We typically stayed with friends of friends, making it an adventure on several levels!

Well, this time we did it with a 14-month old. 

Bill received a call from a grower in Texas saying that they were harvesting.  Two days later, we were headed there to check out their operation.  Eli did surprisingly well during the 6 hour drive south.  The fact that we stopped for homemade, fresh-peach ice cream on the way didn't hurt.

Is there anything better than homemade ice cream?

Yum!!  He kept coming back for more!

We were a little worried about how much they would let us see on the way down there.  But, once we arrived, we quickly realized these people were great!  We took a little walking tour through their packing shed (the building where harvested watermelons are brought in and "handled" -- in this case, stickered, sorted by size, and packed into bins.)  This farm grows 500 acres of watermelons each year and helped develop the "Red Diamond" seedless variety that pretty much rocked the world of watermelon growers a couple of years ago.  It is the melon that we raise and sell locally.  They're like practically Watermelon Royalty!  ;)  Did you know, they actually have a Watermelon queen that is crowned each year at the National Watermelon conference?  I totally missed my calling (no talent required!).  ;)  Anyway, back to the point...

One of their several stores.

After a quick tour, the "lead" farmer in charge of it all drove by and asked us to jump in his truck.  He even had a carseat in his truck for his grandson.... perfect for Eli!  He took us on a very confusing and BUMPY trip through his fields, showing us his irrigation (watering techniques), weed control methods, and even his wild hog fence (all parts of successful watermelon raising!).

See how sandy the soil looks?  Pretty amazing they can raise sweet melons on it!

The trip was very informative and we enjoyed getting to meet fellow watermelon growers!

Let's just not talk about the bad wheel bearing that put a sour twist on the trip home.  Bill's sweet dad came and rescued us from our roadside state... Eli was NOT happy about being in the car so long!

Let me know if you know of any other farms we should check out!  ;)

Love!

Farming Friday

We spent our Memorial Day on the farm, planting watermelons and driving tractors.  Well, really, I was just there to document and transport the baby when necessary.

Bill LOVED having Eli on the farm for a couple of hours.  And, Eli loved all the big machines that made noises like his tractor books!  I thought he might be scared when he got close to the tractor, but he just sat down and didn't look back!

Where's Eli?

Look at me, Mom!  Fire it up, dada!

I'm such a dork... had to break out his John Deere tee for a day at the farm!  I have an Old Navy shirt that has a gold tractor on it that I sometimes wear down there, too!  The guys don't know how to handle me.  ;)  Poor Eli doesn't have a choice when it comes to my dorkiness... yet! 

"honk, honk!"

Cody is their farm-helper guy.  He's super sweet and kinda shy... so I like to ask him embarrassing questions.  :)

Throwing rocks into the tire = so exciting!!

Mom, can I puh-leeeeeeeease take the semi for a quick spin around the corn field?

All smiles after a few hours farming with daddy!

Why didn't I think of this?

I never watch TV.  I just don't have time for it, and I'm the type where, if I'm going to watch it, I want to WATCH it.  As in, don't interrupt.  :)  If I can't hear it, then I'd rather just turn it off altogether.  I do enjoy a few shows - Glee, The Mentalist, and Brothers & Sisters - but I usually just catch those on Hulu at some point the following week.

Ok, that said, I did watch the Today Show last week when I was off work.  And, I'm so glad I did!  They were doing a special on personalized gifts and mentioned Kendra Scott jewelry.  I loved the designs, and concept, and headed straight to the website. 

Check it out here.

What's so neat about this jewelry site?  Well, you get to totally create your own jewelry!  They have several designs to choose from, and they let you customize which stones you use!  Head to the "Color Bar" tab to make your own designs!

This jewelry is perfect for matching, yet unique, bridesmaid jewelry, or even for something extra with a great summer dress.  You could do all one color, or really spice it up with your own custom color combination.

What do you think?  And, I saw a message where if you sign up for email, you get 20% off your first order!

Love!

14 meces old

Dearest sweet, loving and pretty (handsome), Eli,

You are rocking our world these days!  Not only do you follow simple commands like, "take your cup to dada", or "bring me your shoe" and "roll the watermelon to dada" (seriously!), but you also understand certain phrases and respond appropriately.  If we say, "let's go bye-bye", you walk to the garage door.  If we say, "are you thirsty?", you walk to the kitchen, and "are you hungry?" prompts you to walk to your highchair.  In so many ways, my life is getting easier!  Thank you!

You're "officially" walking now... hardly crawling anymore!

Your vocabulary is expanding, including "shoe" and "bye".  You cracked us up this month by saying "bye bye" every time you heard me say "I'll talk to you later".  I'm not going to lie... that one kind of blew me away!   You sign "eat" when I say "snack", "hungry", "lunch", etc and sign "milk" when I say "bottle" and "cup".  There's some serious connecting of dots going on up in your noggin!  :)

You are also learning more in terms of action -- brushing your teeth (and spitting - it usually lands on your belly), finding your belly button, ears, and eyes, and brushing your hair on your own.   You love pushing on me when I'm sitting down and making me fall over - I'd better be the only girl you do that to!  ;)  You will now kiss and hug on command, which is quite possibly the sweetest thing EVER.  I make you kiss me all day.  :)

"Hug Teddy!"

cutest trick ever

Your favorite meal, lately, has been PW's chicken spaghetti.  You insist on eating it with a fork, but you eat LOTS of it, saying "mmmmmm" the whole time!  :)  You also love homemade burritos, roasted chicken breast (you ate an entire breast the other night - and 2 cups of broccoli!), and mac & cheese.  You are eating lots of fruit these days - strawberries from the garden and melons as part of dad's "market research".  :)  You were officially weaned from formula a few weeks ago, and are now drinking milk from your sippy cup.  I still give you a night time bottle, but you get a cup the rest of the time.

You love using a big-boy fork!  (Spinach noodles in the chicken spaghetti)

You actually didn't pick any of those, but you did entertain us while we did!  :)

You are still climbing on everything, and almost able to climb up on my chair while I'm working.  Once that happens, I will be in serious trouble!

Driving the boat at Grand Lake... You loved it!

You also got to stay with Grammy and Pops O'Connor for a night while mommy went on a shopping trip with some girls from church.  They absolutely adored having you there for their first over-nighter and LOVED having you all to themselves!  I wasn't there to insist on naptimes or anything, but you more or less stuck to your basic schedule and did perfectly for them!  You and aunt Care had a great time together, too!

 

You also stayed with Grandma and Papa Shelby for your first weekend stay-over while your mommy and daddy had their first getaway in over a year!  We hung out with Blue's parents at the lake, and talked about you both often!  You spent lots of time with your cousins, and went on several 4-wheeler rides to see your cow!  You do adore those rides!

You also played with sweet Maria, who is just a few months younger and oh-so-beautiful!  Eli... trust me..... she's a keeper!  :)

You loved seeing Maria!

Eli, your dad and I could not possibly love you any more than we do - it's already overwhelming to me as it is!  While you do exhaust me, and have now pooped in the bathtub more times than I can count (apparently that's a hereditary trait... sorry, mom!), I cannot imagine a more PERFECT baby!  Yes, I'm biased.  But, I'm your mom... I get to be!  :)  You're such a blessing and gift to us, and we thank God for you every single day!

Mother's Day, 2011

Love,
Mom