November 10, 2011

We went to Target today. We bought a bunch of decorations and paper goods for you birthday party. While we were paying, you looked at the kid checking us out and you gave him one of your sparkly smiles. As we walked away, I heard him tell the next lady in line, "...Well, that just made my day."

Sweetie, your smile makes peoples' days. Never forget that!

Happy 11 month!!!

I love you!

Love, Mom

November 4, 2011

I know...I suck. By the time you actually read this, you'll know that your mother is a bit of procrastinator...so give me a break, eh?

You are days away from being 11 months old. Oh, Eli...how the time does fly.

Let's go through the last 5 months and talk highlights:

• You flew on an airplane for the first time mid-June. We went to Utah to visit your great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. You did GREAT on the plane and even greater in the Utah.





• You started crawling on August 15. Your aunt Monica is pretty much responsible, as it was she who showed you how to do it...moments later, there you were, on all fours crawling across the floor. You haven't stopped since!





• You still do not have any teeth! It's our family joke, whenever you're a little grumpy or having trouble sleeping through the night, to say, "Well, he must be teething!" Because you never are...Seriously, dude....where are your teeth?!





• The first word you understood was "dance". I say "dance" and boy, do you dance! For a while, we were watching old episodes of the TV show "Enterprise". The theme song to that show was your favorite! Here's a movie of you dancing to it:





• You love the back of things. When you get a new toy - or remote or cell phone or whatever - in your hands, one of the first things you do is turn it over. I'm trying to decide if this means you'll do something mechanical...though I'm still pushing for chef or first baseman.





• You LOVE sugar. Anything sweet - or carb-y...or, preferably, both. I try not to give you too much cake - mostly because it's the thing we have the most of in this house and I want your first REAL cake experience to be at your birthday party in a month. But cookies, ice cream, pancakes...Eli, you love sugar.





• You're still little - you had gotten sick a month ago and you were only 16 lbs 7 oz...that's really small for your age.





• Because of finances, dad had to get a 2nd job. It really sucks and we miss him a lot but it's really helping out financially. You still get to see him most days...but you miss him. You get SO excited when you see him. Or when you hear the front door open. Oh, he loves you so much, Eli.





• You hug me a lot lately - I'm not kidding, it makes me melt every time.





• You like looking out the upstairs windows. You stand there and just gaze out at the world.





• You LOVE electronics. Remotes, phones, cameras, my iPod...you get anything electronic in your hands and you won't let it go.





• For your first Halloween, you were a spider and I was your web...we rocked our costume somethin' fierce.





• I'm currently the Young Women's president. Since daddy works most nights, you come with me to my activities. The girls LOVE you...especially one girl named Chauntai. She's really taken with you, and you with her. She's kind of rough around the edges, so it's sweet to see how much she loves you. I love this calling - it's insanely time consuming...but I really love the girls. I can tell it's making me a better mother.

Eli, you are so much fun right now. When daddy comes home from work and I tell him about our day, it usually involves telling him how much fun we had. How much we laughed. Thank you for being so happy!

I love you so much, my little monkey!

Love, Mom

June 13, 2011

Tomorrow, one of my friends is having an IVF procedure. It's caused me to think a lot about mine. A little over a year ago, I was where she was. Hopeful. Nervous. Anxious. Excited. But mostly just hopeful. And you were just a little cell...see?

That's you!

And now...well, look at you.

You, the most beautiful child I have ever laid my eyes upon...you are the result of all that hope, of all that nervousness, of all that excitement. I am simply in awe of the blessing that you are. I know it sounds odd, but I love that you were so hard to come by. I love that your dad and I had to work and pray and go through the many things we had to go through in order to have you in our arms.

Eli, I hope you never wonder about your place in the world. When Heavenly Father asked Dad and I go struggle for you, I believe that was His was of telling YOU that YOU BELONG. You belong here - on this earth - in this family. I hope the fact that you are the result of an IVF proves to you how much we love you. How much I ached for you...how I KNEW you were waiting. The moment your dad mentioned the name "Eli Thomas", I mean the very SECOND he said that name...I knew you were out there. And that you were my son.

And 9 months after that IVF, when you were placed in my arms for the very first time, and we looked at each other...the hope and nervousness and excitement melted away and there was nothing left but love.

I love you, my sweet, beautiful Monkey.

Mom

June 8, 2011

I hate naps. Did you know that? I do. I hate 'em. I hate how I feel after them, I hate wasting time sleeping...I.hate.naps.

Today, so did you. My oh my, did you hate sleeping today. You did ok this morning (your morning nap is ALWAYS the best one). But then...then, from 10:15 am until 9 tonight, you pretty much slept a grand total of 1 hour. It.was.awesome. You hated sleeping today.


But you know what you loved today? Me! Daddy calls you a Mama's Boy...and you know what? I don't mind! I love that you love me! I love that I'm the one you want when you're crying. I love that when you're upset, if Daddy is holding you, you still need to at least be able to SEE me.


You also love this weird mashing tool we got to make your baby food. It came with a bowl we've been using but haven't had cause to use the mashing tool. But oh, how you love it! We call it your potato masher. When I'm getting your bottle ready, I sit you in your Bumbo on the counter, hand you that potato masher, your eyes light up and you are happy as a clam chewing on that masher.


Let's see...what else do you love right now......you love standing. You've had great leg strength since you born. But lately we've been working on you sitting upright and all you want to do is stand. You're pretty much a-ok if you're standing, looking around, surveying your surroundings.


You've started saying new things. New sounds. "Blarg". "Marm". And my personal favorite, "Mama". Now, I am 100% certain that you do not mean me. But the sound is there....and I pretend you know what you're saying. :)


Here's something you hate right now - baths. You have ALWAYS loved your baths. I put you in that infant tub, you lay back, and just chill. But we've just started using a bigger bath - a bath with water in it. And you do NOT like it. Last night was your first night and mostly you were on edge. Tonight? You sobbed. Hmm...maybe you need more toys? Here's a picture of you in your first Big Boy bath:



Ok, Monkey...I just wanted to babble at you a bit tonight. You and I had great day (bad napping aside). I can barely wait til tomorrow so we can have another one!

I love you, Monkey!

Mom

June 2, 2011

Oh, my Eli...I am so filled with love for you. It's so all-consuming. I am so blessed to be bound to you, and you to me, for all eternity. What a blessing it is to be sealed as a family and know you will always belong to Dad and me.

Tonight we had a birthday party for Papa. I sat there, surrounded by much of my family, simply in awe of the connections that bind us. The gospel, our friendship, but most importantly, the fact that we are sealed together as a family.

Eli, there is nothing so important as living the gospel surrounded by your family. Never let a day go by without thanking your Heavenly Father for them.

I love you, Monkey. More than you can fathom.

Mom

May 28, 2011

You don't cry often. I'm not sure if it's because you're such an outstanding baby or because I rush to your aid. In any case, it's not a sound I'm used to.

However, when you DO cry, 90% of the time, I can get you to calm down by singing. And not just any song - Au Claire de la Lune. When you born, I started singing it just so you'd get used to hearing me speak French. But then...wow, you just...responded to it unlike any other song.

Tonight, as we drove home from dinner with Grandma and Pap, you were mad. Tired. Hungry. ...Mad. After about 10 minutes, I started singing. By the second verse, you stopped. You just stopped in the middle of a tantrum...and listened.

Eli...I don't know why you respond to this song the way you do but I love that you do. It's such a simple little children's folk song in France but while there, I fell in love with it. Maybe a part of me knew that you needed your mom to learn it.

I love you, Monkey.

Mom

May 27, 2011

Today you hit another milestone. Today, for the first time, you had fun with the game Peek-a-Boo. I've tried before but you usually just look confused when I pull the blanket from my face and yell, "peek-a-boo!". But today? Today you laughed. You laughed like you've never laughed before. And oh, how I laughed with you. So I did it again and again and again.

I love nothing more than making you happy. We were at lunch today with Grandma, Papa, Aunt Heather and Axel and you sat there in your car seat quiet and serious, taking "it" all in. I looked at you, you looked at me...and then, real slow-like, you smiled. It wasn't the "excited someday-toothy grin that looks like you're on the verge of hilarity" smile. No...it was small and sweet and mild and it absolutely melted my heart.

Sometimes I look at you and I can't believe you're mine. I can't believe that I get to know you for your whole life! I can't believe that I had a hand in creating you! Honestly, Eli...I've never been prouder of any accomplishment in all my life.

I love you, Monkey.

Mom