Milk

On Eli's birthday, I introduced him to organic whole milk in a sippy cup. I was nervous at first because he acted like he didn't want it (which is really unusual for him because he loves all foods/drinks and will try anything), but then I realized I'd made the mistake in calling it "milk". He's used to hearing the word "milk" in association with nursing, so he didn't take to kindly to me saying that and then handing him a cup. After I realized this was the issue, I just said "drink" or "sippy" and he would drink it down. Whoooo...that's me breathing a sigh of relief. Step one of weaning complete. I about had a nervous breakdown at the thought of him refusing whole milk. Of course the second I start weaning he decides it's time to start telling me when he wants to nurse by running over to the glider in his room and pointing at it and yelling "AH! AH" (which is what he says when he wants something or wants to show us something). The past couple of days I've tried to only nurse at meals and his two naps. After this weekend, I'm going to try to cut one feeding a week, but of course I'll slow it down if Eli has issues. Worst case scenerio...the glider may have to disappear. Eli loves airplanes. He's definitely his father's child (considering I hate airplanes because I always feel sick on them, even with Dramamine). He'll hear an airplane when we're walking or playing outside and he'll immedietely point to the sky looking for it and watch it until he can no longer see it. I guess Brandon pointed them out to him a couple times and now he just loves them. Brandon said he tried to say airplane yesterday. These pictures were taken today when we were playing outside. We pet our neigbors dog Chumbo (who is a friendly black lab) and played with sticks and the "tickle grass" as we call it. That big smile above occurred when Eli poked Chumbo's nose through the fence. The other picture is of Eli pointing to an airplane. He could hear it but couldn't see it!

Birthday fun....

We had an enjoyable day on Eli's birthday! The weather ended up being nice, so we took a walk and played outside. We had Uncle Will over for a spaghetti supper (one of Eli's favorites), and went back to WSU for a walk on campus and shopping for a couple shirts for Eli in the bookstore. I need to get Eli a Friends University shirt or I just might be a traitor! A lot of family/friends called to wish him a happy birthday, and I know he enjoyed the attention. We decided to wait on the Exploration Place because there is a sweet whale exhibit coming this weekend that we'd both like to see, so we'll probably go next week sometime. We're starting to think about our vegetable garden, since we'll need to plant potatoes next month. We don't have a lot of room, so we're going to do all of Brandon's peppers (that he's obsessed with, and none of the rest of us can even eat them because they are so spicy...although I may have talked him into planting some mild ones) in pots around the back yard. I have SPRING FEVER! Just get here already! Our Spring/Summer projects are: emptying the goldfish pond and filling it with soil and annuals, extending the privacy fence and eliminating one of the gates, painting Eli's future room upstairs a Teal color with white trim, and carpeting the stairs so we don't have fatalities :-) Yay for projects! I love them!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!

Eli is officially 1 year old! When we heard him awake this morning we crept into his room and greeted him singing Happy Birthday. He loved it. He started signing "more" and then stood up to enjoy a second round. We had a birthday breakfast of scrambled eggs and will hopefully take him to the park or Exploration Place to play tonight. I just called his doctor to ask her about his cold. He had a nasty cold for the past 2 weeks, but finally last Friday it seemed it was a lot better and going away. Then, this weekend he started coughing again in the night. He doesn't have a runny nose and acts perfectly fine during they day but is up coughing like three times in the night. I was glad I called because she said the nasty colds/RSV that has been going around like crazy has been lasting for a month in kids. I'm just glad Eli's pretty much over it, plus he's most likely no longer contagious. Poor kids! A month is a long time to be sick.

Fun Weekend!

We've had a really fun but busy weekend. Eli had a great time visiting family and at the birthday party. He was so good! He had so much fun playing with toys and the other kids at Seth's party. He kept trying to touch the other kid's hair. He's really into tickling my hair right now. We were all laughing so hard because every time Seth opened a present he would just want to play with that toy and throw a tantrum and scream when they tried to get him interested in another present. It was so funny. Seth had a "Cars" party because he loves the movie, so we got him a big version of the main character Lightning McQueen (which he LOVED). Today we met Brandon's second cousin Justin Simpson and his girlfriend Sarah at church, and then had them over for lunch. He is being deployed to Qatar for four months on Tuesday, so we had one last hang out before he goes to the desert.

All done!

Eli had a great day yesterday. He was so happy to see my mom and wouldn't stop doing his "monkey" face where he opens his mouth really wide and shows his teeth. He just wanted to play ball with my mom all day and go outside. We took a couple walks and played at the playground when Brandon got home. We met my brother for breakfast at our favorite place this morning and Eli charmed the other customers. I tried to share a couple bites of my beloved raspberry white chocolate scone (the best scones in the whole world) and eggs with Eli and he threw them on the floor. Never will I share my scone again :-) He is a great eater, but once in a while he does throw his food on the floor, especially if we're not at home. I swear he's a bottomless pit. He eats and eats and eats and then will eat again. I think it's because he's so high energy. Luckily he loves all the healthy foods. I'm really glad I fed him such a variety when he was little because now he LOVES all vegetables and fruits. Hopefully he stays like this and doesn't turn into a picky eater like a lot of toddlers do. Just a little bit ago when my mom was done reading him a book he'd say, "All done". I think it's pretty impressive that he can put two words together, but of course everything he does is amazing in my eyes. Right now at almost a year he says: Mama, Dada, Ball, Baby, All done, Up, Out, and Amen. Plus he does the signs for "more" and "help". Tuesday the 24th is his birthday. Crazy! We're going to his friend Seth's 2nd birthday party today and to visit my cousin and her baby, so I'll put some pictures up later of our fun day!

Eli is teething again (another upper). He was up yesterday morning at 4:45 a.m. and wouldn't go back to sleep. He was ready to start the day. Needless to say, Brandon and I went to bed at like 8:00 last night. He's acting fine but drooling like crazy. I've had to change his shirt at least two times during the days because they were becoming soaked. He officially got his first fat lip tonight. Poor kid was just trying to get to the high chair for a snack and had a little crash. It didn't even bother him, but I still gave him his mesh feeder full of crushed ice to suck on. When am I going to be able to have his one year picture taken? Oh well. I forgot to mention last weekend that Eli crawled up two stairs at my parents. It was the first time he ever has done that. None of our stairs are carpeted, so they are slippery and he doesn't even bother trying here. When we're at the park or grade school playground Eli points to what he wants to do and say, "AH!". It's so cute. He does it at our house too, but it's so cute when we're out and about. Brandon just holds his hand (to keep him from falling backwards) on the slide and he thinks he's a big boy. Another thing he likes to do now is put everything on top of chairs/tables or other high flat surfaces. He gets upset when he can't reach it after he puts it up there. Who knows why he loves doing it. I'm so glad it is almost Friday. I'm really looking forward to the weekend! A college radio station DJ wants to play our music on his Christian radio show, so that is exciting!

Eli and I are finally feeling better. My voice still sounds strange, but I can feel it coming back slowly. Today I can actually read Eli a book without losing it completely or having a coughing fit. Eli has been a totally different kid today. He is still coughing a bit when he lays down, but his runny nose is slowly stopping and he acts so happy. He's back to his normal self. Here's a video of Eli playing "basketball". At the end he almost wipes out, but Brandon was there to catch him! He likes to give us a "high five" after he makes a basket.

AMEN!

Haircut and Carousal

Eli had his first haircut! We just had them trim around his ears and back of his neck. I read him a book and he did great. No problems at all. The only thing he wasn't too keen on was the cape. It reminded him of a bib, which he always tries to tear off now when he's eating. Brandon also took him for his first carousal ride. He loved it! Eli's newest word is "Amen". He always says it after we say our bedtime prayers. It's so precious. Video to follow!

Life on the Farm...

I'm so appreciative to my parents for letting us come up there sickness and all (especially since my Dad's already caught it). We are home after an interesting ride home. Eli was okay for most of the trip, but then got tired and wanted to nap but was having issues getting to sleep. He started crying, then coughing, then throwing up. We pulled off as soon as we could and changed his clothes and nursed and he went to sleep. Welcome to parenthood. I had a wonderful birthday, thanks to my family. Thank you everyone for the great birthday wishes, cards, and gifts. My dad got my mom and I roses and my mom made us all chocolate eclairs and flan. Everyone helped me with Eli. He just had some whiny moments from sickness/tiredness etc. Brandon and I enjoyed an awesome meal and date in Salina while my parents babysat, which was lovely. My friend Robin (who was a bridesmaid in my wedding and I haven't seen in 3 1/2 years) was home, so we had a great time reconnecting. She was a big part of our family in high school and I've really missed her. I'm praying for some sleep tonight. Poor Brandon. Between Eli and I coughing none of us have gotten any sleep for awhile now. I'm looking forward to some shopping tomorrow with all of my gift cards!

Sick Week

I am lagging behind on posts because we've been having a sick week around here! I've never wished for a sick day more in my life. Eli just still has a really runny nose and a cough at night. I feel better now, but have been sick all week and this is the third day that I've lost my voice. I always have this nagging thought (as a singer) that it will never come back. We came to Minneapolis after work yesterday. I actually drove for once because I wouldn't be much use for entertainment without being able to talk, read, or sing Eli in the back. Brandon did his best to keep him entertained for the two hour drive, and it wasn't too bad. I dumped Brandon off in Minneapolis to meet my dad to watch my cousin John Corman wrestle (and pin his opponent). Brandon was thrilled to get his wrestling fix (must be a redneck thing). Eli was so excited to be at the farm and see his grandparents. He just enjoyed exploring and discovering our old toys. I've been having issues getting him to eat while he's been sick this week but still put together a plate or rice and chicken from my mom's jambalaya for him last night. He just dove right in then and later took a handful of chicken and threw it on my mom. Eli had no problem going to sleep last night, even though it's a new place, but was up with coughing fits. At one point he threw up on me and Brandon while he was putting Eli in the steamy bathroom. Poor kid. He's fine today though. We're getting ready to head off for a birthday/Valentine's Day lunch at a nice restaurant in Salina while my parents babysit. I'm making Brandon dress up. He has to every day for work, so it loses its luster. My brother is coming up today to celebrate with us this weekend, so I'm looking forward to seeing him. I taught Eli a new sign this week. He already does a sign for more, which has been really helpul, but I wanted to teach him a way to ask for help instead of just crying or getting frustrated when his ball/toy would get stuck or go under the couch etc. The real sign is patting your chest, but he started patting his stomach so we've stuck with that. It already has eased his frustration. I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day early in case I'm too busy tomorrow opening presents and eating chocolate eclairs and flan...ha ha!

BABY DADA!!!!

I have officially caught Eli's cold. So far it hasn't been too bad...I'm in the stuffy head stage. Now I have two noses to wipe :-) Another glorious day today. We took a lovely walk and Brandon later took Eli to play at the playground to give me a break. Last night we were laughing so hard. While we were putting Eli's pajamas on he got really mad and all he could think to say to vent his frustration was yell really loud, "BABY DADA" at us. It was so funny! It seriously sounded like he was cussing at us. We put up his little basketball goal that Will gave him for Christmas, and he's enjoyed learning the game. He loves us to make baskets and likes us to pick him up to dunk it. He loves anything that involves a ball. Crap...that probably means he's going to like sports. Darn the luck!

Sometimes they are a little weird....

Eli has been really sick. I've never seen so much snot in my life. Friday night he was up again every hour, but at one point he was boiling up (and his temp was only 100.4). He looked horrible. I put him in lighter pajamas and gave him some Tylenol and he seemed to feel a little better. For some strange reason, thanks to God, I haven't even been tired at all the past few days even though I've been up a lot. Before bed last night he had a low fever again, so we gave him some Tylenol and he almost slept through the night!!!! It was the best he's slept in months. He finally was able to breathe better and got some much needed rest. Even though he's been sick, he still has been acting pretty much the same during the day (unless he's had a fever, then he gets really whiny). Yesterday was probably the most beautiful day we've had in months (70 degrees) and we were outside playing all day with walks, finishing up our leaf raking, and just letting Eli run around. He LOVES LOVES LOVES the outdoors. He sometimes starts to cry when we bring him in, and he'll run back to the door. Little boys were definitely not made to be indoors. I'm so glad that he's become an expert walker (barely ever falls) right on the verge of spring. I can't wait to see him running down the beach in Santa Barbara in a few weeks and playing outside on my parent's farm. Fun times!

Sticks are for throwing....not eating!

Well we had a wonderful day yesterday taking walks, playing in front and back yard etc. Eli even walked half the way down the block on his own with me trailing. He learned a valuable lesson: Sticks are for throwing, not eating! :-) He brought home a little stick as a treasure. He threw it down the sidewalk the whole walk home. We even went to the park last night and he had a blast running around, watching geese fly by, swinging, and playing in a "fort" he discovered under some playground equipment. Unfortunately, last night he started waking up an hour after I put him down with congestion. I wanted to scream NO NO NO!!! He has a runny nose today. He was up every hour last night (even with the steamer on) crying because he was congested. Usually the first night he gets a cold is bad until he gets used to breathing out of his mouth instead. Luckily we have a week for recovery before my birthday trip up to Minneapolis. Ugh!

Welcome Jesse!

Yesterday was an eventful day. On a whim, I just decided to take Starbucks over to my friend Tanya's house because I thought she might be a little down from passing her due date without any action. She was really hoping to not have to be induced this time around. I just jumped in the car with Eli and took off headed to her house which is really close to ours. Her mom happened to be there too with Tanya's nephews ages 1 1/2 and 3, so Eli had a blast playing with all the boys. You'd think for a kid who hasn't been in day care or babysat much with other kids that he'd be shy or hold back, but he definitely doesn't. When we go to someone else's house he just gets right down and starts playing and running around. We were all talking about how much Tanya was hoping to go into labor soon and then she goes to the restroom and comes back and says that she thinks she's in labor. She called the hospital and her husband and they took off to have a baby! It was such a God thing that I happened to go over because I was able to stay and babysit all the kids for an hour or so while her mom went and picked up her neice from school clear in Haysville. Poor Eli was so tired, but just kept on playing and was such a trooper. It was so cute to see all the kids together eating their crackers. Eli enjoyed being one of the big boys. Tanya had a horrible pregnancy and birth experience with Seth (he also had heart problems), so we'd all been praying like crazy that this time around would be better and it was. I can't wait to visit them all in the hospital tonight and meet baby Jesse! I forgot to mention the other day that for the superbowl (since we don't have tv) we went to our friend's house (who bought our old house) and enjoyed an awesome dinner. He had made homemade lasagna noodles and this delicious wine sauce he'd been cooking all day. Fabulous! Eli just played ball and had fun running around our old house. It was neat to see our old house and how great it looks.

It has been so fun trying new foods with Eli. A lot of the time he can just eat what we're eating, which has made things a lot easier. As of this week all of the food I'd previously made and frozen will be gone, so he'll be completely off baby food. His second top tooth finally has broken through, so we can tell he's feeling so much better and sleeping better. I've been spending his naps doing booking for our band...making calls, sending applications etc. I don't want to play too often because even if we just play twice a month, the rest of the weekends are spent practicing, or Brandon leading worship, so it can get time consuming and take up our family time. So far, I've just booked one show a month. Eli is just a blast lately. We just love coming into the toddler stage. He is so much fun. Between books, exploring, snuggling/hugging/kissing, playing ball, going to see the gorilla, taking a walk, snacks, wrestling, etc. the day goes by much quicker than it used to. Brandon and I were mentioning how we kind of dread having a "boring" newborn again someday. The weather is supposed to warm up again to the 60's this weekend, so I'm so excited to get back outside and let Eli play in the grass/leaves. I guess influenza has hit Wichita bad this week because my friend called me to tell me that her doctor told her to keep her kids out of the church nursery/Walmart etc. because they are seeing a ton of cases of the flu these past few days. This is exactly when it hit last year and why we had to keep Eli out of public crowds for two LONG months. He had two flu shots, so hopefully they guessed the correct strains this year. We're having bible study here tomorrow, Brandon's leading worship this weekend and then my friend will be induced Friday if she doesn't go into labor this week, so I'm looking forward to all the fun.

Park fun!

This is at at one of the parks near our house...we live in a triangle of 3 parks within a couple blocks! We LOVE it!

Happy Birthday Juliah!

My uncle from Texas (who is the choir director at Odessa College) and his son brought some students up to see Friends University, so all the Cormans came over to our house to visit. Eli loved having everyone around and was overjoyed to see his Grandpa. Later I joined everyone at Friends after Eli went to sleep and got into a huge political discussion/battle, which was a blast. I love politics, but Brandon hates it so it was a treat for me! We had a gorgeous day here yesterday and took a walk to the park and played. Eli had fun running around, swinging with Brandon, and going down the slide. He would go down the slide then point his finger and do his sign for "more" (shaking one or both hands). He loved seeing other dogs as well. He gets so excited if dogs even go walking by our house. Later in the day we headed to El Dorado (40 minutes away) for a birthday party. Eli's friend Juliah was turning 2 (they are in our bible study and church). All of Eli's friends were there, and he had a GREAT time! I had a blast because Brandon took over chasing Eli around the house/yard and let me visit with all of my girl friends. Rare occasion that we're all together at once, since all of us have kids. I'm really fortunate that most of our friends have kids, so Eli can have "friends" and people to play with and learn from. At the party, Eli weeded out every ball out of the stack of Juliah's dolls. I tried to give him a doll and he hit it away :-) Definitely a boy. We were there for almost 3 hours and Eli was SO good the entire time. He just ran around and played with balloons/balls and watched other kids. He slept on the way there, but was awake and happy on the way home. I made the mistake of starting to sing him songs, and then of course he would do the his sign for "more" every time I tried to stop. I'm just glad he is communicating what he wants. It makes our life so much easier.