My First Cookie

Here is a little lesson from Eli on enjoying your first chocolate chip cookie with picture tutorials...

#1) It is a must to use two hands when placing the cookie in you mouth. Also known as 'double-fisting' it is a clever technique that is helpful when you are trying to get as much food in your mouth at one time as possible.

#2) While eating, smear as much chocolate on your mouth as you can. This helps release the essence of the chips so you not only enjoy the taste but also the delicious aroma of chocolate for a well-rounded cookie eating experience.

#3) Smiling, cooing, babbling and flapping of arms are all acceptable while eating your cookie. This lets the baker (daddy) know that you think they are fabulous and may actually lead to you getting to eat more cookie. Play your parents as much as possible before they start catching on to your devious ways.




#4) Pausing for a milk break is an important part of cookie eating. An experienced diner will hold pieces of cookie in his mouth and then drink the milk, essentially 'dipping' his cookie in milk even though his mom won't take the lid off his cup so he can do it the fun (messy) way.



#5) And finally, place cookie on your shoulder and in your hair and ear to save for later. If you're lucky, mom won't notice the chunk you hid just under your bib (she noticed) as well as the whole chocolate chip that you melted with your fingers before smearing it into your ear (she noticed but decided to tackle it in the bath later).




Eli thinks that this is the BEST way to eat a cookie and everyone should try it like this at least once!

Cute Stuff

Our little goofball.....doesn't he just look so innocent?

Eli is getting cuter and cuter by the minute- is that possible? Dylan and I are constantly laughing at his goofy shenigans so I thought I would record some of the funnier things on our blog.

-- He has started sniffing his food. At first I thought he was just missing his mouth and aiming too high, but then today at lunch I saw his little nostrils flare in and out and I swear he was sniffing a kix! Probably not much smell but when I laughed he smiled back like he knew he was funny!

-- And I think he is figuring out that he can make people laugh and smile. He's been doing this goofy head bob/shake while he eats and if you laugh or do it back he keeps on going! I love his look when he sees you watching him and grins at you- it's priceless!

-- He is obsessed with a lamp in our living room. This is kind of a weird one- but anytime you walk by it he lunges at it and tries to grab it. He likes to scrape his fingernails on the shade/chew on the shade/ stare directly into the light. Luckily he remains immobile and can't seek it out on his own or I'm sure we'd have to put it somewhere besides the living room!

-- He also has a deep love of ceiling fans. As soon as you get him up from naps or for the morning he leans back to stare at his fan in his room and it always makes him smile. Moving or not matters little, the knowledge that it does spin is enough to make his day :)

-- He is emphatically done with his cup after a drink! He usually wings it on the ground and then quickly looks over the edge to see where it is. Today he did this and as I was saying something like "No Eli, we don't throw our cups" he looked up at me and smiled this mischievous little smile. We may have a trouble maker on our hands here but we are loving it and laughing every minute!

Stop the SCREAMING!

So, needless to say you may have guessed from the title that E and I had a rough night last night... There are a couple things that played into this, I think. Although to be honest I usually have no idea what is going on in Eli's head and am frequently asking him to "use his words". But I digress. What I think was going on last night was raging hunger and the excessive use of the new scream he is developing just for his parents' pleasure. Let's explore the hunger...
I recently started to notice a definite decline in my milk supply. Not only did E seem less satisfied and crankier when I was trying to feed him but the other day I caught a glimpse of my naked chest before I got in the shower and I'm pretty sure I'm down to an 'A' cup. And it's not a cute, perky 'A' cup (don't worry, I won't post pictures). So, while visiting my parents in Galesburg we tried a number of different things. First I tried pushing fluids and eating oatmeal to up the milk supply. This was marginally successful. But feedings with E continued to be a trial for both of us, him angry and crying when the milk just wasn't there and me frustrated (and sometimes tearful) that I couldn't just feed him like I used to be able to. So I came to a place where I felt ready to let go of breastfeeding (becoming tearful again just thinking about it) and decided we would probably both be happier in the long run if he got a bottle of formula a couple times a day. Here's the kicker- the kid was now refusing both the bottle and formula! I realize I'm bigger then he is and should be able to overcome his refusals but you try and force a bottle into clenched lips attached to a twisting head. It isn't easy! So since we got home we've been doing regular vitamin D milk (pediatric gods strike me down) and I also try (with my meager supply) to breastfeed him at bedtime and in the morning. Which brings us to the next problem- I work once a week at night and I usually take my boobs with me. I've been stressing all week looking forward to Friday when my husband and I both work and my poor poor sister, who did nothing to deserve this, will spend the night with my screaming child. So to prepare for this I've been trying to just let E drink out of his cup before bed. At 2am this morning I decided that this wasn't working. Or maybe E was 'using his words' ie screaming uncontrollably and that's what tipped me off. So I broke down and made him a bottle spiked with juice. Did I mention this kid is a juice junkie? Finally, FINALLY he drank about 3-4oz and laid back down. So I do have hope for you, Cammie, on Friday night that you won't be calling me at 3am and asking how I feel about putting E in the garage for the night! So this brings us to the screaming...
There is just nothing I can say to even describe the anger Eli puts behind these screams. I really contemplated getting my camera out last night and taping the unearthly sounds coming from my baby but in the end was too tired/distraught. I'm hoping it is just a phase and he realizes that A) his throat gets really sore when he does it and B) mommy doesn't respond to it well. If not, I'll definitely work on getting it taped so you can all suffer along with me in a small way.
When I finally got back to bed last night- and thank god Will and Grace was on for me to watch during the whole hungry screaming debacle- Dylan asked me what was going on with E. I told him I thought the baby was probably crazy. I also decided that while everyone tells me, my mom included, that 'if a baby is hungry enough he will eat what is offered', I think it should be changed to 'if a baby is hungry enough he will scream for hours until you offer him what he wants to eat'. What do you guys think?

Little Vampire

You may think that this post pertains to what Eli was for halloween. However, it really doesn't (he was a skunk). I say little vampire because my son has decided, for unknown reasons, to not teeth like a normal child but to get both of his canine teeth in prior to the two front teeth, thus looking like a little vampire. Once they really come in I'll work on getting some pictures, they are just little nubs at this point. But I have been despairing about how funny he is going to look! On the positive side, all of his friends are his age and non-verbal so they won't be able to make fun of him :)

I've been tagged....

First, here are the rules of the game:
1. Link to the person that tagged you. http://themurphsters.blogspot.com/ (Thanks for thinking of me Sarah!)
2. Mention the rules. (check)
3. Tell six (6) quirky, yet boring and unspectacular details about yourself.
4. Tag other bloggers by linking to them. (May or may not do this one...)
5. Go to each person's blog and leave them a comment so they know they've been tagged.

Sarah tagged me a LONG time ago, and I've been thinking and thinking about something quirky about myself. Am I quirky? Hmmm, I'm sure my husband and sister could think of quirky things about me but I just think I'm normal :) But, I will give this a shot and let you into my questionable mind for a minute....

Quirk #1: I frequently lose things and then refuse to look for them because (try to stay with the crazy thought process) if I don't look for whatever I lost and I have a vague idea of where it is but never attempt to confirm where it really is then it isn't really lost because it could be where I think it might be.

Quirk #2: People mistake me for a clean-freak. My husband will tell you that this is way off-base. I am actually a neat-freak. These are two different things. I feel perfectly content in my house that was last cleaned (dusted, vacuumed, wiped down) more then a month ago as long as everything is organized and put away. Now, I do really appreciate a clean house, it just isn't really as much of a priority as a NEAT one. I like to think I'm exposing Eli to all sorts of allergens thus decreasing his risk for asthma!

Quirk #3: I recently established a morning routine that I am in love with. I get Eli up, change pants, feed small face, set him down to with his toys and then I make coffee, catch up on facebook/blog/mahjong and listen to him sing to his toys and play contentedly. If I never had to go anywhere before noon I would be a happy camper! Plus, he is learning to entertain himself which I feel is instrumental to his development.

Quirk #4: I used to talk extensively to myself in the grocery store/target/anywhere in public. Why? I have no idea. But I used to catch myself talking out loud and quickly look around to make sure no one was close enough to hear the crazy! On the upside, this quirk has been resolved because now I just talk to Eli. And since my sister read that baby needs to be spoken to frequently to aid in language development I feel like all my chatting is fulfilling my motherly duty!

Quirk #5: If I pee while Eli is sleeping (naps or overnight) I NEVER flush the toilet. Gross, eh? However, and I'm sure I'll get an amen from all the moms out there, keeping your baby sleeping comes before everything else including cleanliness and when you live in a tiny house a flushing toilet can be the straw that breaks the camels back... or wakes the baby. I'm also wasting less water and thus being more environmentally friendly. Just trying to do my part to conserve the planet for my son and any future children.

Quirk #6: I try to rationalize all my actions by twisting them into something that is not weird or unhealthy but actually is good for my baby. Please see Quirks #2-5 for examples of this.....

So there you have it, try not to judge me too harshly! I'm going to tag my sister Cammie since it's been months since she blogged- and we want to hear more Eva stories!

The Pumpkin Patch!

Trying to pull on the pumpkin plant.
Am I the cutest pumpkin in the picture?
Hanging out with my Uncle Eric.
"I want to take ALL these home!"

Eli is excited to go to the pumpkin patch with Eva!
But first, some leaves for munching.
Isn't he an adorable bee?
Mommy feeding goats, Eli though they were funny little creatures!
Sittin' on a hay bail- Eva thought it was too prickly!