Wow, what a month it has been! It was the best of times. It was the worst of times ;o) But, mostly it's been good! There were definitely a few days there (like the day Eli got 4 shots and I got to spend 1.5 hours at the Dr. office with 2 kids plus 2 hours driving to and from...not a good day) that were pretty hard, but we have pulled through victorious! Eli is doing great! He is a very happy boy most of the time. If he's hungry or tired, though...look out! He loves to MOVE. He can't quite crawl yet, but that doesn't mean he stays still! He can roll everywhere and crawl backwards quite well. His latest and greatest is walking while holding on to your hands. That's his FAVORITE! He can nearly stand without any balancing help,
and can sometimes stand for a few seconds on his own. And he's quite good at sitting now.
Eli is the proud owner of TWO brand new teeth. One came in last week and the other came in just today! Hopefully he takes off a few weeks before working on the top ones, as teething does not make for a happy Eli (or Maddie, or Mommy or Daddy). But he has been healthy, which is great! And Maddie has mostly been healthy, too (aside from the ever-present cough that will hang around from September until March).
Food has been a toughie with this little man! Maddie ate...well, EVERYTHING! And a lot of it! Eli has a more refined pallate, it seems! However, we're starting to make some movement. For a while he would only eat sweet potatoes and apples. Now he will still eat those 2 (with rice or wheat cereal mixed in, wahoo), and carrots and pear yogurt oatmeal (baby food). As for "real" food, he's far less picky. Luckily he will try about anything. But if he doesn't like it he lets you know! So far he has liked everything he's eaten in "real" food, which is great. He's had wheat bread, applesauce, mac and cheese and steamed zucchini! Wahoooo! I also have some yellow squash to steam and try in a few days. Of course, I have to steam it until it's mushy, so it's losing a lot of nutrients, but at least he's getting used to the taste! Tonight he will be having (not sweet) potatoes for the first time. We'll see how that goes. We're having cheese and potato pierogies with our dinner, so he'll get to have some of the stuffing!
Last weekend Auntie Nayne and Uncle Scott came in to town and we had a great time. Saturday morning we went to the pumpkin farm and then the girls went shopping while the boys went home to watch college football. Sunday we enjoyed Ben's homemade waffles and Fuel Pizza for lunch before they needed to return home.
All in all, things are going well. It hasn't all been great but I now feel like Eli has really attached nicely and we are all bonding. Eli always looks to Momma for comfort and Daddy for FUN! That's exactly how Maddie is! I'm starting to think I'm pretty boring!!!
It was a hard month, but I really feel like we've been through the thick of it and we've emerged from the other side so much closer and stronger! God's great that way!
We've been home long enough, it's about time I showed everyone what we came home to!!!! Many, many thanks to our friend, Emma, for designing/decorating the nursery! It's beyond awesome! And equal thanks to my Mom for financing the facelift! We were so incredibly surprised and pleased! And there are nights when I'm rocking Eli and I look at the room and I think, "This is what I always pictured a perfect nursery looking like!" The photos can't even begin to do it justice, but you can at least get an idea!
Here are some silly pictures of the kids and a picture of Maddie in her Halloween Parade at school today. She's a unicorn this year, but decided to wear last year's Lady Bug costume for the parade. I will try and get the video uploaded of Maddie marching, but I make no guarantees! As Maddie would say, "You get what you get and you don't get upset!"
