Our Blessed Family

thirty-one.

2011-04-05T07:05:00.003-07:00

If you have been out and about, you have most certainly noticed someone carrying a thirty-one product. Founded on Psalm 31, thirty-one is a delightful company that offers organizational items for your home, personal, travel, and business life. I was so excited to welcome several of my girlfriends to our home for a thirty-one party. While I do not typically host parties such as these, I was super excited to get a look at the products first hand and place my first order! What fun it is when a bunch of girls get together with cute totes, handbags, and organizational items! Check back soon to see my order when it arrives!

wounded.

2011-04-01T17:33:00.003-07:00

We survived our first trip to the pediatric emergency room and our first three stitches. I can hardly believe the events of Wednesday evening, but am immensely thankful for Kosair's Children's Emergency Room. We couldn't have received better care and are thankful that our precious little guy is on the mend.

sale pending.

2011-04-01T17:00:00.003-07:00

Exactly 38 days after our Louisville home was placed on the real estate market, we chose between two competing offers and officially began our journey towards the "closing" of our home. We are both thrilled and sad to share that our closing date on our home is a very generous Friday, May 20th, leaving us with just about one month until country roads officially take us home! Inspections, appraisals, and receiving estimates from moving companies have filled our last week, not to mention our impending decision about which home we will choose in the Huntington area. After a few house hunting adventures, we have definitely narrowed our list and are excited for our next step!

Mom, get ready! Eli and I are moving in!

we love spring.

2011-03-23T10:25:00.003-07:00

To say that Eli loves playing and simply just being outside is quite an understatement. We are definitely enjoying the warm Spring temperatures, exploring our yard (and lots of our neighbor's yards too), our cul-de-sac, and the sidewalks in our development. Our independent-minded boy doesn't want to hold my hand, but rather prefers to take off on his own. However, he doesn't quite know how a scraped knee or hand feels like yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time until Band-Aids and Neosporin are staples in our household and I'm cleaning dirty fingernails each evening during bath time. He can't get enough of the grass, the empty flowerbeds filled with last years potting soil, dried, dead worms on the sidewalk, and all the mud he can find. What a nice and welcome change from Winter. We just love Spring!

back to the blog.

2011-03-20T16:38:00.004-07:00

Wow! It seems as if I have taken a brief month and a half (oh, my!) break from our family's blog. Life in our home is as busy as ever as we prepare for our move to Huntington, West Virginia in just over three months and as we keep up with our ever busy 15 month old. While I pinkie promise to get back to our blog, here is a brief summary of what we have been up to, since my previous post...

Eli no longer walks, but rather runs from room to room. He continues to love his Gymboree classes on Thursdays and is ready to advance to the next age group. What a fun time this is for the both of us!

On February 11th, a FOR SALE sign was placed in our yard. We are crossing our fingers to add a SOLD sign to the top of it very, very soon! We have had several showings, with more to come this week, and are praying for God's will to be done regarding the sale of our home.

Wow! We just cannot believe that Andy's residency is almost COMPLETE! Recently, we ventured to our new stomping grounds and (eek!) went house hunting! My mother kindly watched Eli for the day at our hotel as Andy and I searched for the perfect home for our family. While we have a few homes in mind, we have not made a final decision as of yet. While we know how it feels to be on the seller side, we are super excited to also be on the buyer side of things as well!

Please look for new blog posts this week as I promise to do better!
...wishing you a blessed week...

woopsie.

2011-01-30T18:13:00.002-07:00

{after a small glitch, I am happy to report that our video in the previous post is now up and running}

fourteen months.

2011-01-30T05:00:00.001-07:00

Our precious bambino is fourteen months old and again, we just can't believe how fast he has grown from this tiny, snugly baby to now, a joyous, squealing big boy! In the last month, we have witnessed so many changes in Eli and we often just sit, stare, and shake our heads in disbelief of the way he studies things, learns things, thinks about things, and becomes braver and braver as his new world on two feet becomes more interesting by the day. We certainly are cherishing each and every day with our little boy and just love the way our lives have changes in just fourteen short months. We love you, E, and can't wait to watch you continue to grow! xoxo.

...fourteen fun facts about Eli at fourteen months...

Eli has tons of toys, both new and old. However his favorite things to play with include: the lid to his blocks, lifting up all rugs in our home, playing with door stoppers, opening and closing the microwave door, wreaking havoc on our wooden blinds, reaching door handles on his tip toes (oh my!), and dropping his bouncy balls and chasing them repeatedly.

Currently, he likes to eat yogurt, whole-grain blueberry waffles, pancakes, dried fruit, applesauce, chicken, black beans, smoked turkey sausage, cereal bars, and oatmeal bars. Currently, finding foods that Eli loves and are healthy is my biggest hurdle. Suggestions? Suggestions?

Eli loves, loves water; however, he will not drink one drop of whole milk.

Eli is a big squealer! This makes us smile. At times, he will mobile himself from room to room squealing at the top of his lungs. He could give any girl a run for her money.

Blankie lover, oh, my! Eli loves, loves, LOVES his blankie that Uncle Kent and Auntie Danielle found for him at T.J. Maxx in West Virginia of all places. We would count our lucky stars if we could find another of his blankies to serve as a back-up. Auntie Danielle, please, please keep your eyes peeled!

Eli undertands simple commands and/or questions, such as "Turn the lights on/off, please. Go get your ball. Where is blankie? Where is da-da? Where is mama? Where is Carmen? Put blanki/paci in the crib, please.

Presently, he has become quite the wiggle worm when it comes to changing diapers. One watching might say that he'd much rather just go without a diaper than get one on. Diaper changes are becoming a bit of a frustration.

Eli has 11 teeth. 3 of his molars have broken the gum line and his bottom incisors are going to pop through any day.

Eli has his first crush. Her name is Stacey. She is animated and on the Secret Agent Oso episode To Grandma, With Love (currently on Andy's iPhone). He always has lots and lots of smiles for Stacey.

Eli loves his sleep. He currently goes to bed a little before 7 pm and wakes up around 6 am. He takes both a morning nap (1-1.5 hour(s)) and an afternoon nap (2-3 hours). We can't complain.

Our smart boy knows that the remote control operates the TV. Often, he will grab it, push buttons, and watch the TV to see what happens.

Eli loves playing with Carmen! While he hasn't quite figured out how to throw her toys, if we say, "Give the toy to Carmen," he will gladly chase her to put her toy in her mouth...just so sweet!

He completely and utterly understands the word and meaning of "No!"...and he does not like it one bit! We can't help but chuckle at the small meltdowns he is capable of having when he hears this short, two-letter word. At times, we tell Ms. Carmen "No" and we have to reassure a whimpering Eli that we were only talking to Carmen...haha...oh, jeesh!

Eli still loves to be held. We just can't help but love those little arms that reach up for us.

...take a peek at our last 14 months...

how to: get out of an exersaucer

2011-01-21T07:29:00.005-07:00

Step 1: Make sure that no one is looking and quietly begin to lean forward.

Step 2: Lean forward towards the ground with all of your weight.

Step 3: For extra tension, grab the underneath of the saucer and continue reaching for the ground until your feet come off the floor of the exersaucer. If your lucky and do not get caught, wiggle forward so your body slithers out of the saucer like a snake until you have escaped!

Step 4: (...or if you're like me...) Get caught making your escape!
...seriously is there no where safe anymore?...

A few mornings ago, I needed to leave the room for a few moments. Because I just cannot take my eyes off of Eli for more than a few seconds, I decided to put him in his exersaucer. Keep in mind, I heard no fussing, no crying, not even a peep. As I rounded the corner back into our family room, Mr. Eli was crawling toward me. Stopping in my tracks, I had to actually think..."I did put him in there, didn't I?" Yesterday, I was able to snap a play-by-play picture of our escape artist in action while I was making my morning coffee. While time in his exersaucer is almost nonexistent these days, Eli does love to stand on the outside and walk around playing with all of the fun toys. It looks like the beloved saucer may be retired to our attic shortly. Andy will never be so glad as to not take it in the car on our long trips. A little more room in our SUV can never hurt!

january favorites.

2011-01-20T07:19:00.003-07:00

We definitely have some favorites in our home at the moment...take a peek at some of them!

...Eli's current January favorites...
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home Playset, Brother's All-Natural Fruit crisps (made with nothing but freeze dried fruit - purchased at COSTCO), bouncy balls, NUK sippy cups, YoBaby organic yogurt, books with sound, MOTT's Healthy Harvest Country Berry, and Fisher-Price The Farmer Says See 'N' Say

...My current January favorites...
UGG Cozy Knit Heart Slippers, Too Faced Natural Eye palette, Aquafina grape water, Coffee-mate Vanilla Carmel coffee creamer, NARS blush & bronzer duo, Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, Clarisonic, and EOS lip balm

ready. set. walk.

2011-01-19T11:10:00.004-07:00

Within a matter of 4 days last week, Eli transitioned from furniture and toy cruiser to novice walker. To both my dismay and my delight, he is becoming braver by the day and has become quite interested in "letting go" and seeing just how far his chubby legs will take him. While we know that this new milestone will definitely keep us on our toes, we are excited for our little guy to see the world in this brand new way!

...take two short peeks at our Eli in action...

...always a good sign...

2011-01-18T07:39:00.003-07:00

...of a good nights sleep...

please excuse the poor photo quality - snapped with my iPhone

our lunch date.

2011-01-17T07:49:00.003-07:00

Thursdays are Gymboree Play & Learn days for Eli and I and we love visiting with the other boys and girls as well as their mamas. Because the Gymboree facility is a bit of a commute from our home, I usually pack a "picnic-in-the-car" lunch for Eli to have once we have pulled into the parking lot, to ensure that he has his lunch before class begins and we are able to get there on time. However, after the snow fell in Louisville last week and we were home bound for a few days, I decided to try our first ever Mama & Eli lunch date. Because Chick-fil-a is close to Gymboree, what better place could we have enjoyed our lunch before class?!? Eli just munched away on his first ever chicken nuggets, veggies, & fruit, while I also got to enjoy a yummy lunch. What fun we had on our special date and at our class!

you are.

2011-01-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

You are our sunshine,

our only sunshine.

You make us happy...when skies are gray.

You'll never know, dear,

how much we love you.

Please don't take our sunshine away.

...every time I think of you, I give thanks to God...
Philippians 1:3

it's cold outside...wear a scarf.

2011-01-11T07:47:00.008-07:00

As the snow comes down in Louisville, it's the perfect day to cozy yourself into a scarf. I love wearing scarves with my coats and to complement an outfit. I'm always looking for new and fun ways to tie them. Here are seven great ways to do just that...love it, love it, love it!

Enjoy! Hope you are staying warm!

let's read.

2011-01-10T07:57:00.006-07:00

Eli loves books! He loves to look at them, turn their pages, lift up their flaps, open and close them, touch the pictures, and close them when they are finished. We have lots of special reading time during the day before his two naps and at bedtime. And at times, if he is having a fussy moment where nothing else seems to suit him, reading a book is always the answer. Books distract and take tears away and bring smiles and precious laughs. Eli received so many nice, new books for Christmas and we are slowly working them into our familiar favorites. Andy and I are taking a cue from little Eli and are diving back into our love of reading. As one of my New Year's resolutions, I am going to try to read at least one book each month...and I'm taking Andy along.

My January Book

Andy's January Book

We hope you are picking some good books to enjoy this year!

i think i'm in love.

2011-01-06T18:00:00.006-07:00

...really...this is just too mighty delicious not to share...

{nutella hot chocolate}

the 4 ingredients that you will need
{nutella, milk, cinnamon, & reddi wip}

{1}

measure one cup of milk. with your saucepan on medium heat, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of milk. add two spoonfuls of nutella (and then lick the spoon clean). whisk until combined.

{2}

whisk in remaining milk.

{3}

add a pinch of cinnamon. continue whisking until milk is frothy.

{4}

pour into your coziest mug. top with as much reddi wip as you like and add one last pinch of cinnamon. yum, yum, yum...so easy...so delicious...so cozy!

enjoy!

how much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

2011-01-05T08:18:00.004-07:00

Mysterious knawing marks have been found at the Freeman residence on the future footboard of one covertable crib belonging to Eli B. Freeman. Not visable a few days ago as his mother remarked, "Wow! We sure are lucky that our precious little boy hasn't decided to teethe using his crib as a teething toy."

cute. funny. constantly in motion and often into things he shouldn't be exploring.
With 8 teeth and all four molars trying to break through his gums, this adorable 13 month old may look cute and snuggly, but beware, he has one mean bite.

~

I actually thought that we were out of the woods with "teething on his crib". I guess that I was all too wrong! Luckily after a quick trip to Babies 'R' Us and hopefully a little furniture polish, I was and will be able to remedy our problem. On a mission to buy a gummy strip made especially for this problem, I discovered the Easy Teether in the very same section. Because our little woodchuck simply did not chew only on the top of his rail, but also the curve leading up to the rail, I decided to simply cover the entire space. What will he try next week?!?

a delicious beginning.

2011-01-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

our quiet new year's eve.

2011-01-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

New Year's Eve was a wonderful day spent with family...our little family. Without party hats and horns, we enjoyed the end of 2010 with a trip to COSTCO for necessities plus a few extras, a yummy lunch at Cheddars, & a nice New Year's Eve dinner out at our favorite sushi restaurant, Sake Blue. After Andy surprised me last New Year's Eve with special sushi take-out from Sake Blue (after all, this time last year, after having a baby one month before, I was lucky to keep my eyes open on New Year's Eve), we decided to make "a sushi dinner" our special family New Year's Eve tradition!

...Enjoying lunch at Cheddars with my sweet boys...
Daddy should be so proud that Eli was keeping tabs on the football game above.

...loving our sushi dinner at Sake Blue...
More interested in his next bite than getting his picture taken, this is the best picture that we could manage.

"I will not eat mashed potatoes. I will not eat homemade applesauce. I turn my nose up at any fruit that is slimy or soft. I will push rice and pasta right back out of my mouth, but give me shrimp and I just can't get enough"

...at least our little guy has good taste...

Loud or quiet, we hope that your New Year's Eve was great!

happy new year.

2011-01-01T06:56:00.002-07:00

country roads.

2010-12-31T18:03:00.009-07:00

...take us {HOME}, to the place we {BELONG}...

Andy, Eli, Carmen, and I are so, so, sooooooooo thrilled to share that we are moving back to West Virginia! Starting July 1, 2011, Andy will begin work at Cabell Huntington Hospital's Joan C. Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center in Huntington, West Virgina as their new Radiation Oncologist! Affiliated with Marshall University, our blood will continue to bleed {blue} and {gold}, but we are overly thrilled for this new beginning at Marshall and our move closer to our sweet family. Needless to say, we are very excited for 2011!

bubble ooodles.

2010-12-29T07:24:00.007-07:00

Stockings are always one of my favorite Christmas goodies to make (and still to recieve...thanks, Mom!). This year was no exception! Picking up special things here and there for a few months prior to Christmas, I was excited to see Eli's stocking take shape on Christmas Eve! From snack cups to new books, a few yummy treats and other neat goodies, one of Eli's most favorite new toys are his Gymboree Bubble Ooodles! We play with and love the bubble ooodles each week at our Gymboree Play & Learn class, so as far as this year's Christmas stocking went...the bubble ooodles were a must have. These bubbles are so, SO fun and simply DO NOT pop easily. They rest on your head, on your toes, on your belly, and on the carpet mainly until you decide to pop them! What makes them extra special is the fun bubble wand that this bubble set comes with. The slower you blow into the wand, the more and more bubbles float into the air! What fun they are! I am enjoying the bubble ooodles just as much as Eli...ummmm...can you tell?!?

Yesterday, Eli and I had some fun, quiet play time in his room with the bubble ooodles! I know that we played for at least 25 minutes with these special bubbles and am certain that we could have played even longer. What a nice indoor activity for us to enjoy on cold winter days that no doubt are more numerous to come!

two special beymers.

2010-12-28T07:31:00.005-07:00

Eli was quite cozy with his Papaw Beymer as he shared his favorite Baby Mozart DVD with him! In our home, the earth stops spinning when Baby Mozart is playing. A first birthday gift from my Nana and Papaw Beymer, Eli (and us too!) are so appreciative of his portable DVD player. Perfect for our frequent and looooong car adventures and future flights, we were so excited to show Nana and Papaw just how that DVD "contraption" works. These two special Beymers hold a huge piece of this mama's heart. We love you, Nana and Papaw and can't wait for our next visit!

home for christmas.

2010-12-27T08:53:00.008-07:00

Safely home in Louisville from Andy's recent interview and Christmas travels, we are happy to be home amongst "our things," but are already missing the warmth of our families that we grew used to having around us for more than one week! What a wonderful, blessed, and special Christmas we had! We kept busy from the time we arrived until the time we left, enjoying last-minute shopping trips, a Christmas cookie party and exchange, a Christmas church program, a few special date nights to Twin Oaks, Lil' Moes, and the more than occasional trip to Shop 'N' Save for our families (yes, a get-away to the grocery store can be a date too) thrown in the mix, as well as a delicious Christmas Eve dinner gathering.

...Christmas morning at Andy's mother and father's home...

...Christmas afternoon and evening at my mother's home...
We hope that you and your family had a very special Christmas with the ones that you love.

welcome back to marshall.

2010-12-16T06:57:00.005-07:00

For the last several months, Andy has been traveling by car and by plane to several cities to interview for Radiation Oncology positions following the COMPLETION (whoo-hoo) of his residency in June. We are so thrilled for this exciting new phase of our life, but are eager for all the traveling to s-l-o-w down. Now that he is in final interviews with different practices and universities, Eli and I are invited to travel with him in order to see "the area" with realtors and meet physicians that he could possibly work with in the future.

Yesterday evening, we arrived in Huntington, West Virginia for Andy's second interview with Cabell Huntington Hospital. What a treat to have been greeted with an enormous snack and fruit basket and a small gift for Andy, Eli, and I each! However, the best gift of all from Marshall University - Eli's own adjoining hotel room! While we definitely have differences with Marshall on the football field and other sport arenas where WVU is concerned, Marshall is earning big points for their gracious hospitality from this gal! Whether it be Marshall or any one of the his other opportunities, we are looking forward to our big decision being m-a-d-e!

a new point of view.

2010-12-08T05:00:00.002-07:00

I don't know whom was more excited for this special day, Eli or Andy and I?!? After facing rear for almost one year, Andy and I decided to turn Eli's carseat front-facing for the long, Thanksgiving car ride to West Virginia (7 days early). While Andy was ready to do this long before I was (you know...it's the law), Eli's feet no longer "hang up" on the seats, but rather dangle down comfortably. It was funny to watch his expressions change as he got a new point of view while driving...a much better front-facing view. Who doesn't love to see where they are going?!? Although we could always get a peek of him in his carseat mirror mounted on our headrest, we just love the ease of turning our heads to see our little guy checking out the drive ahead of him! Our little traveler is much happier and we are too!

a doctor's visit.

2010-12-07T12:01:00.003-07:00

Late this morning, Eli and I bundled up head to toe, to brave the cold and windy weather to visit the pediatrician's office for his one-year-old appointment. What a milestone, but also what a worry on my heart this appointment has been. Excited to know Eli's weight and height, but positively dreading the amount and types of vaccinations offered at this particular appointment, in addition to his first blood drawl, I felt like I was crying as much on the inside as Eli was on the outside following his multiple sticks...a big ouch to my heart. Whew! I can honestly say that "this part" of turning one was not the best gift that Eli received. I'm sure that he agrees!

{ ...who needs toys when you have Noni's kitchen utensils...}

At one year and one week old, Eli weighs 22.6 pounds and is 30.5 inches long. He is currently in the 50th percentile for weight and slightly above the 75th percentile for height.

breakfast.

2010-12-05T11:42:00.005-07:00

In our home, most likely just like yours, we are on the constant hunt for easy and delicious recipes to try in hopes that they become requested favorites! With an active baby boy circling my feet, gone are the days of prepping meals for close to an hour and then waiting for them to bake, simmer, or saute for 50 additional minutes. As we are trying to transition Eli from baby food strictly to table food, I find that meals have become even more difficult as I want to prepare things that are healthy choices for him to enjoy. When we find something that is worthy of a second and third fixn', I must admit that I get somewhat excited to add it to our list of monthly meals. I thought that I would share a breakfast favorite in our home and hopefully will be loved in yours as well.

{ pumpkin pancakes }

2 cups of your favorite dry pancake mix
3 Tbsp dark-brown sugar
2.5 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1.5 cups milk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (can substitute 1 Tbsp applesauce)

...how to make your pumpkin pancakes...

In a lare bowl, combine the pancake mix, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. In another large bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkins, egg, vanilla extract, and oil (or applesauce). Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or large frying pan on medium high. Pour the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form in the batter and the edges begin to brown. Then flip them and cook until the other sides are lightly browned.

Serve the pancakes with a dusting of confectioners sugar and a drizzle of your favorite syrup - or - if you'd like, enjoy them "Eli Style"... plain.

...yum! a perfect holiday, family breakfast...

it's party time.

2010-12-02T13:05:00.010-07:00

Following our Thanksgiving celebrations, we were quite excited to move on to our biggest celebration of the year -- Eli's first birthday party! In the planning stages for quite some time, we were finally thrilled to welcome our family! Surrounded by all things "Mickey," we couldn't wait to get our "meeshka-mooshka" party started!

We are so very thankful to our families for spending a portion of their afternoon with us! Although Eli was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people (however, his delight in his cake somewhat made up for this), we certainly couldn't have imagined celebrating his first year without being surrounded by those that we love!

We simply can't believe that we have a one-year-old and his first birthday has come and passed. We are so thankful for his health and joy.

...Just look at all these boys...
{ nathan. alex. eli. anthony. cousin maxem. & cousin tyler }

our 1 year old.

2010-11-30T08:13:00.011-07:00

Wow! We can hardle believe that O.N.E. year has passed so quickly, as today we celebrate the first year of our precious little boy! He has brightened our days (and many a night) and we just couldn't love him more than we do today...that is...until tomorrow. It seems hard to believe that at this very moment one year ago, we were tucked snuggly into our hospital room with oh so much to learn, but lots and lots of love to give. In the blink of an eye, one year has passed and those first twelve weeks are only a blurry memory of special (and sleepy) nightime moments, lots of playmat time, tight swaddling, and hot showers for my salvation. While 12 full months have flown by, it also feels like a world away from those first weeks at home. While our lives have changed dramatically in just one year's time to say the least, our little Eli has been our family's bright shining star and we know that God sent him to us just at the right time.

Happy Birthday, Eli! We love you!

xoxo

mountaineer saturday.

2010-11-23T07:32:00.007-07:00

What a fun, blue and gold weekend we had! Uncle Kent and Auntie Danielle made the long and late-night journey from Morgantown to Louisville for a short visit and the WVU football game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium! I just love when the Mountaineers come to town and get especially excited to be amongst fellow fans in this town of red and black or UK's blue and white. While Andy was kindly offered box seats from the Dean of the medical school, we just couldn't take the offer. We needed to sit with other Mountaineer fans. We needed to chant the familiar cheers. We needed to wear our blue and gold - and we didn't want to be discreet!

...and to top off our fun day at Papa John's stadium, our Mountaineers were victorious over the C-A-R-D-S! We just love a Mountaineer win!

While Kent, Danielle, Andy, and I were enjoying four quarters of football, Eli was loving his time with my good friend, loyal Cardinal fan, and soon-to-be-mama, Dena. Thanks so much, Dena for taking such wonderful care of our little guy!

thursdays at gymboree.

2010-11-21T19:25:00.004-07:00

"Thursdays" are a favorite day of the week for Eli and I! Each Thursday, we have so much fun at our Gymboree Play & Learn class. Surrounded by lots of cute babies close in age, Eli crawls, climbs, jumps, explores, shakes, rolls, claps, catches bubbles, bangs on drums, rings bells, plays with a parachute, sings, and so much more. What fun it is for Eli to interact with other babies that are his age and what fun it is for me to chat with other mamas.
Each week, Gymboree's fun instructors select a focus for play. For example, last week was "fun with texture and different levels". Eli and I enjoyed playing with different sizes and textures of foam blocks, crawling through an obstacle course with different stair steps, ramps, and slides with smooth, soft, bumpy, and rough textures to feel. I love this time with Eli and especially love the stage that he is in currently. We just can't wait for Dad to enjoy class with us one day soon!

our dedication.

2010-11-13T11:58:00.004-07:00

Last weekend, Andy, Eli, and I participated in Parent-Child Dedication at our much-loved church, Highview Baptist Church. What a special time it was for Andy and I to dedicate ourselves and declare publicly that we will lovingly raise Eli in the word of the Lord. Eli was in perfect spirits for his big morning -- despite the fact that it was the morning of Daylight Savings Time -- and jabbered the entire time while we were on stage. Our pastor even remarked, "...and this little guy is sure excited about this time. He is testifying!" We are both blessed and humbled by our responsibility as parents. It is our prayer that we raise our son to know and love God and to share that love with others.

Every good and perfect gift is from above.

- James 1:17

11 months.

2010-11-03T17:16:00.005-07:00

As I think back to the beginning of last November, I am in total awe of how much our lives have changed in 11 blink-of-an-eye months. 11 short months ago, I felt like I simply couldn't grow another centimeter; I already had our home decorated for Christmas, every Christmas present was wrapped, and every bow had been tied. Today, while I hardly am as organized as last year and have just branched into the world of holiday shopping, I love spending each and every day with you! The way you smile, the way you love to jump, and the way that you are always on the go makes our hearts smile and we just couldn't love you more! You are funny. You are smart. You, sweet boy, have one spunky personality! There isn't a mirror in our home that you don't love looking in and talking to yourself! You shake your head quickly back and forth and the more I smile and laugh, the harder and faster you shake that head of yours! You are beginning to cruise slowly but surely, especially if there is something that catches your eye that you must hold! Nonetheless, you haven't shown that much interest in walking yet as you crawl to your destinations at the speed of light. You love to explore our home and while you adore your toys, I think you almost prefer to be on the go.

You love to eat your baby food, but are giving us a bit of a challenge as we try to transition you to more and more table food. One thing is for sure - you love multi-grain, blueberry waffles and pickles...not together, of course.

You are a true thinker. This week at our Gymboree Play & Learn class, you crawled through a short tunnel to capture a cage bell that you fell in love with. Upon introducing you to a much longer tunnel and enticing you to crawl through with that same cage bell, you simply turned around, backed out of the tunnel, and crawled beside of the tunnel to retrieve the bell from the teacher at the other end. We all had to laugh at your creativity to get the bell without crawling through the long tunnel.

This time 11 months ago, we just couldn't wait to meet you. This time 11 months ago, we couldn't wait to see what you looked like. However, this time 11 months ago, we knew we would love you, but we had no idea of how in love with you we would be. Your birthday is fast approaching, Eli, and we just thank God each day for you, your health, your happiness, and what you have added to our family!

boo to you.

2010-10-29T06:31:00.005-07:00

Last week, Eli and I gathered paint and holiday paper to create some pretty "boo-tiful" Halloween cards. I must say, I think they turned out super cute and no doubt will hang on a few refrigerators! What a cutie Eli was as he carefully studied me painting his entire hand with white paint. I will neither confirm nor deny that my little artist had a snack in his other hand to distract him just a bit during our artistic endeavor. I look forward to days ahead when Eli and I can have a regular arts and craft time. I have lots and lots of cute monthly projects (and the bins in our garage to prove it) up my sleeve from my years in my Kindergarten classroom.

...conversation with my husband as he returns home from work and sees our ghost art drying on our kitchen counter...

Andy: Wow, Honey! Those are super cute! Where did you get that idea?

Devon: ...Ummmm...Did you forget what I used to do before Eli Monster?

Andy: (smiling and laughing) Oh, yeah!

Devon: Oh, geesh!

rainy day.

2010-10-27T06:55:00.004-07:00

As a cold, rainy, and very windy day set in yesterday, Eli and I were confined to the warmth and safety of our home for the entire day. With tornado warnings and watches looming over all of our area, we needed to find something fun to do during the three or four hours that we normally sneak out of the house for a bit to run errands or go for a nice long walk. After a quick thought, I decided to remove two cushions from our sofa, a no-longer used bed sheet, and make Eli what every little kiddo needs at one point or another...a fort.

While I know he will love this more and more as time moves forward, I couldn't help but take advantage of his ever-present curiosity, and just give the homemade fort a try. What a success!

He loved crawling back and forth, out and in, and laying and sitting in his new "cave" with his toys. This mama couldn't resist crawling "under" and playing right along.

What a fun morning we had, despite the gloomy and scary weather! Sadly enough, our much-used outdoor table didn't have such a fun morning in the 80 mph wind. I suppose this is the perfect excuse to purchase beautiful outdoor living furniture next summer!

our little pumpkin.

2010-10-25T03:00:00.001-07:00

baby bradford.

2010-10-24T11:42:00.004-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was able to sneak away from our home, leave Eli in the safe hands of his dad, and spend some time with Dena, one of my most favorite mamas-to-be, and a few sweet friends at baby Bradford's baby shower! What a wonderful family baby Bradford has been blessed with. Loving parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many good friends are eager to meet this sweet boy and simply cover him with snuggles. We have prayed and prayed for Bradford and are so happy that our God is an awesome God and this baby boy will soon make his arrival! As for me... I just can't wait!

What a perfect shower Dena and Bradford were gifted! As you can see, this is no doubt one special and loved little cowboy!

simple + delicious.

2010-10-22T04:49:00.006-07:00

During the fall and winter months, we, like everyone else, love to make warm and cozy food. While Andy loves a big pot of homemade chili and I prefer homemade vegetable soup, we both agree on one of our most favorite dishes - Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. While this recipe is super easy and fast for me to prepare, as an added bonus, it cooks right in the crockpot! Don't you just love a good crockpot recipe?!? After preparing this yesterday for Andy, myself, and a few spoonfuls for Eli, I decided to share in hopes that this favorite of ours might become a family favorite of yours!

To begin, dice one cup each of carrots, celery, and onion. Add your diced veggies right into your crockpot.

Next, shred one entire store bought (I told you it was easy), rotisserie chicken, with skin removed, and add to your carrots, celery, and onions.

Stir in one entire box or four cans of low-sodium chicken broth and the secret ingredient, two cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8-9 hours or on high setting for 3-4 hours.

When your creamy chicken noodle soup has finished cooking, and right before serving, add a handful of egg noodles to your crockpot and let cook for 10 additional minutes. Be careful as to not add too many egg noodles because they will soak up and swallow lots of your delicious broth.

So easy and delicious...Yum! Yum! Yum!

a-choo.

2010-10-20T11:45:00.004-07:00

So many different and random things make Eli laugh these days and when Andy and I find something that tickles his little funny bone, we can't help but do it over and over and over again. What a sweet sound it is to hear our cutie giggle! One particular morning this week, during our grocery store adventure, Mr. Eli had had about enough of Kroger and amongst the frozen vegetables decided that he simply did not want to shop for groceries any longer. In a final attempt to distract him, I pretended to sneeze (please do not ask me why this came to mind)...a-choo! Low and behold, up from the deepest depths of his belly came the most precious laugh that not only made me smile and laugh, but also caught the attention of fellow Kroger shoppers and employees. Well...after this little discovery, needless to say, I went about gathering my frozen edamame, grape juice, milk, yogurt, and shredded cheese just "pretend-sneezing" my way all the way to checkout. Simply put - as a mama, you do what you have to do to get the job finished!

Later that day, as Eli was his typical "wild, crazy-boy self", jumping away in his much-loved jumperoo, I decided to partake in our sneezing game again!

...just take a peek...

thank you a & a.

2010-10-20T05:00:00.003-07:00

Who doesn't love to get special goodies in the mail?!? Eli received a "spook-tacular" package from his favorite twins, Anthony and Alex, sweet boys of my wonderful friend and sorority sister, Becky. Arriving from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, Eli received such a cute glow-in-the-dark Halloween shirt, orange and black socks, and a coupon for a sweet, frosty treat - yum! Thank you so much Sargo family for Eli's special package and for thinking so thoughtfully of our little guy! We hope to see you very, very soon!

Just look at these sweet little guys...don't they just make you smile...twice?!?
We love you Anthony and Alex!

best buddies.

2010-10-19T06:03:00.004-07:00

It's so sweet to watch the ever-growing relationship of Eli and our little Carmen. He just adores our precious Carms and lights up when he sees her, thus crawling in a mad dash towards her, following her wherever she goes. I love to watch Carmen bring Eli her toys and assume the fetch position as she waits and waits for Eli to throw her favorite squirrel, lobster, or ball. Recently, amongst the sea of toys in our home at this fingertips, Eli has taken a considerable liking to Carmen's most favorite toy -- "the squirrel" -- playing with it for what seems like hours and yes, even trying to put this much loved, slobbery toy, in his mouth (gross). Carmen seems to look at Eli and say, "Really?!? You've taken over my entire home and now you want my squirrel?!?" Eli just shakes and shakes Carmen's squirrel right in front of her nose, playing with her in his own way. What fun it is to watch Eli and Carms love each other!

sweet, sweet home.

2010-10-18T05:35:00.006-07:00

After 10 hours in the car on our return adventure from South Carolina, we were all excited - to say the least - to drive into our garage and stretch our legs, relax, and in Eli's case, take a warm bath and get ready for bed. During our car ride home, while Eli was a fantastic traveler, there were a few times that fussiness took over, and I was the ever-flexible acrobat, that crawled my way back and forth from the front to the back seat. Who doesn't need a little company during a long drive, someone to look at and talk to, and most importantly, someone to play with? When we reached hours 9 and 10, no book, no music, no toy would do; however, a three-fourths of the way empty water bottle and one episode of Secret Agent Oso on an iPhone was just what Eli needed to finish his long, long, long day in the car!

What a wonderful fall vacation we had with Andy's family. However, considering Eli has only slept in his own crib 3 days in the month of October, we are happy to be surrounded by our things, our carpet, our toys, our bed sheets, our bathtubs, and our home. I think we'll stay put for a while.

cruisn'.

2010-10-16T05:34:00.007-07:00

While we were so excited for Eli to see the sand, the surf, and the pool again during our fall-time vacation, who would have thought that he would take such joy in something quite different -- riding on a golf cart! We by no means need a horn on our golf cart because our little boy, with wind whipping through his hair, squeals with happiness during the entire ride, letting everyone know that we are on the move! While I cautiously and tightly hold onto him for dear life, while we are cruising at our speedy 7 mph, he does everything short of jumping onto Andy's lap to get a hold of that steering wheel! Do we have a future golfer on our hands (let's hope) or just a little boy infatuated with all things that move?!?

pool shark.

2010-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Words simply cannot express how much Eli loves water...especially the swimming pool! His entire face lights up when he sees a pool, falling water, or a fountain of any kind that spurts water. Luckily for him, during this week of vacation in Myrtle Beach, our indoor and outdoor pool have not disappointed our happy little fish. Completely content to swim on his belly, float on his back, kick, splash, and dunk his whole face under the water without even thinking twice, Eli has certainly enjoyed his morning swims and we just love splashing right along with him!

fall in wv.

2010-10-12T06:45:00.004-07:00

On our way to South Carolina, Andy, Eli, and I briefly stopped for a fun, few days in West Virginia! The weather in West Virginia is simply beautiful during this time of year, with crisp, cool mornings and evenings, while afternoons are mild and warm. It simply is the very best! During our two-day stay, we were able to relax, enjoy walks back and forth on the small road in front of my mother's home, enjoy play time with Nana and Papaw Freeman, visiting with Nana and Papaw Beymer, and squeezing in some mucn-loved time with Uncle Kent and Auntie Danielle.

Much to the dismay of the wooly worm crawling across my mother's back deck, Eli was an all-American, bug lovin' boy as he studied and attempted to "play with" this wooly fellow. Just look at those left-handed, pincher fingers! Try as I might to hand things to Eli in his right hand, we think our little guy may have inherited his father's, both of his grandfather's, and Auntie Julie's "left handedness".

Lounging on a comfy blanket, Eli watched as Uncle Kent and daddy passed football, while Carmen and Cousin Oden ran back and forth playing and hoping to catch the ever-flying football. We just love Fall and wish that this beautiful season lasted just a bit longer!

sink.

2010-10-11T23:59:00.004-07:00

One less "Eli item" to pack during a trip always means a bit more rearview sight for Andy. Now, we forgo the toddler tub and use the good ol' fashioned

...kitchen sink...

What fun the little guy had last night during his warm bath in the middle of my mother's kitchen!

let go of my eggo.

2010-10-07T12:09:00.008-07:00

In an effort to introduce more and more table food into Eli's diet, this morning, in addition to our iron-fortifed oatmeal with fruit, we began our day with a special treat - a multi-grain eggo waffle, sans the butter and syrup (that will come soon enough). Although our little guy is a lover of 99% of baby food, he has been less than thrilled with many of the "table food" items that I have tried feeding him. However, this morning, I was feeling confident about our "carb-a-licous," multi-grain, nonetheless, eggo waffle!

Sure enough, Eli gobbled down one plate full of waffle and then a second, until his small round waffle was nothing but a delicious memory! Success! Perhaps next we will try adding a few blueberries!

Afther his waffle had ben devoured, Eli checked his plate twice to make sure he had eaten ever bite!

...then he decided to eat his plate...

off to miami.

2010-10-05T05:39:00.008-07:00

Last Wednesday, Andy, Eli, and I took to the friendly skies for a little family fun in Florida! While we were visiting Miami, we stayed at the Loews Hotel! What a positively beautiful hotel! While the Loews had much to pamper Andy and I, it also catered to our little guy. When we arrived, we were informed that the Loews has a partnership with Fisher Price. We were given a brochure of toys (including a toddler bathtub) that would be brought to our room for Eli - what a perk!

Andy has worked endlessly in the past year with research pertaining to breast cancer in regards to women in Appalachia (Eastern Kentucky) and the treatment (radiation vs. mastectomy) or lack there of that they chose to undergo and the circumstances that prompted them to do so (I think I put that correctly...maybe). Andy won an exciting award for his research from Susan G. Komen and presented his findings at a conference in Miami...thus leading our little family south!

...just look at that great research...

...take a peek at our fun family time in Miami...

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10 months for eli.

2010-10-04T06:00:00.007-07:00

Eli is 10 months old! Oh, how those weeks just fly by! It seems that each and every month I think, "This is my favorite stage thus far," but the next month arrives and it always seems to replace the last by being "my favorite". Eli continues to be one busy, busy, BUSY little boy. He loves to explore and seems to just enjoy crawling from one destination to another. He pulls up on just about everything and shows interest in taking those first steps...oh, my. He loves to "let go" of things that he is holding onto, stand for a few seconds, and then flop onto his cute little bum...then repeat, then repeat, then repeat. We can hardly believe that we have a 10 month old and that his BIG birthday is just a pair of months away. Birthday goodies for his party have already started to arrive at the Freeman home! While we can't wait to celebrate his unbelievable first year (it will be here all too soon), we are just loving "this stage" with our precious, bubbly, boy!

...While Eli has learned a lot in the last 10 months, oh, oh, so have I...

I have learned that just like adults, no two days are the same in "the life of Eli". Just because he took two really great naps "yesterday", today could be much, much different.

I have learned that our little boy is quite flexible. He goes with the flow, although I try very hard to keep him to his "schedule". And while I worry about things a little bit too much, I need to give Eli more credit in being able to adapt. He can do this very well...it's me that needs more work. I'll get there...hopefully.

I have learned that ponytails are my best friend.

I finally understand why my mother and father were terrified of me riding and driving with my fellow teenage drivers. Oh, the thought of sending him out in a car...I think I'll pass for now. Oh, and the thought of a bully...just forget it.

I have learned that simply because our little Eli began sleeping through the night at 7 weeks old , tightly swaddled, he will not always sleep through the night as he demonstrated from months 4-9, still waking for an early morning feeding each and every day. We are back on the sleeping train...for now! There will always be a new tooth, perhaps an ear infection, and maybe even just the need to see mama or daddy.

We love you Eli B! From the tip of your thick head of hair right down to the tips of your crossed toes, we just enjoy you and love you more each day!

eli's "new ride".

2010-09-28T06:25:00.007-07:00

This weekend, Eli received an extra large special delivery from Britax -- his new, big boy car seat! After a few weeks of research, consumer report reviews, and thinking about what we wanted in his car seat, we decided to purchase Britax's Boulevard 70 (in "cowmooflage") car seat for our little man. We have procrastinated in buying Eli's new car seat simply because he seemed to still be comfortable and enjoy his infant seat, complete with his pull-down monkey toy (oh, how he loves this monkey). However, he is fast approaching the weight limit for his infant seat, so sadly it had to make its final departure from our SUV.

Eli seems ultra comfy in his new seat! We can hardly wait to turn him around to actually face forward. We hope that he loves it as much as we do! Now...for the next important thing...we must, must find a way to attach "monkey" to the seat in front of him!

always on the move.

2010-09-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

To say that Mr. Eli is always on the move is quite definitely an understatement. I simply look at him and think "Who is this little boy that is standing? Who could this be that is showing more and more independence by the day? Is this the Eli that used to lay and play on his playmat for any length of time? Who is this little boy that is so curious about everything in our home? Who can this be that crawls faster and faster when he realizes that mama is on his heels?"

He certainly gives me a run for my money each and every day as I can't take my eyes off of him for even a second. We just love his curiosity and laugh at his excitement towards things that seem so mundane! While his colorful toys keep him busy, some of his favorite "other toys" include the plant in our entry way, coffee table decoration, Carmen's well-loved dog toys (yuck!), wooden blinds, any speck of anything that is on the tile entryway floor, a sash that hangs from one of my shirts in our walk-in closet, our antique sewing machine table, and his elephant night-light.

Who needs a gym membership when you can chase, carry, and play with a 20 pound ball of energy all day, each day?!?

special times.

2010-09-26T18:00:00.007-07:00

What a special weekend we had! My mother traveled to town for an extended visit and we couldn't have been happier to welcome her! We just love, love the time spent with our family and while we are quite aware that we could in fact be further away from those that we love, we always embrace these special visits with excitement! Filled with shopping, lots and lots of play time with the little munchkin, relaxing, and of course indulging in some favorite as well as a few new treats, the past four days flew by with a blink of an eye!

What a treat! Andy and I enjoyed a rare date night on Friday evening as mom enjoyed some "bubba time". How nice it was to sneak away for a few hours with my husband and enjoy a delicious, relaxing, and did I mention delicious dinner at Mojitos, a scrumptious tappas restuarant. What fun it is to order a few tappas and then order a few more...and then even a few more! After our fun dinner, we even enjoyed a bit of dessert at our favorite Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen - delish, delish, delish!

To top off my mother's visit, we hopped in the SUV and headed across the Ohio River to the Horseshoe Casino not to gamble, but rather to eat at Paula Deen's new restaurant, located within the casino! After a wait (we even arrived before five), we were swallowed up in some of Paula's finest dishes! Some of my highlights included her seafood salad, mashed potatoes, hoecakes, fried chicken, and the desserts - oh the desserts!

What fun my mother will have in mid-November as she travels with friends to sight-see in Savannah, Georgia! There, she will eat at the real Lady & Sons - how neat!

The oh-so-cute gift store was a replica of Paula Deen's kitchen on her Food Network show!

Thanks, mom for such a fun, fun weekend! Eli and I can't wait until our October visit! We love you!

let's goooo mountaineers.

2010-09-22T11:47:00.003-07:00

is eli home?

2010-09-20T11:11:00.004-07:00

I just love the weekends and this particular weekend was no exception! We have been looking for and searching for 10-month-old-appropriate toys that we think that Eli would enjoy. While he loves the toys that he currently has, a lot of his toys, with the exception of a few, were better suited for him when he was a bit younger. Needless to say, this revelation led us to Toys 'R' Us for a little family fun! After browsing the store, we decided on a few fun things and a few necessities. My favorite purchase, and I believe Eli's as well, is the fun, fun, and musical Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Home.

Our little "home-owner" just loves the ding-dong doorbell, working porch light, opening and closing his front door, opening and closing the window, checking his mailbox, and crawling "inside" and "outside" his home again, again, and again!

We love playing peek-a-boo through the window in the door and when I knock and say, "is Eli home?" our sweet boy loves opening the door just for you. What a sweetie! We just can't get enough of him.

Welcome home!

mess.

2010-09-19T17:44:00.004-07:00

While feeding Eli his lunch one day earlier in the week, I had to quickly step out of the room. Unaware that I had placed his baby food on his tray, rather than on our dining room table, I thought to myself from our neighboring kitchen, "Wow! He sure is being very quiet and content in his high chair given that I stopped feeding him so suddenly (our boy loves his food)!". With just a little peek around the corner I quickly saw why our little Mr. was so content and so quiet in that highchair of his...

...exhibit A...

...exhibit B...

...exhibit C...

...exhibit D...

A complete mess, Eli was in all of his glory while eating "on his own". Ecstatic that he managed to keep his lunch on his tray rather than on our new carpet (whew!) and content in his licking and "finger painting" in his strawberry applesauce, what more could I do than simply grab my camera and laugh. After this mess, I fear that Eli will have no problem with his birthday smash cake in November!

foot phenomenon...or just karma?

2010-09-08T06:30:00.004-07:00

For years, Andy and I have teased my brother Kent about his toes...simply put...they are a bit (ahem) fat and two of them overlap and cross. Kent has even received toe separators used for pedicures and painting toenails (as a joke of course) in his Christmas stocking to give those crossing toes a well separated break. He even insists that a product like yoga toes just might be what he needs. What a good sport Uncle Kent is with all of our teasing!

When Eli was first born, it was quite remarkable how much he looked like his Uncle Kent. To me, this was a tremendous compliment because of just how cute and adorable Kent was as a baby and a toddler. We just loved hearing, "Wow! He looks so much like Kent!" I simply couldn't hear it enough.

***
A few weeks ago, Andy and I were knee deep in toys, playing on the carpet with our little guy. While Eli goes barefoot much of the time these days, his toes are always in good view. Andy laughed and remarked, "I think Eli may have Kent's toes. Just look at those two fat big toes!" We had to laugh out loud. Then, with a second glance at those chunky piggies, we noticed something else we had yet to discover about Eli that resembles Uncle Kent...

...oh...my...gracious...
...do you see this...
Eli's toes also cross and overlap!

We could hardly believe our eyes! His toes haven't always been this way. Could this be a genetic foot phenomenon or simply karma from years of teasing?!? Uncle Kent couldn't be more excited about the resemblance, laughing and joking, "That's my boy!" While we must admit a bit strange, we only hope that Eli receives more of Kent's qualities, such as his sense of humor, his likability by everyone he encounters, his love for the outdoors, his love for his family, his positive attitude, and his dedication to the Lord. We love you, Uncle Kent and can't wait to see you soon!

P.S. - I am still waiting on your crossed toe picture!

a picnic for 3.

2010-09-07T04:22:00.004-07:00

We just love when Andy has a rare day off from work (when we are actually in Louisville) and always try to do something special as a family to celebrate the day. In this case, we celebrated the long weekend! What a super Labor Day weekend we had. After a few dinners out at two of our most favorite Louisville "go-to" restaurants, a fun trip to the zoo, a neighborhood walk, time spent hanging pictures, baking cookies, and lots of play time with Eli, we decided to have a spontaneous lunch picnic on Monday afternoon. And, what picnic is complete without a little Kentucky Fried Chicken...after all...we do live in Kentucky!

***
***
***
***
Following our fun picnic, with our pre-packed bread in hand, we wandered down to the water in search of ducks! Eli loved watching the ducks during our weekend zoo visit, so we just couldn't wait to feed the ducks at the park. What a great family weekend! We just can't get enough of them!

***
***

lions...and tigers...and trees...oh, my!

2010-09-05T17:29:00.005-07:00

Taking advantage of the beautiful, but slightly cooler weather on Saturday morning, we decided to take our little Eli to the Louisville Zoo for the first time! Andy and I have been looking forward to Eli's first zoo visit for quite some time and felt that perhaps, at 9 months, he may show some interest in the larger animals...maybe...just maybe.

Our first stop...the rhinoceros exhibit!
While there were several, several full-grown rhinos in the area where Andy expertly positioned he and Eli, our little guy was more intrigued by the large tree that shaded the exhibit! Eli seemed to say "Let's forget about the 5,000 + pound rhinoceros close by and take a closer look at this interesting tree!" We just love his intense curiosity!

While waiting for the adult giraffes to enter their indoor exhibit, we spotted a curious peacock strutting close by. While the large rhino did not get much of a glance from our little zoo keeper, Eli did watch the peacock intently
...until...

...he heard the ducks quack-quack...

We loved watching the baby giraffes run back and forth through their exhibit as well as the happy ducks swimming and quacking nearby...and if we are very honest...we also enjoyed watching and listening to the fresh water being pumped into the giraffe pool.

Andy and Eli enjoyed observing the large Elephants eat their lunch...munch...munch...munch!

***
We enjoyed getting up close and personal with small animals, such as goats and donkeys, in the petting zoo area.

***
While we know that Eli will enjoy the zoo more and more each year, we couldn't let the summer pass us by without one zoo visit. Perhaps we will take advantage of our beautiful zoo this fall, and again near Christmas to enjoy the glorious underground light exhibits. While we know that the zoo holds more fun for our family in the future, this weekend we were thankful for Eli's countless smiles as he felt the cool breeze on his face while walking through the park, his grins at the other small children, his little laugh as a sea lion emerged from the water, and his happy contentment to just enjoy his stroller. Nonetheless, perhaps during our next visit...we just might spot a rhino!

9 months and growing.

2010-09-03T05:00:00.002-07:00

Dear Eli,

Time is passing entirely way too fast! Your daddy and I can hardly believe that you are 9 months old. It seems surreal that you are the same number of months that our sweet pregnancy lasted together. You amaze me each day with something new that you discover. You are one busy little bee. You are constantly on the go and have now flipped your crawling speed switch from moderate to oh-so-fast! You love crawling from toy to toy, from room to room, and anything and everything that you really shouldn't be crawling towards. You've recently begun to pull-up to your knees and will certainly find your feet soon enough. While this terrifies me, we cheer out loud for your accomplishments and you relish in all of the attention with your big, sweet smile!

We love watching you move, but also adore watching you take in your surroundings, study Carmen, and sit quietly listening to book after book after book. You have quite a personality with a sneaky, precious, and full-faced smile. You love to giggle and squeal, and make the cutest "oval lips" when something really interests you. You have four teeth and are certainly working on more each day. You live by the motto early to bed, early to rise...you still go to bed between 7 and 7:30, wake for a feeding around 4:30, and return to sleep usually until 7:00 am. You love all baby food with the exception of those rotten bananas and have recently added puffs (finally, you like these) and yogurt bites to your list of snacks. You babble the day away, but will consistently say da-da. While I am still patiently waiting for you to say ma-ma and we practice each day (every teacher knows the /m/ consonant sound is much, much harder to voice than the /d/ consonant sound - hehe) you have yet to make my heart jump by saying it. We will keep practicing and I will keep waiting! You will contently go to anyone, but are always wanting and willing to come back to "mama" with outstretched arms. I must admit, I do love this. While it still feels a bit strange to not be in my classroom, I am utterly enjoying my "new job" and take such pride in caring for you. Eli B, you have added such light to our lives and to that of our family. We cannot even dream of our lives 10 months ago! You are our pride and joy and we love you more each day, you rotten boy. Now, please, please slow down! 12 months is just around the corner, and if you don't mind, we want to savor the "now" with you - our baby.

xoxo,
mama and da-da

***

...just a note about the above picture...

While putting away something, I placed Eli inside his crib - the only truly safe haven now that he is into any and everything. When I returned to Eli's nursery, he was on his knees, holding onto the bumper with one hand, and pulling the elephant mobile sideways, while smiling at his accomplishment! When I said "Eli, what are you doing?" this was the reaction that I received. Giggle after giggle after giggle, he just couldn't stop laughing! I do believe that is "this" is called...rotten!

it's "sprinkle"-ing.

2010-09-02T05:41:00.004-07:00

While Eli and I were in West Virginia for an extended visit, I was super excited to host a "sprinkle" for my wonderful friend, Denise, at my mother's home. Already mama to sweet, blonde-boy, Nathan, Denise and her husband, Josh, will welcome their beautiful, yet-to-be-named little girl in mid-October! With an immense amount of sunshine and surrounded by good friends, Denise received so many preciously pink things! One can never be too ready to accommodate the closet of a girl!

***
My very special Uncle Rusty and Aunt Kay own Thornhill's Florist in our small town and I painted these "welcome baby" storks for them when I was in middle school! Who knew one would be the perfect addition to our front yard to welcome friends to Denise's baby sprinkle?!?
***
***
***
Wow! Nathan is definitely one busy little boy! What a cutie-patootie!
***

up, up, and away.

2010-09-01T11:48:00.003-07:00

Two Wednesdays ago, I put on my "brave mama pants" as Eli and I flew by ourselves to West Virginia for a fun, 10-day visit! To say that I was anxious for Eli's first flight is a bit of an understatement! Armed with a carry-on bag full of toys, books, baby food, snacks, stroller (so thankful I took this even though our connection was oh-so-short) and my secret weapon, two episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and one episode of Secret Agent Oso on my iPhone, Andy checked us in, walked us to security, and sent us on our way into the friendly skies! Needless to say, after all of my worry, both of our flights were smooth and Eli was certainly a trooper, receiving compliments from fellow passengers, despite how impossibly sleepy he was on our final flight. While I was so very proud of our big-little guy, I was extra happy to have our feet safely on the ground and begin our fun visit with our friends and family! Whew...check that one off the list of firsts...

a cool 81.

2010-08-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

You know that the weather has been extra toasty when I was overjoyed yesterday morning when our outside thermometer read 81 degrees! I practically jumped for joy as I dashed to get my tennis shoes, sunglasses, and ready Eli's stroller. While we were on a very regular "morning walk" routine just a few weeks back, the Louisville weather has been just so smoldering that all outside activities have taken a backseat to indoor playtime with favorite floor toys. I must say that the weather was simply delightful and Eli was all a smile as we briskly strolled our neighborhood. How nice it was to feel the semi-cool breeze and what seemed like zero humidity weather as we enjoyed our walk. Let's hope that the beautiful sunshine sticks around, but the excruciating heat gives us a break!

Completely relaxed, Eli props his feet up to thoroughly enjoy his ride!

good morning, sunshine.

2010-08-16T10:52:00.004-07:00

Now that Eli is completely mobile, looking upon him on our video monitor can often make Andy and I giggle. At times, we have clicked our monitor to find Eli's face, rather his forehead, eyes, and nose (after he has made his way down to the intriguing camera) in the screen greeting us as to say "Hey y'all! I'm awake. You can come and get me now!" This morning, as Eli began to stir and awaken, after giving the monitor a click, I quickly finished my morning coffee and trotted up the stairs to get our little "Eli Monster". To my surprise, this is what I found...

...our little guy, sitting, staring at the door, and smiling behind his big green pacifier when I opened his nursery door! While we know that Eli can sit from a laying position, I have yet to get him from his crib when he hasn't been laying on his back, rolling sideways, or up on all fours. I had to smile at little Eli as he has such a big personality and never ceases to surprise us with his new tricks!

...and he's off.

2010-08-10T04:49:00.004-07:00

While Eli has been up on all fours for the last month, in the last week, he has really learned to get his arms and legs going at the same time! We can hardly believe that we have a crawler and just love to watch him motor himself across the floor to a particular toy, my cell phone, in chase of Carmen, or most usually towards a piece of furniture. In addition to this milestone, Andy recently lowered Eli's crib as the floor is not the only place that our little guy loves to crawl.

With his new found love of mobility, Eli has developed "red carpet knee"...ouch! Much to my dismay, I cannot find one pair of GAP crawler shorts in all of Louisville, Bridgeport or Morgantown, West Virginia, nor online. It seems that I may have to cut the feet out of a pair of my footies to make homemade cushions for those chunky knees, as it's way to warm to wear long pants!

...Take a peek at our little Eli go, go, go...

...and just in case he was too fast to catch...

meet mark monday.

2010-08-09T05:00:00.002-07:00

Recently, I decided, because of my love for MARK products, to become a representative! Nothing more than a fun venture, MARK allows me to indulge in something I love, while also sharing great cosmetics, skin and haircare products, as well as cute jewelry pieces with my friends and family!

...take a peek at...
gloss gorgeous

One beauty item that I just love is lip gloss! While I'm simply not a lipstick lover, I just adore the glossy color and shine of gloss gorgeous. Two steps in one quick click of the pen, this innovative lip color goes on like a high-shine gloss, then wears to a rich stain (so fabulous) that lasts hours and hours more! While gloss gorgeous is available in four shades, both bella and bare are simply my favorites!

snack time.

2010-08-08T11:21:00.005-07:00

Each day, following his afternoon nap, Eli has been enjoying something new and fun added to his daily routine...snack time! Practicing with his sippy cup and learning to feed himself (oh my!), Eli is loving this new time of day! During Eli's six-month well-baby visit, our pediatrician prompted us to at 8 months try things such as puffs, biter biscuits, and cheerios with him. First on Eli's snack menu...vegetable mum mums! Mum Mums are rice crackers that are only found at Walmart. While I do break the large wafer in half, Eli just loves this "melt in your mouth" treat! Accompanied by a glass of water, Eli loves going back and forth between mum mum and sippy cup. What a big boy we have! Who doesn't just love a good snack time?!?

summer lovin.

2010-08-03T03:48:00.005-07:00

Temperatures in Louisville have and are reaching record highs this week! Late, yesterday afternoon, under the cover of a little shade, Eli and I enjoyed some time outside in his small pool! Our boy loves everything about water! I think that perhaps I should have even worn my bathing suit judging by how wet my clothes were from all of Eli's fun splashes! What a fun way to spend a hot, hot, hot afternoon!

...what once was a "rooster tail"...

So many ask, "What happened to Eli's rooster tail?" Well...his rooster tail is very much still there; however, because his hair is getting increasingly thicker and longer, the famous "rooster tail" now sadly and much to my dismay, (sigh) lays down.

...loves catching falling water in his had and...in his mouth...

2, 4, 6, 8...

2010-08-01T17:45:00.005-07:00

2, 4, 6, 8...who do we celebrate?!?

This previous Wednesday, our little Eli turned 8 months old! How did this happen?!? Andy and I often look on at our active little boy and just marvel by saying things such as, "Wasn't it just November? Weren't we just in the hospital" or "Is this the same little boy that slept the entire time we were in the hospital and during our first week at home?!? and even "Can you believe that he is ours?!?". Eli continues to add such joy and light to our lives and to that of our West Virginia family each day. His sweet personality continues to grow as he smiles, laughs, and plays each days away.

...at eight, sweet, sweet months..

Eli loves to "read" books. He could sit on my lap for quite some time as we read several of his favorites such as: Where is Baby's Belly Button?, Peek-a-Boo! I Love You!, Where's Spot?, Mirror Me, and Woof!

Up on all fours, Eli is ready and wanting to crawl. He is trying very hard to get those arms and legs moving together.

Besides myself and Andy, Eli has found a new best friend in Carmen. He loves to watch, play, kiss, and pet (ok...grab) Carmen. If I am holding Eli and say "Where's Carmen?" he, 8 times out of 10, will look down to the ground to find his furry friend.

Eli continues to dislike bananas, but will devour any and everything else. However, organic veggies such as green beans, squash with corn, and sweet potatoes are some of his very favorites!

Eli loves playing peek-a-boo!

What happened to the days of swaddles and a baby that laid perfectly still while a diaper was being changed? Lately, I feel like I am in a happy wrestling match while changing a diaper.

Bath time continues to be one of our most favorite times of the day! As Eli continues to splash harder and harder, I continue to get wetter and wetter! Nothing is sweeter than one of his bath time smiles.

Eli currently has two bottom teeth, but is trying ever so hard to get his two front teeth to match. Ready to break the gum line any day, Eli now smiles and kicks his feet with joy when he sees the Tylenol bottle.

****

We love you, little bubba and count our blessings for the blessing that is you!

peek-a-boo.

2010-07-30T07:12:00.003-07:00

While we were on vacation with my mother, brother, and sister-in-law, Danielle, Danielle decided to perfect Eli's peek-a-boo skills. Andy and I have played peek-a-boo with Eli for some time now, but our little guy is extra-smitten with his Auntie because he was truly showing off for her! Since then, Eli loves covering his face with blankets, clothing, and the random diaper to play peek-a-boo. We just love, love the smiles, squeals, and laughter that this little game entices! Thanks so much, Auntie Danielle! We love you and can't wait to play peek-a-boo with you very soon!

...Take a "peek-a-boo" at Andy and Eli in action...

praise baby.

2010-07-28T17:18:00.005-07:00

Before leaving for our beach vacation, my mother ordered something very special for Mr. Eli to enjoy during the very long car ride - a sweet, sweet 4-CD collection to call his own! Eli's new Praise Baby collection is simply music to his and our ears. Using the most popular praise and worship songs, Praise Baby incorporates soft music, a baby/child-friendly lead vocalist, and the sweet sound of children backup singers. Praise Baby is simply a delight to listen to in the car and we couldn't be more thankful for Eli's new gift. Please listen to a few examples from one of the four CDs for yourself...they are just the sweetest!

beach fun.

2010-07-27T03:55:00.003-07:00

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everything but the kitchen sink.

2010-07-15T07:02:00.003-07:00

We are so excited to leave for our beach vacation tomorrow! Andy should be thrilled that I am such a thorough packer!

you'll "bee" great.

2010-07-15T04:03:00.005-07:00

While Eli and I made our way back to Louisville last Thursday, Andy was settling in at a computer testing center to take the first of his three medical boards. Because Andy has studied for so many hours in the last year for this very important board and we are just so proud of him, Eli and I sent a "special bee-livery" to the Brown Cancer Center on Wednesday to let our wonderful guy know how much we were cheering for him! While we didn't want to send flowers, we decided on an oh-so-cute cookie bouquet from Cookies By Design. Wow! We were so impressed with the quality of this product! The sugar cookies were beyond enormous, neatly and beautifully iced, were very thick, and tasted just delicious! We certainly recommend Cookies By Design if you have an upcoming event or need an extra special treat for someone in your life!

...just take a look at the size of this bee hive cookie...
yum, yum, yum!

a weekend with friends.

2010-07-14T17:57:00.006-07:00

We were so excited to welcome Keith, Dana, and Samantha to Louisville this past weekend. Friends from Morgantown, Andy and Keith attended medical school together, while Dana and I were roommates. While those years seem worlds away from where both of our families are now, we always look forward to spending time together. What fun it was to see how much their Samantha has grown and to formally introduce our little guy to this special family of three. While pictures were few and far between during our weekend visit amidst lots of chats and play time, we did manage to snap a few fun pictures during our park visit. We certainly hope that our next visit is oh-so-soon because we just love the Newbrough family!

our philippi visit.

2010-07-12T05:00:00.002-07:00

How quickly our week passed when Eli, Carmen, and I traveled to Philippi for an entire week! While our small town is just that, it never ceases to amaze me just how busy we stay in and about our two-stoplight town! Lots of fun visits with both family and friends, trips to splash in our community pool, picnics, cookouts, and plain 'ol simple relaxing on my mother's front porch, filled our enjoyable visit. Time with family and friends is so important and cherished and we just can't get enough of it! What can we say? We love those mountains!

...Take a peek at some of our fun Philippi moments...

Visiting with Nana and Grandma Frey at Aunt Julie, Uncle Chuck, and Cousin Amanda's annual Fourth of July picnic...whew...what a hot, hot day!

...Smiling with daddy's sister, Aunt Julie...

Kent and Papaw Joe grilled fillets for a Fourth of July cookout at Noni's. While my mother has a very nice gas grill, Papaw Joe insists on bringing his own charcoal grill as he feels this is the very best way! What a most delicious meal we had!

...always a fun time when Uncle Kent and Auntie Danielle entertain the little munchkin...

...dressed for the occasion...

...sharing a morning visit with Aunt Kay and Uncle Rusty...

...enjoying pizza at Twin Oaks with Aunt Stephanie...

...splashing at the pool with Noni...

...playing with our special friend, Sharon...
we missed you Anna Kay and Hunter!

Once the head of the state of West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection, my grandfather still enjoys his retirement, at his small surveying office. He just refuses to slow down! We are so proud of him. Eli and I just loved visiting Papaw Joe at his new office!

blogging break.

2010-07-01T19:12:00.005-07:00

Eli, Carmen, and I are letting the country roads take us home! We are so excited for a week-long visit with our family! While we are sad to leave Andy in Louisville, we are anxious to relax in our small town, sit on the front porch, take lots of walks, and visit with so many that we love! West Virginia, here we come!

...Take a peek at our small, Philippi...

The Philippi Covered Bridge

...we will drive through this each day...

...don't hit the sides...

...our small main street and court house...
yes, that is a small two-lane

...my small Presbyterian Church...

7 super months.

2010-07-01T05:00:00.002-07:00

It simply amazes Andy and I when yet another month passes and our Eli is one month older! We can hardly believe that our sleepy newborn is an animated, happy, and lovable seven month old! Where has time gone?!? Can't it slow down?!? His first year is just passing too quickly! We are simply, simply adoring the stage that Eli is in at this time. Lots and lots of smiles fill our day, little giggles and squeals can be heard throughout our home, as our Eli is one happy, curious, easy-going, and fun little boy! While it's just mind-blowing that over half a year has passed since those early morning hours of November 30th and crawling, finger foods, and walking (oh, just the thought of this frightens me) are in our near future, we just could stare at Eli all day and watch him grow and change!

...seven things that Eli loves at seven months...

* all veggies
* his pull-down monkey toy on his car seat
* his early morning feeding, usually sometime between 4:00-5:30am
* The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
* smiling, laughing, and talking
* jumping, bouncing, and rolling
* our pup, Carmen - he just loves to watch and reach for her

...a few things that Eli doesn't love at seven months...

* getting his mouth wiped following eating
* drinking water
* taking a bottle (oh, my! we are working on this!)

ahem.....attention! attention!

2010-06-30T04:49:00.002-07:00

Today, the "residency ticker" gets its own very special post! Afterall, why wouldn't it?!? Take a LOOK at the ticker...12 months...exactly one year...365 days until Andy's residency is f-i-n-i-s-h-e-d! After 24 total years of school, 12 of those after high school, and just one final year remaining, for a grand total of 25 years of school and/or residency, we are so excited that the end is in sight!

Time is quickly approaching where we will get to choose where we want to live. Will we stay in Louisville? Will we venture closer to West Virginia? Or...will we surprise ourselves and select somewhere that we haven't even thought of yet?!? We are thrilled that Andy is beginning his final year and are so excited for what God has in store for us in the next year!

gap? levi's? no...huggies!

2010-06-29T18:05:00.005-07:00

What a wild goose chase! In a town sprawling with many, many, many Target and Walmart superstores you would imagine that it would be quite easy to find a package of diapers! "Yes," you might say, but the answer is a loud and resounding "no" when the particular package of diapers that you are hunting are Huggies "denim" diapers! Apparently, these limited edition diapers are all the craze because they were no where to be found in the size that Eli needed. Finally, after several phone calls and even a few store visits, we finally found the coveted size 3 denim diapers at where else, but Babies 'R' Us! This should have been my very first phone call!

Why would we buy these you might ask?!? Besides the fact that they are ultra cute, complete with seams, back pockets, and belt loops, we had Eli's six month pictures taken this weekend and were going for the "I'm only wearing my diaper" look in lots of the pictures. Because we simply could not put a pair of ruffly bloomers on our sweet boy as a diaper cover, we opted for the swank, rugged, and very boyish denim diapers.

What a cutie our little Eli is sporting his "denim"!

our doctor's appointment.

2010-06-29T16:53:00.003-07:00

Eli and I had a very special doctor's appointment today! We visited daddy at work! After seven months of asking, Eli and I finally made an appearance at the James Brown Caner Center in downtown Louisville. What fun we had meeting and chatting with Andy's colleagues! After our special visit, Eli and I went on a lunch date with Andy - again, a very special first! We enjoyed a great lunch at Brownings, a restaurant attached to the Louisville Slugger baseball field and museum. How nice it was to spend some fun time with Andy during the day today! We are truly proud of the wonderful physician that he is, but are even prouder of the husband and daddy that comes home to us each day!

a break in the heat.

2010-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Whew! Our Louisville weather has been hot, hot, hot! Sadly, it's been so stifling hot that Eli and I have taken comfort indoors. Stroller walks, zoo days, and park visits have been put on hold as our recent warm weather simply takes your breath away. With the threat of rain all day on Sunday, the sun took refuge behind the clouds in the late afternoon and we were once again able to enjoy some pool time in our backyard! Filled with less water this time, Eli's inflatable pool was just the perfect spot for him to cool off, splash, and play on his belly! Awww...we just love these summer moments!

Our happy swimmer loved kicking his legs and splashing with his arms while laying on his back in the cool water...just practicing his backstroke!

one "ruff, ruff" day.

2010-06-28T06:01:00.006-07:00

On Friday, Carmen had, in the world of a dog, a pretty "ruff" day. Bright and early, Eli and I loaded our precious pooch into the car and dropped her off at her salon, Shaggy Paws. Ms. Gerri, the owner, just couldn't be sweeter. Taking extra care, she makes her own slings for small dogs to hang in when getting groomed, rather than putting something tight and uncomfortable around their small necks. Three hours later, Carmen was hand delivered to our car so that I didn't have to get Mr. Eli out of his car seat (remember, I told you Ms. Gerri is too sweet), with her usual seasonal bandanna and matching hair bow. While we love, love Ms. Gerri, these bandannas and bows are quickly removed when we get home as little Carms dislikes them and looks like quite the "sis" with her hair pulled up in a tulle and feather "hair bow". As if the trauma of a bath, trim, blow dry, and other goodies weren't enough for Carmen to endure, ironically her annual veterinarian appointment fell on the same day. That night, because of an annual dental vaccine, Carmen's shoulder was quite sore. While she refused to take her pain medication with cheese and/or peanut butter, she gave in as I mixed a crushed pill into a plate of warm chicken stew Benefuls...but... only if I fed it to her off of a spoon. After Carmen's "ruff, ruff" day, I didn't mind one bit!

i'll sit when i'm ready.

2010-06-24T05:10:00.003-07:00

Andy and I are quite aware that babies meet developmental milestones when they are ready. While sitting up is a six month old milestone, Eli has been, let's just say, quite lackidasical and uninterested in sitting up or practicing sitting up for that matter. He simply would rather sit in his exersaucer and jumperoo with ease, roll from wall to wall, or play with his dangling toys on his playmat. However, to our delight, we have seen a big improvement in his sitting capabilities this week! Focusing on flashing lights in front of him, playing with colorful blocks, and watching Carmen chase her toys back and forth, back and forth have given him just the incentive he needs. Fingers crossed for a sitting baby soon!

feeling hot, hot, hot.

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Not much fun nor good can come when the outside temperature is in the 90's, the heat index is over 100 degrees, and sadly, your cooling salvation, your beloved air conditioner, is on the fritz! This predicament becomes even worse when you add a six month old baby into the equation whose bedroom temperature reads in the low to mid 80's and your entire family lives 6 1/2 hours away...ugg! To make a long story short, our home has been swallowd by heat on and off since last Thursday afternoon. After two visits from an air conditioner technician and two repaired leaks later, cool air is once again, for now, flowing through our home. We can not even begin to thank Jim and Jessica enough for their enormous friendship and generosity as they allowed us to borrow their cool home while they were out of town visiting family. Thanks again, Jim and Jess, you were definitely life savers!

So, how did we beat the heat, while Andy was already home from work early due to this mess and patiently waiting for our home to begin to cool yet again?!? We cooled off with Grater's sorbet of course!

I always order a "kid size" portion of sorbet and because of my request, they even add the cute kiddy faces for me...so fun!

Eli just loves touching Daddy's face. What fun they are having blowing raspberries at each other, while Andy and I enjoyed our cool treat!

just ducky...quack, quack.

2010-06-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

How many times have I browsed through the baby bath section at Target or Babies 'R' Us, studied "the" duck bathtub, and continued walking because it just didn't seem right for us?!? After hearing the cheers from some of my super mom friends, countless times have I looked and countless times have I just scooted our cart by...that is, until now. Recently, Eli seems to be outgrowing his baby/infant tub. While he is still giddy over bath time, splashes with the best of them, and continues to submerge his whole body in the warm water (notice above that the duck did not stop this), he could use a little more room to soak, but is just not quite ready or stable enough to be the king of the huge tub. Knowing this, I have scoured local stores to try to find a "baby bath ring" that suctions to the bottom of the tub, with zero success. While I was able to find one online to order, needless to say, I went another route for my own reasons. Thanks to my mother, the other route, you guessed it, was the giant, inflatable, quacking duck. How could my mom resist purchasing this inflatable tub when each time the duck "quacked," little Eli smiled one of his huge smiles and gave a little giggle?!? To my complete surprise, the duck is the perfect transitional tub for Eli! Big enough for him to play in the water directly in front of him, while giving him extra space, but yet small enough for him to feel secure while sitting up in a smaller area (remember, he's still a bit wobbly), the duck is just great! For all of you who praised this tub - you were right! The Freeman Family now gives the once passed over duck tub, two "feathers" up...quack, quack!

Rub-a-dub-dub...there's a quacking duck in my tub!

six incredible years.

2010-06-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 19th, Andy and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary! While it seems like just last year that we were dancing the night away at our reception and honeymooning at the beautiful Royal Hideaway, we just can't believe that after two final years of medical school, 4 years of residency (the end is in sight), a move to Louisville, Kentucky all on our own, a beautiful baby boy, and my new job as a stay-at-home mother, six years have passed so, so quickly! We love the life that we are building together and are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for our many blessings.

To celebrate our six wonderful years, Andy and I enjoyed a special day, spent as a family of three, and later, a "date night" at Lilly's . From start to finish, our day was perfect! I truly have such a thoughtful, thoughtful husband, as he was full of loving surprises all day!

Always ready to lend a hand, LeeAnn, our dear friend and "Louisville Mom" kept a watchful eye on our little Eli! Thanks again, Ms. LeeAnn for your help! We certainly enjoyed our few hours of "together time", and sought peace in knowing that Eli was in such loving hands!

****
13 years ago, I knew he was a keeper.
13 years ago, I knew I found my best friend.
7 years ago, I knew we would be together for the rest of our lives.

What I didn't realize 13, 7, or even 6 years ago was just how much we'd help each other, fix each other, grow with each other, pray for each other, mend each other, comfort each other, and celebrate each other.

Six years ago, I married my match, my friend, my love, my husband.

After 13 special years together, I look forward to the next 50!

a day for dad.

2010-06-20T09:50:00.002-07:00

Eli and I are very, very excited to celebrate Andy's first Father's Day on this sunny and hot June day! We just can't imagine our home without this special Dad and are forever blessed to love him each morning, noon, and night. For the way that he makes Eli giggle, for the way in which he helps refill humidifiers, diaper baskets, and wipe containers, for the way he lays out jammies, lotions, combs, and sleep sacks each day, for the way in which he still continues to help in the middle of the night without being asked, for the way he makes up silly songs, and for the way that he loves his little boy with his whole heart, Eli is forever, forever blessed to call Andy his"daddy".

Happy, happy Father's Day, Andy! We hope your very first Father's Day was as special as you are to us! We love you!

****

To celebrate Father's Day, Eli, with my hand-over-hand help, made our favorite Dad a very special, heartfelt, and homemade card to be framed. What fun we had using finger paint to create Eli's first "masterpiece". We think it turned out pretty cute... if we do say so ourselves!

...the very proud (and oh-so-cute) artist...

****
Happy Father's Day to Andy's father and my wonderful father-in-law, Jim! We love you and can't wait to see you very soon!

****
We send lots of love and hugs to Papaw Joe Beymer, for whom our Eli Beymer is named! We love you so very much, Papaw and are counting down the days until our next West Virginia visit! Happy Father's Day! We love you!

****
...and finally...

Yellow roses grow in heaven; Lord, pick a bunch for me. Place them in my father's arms and tell him they're from me. Tell him that I love and miss him, and when he turns to smile - Lord, place a kiss upon his cheek and hold him for a while. Remembering him is easy, I do it everyday - there's a big ache in my heart that will never go away...

...as we lose, we gain a deep knowing that with a relationship with Christ and in the presence of faith and grace, love is eternal...

look who came to swim today.

2010-06-18T16:58:00.003-07:00

Take a peek at Eli, the swimmer, in action!

diaper dip.

2010-06-17T16:56:00.010-07:00

For the past two weeks on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, Eli and I, along with my friend, Kelly, and her beautiful little gal, Ava (7 months), enjoyed a "Diaper Dip" swim class at one of Louisville's YMCA branches. What fun we had with these little swimmers! While Eli and Ava were the youngest of the 6-17 month swimmers, they both thoroughly loved the water, while splashing, "swimming" on their bellies, floating on their backs, and chasing turtle floaties around the shallow end. Eli and I were so thrilled that Andy was able to come during our last class to watch his little swimmer and to of course be the proud photographer. What a special, special time with my little guy!

Before each class, these little swimmers
would "stretch out" on their towels.

Suprisingly, while the indoor thermostat in the pool area read 100 degrees, the water was always colder than we expected. Eli always smiled wide when the water would touch his cute belly!

...Kicking his legs (mermaid style with lots and lots of "bum" action)
and reaching, reaching, reaching with his arms
to get the floating turtle...

Ava was quite the pro at going under the water.

What fun we had! We can't wait until our beach vacation!

Fun on his belly, while sitting up, and laying on his back ...Eli loved these floating fish...

backyard fun.

2010-06-16T10:04:00.008-07:00

While we are quite sad that our housing development does not have a fun pool to visit, we decided to "decorate" our backyard with a small, inflatable pool especially for our little swimmer. While Eli is used to a much larger pool at our "Mommy and Me Diaper Dip" swim class, Andy and I were excited to watch his reaction to a pool that was just his size! Eli simply loved the cool water and splashed for days as he explored his new turtle pool, rubber ducky, squirters, and watering can. We can't wait to splish and splash the summer away in our backyard with our little minnow!

cookie monster caleb.

2010-06-15T03:16:00.007-07:00

What fun we had this weekend celebrating Caleb's second birthday with his "Cookie Monster" themed party! While Andy and I now know that "life with baby" moves quickly, we can hardly believe that sweet Caleb is TWO! It seems like "just last week" that Andy and I were waiting patiently in the hospital hallway to meet Creed and Whitney's new bundle!

Hot and humid Louisville weather definitely did not deter this birthday boy from enjoying his family and friends, Little Tikes bouncy, tunnels, sprinkler, and especially the abundance of "Cookie Monster blue" sweet goodies!

Eli enjoyed the heat while hanging out with his new buddy Hayden!
Hayden, born at the beginning of November, is such a sweet boy with a face full of smiles!

...a big smile, sweet icing mouth and fingers, wet from douses of a water bottle...
successful party with one happy birthday boy!

...seven hours later...

2010-06-14T17:52:00.004-07:00

Seven hours later...Noni arrived at Black Powder Court! Andy, Eli, and I were so excited to welcome my mom to Louisville and our sweet Carmen pup home during the weekend! We are always so thrilled to have visitors and simply cherish the time we have with our family! Eli loved spending time with his Noni and rekindling his friendship (with a little tug of her ear...ouch) with Ms. Carmen. Thanks so much mom for the fun weekend spent with our little guy, eating your favorite Grater's ice cream, fun trips to Target, a sushi dinner, shrimp and pizza lunch, shoe shopping galore, and yummy butterflies! We can't wait to see you soon and are counting down the days until our family vacation!

jump, jump, jump, eli beymer

2010-06-07T13:36:00.002-07:00

After days and what seems like weeks of exploration, at last Eli's chubby feet can touch the ground and he can finally begin to use the jumperoo as it was intended...for jumping! The brightly colored jumperoo and all of its gadgets is fast becoming one of our favorite play activities! With each passing day, Eli's jumping becomes more animated and wild. We just love to watch those chunka, chunka legs push off the ground! Thanks so, so much Sandy and Ralphene! Eli is jumping for joy over your sweet shower gift!

six month statistics

2010-06-06T04:15:00.005-07:00

This past week, Eli and I ventured to the pediatrician for his 6 month (where did the time go?) well baby check-up. Eli just loves the brightly colored rooms of his pediatrician's office and is simply a wiggly worm from the time he is laid on the table until the time he is redressed. Happy, smiling, and even laughing with and at our doctor, Eli weighed 16 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 27 1/2 inches long. Our little boy currently has two teeth and is surely working on more...ugg. We feel so blessed to have our healthy, sweet boy!

...six fun facts about Eli at six months...

Eli loves his exersaucer and jumperoo more and more each day. He especially loves to "munch" on the apple in his exersaucer and spin the ball on his jumperoo.

While Eli is not quite sitting up on his own, we have been practicing! Frankly, he shows little to no interest in doing this, unless you catch his attention with flashing lights, music, and other toys to help him forget that he is actually sitting. While he is able to sit tri-pod style, our pediatrician remarked that a baby "this happy and wiggly" simply doesn't have time to just sit still. In our home, Eli would just rather roll and roll and roll.

Our little boy is a fantastic eater and has finally started to even enjoy his morning cereal. He loves all baby food, but especially veggies. Fruits, while he will eat them, make his little lips pucker.

Eli continues to love all things "bath"! We can't get enough of watching our happy baby smile, splash, and submerge himself in the warm water.

No matter if he wakes from a nap happy or not-so-happy, he always has the biggest smile on his sweet face when he sees mama or daddy come to his rescue.

Eli loves his early bedtime! Each night, he is ready for bed at 7:00 pm or at times, even earlier. He generally sleeps from 7:00 pm to 5:20 am (on the dot), wakes to eat and then returns to sleep most usually until 7:00 am. While taking a hiatus from sleeping through the night (perhaps due to those two cute teeth), we are SO HAPPY to report that Eli is back on track with his sleeping, in turn helping us to return to ours.

*****
perhaps I should erase this last comment as to not jinx our little sleeper
...knock on wood...

joining the club

2010-06-04T06:10:00.003-07:00

Andy and I recently decided to "join the club" and purchase a COSTCO membership. Because we are simply up to our eyeballs in diapers and wipes, for this alone, we justified a membership to be helpful, not to mention all of the other magical goodies that you can find in this superstore! While at COSTCO, Eli loves to ride in the Baby Bjorn as to see all the hustle and bustle around him. Simple, but fun are our new family trips to COSTCO.

giggle fit

2010-06-03T17:40:00.003-07:00

It's always such a happy time for both Eli and I when our garage door goes up and Andy comes home from work! We just love spending the evening together and Eli especially loves, as noted in a previous post, laughing with Daddy. Take a peek at our Eli in his giggle fit with Dad. His little laughs are simply too sweet and we just can't help but laugh right with him. I dare you not to smile...

You might also notice that Eli's hair is still sticking straight up in the back
...we love it...

christmas in june

2010-06-02T18:24:00.004-07:00

My mother is always, always on the look out for adorable and unique goodies for Eli (and for me, too). Recently, she emerged from her walk-in-closet with an oh-so-cute bath towel for our little guy to cuddle in following a warm bath. Fearing that Eli might possibly be too big for this particular towel by Christmas, mom gifted it to us 7 months early. Purchased from a specialty store in West Virginia, Eli's new gingham reindeer towel is simply the cutest! Thanks so much, mom! We love celebrating Christmas in June! While Rudolph might be "the most famous reindeer of all," we think that Eli is the cutest!

music to our ears

2010-06-02T18:02:00.004-07:00

While we just can't get enough of Eli's precious, precious smiles, we also love hearing him laugh! Many evenings before bath time, Andy loves to entice Eli with "tummy raspberries" in hopes of eliciting the gift of Eli's laughter. Paired with the ticklish vibration and the prickliness of Andy's goatee, Eli's laughter fills our bedroom with happiness and makes our hearts smile. Our sweet boy just loves everything about bath time, and this fun and special time with Dad is no exception!

Take a peek at our little laughing Eli!
We hope it puts a smile on your face as it does ours!

six months already

2010-05-30T19:02:00.007-07:00

Andy and I constantly marvel at how quickly time has flown by since Eli's arrival on that last day of November! While our world is completely different, we simply can't imagine it any other way. With sweet smiles, funny laughs, and an easy-going demeanor, Eli has brightened our lives and opened our hearts wider than we ever thought possible.

Happy half-birthday, sweet boy!
We love you!

P.S. Check out those two cute teeth!