thirty-one.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

fourteen months.

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

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.

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.

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...

...of a good nights sleep...

please excuse the poor photo quality - snapped with my iPhone

our lunch date.

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.

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.

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.

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.

...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?

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.