Happy Birthday Eli!

Eli,

Today you are 3 years old! I didn't even know it was possible for time to go by this fast. You continue to bless our lives each and every day. You have grown SO much over the last year, and have experienced so many new things. You're greatest accomplishment has been the way in which you are filling your role as big brother. You show your softest and sweetest side when it comes to your baby sister, and we are so proud of the way that you've welcomed her.

You are sweet, yet strong-willed. We pray that you will use your strong will in your later years to stand firm and tall in what you believe. But until then, we'll have to work on our patience with you :). Three is already proving to be full of many new things! Many new attitudes and many new opinions. You are often too smart for you own good, and surprise us each day on how quick you learn new things. We can't wait to see how you grow and mature as you start pre-school in the fall.

You love all sports, anything that involves construction/building things, and your love for cars/trucks/trains is still happening. You love all breakfast foods, and would eat a pb&j for every meal if we let you. You are becoming super attached to Bailey dog, and we love watching you take on little responsibilites in caring for her. You love to complete little chores around the house, and I can always count on you to help me clean. You talk all.day.long. You say and remember things that we have no idea where you heard. You don't forget anything, and hold us to our promises daily :). You are BUSY with a capital B. You go non stop until your head hits the pillow at night, and even then sometimes you keep going :).

You weigh around 30lbs, and won't stop growing like a weed!

We love you SO much, and thank the Lord each day for blessing us with such a sweet boy.

*Birthday party picture overload coming soon!*

Pool Day

We've had some really hot days here recently, and I've been slowly working up the courage to take the kids to the pool. We've lived in our neighborhood for 4 years, and have never been to the neighborhood pool. We're fortunate to have access to Nana & Pop Pop's pool in the summer, so we've just always spent our pool days there. I think I'll start going to ours a little bit more, just out of convenience. I wasn't sure how our pool trip would go with two kids, and only one mommy, but it went surprisingly perfect! Eli swam his little heart out, and I had to drag him out of the pool after an hour and with very blue lips. It's looking like he's going to be quite the little fish this summer. Layla just hung out and even took a little nap.

 Eating a quick snack on our way in.

 Couldn't leave without a picture of my two in their suits!

Looking forward to a summer full of fun in the sun!

Great-Grandparents are here to stay!

We feel SO blessed and lucky that our kids have such special relationships with two sets of great-grandparents. We always wished that they lived closer so that we could see them more regularly, and our wish finally came true! GG & Goomba (Danny's grandparents) have moved back to Hilton Head after 24 years! They met Layla for the very first time last Monday when they arrived, and it was something we had all really been looking forward to. Layla was SO sweet & cheerful and had LOTS to say to her GG. She talked non stop for 20 minutes and GG just ate it right up!

 We're just so excited that we'll be able to see them on a regular basis, and that they're here to stay!

The Look

We think Layla just has the cutest facial expressions.This is her,"My brother just made an extremely loud noise" look. :)
And her, "I feel like such a big girl in this seat!"Followed by her, "somebody get me out of this seat before I break my neck."She stays busy all day watching her brother's shananigans. There's nothing better than free entertainment :).

Easter

We had such a special Easter weekend this year. Danny had 4 days off from Baseball, so we took full advantage of the extra family time. We went to a wedding on Friday night (kid free!), so it was great to start our weekend with some adult time :). We even got to spend some time on Saturday with out sweet friends Billy and Amanda, and their new addition baby Brantley. We couldn't be more thrilled that they've finally joined the world of parenthood!

It was fun to watch Eli really get into Easter this year. He's not quite old enough to truly understand the meaning, but we sure did talk a lot about why this day and the days leading up to it are so important. We don't put a huge emphasis on the Easter bunny, but it was still fun to watch him dig into his basket that morning. He was sweet and helped show his sister what was in her basket too. He had way too much candy over the course of the day, including about 30 jelly beans that he helped himself to while we were getting ready for church. Lovely!
We ended up having to miss the Easter Egg hunt at our church the weekend before, so Molly and I did a little hunt at our house one afternoon for Eli and Amelia. It was just as exciting for them!

The Easter bunny hid his basket, and he had so much fun trying to find it!

Our sweet girl just sat happily while her brother emptied both of their baskets.
Both kiddos before church.Our church service was really special, especially since it was our new Pastor's first Easter Sunday with us. We went straight from church to Nana and Pop Pop's house, and stuffed ourselves with an amazing Easter brunch! We then did another Easter egg hunt there for Eli.
So thankful that we're able to celebrate Easter with Nana & Pop Pop each year. They always make it so special.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

3 Months!

Layla Grace, you are 3 months old today! I don’t even know where to begin, because you are seriously changing so much every day. Over the last month you have become SO much fun! You are so happy & content, and are so easy to take places now. As long as you aren’t tired or hungry you’re good to go. I am enjoying your baby days SO much.

*You are different from your brother when he was a baby in that you love your car seat and diaper changes. Oh yeah…and those rolls on your thighs too, he didn't have a single one :).
*You not only don’t take a pacifier, but you HATE the thing.
*You prefer to suck on your hands all day. I lose count each day of how many times you gag yourself. We keep wondering if you’ll be a thumb sucker, but for now you just prefer your entire hand in your mouth.
*You no longer spit up!!!!! This is such a huge answer to prayer for me! I can’t remember the last time you spit up, and whenever that was, it was in your bed after a night time feeding. It’s so nice to dress a baby without a bib! Although the excessive slobber & drooling has just started :).
*You are on a great schedule now, and have become very predictable.
*You nap in the morning for about an hour, and in the afternoon for at least 2 1/2-3 hours. You catch cat naps in between and after, and while we’re out and about.
*You love your bed, but will still nap well in the back pack, car seat, or in the arms of a lucky someone.
*You have been fighting us hard on taking a bottle. About once a week you will take a bottle with no problem, but every other time you act like we’re trying to poison you! You’ve taken one the last two days, so hopefully we’re on to something!
*You wear a size 2 diaper, and size 3 month clothes.
*You haven’t given us a big belly laugh yet, but you’re SO close! You make the sweetest noises when you’re happy, and kick your legs like crazy out of excitement.
*You love the sound of your voice, and try to copy sounds we make! You coo all day long, and it’s my favorite sound ever!
*You sleep at least 12 hours at night, waking once or twice to eat. You are wanting to go to bed earlier, and we’ve stopped trying to keep you awake until we go to bed.
*Breastfeeding has been a breeze with you, and for that I’m so thankful!
*You continue to be such a happy baby, and you’re perfectly content to ‘just be.’

We love you so much baby girl!

Pit Stop

We couldn't be happier that the time has come for my mom and Tom to move back to Virginia! We were even happier when we found out that they'd be making a pit stop at our house on the long drive back! We only had them for a few days this weekend, so we made the most of our time together. It had been 9 weeks since Mimi was last here, so she had lots of baby loving to do!
And Eli had lots of Iphone stuff to catch up on.
Layla was all smiles for her Mimi!
Eli and Dan got a fun new toy to play with. I won't tell you how long it lasted before it was broken.
We had a big lunch on Sunday, so that evening we opted for a frozen yogurt dinner :). We have the greatest new place called Lovin' Spoons, that's a self serve yogurt bar. The toppings are endless! Eli's favorite part is getting to sit and drive in this little yellow beetle.
He insisted on taking Mimi and Layla on a ride too.
I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time there this summer!

It was fun, but short, and we can't wait for them to come back in just a few weeks for Layla's baptism and Eli's 3rd birthday celebration!

An Interview with Eli

I've seen similar ideas floating around Pinterest lately, and thought it would be fun to document a conversation with Eli at almost 3 years old. Here's how he answered my questions...

What is your name?: Eli

How old are you?: I am two

What is your favorite color?: Red (That's news to me)

Who is your best friend?: Kres. And Macey too.

What is your favorite animal?: a Cow

What do you want to be when you grow up?: A Cow. (Ha!)

What is your favorite movie?: The Tow Mater one.

What makes you happy?: Layla

What makes you sad?: That kid hit my face with the ball. (True story from Island Playground today.)

What is your favorite food to eat?: Pampakes (pancakes)

What is your favorite song to sing:? Jesus Loves Me

What games do you like to play?: Trains, Cars, Puzzles...Oh! And hide & seek.

It was fun to see him answer these types of questions on the spot. Makes it even more clear how much our little guy has grown over the past year. He's so clever, and quick, and has a seriously good memory! We just love him!

My Baby

I dare you not to kiss this face!

We've had a fun little game going on in our house over the past week. It all started one day when Layla was fussing in the car. Eli said to me, "mommy, why's my baby crying?" Before I could even answer his question, I said, "your baby?!?' No way, that's MY baby!" And so the game began. He tells me at least 10 times a day that Layla is HIS baby. Not mommy's. Not daddy's. He thinks this is the funniest game ever, and loves the rise it gets out of us. It warms my heart to think that he loves his baby sister so much. It's his ultimate goal everyday to get her to smile the biggest, to share his toys with her, and to sing to her when she's sad. I truly never imagined that he'd be so fond of her right away :).

You couldn't ask for a cheeeese much bigger than that!
Pretty in pink :)

These two make the long days seem like a walk in the park.

Sunny Days

We have been taking full advantage of this 80 degree weather, that's for sure! Although we haven't been to the beach yet(I'm not brave enough). We've been spending most of our days outside as much as possible, especially while the baby is napping. I'm sure she enjoys sleeping in peace every now & then too :). We've had lots of playdates at the park, picnics, and many a mile long bike rides in the last few weeks. Praies the Lord for a very mild winter!
He zooms around the driveway in circles...over and over and over again.
We're so thankful to have close friends that live in our neighborhood. Eli and Amelia just love each other, and are really starting to play a lot together.

It's a good thing she just goes with the flow. This is her hanging out in the garage while big brother played outside.

Had to break out more Spring & Summer clothes for today...it was a hot one!
Thought she looked extra sweet today :)

Be Happy

That's something we've had to practice in our house recently. Being happy. The last two weeks of parenting have been hard. Friends have been telling me for a while now that three is much harder than two, and sometimes four is even worse. Eli has seemed to do a lot of things on the early side, and it looks like we're experiencing the 'horrible 3's' a few months before making it to three. He walked early, he talked early, and now he's become the ultimate sass talking and authority on everything three year old that we'd been warned about. It's exhausting! I rejoice every time I see a glimpse of his sweet old self, and praise Jesus that he's still in there! Yes, I'm exaggerating a bit, but it does seem that way some days. Thankfully, there are more good days than bad. I've spent a lot of time in prayer asking for extra strength and patience. Asking for the ability to show grace and understanding. Asking for the right words to share with him, and that maybe, just maybe some of them will register! I know it's a God thing when Eli comes up to me 20 times a day and says "I love you SO much mommy." And then immediately finds his sister and tells her the same thing. This parenting thing is not easy, and it only gets harder as they grow. I'm so thankful that we're not on our own in this! And since I started writing this a few days ago and never finished, I'd like to report that my happy boy seems to be back :). HE never gives us more than we can handle...thankfully!
We started using a little sticker behavior chart this week. I think it's definitely helped. Just a little visual representation of his good choices throughout the week. He gets a sticker for things like using nice words, saying please & thank you, not arguing with mommy & daddy, and listening the first time. The last one being his biggest challenge most days.
I'm very thankful that he's still so smitten with Layla, and hasn't shown a bit of jealousy yet. He is so proud every time he makes her smile, and very loudly announces that, 'Layla likes me!!' I pray that she always does! :)

Aunt Katie took some more extra sweet pictures while they were in town. So fun to look at the differences between her newborn and 6 week photos.
Can't get enough of her squinty eyed side-mouthed smiles!
She loves her daddy!
Couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to spend each and every day with my two little blessings. The hard times, silly times, sick times, tired times you name it! There's simply no other job in this world that I'd rather be doing.

2 Months

Precious girl…

You are two months old today! You are the happiest, most smiley baby, and we couldn’t be more absolutely crazy over you! Here’s a little bit of what you’re like at two months old…
*We think you weigh around 11 pounds, but we’ll find out for sure on Monday!
*You had a huge growth spurt right around 6 weeks. You wanted to eat constantly, and had a few rough nights of sleep.
*You love your crib at night, but would much rather nap in the swing or bassinet during the day. We’re working hard to break that. Mommy is much more relaxed this time around though!
*You would still spend 24 hours a day in your swing if we let you.
*You are sleeping really well at night. You have been waking once to eat, around 3 or 4, and then going back to sleep until at least 7. Last night you slept through the night! You slept from 10:30-5:45, and then went back to sleep until 9!
*Your schedule isn’t quite the same everyday yet, but you’re getting closer to being in a great routine.
*We found that you LOVE being snuggled up to mommy in the backpack. This has made trips to Target and the grocery store much more manageable. I love that it keeps you from being in your car seat all of the time too. (Thanks Aunt Katie for the backpack :) )
*You are nursing every 3 hours during the day. You are a great eater, and have the chins to show it :).
*If you’re awake and have a full belly, then you’re smiling.
*Your second favorite spot to hang out is on our bed. Every night after your bath you spend at least 30 minutes there smiling and talking to the fan.
*You love to ‘play’ on your activity mat, and your big brother loves it when you do! He thinks you’re such a big girl when you swat at one of your toys ;).
*You are starting to have a little more awake time during the day now. We love hearing your happy noises when you’re nice and awake!
*Eli still loves having you ride in the car with him. He tells mommy when your ‘eyes are awake,’ and when you look sleepy.
*You’re starting to lose some of your hair on the top, just like your brother did at this age! Your new hair coming in looks much lighter.
*You know when its bath time every night, and you get so excited about it! You get your arms and legs going a mile a minute with excitement.
*You have a love/hate relationship with the car seat. Sometimes you scream until we get out of the neighborhood, and then you’re fast asleep. Just in the last week you’ve started staying awake and happy in your seat a little bit more.
*You are finally smiling at more than just the wall! As soon as you find our face you just light up. You’re also trying to copy sounds that we make. I just love our little talks!

You are such a blessing, sweet girl. Your little personality is starting to blossom, and we’re loving it! I’ve learned to let things like laundry and dishes pile up more than usual, just so I can spend those extra quiet moments with you. Those moments where you smile and coo for an hour straight. Please, please don’t grow up too fast!