Slow down, Boys!

Noah got his second tooth a couple days after the first one broke through! That same day he started babbling, "Ga, Ga, Ga, Da, Da, Da, Da." Darn! Eli babbled Ma Ma before Da Da. I keep telling Noey, "Say, Mama!" Then, he's been trying really, really hard to get up on all fours like he wants to crawl! He's done it a few times.
Eli slept in a big boy bed last night. Other than falling out of it once (I told Jonny he needed a safety guard rail!) it went fine. I've also been working with Eli on his shapes & he now can identify a square, circle, star, heart & triangle. He caught on so quickly; what a smart boy!

SNOW DAY!

So I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but with the sad state of our current economy Jonny's school district decided they couldn't afford to pay all their teachers for a full school year. They decided to cut five school days out of the school calendar. So... last night when it started snowing Jonny thought school would be cancelled for sure, since they're already looking for days to cut. Last year, when we had a snow day Jonny received his "no school today' phone call in the early morning hours. This time, we received the call last night about 9pm. I think it was a pretty easy decision this time! :) Jonny & I think they should just go ahead & make the last four days the rest of this week & give everyone a longer Christmas break! It's supposed to be freezing & snowing off & on all week anyway....

Okay, so here's how Jonny & Eli have been enjoying the weather.

What the Oelkers Boys are doing...

Noey turned six months old last weekend & had his six month doctor's visit today! He weighed 18lbs 3oz! He's in the 75th percentile for height & 70th for weight. Noah is growing so fast! Already, he is sitting up very well, grabbing & holding on to anything he can reach, eating solids (we're doing squash this week & he loves it!), rolling & rolling, reaching for mama, & squeaking & squawking as he tries to keep up with his busy brother. AND!!! Guess what!? Noah was gnawing away on my finger today, like usual, & TADA! His first tooth broke through! (It didn't hurt too bad, but I know it will very soon!) Oh, so much fun! But it's a little sad too...

When Noey was getting his two shots today :( Eli & I were right at the table next to him, holding his hands. Eli got so upset when they poked him. It was so cute & sad at the same time. When Noey started crying, Eli looked at the needle & started crying with him. Through his sobs of sympathy, he consoled his brother, "Its okay. Its okay." Oh my gosh, I wanted to cry too! I remember feeling that sense of protection over a younger sibling. It's so emotional. I love that Eli is loving Noah so much.

Speaking of Eli... he, of course, is still as busy as ever. He is talking & talking; it seems like every few days I stop & am amazed by how quickly he picks up new phrases & how much more he's communicating. Although, sometimes its hard to understand him. Jonny calls me the 'Eli interpreter' & says he doesn't speak 'Eli' as fluently as I do. The latest thing Eli does is adding the word, 'okay' to the end of most of his sentences. :) Also, he's been singing worship songs, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Highest!" And "Ha La U La". Actually, there are lots of things he says...

Here are some common Eli phrases: "Dada's at work teachin' kids." - "No, Mama. Put Noah down. Hold Eli." - "Hi. Noey, hi. My baby. My brother" - " I want go RoRo's house." - "Mama, sit next to Eli, okay? Okay, Mama, okay?" - "I want hold Noah." - "My do it, okay?" - "Eli obey. Eli make good choices now." - "I want watch Curious George now, okay?" -

Here are a few things he's said just this week: "I want tickles girls." (yah, he likes the girls already!) - "Where'd Becky go?" - "No, puppies, no! No bite Eli's toes!" - "Look, Mama! Christmas lights right there! Those pretty."

Look at our stockings!

Isn't my sister so crafty!? She made us Christmas stockings two years ago, for Eli's first Christmas. Today I got Noah's in the mail. Thanks, Becky! I love it!

Merry Christmas Blogger Readers!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Highlights from the weekend

Okay, here are the pictures/video I promised from this weekend...

Noah's Thanksgiving!

Hunting for our Christmas tree out in the woods!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

Okay, so I have to share about our busy weekend.

I spent the first part of the week cleaning away for our coming guests. (10 adults, 1 toddler & 2 babies, including us) Then, on Wednesday afternoon, family started arriving & some of us went to a Thanksgiving service at our church. It was a really sweet time. It was a perfect way to prepare our hearts for a day of thinking about all that we are thankful for.

When I went to bed that night I felt really, really sore from my neck down to my legs- like I had worked out or something, which is absolutely not the case! :) The next morning, Thanksgiving morning, I woke up with a very sore throat & chills. Eli had been sick earlier in the week so I guess I caught it from him! (Later, we found out that Rory & Russell were both sick too!) Anyway, I tried to power-through, with it being Thanksgiving & all. We opened our Thankful Can in the morning. Eli passed out the little papers that we wrote our blessings & praises on throughout the year. It was fun to read those & so good to remember all the little & big things God has done in our lives since last Thanksgiving.

After I got dressed & ready, I was pretty wiped out. I was definitely sick. I was wearing a sweat shirt over my turtle nick shirt laying on the couch with a blanket shivering like crazy! My head was throbbing & spinning. I laid on the couch all morning. I rested right through preparing the Thanksgiving meal. Isn't that sad! It was at my house & I didn't even do anything to help! It was a blessing, too, though, thanks Mom & Grandma! Somewhere throughout the day, Noah's nose started running, too... uh oh... And when Eli woke up from his nap he was a total mess. I think his throat was still sore because he was screaming like he was in extreme pain & I can testify that that sore through was a BAD one! So anyway, Eli spent some
time laying on me whining... so lovely for our guests! :)

By the time we sat down to eat, I was feeling a little better. Noah, however, was napping right through his first Thanksgiving dinner. He finally woke up when everyone was finishing their meal, so everyone got to sit around the table & watch Noah eat his first baby food! Peas! Yay!

Later that night I was a blessed by a sweet time of prayer with some people that I love so much & lots of laughter & game playing. (I had a few good hours where the medicine would kick in.) Then we had to cut things short because Noah woke up crying, with a 102.5 temperature. Poor baby! I couldn't console him very well, though, because I was freezing cold. I was shivering so bad that my teeth were chattering to the point where Jonny couldn't even understand what I was saying. It was miserable. So, anyway, we kept Noah in our room that night & nobody slept well at all. Thank goodness for Jonny!

Everyone is doing okay now. Eli & Noah still have some remnants of their sickness. Noah has a body rash! :( Despite the illness, it was a fun weekend! Becky just left today, so she got to go into the forest with us to chop down a Christmas tree & decorate our house (I'll post pictures of our weekend later).
Okay, so that was our weekend. Goodnight!

Brothers...

It's so cute to see them interacting together. :)

Oh, Goodness...

Is it strange that Eli talks to himself? ... "Where are we going, Eli? I don't know." "Are you okay, Eli? Yes." "What'd you do, Eli. Oh! Uh no!" "Good Job, Eli!" "Look, Eli!" :) It's pretty funny. Oh, & he's picked up another phrase from me. I hear him saying, "Oh, goodness!" all the time now.

As for little Noey... his increasing curiosity coupled with his increasing mobility is getting him into trouble. He's hurt himself three times today! I think having two kids is going to reach a new level of difficult when the second one actually starts moving! :)

Truth 101

For the last three weeks Jonny has been teaching a creation unit for Truth 101 every Tuesday & Thursday at our church. Truth 101 is a class for high schoolers. Public, private (maybe?) & home-schooled kids come for a couple hours to worship & study the Word. It's such an awesome opportunity for these students. Jonny was so excited when Rory asked Jonny to teach. He's been able to equip the high schoolers with a perspective of science that stems from God's Word. Man, I wish I had this opportunity when I was in high school!

I got to go listen to him teach last Tuesday. Other than the little five minute pieces I hear when the boys & I got to visit Jonny's classroom, this was the first time I've heard Jonny teach since he was in grad school. I have a really smart husband!! He does such a great job. I'm so proud of him. And it's so cool to see him using his biology degree for the Lord.

I'm not sure how many more classes Jonny will be teaching, but he's loved his time so far. The topic of science & creation is Jonny's favorite topic to study & discuss. It makes me wonder what God may have in store for Jonny.... I could totally see him teaching this stuff....

I'm so proud of my boys!

And I want to share why I'm so proud....

Eli has been talking so well lately. Here are some funny Eli quotes: When asked to count to five, he replied, "1, 2, 3, 4, L, M, N, O, P!" At breakfast the other day, Eli prayed, "Jesus, thanks french toast. Amen!" Then I sat down next to him & he continued, "Pray for Mama's, too. Jesus, Mama. Amen!" The other day Eli tripped over something & had the following conversation with himself: "Owe! Are you okay, Eli? Yes." And just today he asked, "Mama, is God home?"

If you listen closely, you can hear that he pretty much has the whole ABC's down.

Noah now rolls from back to stomach (the harder roll). After he did this, he put the rolls together & has been rolling across the living room. SO CUTE!

Eli sings Jesus Loves Me. It delights me to hear him sing this, so I can't imagine how it delights the Father.

When Noah was a tiny newborn & slept all the time I got to hold him & have him sleep on me, but for the last 2 or 3 months he hasn't really enjoyed sleeping on us. If he did fall asleep on us, it was very brief. He never really 'napped' on us. I'm sure it has to do with having noisy, busy Eli & me not being able to sit quietly in a rocking chair while Noah naps, but it's still made me sad. Eli used to nap on us all the time. We have dozens of pictures of sleeping Eli with either me or Jonny. It's so, so sweet to hold a sleeping baby. I think one of the coolest things about having a little one is experiencing them sleep on you. I just love it, & I know Jonny does, too. Anyway, I write this because there has been a change. In the last week Noah has fallen asleep on me several times! It's so, so wonderful! I've been feeling kinda sad about not experiencing these cuddle times with Noah like we did with Eli, fearing that Noah wouldn't feel as loved as Eli, or that he wouldn't be getting enough 'physical touch'. So, yay! Thank you, Lord for letting me experience these sweet little moments with my Noah.

This last clip was during afternoon nap time. Noah fell asleep in my arms & was just too precious to lay down in his crib. Since Eli was already napping, I thought I'd try to see if Noah would take a good nap cuddling next to me. And he sure did- for 3 hours I got to cuddle between my two boys! (except when I got up to grab the camera!)

Giving

Since today is Veteran's Day, it is a no-school day for Jonny. He stayed home & had some Noah time this morning while Eli & I went to bible study. Eli loves to play with the other kids in childcare. It felt so strange & easy to only have one kid to tote around!

Before the study started, Cindy showed this little youtube video about Christmas giving that totally spoke to me. Our culture is so swept up in materialism. We feel we have to keep up with all the new clothes, gadgets & technology. Do you think we would succumb to such materialism if we had to face the poor, sick, & starving people that make up most of the world on our way to the check-out line? The other day I was driving in the car & heard this quote on a radio commercial, "When was last time you went out & bought something for yourself?" Umm.. does food count, because I just went grocery shopping for my family yesterday... Commercials are targeted toward our never ending need to buy more stuff. And they make it sound like we deserve it. How did we get this far? Do we really deserve a 7th pair of pants or a new & better cell phone when there are people in the world who would just like a meal to eat, clean water to drink, a bed to sleep in, or shelter for their children? We don't deserve anything. The truth is we are already abundantly rich in Christ. We have far more than we deserve- by the blood of Jesus, which makes us right before the Father & grants us everlasting life.

This Christmas maybe we could think about the best gift we could ever receive- the forgiveness of sins & eternal life through Jesus. When we focus on this, it sorta makes all the other stuff fade away. For some alternative Christmas gifts this year visit Gospel for Asia's Christmas List or RethinkingChristmas.com

About Our Country...

Most of us knew before the election that our country is walking in complete disregard & disobedience of God's Word. I've heard pastors say, "If God doesn't judge America, He will owe Sodom & Gomorrah an apology." There is evil all around us. It's no wonder we, Christians, don't feel at home. This isn't our home! What a reminder that we should be praying for our country & leaders daily. Pray against all the unbelief.
It's interesting, though, because even when we completely disagree with our leaders' wicked policies, we're called to respect the leaders God has put over us. Even sumbit to them, so long as it doesn't cause us to go against God's word, as long as we aren't sinning.
As my mom always says, we need to "keep our focus"- on Christ, that is. On spreading the gospel.
Here are a few youtube videos about the election that I found interesting:
John Piper's Heart in the 2008 Election
Alpha & Omega's Ministries

There is hope; He is our hope.

5 Months!

What a big day for Noah! As of 3:47 this morning, he's 5 months old! Here are some clips of some 'firsts'.

(I would normally have a bib on him, but his jams were already a mess...)

Dr. Hathaway said since Noah has been acting so interested in food, we could go ahead & start him on rice cereal. I made it really milky, though, b/c Eli used to throw up his rice cereal.

Here's a picture of Noah's first bath in his baby bath seat. I was going to put up a video, but with two wiggly boys there is just too much nakedness. :)

I didn't get a picture, but last night Jonny fed Noah a bottle for the first time & put him to bed. That last feeding is the sweetest time because he always falls asleep in your arms. I'm so glad Jonny got to experience it. Anyway, that's all. Noah is taking a nap right now. We'd normally be at the library for story time about now, but we stayed home since the boys have snotty noses. :) It's kinda cold & windy out anyway. A nice day to stay home & bake cookies!

Monday, Monday...

What a day! This morning we all woke up with cold symptoms. Eli & Noah both had a cold two weeks ago, but I guess its back & this time, Jonny & I have it too. Because of this, Noah didn't sleep very well last night. I was so, so exhausted that I just brought him into our bed to nurse & we both fell asleep there. A few hours later I woke up uncomfortable, so I moved Noah back to his crib. And its a good thing I did because an hour later, at 5:30am (!), Eli woke up. Don't you just love trying to get your kids used to the time change!? Anyway, for the next hour & a half Eli cuddled up next to me. And needless to say, I got zero sleep; until Curious George, that is! Curious George comes on at 7am & Jonny brings Eli his sippy-cup full of milk to sit & drink in our bed while I get a little extra (much needed) sleep.

Our Monday morning routine consists of us leaving for Albertsons around 10am. (Noah does his morning nap in his car seat on Mondays.) From there we go to Eli's gym class. Only today, we arrived to find an empty parking lot. Last Monday was the last day of class! Oops. I pulled over anyway because there is a park right next to the Rec building. Eli loves the slide at this park, so I thought I could make up for my mistake by letting him play. No... the slide was all wet. Eli didn't want anything to do with it. Another oops!

For the rest of the day Eli & Noah both wanted their mama, so I switched off holding my whinny, sick boys. At one point I had Eli in the ergo on my back & Noah in my arms. It was a little chaotic. I didn't really feel that overwhelmed, but apparently I sounded that way because my mom called back after our first conversation to make sure everything was okay.

Mondays are especially long because Jonny has cardio rehab after work, (He ran for 25 minutes tonight! Go Jonny!) so I usually do the bedtime routine by myself. Aah, but all is well now. They are both sound asleep, the laundry is folded, dinner is cleaned up & all the toys are put away. Jonny is taking a sick day tomorrow, so he's at work right now preparing his lesson plan for the sub. He's actually going in to church for a couple hours tomorrow to teach a creation unit for Truth 101, but after that he'll rest his throat. :) Do you ever wish you had more time!? We haven't even filled out our ballots yet! (I know... tomorrow's the day!) Okay, time to sit back & relax. Good Night! :)

Oh wait! I have to share Eli's quote of the day. I was washing his sticky fingers with a wet rag, & apparently I was scrubbing too hard because he sternly looked up at me & said, "Owe! Mama, be gentle. Okay?" I tried not to laugh but replied, "Oh, okay. Sorry, Eli."

A Few More Things...

Okay, so I just got home from the Harvest Carnival & re-read what I posted earlier today, & I have a few more things to say- clarify. When I say that we are not to participate in all that the world has to offer- in regards to Halloween- I'm talking about the evilness of Halloween. The scary stuff. The demons, devils, death... etc. Those things are real & we, as Christians, should not associate with them. John 8:12 says, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” We cannot serve two masters. We should not find joy & pleasure from things that have to do with death & evil spirits.

I, personally, don't think this means that we should not dress up as monkeys or go to Harvest Carnivals or carve smiley faces on our pumpkins or even go trick-or-treating. I used to think it was okay to carve pumpkins, but it was a little over the top to go trick-or-treating; I've now changed my opinion. I think if you are not going to do one of those things because its roots are evil you should not do any of them. Jack-o-lanterns are originally just as bad as trick-or-treating. The whole celebration has evil roots & to say its okay to do one & not the other would be hypocritical. The main point is where our heart is & what we're showing others? Are we conforming to the world & its darkness by dressing up as a demon or devil? Are we compromising our witness? Or are we being a light on a dark night?

As a kid, my mom had us stay home & we'd pass out candy with bible verses wrapped around them. It's hard to say which way is the best way- participate or not to participate... its reminds me of the whole homeschool ordeal. Which is better? What helps our children to be in the world but not of it?

For now my stance is to participate by making a Godly twist to it. This is a dark night. Tonight is a night of sin. It sickens me to remember what goes on around OSU campus on Halloween night. We are so blessed to be called out of the darkness & into His light. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;: 1 Peter 2:9.

Anyway... I feel as though I've rambled on & on & still am not clearly saying what I want to say... oh well... look at these cute boys!!!

Carving the Pumpkin

Now that we have children I'm more interested in being well informed about these holidays & traditions we celebrate. I want to know why we celebrate them & where they come from. I've grown up knowing Halloween is an evil holiday & is about death, ghosts, demons, witches, magic & various other demonic ideas. I want to know why these things started & what they are about. I want to be able to inform my children when they start asking these questions. Also, with accurate information & history we, as a family, can decide how we will celebrate these days. So... I spent some time the other night doing a mini-research on Halloween, & this is my overall findings- yes, the roots of Halloween are evil. However, I do believe that most families in America simply celebrate for the fun of carving pumpkins, dressing up & getting candy. I don't think most people are in it for the evil. And it is certainly not my heart to condemn people who participate in Halloween's traditions for the fun & candy. We all have our different convictions. That's all I want to say because I know topics like this are controversial... & I don't have much time. :) Read this to learn more about Halloween.

Anyway, our family has decided take the opportunity of Halloween's darkness & make it about Jesus. We had a fun time carving Eli's pumpkin last night. We talked about the Lord changing our filthy, sinful insides & making us a new creation when we believe in Him- Just like we carve out the pumpkin's yucky seeds. Then, He puts his 'light' in us to shine for the world to see. I'm sure Eli didn't really understand all that we were saying, but our aim is to teach our children that although we are not of the world, we are in it; and while we are in it, we are to be a witness for Christ. When we are followers of Christ, we often have a conflict-of-interest with the world. We are different than the world. We serve different Gods. We are not to participate in all the world has to offer, but we are to act in accordance with what God's word says. We are to be imitators of Christ & bold witnesses for Him. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Rom. 12:2

Our church does an outreach on Halloween night. We use the Corvallis fair grounds to put on a really fun Harvest Carnival for kids to come have a good time & learn about Jesus. Look at Eli last year at the Harvest Carnival. I can't believe how much he's grown in a year. Not to mention how much Noah has grown! He was just a month old embryo last Halloween. :)

Sorry, this video is hard to see in the dark. Just listen- its super cute!

Better Is One Day

Sometimes I find myself entertaining thoughts I know I shouldn't. By the time I catch myself, I'm already into the 5th & 6th frames & so wrapped up in this situation that doesn't even exist. The infamous "What If" game. I used to play this game with my mom when I was little & it drove her just as crazy as it drives Jonny. It's not fruitful & its a waist of time. With that said, & now that you know I DO have my head on straight, I will explain what thoughts I've been swallowed up in.

After my melanoma experience 16 months ago, I sometimes worry about it coming back or that it spread before it was removed. Even though the expert oncologist's opinion was that a lymph node biopsy wasn't necessary, (because based on the depth of my melanoma there was less than 2% chance the cancer would spread) at weak moments I still find myself crippled by fear because of that measly 2%!! Why can't I rest with 98% statistic that it didn't spread? Instead, I play the game.... but what if!?

So yesterday at Women's Study I was thinking about that darn 2% in the back of my mind while we were worshiping. We were singing, "Better Is One Day" & while I am signing the song, I realize that my heart is not believing the very words I'm singing. I stopped singing. I was so sad & ashamed & afraid & confused at the same time. The chorus sings about one day with the Lord is better than a thousand days anywhere else. I know in my mind that is true. Being in heaven with my Father, I will experience pure joy & happiness like I've never imagined or experienced before. I know that. But my heart can't let go of the happiness & love I have for my family. The thought of leaving my precious, precious boys devastates me. The thought of being without my husband.... its too much to bare. I am so in love with my family & I know the Lord wants me to be in love with them. But while we were singing that song I had to confess to the Lord that I don't think I'm holding on to them with an open hand. God has blessed me with them & I am not willing to let go. That's not okay. So that's where I'm at. I'm just waiting for God to teach me & change my heart.

Oh, here is the lyrics to that song:

How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence
I sing beneath
The shadow of
Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere(Than thousands elsewhere)

One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You inThe place
Your glory dwells

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere (Than thousands elsewhere)

My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the Living God
Your Spirit's water for my soul
I've tasted, and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to YouTo You

Better is one dayBetter is one day
Better is one dayThan thousands elsewhere
(2x)
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(4X)
Yeah, than thousands elsewhere (Yeah)Oh, than thousands elsewhere

Oh, Noah...

We just love our Noah- I think we'll keep him! I can hardly believe he will be 5 months next week!

YAY NOAH!
He's actually been doing this for a couple weeks now, this is just the first time he actually performed for the camera. :)

Happy Birthday, Grandma Oelkers!

Speech

I wanted to take some time to write about Eli's ever developing speech. Its so fun to watch him grow & learn. He's getting to be such a big boy. When Noah was born, he couldn't say Noah- it was No-Nah. Popcorn was paw-pock. Popsicles was Pop-sick-able. Yogurt was Yo-yo-g. Football was Hoof-ball. It's kinda sad when these cute words eventually change to the correct words. His vocabulary is always changing & maturing . He catches on to new words & phrases so quickly.

Eli is always listening & paying attention- even when it doesn't seem like he is. I've been taught (& am still learning) to watch what comes forth from my mouth- to make sure my speech is edifying & pleases the Lord, instead of being evil & destructive. There are so many verses on the 'tongue'. James 3:8-10 says "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” There is a song on one of Eli's bible song CDs that goes through each part of the body- eyes, ears, feet, hands, etc. singing, "Be careful little tongue (or fill in the blank) what you say. For the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful little tongue what you say." I am learning how important it is for me to take that silly little song to heart. Not only is my Savior listening to my every word, but also my son. My little disciple. I have such a huge influence on Eli's attitude, lauguage & behavior. (Noah too, but he's not speaking quite yet.)

So... I've noticed that Eli has picked up some key phrases from me. Lately when something is spilled or knocked over or not operating as it should, Eli sighs & says, "Oh, gosh!" Sometimes when he's trying to get Jonny's attention, from the other room he'll yell, "Jonny!" He's also said, "What'd you do, Jonny!?" About a month ago while Eli was building with his Lego's, he said, "Look, Mama." I looked, but didn't say anything, & he replied, "Good job, Eli!" Or if Noah is crying, he'll try to console his brother by saying, "It's okay Noah. SHHH. It's okay. Poor baby." And the best one yet- the other night we were getting Eli ready for bed & he looked up at me & said, "Mama pretty." Isn't that sweet! I don't think we've said the word pretty all that often. Maybe Jonny does more than I realize. :) But, oh, boy! I'll tell you you what. This little boy has my heart. I realize this compliment comes from the same boy who has a fear of puppies & thinks pickles make for a delightful breakfast, but I'll take it! :) Eli also does a funny thing when he's speaking in present tense. If he wants something he'll say, "I want yogurt." But if he wants to do something in the present tense he'll say "My do it."

After typing this out, I realize there is probably nobody else who finds Eli's speech habits as interesting as I do. But there you have it. Anyway, I just love my little boy. I better go .... he's got a fever & it's time for more medicine.

The Pumpkin Patch

Here are some pics from our fun trip to the pumpkin patch.

The boys

Eli & RoRo navigating through the hay maze.

Eli being buried in corn.

Like Father, like son.

Me & my boys on the hay ride. :)

What's Happening at the Oelkers' Residence

One of Eli's birthday presents from Grandma Wilson was signing him up for the 'Mini Movers' class at Albany Parks & Recs. This is a clip of one of their exercises... jumping fence. Eli was the worst one. I was still proud of him. He's the youngest one in class & doing really, really well.

__________

This clip is Noah trying to roll over. He's so, so close! He's done a better job since this video was taken, but we missed getting it on camera.

__________

This clip is Eli enjoying his birthday gift from Nana. Every time it rains, Eli gets so excited & asks to go outside with his umbrella & boots.

Puppies Are Comin'

For the last several months, probably since we moved into this house, Jonny & I have been playing the 'get you' game with Eli. One of us chases Eli around the house while the other one runs with Eli to try & find a hiding spot before Eli gets caught, tackled & tickled. Eli loves playing this game & is always asking for more when Jonny & I give up out of exhaustion. It's provided hours of entertainment & family fun... as Jonny & I enjoy playing like little kids, too.

Sometimes, during the day Eli will initiate the game by saying, 'get you' or 'get Eli' & start running. If we don't chase after him he comes back to say, "GET ELI!" Well, a few months ago while Jonny was at work, Eli ran up to me & said, "AAH! Dada's comin'" so we ran & hid. I guess the game was still fun, just imaging being chased. Then somewhere out of the blue, Eli started saying, "Puppies are comin'!" & he'd go run & hide. I have no idea where the idea of puppies came from. Jonny & I have never claimed to be puppies. However, I think I've connected the dots. Jonny often crawls on the ground when he's chasing after Eli & when he tackles Eli, he often growls like a wild animal. In Eli's mind, this must resemble puppies. Now, the phrase, 'puppies are comin'' is a daily occurrence. I often find Eli hiding in his closet or behind a door because, as he says in a whisper, 'puppies are comin'". Sometimes when I talk to Jonny during the day, he'll ask what's going on & I'll say, "oh the usual... Eli's hiding from the puppies."

In the last few weeks Eli has even started dreaming about the puppies. He has woken up a few different times in the night crying because 'puppies are comin'". Last night Eli was crying about forty minutes after we laid him down. I went into the boys room to find Eli standing up in his crib, (or cage!) clutching his blanket & big tears streaming down his chubby cheeks. I asked him what was the matter, & through his sobs he fearfully whispered, "puppies are comin'". It was the cutest thing! I picked Eli up & rocked him, reassuring him that the puppies went bye-bye. I leaned over Noah's crib to show Eli that Noah was in the room sleeping, too & that they were both safe. Lindsey & Rory were over, so when I went back out to the kitchen we were all laughing at how cute & strange this little obsession with the 'puppies are comin' game is. Then we were laughing about how odd, that of all things he could be afraid of, its puppies. Puppies! What is he imagining, a little herd of puppies coming to kiss & lick all over his toes?!

I'd like to share with Eli those verses on taking your thoughts captive under the authority of Christ & fixing your thoughts on things that are true, pure, holy, noble, praiseworthy & lovely, but I'm not sure if he'll understand that quite yet. :) I guess that's what we can be praying over Eli. Anyway, that's what's been going on in our house lately. Have a good afternoon & keep an eye out because you never know when the puppies are comin'.

Elijah Ian

... sorry, I was supposed to post this yesterday.... Eli is TWO!

So in continuation of our Eli story...

I started feeling very light contractions the night of Wednesday, Sept. 20th. They continued all of Thursday, until Friday Sept. 22 at 3am they were noticeable enough to wake me up. I started timing my contractions & they were about 10-15 minutes apart. I got a couple more hours of sleep, & finally got up & went about my morning as usual. I had a doctor's appointment at 9am. When I arrived, we found out that I was already 6cm! The midwife I suggested I go to the hospital & get checked

in before my contractions get too uncomfortable. I decided not to. Since the contractions weren't that bad, I wanted to do most of my laboring at home. By noon I checked into the hospital. By about 2pm, my contractions were getting harder to talk through. By about 8pm I was pushing... & THREE HOURS LATER Eli was born. At 11:03pm... we met our Eli, all 8lbs10oz of him!

To say we have absolutely fallen in love with this boy the Lord has blessed us with would be a complete understatement, but it still must be said. We love him so much. It's so kind of the Lord to allow us to experience the love & delight that comes with having children. Although parenting a toddler has been tough lately, I have fallen in love with the personality God has given my son. One of the first things people notice about our Eli Monster is how friendly & happy he is. He loves people & it is our prayer that the Lord uses this quality of Eli's to bring men to His kingdom. Probably the next thing that stands out in Eli's personality is how playful & outgoing he is. This boy loves to play & have a good time. Although he does take a few minutes to scope things out, it's not long before he's playing with kids he's never met or trying new things. Eli is also so, so curious. He loves adventures! We noticed this quality about Eli when he was a baby. It became a known fact once he started crawling; then when he started walking (at 11mos!!) it was all over. This curiosity of his can be a challenge to parent at times, especially when its coupled with his stubbornness, but we have to appreciate that Eli loves to learn. He's a scientist like his Daddy. I pray that his sharp & curious mind will take him on adventures through studying the Word. I pray that Eli's mind mediates & soaks up things that are of the Lord. Lastly, my sweet, sweet Eli is so affectionate. He will be a great husband some day. This boy loves to love. He hugs & kisses me so much-- Another trait he got from his Daddy, physical touch as his love language.-- We have to watch him real close because there are a few kids at church Eli just loves to clobber with hugs. Every morning Eli wakes up & says, "I want cuddle Mama." I know I will forever cherish those sweet words. Happy Birthday, Eli! I love you so, so much!

Eli got TWO birthday cakes!

He May Be a Monster But He's Darn Cute!

Today went great! I restructured some of our day, so that during Noah's first nap Eli & I could have quality time. I'm going to make this time my & Eli's project time. Today we made play dough. We read, sang songs, ate & even used the potty.... (Eli, that is!) Eli was so much better today & I actually feel refreshed! Thanks for praying for us.

Two years ago today I had a doctor appointment. Two years ago today I was 9 months pregnant with my Eli. I remember at my appointments toward the end of pregnancy, the midwife would push down on my belly to feel the position of the baby, & every time she pushed down, (she'd push rather hard) Eli would push or kick back. Well, isn't that Eli?! Even from the womb he wanted the world to know he was there & he was rearing & ready to go. Maybe that's why I got so horribly sick during the first trimester. I did get sick with Noah, but not like I was with Eli. I was sick, sick, sick, nauseous, nauseous, nauseous EVERY DAY for nearly 3 months with Eli. I should have known.... that was my warning! This boy was something else; my strong, passionate Eli. At that appointment 2 years ago, the midwife suggested we try to get labor going. She said she could try to naturally induce me right there. Since my mom & Becky were in town for the weekend, I agreed. That'd be perfect timing. No, Eli didn't agree. He was not ready. And if we've learned something from Eli, we've learned that he can be quite stubborn. Stubborn, yet determined. When Eli sets his mind to something, he does it, or at least he puts up quite a fight trying to.. And so... the weekend went by & no baby. A whole week went by & no baby. Finally, finally... Friday, Sept. 22 came....
to be continued.... I'll finish the rest of the story next week...

Mom & Mark's Cabin

I am so proud of my mom & step-dad, Mark. Four years ago they bought some land out in the woods, about 30 miles south of Klamath Falls, near Merrill OR. (My mom's dream has always been to live in a cabin in the woods.) Then, three years ago they started building- building everything themselves! The only thing these two have hired out for is the pouring of the cement & attaching the shingles. I am so proud of their hard work & dedication. Mom & Mark both have full time jobs & have still managed to build a cabin!

This is just the garage... pretty fancy, huh? There is a living area (loft) above the garage that they'll live in until the house is built. I'm

looking forward to the day when it is all complete. That loft above the garage will make a fun dwelling place for the Oelkers when we come to visit. The boys are gonna LOVE it out at Grandma & Grandpa's cabin! I guess they'll have to wait awhile before they can go 4-wheeling, but for now they can enjoy chasing the chickens, playing in the dirt, swinging on the swing & riding the teeter-totter. GOOD JOB, MOM & MARK!! I'm so proud of you guys! Love you!

Desperation

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

Jonny keeps comparing this past week to a game of chess. We make a move & Eli strikes back. He's had some pretty swift moves, but we gotta say, we think this one is CHECKMATE! Bring it on, Eli!!!

So... as I already mentioned in a previous post, Eli learned to climb out of his crib this week. His crib turns into a toddler bed, & since he turns 2 next Monday & now knows how to climb out of his crib, last night we decided it was time to train Eli how to sleep in a 'big boy' bed. He wouldn't have it. He was not obeying at all. He didn't care about being disciplined; he continued to walk out to the living room the very minute we left his room. After TWO HOURS of dealing with Eli for getting out of his bed, we called out the big guns. Well, actually just some particle board, some screws, & Rory's saw. Jonny sawed out a piece of board, screwed it onto Eli's crib railing & waalaa!! Try getting out of that, Eli! I know we're just putting off the inevitable, but we (especially me) were so desperate after this difficult week. I'm not sure if he wasn't ready to be trained for a toddler bed or if we weren't ready to train him... whatever it is, we'll re-visit that obstacle another day.

In Christ Alone

I think I've posted the words to this song on our blog before, but here they are again. I love this song. I'm gonna keep singing it over & over in order to get through today...

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My comforter, my all in all—

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save.

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied;

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain;

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;

For I am His and He is mine—

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—

This is the pow'r of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home—

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

AMEN!

Thoughts... lots & lots of thoughts...

I've been having a rough week. I feel so defeated. Its been hard lately, & I feel weighed down.
WARNING: this is a very long post...

Eli has been difficult, to say the least. He hasn't ever really thrown fits, the complete melt-down, tantrum throwing fits, until the last couple weeks. He's been really rebellious too, & I've been having a hard time knowing how to handle it. I'm questioning myself b/c I want to discipline & correct Eli, but I want to do it the best way. I don't want to ruin him. I don't know how to get through to him sometimes. How many times to I have to say, "Eli, don't open the dishwasher!" I find myself getting annoyed & angry, but I know I can't discipline in anger.

It's even harder when I'm sleep deprived. He's been waking up really early or in the middle of the night wanting to 'cuddle Mama'. How cute; yes, that's what I thought the first time. Who doesn't want to hear their sweet boy say, "I want cuddle Mama." However, it creates a bit of a problem. He doesn't always fall asleep if I let him lay in bed with me. Which means Jonny & I don't get any sleep either. Eli squirms around a lot, & while I get his sweet head & face, Jonny gets Eli's kicking feet. Jonny hates it when Eli 'sleeps in our bed. Yesterday morning Eli woke up at 4:30am crying. I went in & rocked him for awhile & laid him back down. It didn't work; I had to go in there several more times before I just decided to put him in the pack'n'play in the office so he wouldn't wake up Noah. This was about 5:45am (no sleep in between). Eli laid down peacefully. I think I got maybe 20 minutes of sleep before I heard crying Eli opening the office door. YES, he climbed out of the pack'n'play, opened the office door, & was coming to find me! By then it was 6:15am & Jonny was getting ready for work. Desperate for sleep, I laid Eli next to me, praying he'd actually go to sleep. Around 7am he finally drifted off for about an hour. Noah woke up 30 minutes after that. What's the deal!? Noah is sleeping through the night & Eli is not!? Eli has always been a great sleeper- sleeping 7-7 in his own crib. What has changed in the last week? He has a cold, but he's had colds before & slept just fine. This morning I got up with him at 5am.

Then I feel bad b/c I'm always having to deal with Eli for various frustrating reasons & Noah is constantly being set down to wait patiently. Noah is such a sweet baby. He just waits for me. No demands, no complaints, just goes with the flow. I want to smother BOTH of them with kisses & attention all day, but I in the last few days I'm spending more time setting Noah down so I can tell Eli no. I feel so guilty.

Then there's guilt for saying Noah is an 'angel' & Eli is a 'monster'. I've written that on this blog before, & I just want to clear the air. They're simply silly nicknames we've coined for Eli & Noah based on their personalities. I completely love Eli like crazy. He's my baby. I adore him. His personality is just different & more demanding than Noah's at this point in time. It in no means is an illustration of our love toward one child more than the other. I won't be referring to the angel & monster nicknames as they grow up...at least not to their faces.

Since Jonny has gone back to school I've been missing him. By 3pm I'm watching the clock waiting for him to get home. Those last two hours seem to pass by like molasses. Also, since Jonny's been back at school, the topic of school has been on our minds. I've been really stressed out about what to do for our kids schooling. Public? Private? Charter? Home school? What is right for our kids? The answer doesn't seem to be an easy one & I'm impatiently wanting it to coming to me quickly. Its so scary to think of the affect that all these decisions we have to make will have on our children.

ALSO, (yes there is more...) About two and a half weeks ago Jonny went into the immediate care place b/c he had a low-grade fever & was feeling nauseous for the previous few days. The doctors cautioned us to pay close attention to fevers as they are a sign of infection. Obeying orders, Jonny went in & they skipped him up to the front of the line. They took his condition pretty seriously & called his cardiologist up in Portland. They ran a bunch of tests, but nothing conclusive came of any of them. They sent us home to wait & see if any other symptoms occurred. The next morning Jonny had a little pus bubble (lovely, I know) at the bottom of his incision scar. Jonny called his surgeon & Dr. Song wanted Jonny to come in that day. Once again, we left Eli with Rory & Lindsey (he's always obiedent for them!) & headed up to OHSU. Dr. Song thought Jonny's sternum & incision were fine-no infection. Okay, great. We thought maybe the fever & nausea was just a stomach virus.

Since Jonny's been home from the hospital, he's been back up to OHSU for a couple of ECHO's. The latest one showed that there was fluid around Jonny's heart. I talked to his cardiologist the other day & he said that although the fluid is not atypical, its not necessarily typical & they'd like to keep a close eye on it. Basically, it could just be that Jonny's heart is irritated from the surgery. Worst case scenario is that some of his souchers (in his aeortic valve!) are coming loose.... that would not be good. The last ECHO did not indicate that scenario was the case. Jonny's heart is also beating ir-rhythmically every once in awhile (sorta like the palpitations he was having before surgery), but this is also just a sign that his heart may just be a little irritated from surgery. The fluid & heart beat, if it is just irritation, will go away on its own in time. Jonny has another appointment in two weeks. I hate that my husband is not totally well. He's the one who always takes care of us. He's supposed to be the strongest one.

Sorry, I realize that was a lot of stuff. I feel better typing it all out. Sometimes it helps to sort through my thoughts when I'm feeling overwhelmed. We've had a lot going on lately & its just now all catching up with me. Although I've loved our fun summer & all of our visitors, I'm looking forward to going into a quiet fall season. Thanks for listening (reading) to me unload. :) Our church just had a women's retreat over the weekend & I so wish I could have gone. But since I'm a nursing mama, I had to sit this one out. I can't wait for the next one! I know the Lord knows every little detail of all these issues (including the timing of these issues) & He's working them out in me. All I can do is trust Him.

Noah's First Girlfriend...

No, really... this is Noah's first female friend. This adorable little girl is Jacey Love. My dear friend, Julia & her mom, Patty, (I kinda love her too) came up to visit this weekend. I grew up with Julia & have known her since I was a toddler. Now we have little ones that are exactly two weeks apart. Jacey was born two weeks & an hour after Noah. Look how huge Noah is compared to petite little Jacey! Jonny & I make chunky little babies :)

The Lord is so sweet the way He sovereignly works things out for His glory. I just love to see how His hand has been in our lives & orchestrated events to bring us to today. Look at these treasures He has given us! Oh my! Tonight was one of those nights putting the boys to bed (did I mention they're sharing a room now!) where I just loved my babies so much I feel like I could have four more. Don't worry... when they wake up in the morning I will probably feel differently. :)

While our friends were here we went to the coast. It was Eli, Noah, & Jacey's first trip to the ocean. (I know, we're only an hour away & haven't taken Eli until now!) Noah & Jacey slept on their Mama's the whole time, while Eli played with his Dada. It was so nice. Good company, good view, good babies, good day. Here's some pics of Eli enjoying himself.

CHEESE!