Say Cheese!

We had some fun with our camera over the weekend...

(too bad I cut Jonny's head off!)

That's Our Boy!

39 weeks!

I had an appointment today & nothing has changed. I'm still 3cm & 50%. She offered to strip my membranes, which would cause things to progress quickly only if my body was really close to starting labor. She said it would probably cause me to start contracting today. I said no thank you. Exactly a week before Eli was born, I had this done b/c my mom & Becky were in town. We were trying to get things going while they were here, but nothing happened &, as I recall, it was really painful. Instead, Eli was born 7 days later & they made another trip up. :) I'm perfectly content keeping this baby in my womb for a little bit longer. The midwife said her guess was that he'd be here within the next 7 days. Then she said, "But I've been known to be wrong before." So really... we're still just waiting b/c only the Lord knows! :)

Joshua's FIRST Birthday!

Joshua was born on May 24 of last year @ 11:03pm, Eli's exact birth moment & an hour before my birthday! All the cousins, minus Baby Ethan & Baby Oelkers.
Eli trying to lift the birthday boy.

Urgh!

We have a couple prayer requests... Eli & Jonny are both sick! I want these colds to be gone before the baby is born! And Eli hasn't slept through the night once since we moved in. We can't seem to get the temperature right in his room; its either too cold or too hot. He's peed through is diaper at least 3 times since we've been here, & has woken up screaming for me twice. All that coupled w/ his cold, a terrible diaper rash & the fact that his window faces the east & gets the early morning sun, we haven't been getting much sleep at night.

I'm getting a little worried about leaving Eli & then bringing home a new baby. He seems extra toddler-like these days :) That sounds funny, but I don't know how else to phrase it. He has these mood swings that range from extreme clingy-I want Mama to hold me at all times (like right now!), to hyper-Monster curiosity & activity, to throwing himself on the ground in an angry fit. He's got quite a temper & yes, I'm going to point fingers & blame that on Jonny. I guess he had quite a temper as a youngin'. :)

I had quite the experience at the DMV this morning. I had to renew my driver's license, so I brought a confirmation of residence from the US Postal Service for my proof of residence. They didn't accept that & wanted a utility bill. I don't have a bill b/c I pay our utilities online, so I went down-town to the utilities office & got a service verification form. I called the DMV to make sure that was acceptable. They said yes. I returned to the DMV, waited in line again, & got a new lady who said my form was not acceptable. The first lady looked over at the form & said it would be acceptable if I had it stamped & signed by the utilities office. So I left & returned AGAIN, got a third stupid DMV ticket & waited in line. And guess what happened, the third lady to help me said my form was unacceptable. First, she told me not to set my child on the counter b/c she didn't want him to fall (even though I had him right in front of my big 9 month pregnant belly w/ my arm around him!) I told her to check w/ the first lady. They started arguing & then she returned obviously upset & annoyed by me. By now, Eli was so tired of the run-around he started throwing his body back in my arms crying & kicking his legs. It was horrible! Then I had to go smile for my license picture. I felt like crying. Eli was a monster, the ladies were horribly mean & now for the next 10 years I have an ugly driver's license picture!

What a day! Eli's having a melt-down... I better go.

Blessed

Okay, we're finally back online! We're all moved into our house & slowly putting things into their place. Of course our moving weekend had to be the weekend it gets into the high 90's, but God is so gracious. He's provided us w/ an air-conditioned home right when it gets hot out. This last stretch of my pregnancy will be sweat free! :) But really, our move went so smoothly. Friday afternoon Jonny & three guys from church moved everything into our house in four hours while I sat in my friend, Lindsey's, air-conditioned house. Then, Saturday Jonny & I went over to the apartment to clean. We have been so blessed during the move. Our friends, Rory & Lindsey, (who now share the same neighborhood as us!) have been over helping a lot . Another couple from church brought us a meal one night; and then this evening I used my Mother's Day gift from Jonny to get a pedicure for my aching feet.

I had an appointment today w/ Katie, the midwife who delivered Eli. She felt the baby & thought he seemed small. Hey, I'm okay w/ that! Now for the technical stuff: I am now 3cm & 50% effaced. Yah, I need to take it easy! It's so hard being here all day & not being able to lift things & work on setting up our home. Katie said this doesn't necessarily mean the baby will come early. We just have to wait & see. I am definitely in no hurry. I want him to be a June baby. I do want to ask for prayer for Eli & his transition to all the changes. That's another reason I hope the baby is born in June. I want Eli to have some time to adjust to our new home. He also doesn't see his grandma all the time either, so I don't want it to freak him out that we left him in a home he's not familiar w/, a grandma he doesn't know super well, & then we come home w/ a new baby who takes up all the attention. Anyway, we love our new home & Eli loves his backyard! We can't wait for you all to come visit us!

Change

It seems we have a few changes coming our way. I normally don't like change, but I think these ones are okay.
First of all Mr. Eli is becoming more & more toddler & less & less baby every day. He understands so much more than we realize. We are slowly transitioning him out of the wobbler room & into the toddler room. I was really sad about this at first, but Wednesday night was his first night in the toddler room & they said he did really well. Initially he bawled when we dropped him off, but they were able to calm him down & distract him. He's becoming so much more social & his attention span, although still short, is longer than it used to be. I've been taking him to 'play dates' & story time at the library. He's really enjoyed these activities & I do too... most of the time. :)
The second change in our world is we're moving today! Tonight will be our first night in our new home!
And lastly, the most obvious change is that we will be having another baby very soon. I can't believe how close we are! It seems like right after we unpack we're going to be having another baby boy!

37 weeks!

We are 37 weeks now! Yay! I felt my first contraction last night. With Eli, I didn't feel any contractions until the real deal. Maybe it was all the packing I did yesterday? I also had a doctor appointment today, but I didn't ask to be checked so no new news- I'm not in any hurry. :)

Below is some video of the baby moving. He wasn't as active & excited as he normally is, but we were able to catch a few good kicks.

"Mama"

Since Mother's Day was on Sunday, I was thinking about how much I love being a Mommy. It's definitely frustrating sometimes, & it sorta seems like most of the Eli stories I post are stories of Eli being a monster. I'm always telling people how outgoing & friendly he is, but he definitely has a tender, mama-loving side to him. Jonny often calls him a 'Mama's boy'... & I think that's just fine for now. In fact, I LOVE that Eli wants & needs me.

When Eli wakes up in the morning he often talks to himself for awhile, then every morning we hear, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Even though Jonny is the one who usually goes in to get him, he continues to say, "Mama!" Jonny brings me my sweet Eli & we cuddle in bed while Daddy gets ready for work. For some reason Eli loves the smell & touch of my skin; he always wants to lay his face on my skin... my chest, my belly, my shoulder, even my leg. He's a little strange :)

Eli usually cries & holds onto me w/ a death grip when I leave him in the wobbler room. (he's usually quickly distracted by friends & toys) They even tell me during his stay he asks, "Mama? Mama?" When I come to pick him up its like I'm the greatest person in the world. He's so excited to see me; he bolts to the door & covers me w/ hugs kisses. Sometimes, he looks back at the girls working & as if he's all proud, he points to me & says, "Mama." Of course I just love it!

When we are out in public around strangers or even visiting friends/family Eli is not totally familiar w/ he is always friendly, but it always takes a little time for him to be okay being held. He wants me by his side, & of course a cry, "Mama!" will come if his personal bubble is invaded. :)

When Eli gets hurt or is sleepy or scared or grumpy he wants his mama. He reaches for me & clings to me w/ the same sweet cry, "Mama." I love that he thinks I'm so wonderful. I'm going to savor every moment b/c I know it won't stay this way for long. And I'm so looking forward to being the mama of another sweet boy. Only 25 more days until my due date!

Bus Ride

Eli had his first ride in a school bus yesterday. We went w/ Jonny & his 7th grade baseball team on their away-game to Woodburn. Eli loves buses. There is a bus that parks outside our apartment balcony every morning @ 8am, & Eli knows that the beeping means the bus is here & backing into its spot. He gets so excited, says, "BUS!" & runs to the window to watch. When its warm enough I let him out & he says hi to the bus driver. So anyway, I mention that b/c getting to ride on a bus was a big deal for Eli. :)

Once we got on the bus w/ all the middle school kids Eli was totally entertained. He was a perfect angel the whole ride b/c he just watched all the kids. On the way home he played peek-a-boo w/ the kids & gave high fives for about ten minutes; then he conked out in Jonny's arms. You'd think it was the 7th graders first time being on a bus, too! The girls' baseball team was riding too, so there was lots of adrenaline, excitement & pre-teen hormones floating around. And my oh my was there middle school drama!

Jonny is smart & doesn't let the boys & girls sit together. The girls sit in the front w/ their coach & he leaves two empty seats right in the middle separating the boys & girls. Then he sits in the next seat, followed by all the boys. He thinks this keeps them out of trouble & creates less drama. After my experience yesterday, I totally agree. I'm pretty naive' about what can go on on school bus trips, probably b/c I quit all my sports after 8th grade & during middle school I don't remember traveling w/ boys. Jonny, however, remembers that kids are up to no good when the adult chaperons are not paying any attention. He recalls that most of his out of town trips on the bus included a coach or two on the bus- but always sitting up at the very front of the bus while the kids were allowed to sit wherever, even after dark- completely unsupervised! Hello! What are these adults thinking!? They're just giving the teenagers a ticket to sin. Why is it not common knowledge that boys & girls (especially high schoolers) should not be left alone in the dark, unsupervised? It would be like me giving Eli a box of matches & trusting that he won't give into the temptation to play w/ them. The same principle applies- they need to be protected from danger! Well, even though most coaches or teachers are ignorant of this or just don't care, Jonny does. He is planning to coach high school soccer in the fall & they have a lot of late night away games. He is going to be very strict about bus rules, & he won't be a sleeping coach oblivious to what's going on. As a parent, I would very much appreciate this kind of supervision over my teenager.

After my experience w/ these kids yesterday I could feel myself start to panic a little about my boys & their continual loss of innocence as they get older. Its going to happen- there is nothing I can do about it. Eli already watches older toddlers & tries to copy what they do. I was just looking at these punk kids (no, a lot of them were good kids) thinking, is this what my sweet little babies are going to turn into!? :( Shoving them out in the world wouldn't be good for them, but I can't shelter them in a box their whole lives either. I don't necessarily know that home school, private school, or public school is always the better choice either. I have known people from all of these upbringings, & some have remained pure while others have fallen head over heels into sin. I guess the only thing we can do is raise our kids in the Lord. And continually pray that He will protect them, give them a heart that is sensitive to His & ask for discernment as to when to give our kids freedom & when to lay down the restrictions. :)

Oh, boy! That was a long post! I don't get out of the house much, so a new experience always gets me thinking. I hope I don't come across as a freaked out over protective parent- who knows, maybe I am?

Grace

Hooray! He's here!! My sweet, sweet friend, Grace, had her FOURTH BOY this morning! They named him Jeremiah John & he weighed 9lbs 14 oz!!! They are keeping w/ the prophet theme for now- they have Micah, Isaiah, Zechariah, & now Jeremiah. :)
Holy Cow! I guess its my turn now! Hopefully my boy won't be that big.

My Boys

First, I wanted to share another 'Monster story' w/ you. Last week while I was on the computer Eli was out on the balcony. Our computer is right by the balcony & he is totally safe b/c I normally keep a real close eye on him. However, I got distracted w/ what I was doing for a few short minutes looked up & saw that Eli had knocked the trash can over, which is the poopy diaper trash, & thrown about ten of them over the balcony in the grass below! I ran outside to see how many he had thrown & he's all, "No No!" He knew it was no-no! What cracks me up is that after he knocked the trash over, somehow the thought entered his mind, 'I know, I think it'd be great fun to throw these diapers off the balcony!' What a MONSTER! Luckily the gardeners weren't working on the yard that day. :)

Now for an update on our other little boy: I've been telling Jonny that I think this boy is going to be a swimmer like his Daddy. He keeps moving like he's trying to do flip turns in my belly. His feet violently kick on one side of my uterus, but b/c his head is so low & there's no room for him to flip, it just causes his little baby butt to rear up on the other side of my belly. You can imagine how nice this feels. :)

I've been feeling pretty good lately- other than being tired, having a bit of a sore back & stomach muscles (from holding Eli), & getting food poisoning yesterday. *warning: I'm about to use some labor terminology, so if it grosses you out, skip this paragraph! * I had a doctor appointment today; I'm 1cm dialated & 40% effaced. He is head-down & really low; she could feel his little head. Things are getting ready! She said at the end of this week I'll be 37 weeks & considered full term, which means if I go into labor they won't try to stop it. Yikes! Maybe after we get moved into our new house next weekend & mostly unpacked, I think I'll feel a little more ready.

Oh & HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO REID & LILY!

Working Progress

Have you ever had a day where it seems like all your interactions w/ other people are negative? Well, that was my day yesterday... & it put me in a great mood seeing as how those few interactions were my only adult interaction of the day. (Jonny didn't get home until 9pm.)

Yesterday Eli & I went to Wal-Mart in Lebanon to get a few baby things & birthday gifts for cousins. First I talked to an unfriendly customer service clerk, followed by another, then I tried asking a question to a sales lady who didn't understand a word I was saying (She was deaf & I'm pretty sure her first language was Spanish.) Later, we wandered over to the toy section. Immediately I notice this older lady, lock eyes w/ Eli. They exchanged hellos & smiles; no big deal, I'm used to Eli being friendly w/ everyone. I walked over to the aisle I was looking for & started looking for what I wanted. Eli was reaching for anything he can grab off the shelf. I told him no & he obeyed. Everything was totally fine.

Out of the corner of my eye I could still see that lady watching us. Then she came over. She started talking to Eli & rubbing his back. She didn't acknowledge me- not a word. Then she reached over to the shelf I just told Eli not to touch & handed him a book! Of course he takes it & likes this attention b/c it meant he didn't have to obey Mama. And she didn't leave! She stood there talking to Eli, showing him different books & reading pages to him- still completely ignoring me. Completely undermining my authority as his MOTHER & regarding Eli as if he's his own boss. I was a little irritated to say the least. I quickly picked out what I wanted, put the book back, & walked to another aisle. The lady followed us! I very quickly picked another item & got the heck out of there! I was a little afraid to even slightly turn my back on Eli in case this crazy lady took him or something. :)

Okay, so Jonny gets home & of course I'm just waiting for him to walk in the door so I can vent about my experience to him. (Poor Jonny!) He was sympathetic in that the lady overstepped her boundaries as a STRANGER! Then, Jonny gave me some wise counsel. He's always so good at this! He is always reminding me to try to see the good instead of the bad. He always says its better to err on the side of 'they meant good' rather than 'they meant to offend you'. So, this lady probably was just a lonely old lady who loves little kids. She probably thought it'd be nice to help a pregnant lady do her shopping by distracting her toddler. It was right of me to be cautious b/c she was a stranger. I should have just smiled, & went on my way. It was wrong of me to get angry & judge her as a crazy old lady. :)

Then, this morning I remember what we talked about at bible study on Tuesday- Romans 14- we talked about judging others. Of course this chapter is talking about Christians not judging other Christians for minor differences of opinions or convictions, but the principle of not regarding yourself as being higher than others applies. "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." ~Rom. 14:19 Or, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ~Gal. 5:14 We, Christians, are called to love people. (That can be a really hard job sometimes!) We are supposed to be good witnesses & clothe ourselves in Christ's love & humility. What can I say, I'm a working progress. :)