Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma

Chameleon...okay so this is no 80's love song gone wrong, but he sure does blend into his carseat well. I just wish it were still summer and he could where onesies every day so I could pinch his thighs to pieces :)

Cousins

Cousin James came to visit from Pittsburgh. He is only 3 weeks older, but outsized me considerably. No matter, we got along fabulously.

I found him very amusing.

We had many common interests.

We took turns sizing each other up. First me.

Then him.

We looked this way and that.

We really should do this more often.

Indoctrination

We start 'em early. Enough said.

An Odd Assortment

As hard as I try to do a theme each year with the costumes, each individual has a different idea of what they want to be and no one is ever willing to compromise, so we always end up with a plethora of characters. This year was no exception. Asher was set on being Buzz and nobody wanted to be Stinky Pete, so we just nixed the whole theme idea.

Instead, we ended up with this.

Abbey as a hippie.

Clairey the witch.

Emma vamping it up.

Buzz himself.

Little E as the cutest pirate ever-accentuated by soft, squishy neck rolls.

Just for fun, this is Asher on his first Halloween donning the same costume. He is a few months older than Eli in this shot, but they look so similar.

The boys were done collecting candy far earlier than the girls, so while Paul stayed home with them, I stayed out with the girls. When I came home, I found this...

and this. Eli didn't even make it into his jammies. I guess that's what mom's are for.

On a roll

I've been avoiding tummy time. I don't want this kid getting all mobile on me, but today I figured I'd better give him a little growing experience. So far so good...

What am I doing?

hmm...

Maybe if I put my head down like this...

and push off with my feet...

I'll flip over like this.

So proud of myself.

No more tummy time for you little man!

A Little Princess No More

Last week Claire, Emma and I saw a commercial for a Snow White barbie. I commented on how sad it was that no one was going to be asking for that particular toy this year for Christmas. Claire said she still liked barbies, but not princesses. A very sad revelation since she had spent a better portion of her early years watching Sleeping Beauty over and over and over again. Then Emma said in her sweetest, most serious and lispy 6 year old voice, "I would ask for it mom...but I HATE it. It's just that I'm not a girly-girl. I'm a tomboy." Claire piped in, "You mean a tomgirl." Emma, "No, a tomboy." Claire, "but you're a girl." I had to interject and explain to Claire that while her terminology did make sense, the term was indeed "tomboy."

Emma never did want to watch Sleeping Beauty. I was really pushing my luck with this costume choice, but she was only two and still very complying. She will not be a princess this year, but her costume will involve fake blood. Just in case you were wondering...and I know you were.

Snow Days

I am cold today. Yay!!! I remember a certain, fairly recent July when I was hugely pregnant and it was 100 degrees and I just wanted to see one snowflake. Just one. I wanted to snuggle in my flannel sheets and not sweat to death and now that day has arrived. Switching all the beds to their flannel sheets today. I'm sure I will be just as thrilled to switch them back in the Spring. That's what I love about living in a place where we get all four seasons. Just when you're sick of one, the next one comes along. Nothing like living in the beehive state to keep you on your toes! Happy "soup and breadsticks and hot chocolate" day to all of you.

3 months in the making

It has only taken me three months to get on the ball and get these announcements done. They will be going out this week. Hurray! I am so pleased with how they turned out. But mostly I am pleased with how the actual baby turned out. Sweetest baby ever in the history of our 12 year old family. And we've had a lot of babies in those 12 years. 5 to be exact. Some really horrible, but cute babies, some sweet as well as cute... and then came the cutest of the cute and the sweetest of the sweet. All in one little package and we could not be more in love! I need to keep a picture in my mind and never forget this most precious moment. Cheesy, I know, but I just love him that much!

Moving out

When we returned from Scotland, it was apparent that this little guy had outgrown his current sleeping quarters in our room. He had to move out. Down the hall seemed so far away for those first few nights and I got up to check on him numerous times. He is such a sound sleeper that sometimes it was hard to tell if he was actually breathing. He always was of course. I'm not sure how he can sleep that many hours without moving a muscle, but I won't complain.

Don't fence me in.

Dreaming of milk...

Looks so small

Definitely cramping his style, though.

Two Months

At 2 months old, Eli is still every mother's dream. He is a very easy going baby and goes to bed sometime between 9 and 10 pm, wakes up between 4 and 5 am and then goes back to bed about an hour later and sleeps another 4 or 5 hours. I haven't had this much sleep in years. He still loves to be swaddled and prefers the "nuk" pacifier to all others. He is smiley and laughs all the time. He also has a lot to say and coos and goos to anyone who will listen. We haven't captured many of his smiles yet, because he gets a bit "deer in the headlights" when we pull out the camera. At 22.9 in. long and 11.3 lbs, he is in the 50th percentile for both. Of course he's above average in my book, but I am his mother.

First bath in the baby tub and not sure what to think.

Relfecting

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loth change. I love and hate my children's birthdays all at the same time. It's a time to celebrate and a day for mourning their quickly passing childhood, all at the same time. Today as I sat at looked at Eli, I noted how chubby he is becoming, how filled out his skin is and how he is already growing a new hairline right underneath his baby hair. It makes me sad. So I had to look back at these pictures that my friend Amy took of him 7 weeks ago when he was just 1 week old and still wrinkly and new. I love his new smiley, cooing self, but I already miss his newborn-ness.

Photo shoot

My friend, Amy, whom I've known for her whole life (I remember when she was born) took these beautiful pictures of Claire in her baptism dress. I thought she did a fabulous job. I figured since we were blessing Eli the same day as Claire's baptism, I would have her take some of him as well. I snuck myself in there too. I really hate having my picture taken, but I always regret not having pictures with my children, so I figured I'd live a little without regrets.

I had a little talk with Claire before the pictures and I told her that I wanted her to to her most beautiful smile so we could document this stage in her life(by stage I mean the awkward snaggle tooth one) and then I lovingly asked her to do her best closed mouth smile on the rest. I was very pleased with the result.

If you want Amy to do your next photo shoot just visit her blog at http://www.photosbybritton.blogspot.com

I'm sure she wouldn't mind my advertising on her behalf.