June 24 and June 25

Hey booger boy!
Our first true sickness is here. Yeah, we thought you had some tummy issues and your thrush but our first true cold or major allergy breakout. We thought it was allergies because it started on the same day that your daddy's did. But, yours got worse really quick and now you can't breathe! On Thursday, we just tried to keep you as happy as we could. On Friday, daddy took you to the doctor and they said there was nothing that they could do. They wouldn't treat you until you have a full blown ear infection. So, we are stuck giving you tylenol and claritin. Luckily for us, you are eating baby food or you would be starving. Since you can't breathe, you have a hard time eating a bottle.

Unfortunately, because you were sick, you missed a date with Gramma Debbie and Grampa Keith and we didn't get to go visit Great Gramma on her birthday. We are hoping you feel better pronto because mommy & daddy have plans tomorrow and you were going to visit Brandi and Jeff. They aren't going to want a booger boy in the pool with them :)

Here are some scrapbook pages I did for your book. I am finishing up your 6 month book. I am pretty much done except for the last 5 pages - the pool pics, your 6 month pic and a letter from me :)

June 22 - June 23

Hi Elijah!
It has been a busy few days! On Tuesday, you went over Grampa's and you came home nekked. Your daddy told me that you were in the big boy pool at Mary's so your clothes were wet. I was so excited for you! I know you love the water and you were watching all the kiddos playing. But, on Tuesday, you were in the water playing with them. Afterwards, we went to the Kroc center with Morgan and went swimming. You liked it and had fun but you were a bit tired so you didn't have as much fun as last time. But, we got some great photos of you in the water and a fabulous photo of you and Morgan.


You are now a splasher. We can no longer expect a dry bath because in your tub and in the pool, you are all about splashing every where.



On Wednesday, it was a day of trauma all around :) I went to the hospital in the morning for my test and you were traumatized by having to get up an hour earlier. You were a crabby pants. In the afternoon, we went to the dr. for your 6 month check up. You are 17 lbs and 13 oz and you are a tad over 28" long. The doctor was pleased with your progress and where you are at developmentally. We can now start giving you a bit thicker food and trying to train you with a sippy cup. At night, you hung out with Auntie Sheila and Uncle Jeff while we went to a concert. You played with them for a bit then crashed! We had a rough night sleeping because your allergies were making you miserable. Unfortunately, it appears that you inherited your daddy's allergies. He woke up on Tuesday sneezing and coughing. Of course, then you woke up sneezing and coughing. The pediatrician said we can give you allergy medicine.

That is about it for today buddy. Hopefully, you will be feeling better tomorrow.

June 21

Hi squirt!
I feel like I have a lot to tell you today, pumpkin!

First off, you are a bit of a fussy pants there buddy. You keep screaming at us. We know you are changed, we know you are not tired and we try giving you a bottle. Nothing works and you keep screaming. So, we made you a freshie bottle with warmer water and all is right with the world. Apparently, I need to get a thermometer because if your formula is not the precise temperature, it is beneath you. Your daddy says you better get over that junk quick because he won't be heating up your milk in a saucepan :) Mary says you fuss at her about it too.

Not only were you screaming at us, today you were a little PIGGIE - oink oink! This was the first day you have eaten so much food. We took some baby food oatmeal over Mary's and you ate about 1/2 of that jar. Then, you ate 2 FULL CONTAINERS at home for dinner. You ate a sweet potatoes with corn and an apricot! We also tried a couple Gerber Graduate puffs and you liked those. I think you liked a new texture and something crunchy. You were definitely a big boy today until you were throwing your temper tantrum about the formula being 2 degrees too cold :)

I made a big decision today buddy. I realized you were sleeping and I hadn't taken a photo yet today. I am giving up on the photo a day. I know that I take plenty of pictures of you that we won't go a week without a photo but the daily photo grind is too much. We end up with some bad quality photos just to say we took one. I also have to scrap them for you and your books are FULL already. I reorganized your book and you have filled up one whole 100 page book already for your first 6 months. I can't really have your first year be 3 volumes so I am making a change. Pretty soon, we will do a big photo shoot for your 6 month birthday! I also have another project whirling around in the back of my head I would like to try to focus on for a bit.

I guess that is about it for today munchkin. You are fast asleep and I am about ready to pass out on the pillow but I will leave you with some scrapbook pages I have done the last few days.

This one is kind of boring but I find it hard to scrap such good pictures. That scenery is just too beautiful to mess with :)


This set was also difficult for me because they are THEE Elijah photos. There is a lot of pressure on myself to do good pages when the photos are so good. But, I had to get them done because I needed them to complete your book.


Some great photos yesterday. I love the ones of you hanging over your dad's shoulder :)

Photo Catch up

Random order this week because your mom is a slacker :)

Hanging out with daddy in bed:


This one doesn't capture how funny the moment was - you were all fussy and crying and squirming about. Then, you wiggled up in Daddy's arm and crashed :)


New outfit from Auntie Val


I love when I walk in your bedroom and you are sleeping with your butt in the air. It is so cute! Today, you even crossed your legs :)



This is your newest face - all your noises are "MMMMMMMM....." I think it is because you are trying so hard to get "mommy" out!


Us hanging out together and trying some new photo settings.


Some scrapbook pages I made lately:

June 15 - June 20

Hi Baby - Did you think I deserted you? It has been almost a week since I posted to you. But you know what? It is because I am just so darn busy being your mommy :) Let's recap what you have been up to this week and I will catch up with pictures later...

Tuesday - you spent time with Grampa and Heather when they picked you up at Mary's. Then, we were just lazy at home at night.

Wednesday - you hung out with Gramma Debbie, Great Gramma Dorothy and Auntie Sue. Gramma Debbie picked you up from Mary's then you went to see Gramma Dorothy's new apartment. I think you were a good boy over there but I did get a text that you were slapping Gramma Dorothy on the face!! When you got home, we busted out our new CocoKey passes and went to the lazy river for an hour. You liked it and daddy liked watching you in the water. I was so proud of you - you got splashed in the face and you were still happy.

Thursday - mommy had book club so you hung out with daddy. You were fast asleep when I got home but I smooched you anyway :)

Friday - Grampa wanted to hang out with you for a bit so he picked you up and showed you off to his friends. Then, you went over Great Gramma's for a bit. I think it might have been the longest you have ever been over there! We went to dinner at Grandmother's. You are starting to watch us eat and look at us like "Where is mine?" So, we gave you some mashed potatoes. You thought those were ok but nothing to eat a lot of. We went grocery shopping and you tried to sleep but we kept moving you all around!

Saturday - we tried something new this morning. When you woke up, I gave you baby food before I gave you a bottle. We bought you Apple Yogurt Oatmeal baby food. You ate a big chunk before you had your bottle. Then, we took a nappy together while daddy went to work. After our nappy, we went to farmer's market with Debbie and Morgan. You did a great job in your sling watching everyone. When we came home, you finished off that big jar of oatmeal - little piggy :) We spent the afternoon over Great Gramma Dorothy's with Auntie Becky and Auntie Betty. You were so good all afternoon. You didn't cry or fuss even though I know how exhausted you were. I was so proud of you. I swear, you have a thing for elderly women - you seem to work them even harder than you do everyone else. You were hamming it up to Auntie Betty & Gramma Dorothy. Auntie Becky was so excited to see you - you have grown so much since she saw you last. Uncle Steve made it over and he was so proud of how strong you were, too. We are going to schedule a date with you and them for July!

After your big afternoon with the Blankmans, Debbie and Morgan wanted some Elijah time. We went out to dinner while you hung out with them. Debbie took you to the park and put you in the big boy swing - she said you liked it. But, then, like always, you conked out on them. When I came to pick you up, you were awake. Morgan read you a book and fed you a bottle - it was so darn cute. You were smiling up a storm for them. When I brought you home, you were kind of a fussy pants and I let you sleep with us. But, I moved you after a bit because I like it better when you are in your crib :)

Today is a big day baby boy! It is Father's Day. We made daddy and Grampa breakfast. We gave daddy his little photo wallet and his shirts. We dressed you in your matching onesie and later we are going to Gramma's for a BBQ with Grampa and all our cousins. I hope that you will be an adult and look back and remember how much your daddy loved you. You truly are his pride and joy and he loves you to pieces!

June 12 - June 14

Hi Elijah,
I have to tell you a secret. As I am writing this, I am on an Elijah high. We hung out tonight with Morgan at the Kroc pool and it was the most fun ever! I hadn't taken you to the pool in ages and you loved it. You laughed and grinned the whole time in your floatie. I splashed you and you giggled. We went in the lazy river most of the time and you loved the water, the kids, the floatie!! Here is the deal kiddo - most days, you are your daddy's son. You look like him so much that it is hard for me to see a lot of me in you. In the water today with you laughing and smiling, you were my son. You were a water baby!

Anyway, flashback to the weekend. We had kind of a weird weekend. On Saturday, I was in a photography class all day so you hung out with daddy. When I got home, I was so tired and I was praying you would take a nappy since daddy had plans. I didn't know if I could function without a nappy. So, we laid down at 4:30 and you were asleep next to me by 5. I woke up around 7:15 thinking you were starting to get up and wiggle around. You did wake up - long enough to eat for 15 minutes and then you went back to sleep until 2:00 AM! You slept from 5 - 2!!! Thankfully, daddy took you at 2 am and you guys hung out together sleeping until 9:30. I took you then, fed you then we took another nappy together. As a family, we were not functioning until after 12:00!! We went out for breakfast and then we went over to Maureen's house. Maureen is Great Grampa Bill's wife. We had been planning to go visit her for months and finally got over there. Want to hear something weird baby? While we were there, the curtains were moving like crazy (both your dad & I heard it) but the air conditioning was not on and the window was closed. Also, when we were there, a lightbulb blew out. You know what I think? Grampa Bill was there with us hanging out :)

One other big piece of news for the weekend. We bought a pool for you & me to hang out in. It isn't a huge one - just a 12' circle and 2.5' deep. Daddy started setting it up for you in the yard and we learned that it is not as level as it looks. So, he is going to move it up on the bottom deck for us to hang out in. I hope that it is all set up and warm for us this weekend!

This morning, it was a little hard for me to send you to Mary's. I knew that you were missing your friends there but, all in all, I enjoyed our week together. I was going to miss you! You were back in your routine in no time and you smiled all day at your friends. After the pool, your daddy and I talked and we decided to buy a season pass to cocokey. It is really reasonable and we can just as easily take you there as we can to the other pools. Plus, it is indoors and warmer for you (and your wussy daddy)! Can't wait to take you!!

One last thing to ramble on about. You are doing so good with your food. You are eating everyday and you are opening your mouth for every spoonful. You are consistently eating a container of food - 1/2 veggies, 1/2 fruit. You aren't gagging as much with your drama-ness, you aren't spitting it up as much and it seems like you are enjoying eating more.

OK baby, that is all my rambling for today. I still owe you some photos that are on my camera but at least I have your pool photo with Morgan today!!

June 11

Hi Elijah!
Our last day of vacation is here. We survived a whole week together without Mary raising you. As far as I am aware, you are no worse for the wear. We woke up this morning, you ate then we took a nap until 9:30. It was NICE :) The rest of the day was just hanging out, cleaning, and scrapbooking. Nothing new to share with you.

It is time for a talk, buddy. Here is the deal - we can't keep going the way we were today. You need to step back and take a look at your potty habits. I got all of your diapers clean today and we were all current. But, you went through SO MANY diapers - you were either peeing or pooing ALL DAY. We need you to save up your dirties to one per day on days that you aren't as Mary's. Maybe we need to stop bouncing you so much as you seem to make more diapers when you are bouncing but you are happiest when you are bouncing! Let's work on consolidating those poos. :)

I do have a photo for you that I took today that I will add later. Daddy dressed you in your Nebraska attire. I think it was an accident but he said it was in solidarity of the conference switching. Apparently, it was a pretty big deal that Nebraska is now part of the Big 10 or something :)

I will leave you with some scrapbook pages that I did today. I built most of them while we were in Denver and just added some photos today. I wish I could take credit for them but most of them were all copied from other people!