Mother's Day

I love being a mom.
I love my mom.
I love my mother-in-law.
That's a lot of love.

This weekend was a celebration of some of the most important people in my life.  Though you've undoubtedly seen dozens of updates, tweets and posts from other people about how great their mothers and children are, I'm here to tell you mine are the best.  My mom has been my best friend for 30 years, my mother-in-law loves me like one of her own, and Eli has brought more joy to our family than I can describe.  I am so thankful that God has blessed me with the opportunity to be a mom and to learn from the best.

Because I am spoiled rotten, my boys didn't just give me a Mother's Day, but we celebrated all weekend.  Saturday I started the day with a 7:30 hair appointment (if you're up anyway...why not get your hair done??).  I am a few months shy of 30 and this was the very first time I have ever colored my hair. Ever.  Unless you count chlorine, which I don't.  Next up was a run at Anneberg Park with both of my boys.  I'm currently training for a 10K and Ryan has joined in for a couple of the long runs.  I love the company.  The rest of the day was spent hanging out with the little man, working in the yard (I love being outside - I don't care why) and getting to see my parents and their dear friends.  Such a wonderful, wonderful day.

Sunday was just as great as Eli, Ryan and I got to celebrate with the women who have taught us what real mothers are made of.  Connie, Jane and Marge we don't know what we'd do without you.

Lots of mama love today and every day!

Baby Check: 10 months

Life with a 10 month old goes something like this:
Eli and I arrive home from work/daycare with a trunk full of groceries.  Do I....
A) Leave Eli in his carseat while I unload?  No - he will protest.  A lot.
B) Set Eli on the kitchen floor and go back out to unload?  No - he will crawl directly for the stairs.
C) Set Eli by the kitchen door so I can see him while I unload?  No - he will try to crawl down the garage stairs.
D) Set Eli on the garage floor and hope he doesn't crawl under the car.   Yes - Seems like the best option I've got.

While Answer D did not result in my child crawling under the car, I did turn around to find him chewing on something which leads us to our next dilemma.  Do I...
A) Do a quick finger sweep with Walmart germs on my hands?  No.  Ew.
B) Let him chew on mystery object until I carry him inside, wash my hands and then do said finger sweep?  Again, seems like the best option I've got.

Before I completed option B, however, the little dude spit out the tiny pebble he found on the garage floor.  Must not have had much flavor.  I'll attribute that to how meticulously clean my husband keeps our garage (though as he's reading this, he's thinking to himself, 'What is she talking about?  Our garage is a disaster!!)

I can't look now, mom, I'm busy!

There has been so much going on this month, but yet I've blogged about nothing. Therefore, this post will be a summary of Eli's Daily Memory Journal and other completely random ramblings. Side note: I have LOVED this journal and have been surprisingly consistent. About every 3-4 days I go back and write the highlight of each day, something new he has learned, or something important that has happened in the world. Over time we will rack up memories from year to year and be able to see what he was doing a year ago or two or three, on that date. This month's journal entries have included things like:

The next Collin Klein?

-  April 4 - First forward movement!  You've figured out how to inch worm where you want to go.
- April 6 - We hung your swing under the deck today.  It's a little lot high, but you love your hammock in the sky.
- April 9 - Current favorite toys include beach ball, farm truck, maracas, and anything that's not actually a toy.  And of course, the usual suspects, Sophie, your buckets, scoot scoot, and books.
- April 10 - You like ground beef and hate pureed chicken.  I think we'll stick to meat in its natural form.
- April 20 - We have to keep you in long sleeves and pants to keep you from getting rug burns.  You army crawl everywhere!

Yahooooooo!!

- April 22 - Today you learned that not only can you crawl to a toy you can crawl OUT of a room and INTO the next one. On your first journey you discovered the stairs, the laundry room and the bathroom in about 2.3 seconds. Let the games begin.
-April 23 - Snow?!?  Eli, I promise this is not normal!!
- April 26 - You love to splash.  Like - flood the bathroom kind of splash.
- April 27 - Eli's first Wildcat football game!
- April 28 - BYE BYE!  You waved (responsively) for the first time today!

The first of many trips to Bill Snyder Family Stadium

I do actually have every day filled in, but these are some of the highlights.   While we're at it, I might as well mention that during this month we also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary (went to see 42 and eat at Wahoo! Fire and Ice - highly recommend both!), celebrated Ryan's 29th birthday (he received Cheez-its and chocoloate chip cookies - so high maintenance), and we are getting ready to celebrate my first real Mother's Day.  May is a busy little month!

We are quickly closing in on the one year mark.  Cannot.Believe.It.

Love you Eli!