Happy Halloween Y'all!!

Howdy Partner.

For his first official Halloween, Eli got all gussied up as a genuine cowboy.  You may remember this outfit from his first trip to Texas.  Yep, that's right, his cowboy outfit from Aunt Anita still fits!  But that doesn't mean it wasn't a little stiff.  Walking, bending his knees, and sitting in general proved a little difficult until he got his costumed loosened up.  It was hilarious.

Has there been a cuter cowboy?

Final preparations

Our first stop was Buzz's house.  All Eli wanted to do was walk in their front door - he had no interest in grabbing a piece of candy.

The dads' attempt at getting the kids in a picture.

Does this count as a first date?

After touring the cul-de-sac with Woody, Jessie, Buzz and Stinky Pete, he definitely got the hang of walking up to the door and grabbing a treat out of the bowl!  That didn't stop him from trying to walk into every house we stopped at though.

Thanks for the candy, now can I come in your house and look out your windows?

We had the best night with our favorite cowboy, great friends and a cul-de-sac full of fun neighbors.  It makes me so happy that Eli will get to grow up surrounded by great families. 

Block parties could get a little crazy up here on the hill.

Happy Halloween Y'all!

Sunday Funday at the Lazy T

It is no secret that one of my favorite things about being a parent is getting to enjoy all the fun 'kid' things in life again....and this weekend's pumpkin patch was no different.

Ryan, Eli and I headed down Zeandale Rd, just east of Manhattan, on the most beautiful afternoon in the history of Autumn, towards the Lazy T Ranch Family Fall Festival.  And, as Ryan asked - Yes, it  lived up to everything I had hoped it would be.

Hmmm...so many choices.

Little help over here?  This thing weighs more than I do.

 For you locals out there, the Lazy T has all sorts of fall fun to offer.  We hit up the Old Barn, Hay Bail Maze, Pumpkin Patch, petting the horses and, Eli's favorites - the Pumpkin Bounce House and this little John Deere gator we found abandoned near the Hedge Apple Slingshot.  We chose to save the High Zip Line, Tunnel slide, Pony Rides and Hay Rack Ride for next year. 

Who needs a pony when you've got a gator?

Eli loved exploring all of the different 'attractions.'

Love, love, love, love him.

How can you not have fun with these two cuties?

Do We Have a Toddler?

Well, well, well...look who's back.  Contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the earth - I simply went back to work.  I can tell you right now that I'm going to feel the need to summarize the entirety of the past two months thus creating a disjointed and longwinded novel.  Therefore, I'll start with the present and work as far back as I have the energy  :)

In current news - we have a 15 month old!  While his gross motor skills do not yet meet the definition of a 'toddler' I'm pretty sure his attitude does.

You know that laid-back, chill, go-with-the-flow baby I've written about in the past?  Well, he moved out.

He has been replaced with an independent, sweet yet stubborn little boy.   Don't get me wrong - I love his independence.  Eli, literally, does not know a stranger.  Last week it was the jeweler who Eli wanted to be held by.  The week before that it was the strangers across the aisle on the plane.

He sat on this man's lap for at least 10 minutes.  Then he reached for the lady by the window.  They read a magazine.

He is not particularly bothered by being left with a babysitter or at the nursery.  Sometimes when we are all in the living room he will grab a toy and drag it back to his room to play by himself.  But then....

Come the times when he wants to be held, played with, fed, or allowed to do something he's not supposed to. And when he doesn't get his way? 

I imagine these are the things that are frustrating about being a 15 month old:
- Mom is holding a steak knife.  I sign please.  Mom tells me 'no'.  BUT I SIGNED PLEASE!?!
- I know and can understand 40+ words, but I can only sign/say 5 words.  Why can't they understand what I want???
- Mom and dad spent all those months encouraging me to roll over, scoot, crawl, and sit up.  Now they want me to just lay still to get my diaper changed???  Hypocrites.

Eli backed out on his hair cut last Saturday.  I.  JUST. CAN'T CUT. THEM. 

At 15 months Eli walks with assistance, takes about 6 independent steps, says car, vroom, and truck, signs more, please and all done, has 10 (almost 12) teeth including his molars, has learned to point (and use the iPad).  At his 15 month appointment, Eli was in the 5% for weight and 47% for height.  He wears 6-12 month pants (they finally fit!) and 12-18 month shirts. 

I have this innate sense that naptime is coming to a close - so I'll make it snappy.  Here is a photo summary of the past two months.  Enjoy!

Eli loves to play and is ALWAYS moving!

Freedom!!!

My friends make the cutest babies.

Daddy's old stompin' grounds.  Team Haley Hobbs represent!

He will climb in his chair and read forever - after he gets situated which takes...forever.

Let's pretend he did this for the entire flight.

Oh how I wish this picture had sound.  His 'stories' are the best.

His favorite perch.  So many cars and trucks to point out!

Crawling Bandit

What is the most common comment Eli gets from strangers?
- 'You're cute!' - Nope.
- 'You have great hair!' - Nope.
- 'You are FAST!' - Yep.

While most 13 month ankle biters are working on their walking, Eli is setting PRs in the 100 meter crawl. 

STORY:  Last week I walked into the library and saw three moms with their babies.  I recognized one mom from playgroup.  I had never seen the other moms.  Here's how their convo with Eli went.

Playgroup Mom  - 'Hey, I saw you yesterday!'
Stranger Mom #1 - 'Hey, I've seen you at the park!  I recognize that army crawl.  No one crawls that fast!'
Stranger Mom #2 - 'Yeah!  I've seen you at the Fountains!  I'd recognize that army crawl anywhere.  How do you keep up with him?'

Apparently Eli is making a name for himself all over the Little Apple.  We've decided to officially begin training.  He'll be in our basement crawling laps if you need him.  :)

Alligator Got the Paci

So Ryan and I decided a couple of months ago that Eli's paci was nearing the end of its life in our house.  I've read and heard multiple places that babies lose their sucking instinct around 6 months and after that a paci is just a habit, not something they actually need to soothe themselves.  In addition, logic kept whispering in our ear that it was only going to get harder as he got older.  No matter how hard it is now, it will never get easier, logic told us.  However, Eli's first plane trip was planned for the beginning of July and we certainly weren't brave enough to attack that adventure without a paci.  So our plane trip came and went, then fourth of July in Topeka came and went, and we had very little excuse left to delay the paci's exit.  In fact, we were on a deadline because we knew the paci had to be gone by the time Eli goes back to daycare.  Miss Dawn, bless her, loves Eli so much.  So much in fact, that we knew there was no way she'd put him through the trauma of losing a paci.  So it was now or never. 

Thus came the question - do we take it cold turkey or do we cut the tip off of it therefore rendering the paci pointless and (hopefully) no longer desirable to our sweet Eli.  In a moment of wisdom, Ryan pointed out that Eli will pretty much go with the flow on anything as long as he thinks it's his idea.  (Not our kid at all. Ha.)  In other words, if we 'ruin' the paci then he will (hopefully) throw it aside deciding that he's done with it.  I mean what's the worst that could happen?  He sucks on it anyway and we ultimately have to take it from him?  Seemed like a decent hypothesis to take to the lab.  Here are the results of our experiment... (note - all observation was done through our video monitor :)

Sunday bedtime - Eli sticks the paci in his mouth.  Takes it out and examines (what the heck??).  Sticks it back in.  Takes it out and examines (what happened to this thing??).  Sticks it back in.  Repeat for 5-7 minutes until paci was ultimately tossed over the crib railing and left abandoned in the middle of his room.  Little man rolled around for a while and fell asleep with no issue.

Monday Nap #1 - Mom lays paci in the corner of the crib then lays Eli down.  Eli sticks the paci in his mouth.  Takes it out and examines (oh great, this again).  Sticks it back in and chews on it....like a piece of cud.  Crawls around for a while - gnawing away until, ultimately, the paci meets the same fate - over the railing and onto the carpet.

Monday Nap #2 - Mom lays paci in the corner of the crib then lays Eli down.  Eli plays with his blanket, rolls around, practices his clapping, bangs his head against his crib all before paying any attention to the paci in the corner.  Then, spotting the paci, crawls over to it, promptly chucks it to the middle of the room, plays a bit longer, then falls asleep. 

Many of the same observations occured through Tuesday.  Wednesday morning, Eli had been ignoring the paci long enough that I was pretty confident he wouldn't care if it never showed up again.  And it hasn't.  And he hasn't seemed to miss it.  So, I guess that's that. 

The alligator took a big ol' bite out of Eli's beloved paci, but, luckily, he still has no problem making it to dream land. 

The Best Year

One short year ago, Ryan and I were anxiously (and I mean ANXIOUSLY) awaiting the arrival of our sweet baby boy, Eli Alexander Grieves.  Our prayers for a healthy baby and routine labor were answered when he arrived at 4:21 pm screaming and purple (good, baby purple - not scary purple).  In the last year we have sacrificed sleep, hobbies, lounging on the couch (or lounging of any kind really), and our own schedules.  And we would undoubtedly make those sacrifices all over again to have Eli in our lives (which is good because I'm sure the sacrifices are just starting :)).

One short year ago...

Sweet Eli,
You are the complete embodiment of joy and  unconditional love.  Those are both huge concepts that are hard to grasp, but you, sir, have made it possible for us.  From the moment you were born you have trusted and loved us without condition.  And we have loved you the same.  You have also shown us what true, unbridled joy looks like.  There is nothing like your smile and your giggles to fill an entire room with joy.  As much as your daddy and I love each other, we were incomplete without you.  You have brought joy to our lives that we had never, ever experienced before.  Thank you sweet baby.
We are so proud of the little boy you have grown to be.  You are loving and sweet and silly.  You are also strong-willed and stubborn passionate.  We are certain you have taught us far more than we have taught you and I am sure that will only continue.
We continue to pray that you will grow to be a great man of faith who is kind, compassionate, and loving towards everyone you encounter.  We love you to the moon and back.

Maniac Man!

At one year you....
- army crawl at the speed of light
- love to 'scare' us (Bah! BuuuuAH!)
- eat table food and drink from a sippy cup
- laugh when we tickle you and make bug eyes at you
- like casting spells on anyone and anything
- love to swing HIGH and swim!
- climb on everything (bar stools, stairs, dressers, oven...if you can pull up on it, you will!)
- will sometimes walk behind your push cart....but you're not really that interested
- sometimes throw a fit when we put you in your carseat
- sometimes get impatient when you have to sit still for too long (carseat, stroller)
- have started to figure out your shape sorter
- like to have 'conversations' with anyone that will listen
- seem to be scared of men with dark hair (sorry Uncle Go)
- do not understand the concept of 'stranger danger.'  Everyone is your friend!
- seem to be having a little bit of separation anxiety  (at church and gym nurseries)
- wave hi, bye-bye, clap and sign for 'all-done' and 'more' (except you use the same sign for both words...that makes things tricky)
- love saying 'Uh-Oh' and dropping things just so you can say it (uh-uh-ohhhh)
- sleep from 7 pm - 7 am and take two naps during the day (kid loves his sleep!)
- LOVE playing and wrestling with your daddy
- love other kids - watching them, playing with them, etc
- love reading books - especially your Old MacDonald and Wheels on the Bus 'touch and feel' books
- did great on your first plane ride to Texas!
- go by E, E-Money, Monkey, and Maniac Man

Can't wait to see what year two brings!  We love you E!

In Memory

Eleven days ago two of my favorite people set out on an after-dinner walk with no idea that only one of them would make it home.  At the age of 54, with no history of heart disease, my Uncle Brent took his last steps with my aunt by his side before a massive heart attack ended his stay on this earth.

I do not have the words to adequately convey the kindness, faith, and sincerity of this man.  His entire life was the definition of these three words.  I will always remember him for the huge smile and giant bear hug I received every time I saw him, for buying a bike and keeping it at his house in Texas just for when I came to visit, for his willingness to play 'Follow the Leader' off of a diving board regardless of what crazy tricks I did first, for his tireless devotion to drive and fly all over the country to watch his kids compete, for his generosity, his selflessness, and, most of all, for his unquestionable love for my aunt, for his family and for his Lord.

Yes, Anita, I see you with that camera.

As Ryan and I tried to digest the shock and grief that began 11 days ago, we bounced from disbelief to denial and back again.  When someone as wonderful as Brent is taken far too soon, you cannot help but ask 'why'.  Why would the Lord take someone who was serving Him so well?  There was so much on this earth that Brent could still do.  But I think the answer might lie with the hundreds of people that came to honor my Uncle and to show their gratitude for his impact on their lives.  Monday night's two hour visitation lasted four.  On Tuesday, the ushers counted 1,000 people in a sanctuary built to hold 700.  There is not a single doubt in our minds that 1,000 people left the church that day determined to find the type of faith and relationship my uncle had with God.  I know Ryan and I did.

Yet, still, my heart breaks for my aunt and for my cousins who have lost their best friend, their rock.  Though he won't walk through the door again, he has left a piece of him with each one of them that will never be taken away.  Not only was my uncle an incredible man of faith, he was an incredible teacher of God's love for us.  This was no more evident than when my four cousins stood in front of 1,000 people and spoke in their dad's honor.  You see, he had not just been a man of faith in the quiet places.  He was a man who lived his faith in everything he did, and he talked to people about his faith - most importantly his kids.  Hearing the words they shared, the deep, mature understanding of their Lord and His promise of eternal life was such a testament to their dad.  To what he taught them.  He lived with urgency.  An urgency to know and love the Lord and an urgency to share this knowledge with the people he loved.

As I sit and reread the words his family wrote for him, I am in awe of the perspective he gave them.  Though he didn't know it, he was preparing them for this very time.  As he told Greg, 'You have to know in your heart you are ready, that you are going to heaven.  You have to embrace it and have no regrets because you never know when your time will come.'

 If, at this point, I have failed to communicate how much Ryan and I admire Brent Lupton, let this picture clarify any lingering questions.  In honor of Brent Lupton - our very own Baby Jay. 

As I reflect on this past week, I am honored, proud and so blessed to be a part of the family I have.  With only three days notice, over 50 members of our immediate family made their way to Kingwood, Texas to honor Brent.  Work, travel costs, and obligations faded as we all found a way to get there to honor a man who we loved so much.  I am thankful that distance and time does nothing to dilute the love and devotion our family shares.  The thing is, I have three more uncles that followed Brent and me off that same diving board.  When wedding dress shopping, they had to give us the largest dressing room to fit all of my aunts and cousins.  The 'normal' definition of sister, brother, uncle, aunt and cousin does not apply to my family.  We are simply one giant family spread over multiple states, living in different houses.  But, when it comes down to it, we are all one.