Eli: 20 Months

That's right!  Mr. Mr. (aka Eli, Tornado, etc) is 20 months old today!  I can not believe he is almost two years old!  AND yes, I have been thinking about his 2nd birthday party.  I have a couple of ideas but I haven't landed on one yet.  For now, here's the stats on Eli:

Weight:  27 lbs at his last doctor's appt
Height:  35 inches
Clothes size:  18-2T (it depends what brand it is)
Shoe size: 7
Diaper size:  6

Some of Eli's favorite foods lately have been blueberries (fresh or frozen) and beefaroni (I think it's disgusting but he LOVES it)! 

Enjoy this picture of the cutest 20 month old around:

Thanks to Mrs. Connie Delphon Eli did get his second haircut!

Eli-19 Months Old

May 14th Eli was officially 19 months old!  He celebrated by getting a double ear infection.  Yuck, for everyone in the house!

Here's the stats for Mr. E at 19 months:
Weight:  27 lbs
Height: 35 inches
Diapers:  Just moved up to a size 6
Clothes:  24 months and some 2T
Shoes:  6/7

It seems like he's grown so much since just last month.  It's almost time for another hair cut too.  So we'll be on the look out for someone to do that too.  I think we'll get over the ear infection before we go looking for trouble with another haircut.

Changes, Changes, Changes

Poor Eli.  Not only did we bring home another child but we also promoted him to a big boy bed.  This issue has been an ongoing discussion since we found out Harper was coming.  We didn't want to buy a second crib but we didn't know if Eli would be ready for a bigger bed or not.  Then if we did take him out of his crib did we want to buy a toddler bed or twin bed or just put him on the full size bed in our guest room? 

Well, during a 3 AM feeding session with Harper I asked myself, "Self, why not just move the beds now?"  Later in the day when Chris woke up we talked about it and decided if we're going to be up already with Harper why not go ahead and make the transition with Eli too.  Our fear was always he would never sleep.  He would get off the bed and play with his toys.  So began musical beds, the pack and play Harper was sleeping in went in the closet, the crib went in Harper's room, and the full size bed went in Eli's room (minus the frame).  We left the frame off the full size bed so Eli could get in and out by himself.

After lunch that day it was time for Eli's nap and Chris went in his room with him and laid him down and said it was time to take a nap.  Eli laid right now and went to sleep.  We checked on him twice (see pictures below) and he was sound asleep!  He has done SO GOOD in his new bed.  He does not get out of his bed until we come to get him.  In the mornings or after his nap he will sit on his bed and moan or scream just like he did in his crib.  When we walk in his room he slides right off as if he was just waiting on us.

I know the beige sheets don't scream, "adorable."  Since his room is done in Arkansas Razorbacks I am on the hunt for either super cheap Razorback sheets or red and black sheets.

Eli at 18 Months

That's right!  Eli's officially 18 months old!  Can you believe it?!  I can't.  I still can't believe in a couple of weeks there will be another baby in our house!

Here's the low down on Mr. Eli Plunkett:
Diapers:  5
Shoes:  6/7
Clothes:  18-24 months (some 2T)
Weight:  28 lbs
Height:  33 inches

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  Eli is all boy!  A couple of weeks ago I met a friend from high school at a local park with her two boys and Eli didn't really care much for the actual playground.  Now, the creek with rocks--that's where he wanted to be.  Lucky for us, my friend's sons were also interested in the rocks so we probably spent more time on the edge of the creek throwing rocks than at the actual playground.

Here he is!  Running in the backyard!

House Projects

Once we had an address and each kid was going to have their own rooms I started working on some projects for their rooms.  Eli's room is a little difficult to make stuff for because it's done in Arkansas Razorback stuff but he also has old trucks in there too so I'm always looking for something to make that doesn't look too girly for him.

Eli's project board

A friend of mine used window shutters for her daughter a project board but shutters seemed kind of girly so I had to think of a manly project board.  Enter--chicken wire!  I found this open back frame on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $12.00, spray painted it red and stapled the chicken wire on the back.  I have some little clothes pins packed away some where to use instead of that giant clip in the picture.

Harper's door sign

This is an idea I took from an Etsy seller.  Her product was just the chalkboard used as a photo prop.  I asked my uncle if he could cut the shape out of wood and I would do the rest.  Instead he cut two boards and painted them for me!  I hot glued the tulle on the front and finished it off!  The second board he cut for me is in my kitchen.  It's nothing fancy so I didn't take a picture.

Harper's mirror

My same aunt and uncle that did the boards for me had a massive indoor yard sale and once the dust settled I went "picking" (you know the show American Pickers) in what was left over!  No one bought this mirror so I took it off their hands.  I spray painted it purple and tied some tulle at the top.  Right now it's hanging over Harper's dresser/changing table.

Harper's bow board

This is currently the most colorful thing in Harper's room (until her bedding is done anyways).  One of my mom's friends made Harper all of these adorable bows!  I bought the open back frame at Hobby Lobby for $7.00 (I think), spray painted it green, stapled ribbon to the back then the main fabric from Harper's bedding, and of course, added the tulle! 

This is all I have done right now.  I still need to re-finish a dresser for Harper's room.  I'm planning on doing it this weekend.  I'm also on the hunt for a cheap, simple desk to re-finish for our bedroom.  I thought I found one on Craigslist but by the time I e-mailed the seller it was already gone!  But I'm still hunting!

Eli's Hair

From the moment Eli was born he's had a full head of hair.  It started out as dark brown, then it got lighter and curlier and longer as time went on.  The crazier it got the more and more people asked when we were going to cut it.  We never had a magic number in mind but we knew it was fast approaching.

Before

During

After

His hair is pretty curly so I'm seeing lots of haircuts in our future.  Hopefully, he'll get better at sitting still. 

16 Months Old!

Can you believe Eli is 16 months old?!  I can't!  Here's the latest info on Eli Plunkett:

Clothes size:  18-24 months
Shoe size:  5-6
Diaper size:  5
Weight:  31 lbs
Length:  No clue!  At his one year check up he was 31 inches but I don't even want to try to measure him.

He is FINALLY starting to walk!  I think he was so mobile before he didn't really need a reason to walk because he could crawl any where and climb on anything so who needs to walk?  I was starting to feel bad about this because in his Sunday school class they promoted all the walkers and that left Eli in there with all these little kids--he's at least head taller than most of those kids.  But I know if he was in the walker room he might get run over so I'm okay with it.  I know he has no idea what is going on so it shouldn't bother me.

Eli is also your typical boy.  He plows over anything in his way, throws anything that remotely looks like a ball, and knocks over anything he can reach just because he wants to.  Around our house we call him, "Tornado."  The other day he realized he could knock over his chair in the living room so now he does it all the time.  It wouldn't bother me if the chair wasn't 30 years old already so pretending it's a wrestling bag makes me kind of nervous.  If the budget and my conscience can ever line up Eli will have his own living room chair that's not so old.

He also LOVES music!  Anytime music is on TV he is "dancing," (bending his knees to move up and down).  Drumming is also a favorite activity.  Anything with a flat surface gets drummed on.  Apparently, Justin Bieber started out as a drummer so we'll see....  Who needs to be President of the United States anyways?

I think that's about it for Eli right now!

Tornado

Unpredictable.  Destructible. Those are the words most people use to describe a tornado.  Recently Chris and I started calling our son a tornado for that very reason.  Eli is not walking yet but who needs to walk when you can crawl anywhere you need to or climb on anything you want to get to.

First up was being able to climb into the rocking chair. 
Granted he can't get out of this chair but he's pretty quick about getting in it these days.

The next day or two came the couch. 
This was a moment of accomplishment for sure! 
We usually keep the remote in the crack of the couch so once he figured out how to get up here guess what the first thing was he grabbed?  Look at the right side of the picture.

There is still a recliner Eli hasn't figured out how to climb in but that doesn't mean he doesn't try.  Everyday is a new adventure with Eli.  He is all boy, without a doubt!

One Year!!!

Today is Eli's official birthday!  One year ago at 3:20 a.m. our lives changed forever.  And now we're in full swing of more change with #2 coming!  So here's the scoop on Eli:

Clothes:  12-18 mos
Shoes: 4/5
Diapers:  4
Food:  Everything and anything!  He now likes bananas so he really does like everything now.  He loves macaroni and cheese too!
Milestones:  He is not walking but he pulls up on everything and walks along it and speed crawls everywhere!  He gets everywhere he needs to go!  When he gets excited he bangs his hands on whatever is close.  He says, "dada" ALL THE TIME and growls.  I think he growls because Parson growls at him so much he thinks it's what you are supposed to do.  He can't read yet but he loves to eat books, if that means anything.

I think that's pretty much everything on Eli.

Colds and Parties

A couple of weeks ago Eli got a cold and then proceeded to pass it on to everyone in the house.  As of today, I'm battling sinus headaches and blowing my nose all the time, Chris is on the mend, and Eli's almost 100%.  If I wasn't in my first trimester I could take some actual medicine to help me get rid of this but until then all I can take is Tylenol.  Which , as you know, does nothing for sinus headaches.

We also celebrated Eli's 1st birthday this past Saturday!  Since his birthday was so close to the Aggie-Razorback game we decided to have his party early so we could combine the two.  About an hour before kick off we had the birthday festivities and then we watched the game. 



Eli wearing 1 year shirt!

Mr Mr in the wagon my parents got him!

He wasn't really sure about everyone singing to him and it was right before nap time.

Not really a fan of this cake either.

The family right before Eli's nap and kick off!

Once Eli went to take his nap it was about time for kickoff! True, we do live in Aggieland and love ministering to Aggies but when the Razorbacks play we have to support them.  And the Razorbacks did win!

Yes, He's a Boy

Since he was in the womb practicing for a soccer tournament I have said Eli is all boy.  This truth is more and more evident the older (and more active) he gets.  A couple of months ago I read, "Bringing Up Boys," by Dr. James Dobson.  In the very first chapter he says, "If a toddler can climb on it, he will jump off it.  He will eat anything but food and loves to play in the toilet.  He makes guns out of cucumbers or toothbrushes and likes digging around in drawers, pill bottles, and Mom's purse."  Eli has done all those things except the gun/cucumber thing.

It's not my purse but he does think his diaper bag is quite interesting.

Playing under his bed just because he can.

Climbing on his pack and play to dig through the white laundry basket.  The entire time I was cleaning out his room he was trying to get into this basket.

At his first Aggie football tailgate.  Right after this picture was taken he ate a handful of dirt.

October 14th this little boy will turn 1 year old!  It is crazy how fast it's gone by but I'm sure it will always be an adventure.

Mr Mr Update!

I am so bad about updating this blog when it comes to the boy.  I put a lot of pictures on Facebook for his grandparents but I forget to put them on here too.

Here goes:
Eli turned 10 months old August 14th.
He weighs 21 lbs and he's 31 inches long.
He wears 12/18 months clothes.
He wears size 4 shoes.
He still sleeps through the night (7PM-7AM)
He's eating more and more "people" food (mac and cheese, turkey, cheese, Cheerios, corn, peas, green beans, carrots, peaches, applesauce, sweet potatoes, rice, and eggs).  There is probably more but that's all I can think of right now.
He has 7 teeth (working on 8 and 9 right now)
He's not walking but he is pulling up on EVERYTHING.  Nothing is safe in our house.

Enjoy some pictures of the cutest boy around!

Eli and Dad at a Brazos Valley Bombers game.

Drinking some apple juice.

Drinking some formula.

Getting used to the big boy toothbrush.

Closing his toolbox and realizing he doesn't know how to get it opened.

Standing at our favorite toy!

Update Time

Well, last night I learned that this blog holds some sentimental spot in my husband's heart.  Therefore, it will not be deleted.  Instead it will be more personal and less informative.  For more informative stuff visit my cluttered corner.  For family updates and personal ramblings stay here.  And always for all things running go to the running blog.

So for things of a personal nature.  The only reason most of my family reads this blog:  Mr. Eli Plunkett!

He will be 9 months old July 14th! 

He scoots all over the place!  Nothing is off limits to this mobile little boy!

He has found his bedroom!  While scooting around he wanders in here to play with some of his other toys!

He loves his Daddy!  While in AR for the 4th of July Chris took him for a ride on the four wheeler.  Eli loves being outside so this was right up his alley!

Teething

The other day at Target a woman told me every time her kids were cranky she would tell people they were teething--even when they were 6 years old and old enough to get upset about it.


I feel like that. I feel like Eli has been teething since Christmas. He finally cut two teeth over Easter and I really think he's working on more but they have not appeared yet.


Being the nerd I am I've read a lot of blogs and websites about teething and what to do about it.

Tylenol Done it and I guess it works.

Baby Orejel Done it and probably didn't work.

Teething pacifier Bought one. He's not a fan.

Frozen teething toys Did it. The cold made him cry more.

Frozen waffles I'm a little scared to do this simply because he doesn't really chew stuff yet.

Frozen pacifier I haven't tried this one yet because he was so against the other frozen things I didn't even want to try it again.

That's pretty much it. I think my philosophy on teething will be the same as my pregnancy philosophy: Heaven is forever--not teething.

6 Month Check Up

Eli had his six month check up today. Everyone survived.
Measurements are as follows:
Head-18 inches (80 percentile)
Length-28 inches (95 percentile)
Weight-18.9 lbs (75 percentile)

Basically, we have a tall baby on our hands. Anyone that has carried him around for awhile can testify to this.

He is also reaching all his developemental milestones like eye contact, following objects with his eyes, sitting (even if he goes straight for his toes), bearing weight on his feet, and responding to his name. There might be more but I can't remember right now.

Baby + NICU = No Fun

It seems crazy to me that Eli will be 6 months old Thursday! Last night we were looking at the hundreds of pictures that were taken of Eli when he was born. Needless to say, he has come a long way. Thanks to my high blood pressure he arrived about a month early so he was lucky enough to be a guest at the St. Joseph NICU. The nurses there were great! They do an excellent job of dealing with hormonal exhausted mothers.

I remember the day of my hormonal melt down like it was yesterday. Chris and I were waiting in line at the NICU waiting to enter for one of Eli's feedings. We had to line up in the hallway and when they were ready for the parents we all had to stop and wash our hands and then go see our babies. Up to this point Eli was progressing as expected--he was not a fan of eating and would much rather sleep than eat. But if he didn't eat a certain amount they would not let him go home. During our morning visit they said they had removed one of his cords so I'm feeling pretty good when we go to the next feeding. Until I see this bright orange cord taped to his face. The nurse told me it was "just a feeding tube" because he didn't drink all of his milk last time. I had heard enough. I couldn't talk. I just looked at her through my swollen, still puffy, eyes and cried. I couldn't stop. Once I started it went on and on.

Since that day my son has learned to eat quite well. He's almost hit the 20 pound mark and loves real food, like peas, squash, carrots, applesauce, and pears. He scoots all over the floor and never stays in one place long.

If you've ever had a friend or you have experienced the NICU of a hospital, I'm sorry. It sucks. It really does. There is no nice thing to say. I do suppose the nicest thing is it doesn't last. It seems life stands still in the NICU and you're never going to get out but once you do, hold on! It is going to be a fast and crazy ride!

Cary's Tips for NICU:

1. Stock up on tissue. Mom, you might not be crying at all but you never know when the water works will start.

2. Have some pre-packaged goodies for you and Dad. Especially, if you are nursing you need to eat so have some peanut butter and crackers, bottled water, etc available to munch on throughout the day.

3. Sleep when you can. Being hormonal is bad enough but hormonal and exhausted is a daily meltdown waiting to happen.

4. Take help. People will ask what they can do to help you. Tell them. They wouldn't be asking if they didn't want to help. It's okay to need people's help every once in awhile.

5. Know that you will survive. Know that God is there. I can't tell you how many times I read Psalm 139 before Eli was born but when he was in the NICU it took a different meaning.

I leave you with pictures of Eli in the NICU and Eli currently.

Time to Play Catch Up

I know, I know. I didn't give you leadership stuff everyday last week. Between celebrating my birthday, getting the apartment ready for my parents, and getting ready to move I didn't get to it everyday. I'm sorry. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?

If you can, then read on. If you can't forgive me then stop reading!

First up, Mister Mister turned five months old on March 14th. Isn't that crazy!? It is so hard to believe that he's been here for five months! So far he's still eating almost 8 oz five times a day. However, now he's also eating cereal and some baby food once a day. So far he's had sweet peas and applesauce. He's not really a fan of sweet peas but when you mix them with cereal he's okay with it. I know, you want to try some. I'll pass. The smell alone kind of makes me gag. He still sleeps through the night. He goes to bed around 7:00 PM and wakes up around 7:00 AM. He still loves the Johnny Jump Up also! I like the JJU because it makes him tired so he takes a good nap. Speaking of naps, he's not really a fan of naps. That goes right along with him being stubborn. He will still fight a nap and yell to keep himself awake. While we're on the topic of things he doesn't like he still does not like baths. I bought some bubble bath today to see if he likes the bath any better with bubbles.

Secondly, we're moving! We found this great house in Bryan (about 10 minutes from where we live now). This week while Chris is gone I'm moving some things to the house. I can't wait to get moved in!

Lastly, on a weird note, I've been watching Thirtysomething on Netflix. You know, now that I'm 30 years old. I have to say, I don't really know why that show was so popular. It kind of got on my nerves. But just like any sitcom I had to see how it ended so I watched the final episode on Youtube. The things I realized about that show: Hope is a baby. I understand being a little nuts after a baby is born but she was insanely selfish throughout that series, her husband seemed to be a bit of a push over and they never seemed to really talk about anything important. Speaking of not talking Elliot and Nancy drove me up the wall. Basically, if you want to know how not to act in your marriage watch Thirtysomething.

Things I've Learned About My Son

I have been at home with my son for 3 1/2 months now. The above picture is him on his last day in the NICU when he was born. Below are the things I have learned about my precious bundle of joy in the past 3 1/2 months:

1. He is persistent. I think James Dobson calls this "strong willed." When he doesn't want to take a nap he will lay in his bed and yell. No tears. Just yelling. Lots of yawning. But never sleeping. He is refusing to sleep. It is as if he's yelling to keep himself awake.

2. He is determined. Currently, he loves to lay on his dad's chest and when he was first born he would fall asleep but now he tries to climb his chest. He will use Chris' belt as leverage to climb him. I think he really wants to be mobile.

3. He is adorable! As if you had to even ask! My favorite moments of the day are when he smiles...for whatever reason. I just love to see him smile.

STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG IN FEBRUARY...Healthy heart tips everyday!

Three Month Update

Well, it has been three months since Eli's arrival. This time three months ago I was reaping the benefits of a magical epidural and waiting. Then he arrived at 3:20 a.m. on October 14th!

Here are some updates for the past three months:

First up, Mr. Eli: he is holding his head up really well, he has rolled from stomach to back but I think he was so mad he was on his back he's not going to do it again, he still has all his hair, he doesn't pee on himself everytime he gets his diaper changed (I think he finally figured out that stuff doesn't taste good), and he still thinks bathtime is the worst thing on the planet.

Next up me, Cary, my Couch to 5k plan is more like couch to kitchen. I don't make exercise a priority and I don't enjoy it so if I get it in twice a week I feel like I accomplished something. My doctor recommended I do yoga to help keep my blood pressure low and also help when we're ready for baby #2. I received a mom and baby yoga DVD for Christmas and we have done it a couple of times and Eli's not really a fan. He just gives me this look that looks like Chris if I were to say, "Hey Honey, let's do yoga together." I also quit my job to be a stay at home mom (web talk is SAHM) and I love it! I'm not super good at the SAHM thing but I think I'm getting better at it.

Chris-graduated from seminary in December with his masters degree. He is staying busy at Central getting ready for the Spring semester to start and also getting ready for a mission trip to Virginia in March. Now that he is out of seminary he is also reading a lot of books. The whole time he was in seminary read books that were assigned to him and didn't enjoy all of them but now--Katy bar the door--he's a reading machine. He received an Amazon giftcard for a graduation gift and ordered some more books :)

Now I will leave you with some pictures of Eli from the past three months:

Eight Week Check Up

Eli survived his first doctor's appointment! Dr. Anna's nurse was very good and quick so the torture didn't drag on.His little band aids after all the work is done.

All done! Wrapped and ready to leave!