Silly Kid

My baby boy is about to be 15 months. Last year at this time he was just a wee tyke...immobile, super precious, and cuddly. While he is still super precious...he is quite mobile and not very cuddly anymore. He is still super cute and such an amazing joy. It is so cool to watch him grow and learn. Each and everyday brings something new. He is learning all sorts of new words and will soon be walking. He is fascinated by the Christmas tree and all the baaalllls on it. He loves highlighters and has learned which one the blue and orange one are. He LOVES balloons or as he says bloooonn. He has gotten quite good at flirting and when he smiles he shows off his precious front teeth. He is cutting molars now, but he still doesn't seem to be bothered by the whole teething business...thank God!! He is an overwhelmingly happy baby and we thank God for that everyday.

Chillaxin in the car!

Testing out the stairs

Looking handsome

Noseplug!

Almost walking

Family Photos

That's the family!!

Standing on the promises...

Eli is starting to stand up on his own. Today he was so proud of himself for being such a big boy. He would stand up giggle, smile, then sit back down. Only to do it over and over again. We caught him doing a little standing on his on when he thought we weren't watching. Wonder how long it will be till he walks.

13 Months and Cuter than Ever!!

Again, because this blog double as a baby book, I must do my duty as a good mother and record some new happenings in the life of Elisha Samuel.

Words Eli Can Say
Dog
Mama (very loudly and repeatitively...he knows how to get my attention)
Dada
Ball
Hi (Aunt Jen taught him this one, so it is very enthusiastic and includes a high pitched ya at the end...hiya)
Bye Bye
Thank you (although this sounds more like he is clearing his throat because he doesn't have the t or y sounds yet...but nontheless it counts)
More (through sign language)
Food (through sign language)
All Done (through sign language)

Eli now has 4 teeth and two more coming in. So far, teething has been fairly easy for him. We pray that continues. Now that he has 4 big boy teeth he is eating like a big boy. He loves, loves, loves fruit. And carrots. And crackers. And cake...well just about everything. Although he is less found of red meat and green beans these days

He's been sort of sleeping through the night since a week before his first birthday because mommy decided it was time and put her earplugs in. I know it sounds cruel, but it was ultimately my fault that he woke up so often...simply because I couldn't stand to hear him cry. Now that he is cutting two more teeth he has reverted a bit and is waking once a night now and again I feel sorry for him, so I get up with him :). Can we say momma is a sucker!

He's crusin around everywhere. And pulling up and walking on all the furniture. I have yet to see him stand by himself, although Ben says he can. He is still such a happy and joy filled baby and we are truly blessed. He loves to dance and I mean loves to dance. Turn music on and the boy is on stage.

Baaaallll
Uhmmm...can we say the force is strong with this one.
Daddy forgot to dress up, but momma and I look great.
Oh you are my best buddy Obi Wan Kenobi...okay well we might never have met each other, but we both play for the same team.

Uncle Blake...what are you doing to me??

Even Yoda has to get places...with those short legs, crawling just seems best.

Oh my nemesis...I will defeat you.

Family Reunion and Stuff

Ben and Eli's newest hobby...HAMMOCK. And no not hammocking...HAMMOCK. You have to ask Ben about why it is called that. Check out my precious guy doing his latest hobby.

This thing makes my eyes get a little glossy...so relaxing.

ooohhhh....did you see that on thing on the ground dad.

When you can't get your kid to take a nap inside...send him outside to Hammock with dad.

puts him right to sleep.

I forgot to take my camera to the family reunion, so here are a few my sweet step-sister uploaded to facebook.

The family.

Eli's dancing for his cousin Kayden

Reach to the sky

Family Photos

Well we took Eli's one year photos and some family ones as well. They turned out so so so cute. My friend Amanda @ www.photographybyamanda.info is amazing. So check out our album. Go to her website, click on online ordering at the bottom, the password is our Blevins. Tell me which ones you like the best...have to decide so I can order.

On another note, pics of the Earl family reunion will be coming up soon. We leave tomorrow for a weekend of fun at South Toledo Bend state park in Louisiana. First time the family will meet Eli and the first time all the cousins have been together in 8 years of so. So fun!!

Eli and I are at my mom's now...I am supposed to be on a writing retreat while Gigi plays with Eli. So far I have written about 2 pages. Better get crackin....it doesn't help that my mom is fun and this house is so relaxing.

Eli and I hanging out...Gigi left to go to physical therapy.

I'll eat my cake...and my icing too!

Happy birthday to the most precious boy in the world! Thanks to all who came to celebrate this special day with the little guy. It was a great weekend.

Eli's One Year Stats
Weight: 21 lb 4oz
Height: 29 in

Eli now has three teeth. Two on the bottom and one on the top. He's talking up a storm, although most of it is still unintelligible. His vocabulary now includes, mama, dada, uh...oh, no, and dog. He loves and I mean loves to dance...turn on the music and watch him go. He crawling like a champ and pulling up on everything in site. He is also an excellent eater. We have yet to find anything that he does not like. And it is certainly amazing what he can eat with only three teeth. He just started sleeping through the night last week. We are so happy about that! He generally goes down about 8:00ish and is up between 6:30-7:30. Eli is such a joy filled baby and we are blessed to be his parents.

Sharing with my girlfriend Elli

I love my mom and dad

All the grandparents

Moo Moo and Paw Paw came to visit me.

Look at my beautiful cake miss Melanie made me

Riding one of my new toys from Mimi and Mr. Lynn...it's my sweedish horse friend Rody.

pucker up, come in close and give me a kiss

Family photo

Gigi, mom and me

Check out my hair that aunt Jen made for me.

Reminiscing

Yes, it is true, my sweet baby boy is turning one on Sunday. I am in denial of sorts. How can this be...ONE year old! For about the past month I have been doing that whole reminiscing thing...when you ponder what was going on a year ago. So on this Wednesday morning a year ago, I was most likely sitting in my office chair, the comfy leather one, not the one I sit at now...because my belly was too big and my back hurt too bad to sit anywhere else besides the comfy leather chair. I was probably wearing one of Ben's pairs of athletic shorts, probably the really comfy and CUTE yellow ones because they didn't cut circulation off from my waist and one of his large t-shirts that showed my potruding belly button. I was most likely drinking my decaf coffee (because I didn't want to caffenate the little guy), while the little guy pushed up on my ribs and stretched down on my bladder. My computer probably sat perched somewhere atop my belly and I am sure Gus was curled up next to me in the very tiny space that wasn't filled up with my over sized pregnant rear. And I am sure I was editing my dissertation proposal which at the time, was due in 2 weeks. I was planning to go to Dallas to do observations for my dissertation the following week. Ben was probably still sleeping and the house was somewhat quiet and peaceful. That afternoon we would head to the OB for the first of my weekly appointments. What I wasn't doing was expecting to go into labor in 3 days...that would have been 5 weeks too early and I was convinced I was going to go past my due date.

So today on this Wednesday morning I sit at my computer chair, the comfy leather one puts me to sleep now. In my own pair of boxers and t-shirt (okay the boxers were a gift to ben, but he never wore them, so i took them), my belly button has since receded, although it is not the same as before...a reminder of the child that grew inside me. I am still sipping on my decaf coffee...a)because I am still nursing and b)because after a year of not drinking caffeine, it doesn't really do well in my system. Gus and Lori are relegated to their own chair and are no longer the center of our world (although we still love them immensely). And I am still writing, only this time, I am working on chapter 4 of my dissertation...which was due last week, but I am way behind. We have plans to travel, but this time we are headed to Louisiana for our family reunion to introduce the little guy to the family. Ben is still sleeping, so nothing changed there. But the house is a little less quiet, but no less peaceful as my sweet son crawls around, pulling up on everything in site, smiling at his momma, singing songs, and talking up a storm (although completely unintelligible). I haven't seen my OB since January, the pediatrician will be the next doctor we see...for Eli's one year appointment nonetheless. And I am planning a first birthday party... a party 70 people have rsvped for. What can I say the little guy is popular.

My how things have changed...but I wouldn't trade it for the world. This has been one of the hardest, but by far the BEST year of my life. I thank God daily for His many blessings, for His continued provision, for His thoughtfulness in giving me such an amazing child, and for teaching me more about His love throughout this experience.

Elisha, one year ago, in my belly (34 weeks pregnant)

Elisha, at 11 months and 3 weeks. Enjoying some lasagna.

Delayed 11 Month Post

Well my baby boy turns a year in just two short weeks. I somehow missed his 11 month post. The little man is getting big and bringing us so much joy. When I weighed him last week he was a whopping 21lbs. I haven't gotten the tape measure out to check his height. He's feeding himself like a champ. He loves to eat. I mean loves to eat. He will eat anything you put in front of him...peas, green beans, potatoes, beans, peaches, plums, banana, you name it, he will eat it. He's crawling like a champ as well and pulling up on everything he can. We've been teaching him about the animal pictures in his room. He can now point to the elephant and the zebra and he can even show you where the Elephant's tusk and trunk are. It is amazing to me how quickly he is learning. We are now working on nose and eyes....but so far, he's not interested. Ben and I got Eli a swing for his first birthday and because we couldn't wait two more weeks we gave it to him a little early. Let's just say the swing is a HUGE hit. He loves it. Check out the faces below.

This is the best birthday gift ever!! Thanks mom and dad.

So fun!

Weee...heeee....

Making my serious face.

Thanks mom and dad...I love you. Can't you tell just by looking at my eyes.