Happiest Birthday to you! (Even though you were throwing up
all week) This year definitely flew by and my baby is officially a toddler. Forgive
my mush, but I just love my sweet little Eli. Everyone, even strangers we’ve
met that day, comment on your happy demeanor and it has been such a blessing in
our family. These past few weeks you haven’t been yourself with sickness and
who knows what else, but you woke up super happy yesterday and I said a silent
prayer of gratitude. I need your smiles in my life!
We’ll find out your height and weight when we go to the
doctor, but I feel you have slowed down in growth to an average sized healthy
child. Your hair lightened up, but you have a tan complexion, so I call you my
California babe. You are a decent eater, and daddy took over the majority of
solid feedings since I am a slow eater. However, you gave up baby food a while
ago and still prefer nursing at times. Six teeth, and you know how to use those
suckers. Not maliciously, but any time your mouth makes contact with anything
your first instinct is to bite. I hope we can figure out not to do that!
You’ve started to really love having mama around. You are
not as content as you once were having others hold you, but you still do fairly
well (especially when I’m not in sight). I love to see you interact with your brother. Despite how rough Joey can be with you, he still the one that gets the
biggest laughs out of you and you still follow him around. Your favorite things
to do now is play with shoes, books, and cars. The boy life chose me with you
and your brother. You like to gather and scatter and regather things, and we
have a cute video of you with cans of green beans doing exactly that.
You will sometimes sleep through the night, but for the
majority of the time these days you wake up at least once. However, I think it
is because you haven’t been feeling well. Our New Year’s Goal for you, sleep
through the night! Also, we should probably wean you from a binky and mama’s
milk. Those are more for me to work on of course. You are a bit oblivious to
these goals I have for you.
You know how to go up and down stairs, slide off the couch,
and you can even take a few steps! Walking is right around the corner. My guess
is within a month. You are ridiculously wiggly, and church is an adventure with
you and your brother. You like to get into everything! We really should have
baby-proofed our house by now, but I’m lazy. No words yet, but you are starting
to copy certain sounds. You will high-five, wave (if we are lucky), and clap.
Maybe when you are in a more copying mood I’ll teach you some sign language.
It is amazing how different you are from your brother. Yet
it is so easy to love you both. At times it is difficult to have to share my
time and attention with the both of you. Guilt can set in when I think about
the times when it was just me and your older brother, and I could give him my
full attention. I could not give that to you most of the time. So, thank you
for still being our happy, patient little guy. Thank you for helping me become
a better person and to let go of less important things. It won’t be easy at
times, but I promise I love you so much. We love you so much. Always be that
ray of sunshine I need in my life.
Love, Mama
