Bartmer Ave.

The big switch

2008-06-01T21:56:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone. So it seems to me that I have been holding out on switching the blog location in an emotional attempt to hold onto St. Louis. The fact is, I no longer live in St. Louis, and I guess it's goofy to have a blog at "gordonsinstlouis" when you don't live there. So, in another of the painful steps we have taken to extract ourselves emotionally and physically from St. Louis, you may now find us at gordonsinsavannah.blogspot.com. You can just click here. Thanks.

Training

2008-06-01T20:16:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone. Just a note to say that all this week we'll be in Atlanta (that is, Michael, Elsie and I) for staff training and orientation with RUF. So we'll talk in a week. Bye.

Walking tour

2008-05-28T14:18:00.002-04:00

So I think I'm taking you all on a walking tour of Savannah. Here are some things we've found so far. The beautiful house is on the west side of Forsyth Park, a large park about one mile from our house which has a beautiful fountain, lots of big trees and grassy areas, and a playground. There are many houses like this on the western edge of the park, some for sale. One had a sign advertising 6,000 square feet. Unbelievable. I can't even imagine what they must cost. There are many streets like this in Savannah with such beautiful houses and architecture.

Here are a couple of pictures of the library, the main branch of the Live Oak public library system. This is about 3 blocks from our house, and actually has a small castle room built into the inside for storytelling time. Elliot just wanted to know if they had Thomas books. Upstairs I found a wonderful classical CD collection. I think I'll be starting with "A" and working my way around.

And here are the kiddos. My parents left today, which was pretty sad. Elliot cried as grandma left and said, "Gah no go on plane, Gah stay my house". Michael left to try to get plates for the van, which he actually did, and I was left alone with the children...

Just a phone note

2008-05-28T11:40:00.002-04:00

Hi, all. Just so you know, if any of you have called me since we've been in Savannah and you've gotten an email in return or haven't gotten anything, I'm not trying to avoid you. My cell phone does not work in our apartment. I must stand on the front porch or leave the house, both of which are complicated if kids are around. So. In a couple of weeks we hope to get new cell phones and we'll be back in business. Just thought I should say something. Thanks

A few pictures

2008-05-25T21:27:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone. Mom's here and she brought her camera. And so we have pictures!
Here's Buggie having a snack on the way to her room. You can also see our front porch here after a lovely rain storm. Both of our kids seemed to be a greyish brown color after playing on the porch everyday. So we finally scrubbed it with Oxyclean and hosed it off. It's close enough to clean that Bug can crawl on her stomach and be a lighter shade of grey when she's done.
You'll also see my mom here, cooking or cleaning something as she has been while she's been here. Dad's been hanging pictures and other things. It was about 75 degrees and sunny here today - beautiful. We hope to lay low tomorrow and hit the beach on Tuesday after all of the Memorial Day tourists go home. I hope to give you a gradual tour of our house and of Savannah as we go!

Elmo's Potty Time

2008-05-22T09:13:00.002-04:00

So just a note, if you want your kid to get interested in the potty, here's the DVD for you. Elliot has watched it three days in a row and keeps asking me for a little potty. He doesn't know that I already have one in the back room for him. It's pretty funny, the DVD. Elmo's dad dances around the bathroom and sings while Elmo does a little shake dance while ON the potty. The lyrics to the songs, well, I may have to put some on here pretty soon. He and Michael left to run an errand and I almost watched the thing by myself, until I realized what I was doing.

In other news, my mom and dad are coming to visit today, which is great news in itself. They are also bringing an old camera of mom's. Good news as well. Pictures are on their way.

Thanks so much for your comments, those of you who comment. They are very encouraging and make us not feel so far away! We need that for awhile here, as we don't quite have any friends yet. Thanks ya'll.

"Mama, I want go beach again"

2008-05-21T14:04:00.003-04:00

This is what Elliot has said to us most of the way home both times that we have been to the beach in the last 24 hours. We went yesterday afternoon for the first time. We weren't getting much work done here with the kids, so we figured, why not go play for awhile? My parents are coming tomorrow and we hope to get some things done then. So, to the beach we went.

It's approximately 18 miles from our front porch to the parking lot at the beach. This is unbelievable to me, as I grew up in Illinois, visiting Florida beaches in the summertime, thinking the people who actually lived there year round must be the happiest people in the world, since they NEVER had to leave the beach. I think it's still one of the happiest places there could ever be. We put Elsie in a little puddle made by the ocean when the tide had been further in. The water was warm and she loved it. She sat with her little pink bow-laden beach hat on in the puddle for at least 30 minutes and just splashed in the water, happy as she could be. Elliot ran up and down the beach, finding new puddles to help fill his bucket and cups, shovels and water toys. Occasionally he would ask one of us to take him back into the water to play in the waves, which I think he thinks are there just for his own enjoyment. The pull of the tide knocks him over about every 10 minutes. And every other wave causes him to turn to one of us and say, "Dat was a beeg one!"

This morning we tried a different part of the beach, attempting to perfect our beach exit strategy. We have not yet improved this part of the process. So we carried our umbrella, 3 towels, 4 water toys, diaper bag, snacks, 2 chairs and 2 very sandy children to the parking lot where we tried to wash the sand off of them with one of those showers that you have to hold while you use it, you know what I'm talking about? Well, let's just say it's not perfected yet. In the running for future help include things like something with wheels and one of those REALLY big Lands End beach bags. I'll let you know when we've got it down.

The part of the beach we went to this morning was a total vacation spot: there is a huge pier and pavilion with an ice cream store and music, lifeguards, a huge parking lot, and many beach side tourist shops. I loved it. So did Elliot. The kid, I think, would play with the sand and in the ocean until he was crispy like the bagels I forget in the oven sometimes. To me, it's well worth the pain of trying to get them clean and figure out the logistics of the whole beach thing. Yes, there is sand all over my car and on the front rug. The towels are dirty and the kids both fell asleep on the way home without eating lunch first. But the wind and the smell of the salt, the sun on the water and the feel of sand between my toes is one of the best combinations on earth.

So when are ya'll comin' down? You think I'm being funny...

We're here... but the camera is not

2008-05-19T15:02:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! No link to a new blog yet. I have a few minutes before the kiddos wake up so I thought I'd say hello. I am sitting in my living room on Lincoln on a couch which actually has a slipcover on it. We have found the dishes, clothes, diapers, etc. The kids are here and Elliot so far seems to like it here. We have been waiting for the trains to come through today, as they pass about 15 yards from Elsie's window (seriously) with a very loud whistle. Last week, while Michael and I were working here like mad to get ready for the kids to come, they came 2 or 3 times per day. So far only one has come today, and that was during nap. The kids slept through it (thank you, God).

Michael has run out to start a bank account in the Kroger branch of Suntrust which is about one mile from here. We've been to Target, Walmart and Home Depot several times. We have unpacked most of the boxes except for about 7 which include pictures, nic-naks and office stuff... Our landlord seems great so far and has been here looking for things that need to be fixed or worked on. Savannah is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Last night we walked to Forsythe park (about a mile north) with the kids and played on a playground surrounded by huge old trees covered in Spanish moss next to a beautiful and very large fountain. The houses on our block and most every block downtown (we are officially just on the edge of downtown) are amazing. Most of them are very old and very large and historic in nature. The restored ones are something to behold. I'd love a tour of many of them. There are two antique stores in big old houses within a block of my house, one with a little cafe in the back that serves things like pork with gruyere and apple slices (how do you spell that wonderful cheese?) Many sidewalks are actually brick and there are signs on everything that say how old it is and for whom it was built.

We are pretty much surrounded by students as far as we can tell. There may be a transvestite who lives next door upstairs. Not sure yet. It may be The Lady Chablis from the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Church yesterday was good. Michael's mom and sister were here as they brought us the kids Saturday, (after graciously keeping them so long so that we could actually move in) so the kids did not go with us, just to minimize the freak out factor of leaving them yet again with someone else. We went to a Sunday school class that was rather small with good teaching. In the class were at least 4 people we had already met b/c they had come by to help us unpack or brought us a meal. There are many MANY pregnant women and small children at this church. In the next 3 months there are 13 babies due. Crazy.

So, where is the camera? Well, in the chaos of moving, putting things in storage, taking the truck back, cleaning, etc., I have managed to either lose my purse or have it stolen. We really are not sure which it is. Those of you who know me well are laughing and thinking that I surely have lost it, as I do many things. However, it may have been stolen from our butler's pantry. Anyway. It doesn't really matter. What this means is that we have cancelled credit cards and I currently have no driver's license, prescriptions that I had written to be filled when we got here, debit cards, credit cards, stamps, or CAMERA, which was, of course, in my purse. So. I guess it will be a while before I can put some pictures here. So sorry about that; there's so much to see. I think we have to wait to buy a new camera until the contract on our house hopefully goes through. That should close May 29th (we hope we hope). Then we'll maybe have some more money to spend!!!

Oh, there are more things to tell you, but that's enough for now. We have been welcomed by people at Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah (including Michael and I having to stand up in the service and be recognized as the new RUF pastor for SCAD and his wife - good thing I wore my conservative/I'm the pastor's wife dress) and very welcomed by Michael's family in Griffin. It's calming to me just to think about who will read this as I type it. I miss you all in St. Louis. I really do. More later.

Oh, and by the way, Bug is crawling. She crawled several feet today, smiling the whole time!

the end...the beginning

2008-05-12T23:17:00.003-04:00

Well, everything's in the truck. Everyone has come to say their goodbyes. Tomorrow - the beginning. We love you, St. Louis people. We'll put up a link to the Gordons in Savannah when we get there...

What we've been doing...

2008-05-07T23:12:00.002-04:00

So, it's busy here. We have 5 days left in St. Louis. The kids have 2. So here's what we've been doing between boxes and goodbyes. Elliot has been flying around the bed which is now off the frame (our bed). It's pretty fun and now that it's lower, I, too, can jump. I also fall on the bed which Elliot thinks is extremely entertaining. Elsie, as you see here, has discovered some new foods. She loves french fries and frozen berries. When we gave her mac and cheese yesterday she was so happy we seriously thought she was having a seizure. She can eat an entire serving of it. She picks at her tray until she has eaten every noodle her little fingers will allow. Some stats from the doc yesterday: at 9 months, Elsie is 17 pounds (10-25th%) and 26.5 inches (10th%). She's just a little bug. She's really trying to crawl. I think it's coming in the next 2 weeks. Definitely by the time we're settled in Savannah. If you are of the praying persuasion and think of it, please pray for Elliot in these next couple of weeks. The poor kid's whole world is about to be rocked, and we all know he likes things JUST SO. Thanks.

I found my camera

2008-04-26T20:45:00.002-04:00

So the kids are asleep and Michael's out. I should be packing something. But I couldn't resist putting these online. The kids and I trekked down to the Botanical Gardens. Boy am I going to miss the cheap things there are to do in St. Louis. Look at the stinkin' tulips! Elliot is sitting here in a piece of art that is only temporarily at the gardens. He loved this thing. It was a big skull that you could climb around inside. We were there for over an hour, walking, playing in the children's garden, watching the brides get their picture taken. It was a perfect day to visit. Spring in St. Louis. Beautiful and cheap - 2 of my favorite ways to find things.

Moving

2008-04-26T08:03:00.002-04:00

So we're packing. I'd show you what our house looks like, but I can't find the camera. Elsie is consistently sitting up now and only falls over occasionally. Elliot's favorite new hobby is to watch Michael play Wii. Yes, we have a Wii. Michael's Bible study bought it for him. You should have seen how happy he was. So for Elliot it's like watching interactive cartoons. The people in the Baseball game look like veggie tales to me. Every time Michael hits the ball I hear "That was a good hit!" from Elliot.

Anyway. The kids and I are flying to GA 2 weeks from today to do the great hand over to the grandparents. Then I fly back to help finish packing. We're leaving St. Louis during one of the most beautiful times of the year. I just love the tulips and flowering trees and greenery that's shooting out everywhere.

More later. There's an inspector coming to look at our house this morning. Elsie's rubbing her eyes. Must be first nap time. 7:10am. First nap. She starts early.

Peoria

2008-04-17T10:13:00.002-04:00

This is Elsie's first experience with grass. I think she likes it. She eats like a horse here and loves grandma and grandpa. It was 70 degrees here yesterday, so we spent some time outside. Grandpa and Elliot took a stroller ride over to the train tracks where they saw no trains but lots of interesting equipment. Elliot, of course, hears the train whistle a mile before it comes and runs to Grandma. She picks him up and puts him on the counter where he watches the trains.

Anyway. It's a good place to be. We will severely miss grandma and grandpa.

We're moving here!

2008-04-15T09:12:00.002-04:00

So, why are we selling our house? I guess I failed to mention that part. So, Michael has accepted a job as the campus minister for RUF (Reformed University Fellowship)in Savannah, GA at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This means many things, which I'm sure you'll hear about soon. The first one is that we must sell our house. We've been working on this for about a month now, and we have some prospects. Michael is currently in Savannah looking for an apartments, having some meetings, taking transfer exams, etc. We are hoping to pull out of St. Louis sometime around May 12th.

So, things are a little busy in St. Louis. We're excited about Savannah, and sad about St. Louis. I'm sure there will be many more posts in the days to come!

To Peoria

2008-04-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

Just a note to say we're off to Peoria for a few days before the packing and official leaving of St. Louis begins. Here you see Michael and Elsie enjoying Messy Night. This is a phenomena in University City where kids and their parents come to a certain large room in a school up the street form our house. Available for the kids to play with are mud, crayons, markers, paint, colored water, bubble wrap, play-doh, and all kinds of other messy things. Elliot wanted NOTHING to do with anything messy. He just liked the water. And the play-doh. So here he is, fascinated with the mechanics of the water toys. Have a great week, everyone!

The zoo train

2008-04-09T22:31:00.002-04:00

So for months, we stalked the zoo train. We listened for it. We watched it go by. We stopped in the middle of conversations about giraffes and zebras to listen to the whistle. We discussed the train stations and the tracks. Elliot's part of these dialogues had been slowly escalating from listening for the train to watching the train to finally the last time we were at the zoo I heard, "mama, RIDE train?"

"You want to ride it?" I asked. This was a big step from just admiring the train from afar, which seemed to scare Elliot a bit at times. I promised him that if he obeyed on the way home, he could tell papa that next time we went to the zoo, he and papa could actually ride the train.

You think little people sometimes forget things. They do. Vegetables, cleaning up, handwashing. But not trains. As SOON as I mentioned the zoo the other day - "Papa, RIDE TRAIN?" And so they did. And here they are, waiting in line with their tickets, (which Elliot is currently sleeping with as I type this) and riding through the wooded areas of the St. Louis Zoo. The kid was beside himself with joy, and then crushed when he actually had to get off. We wondered, if we let him, how long would he actually stay ON the train?

Close, but not quite

2008-04-05T08:43:00.002-04:00

So on the way home last night, we were asking Elliot if he could tell us his name. The conversation went something like this...

Michael: Elliot, can you say your name?
E: Eh Gor
Michael: That's right. Can you say your full name? Elliot Atticus Gordon.
E: Eh Ass Gor

(Wild but muffled laughter from the front seats)

Chris: Can you say it again? Elliot At-ti-cus Gordon
E: Eh Ass Gor!

He was extremely pleased with himself. We were trying to praise him for trying in the midst of not being able to breathe/drive from laughing. When you see him, please ask him his name.

Just because she's so stinkin' cute

2008-04-02T22:24:00.002-04:00

Just a publicly spoken thank you to God for the Bug. In the midst of not being able to sell our house and lots of grey, rainy days, Elsie continues to smile at me in the morning and laugh hysterically at her brother, just 2 of the things that I absolutely love about her. We're so thankful for this happy little girl.

The Bug on solids

2008-03-30T20:57:00.002-04:00

So, it's going very well. Here you see her reaching out after a meal of sweet potatoes, cheerios, and a bit of applesauce. The girl can DOWN some pears. Peas are a go. Green beans, not so much. She likes cake of any kind and enjoys wildberry fruit combinations.

In other news, Elliot uttered his longest sentence so far the other day, "Baby Elss, it's cold outside - you need to wear a hat." I made him repeat it, just to make sure. Would anyone else have understood that except me? Probably not. But I understood every word.

New pictures

2008-03-30T08:42:00.001-04:00

coming soon. I promise. We have an open house today so we're behind. But there are cute ones coming!

Wow. Genes are a powerful force.

2008-03-24T22:59:00.002-04:00

Can you tell which one's which?

Much better

2008-03-17T10:42:00.002-04:00

We've been healed! We seem to finally all be back to normal. Thank God. That was a very long run of yuck. The day after we all seemed to be better, we took our van in and didn't have a car for 4 days. But even the van is better now.

We've had a couple of pretty days in St. Louis, so here is Elsie enjoying some sunshine. She loves working in her office, which she doesn't know used to be Elliot's office. He doesn't know either. This is a good thing. He has begun sharing one or two pieces of track with her - a major breakthrough.

It's cold and rainy here today, but I feel hopeful that spring may actually come. Soon there will be flowers, and more and more warm days. Sometime we'll forget about the dark cold winter altogether. I love forgetting about winter.

We're on our third configuration of the train track already, and it's only 9:52am. I'm off to join the action.

A crabby update

2008-03-09T21:14:00.002-04:00

So in the background right now, Elliot is screaming. Keep that in mind - it's a great soundtrack for this post. I'm choosing to think of this week as a comedy. Otherwise, well, we won't go there. Last Saturday I took Elliot to ride 4 trains as he loves them and is always asking. I figured, why not, it's $2.25 for 2 hours of riding. And so we did. I didn't feel great when we started. By the time we ended, I was so motion sick I almost didn't make the walk home. Sunday seemed better, but Elliot, as you know from other posts, was not well by then. Monday I spent much of the day in bed, while Michael tried to take care of us, defending the carpet from viral predators escaping Elliot and other evil things. Tuesday Michael was in bed all day. Wednesday we were snowed in because it had snowed 8 inches. So, one teething 7 month old, a leaking toddler and a cranky mom, trapped in the house.

Thursday we thought we'd get out. We had to get out. It was 7am. Doesn't everyone go to the mall then? So I drove to a large mall about 20 minutes away with an indoor playground we'd been to several times, early in the morning, this past summer. I was already tasting the Starbucks and thinking of Elliot's giggles on the big slides. The Starbucks was closed, as was the playground. ...Yup. And more poop.

Friday I was sick enough - and I mean really sick - that Michael actually stayed home from work to take care of the kids. I literally couldn't leave bed for a long time. Saturday someone coming to look at our house, so we had to not only clean it up, but get out of it for an hour or so. By this time, I was able to walk around, but still extremely nauseous, and Michael was much worse. We made it out, with much screaming from 2 children who were not happy to be ignored while Michael and I tag teamed cleaning and taking turns in bed.

And today I so wished I could vomit, but I just don't seem to do it unless I'm pregnant. We probably would have stayed home, but someone was coming to look at our house - 2 people, actually. This is a good thing. But we had to be gone from 10 to 12:30. So imagine a fairly vulnerable Michael (in the bowel way) teaching Sunday school and leaving me here to somehow get out of bed, clean the house, get dressed (when did I last wash my hair?) and get the kids (by now I think Elliot is fine) dressed and out of the house. We made it out. With 10 minutes to spare. The rest of the day has been a slow torture (Elliot is literally still screaming). Michael and I really could use a 2nd bathroom right now. Sometimes the drain in the basement or the back yard seems like an option (is this too graphic?). Needless to say, we're both still sick.

I think if we would have been filmed it would be pretty funny to put it into fast forward. I guess it's just part of being parents of 2 small children. Someday we'll talk about it, with a good glass of wine, and a very quiet house, and laugh.

While he sleeps...

2008-03-05T15:39:00.001-05:00

This is what Elsie does sometimes while Elliot sleeps - plays with his toys. He'll never know.

The good, the bad and the stinky

2008-03-05T14:42:00.003-05:00

First the good. Elsie slept last night from 7pm to 6:20am. Fabulous. We've been sleep training and this is the second time she's slept all the way through the night. I love it. Next, the bad. Elliot has managed to pick up some alien virus which has cleaned him out (read: vomiting, 4 changes of sheets and blankets, 3 outfits, all this in less than 12 hours). The vomiting has stopped, but the poor kid just keeps on poopin'. I'm not sure what's left in him. Suprisingly, he's pretty happy today, except when we try to change his diaper (this would be the stinky part). He's looking a bit skinny. Even the belly has all but disappeared. I love the belly. I'm sure it will be back.

Michael seemed to experience this virus yesterday, and I was the day before. Bug? Well, she seems immune. She's excitedly cooing on the bed behind me. She's working on teeth. One thing at a time.

Post-bath

2008-02-27T14:47:00.003-05:00

Just a little car time after the bath and before the diaper. This is dangerous, but very cute. He's making very loud car noises here. He often makes loud noises - sometimes happy, sometimes angry.

Elliot is turning into a great big brother. He helps the baby often, bringing her toys, pacifiers, diapers, whatever he thinks she needs. He throws dirty diapers away and always brings me the diaper cream, whether I ask for it or not. He takes his frustration about losing attention to the baby out on me and not her. I appreciate this.

And his hair is finally growing in. Though the hairline - still that of a middle-aged man...

A Bug's laugh

2008-02-21T22:13:00.002-05:00

Retreat

2008-02-15T22:30:00.002-05:00

So last weekend, the elders of our church had a retreat in a neat cabin in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. It was rented through Sunday, but they finished Saturday at 5. And so, a brave wife of another elder and I drove down with the kids to spend the night with Michael and elder Pete. Elliot had a great time running through the big rooms, including the shower room, which he left naked and ran through the meeting room with glee. You see him here feeding buddy, our friends Pete and Ashley's dog. Elsie hung out while we fixed dinner. She has officially lost most of her birth hair. But there's another layer coming in. It's up to about 1/8th of an inch. It's lighter than the first hair, which is sad, but it's hair, and it's growing.

Cute and growing

2008-02-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

So here's Elliot looking cute in a couple of outfits. As you may have heard, for those of you who don't live in STL, it snowed like 4 feet or so (not really, more like 7 inches) last week. So Elliot and papa had some time in the snow. Next is Elliot in his train outfit, and then appropriately driving his trains in the train outfit. It's good that he's cute; he's giving us a run for the money. So far, the terrible 2 1/2s are worse than the terrible 2s. I've heard 3 is even worse. As I said, it's good that they're cute.

And here's a flashback to Elsie 6 months ago. Can you believe it? She was 6 months on Sunday. It seems like we just got her. At the doctor she was still sticking to her growth curves nicely, though she's a small fry. She's in the 25th% for weight and the 10-25th% for height. She's STILL not 15 pounds. Just a cutie. And very small.

Elliot gives Elsie a bath

2008-02-01T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Sorry for the delay. Here's a bit of what we've been doing. Elsie tends to only poop once a week. When she does, she makes the most of it. Most times afterwards, she's worthy of a bath. So here we are, Elliot and I, giving her one in the kitchen sink. Enjoy!

The man can cook

2008-01-21T21:56:00.000-05:00

So, after crepes with strawberries and coffee in BED this morning, this is what my dinner looked like. Is there any question about why I'm having trouble losing the last 5 pounds of baby weight? Good gosh. The man can COOK.

Standing up, spitting up, rolling over

2008-01-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

Here's Elsie doing one of her favorite things lately - standing up. Of course, she also tends to spit up a bit, which she did just before I took this picture - on her papa. And the other morning she rolled over as if she'd been doing it for weeks - from front to back. I thought maybe it was a fluke so I put her back and watched. She did it again. And again. She's a pro now. She only goes in one direction.

Yes?

2008-01-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

It just looked like that's what they were saying in this picture. Things are finally back to normal around here. After a bout of getting up every couple of hours, sometimes every hour, Elsie is once again back to being a normal baby. She's up usually twice a night now. This is doable. Elliot, on the other hand, is not hip to staying in his own bed lately. Last night he cried for about 45 minutes until finally giving up and letting me cover him up and go back to sleep again. This was from about 12:45-1:30am. The kid can persevere. Then at nap time today he finally did what I've been fearing for about 6 months. He climbed up and OUT of the crib, only to fall on his HEAD, hitting a wicker basket and the corner of a book. He looks like he got into a fight. It was pretty bad. I kept checking his pupils after that. I'm hoping that maybe it scared him enough that he won't do it again soon. That'll probably last about 3 days. We'll see. A big bed is not something I'm excited about. I'm sure it includes a lock on the outside of the door and a whole lot of screaming. But that's for another post. For now, both kids are sleeping and there's a glass of wine waiting downstairs. And a cute husband.

Christmas candy

2008-01-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

I got this big sucker for Christmas. It's almost as big as my head. I've never had this much candy before, and I love it almost as much as choc meh (chocolate milk).

I got a new dress

2008-01-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

And St. Louis is having some crazy nice weather - it's 73 degrees currently and sunny. So this may be the only chance I get to wear it. So here it is. Do you like it?

Who, me? 5 months already?

2008-01-04T14:37:00.000-05:00

Yup. Yesterday our little Elsie turned 5 months. Happy Birthday, Elsie!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2007-12-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

Elsie sends her love to all. We're here in St. Louis through Christmas, as Michael is working up through Christmas Eve very late, doing a homily for the midnight service. Then we get a couple days in Peoria with the Burkleys to celebrate. Michael and I are also looking forward to a day to ourselves, when his parents drive up and keep the kids for our anniversary (#4 - crazy).

So Merry Christmas to all. I'm sure we'll have present-opening pictures for you post-holiday...

Healing

2007-12-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

So I think we're healing around here. Finally. Except for mama - I still seem to have a cold and am stuffy. But that's ok. It's better for me to be sick than either of the little people. Michael's a bit stuffy, too. But overall, things are about 462% better than they were a week ago. Elliot is no longer having multiple fevers of 104 and 105 degrees every day. His ear is not leaking green fluid anymore. He is sleeping in his own bed, and he doesn't complain that his ear hurts. Elsie is not having fevers anymore, either. But the antibiotics are ripping the poor baby's stomach UP. She seems uncomfortable a lot, but I think after a couple more days once the Antibiotics are finished, she'll be ok. She's a sweet little bug.

So here's Elliot finishing a masterpiece. He often plays songs for me and sings along with them. That's my favorite. Then he claps for himself. Also very fun. He is slowly figuring out that the letters we practice every day are on multiple surfaces. Suddenly they are on the trucks on the highway, and on bottles and cereal boxes and on the front of his books. He seems to recognize "A, B, C, S, R, and E". However, any number he sees could also be "A". We'll get to that. He can currently count to 2. Everybody's gotta start somewhere...

Service for service

2007-12-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

I think we should go back to the medical system where we pay in whatever currency we have. Like when farmers would bring a chicken or a basket of eggs for pay. Maybe Michael could do a wedding and I could play for it, or cover a funeral or a gallery opening? We asked at the doctor today if we could just get a season pass instead of paying a copay each time. Or maybe a weekly pass? This was the third time in 5 days that we've been to the doctor. Monday was Elsie's 4 month checkup. Wednesday was Elliot's double ear infection. Today - Elsie's ear infection, her first.

My friend, Melanie, told me one time that she thought her house turned into a circus at night once the lights went out. I think my house has joined hers. We play musical beds. Kids move in and out of their own beds as well as two adult beds. The parents move back and forth between the adult beds as well. Last night we made tea and a hot toddie about 2am. The kids were finally asleep, but we were both up with our coughs.

On a happy note, Elliot, just within the last 2 hours, seems to be feeling a bit better. His fever is finally down. He is not pointing to his ear and saying, "hurt". He's watching George, walking around the living room and talking to the television. THIS is normal Elliot activity. This is a good sign. The doctor gave us some numbing drops for his ears, so we're hoping that he may sleep more than a 2 hour stretch tonight. This is GOOD NEWS! He got a green sucker and another sticker at the doctor's office. Suckers seem to be able to heal many things. Maybe faster than Ibuprofen. Keep this in mind. The magic power of the sucker. I think it only works on small children.

Anyway, service for service. Maybe if you didn't need the service at that time, you could make up a legal IOU. Like, a card guaranteeing wedding music or flowers or accounting or whatever your trade happens to be. Think about it.

Stats on the bug

2007-12-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

My friend, Leslie started calling this sweet baby girl "Elsie bug". It stuck. Now she's pretty much "Bug" or "the Bug". She also named our other child - Smelliot. So, Elsie had her 4 month checkup yesterday, which was actually her four month birthday. Hard to believe. Here are the stats on the bug: 12 pounds, 3 ounces, 23 inches long. She is still in the 25th% for these things. This makes sense of why she seems so small to us, still. We looked in Elliot's baby book. When TWO WEEKS older than Bug he was 27 inches long and weighed over 16 pounds. Oh my. She's just gonna be little, for a while, I guess. Michael actually took her to the doctor, WITH Elliot, as I was playing a funeral. He did a great job and even survived 4 shots with Bug, which he hates. When I saw them, Elsa had 4 bandaids on her thighs and was dressed in a pink shirt that said "Daddy's Little Sparkler" with overalls and a sweet sweater over that. Elliot had a massive truck sticker on his shirt. And he had french fries. So all was well.

Christmas is coming, no matter what

2007-11-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

We think it started around Thanksgiving. Elliot got sick, again. He seemed snotty, but that's pretty normal for him. And then came the coughing, and then the fevers. Elsie was next. Then me, then Michael. Monday was a sad day, as we took turns coughing and taking naps and moaning. Tuesday was much the same. Elliot has watched more TV than any kid his age needs to, and my house looks like it was abandoned a few days ago. I won't mention what Michael and I look like.

However, in the midst of this craziness, we managed to buy and put up a Christmas tree (which might still be crooked, but we don't care), hang up some lights on the windows, put lights on the tree, and even hang ornaments. You see the kids helping here. I put on some Christmas music and we enjoyed it. It's Christmas, and we're thankful. Our sickness will pass (hopefully) and again we'll celebrate. I always love Christmas at Grace and Peace (our church, for those of you not in St. Louis) because of the dual emphasis at Christmas. It was the first place I really learned to anticipate both Christ's first AND second coming every Christmas. So, come, Lord Jesus! Today, if possible. Then we'd DEFINITELY never be sick again...

Just checkin'

2007-11-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

So I finally figured out the other day that this word Elliot keeps saying at certain times is "crying". He's telling me that Elsie is crying. It took me awhile, but I put it together. He often goes and checks on her in the mornings when I'm cleaning up the kitchen, gives her a pacifier and flips something on her mobile or turns on her bird to make her happy. He talks to her and generally entertains her, if he can, and she loves it. Sometimes, if she's just looking around and he's tired, he just lays his head down next to her and sucks his thumb. It's pretty sweet.

The zoo...again

2007-11-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

So, it was 75 degrees in St. Louis on Monday. Wonderful. We took advantage of it and went to the free zoo to visit the giraffes and elephants, really the only animals Elliot actively looks for. But the giraffes were not in their area - what the heck? Where could they be? We found out that there was work being done in their yard, so they were inside, in their cages for the day. We could actually see them much more closely this way. Elliot just liked being able to run free through the building that housed the giraffes. He took a break from the running and sat on the bench for an entire 8 seconds at one point. Here you also see him staring at the carousel. We watched it for 3 rides. He didn't want to ride it, just watch it.

Happy Fall!

2007-11-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

Here's Mr. Elliot enjoying our very full back yard. We don't technically have any trees in our yard, but a couple of the neighbor's hang over. He was hesitant at first, but once Michael showed him what to do, he had a great time. His favorite was throwing them up in the air with me, on top of his head and my head. At the end, he just laid in a big pile of leaves, looked up at the trees still shedding some yellow leaves, and said, while waving, "bye-bye, weaves" over and over.

Better

2007-11-15T13:02:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick update. Elliot is feeling much better. He's now running around as usual, jumping, singing, being Elliot. Just one funny thing, he started asking me for a nap today at about 11:30am. I thought, surely I'm hearing this wrong. But after lunch he persisted, took my hand and his blanket, and led me up the stairs where he peacefully let me take off his shoes and put him in bed, with the truck book, of course. Hm. Every day brings a new suprise...

Sick

2007-11-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

For any of you who know Elliot personally, this is not a normal photo. He falls asleep in his bed after complaining about it for awhile, but not just out free on the couch like this. The poor kid prefaced his 2nd bout of vomit last night by saying to Michael, "Uh-oh". Then it all came out. Again. This was around 1am. I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, we changed some sheets, some outfits, and scrubbed Curious George. He may get more scrubbing today. He may make his way to the washing machine. He may not be seen again. Who really knows.

What do YOU think?

2007-11-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

Doesn't it look like that's what they're asking?

Around here

2007-11-03T19:12:00.000-04:00

Just some pictures of what we've been doing around here - dressing Elsie in her cute clothes, and playing with blocks.

Hunting season

2007-10-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

The season is coming! Elsie is preparing, as you see here...

Too big too fast

2007-10-27T13:12:00.000-04:00

Here's my happy little girl. She almost always gives me a smile after I feed her, sometimes even right before. She's incredibly social and squishy. Sadly, I was looking through her drawers yesterday and figured out that there is already a whole stage of clothing (the up to 11lbs stage) that no longer fits her. This, suprisingly, made me very sad. With Elliot I was always ready for the next stage, ready for the next clothes, the next skill. But my little little is not so little anymore. I mean, it's all relative. She's still not quite 3 months and under 12 pounds. But she's growing up, lifting her head, kicking her feet straight up. Soon she'll be eating bananas, crawling, and asking for snacks. I kinda want her to slow down...And Elliot to speed up, right through to 4...

Camping

2007-10-18T20:33:00.000-04:00

So we went camping a couple of weekends ago. I'm a little behind on pictures. I had a bunch of trouble with Blogger for awhile, but we're back online. Here I am with my friend Robert, a fellow camper. Robert, his brother, Jack, and Elliot enjoyed trucks and some imported sand while we were camping. Elsie was utilizing a fully equipped mosquito-netted bed for the trip. It was October but was also 90 degrees. I don't believe I've ever sweated so much while camping. It cooled down at night, and our tent is vented at the top so that we could really see the stars clearly. It was beautiful.

Cutie

2007-10-17T20:37:00.000-04:00

Shots and stats

2007-10-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

So, the two year/two month checkup was yesterday. Here are the stats:

Elliot: 26 pounds 12 ounces, 35 inches. Someone told me he was 29 pounds at one point. They lied. I'm glad he's not.

Elsa: 10 pounds 1 ounce, 21.75 inches.

Elliot's around the 50th% for both. Elsa is around the 25th% for both.

They both checked out ok. Except that Elliot needs to eat more fruit. That's my observation from reading, not that the doc looked at him and said, does this kid ever eat bananas? Elsie's medicine has begun working (thank God, I mean really, please thank him for this, it's a mercy of modern medicine) so she no longer screams 4 to 5 hours per day. We keep wondering who took our angry child and gave us this wonderfully happy one. She still has fussy times, but I think that's normal, right? We've not yet had a normal baby. We're not sure.

So, Elsie is still a night owl and often stays up with Michael until 11 or 12 or later. I woke her up several times today to try to switch that around. She just keeps going back to sleep...She got four shots yesterday, and therefore four bandaids. But look how happy she was later in the day!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Peoria in the next couple of weeks.

Goofy

2007-09-29T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a goofy picture of Elliot playing with me on the bed. And here's big and little together. Notice the similar hairlines.

Sharing

2007-09-27T15:40:00.000-04:00

At first we thought Elliot was sharing his trains with Elsie. Later we figured out that he actually was just using her as a temporary storage space. When she reached out her hand during a later stretch, Elliot saw her hand precariously close to a favorite train. "No," he told her. She didn't respond.

Happy children

2007-09-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

Here are both of our kids in their happy place. Elliot can push a button at this playground that makes the fountain sprout up from the ground. He loves it. Today he got a new train from his Yaya, Big Papa and Aunt J in Georgia. The train's name is Emily and the kid said "YEAH! EH!" about 8 times while Michael took it out of the package. It was a highlight of the day.

Elsie, sadly, has pretty much reached the level of colic that Elliot achieved in his young months. So, we pass her back and forth, wear her on our chests with the Baby Bjorn, bounce her in her bouncy seat, and sometimes just put her in the swing and close the door for a moment of sanity. We figure we're halfway done, though, as by around 3 1/2 months Elliot started to calm down a bit. The days are long, but we look forward to more moments like you see here, when she's just exercising on the couch.

At the zoo

2007-09-22T23:26:00.000-04:00

So, Elliot has had a recent fascination with Babar. He would point to the bookpile and say "eh" meaning, of course, elephant. So we thought we'd take him to the free zoo and let him experience the real elephants, as he did the giraffes. He was not very impressed. He said their name, and then seemed ready to move on. So we took him back to the giraffes. He actually tried to get into their pen, as you can see here - he's trying to climb in. Guess he stiff loves the "waffs". Elsie also enjoyed the zoo.
Elliot has been learning colors and is really excited to tell you about them. He knows red, white, blue, green, orange and yellow. Sometimes he just walks around the house naming colors in a really excited voice.

Life with two

2007-09-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

So, basically, grandma left, and the house fell apart. Thankfully, it's been put back together. But this is how we were looking on Saturday. I've thought about timing Elliot and keeping track of how quickly he can take apart a room. He's not yet old enough to do the whole challenge of "how fast can you put the blocks away?" Right now he just says, "no". I do look forward to more English.

Dress and popsicle

2007-09-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

So, Elsie wore her first dress to church the other day. Of course it came with bloomers (thanks, Aunt Wanda) that have ruffles on them. She wasn't in the greatest mood when I was taking pictures, but she was extra cute in this outfit. Sadly, she's becoming a bit less content. She cries a lot now, and sometimes we can't get her to stop for long periods of time. Thankfully, she does not do this in the middle of the night. But when she's not crying and she's awake, just looking at you, she's the cutest thing ever.

Elliot has been enjoying popsicles, as we think he's still getting some big tooth - must be a molar? He and papa often eat them outside on the front porch while I finish dinner or clean something or feed Elsie or just sit in the quiet for a moment. He was not willing to share this popsicle with anyone- not even Elsie.

Tummy time

2007-09-08T14:58:00.000-04:00

Here's Elsie getting a little tummy time in during Elliot's nap. She seems a little suprised by it, doesn't she? She likes to have a little mama time while Elliot's sleeping. So today we did a photo shoot...

Time out duck

2007-09-06T20:03:00.000-04:00

So, we've been using time out with Elliot, who is 2 in every sense of the age. The duck has a timer which rings when finished, at which time Elliot is allowed to get up. Sometimes it really seems to help his attitude. The other day he had been whining about wanting to watch his trains, which he had already seen that day. Suddenly he handed me the duck. "On", he said. "You want me to turn it on?" I asked. "Yeah". "Do you need a time out?" I asked. "Yeah". So he walked over and sat down, waiting for me to turn on the duck. I did. And he sat there quietly. He got up before the timer went off, but I figured, hey, this is self-inflicted. The timing is not important. When he got up, his attitude was much better.

I think I should put myself in timeout as well. I need it as much as Elliot, most days.

Protection

2007-08-29T13:37:00.000-04:00

The pillow is protection from Nana, or Elliot, or whatever else might try to eat Elsie. She's pretty little. And pretty edible.

Polka

2007-08-24T19:01:00.000-04:00

Michael wants to call her piglet because she makes these little piglet noises. It's cute now, but somehow it doesn't seem like a good deal. A girl, in the American culture, named piglet? Surely she'd have an eating disorder by age 9. Today I've been calling her polka dot.

She gets fussy once or twice a day, but is quieted if I put her in the Baby Bjorn, a type of sling that attaches her to the front of me. She doesn't immediately fall asleep, but first just looks around for awhile, like she wonders at life from this different vantage point. Her eyes are wide open while I sweep the floor, empty the dishwasher, do the laundry, or whatever. Then eventually I look down and she's out. It's pretty cute.

Birthdays and pants

2007-08-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

Well, Elliot is in Georgia with his grandparents. I have to say, it's very quiet here. Elsie just doesn't make that much noise. Before Elliot took off, we (Michael, Jessica, Elsie and I) had a small birthday celebration for Elliot. I'm not sure whether his favorite part was the icing or the trains and train bag that came after the cake. It took him a minute to get into the cake, but once he figured it out, the kid ATE the cake. Followed, of course, by a hot dog. And noodles.

Here's Elsie, in her first pair of pants. Her papa picked them out - thus the pink and ruffles. They're a bit big, so I had to roll them up, but she's definitely gaining weight! Her little thighs are getting rounder, as is her belly. The kid has personality, as you can see from the picture. If she's anything like her mama, it'll come out as attitude - which will probably get her in trouble...

Clean

2007-08-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, she was dirty. You know that gunk that gets caught in small babies' necks? Like old milk and lint and whatever her older brother hid there? Yeah, it needed to come off. So we washed her. And her hair was like a black baby chicken afterwards - soft and wonderful. Of course, now I've played with it enough that all the oil from my hands has matted it down again.

She didn't like the bath. She got all red and angry, and then pooped, IN the bathwater, just like her brother did. So we hosed her down and laughed and warmed her back up. She's been sleeping most of the day, content to ignore most of us until her stomach wakes her up again. We sure like her a lot.

Waking up

2007-08-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

Elsie's slowly staying awake more and more. Sometimes it happens to be at 1:30am, but that's ok. She seems curious. She stares a lot. Elliot is enjoying being a big brother, from what we can tell. He often looks for Elsie and gets upset when he can't find her. She's kind of a new toy. He loves to see how hard he can push her in her swing. I think he must get points for getting the pacifier in her mouth, because he does it with much vigor.

So far, it's fun having two. Ask me again when grandma leaves...

Little

2007-08-08T13:28:00.000-04:00

This is obviously out of order from the last post, but I think it's a funny picture. This is how little she was looking coming home from the hospital in her carseat. Elsie's eating a bit better today. She slept from 10:30pm to 3:30am! Kinda freaked me out, but she seems fine today. Friday we go to the doctor just to weigh her. More later.

Here's Elsa

2007-08-06T18:12:00.001-04:00

Hey everybody. I hear there's an impatience growing out there for some pictures. Here she is! Notice her gigantic brother next to her. I swear he wasn't this big when we went to the hospital. She's wonderful. Her hair is incredibly soft and she makes fabulous little feminine noises. Of course, she eats about every hour, and we didn't sleep much, but she's very sweet and we think we'll keep her. It's been a little bit of a crazy day, but we're enjoying each other. We're so thankful for everybody's help. Some good friends kept Elliot the first night we went to the hospital. Michael's parents were here for a couple of days and kept Elliot the second night, bought us all kinds of supplies and even had a little birthday present opening session with Elliot. My mom is here now, cleaning, cooking, entertaining Elliot, buying us groceries, etc. We are rich with friends and help. Call us or stop by! We'd love for you to meet Elsie!

Labor 2 - out

2007-08-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

So, I figured there would be several labor posts. Elsie didn't take much time, though. Here's the scoop: I got an epidural around 10:30 and they broke my water at 11pm. Let me just say, whoever invented the epidural deserves something REALLY good. My GOSH those are good drugs. So glad I don't have access to something like that. I'd sell my children for it. Anyway, I progressed from 5 to 10 cm in about 2 hours, without anyone knowing. The nurse came in and was a bit startled at the fast progress, as was Elsie. Her heartrate dropped a bit b/c of the quickness of moving through the birth canal. But it came back up and we started to push. It was totally surreal, being so fast. I started pushing at 1:06am. 7 minutes later, at 1:13, she was here. I pushed twice. We were waiting for another contraction to push through, and I felt her moving, on her own. I said, Michael, is she moving, b/c I'm not doing it! Uh, yeah, you guys, she's moving! Michael was trying to get the attention of some of the 6 people now in our room who had suddenly appeared when her heartrate dropped. They were all trying to get gowns on and tables ready, etc. The resident turned around and pretty much caught Elsie on her way out. The doctor was walking in the room, still trying to get his booties on. He didn't quite make it...

So, 6lbs 7 oz, 19" long, full head of BLACK hair. She looks very much like Michael's mom. So far she's quiet and cute, eats well and squeaks with very feminine little squeaks. Thanks so much for all of your prayers - it was a GREAT delivery! Even the staff was amazed at how easy it was, and how alert she was when she was born. Today we're just hanging out, trying to get some sleep since we really didn't sleep last night, and enjoying Elsie. Stay tuned for pictures. And thanks for your comments!

Labor 1

2007-08-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

So, labor has begun. The epidural is on its way, followed by the breaking of the water. I'm around 4-5 cm with regular contractions. We've got cranberry juice and jello. We're good to go. Stay tuned for updates. The wireless at the hospital is fast!

Waiting

2007-07-31T18:48:00.000-04:00

This is kind of what we feel like we've been doing - waiting. I mean, we're going places, doing things... But really we're waiting. Yesterday the doc said there's no way Elsie's waiting until her due date to come (Aug 20). So when I couldn't sleep while Elliot and Michael were napping this afternoon, I started intensely cleaning the house, hoping I would trigger a beginning that would not end in disappointment, but in a baby. I cleaned for 2 1/2 hours. I had two contractions.

The good news is, the house is cleaner. Michael's cooking dinner, and Elliot took a long nap. So, we wait.

Just married

2007-07-26T21:23:00.000-04:00

So this has been a funny few days. Some friends of ours got married last Saturday. It was a great wedding. I heard the reception rocked (I was unfortunately having completely unproductive contractions). Michael took the couple to the train station Monday morning and kept their car. This worked out well, since ours was in the shop for the three days. So Elliot and I have been riding around in this Jeepish/SUV like thing for three days. The funny thing is, the car was decorated for the wedding.

Monday afternoon Michael got a honk, smile, wink and thumbs up from some woman as he drove by. And you should see the stares I've gotten as I, the large, very pregnant woman walk around past the "Just married" writing on the back window and get my 2 year old out of the car. It's been fun. I love the reactions. The driver's side window said for awhile "Almost not a virgin anymore" or something like that. I don't think they bought that one with me. It was inappropriate enough in general, me driving or not, that I couldn't take it after one trip somewhere close. So I washed it off with a diaper wipe. Ironic, eh? The rest I left, though. We took the car back today, and got ours back. It's been fun, but it's over. I'm both sad and happy to say, I MISSED my minivan. ...

All's quiet on the western front

2007-07-22T16:25:00.000-04:00

So, it's quiet around here. A bit too quiet. Yesterday was loud and exciting. There was a wedding that Michael and I both got to be a part of. I had prayed that God would keep Elsie still and inside until the wedding was over - both so we wouldn't screw it up, and so that we got to be there for it. She was quiet in the morning. As soon as the homilie (how do you spell that word?) was over, she started moving. She kept moving until we got to the point where the contractions were intense and every 6 minutes or so. I was convinced I was about to not be pregnant anymore. This was a wonderful thought. I called my mom, packed my bag, and picked out an outfit for Elsie.

Then everything stopped. It was like someone turned off the GO switch. I laid on the couch and angrily reported contractions to Michael that were WAY too far apart to be useful. Ah, the waiting. So Tuesday we're scheduled to go to the doc and do some official checking of the Elsa status. Whatever that means. Is there really anything official when it comes to the status of an approaching birth? I mean, other than, yes, it happened, or, nope, not yet?

Elliot continues to be fascinated with babies. He stares at them as I ask, "do you want one of those?" I'm actually not due for 4 weeks (from tomorrow). Stay tuned for further updates...

Big mama, little boy

2007-07-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

Elliot's been on a reading streak lately, especially since we went to the library the other day and got 5, yes, 5 books about trains. This morning he was trying to line them up on the floor as if they were all part of a big puzzle. He holds onto his favorite while he obsessively reads himself the others, several times in a row. He's been sleeping until 6 or 6:20am lately which is late and wonderful for Elliot. Then I put him in bed with me to wake up for a few minutes. He usually tosses and turns for 5 minutes, then leans into my face and giggles. It's pretty cute. Although it's early and I never want to get up, it's not a bad way to wake up in the morning.

Travels

2007-07-07T15:05:00.001-04:00

Hey everybody. We've been out. Now we're back. We were in Memphis and then Atlanta, where Elliot spent some time with his Big Papa and Yaya (Michael's parents). Here's what he did while there:
1. Swam
2. Watched Nemo
3. Ate his body weight in everything each day
4. Watched Nemo
5. Fell in love with his Auntie J and cousin Jack
6. Watched Nemo AND
7. Watched Nemo

I have to admit, I'd never seen it before and it's pretty darn cute. We had a great time in GA. The pool was beautiful, we got to see all kinds of family, and we RELAXED. Elliot, of course, misses Nemo, whom he calls, everytime, ELMO.

Literacy in the buff

2007-06-21T14:57:00.000-04:00

Is there anything that isn't better naked when you're under 2?

A social one

2007-06-11T22:17:00.000-04:00

It would seem from these pictures that Elliot is a fairly social kid. He does love to be with his friends. They make him much happier than just mama. For example, the latter part of today was TERRIBLE, as he just cried and cried as we tried to figure out WHAT THE HECK he wanted. This went on for about 2 hours. When Jack Hendrix walked in he was suddenly the happiest kid in the world. Go figure. So, we're thankful for Jack. And for all of Elliot's friends.

Just playin'

2007-05-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

Here is Elliot with some friends in their favorite place to hang out - the dog cage, of course. This is what he did one day to a banana. I guess it was more fun than eating it. The poor kid's been getting some big ol' teeth the past few days. In the morning he has just laid down on the floor and cried. He has woken up crying, the time of day when he usually giggles at me and says "boo" when I roll over in bed. He has often refused medicine, the only thing other than a popsicle that I've found really helps, and has had trouble sleeping.

I wished a lot today that I could be the one in pain instead of him. It's just sad. He did sleep until 6:15 this morning. That was like a miracle. Hopefully it made up for night before when I think his poor little gums just got the best of him.

Other than that, he's doing well. He's trying more and more words, and said his first two word phrase on Thursday, "Hi, Jack". Of course it included the name of two of his favorite people in the world, both of whom are named Jack. He said good bye to his trains today as we left for church. Gotta love those trains.

One week from tomorrow we see Elsie again, to make sure the placenta has moved to where it needs to be. We'll pass on some pictures then.

Monkey

2007-05-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

What's sweet about this is that George (pictured here) was Michael's as a little boy. Elliot came down from a nap one afternoon, saw George in the chair, smiled and giggled and picked him up. Since then he kisses George, carries him around, hugs him, pats him, and sometimes sleeps with him. He's not done this with any other stuffed animal. It's kinda freaky. I mean, I know they're gonna resemble each other, but good grief!

Lately

2007-05-14T22:08:00.000-04:00

Lately Elliot's been walking around with things like this large screw in his mouth. Also in his mouth seem to be a few new words. He's been using please (peas), down (dow), mama (mama), monkey (mon), and hi - which is pretty darn cute when he randomly greets people in Walmart, and on the street, and in the grocery store, and anywhere else he feels moved to be friendly. "Bye" is also a big deal in his life. He says goodbye to his toys downstairs as we go upstairs. He almost always says goodbye to the dog when we leave the house. He said goodbye to the socks the other day as they went into the drawer...

Zoo friend

2007-05-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

We think Elliot's new favorite animal must be the giraffe. He'd only seen them in books, where they're about 2 inches high. He'd point to them and say "oowaf", with a big smile. Then he saw the real thing. The kid was stunned. They're much bigger in real life, and they MOVE. This was almost too much for Elliot. He just stood at this fence for a long time, eyes, wide, saying "oowaf" occassionally. The rest of us had moved on, and still he stood, in awe. I wonder how long he would have stayed there, had we let him.

Twin?

2007-05-02T18:25:00.000-04:00

Look like anyone you know? Can you guess who this is?

City Museum

2007-04-21T23:35:00.001-04:00

Papa and Elliot visited the city museum a couple of weeks ago. The balls were a hit. So were lots of other things.

Naked defense?

2007-04-21T23:26:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist. When does this become inappropriate? Someone should let me know. I just think his little bootie is the cutest thing ever. He does love the football. It has actually spent the night in his bed before.
The 3 1/2 of us are off to Peoria for a few days, where we will happily leave pictured child with grandma and grandpa while we travel to Chicago for some fun. See you when we get back!

Tweety student

2007-04-19T16:55:00.000-04:00

We just finished a book phase. Every morning Elliot would burst into our room with a book, frantically wanting someone to read it to him. Once finished, he'd drop it and go get another. Here you see him reading at his desk, which he sits in at least once a day. I think, sadly, we've moved into a shoe phase. Now, before brushing our teeth, breakfast, or even saying good morning to papa (and this is a big deal), Elliot runs into our room with his shoes. A specific PAIR of shoes, which he must have on immediately, or the world will implode. He asked for a different pair of shoes today, but then quickly discovered his favorites. The others had to come off. This is the world of a 20 month old. Books. And shoes.
We've had some neon green snot and a fever for a couple of days, so we haven't seen much of other people around here. I think we're improving. A current fascination with the vaccuum cleaner(s) has made cleaning the house interesting. And the blow dryer was a hit today, too. Never a dull moment around here.

Fix-it men

2007-04-10T22:09:00.000-04:00

We went home recently for some r&r, and to see everybody around Peoria. Elliot got a mechanical lesson from engineer grandpa. I'm sure he was very helpful with the stroller.

HAPPY EASTER!

2007-04-09T10:15:00.000-04:00

Good morning! We hope this finds you enjoying the Easter season and finding hope in the resurrection. I admit that these ears have nothing much to do with Easter, but I thought they were sweet and Elliot tolerated them for a short bit...

And the verdict is in

2007-03-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

This is the baby's first outfit, given to us by a friend who couldn't help herself. Who can, when it comes to girl clothes? We think this will belong to Elsie, probably legally "Elsa" so she has a grown-up name for job interviews and the like. And so it is, a boy and a girl. Of course, Elliot will probably beat her up, try to wrestle her, throw things at her, etc. What else is a brother for?

Our holocaust baby

2007-03-23T09:06:00.000-04:00

Well, this baby is a bit scrawny, but they tell us that's fine. The baby only weighs 9 ounces and is about 10 inches long. So, you know, pretty much skin and bones. You can see the ribs. All of the organs and brain and bones and all of those things look normal. The fat, I guess, comes later.

New summer clothes

2007-03-22T23:08:00.000-04:00

So, we went to Walmart the other day. This is the result. We're gearing up for summer, and I must say, a 19 month old with not much of a butt, a big belly, and this much padding is pretty entertaining. He didn't like the process of putting it on, but once in place, he played like a champ. Notice the socks along with the sandals. The kid's got style.

Have gun, will travel

2007-03-10T17:23:00.000-05:00

This is Elliot's marshmallow gun. He absolutely loves it, though there haven't been marshmallows in it for awhile. He carries it around for fun. Papa loves to shoot him, and Elliot loves to be shot.

Tweety bird

2007-02-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if the face is a comment on the book, the state of the bathroom, or his pajamas. His PJs are soft and fuzzy. They're a little big but I love them. I often think he looks like Tweety because of his cheeks and no hair, so they seem to fit him in that way. He's fascinated with books lately, and is in fact reading "Do Cows Bark?" this very minute. He consistently calls the horse and cow a dog. Not sure what to do about that.

Up in the sky - it's a bird, it's a plane...

2007-02-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

It's Elliot protecting the citizens of Bartmer Avenue with his keen eye. Notice the cape. He and Michael I think are equally excited about it...

18 month birthday

2007-02-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

And look what drawer I can now reach! Of course this one isn't childproofed... We measured Elliot the other night. He's bigger. I think he's growing like a weed. Suddenly some things don't fit him, and he just looks older. He seems to be sweet on the turkey baster lately. He carries it around the living room and acts like he's injecting things into the furniture. We've been outside a lot more lately because of the nice weather. Elliot and mama are definitely very happy to be out in the sunshine again. Peanut seems to be getting bigger, as well. He/she is 14 weeks now, and maybe the size of a small orange? Elliot still has no clue. He just likes to stick his finger in my belly button and say "beh" which is, of course, belly.

Bye bye, Sophie

2007-02-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

Our friend, Sophie has returned to South Korea after 6 weeks of making Elliot very happy by living with him. Sophie and Elliot became fast friends when she immediately started playing with him upon her arrival in St. Louis. They became even better friends when she gave him chocolate. Because of her hard work, Elliot now says "bye bye" every time you walk toward the door or put your coat or sweater on. She also taught him to say "cheers" when he clicks his sippy cup with your glass - my personal favorite. So here's a shout out to our favorite South Korean friend. Welcome home, Sophie!

(P.S. Also, a word of congratulations is due, I hear, to Tanja in Germany! Enjoy your single pregnancy! And my love to the twins!)

When will we know?

2007-02-09T14:29:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update on peanut (baby #2 due 8.21.07). An ultrasound is planned for March 20 to determine if we're having an Abraham or a Kenyatta. (These are my names, soon to be vetoed by Michael). I'll keep you updated.

A week on the beach

2007-02-04T11:04:00.001-05:00

Look at this picture with Elliot and his grandparents on the beach. What could be better for a little boy than this? He LOVED the sand, shoveling it from one bucket to the other and then adding more from the beach. He eyed the seagulls with suspicion and only chased a couple. For the most part, it was sunny and definitely warmer than St. Louis. I got a great break, which was much help since peanut, now the size of a kiwi, is still making me pretty sick in this wretched first trimester. It was 75 degrees when we left Tampa, and 21 when we landed in St. Louis. Talk about a shock! I think even Elliot, the human heater, was cold. So thanks to gma and gpa for a good week.

Like Papa, like baby

2007-01-24T08:39:00.000-05:00

If you ever wonder who Elliot takes after, and maybe why he's such a cutie...Well, let me just tell ya, the baby pictures don't lie. He looks like this man right here. This is a picture from our anniversary in the mountains. I just thought it was cute and that others might want to enjoy it, and him...

New favorite food

2007-01-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

Elliot has discovered chocolate cookies. I think he would eat them for each meal if I let him. He's not the neatest eater. He also seems to be gulping down as much milk as possible. Sophie, our Korean exchange student, has taught Elliot to say "Cheers" as he toasts your glass with his milk sippy cup. Of course he'll do it 4 or 5 times in a row.

Our friend Jeff told me yesterday that when he recently took Nana to the vet, she weighed 72 pounds. This is a big dog. She can clean the remainder of Elliot's snacks off the floor faster than any three kids, or any one vaccuum cleaner I have ever seen.

Just an update

2007-01-18T23:33:00.000-05:00

No picture today; just an update. Michael completely wiped out the guy that used to own this computer yesterday. This is a good thing. After all, I'm not lwestphal. I am cgordon. With it went all my pictures onto a CD. And unfortunately I haven't taken many lately. We are surviving here, with lots of help. Michael is in the middle of a very busy week and we haven't seen much of him in the last couple of days. We always miss him on Thursdays, and most of Fridays. And Saturdays.

Some good news is that Elliot has finally come out of his long bout of various illnesses. The last couple of days he's really seemed more like himself. This morning he didn't take a morning nap, so in the afternoon he slept from 1 to 4pm. I can't tell you how happy this made me. If we could keep this trend going, it would be a great thing. His new favorite activity is climbing any and everything. He particularly likes to climb ON the dining room table WHILE we're eating dinner. The stairs are also still a favorite, and he loves to giggle at me while he starts on the bottom three, as he knows he's not supposed to do this. Who knew disobedience was so funny?

He and I are really looking forward to next week, when some lovely redemption breaks into cold, grey January in St. Louis. Elliot and I are flying (this will be interesting) to Tampa to stay with my parents for a week in a condo on the beach. I envision lying in the sun while Elliot and grandma play games in the living room. At least for a few minutes.