Exersaucer Time!

I pulled out the exersaucer for Eli yesterday!


1. I can't believe it is that time already! And 2. I can't get over what a big boy Gage is on the other side...It seems like just yesterday we were putting him in it!

Ahhh...The Bahamas

You may remember how last summer the airline bag handlers broke our stroller... Well our reimbursement included two travel vouchers to be used by August 2010. Last August I figured they would go to waste because I could never leave my babies for that long. Well, I changed my mind a few months ago when we were struggling, and exhausted, going through Eli's colicky days! So we booked our flight to the Bahamas...

Needing the R&R so badly didn't quite make it any easier when it came time to leave - I cried off and on the whole first day of our trip, and had a big hole in my heart for the rest of it - but I managed to still have a good time... :)


We took our laptop so we could Skype home. It did my heart good to see my boys! I knew they were in good hands with their grandmas and auntie, (Grandma E. came for the first half of the week and GrandMary and Aunt Holly the second half) but being away from them will always be hard for me!

Craig and I ate and drank, and ate some more! Napped on the beach, read our books by the pool, slept in until 8:00 every morning...oh it was the life!

We even joined in on some fun resort activities!

Water aerobics with the resort's personal trainer "Kiwi"!

Poolside games...Our team smoked everyone else! Craig got a sailing lesson! Line dancing at the "Goombay Festival"!

We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and all too soon Saturday came around and it was time to go. I was going to miss our laid back lifestyle that we'd gotten accustomed to, and Craig was going to miss the all-you-can-eat food and drinks! But I couldn't wait to get home to my little punkins! Getting home at 2:00 am because of all the weather delays, made it torture for me to wait until morning to see them!

First of many trips to the Bar!

(Ha! We're really not big drinkers but gotta love all those swim-up bars and all-inclusive perks!)

So now life is back to normal, the way I love it: my boys in my arms, tickles, giggles, middle-of-the-night feedings, and lots of hugs and kisses (I could do without the middle-of-the-night feedings...) but I have to admit, I am a little "Bahamas-sick"!

So Craig and I are dreaming up our next trip... :)

4 Months Old

My dear sweet 4 month old:

You are my precious, precious boy! You are growing fast so I am making the most of every moment I can cradle you in my arms.

This past month has been quite a month! Sadly, you had your first illness - RSV. It even put you in the hospital for 2 nights. You still aren't quite over your cough. I will be so happy when you are 100% healthy again!

You are eating 8 oz. of formula every 3-4 hours! At your 4 month check-up you weighed almost 18 lbs. and measured 26 in. long! You are in the 90th percentile for both weight and height. You now wear 6-9 and 9 month clothes. You are one big boy!

You are grabbing for things now so you enjoy the hanging toys over your bouncy seat and car seat. You like to have something soft in your hands so we have lots of little blankies handy. You also seem to really like your pacifier these days so we keep those handy too.


Daddy can make you laugh the most! I get lots of smiles, but Daddy gets the laughs. We love to hear it. Daddy will make silly faces and tickle you over and over until your giggles run out!

You just had your first week away from your Mama, and it was much harder on her than you. You were in great hands - first Grandma E came to spend a few days with you and Gage, then GrandMary and Aunt Holly. Daddy and I needed some rest so we took a trip to The Bahamas. I cried all the way there and then off and on throughout our trip! I missed you and Gage so much! We had a great time but we are so happy to be home with you, right where we belong.

You keep growing strong, my sweet sweet boy! I love you so much, I am bursting at the seams! Your beautiful smile brings sunshine to my heart, and your sweet little hands always reaching for mine brings tenderness to my soul. I am the proudest Mama there ever could be!

Loving you always,
Mommy

Fun Weekend!

What a fun-filled weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Engelbrecht's! We went to visit for cousins Cole and Colin's birthday party. Before the party Grandma E took us to her neighbor's animal farm where we got to see llamas, baby lambs, horses, sheep, dogs, and chickens...


Then backhoe rides at the party:


Cake! (Cole and Colin are 11 1/2 months apart too!)

Cole and Colin

A wagon ride with Colin:

Whew - what a lot of fun! Eli hung out inside in his bouncy seat most of the time. But next year we'll have one more little boy running around...

Easter Blessings

He is Risen! That is the best part about Easter. And that's what we will be teaching our kids all through the years. But Easter baskets and egg hunts are a fun treat that will be an added bonus. We were sad to miss church this year since we didn't want to put the boys in the nursery yet. But we had fun dressing Eli up at home and watching Gage hunt for eggs!


Gage found a book, plastic utensils, plastic eggs filled with jelly beans (only for shakers, not to eat!) yogurt melts and fruit strips, and a toy cell phone in his basket. Eli's had a book and some teething and jingle toys. A little difficult to find age-appropriate items at this time! But the Easter Bunny did pretty well I'd say! :)

Gage's outfit from last year...it even fit our big boy Eli:

Gage ('09) Eli ('10)

Gage had fun outside finding eggs, but mostly discovering trees, rocks, and dirt:


Trees:


Rocks and dirt:


We had a fun day enjoying our Easter blessings...

Eli's First Night Downstairs

The layout of our house is not conducive to having two little ones, and it has been a frustration of mine ever since Gage was born. It's a split level, so the master bedroom is up and the two other bedrooms are down. But we have lived with it and I finally got used to Gage being so far away. I thought it would be easier the second time around, and I guess it was, but I still missed Eli being so close last night! I felt sad looking at his empty pack 'n play in our room. I have been waiting to put him in his own room until he was consistently sleeping long periods through the night. He was so close until he got sick!

Well, his first night in his own room went pretty well I'd say! We put him down at about 8:30 and like clockwork, as of late, he awoke around 12:30am. I went down and comforted him and put his pacifier back in place, which did the trick until about 20 minutes later. He cried for a little over an hour. I listened to him from a distance the whole time. I couldn't sleep, I was so stressed out for him! But by 2:30am he was sound asleep and slept until about 5:00. Craig fed him for me since I had gotten very little sleep, and he laid him back down at about 5:30. He was sleeping so well I had to wake him at 8:30! Although it was difficult letting him cry, I would say our first night of "midnight detox" was a success!

Tired

Well I'm petering out on blogging...I confirmed it today when I actually had a free moment (both boys sleeping at the same time?!) and I chose to post about petering out on blogging instead of posting adorable Easter photos of my two little munchkins.

I think I am just tired. So tired.

Eli has gone back to waking every two hours through the night, and he will not fall back asleep on his own within an hour long time frame, so since I am awake by that point anyway I might as well get up and feed him! But he takes about two ounces and falls back to sleep the little stinker, so I know he isn't hungry. And snuggles and re-pacifiering don't help for long either.

I am blaming it on his RSV.

But since he is improving greatly, little E is sleeping in his own room, downstairs, tonight. As much as I hate to do it, I must let him cry it out. We have to get into a schedule, we have to get some sleep. Wish me luck!