a day in our life...

It starts out simple enough. 

Eli wakes up and then promptly sits down to memorize the African Nations on his trusty globe. (we've memorized all but Africa at this point ;). 

Then we go to the library. And if Eli reads me five books to my satisfaction, he is rewarded with some swinging at the nearby park.





He also gets to play in the grass.

Then we return home to lunch, where he is fed a strict diet of brain enhancing edamame and water.

Yeah, that's about how it goes down around here... ;)

splash pad

This is about a block from our condo, and Eli loooves it.

Wakeful playtime

I usually nap with Eli once a day (usually afternoon). I find it helps him sleep longer, I need the rest, it's such a sweet and important time for me to have with my otherwise very active baby, and I'm just a better mama to my baby after even just a short nap. I use his other nap to do something fun (like clean ;). When I wake up it's usually to a baby who has been rolling and climbing all around me. I love these playful times with my happy, rested, silly boy.

playing.

look what mommy found on Craigslist

I thought this might provide some quality time for these two...

On the streetcar

Eli and I took the streetcar to church this morning. Don't we look happy about it? :)
It's so fun to watch him stare out the window and watch people... he's so serious until someone smiles at him and then he's all grins.
Oh, and don't you like my hair dryer trick to keep baby happy while getting ready without a daddy around for backup? Turn it to cool air and he just looooves the feeling of a "breeze" (same thing in the car).

head of table

9 months old

 
The past 9 months have brought us more joy than we could have ever imagined. He's now been on this side of the world as long as he was inside me. And we still go to sleep at night amazed that we are parents to this wonderful, happy little person. These pictures were taken a month ago at our weekend with family (thanks to my sister's awesome photo skills/camera). They capture our baby... loves to smile, loves to watch people and get their attention, loves water, and loves being held.

I wonder what the next 9 months hold... let alone the next 9 years and beyond! But I do know that I get the blessing of co-parenting with an amazing man and we both know we can't do this without faith. I've been taught almost daily these past 9 months that there's no

 guarantee in this parenting thing... we can't ensure complete safety, secure our own version of the happy family,  or force a desired outcome in our child. We can do our part while leaning, or falling, into the arms of a God who supports us through it all... whatever may meet us on this parenting journey.

We enjoyed our life before starting a family, but neither of us can quite describe how much richer it is now. My heart is full. It has been for these past 9 months. Now as I rock Eli to sleep his little, pudgy arms are big enough to wrap themselves around me. The other night I rocked him for a long time... just savoring this place he's at. Watching my baby sleep with his head resting on my chest is perhaps one of the best gifts my days can offer me. I've been known to get Moon in the evenings, put a sleeping Eli into his arms and have him just sit there and rock him. And he always thanks me. And then we oh-so carefully lay him down for that little bit of evening peace. Because we know in the morning a very happy baby will be waking us up.

no stopping him now...

he wants to get on his feet every chance he gets. He pulls himself onto furniture, climbs on us, his toys, whatever works. And he's somewhat steady when standing. But he does let himself fall into a seated position. I'm guessing he'll be standing on his own in the next few weeks... but who knows. One thing is certain: he can't figure out crawling no matter how much we try to help him and he is clearly uninterested in it (he moves right into a plank pose with flexed legs). But it's an amusing show he puts on...

a bouncing baby boy

Here's to blueberries and bridges!

We had a bit of both today. The blueberries were for breakfast and the bridge was the grand opening of our new pedestrian bridge that brings a whole new world of walking potential for us! Eli has already been on it twice today. And as you can see he's excited about it!

"these things are so much more fun than those toys they keep giving me"

Balcony bath time

Can't beat it on a hot summer day!

Sewing for the baby

Sometimes my sewing projects work out and sometimes they just don't. My too small striped shirt is an example of the latter (funny how the baby could really care less). But the good news is that (somehow) the striped shorts and the shopping cart cover worked out great. I have so much fabric and material I'm just barely making a dent in my piles! Eli usually obliges my projects when they overtake me. And he's a good napper, which always helps the projects get completed.

climber

The baby and I went out to watch moon at our nearby climbing gym. Well, I watched while Eli slept but we both enjoyed ourselves.

blueberries for all

We enjoyed a lovely 4th. Moon had the day off thanks to a nice rotation schedule. After a lazy morning of family time (we drink coffee and smile/laugh at our growing baby and his latest antics), we went blueberry picking. Friends joined us and Eli took his nap while we picked away. Now we have some in the freezer and some for now... plenty to go around. Eli has been nibbling on them all day. So glad he's enjoying them! New foods for him this week: whole milk plain yogurt and now blueberries.