Ruby

Eli has a new cousin, Ruby. She is beautiful and awe such a wonder. Eli loves her and everything about her. He loves her "bebe" (binki), her toes, her cry....everything. He especially enjoys kissing the top of her head.

CAKE!

Thanks Mom and Dad Paulson for taking us to dinner last night! We were on our way to Pei Wei (almost rear-ending our parents) and I asked Eli, "Do you want rice or noodles?" Eli waits a second and then yells out "CAKE!!!" That's my boy!!!!

"K, pay attention to me!"

Eli can say many words and he is starting to even form a few word sentences. But he still loves to "jibber jabber." He will sit there and go on and on in his own made up language telling me this excited and animated story. He even uses his hands and lots of body language. And if I turn away even in the slightest to wipe the counter or fold laundry he yells out, "momma....momma....MOMMA!!!!" He has to have your 100% undivided attention or he gets mad.

He has also started to use the words "K" and "move." When you ask him a question, like; "Do you want an apple?" He would actually reply, "no" or "nose" or "uh huh." (All sounding like no, but he really means yes). But now he replies with "K!" "Eli do you want to clean your room?" "K." "Eli do you want to watch NEMO?" "K." "Eli do you want to take a tubby?" "K!" As for move, when he wants you to go somewhere with him he orders you to "MOVE!!!!" He loves to play "ping pong" so he will come over to me and say, "hand" (then he will grab for my hand), say "ping pong," and if you don't get up and head towards the ping pong table, he shouts "MOVE!!!!" Where does he learn this?

Christmas/Stitches Week

Once again Santa found us and spoiled us rotten!!! The best thing was that Eli walked into our front room and he cared more about looking out the window at all the snow than looking at all his toys. Eli was pretty much hooked up with a basketball standard, little people garage and airplane, and tons of crayons "ons" and coloring books. Karl did good in the shopping department for me and each gift was thoughtfully purchased. It was nice to spend time with my family and to see my brother and his wife who were here from Arizona. Lucia is pregnant!!!! Yeah we are so excited for her!!!!

The day after Christmas, Nana agreed to babysit Eli while I went to work. In four hours I delivered two babies and luckily those went well. I was late getting home because the nurse that followed me had to rush her daughter to the doctor for stitches in her finger. I got back to mom's house and Eli and Nana were playing a teasing game. Eli ran as fast as he could to Nana who was hiding in her bed. He tripped, fell, and let's just say that he was a bloody mess when he lifted his head off the floor. He had hit the sharp edge of Nana's metal bed frame. So Papa rushed Eli and I to the pediatrician's office. I ran in to see if they would still see us since it was 5:00 and I think because I was covered in blood they obliged. The MD was able to glue the gash over his right eyebrow but the bridge of his nose required a stitch. He was brave and was easily soothed with a sucker. 12/26/07 must have been a good day for stitches!!!!

SPANKS!

So Eli was doing something naughty and I asked him....."uh oh, do you want a spank?" Then I realized that he doesn't know what that is so I changed my tone and laughing asked him "uh oh, do you want me to tickle your bum?" I have a slight obsession with pinching his ticklish little "bum bum" and making him laugh like crazy!!!! I love this kid....LOVE HIM!!!!!!

ANIMALS (11/27/07)

So Eli loves animals. We have taught him all the signs (sign language) for most animals and he can name them all...well at least make the animal sound for most of them. He enjoys the zoo and every new animal we come upon he shapes his lips into a circle, sucks in his breath, and acts as if the 54th visit to the zoo is his first. Well the best thing was when we came upon the girraffe exhibit. Eli did his excited ritual, pointed his finger to point out the long necked animal and shouts "NECK!" I laughed not thinking anything of it. Well he has a stuffed girraffe, a plastic girraffe, and many animal books with pictures of girraffes and they are all refered to as "NECKS!!!!" Being a mother is so wonderful and the things they pick up on......

STUCK!!! (10/07)

Stuck!!!! My sister Danni, who Eli also calls "Mama," taught Eli the stuck concept. She was tired of Eli giving up kisses to everyone but her so she learned how to steal them. She grabs him and kisses his cheek and keeps her face smashed up against him shouting, "oh no!!! we're stuck." He has always loved this little game. Karl and I also joined in the fun but when one of us is "stuck," we run to the other parent for help getting unstuck. So Eli is catching onto what suck means and now he will do it to us. He will lay his head on us and act like he is stuck shouting for Mama or Dada to help. Well, even better, he can now play "Stuck" all by himself. He takes his two little fists and smooshes them againts his cheeks and shouts "Mama Dada Stuck!" "Mama Dada Stuck!" Ahhh the simple words that bring me so much joy....Stuck! Oh and FYI he will remain stuck until we pry his little hands away from his face.

PS: Eli is weaning from breastfeeding and now he points at my boobs saying "BEEP!" Any one know what that's all about?