No More April Showers...Bring on the May Flowers

Aren't my boys super cute in their matching muscle shirts? I sure think so!

Well, another month has flown by and Eli continues to astound and amaze us. He is getting taller and the hair is starting to come in a bit more. I don't know if you can tell what color it is in the pictures, but it is so beautiful. (Can I say that about my little boy?) It is a light auburn so far....a mix of brown, lots of red, and some blond. Our little baby is truly a toddler and turning into a little boy.

He definitely keeps us BUSY! He loves to run and play both inside and out. He is fascinated by nature...always finding a critter to watch. He loves to watch birds and squirrels. We just got a new toy for outside...a sandbox! So Eli will spend many afternoons out in it, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to maybe getting some sunning and reading in while he plays in it. Maybe? Maybe I'm just dreaming...

Nothing really BIG to report, but Eli's vocabulary is definitely booming. He is still signing and talking. His verbal vocabulary has really grown and now surpasses the number of signs he has. I finally sat down and tried to make a list of all the words he can say and sign. Combined, he's got a vocabulary of about 60 words! I was amazed at the number when I actually took the time to count. Go Eli! :) I do have to admit that a lot of his language has to be translated or interpreted by us for others to really understand, but that's normal. (I think...) He's still a pretty quiet kid when he's around others...always taking it all in and studying and observing....but he babbles up a storm with us at home. And once he's comfortable around you, he'll talk your ear off. You might not be sure of what he's saying, but he sure is! We love listening to him.

And of course, he understands so much more than he can say. This also amazes us...he surprises me almost everyday by something he knows and understands. Guess we have to really start watching what we do and say! :) He's our little copy cat! :)

Eli loves books! He likes to read his books out-loud...with inflection. (I learned this the hard way in church one night when he started "reading" really loudly during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. whoops!) He is starting to find animals and other things on the pages that he recognizes. He'll either name it, sign it, or give its animal sound. Luckily, we utilize our library often so Mama and Dada don't get too tired of reading the same books over and over.

We continue to feel blessed. I hear Matt say just about everyday, "I love him so much." And I must tell Eli 20 times a day (at least...no joke!) just how much I love him. We can't imagine our lives without him.

And of course, the monthly post always includes...a LINK to April's PICTURES.

Weekend Visitors

Grandma and Grandpap Carson came for a visit! We practiced all week long trying to get Eli to say Grandma and Grandpap. By the time Friday rolled around, Eli would say, "Meh-Maw" for Grandma and beat his chest twice for PapPap. Who knows where that chest thump came from???? He stumped us with that one, but it is still pretty cute.

You know Grandpap's around when bottlecaps end up on your forehead!

And you know Grandma's around when Eli gets to try all kinds of new foods and new toys! She spoils him (in a good way!) :)

Friday night, we enjoyed the company and a yummy marsala dinner full of all kinds of spices...

(sorry for the pic of the spices, but it looked too neat to not share!)

Saturday, we headed out to the Jr. Museum again since we had such fun the last time we went. The brief rain right after Eli's nap almost scared us off, but we persevered....and we're glad we did. It was another fantastic time.

Eli got so excited to see the sheep up close. He immediately started waving hello!

We had to watch him, Eli was fearless around the animals!

But it was Grandma who actually got "goosed" by a goose! That crazy goose stuck his head through the fence and bit her shirt!! Too bad we didn't get that on any cameras! :) It was too funny!

After getting a little scared by the cow sticking his head through the fence...Eli warmed up and decided it was ok to pet its nose.

We had another great time! Matt and I ended up buying the family pass and have plans to return this summer...when the guest animal will be....Patas MONKEYS! Our little monkey will see real live monkeys!

After a delicious dinner at Ted's, we relaxed that evening. Sunday was filled with more quality time and play time. Eli was very sad to see the Grandparents leave. We can't wait for the next visit.

Mommy's Little Helper

Happy Friday everyone!

At Eli's 12 month appointment a while back, one of the questions the doctor asked was if Eli likes to mimic or help out with household chores. We answered yes because he had, once or twice....but now (at 16 months)....He loves to help Mama!

When Mama waters the plants....Eli wants to water too.

If Mama is sweeping....Eli wants to sweep.

If Mama is making lunch or dinner....Eli is there to lend a helping hand.

If Mama is dusting....Guess who wants to get in on the act?

Housework is more fun with a helper! (As long as he doesn't leave a bigger mess in his "dust.") :)

A NEW CAR!

Matt has been patient and kind and has been driving a 12 year old car for the past couple of years while I got to drive the nice, new CR-V. My old green Civic had seen better days...it leaked when it rained, didn't blow cold A/C, was torn up , and beat up. So, when the "CHECK ENGINE" light came on, we took it as a time to act. This is what drove up in the driveway Thursday night:

We shopped for it last weekend, and made the call to the dealer on Monday. Matt picked a 5-speed, silver, Honda Accord Sedan EX-L. The leather package included a nicer stereo with XM radio and a subwoofer, dual control air conditioning, heated seats, and a couple other bonus features. (The only reason he ended up with leather was due to it being the only 5-speed anywhere nearby. It is a super treat, and we're both glad he ended up with it...) He is SO THRILLED to not be driving around the "green monster" anymore.

I keep thinking I should be more sad that my old Civic is gone....but I'm not! :)

An Outing in Pictures

We had a nice weekend here. It was topped off with a fantastic outing to the Tallahassee Museum (a.k.a. The Junior Museum) on a picture perfect Sunday...70 degrees and just beautiful!

People say that pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll try to let the pictures of our trip speak for themselves.

Strolling along.........................Our little bat..............................What's in here?

Mama! Do you see the horsies?....This horse almost drenched the boys.....Checking out the goats

.................Geese!!!.............................................And a cow!

.............On to the playground.............. Even Dada got in on the fun!...Snack break with the grandparents

Eli enjoyed sharing an ice cream cone....the reactions were just too cute not to capture and share!

More, please! (see him signing?)

And....he's spent. We headed home moments after this.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

Sprinkler

No, this is not a post about Eli sprinkling on me during a diaper change....silly!

Eli and I have hunted and searched in our VERY disorganized and messy garage for our big inflatable baby pool. On these nice spring days, we'd both love to be outdoors, but our yard isn't THAT conducive to lots of playing. The pool on the other hand...now that would keep Eli entertained for a LONG time. And Mama could maybe even get some reading done (and soak in some rays at the same time...)

Since we have not been successful in finding that darn pool. (We looked high and low...in every corner and every box. It is NOT THERE! I'm sure of it! If not there, then where? Hmm... Stay tuned for a future post....hopefully....about the mystery of the missing pool.) Anyways....back to the point. I got Eli lotioned up and in his suit for a little fun in our sprinkler. Once he got over the initial shock of how cold it was, he managed to have some fun.

Until.....he discovered how to turn the hose on and off. My, how quickly he is distracted by something new and different. And for this, we love him!

New Foods

Oh yes, he can...

And he did!

Eli decided he wanted to be just like Mama and Dada and eat his corn straight off the cob. I cut him off some, and he wanted nothing to do with it. He was goin' to town and had a ball.

Eli also had a popsicle for the first time this week. We bought them back when he had the flu, but he wasn't interested. About once a week, Eli decides to be a SUPER picky eater and won't eat much of anything, and on top of that, he's cutting his canine teeth. The popsicle intrigued him and would hopefully serve the dual purpose of soothing his aching gums. Then it got too cold to hold...so I cut it up. Eventually he cried while eating it because it was SOOOO cold but kept putting another piece in. Oh how he makes me laugh!

So many experiences had and still so many ahead.

I Stand Corrected...

Eli says his name more like "e-laah."  You'll have to forgive my lack of ability to spell in baby language.  I'll get better with time, I'm sure! :)

Eli went over to Kent's to play in the baby pool.  And guess who stopped by to join in the fun?  Little Miss Mabry with her Mommy and Grandparents.  You know it has warmed up when the kids are lotioned up and in the pool.  We're taking advantage of and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather...even for FLORIDA!  It was about 85 degrees today.  

Mabry testing the water out.



Eli took advantage of all the room in the pool.



The feeding frenzy!

And as you'll see in the pics, I think Eli was in the pool the most! :)  He had a blast!!  Thanks for having us over Jill and Kent!

eee-yi

This is how Eli likes to say his name as of today. And that is no joke...I promise! I know it is April Fool's Day and all...

We've had a fun and busy month complete with a trip to the beach for the Chili Cook-Off, Easter and Aunt Ann & Uncle Mark's wedding.

Let's see, what else has Eli added to his repertoire this month. He continues to learn more signs...like bath and play. He tells me when he poops or toots (or when someone else does...) by saying "woowee." When super tired, he'll sign bed and say, "nigh, nigh." His vocabulary is growing weekly. He adds 1-2 words and/or signs each week.  He'll talk your ear off too...only we have no idea what he's saying.  He sure does! :)  The number of animals he knows the sounds for is also growing to include horses, elephants, frogs, lions, ducks, and sheep. We're still working on chickens and roosters.

Eli continues to thrive physically as well. He still doesn't pass up the opportunity to be outside and dig in the dirt. At the park, he has become quite the climber and has almost mastered big slides. His big green ball is a favorite still. Every day and night we are throwing and kicking it all around the house. Only twice have we hit the plant. You'd think we'd have learned our lesson....soon, I'm sure. Eli also has found a love for the pool...as long as it is warm. Grandma and Grandpap Carson have heated their pool, and Eli LOVES it! He has no fear, so we better teach him to swim quickly! :)

Eli and I are enjoying time off from school and tutoring due to Spring Break. Poor Dada is working hard while we have plans to "do lunch" with friends, go to the park, and even visit the Jr. Museum.

Stay tuned for more updates...but until then, enjoy pictures from March. (<---- the diff color means it is a link! click on it!)