Only 5 attempts...

Relaxed in the tub...6 weeks

he is getting his brother's chubby cheeks

This is how Eli wanted to be held last night, snuggled in his wrap but just about breaking his neck to look at the fan. I tried to lay him on the bed so he could easily watch it but he screamed...what a silly boy. he did this for at least 15 minutes.

Wes texted me this picture the other day when they were out shopping. When he got home he said, "I don't know why that boy decides he needs to go poopey every time I have him by myself in public!'  As I told him, hate that I missed it.

Watching - what else - but the fan

Smiling...at the fan

Sitting on his throne while we ate supper...this lasted for all of 2 minutes. Then he realized I wasn't holding him and freaked out.

Wild man stuffing his face

Holding hands while watching morning cartoons

I must say, it offends me just a little that he smiles and "talks" to the fan all day and will give me a grin one out of every 10 tries. I don't think the fan gets up and feeds him in the wee hours of the night, every night, or has even once offered to change his diaper...

Best friends, jay and truman!

We are going to be so sad when they leave this summer, poor Jay won't understand why we don't see them anymore, we have played with Hannah and Truman almost every week since we moved here.

This is my 5th attempt at the blog today so maybe I can finish this time. I have learned to treasure those days that go smoothly since they come around once every other week or so. Today I woke up (well didn't really wake up since Eli had me up already from about 3am) but, after a large cup of coffee, found myself alert enough to get a few things done. That happens only about once a week these days, thanks to my severe sleep-deprived state, so when I feel the least bit energetic I try to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, Eli did not feel the same way and completely monopolized my morning. Jay was in a good mood this morning and played happily by himself while I rocked, feed, and bounced Eli around the house again and again, but, understandably so, had enough by lunch time and drastically changed his tone. So my productive morning wishes were shot down and now I have lost whatever energy I thought I had so I guess I will just try again tomorrow. :) 

Eli is getting chubby...not quite like Jay did, but still, I bet I am going to be surprised by how much he has gained when I take him for his 2 month check up next week. Lord knows he eats enough...he better be growing!  I have made it a personal goal to get him to smile at me more than the fan this week...he will love me more, dangit!  I will keep you posted on that competition.

Jay has actually been a little better with the "attitude" issue I talked about last week. Maybe he heard I was in the market for a boarding school??  Or maybe it was the hundredth spanking he received??  The main topic of his scoldings are usually about "talking back" and he is learning to at least whisper his objections instead of yelling them. I really don't think that he has yet to understand why he can't talk back since, in his world, we talk back to him all day long too and we don't ever have to go to time out. Because, you know, we are all equal in this house, according to Jay, at least.

Wes and I talk about how old he is getting all the time now. He is becoming a little person, no longer a toddler, and constantly surprises us by how quickly he learns things. I cannot believe he will be 3 in less than a month!   We love the fact that we can explain things to him now and him actually understand us. It is so fun to have conversations with him...a perfect balance of innocence and curiosity...and to watch his little mind work to solve problems. Sometimes I just sit and watch him and think, "when did he grow up? I didn't even notice he was getting so old."  It really does seem like it was overnight.

Speaking of his little mind working...he isn't old enough to understand what not to say in public and continues to embarrass us  at every outing. Wes and Jay went to the store the other day (the same trip with Jay on the potty) and Wes told me he almost died when Jay saw a dwarf and exclaimed proudly, "Daddy! I found a baby-man!  Look I found a baby-man!"  Again, so sad I missed that one!

Pictures of our zoo day this past weekend...notice there are no picture of animals....unless you count our little monkey

At the zoo...Jay would rather climb on rocks than watch the penguins

"Jay, come on, we can climb on rocks at home"

We walked him over to the birds and, after 30seconds, made a break for it and sprinted back to the rocks--because they are really why we pay for a zoo membership every year

I felt right at home when we were in the kangaroo walk-a-bout with my little "joey" in his pouch

At the aquarium Jay was more excited about the "helicopter" (camera) than the fish

And preferred the stairs over the sea turtles

Napping while jay played

Because you know he wanted to spend more time on the playground than with the animals

This is what he looks like when he says, "cheese"...not really the smile I was aiming for

After the slide we had to ride the carousel...fake animals are much more fun than the real ones, apparently

Walking out of the gorilla room after Jay spent the whole time playing with the coin wheel

 

 

I thought they were so cute in their matching outfits that day