The week in a glimpse...

Christmas Eve walk along the river, Jay brought his shotgun in case of bear sightings, or monsters, even.

Eli was not worried about the bears or monsters.

Climbing over the rocks with Jake

Notice Jay looking at the puddle...guess what happened next

Going to stand on the "big rock" per Jay's request

Looking for those mean monsters again

A close up of that cute face

Stopping mid-climb to pose with mom

This was at a New Year's Eve festival with bounce houses.

Getting ready to drive the caterpillar

And guess who snoozed through it all

bounce house = tired boy = easy night for mom and dad

I am obsessed with these slippers Ashley and Kurt gave him...we put them on after his bath at night

Wes dressed Jay for church and I thought he was so handsome!

"What's all the fuss about?"

Look at his head control!

Oops, nevermind...

On another one of our outings...What a life

Jay and I were outside playing, he decided the monitor was his police phone

Playing ball

"ball" somehow turned into wrestling...not really my cup of tea

this child can hit! 

Maybe we have a future MVP on our hands

I tried to teach him how to do the Babe Ruth pose before he hit...not sure he understood what I was doing

The other activity of Eli's life right now

Wes came home last night and got a page. Jay picked up a piece of paper and pretended to call the person back, taking diligent notes about the conversation. Wow....this is a sign that his daddy is on call way to much!  :)

Wes' idea of babysitting....yes, that is a Wii controller in his hand...

What a week!  As much as I have enjoyed my sweet boys I have caught myself fantasizing about a luxuious room with a hot tub, NCIS marathon, a glass of wine, and chocolate covered strawberries at least 5 times day. I could come up with many stories of my adventures this week but my brain is just too tired to make too many complex sentences right now. So here are some quick updates before I go to bed. As I write this I am wondering why I am not already in bed since the kids are both asleep and, no doubt, that little eating machine will be up in a few short hours to keep me up for the rest of the night....but as it is, I am, in fact, awake. :)

- Jay: He started his half-day preschool on Tues and Thursday this week. His teachers said he did great, acted like he had been there the whole time. It is a really good program. They are learning about winter this month and made snowmen, mittens, and fake snow this week. They are learning a Bible verse and say a little blessing before snack...so cute. On Thursday his teacher told me that Jay started a game for the class where he would hide something and then ask them questions about where it was. She said they all had a good time playing it. That's my little man....always up to something!
Around the house he has been so good. He is so helpful with Eli, very sweet to him, is patient with me when I am doing something for Eli, and is really becoming more independent by the day. Our new neighbors moved in a few months ago and he loves playing with their kids (13, 11, & 9) who are great with him. Most afternoons that it isn't raining we have been outside running around with them.
As you saw in the pictures, we played outside for a while yesterday and it hit me that it had been a while since I've been able to run around and do "boy-things" with him. It has at least been 6 months or more since I've have the energy to really keep up with him and it was so fun rolling on the ground and chasing him around. He is such a fun little boy, so smart, and the best little helper in the world. As much as I talk about how demanding and wild he is, I would not trade those parts for anything, because that same personality is what makes him so wonderful in so many other ways.

-Eli: He is the most sleepy little baby ever!  That is until about 9pm rolls around and he decides that it's time to party. This, while I love seeing his beautiful eyes, is a problem for me because that is right after I get the other beautiful boy asleep and am ready to relax. You would have thought I'd have learned the first go around that newborns are on a schedule all their own but I still am having a hard time getting that through my head. Jay and I had a cushy little schedule up until about a month ago....now I am back at square one. So my nights are usually spent trying to convince this little one that normal people sleep at night. This too, shall end.....right???  Otherwise, he is still just as laid back as the first week. He either sleeps, eats, or just sits and stares around the room. Crying episodes are short and usually end with us holding or feeding him. As I complain about the whole night time issue I realize that even though I am tired, probably delirious, still a little sore everywhere, and still waiting for my pre-preggo body to return, I can't help feeling content, blissful at times, and so blessed as I look at Jay, Eli, and Wes. As inconvenient as this whole "new baby" thing is, this is the very life I wished for. Two perfect, healthy boys, a loving and devoted husband, and all of our needs met in abundance. I couldn't be happier....or is it just the delirium. ;)

As for me and Wes: He is back at work...was up half the night in the OR last night and trying to take care his dramatic and needy family in the meantime. I'm pretty sure I broke my big toe yesterday when I tripped on Jay's guitar and almost fell down the stairs....while holding Eli, I might add. So I am limping around and whining to Wes in an effort to get some sympathy.
I have cooked a few times this week but didn't have the motivation today so we decided on CiCi's Pizza. After I fed the baby, threw on some make-up, got both boy's bags packed, Eli in his carseat (screaming at the top of his lungs), and myself in the car while throwing on lip gloss. Wes, in the meantime, argued with Jay about putting on shoes, won the argument, took him to go potty, fed the animals, and got Jay to the car, opened the door...into Jay's head...Jay fell apart, screaming "daddy hurt me!" Now with both boys screaming in the back seat we decided it just wasn't worth it. We turned the car off, took all of the bags out, both boys out, and ate at home instead. Maybe we weren't ready for this after all.