playa

scrubberman

Eli loves to play in the sink! So I thought I would put him to work and have him scrub some dishes! :)

AND, scrub the sink!


Of course he practices safe hand washing habits, just like his Mommy.

He scrubs those hands until they are clean.

When he is finished his chores of washing, then he can play.* :)

*For those who think I am terrible mother who makes her child scrub the sink and dishes, my words were all in fun and the pictures show that he did everything on his own recognisance. :)

comparison

Picture number 1 is Evangeline and picture number 2 is Elijah....the ultrasounds were done a few days apart as far as weeks pregnant go. Evangeline is much fuller in the face than Eli was....maybe I am having a 10 pound little girl come May! Yikes!

BEAUTIFUL!

Here is a sneak peek at our beautiful daughter Evangeline Finley!

3D

On Monday afternoon, we will be going to get 3D and 4D ultrasounds at a place in Frazer. It is not medical, just a fun thing to do in order to see our little bean before she makes her arrival. I will post some pics on Monday or Tuesday. If you are not familiar with what these look like, here is the website of the place we will be going: http://www.innerviewultrasound.com/. Evie is very active, so hopefully we can get some good action shots! :)

dentist

Teeth and their cleanliness are so important to me. I floss every night and brush twice a day. I brush so hard to get my teeth clean that my dentist said to do it more lightly because my gum were eroding. I don't know what caused this obsession with my teeth, but I try to take very good care of them. I have had one cavity my whole life, which was a few years ago and I never want to go through that again, let alone anything other dental procedure that requires more pain! I guess that is my motivation.

A few weeks ago, Eli started to get staining on his two front teeth that was a faint gray color. I freaked out about it, while Chad said he hardly noticed. But off to the dentist we went to get it checked out.

As you can see, Eli loved sitting in the dentist chair.....sitting and laying and climbing.....

The dentist thought that it was caused by his liquid vitamins we give Eli that have iron in them. Apparently the iron can cause staining of the teeth. But when he inspected further, he told me he did think this was the case anymore. Then he tells me that all people have bacteria in their mouths. Some people's bacteria can actually stain their teeth and that is what he believed to be happening here.

Of course he noticed the horrified look on my face and reassured me that it comes off with a cleaning. However when they started to scrape his teeth, Eli flipped out and did not like that at all. So we go for our routine visit in April and then the dentist will do a full cleaning. He didn't want to traumatize Eli any more, which was nice.

I think the horror on my face came from my childhood pain rearing its ugly head. When I lost my baby teeth, my adult two front teeth came in orange!!! I lived with it for a little bit and that was just embarrassing for a kid because kids are mean to other kids that are different. I did not want this to happen to Eli. I remember trying not to smile so people wouldn't see the discoloration. I remember being so hypersensitive about it and very upset. Soon after, got bonding on the teeth and I have to get this semi-expensive, not covered by insurance procedure done every 3 years. Of course it wasn't until college and the infamous black lights that college brings that my friends and I realized that bonding does not glow like the rest of your teeth. Basically, in black light, I look like I am missing my two front teeth! Embarrassing.....but funny too. Also, I cannot whiten my teeth because bonding cannot be whitened. If I did whiten, I would have two yellow front teeth and the rest would be white. Again, embarrassing, but funny.

I think we as parents have childhood memories, good and bad, that influence how we parent our children. This is one of many instances for me. I know my sister doesn't make my nephew eat everything on his plate at dinner because our parents made us eat everything and that stuck with her as being a painful memory. On the bright side, I loved a saying my Dad had for when he was trying to convince us to sleep in the car during a long car ride. He would say that if we slept, we were taking a shortcut and when we woke up, we would be at our destination faster. Wouldn't you know it, it worked! And I am sure it gave my parents some sanity too! :) So we will be saying that to our children, for sure! :)

If you are a parent, what memories effect the way you parent? It is interesting to think about! :)

senses

senses bring back memories

veggie tales cd brings back the days of nausea from morning sickness

blankets with silky edges bring back the days of sleeping in my bed growing up

drakkar noir brings back the high school days

old pipe smells bring back the days of being with a grandfather who died before I had the chance to really appreciate him

the smell of smoke from a fire brings back the days of skiing in the poconos with my family

looking at pictures brings back the days of fitting into skinny jeans and still feeling like I was fat

the smell of the ocean brings back the days of driving to the beach with my family and knowing when I smelled the smell, we were close.

memories are stored in our senses

vomit

*WARNING* This post is not for people with a weak stomach. :)

There is nothing like the first time you get completely covered in your child's vomit. Every Mom remembers the first time. It is priceless, but not in a good way.

My poor Eli threw up for the first time (besides baby spit up) yesterday. It started with a fever and no other symptoms. As the day went on, I was bracing myself for what may come with the fever: a cold, strep throat, roseola virus, etc.

But then, the symptoms came spilling out of Eli's mouth in the form of previously ingested chocolate whole milk, curdled in chunks, accompanied with stomach acid. Then I knew we had a stomach virus on our hands.

The first incident: Eli was so scared about what was going on, screaming and crying. I tried to hold a bucket up to his mouth, a towel, I even tried to gently direct his head into the potty, but he was so freaked out by what happened, he shoved everything away from him but me. I then decided I would take one for the team and let him vomit on me.

The second incident: He threw up again within a few minutes of the first time and again, I sacrificed my body, my clean smelling clothes and my hair. I tried to get him in the bath, but he was still too traumatized. So I stripped us both down and used a wipe for him and I. Then I dressed him in PJ's, put on my robe and went downstairs, praying that the worst was over.

The third and fourth incident: It was 6:30 and we decided to put him to bed early. He was in good spirits for a sick little guy, but still weak. He had kept down some apple juice which was all he ate or drank all day. Chad brought him upstairs and I followed. Just as Chad passed Eli off to me so he could get the bath ready, it happens again. This time, the hallway rug was splattered and I pulled him against me so the rest of the vomit would fall on me and not him or the rug.

When I thought he was finished, I walked into Evie's room to put him on the changing table and before I let go, it happened again.

Poor Eli, sitting in the bathtub crying and scared, is severely traumatized again and sweet Chad tries to explain to him what is going on in kid terms. "Eli, you are not feeling well. Sometimes when we don't feel well, we throw up. That is what came out of your mouth. It is ok because it is over now." He seems to get it, but it is still horrified. He did not want either of us to touch him, poor child. It broke my heart.

I slept in his bed and in the middle of the night, he woke up wanting to drink apple juice. I brought him downstairs and gave him some. He also wanted goldfish.....I was a little reluctant for fear he would explode from the mouth again, but I gave in because I didn't want him to starve.

Today, he has not thrown up since last night before bed. He still has a low fever, but seems to be in better spirits than his listless, lethargic self yesterday. Hopefully this is just a 24 hour thing and he is over it now. We'll see what tonight brings.

When your child is sick, it brings out this protective, lioness instinct in you to do anything and everything to help your child. I wish I had a magic wand to make the symptoms disappear and have my crazy, active child back. It is when he is sick that I realize how wonderful that healthy activity really is. But I am not magic and the only things I can do is comfort him and pray for him. I may not have the power to make my son feel better, but luckily I know Someone who does. :)

P.S. Anybody know how to get curdled chocolate milk stains out of carpeting? I tried Resolve stain cleaner, but it did not work. :(

jump

expanding

I have been cooking my little baby bean for 27 weeks now.

I am gaining weight at an increasingly scary and rapid pace....someone needs to tell me to put down the salty food!

The heartburn has begun, though not too bad yet.

Picking up Eli is getting harder and harder, though having a bean pole for a kid is nice in that regard.

Braxton Hicks contractions are happening more now than when I was pregnant with Eli, or maybe now I know what they are BECAUSE of having Eli.

I am trying to take in every moment of time that I have with Eli by ourselves during the day, knowing that will change forever when Evangeline makes her appearance.

A librarian told me yesterday that I make a very beautiful pregnant woman...but then proceeded to make sounds that scared a little girl checking out a book, so I take that compliment with a grain of salt. :)

Life is good and I am looking forward to having our little girl, but also trying to stay in the present and soak up the last days of being a family of 3.

why

On Sunday, Eli said something to me that he has never said before: 'why not?'

I didn't know when the 'why' question would come up....I guess I thought it would be later.

Ever since, he has asked why about EVERYTHING!

I like it though, because it keeps me on my toes and helps my brain get some exercise thinking of creative ways to explain complicated things to such a new mind.

spring?

today

Today, Eli picked Mommy and Daddy out in our wedding picture taken on the grass of a golf green. He then said "Where is me?". I told him that he was not there. He immediately put his head down and with the saddest face ever said "I want to be with you, I want to be on the grass, Mommy."

Today, I was driving home from Moonbounce with Eli in the car and he actually wanted me to sing to the songs of Choo Choo Soul....he NEVER wants me to sing....and he may regret asking me to now.

Today, I was squinting so hard at the sun, my face looked a sea of wrinkles...I need some good moisturizer.

Today Eli and I went grocery shopping and we saw our favorite check out lady who gave Eli a pretend receipt because she likes Eli so much.

Today Eli fell asleep in the car.

Today, I did our bills and balanced our checkbook, a depressing task indeed. Anybody have any extra money they can spare?

Today, Eli told me he wanted to buy me lilies....I told him they were my favorite flower a few days ago and he remembered.

Today, I am feeling good for the first time in 5 days.

Today, I feel blessed.

names

I thought I may bring some attention to my lovely, yet to be born daughter: Evangeline. Some look at the name and think it is weird or corny or just plain bizarre. I think it is lovely and perfect. AND, when I saw the meaning of it, I truly felt God pushing forward on our list of girls names.

The name Evangeline comes from the Latin word "evangelium" meaning "gospel". The Latin word itself is derived from the Greek words "eu" meaning 'good' and "angelma" meaning 'news'.

What a wonderful meaning for the name of our daughter! Our daughter's name basically is the actual Bible. The words. The people. The good news Jesus brought to us. It makes me smile just thinking about it!! Then, after talking to great friends of ours (The Beans!), we found out that there is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled Evangeline.

Evangeline describes the betrothal of an Acadian girl named Evangeline Bellefontaine to her beloved, Gabriel Lajeunesse, and their separation as the British deport the Acadians from Acadie in the Great Upheaval. The poem then follows Evangeline across the landscapes of America as she spends years in a search for him, at some times being near to Gabriel without realizing he was near. Finally she settles in Philadelphia and, as an old woman, works as a nun among the poor. While tending the dying during an epidemic she finds Gabriel among the sick, and he dies in her arms.

This woman, separated from her love, travels to of all places PHILADELPHIA! And she is a giving woman, working among the poor, giving her life to the Lord. It is a sad poem, but the main character of Evangeline is portrayed beautifully.

The meaning of Elijah's name is equally emotional for us and has a deep meaning as well. It means 'the Lord is my God'. Eli is also named after the prophet Elijah:

Elijah was one of the most intriguing of the prophets. Elijah performed some extraordinary miracles as a prophet of God, he brought the dead son of a widow back to life (1 Kings 17:22-23), caused a jar of meal and a jar of oil to constantly refill during a drought, caused fire to come out of the sky and consume a burnt offering, ended a drought, and ran faster than King Ahab's chariot.

Chad has always identified with this prophet of the Bible, most likely because some of his attributes (a strong will!) is most like Chad. Elijah was a warrior for the Lord and let no one stop him or change him. So far, Eli has shown characteristics of staunch determination and when he is engrossed in something, you cannot distract him.....so maybe it is not just a name after all? :) Time will tell on that one! :)

It was important to me to choose names for our children that mean something to us and to the Lord. When Eli or Evie come to me to ask what their names mean or where their names came from, I can tell them with pictures, text from the Bible and with love. Chad says that may think they have a lot to live up to. I see it as something they can look to when they are down (or when they are not) to encourage them in the Lord. We'll see if our children will need some therapy later in life because of these names. :)

wrestlers